Every Friday at 4:00 PM PT, a talented crew roleplays their way through the galaxy to fulfill a mission: to boldly go where no one has gone before. Follow the adventures of the USS Sally Ride on Shield of Tomorrow on Twitch.
One of the coolest parts of Star Trek Adventures is how the game makes characters that feel like Starfleet characters. Each of the shows benefits from strong ensembles that focus on character. Modiphius recently released two PDFs; one with the crew from The Original Series and one with the crew from The Next Generation. Each PDF is around $6 and offers some excellent support for players and Game Masters of Star Trek Adventures.
Ready-Made Characters
There are a lot of reasons why players might not want to invest the time and effort into making original characters for Star Trek Adventures. The game could be at a convention where table time is scarce and everyone wants to get to the action quickly. The session could be a break from a regular campaign where the GM changes, or there needs to be a little time before the main campaign comes back. These characters could also be used as part of a regular Star Trek Adventures game either as a GM plot point or as a character for a visiting player that will only be around for a week or two. The crewmembers are iconic to anyone playing this game. Players know these characters and can play them without worrying about overshadowing any original characters at the table.
Educational Examples
Often, the best way to teach a game is through example. Each PDF has several sample characters that show off how to build characters that emulate the source material. Is the Chief Medical Officer at the table better or worse than Bones? How does a player build a character with Geordi’s skill but Scotty’s personality? There are also several Values that can be used as examples for players trying to figure out their own and for GMs looking to see how to challenge those values. Kirk’s player loved to use Risk Is Our Business all the time to spend Determination, while Picard challenged being Haunted By The Borg during Star Trek: First Contact.
Did Someone Say Crossover?
The crew of the original series and The Next Generation met on a few occasions, but it was usually a lone member of the older crew having an adventure with the newer one. Picking up both PDFs allows a GM to mix and match the crews in a way unfettered by budgets or shooting schedules. What would both Enterprises teaming up against the Borg look like? What if Kirk and his crew faced off against Picard’s Mirror Universe crew? What if Picard and his crew went on a jaunt through a famous original series episode like the DS9 crew did? These scenarios sound like great options for a convention, or for a home game that settles arguments between hardline fans of either series.
What crew do you prefer? Tell us in the comments! And be sure to tune into our Star Trek RPG show, Shield of Tomorrow on Geek & Sundry Twitch and Alpha every Friday starting at 4 PM PT.
Want more Star Trek goodness?
- Study up on historical vessels named Enterprise.
- Check out this look back at our favorite Star Trek games.
- Learn about Star Trek Adventures – the RPG system used on Shield of Tomorrow!
Feature Credit: Paramount
Rob Wieland is an author, game designer and professional nerd. He writes about kaiju, Jedi, gangsters, elves and is a writer for the Star Trek Adventures RPG line. His blog is here, where he is currently reviewing classic Star Wars RPG adventures. His Twitter is here. His meat body can be found in scenic Milwaukee, WI.