The core book of White Star (Galaxy Edition) is essential. Note that the Galaxy Edition is the newest version of the game, including material from the Companion (the old game is still on DTRPG, so be careful buying). But where do we go from here?
White Box Fantastic Medieval Adventure Game costs five dollars on Amazon and is one of the best, most compact, and inexpensive White Box games out there. It's digest-sized, too, so it slips right next to your core book and doesn't eat a shelf. This is an obvious buy for classic monsters, spells, magic items, and classes for a Starfinder-like mixed science fantasy game.
White Box FMAG is also d6-based, like White Box, so you do not need d4, d8, d10, d12, or d00 dice - which is nice. I enjoy the games that cut down the number of dice, and I don't have to sort through a bucket of dice to play the game. There is something magic to a fantasy game that only uses a d20 and d6, removing pointless distractions and needless dice optimization. When I play the game, I put the dice I don't need away and maybe keep out only one d100 set for tables.
But White Box FMAG does have d12, d4, d10, and d100 charts, so they come close but their table optimization skills need a little more clarity and focus. White Star eliminates those dice entirely, and only has d6 and d20 charts.
Alternatively, the beyond-excellent Iron Falcon is another low-cost option, though this is less White Box and more of a 1e alternative, using all the dice.
Tools of the Worldshapers is a good resource, even though this seems like an earlier book, and some of the material made it into the new edition of the main game and the Galaxy Edition. They have race creation here and a balanced human option that allows for more customization. Also worth the price of the book is a chapter on faster skill advancement and a talent system that allows for even more character customization. There is also some new gear and other things you may find helpful. There are a lot of good system hacking tools here, and this will help you customize to your heart's content.
Heart of Varrul is next, a 300+ page setting and adventure path? Obvious choice. I would have put this as the number two book, but I am a system hacker and want to simulate a specific genre and setting. Science Fantasy with Magic fits in the setting, and the core book even suggests this as a campaign type.
If you go for the Varrul adventure, there is a 100+ page supplement PDF with more adventures. This is a good buy, but sadly, it does not come in a digest-sized book.
B/X Options Class Builder is another good hacking resource for making classes. Not that White Box uses the d6 for hit dice, so you will need to adjust and use White Star as a guide, with 10 HD at the 10th level being a fighter. Five to ten HD at the 10th level is the range you are working with, so a d4 class would be closer to 5 at 10, while a d10 class would be 10 at 10.
Alternatively, figure the average roll of the hit die and roll a modified d6 instead:
- d4 = 1d6-1 (minimum 1)
- d8 = d6+1
- d10 = d6+2
You can use many classes here, even with the other dice referenced. Want a "Star Barbarian?" Need a "Space Sorcerer?" You got it. There are race variants here, too. Cap the levels at 10, and you are good to go. You must add White Star skills to any class you import, but using the Worldshapers book as a guide is easy enough.
And I love these "X in 6" White Box skills - they are better in every way to DC systems, roll under ability, and most any other messy hack to add skills into d20 fantasy gaming. Need a new skill? Add it, but be mindful of adding too many since you must increase the skill gain rate (Worldshapers, again).
X in 6 skills solve stat inflation, manage player expectations, allow customization and specialization, and let players focus on an area outside their class to gain non-standard class abilities. I would use these in place of most ability score checks.
There are other books in this game, all of them very interesting. The core book and the Worldshapers are the minima for pure sci-fi, and the others I consider more a hacking resource and extra stuff. Still, that White Box base game is handy to reskin monsters from. The adventures are fun, and the B/X Options book is the least needed here, but you can never go wrong with extra classes.
These are my core books for the system, and enough to provide me endless adventure and fun.
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