The second edition of *Star Trek Adventures* offers GMs and players a fresh experience, building on the original while continuing to explore the Star Trek universe. Released in 2017 to much fanfare, it used the ‘new’ 2d20 system—an in-house system by Modiphius, previously used in titles like Conan and Mutant Chronicles.
As is Modiphius’ way, the game has enjoyed solid support since its release. We've seen supplements for various Quadrants and Starfleet Divisions, plenty of digital adventures, themed dice sets, 3D models, and even a special Tricorder edition!
What's Inside the Core Rulebook?
The second edition core rulebook packs in everything you need to play. Its 370 pages cover Star Trek eras, character creation, Starfleet operations, frontier exploration, technology, conflict, starships, creatures, and NPCs.
Let’s now look at the changes from the first edition:
Layout and Presentation
One of the first noticeable improvements is the layout. We now have black text on white pages, making the book much easier to read. The first edition’s LCARS theme (from *ST:TNG*) looked great but could be difficult to read. The edition also brings fresh artwork, including styles from the *Lower Decks* TV series.
Refined 2d20 System
The 2d20 ruleset has matured, improving on the first edition while learning from other 2d20 games. The mechanics of Momentum and Threat remain central. Players spend Momentum to achieve better outcomes, such as adding dice to their pool or reducing injury severity. In contrast, the GM uses Threat to make situations more challenging. These pools are crucial to the game’s flow, and once players understand they’re meant to be spent (not hoarded like Savage World’s Bennies), the system truly shines—making even simple actions risky.
One excellent update is also the clearer explanation of mechanics, with more examples and guidance throughout. NPCs often illustrate how to use rules, helping both new and experienced players.
Expanded Character Options
Character creation has seen significant improvement. The first edition offered seven playable species; the second edition has expanded this to 14, with new lifepath options, character roles, and updates to make all character types more balanced and impactful. In the first edition, players often had to flip between distant sections of the book, slowing down Session 0. Thankfully, this has been streamlined, though some cross-referencing remains. The cleaner layout, however, makes it much easier to navigate and Character and Support Character generation more fun.
Do We Need a Second Edition?
It’s been several years since the first edition was released, and when it came out, the 2d20 system was still in its early days. Over time, with the introduction of additional rules through support books and supplements, the game has evolved. It feels appropriate to gather the various updates contained in errata and FAQs into one new edition. This is a common practice for many publishers, and *Star Trek Adventures* is no exception. Importantly, though, all existing first edition material isn’t obsolete. The majority of it remains fully compatible with the new edition, and there’s guidance on how to convert anything that does require updating.
A Major Change: Conflict and Challenge Dice
The biggest change comes in conflict. In the first edition, you rolled special ‘Challenge Dice’ to determine damage and cause special ‘effects’. These are now gone. Instead, weapons have a Severity rating and Injury type, and if the defender can’t avoid injury, they’re defeated and removed from the scene. Only d20s are used now, making it a true d20 system. While not universally welcomed, I believe this change keeps the narrative flowing, eliminating the need to pause for dice rolls and outcomes. It maintains immersion and momentum.
Streamlined Starship Combat
Starship combat and systems tracking, which felt cumbersome in the first edition, has also been simplified. In the past, it could feel like managing a computer game, but now it feels more aligned with the narrative flow, adding to the immersive experience and truly making the Starship feel like it’s part of the Crew.
Final Thoughts
This edition has clearly built upon the first edition, benefiting from the maturity of the 2d20 system and the experience Modiphius has gained over the years. If you're ready to explore strange new worlds, seek out new civilisations, and boldly go where no one has gone before, this edition is a must. Grab your d20s, Character Sheets, Momentum and Threat tokens, and get ready to play!
Written by Colin Richardson
Interested?
Of course you are. You can check out the range of options, including the limited editions versions of the rulebook here
Disclaimer: The pdf in this review was supplied to us by Modiphius and any links will be referral links. These facts do not sway our thoughts.
