Pyramid Review
Star Trek Roleplaying Game -- Player's Guide
Published by Decipher Inc.
Written by Matthew Colville, Kenneth Hite, Ross S. Isaacs, Steven S. Long, Don Mappin, Christian Moore & Owen Seyler
Illustrated by Kieran Yanner
250 color pages; $29.95
Apart from Metamorphosis Alpha/Gamma World, there probably have not been so many attempts made at one setting as there have been for the Star Trek license. There have been four Star Trek RPGs to date: a skirmish game from Heritage Models, Inc. (thanks to Bob Portnell for bringing that one to my attention), the 80s version from FASA, the first roleplaying visit to the Star Fleet Battles universe with Prime Directive, and the 90s incarnation using their ICON system from Last Unicorn Games. With a sixth on the way -- the Prime Directive rework "Powered by GURPS" -- what of the fifth, released from Decipher Inc. . . . a company better known for their collectible card games? Well, it should be pointed out that the new Star Trek Roleplaying Game is actually a second stab at the setting for the designers of the Last Unicorn Games version; so does this make the new game ICON version two, or something completely different?
Of course, the ICON system is now unavailable, so the team has created a new one called "CODA," which will also be powering Decipher's Lord of the Rings RPG. Out go the handful of six-sided dice and the drama die in ICON, to be replaced by just a pair of six sided dice under CODA. To attempt any action (or test, as it is . . .
This article originally appeared in the second volume of Pyramid. See the current Pyramid website for more information.
Article publication date: May 10, 2002
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