“Try Before You Buy” is an occasional segment of Astral Projections. It spotlights free (or nearly free) supplements, quick-start rules, and modules for various RPGs.
Mōdiphiüs Entertainment has generously provided us another free Star Trek Adventures (STA) PDF in The Klingon Empire Quickstart Rules. This one serves multiple purposes. First it’s a second look for gamers considering the STA line, alongside the original STA Quickstart. For Klingon fans who are familiar with STA, it can be a “preview” of last year’s Klingon Empire Core Rulebook. The Klingon QS, like the STA QS, also includes a full scenario, “The Tip of the Bat’leth,” providing GMs with another one-shot to run for their group.
“The Tip of the Bat’leth” is a good stand alone module. It’s set during the war with the Dominion and centers around a team assembled to infiltrate a Dominion Base on a harsh world. It’s the kind of scenario that will work not just with your own group, but as a con game (when, hopefully this year, cons are possible and safe again). There are six included pre-gens and, as usual with STA modules, there’s something for everyone in the roster. I certainly found them all interesting characters that I’d like to play (and I’m not even the galaxy’s biggest Klingon fan).
The six come with detailed backstories that show some time was taken writing them up – just like players do with their own characters. They all had Values with fun names, too. My favorite, from the surgeon PC’s statblock (Yes, Bones, the Klingons DO have doctors), was “Today is a good day to die, but tomorrow is better.” No doubt because it maximizes your time to vanquish your enemies and gain honor.
The two rules chapters (“Basic Operations” and “Conflict”) of the QS are pretty complete. There aren’t any character creation rules, which would be in the Klingon Empire Core Rulebook. All the basic rules are present, including necessary tables. At least some or all of the more advanced rules were omitted, such as Extended Tasks, but all rules needed for “The Tip of the Bat’leth” are in the PDF. Rules examples are all Klingon themed and you’ll recognize a number of names from various Star Trek shows. Illustrations here and throughout the PDF are all Klingon as well.
The only shortcomings I found were in the PDF formatting. All the PDFs of the STA line that I’ve read have what would be the two facing pages in a physical copy next to each other, as one PDF “page,” which I find much harder to read than when the pages scroll down one after the other. Also, the font chosen for chapter headings and subheadings is hard to read. All letters are the same size, vowels are lower-case, and consonants uppercase. The letters H, K, and R are particularly hard to tell apart.
Aside from format, I really like this entry in the STA line and I do recommend it, whether you’re new to the STA line or already into it and want to experience the Klingon culture.
Linda Whitson
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