Star Trek RPG

Secret Skeleton · Post by **Secret Skeleton** » Sun Jan 24, 2010 6:09 pm

What is the best Star Trek tabletop RPG?

I am mostly interested in the FASA game from 82' but the d20 Prime Directive also looks good...I just hate the art on the book cover. Regardless I will probably buy minis from ADB anyway...but I want good rules.

Omote · Post by **Omote** » Sun Jan 24, 2010 6:16 pm

Haven't played d20 Prime Directive, but was interested in it. And yes, the artwork is pretty awful. However, d20 just doesn't seem like it will capture the true feel of a ST RPG IMO. Again, I haven;t read it but if it is anything liek d20 Modern, which it seems to be, than it will not feel like ST to me.

To date, no game has really captured the flavor very well. The best would be FASA's ST RPG, but even so that system is too out of date and is in need of updating.

Good luck in your search. Let us know if you find a great ST RPG!

~O
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Traveller · Post by **Traveller** » Sun Jan 24, 2010 6:44 pm

*drops in briefly before returning to my vacation*

FASA's character generation system is very complex, but I disagree that the systems need an overhaul. I use them as written to create Next Generation characters. There is a fair amount of house rules available for FASA Trek, at http://www.anzwers.org/free/fasa/ , including the Q&A sections from Stardate Magazine. Out on the Internet are even more house rules and stuff, including a corrected FASA timeline that changes the dates to match canon, if you know where to look. I believe that FASA did the job perfectly well. The problem with FASA Trek came near the end of the run when FASA (not the game designers, who left by this time) deviated from what Paramount considered acceptable at the time and attempted to introduce more militaristic elements into the game.
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mostrojoe · Post by **mostrojoe** » Sun Jan 24, 2010 10:09 pm

And about the Decipher one?

Post by **Breakdaddy** » Sun Jan 24, 2010 10:19 pm

Decipher Trek has excellent sourcebooks but character generation is a bit rough and the actual mechanics are quirky. Its not a bad system, but if I were personally going to run a Trek game I'd just go cinematic and run it with Savage Worlds.

Secret Skeleton · Post by **Secret Skeleton** » Mon Jan 25, 2010 2:16 am

I am really leaning towards FASA at this point. I have read a .pdf of the core rules and I think it and testimony here has persuaded me to go and buy it. Between ebay and NobleKnight I should have no problem.

Aladar · Post by **Aladar** » Mon Jan 25, 2010 7:51 pm

I have always liked the FASA STRPG the best. My friends and I still use it when we get of a mind to do some Treking.
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FASAfan · Post by **FASAfan** » Thu Jan 28, 2010 3:51 am

I'm the owner of a Yahoo! Group devoted to all things FASA Trek - Morena Shipyards

(http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/Morena_Shipyards/). I know Mark over at XON, as well as most of the folks in the FASA online community. I adore it - especially the universe and background. It's much better than the stuff that Paramount replaced it with, IMH and biased O. (As an aside, if you like FASA Trek's background and setting and you don't know about Rick Sternbach's holy tome "Spaceflight Chronology", do yourself a favor and grab it TODAY! FASA Trek was stole...er, um...derived from that book.)

FASA Trek was my first "role" playing game (D&D was my first "roll" playing game).

With that said, the system is...salvagable (esp. with some "3.0" stuff I came up with avaliable at Morena*), but it's better to use something else.

I now use Prime Directive Modern edition (PD20M) by ADB. I know the designer and he is a FASA ST fan. He designed the system to work in ANY Star Trek setting - not just the Star Fleet Battles universe.

I've got every Trek RPG except for the Japanese one**, from Heritage Models to LUG to Decipher to PD (in its various incarnations). PD20M has been the most satisfying *mechanically*. Heck, I even used some of the fluff material from the SFB universe in my FASA Trek campaign of a year or so ago!

The Klingon and Romulan sourcebooks by ADB are EXCELLENT, too. The Klingon one is available for PD20M and "regular" PD20; the Romulan one is only available for PD20, but don't let that discourage you.

* or just PM me for details

** more information available at http://groknard.blogspot.com/

Traveller · Post by **Traveller** » Thu Jan 28, 2010 4:41 am

Why is it better to use something else? I personally haven't found Icon, Coda or d20 compelling enough to switch.

ebay as of the time I write this has five copies of Spaceflight Chronology available ranging from $2.99 to $45.95. The two highest priced copies are either a buy it now or a store purchase, and the top price is around the last known value for the book on the collector market. If you want it, take the risk and get it through the auctions, as the book is apparently rather scarce.
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AslanC · Post by **AslanC** » Thu Jan 28, 2010 5:46 am

FASATrek was not only my first RPG it was also my real introduction to Star Trek, other than being a show I saw once in a while.

