Second Edition Starter Set
Second Edition Starter Set is a quick-start boxed set for the second edition of Star Trek Adventures space travel role-playing game, written by Michael Dismuke, Meric Moir, and Al Spader and published by Modiphius Entertainment.
By Aaron T. Huss
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This Starter Set kicks off the Second Edition series of Star Trek Adventures from Modiphius and is mostly set in the mid-23rd century, although it doesn’t explicitly state that. The boxed set includes an abridged rulebook, campaign booklet, pregenerated characters on card stock, rule quick references on card stock, indicator tokens, and five d20s. It is designed as a way to immerse the gaming group in what makes Star Trek Adventures unique, what type of gameplay it features, and how you get into the Star Trek universe. It is not a book set within any canonical series per se, although understanding the original canon will likely help. Several alien species are prominently featured, but without artwork. If the players do not know the reference, it should be an easy lookup on the internet.
The First Edition series of Star Trek Adventures reviews were provided by a friend of Roleplayers Chronicle, so this is my first approach to the role-playing game. My foray into Star Trek comes from the original series, some of the early movies, and The Next Generation (which was my favorite), so the setting presented within this Starter Set is both familiar and enjoyable to me. I was a little apprehensive at first as I wasn’t sure how the designers would approach the Star Trek setting as many sci-fi RPGs take science fiction to some of the extremes and really focus on the military aspects. I was pleased to see that Star Trek Adventures adheres to he overall and underlying themes of the Star Trek universe in that it approaches all lifeforms in a humanistic way and approaches the setting in a way that says “technology resolves all the finicky bits, so let’s not worry about them.” It instead focuses on what makes Star Trek so enjoyable, such as the ability to cross large spans of space, interacting with all manner of lifeforms and possible conflicts.
These same approaches are carried over into the 2d20 approach featured in this RPG. The underlying mechanics that drive 2d20 is the same from game to game, but the overarching features, extent of mechanics, and level of crunch is always tailored to the setting. For example, there is a greater focus on attributes being attributed with the role of being part of a Star Fleet and the exploring / adventuring across space. It also focuses more on non-combat resolution compared to some of the others, such as Conan. Adding to that is the overall structure of the game, creating a feel that is episodic like the many TV shows rather than one lengthy campaign that seems to never end until you finally reach the big bad (and you had to grind your way in order to be at a level that will make a difference).
The latter of these descriptions is embedded in the design of the campaign (which isn’t really a campaign, but can be used to set the stage for a campaign of episodes, much like a season of Star Trek). It consists of three parts, each divided into three acts, with 2-3 scenes in each one. There is lots of GM guidance along with player guidance if a particular role doesn’t seem to be featured prominently. Each act has a fairly adventurous feel to it, keeping the game interesting. This seemed both cool and awkward to me as I clearly recall many Star Trek episodes that I would not consider as adventure, instead focusing on personal interaction. Then I came to the end of this adventure series which features three Missions Briefs, which are effectively what I was looking for – missions that aren’t about being adventurous and focus on the other prominent aspects of the setting. These are meant to be fitted in between, wherever each one makes sense, prolonging the campaign and fitting with that episodic design of Star Trek. It does feel like this one campaign booklet could be just a like a full season of Star Trek and when it ends, you can pivot to a completely different track or continue following any breadcrumbs this one left behind.
Being that I have no experience with First Edition, I cannot compare with Second Edition. Regardless, I love how the design of the game mimics the Star Trek shows and really embraces everything the setting has to offer! And all of this without delving into the canon established on the screen.
