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Recommendations Needed For A Star Trek RPG

Started by jeff37923, March 22, 2019, 10:23:29 PM

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jeff37923

March 22, 2019, 10:23:29 PM
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.
"Meh."

Skarg

#1
March 23, 2019, 12:50:14 AM
The FASA version is too complicated?

jeff37923

#2
March 23, 2019, 01:07:38 AM
Quote from: Skarg;1080359The FASA version is too complicated?

To them, yes. Character creation left them cold.
"Meh."

Skarg

#3
March 23, 2019, 01:11:07 AM
Could you ask them to describe the character they want to play and then do the mechanics of character creation for them?

David Johansen

#4
March 23, 2019, 01:26:05 AM
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.
Fantasy Adventure Comic, games, and more http://www.uncouthsavage.com

Toadmaster

#5
March 23, 2019, 02:41:37 AM
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.

trechriron

#6
March 23, 2019, 03:39:08 AM
Have you looked into the current https://www.modiphius.com/ stuff?
Trentin C Bergeron (trechriron)
Bard, Creative & RPG Enthusiast
----------------------------------------------------------------------
D.O.N.G. Black-Belt (Thanks tenbones!)

S'mon

#7
March 23, 2019, 03:48:08 AM
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.

Spinachcat

#8
March 23, 2019, 04:17:20 AM
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?

kythri

#9
March 23, 2019, 12:06:05 PM
There's the Prime Directive D20 stuffs out there...

Aglondir

#10
March 24, 2019, 03:16:44 AM Last Edit: March 24, 2019, 03:21:16 AM by Aglondir
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.

jeff37923

#11
March 24, 2019, 03:16:50 AM
Thanks for the suggestions, the group has decided to try Far Trek and see where it gets us.
"Meh."

Shawn Driscoll

#12
March 24, 2019, 08:12:42 PM
D&D players want to play Star Trek. But don't know how. Hmmm.

Skarg

#13
March 27, 2019, 02:14:30 PM
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?

Rhedyn

#14
March 27, 2019, 02:37:44 PM
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.
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