To me the ultimate age for Star Trek is II - IV, the best inadvertent trilogy ever and lacking the taint of TNG
I was a playtester on the second PD game, back in the day. I actually prefer the original Prime Directive game (Red book), but FASA will always have a spot in my heart.
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Secret Skeleton · Post by **Secret Skeleton** » Thu Jan 28, 2010 6:10 am

Well, the debate is largely settled as to which game I am going to use. I found a copy of the Fasa Star Trek SE in my brothers basement complete in the box. He did not even remember that he had it.

I am going to buy some miniatures to go with it, too. I am thinking for my miniatures line to produce some generic look-alikes for use with the game this year. I am not going to put too much into them (meaning money) but if anyone has any ideas that they think will fly off the shelves I am open to ideas.

I was thinking male and female Space(Star)Fleet Officer, a klingon look-alike, an andorian look-alike, a male and female vulcan look-alike.

I may or may not do it, but I am tempted.

AslanC · Post by **AslanC** » Thu Jan 28, 2010 6:19 am

Dude!

What scale would you make them at?

Space Fleet Officers would rock
Space Elves for Vulcans
Space Mongols for Klingons
Etc...
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Secret Skeleton · Post by **Secret Skeleton** » Thu Jan 28, 2010 6:25 am

My scale is and will always be 5mm = 1 foot. So they would be 25 - 30mm for average humans.

Because they are simple sculpts they would likely not run too high to have done. I need to research someone to do them.

AslanC · Post by **AslanC** » Thu Jan 28, 2010 6:29 am

Keep us posted please!
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Traveller · Post by **Traveller** » Thu Jan 28, 2010 3:39 pm

For quick and dirty (i.e. cheap) miniatures, go here. That should do you for now.
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FASAfan · Post by **FASAfan** » Thu Jan 28, 2010 4:06 pm

My group uses 2-D counters; we ditched metal minis due to the time to paint and the price AND the fact that there aren't any decent, readily available Star Trek miniatures*

* Actually, we started the counters with D&D... nothing like using Wizard's art straight out of the Monster Manual (that they made available on their website, mind you) for the creature you're representing on the table.

Parts:

- 1" wooden discs from Michael's, Joann's, or online. Perfect for 1" = 5' feet OR FASA's scale!

- 1" circular label paper: 63 one-inch peel and stick labels; photo-finish or gloss is the best;

- Label making program (optional, but makes making counters a breeze, plus you can enumerate them);

- Art, photos, etc. from the internet.

Method:

Scour the internet for cool Star Trek art, photos, etc. Save picture. Crop picture if needed. Insert onto label template. Enumerate if appropriate ("I need 60 Klingons!!). Insert label paper in to printer. Print. Peel labels; stick onto counters.

Advanced:

Go to rpgnow.com and get some sci-fi tiles. Now you can build the interior of a starship, asteroid base, whatever... Plop your counters down.

Use 2" or 3" counters for larger critters. Maybe your Mugato is a Large-size creature (2" counter).

Have fun!

FASAfan · Post by **FASAfan** » Thu Jan 28, 2010 4:22 pm

Traveller wrote:
Why is it better to use something else? I personally haven't found Icon, Coda or d20 compelling enough to switch.

I hope I don't come across as evasive, but there's problems with FASA's mechanics. I've spent way too much time in my life wrestling with them =) Suffice it to say, however, the FASA system will work. I would just suggest giving your characters a "skill point dump" of about 500 to 800 points (depending on your type of game) and ditch character generation after rolling up your attributes. That way, your Engineer at least has a chance to have a score in Mathematics...
I could go on and on; if you'd like to discuss FASA Trek more, join my Yahoo! Group (no, not a shameless plug; just giving the rest of you who aren't interested in a long treatise mercy!).

Lee

FASAfan · Post by **FASAfan** » Thu Jan 28, 2010 10:25 pm

While at work, I thought about the 3 pound gorilla (approx. weight of the boxed set??) in the room...StarSIEGE.

But for lack of funds, I would have that set. How would it handle a Star Trek RPG?

Secret Skeleton · Post by **Secret Skeleton** » Thu Jan 28, 2010 10:28 pm

StarSIEGE could be used to play literally anything. I mean, if you wanted to play viking rabbits underwater you could do so with a minimum of effort. However the specific context of Star Trek you would still have to pull from another source.

