OK, I have a group who wants to play in the Star Trek universe and my go-to games don't emulate the genre well enough. These people only know D&D, so something close to that or simple and easy to learn is preferred. I've got the Last Unicorn Games version, but that may not hit the sweet spot with them. The old FASA version is too complicated and I don't know how well the Modiphus version plays.
Any help would be appreciated.
The FASA version is too complicated?
Quote from: Skarg;1080359The FASA version is too complicated?
To them, yes. Character creation left them cold.
Could you ask them to describe the character they want to play and then do the mechanics of character creation for them?
BRP and just narrate the ship stuff and use skill rolls.
Alternately TWERPS TWEK.
I've been running a GURPS Prime Directive game set just after Star Trek The Motion Picture but honestly it doesn't fit all that well. If you've got time you could build the ships using GURPS Spaceships, it's just allocate 20 hit locations and total up stuff. You'll have to decide if Phasers are gamma ray lasers, blasters, omni-blasters, or disintegrators. I lean towards disintegrators.
Modiphius 2d20 Star Trek is okay but very subject to tastes.
Christian Conkle's Light Speed is essentially Star Wars verses Star Trek.
If I ever finish Galaxies in Shadow it will be Trek capable but I don't have the license or anything.
I've not played either but...
I've seen Far Trek suggested, the pdf is available free.
http://fartrekrpg.blogspot.com/
Starships and Spacemen is a basic D&D clone set to a Star Trek with the serial numbers filed off setting. It is available through Drivethru RPG as pdf or print on demand.
Have you looked into the current https://www.modiphius.com/ stuff?
Obvious answer is Starships & Spacemen 2e, it is OSR Trek with serial numbers filed off. Sounds perfect for your group.
The Lucanii Drift is a nice campaign sandbox for it.
Absolute best Star Trek campaign I ever played in used the Unisystem / Buffy mechanics as it differentiated different levels of heroes while still making the more background characters absolutely shine.
Anyone play Starships & Spacemen? Any detailed reviews? How is it Trek and not just D&D in space?
There's the Prime Directive D20 stuffs out there...
Quote from: jeff37923;1080354OK, I have a group who wants to play in the Star Trek universe and my go-to games don't emulate the genre well enough. These people only know D&D, so something close to that or simple and easy to learn is preferred. I've got the Last Unicorn Games version, but that may not hit the sweet spot with them. The old FASA version is too complicated and I don't know how well the Modiphus version plays.
Any help would be appreciated.
Any chance they would like the Decipher edition? It plays like a simpler D20:
- Classes and races
- 2d6 roll high
- Skills
- Courage (hero) points
- Something like feats
You can probably find a copy cheap on Ebay.
Edit: Nevermind. I have no idea why people are asking more than $5 for it. Why are used RPGs prices so outrageous? No one is buying this junk.
Thanks for the suggestions, the group has decided to try Far Trek and see where it gets us.
D&D players want to play Star Trek. But don't know how. Hmmm.
Quote from: David Johansen;1080364I've been running a GURPS Prime Directive game set just after Star Trek The Motion Picture but honestly it doesn't fit all that well. If you've got time you could build the ships using GURPS Spaceships, it's just allocate 20 hit locations and total up stuff. You'll have to decide if Phasers are gamma ray lasers, blasters, omni-blasters, or disintegrators. I lean towards disintegrators.
As a GURPS fan and used-to-be-Star-Fleet-Battles-addict, who has only skimmed GURPS Prime Directive, I'm curious how Prime Directive isn't fitting. Is it that they did the typical Start Trek RPG mistake of making hand phaser/disruptors into easily-survivable pea shooters? Is the SFB-esque setting too different from Star Trek? Is the focus on lowly boarding party people too un-Trek-like? Something else?
Quote from: jeff37923;1080354OK, I have a group who wants to play in the Star Trek universe and my go-to games don't emulate the genre well enough. These people only know D&D, so something close to that or simple and easy to learn is preferred. I've got the Last Unicorn Games version, but that may not hit the sweet spot with them. The old FASA version is too complicated and I don't know how well the Modiphus version plays.
Any help would be appreciated.
The adventure generator from The Last Parsec for Savage Worlds with the Sci-fi Companion has worked great for me in running Star Trek-esque adventures.
Quote from: jeff37923;1080354OK, I have a group who wants to play in the Star Trek universe and my go-to games don't emulate the genre well enough. These people only know D&D, so something close to that or simple and easy to learn is preferred. I've got the Last Unicorn Games version, but that may not hit the sweet spot with them. The old FASA version is too complicated and I don't know how well the Modiphus version plays.
Any help would be appreciated.
The old Prime Directive RPG was relatively decent. Of course, you could also just try to modify Traveller.
Show them Spacemaster, the sci-fi version of Rolemaster. They'll be begging to play the FASA system instead.
Quote from: The Black Ferret;1081948Show them Spacemaster, the sci-fi version of Rolemaster. They'll be begging to play the FASA system instead.
Space Opera :eek:
Quote from: Toadmaster;1081956Space Opera :eek:
Great flavor, overthought mechanics.
Quote from: RandyB;1081963Great flavor, overthought mechanics.
Yep, I bought a box full of SO stuff at a convention flea market in the 80s. Loved reading through the books, but we had a heck of a time trying to actually play it and we were not unaccustomed to complex games having played Champions and Aftermath.
Quote from: RPGPundit;1081865The old Prime Directive RPG was relatively decent. Of course, you could also just try to modify Traveller.
Star Fleet universe has quite a different feel from pretty much all of the Trek lines. It's
far more military themed. Also, the game focuses on Prime Teams--special ops type groups--rather than the bridge crew groups of all other Trek. You could do Trek with it, but you're fighting a lot of the setup. Also, IIRC, phasers and disruptors were pretty survivable in Prime Directive (which oddly fits with mid-to-late DS9, but not oiginal Trek or TNG).
Quote from: RPGPundit;1081865The old Prime Directive RPG was relatively decent. Of course, you could also just try to modify Traveller.
Quote from: HappyDaze;1081999Star Fleet universe has quite a different feel from pretty much all of the Trek lines. It's far more military themed. Also, the game focuses on Prime Teams--special ops type groups--rather than the bridge crew groups of all other Trek. You could do Trek with it, but you're fighting a lot of the setup. Also, IIRC, phasers and disruptors were pretty survivable in Prime Directive (which oddly fits with mid-to-late DS9, but not oiginal Trek or TNG).
I agree with HappyDaze. The original 1st ed Prime Directive mechanics were really wonky, IMO - with it triple difficulty numbers and break points. The tech was mostly 20th century commando gear, with only a few nods towards Star Trek that didn't fit with TOS. I wouldn't recommend it.
Prime Directive now has GURPS and D20 versions - I don't know how well done they are, though.
Late to this but have you looked at Starchips & Spacemen? The reprint is over on DriveThru still I believe. It is fairly D&D-esque in certain matters and can easily be retooled into a Star Trek setting.
Also there is Star Frontiers. That too can be retooled into a ST setting.
I am currently reading FAR TREK. If I like it after a playtest, I will post a review. On my first read, it's interesting.