Traveller · Post by **Traveller** » Fri Jan 29, 2010 12:39 am

FASAfan wrote:
I hope I don't come across as evasive, but there's problems with FASA's mechanics. I've spent way too much time in my life wrestling with them =) Suffice it to say, however, the FASA system will work. I would just suggest giving your characters a "skill point dump" of about 500 to 800 points (depending on your type of game) and ditch character generation after rolling up your attributes. That way, your Engineer at least has a chance to have a score in Mathematics...
I could go on and on; if you'd like to discuss FASA Trek more, join my Yahoo! Group (no, not a shameless plug; just giving the rest of you who aren't interested in a long treatise mercy!).

Lee

You're not being evasive. But I'm very familiar with the mechanics and other than the length of time it takes to make a character with the system I've never had problems. I guess I'm just lucky.

And...I'm already a member of Morena Shipyards.
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FASAfan · Post by **FASAfan** » Fri Jan 29, 2010 4:06 am

Secret Skeleton, I just noticed your location (Lenexa, KS). There's a merchant class vessel named after Lenexa in the FASA Trek universe - stats and all (Trader Captains and Merchant Princes, 1st ed.)!

It's a sign!

Lee

Omote · Post by **Omote** » Fri Jan 29, 2010 4:17 am

Just throwing this out there, but for the past few years I have been looking for the good system to running a Trek campaign set between Season 4 of Enterprise, Kobayashi Maru Incedent and the Earth-Romulan War.

While I like FASA Trek, I have some issues with it. No thanks for Decipher's Trek RPG, and never really got the chance to go through Prime Directive, and never seen d20 Prime Directive. I'm dying to get this game off the ground, but no system to do it with.
Could SIEGE ENGINE do this?

~O
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Secret Skeleton · Post by **Secret Skeleton** » Fri Jan 29, 2010 4:45 am

FASAfan wrote:
Secret Skeleton, I just noticed your location (Lenexa, KS). There's a merchant class vessel named after Lenexa in the FASA Trek universe - stats and all (Trader Captains and Merchant Princes, 1st ed.)!

It's a sign!

Lee

*Goes to look* Sho' nuff! I think I'll have the Gorn destroy it, mwaha!

Secret Skeleton · Post by **Secret Skeleton** » Fri Jan 29, 2010 11:02 pm

Here is some concept art for the Space Fleet Officer.

The blister pack is going to include three different variants of this pose. There are going to be three variant right and left hands. Phase Weapon, Analyzing Recorder, and open hand. There will be multiple variant heads as well. Human I, Human II, Human III, Space Elf (Vulcan), Cat Man (Caitian), & Antennae Alien (Andorian).

So you get quite a bit per pack. I will also be doing a female version of this same pack.

Anything beyond these two will depend on how well the line gets out.

Anyhow, I have already met with a sculptor and it is very likely they will get in production right ahead.

Secret Skeleton · Post by **Secret Skeleton** » Sat Jan 30, 2010 8:52 am

Here is the head and hand selections. They may look a bit cartoon-ish, but I assure you they will be more realistic once sculpted.

You can follow us at FaceBook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lenexa-KS ... 591?ref=ts

Omote · Post by **Omote** » Sun Jan 31, 2010 3:46 am

Andoria FOREVER!!!

~O
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Secret Skeleton · Post by **Secret Skeleton** » Tue Feb 02, 2010 1:44 pm

Here are the art pieces for the second blister pack:
,

I have made the deal for the male officers sculpt, btw. I do not know when I'll have them, but hopefully sooner than later!

dutch206 · Post by **dutch206** » Tue Feb 02, 2010 2:15 pm

The Star Trek universe is so vast and complicated, and you know one of your gamers is going to be the ultimate ST fanboy. I would never run a campaign in a system where the players know the campaign setting better than I do.
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Traveller · Post by **Traveller** » Tue Feb 02, 2010 3:34 pm

Dutch, speaking only for myself, this will never be a problem, since I'm the Star Trek "fanboy". BTW, there is a slightly negative connotation for "fanboy", but at least it's not nearly as negative as being called a "Trekkie".
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Secret Skeleton · Post by **Secret Skeleton** » Tue Feb 02, 2010 3:49 pm

When I run in established canon I usually accept everything up until the moment I start the game, but everything afterward does not/did not happen. I learned to do that running a Star Wars game and being told I cannot do something because its not canon. I am a fairly mean DM, though.