Just a quick question, how many different Star Trek theme RPG games are out there and are they any good? Do any of them use the D-20 system? When it comes to RPGs, my experience is limited to D&D, but I have often wondered what it would be like to play a Star Trek RPG. Any information that you could provide would be greatly appreciated.
There are several possibilities most of which are out of print. My personal favourite (and the only one I have ever GM'd) is the FASA STTRPG. It is over 20 years out of date but easily available on EBay. IMHO it does a great job of capturing the TOS era but not anyother. It has options to play as many Federation races or a Klingon, Romulan or Orion. It is not D20 but rather an adjusted D100 % system.If you want anymore info on it then fire away. I will have to leave others to respond as to the other ST RPG's out there.
Having got to my morning train, some more observations. A ST RPG tends to be thematically more investigative and problem solving than most DnD games. And combat is correspondingly less frequent. For example:- Encounter a mysterious derelict alien ship. Respond to a distress call from a base that shouldn't be there. On a routine check up begin to suspect that the colonists have somehow "changed". Investigate a rogue ship captain who has allegdly broken the Prime Directive- but he refuses to go easily and all his crew are behind him- and he says he had very good reason for his actions. An asteroid will collide with and destroy all life on the planet - no other ship is close enough and you can only transport a few hundred out of a population of billions - and the asteroid is too huge to destroy - oh and you need to avoid breaking the PD. Follow a distress call to a drelict Starfleet ship which has crashed on an asteroid. Get onboard and discover that not only is the ship from a day into the future, it is also YOUR SHIP! So not quite what you would be used to in a typical dungeon or wilderness bash. It is great fun but very very different!
Check out Modiphius's new Star Trek Adventures RPG. There's a free quickstart available as well as the core rulebook and some other supplements, with more to come. It uses a 2d20 system, though it's not like D&D. Much more narrative in focus.
To give an answer to your question, there have been several Trek Rpg's. Probably more accurate information than I can give here via a quick post available via a quick google or wiki search. I believe there was one trek game prior to the FASA system, but I have no familiarity with it. Also, most of the RPGs listed have some kind of fan based web presence that one could look up to find add on materials (of various qualities, but some useable or even rivaling published material). Note I think even FASA managed to come out with a (first season) Star Trek: The Next Generation source book before losing their license. The Star Trek rpg's I know about are: Last Unicorn Games published three differently themed but system compatible Trek series sourcebooks, and a variety of supplements for each one before (wait for it) losing their license. Each series book was based on one of the series at the time, i.e. The original series, the next generation, and deep space nine. from what I remember, the system was playable, but a bit crunchy. By today's standards far too rule and mechanic heavy for quick play. But that is my opinion. Steve Long, one of the games authors created an exceptional supplement to the game that makes the whole game worth looking at, if you are into starships and their statistics in game terms. The core was Stardock which added to the starship rules in the book, and a series of ship recognition manuals that covered ships from various factions. I think there is quite a bit of supplemental material (fan based) for the game online with a little digging. In my opinion, the gems of the entire system for anyone interested in gaming or writing trek are the three gamemaster's guides, one for each core book, that go into developing a game adventure/story that captures the feel of the shows. They really break things down into themes and almost TV like terms, even showing the three act structures etc. Then Decipher acquired the license, and published their star trek rpg in a series of books starting with a players guide, a narrators guide, a Starfleet guide, and I think books on aliens, creatures, starships. There were two pdf only books that didn't make print in time. One is a worlds of the federation sourcebook, the other I think is a mirror uninverse sourcebook, but don't quote me on that, they are hard to find. I think Decipher simply lost interest in supporting the line due to the low sales in comparison to their Card Game. The Decipher version seems a bit more streamlined to actually play, but the books are poorly organized, which makes character creation and rules look up a bit of a chore. But they are pretty, and the actual character development system is interesting, as far as giving characters abilities within their specialty that mimic those shown by main characters on the shows. There is also a GURPS version, based on the Task Force Games Starfleet battles universe (I won't go into the differences much. Kind of a more militaristic, original series era, with the non-bumpy Klingons an romulans at war with the federation. It's published by Amarillo Design Bureau. But I don't think they have ever gotten around to doing the starship combat part in RPG terms, despite it's origin as a tabletop starship combat game. Finally, the newest entrant, the Modiphius Games Star Trek Adventures. It's currently in print, currently supported (although just starting), so has one Core book (used for running games in any era), and a book of adventures, and an ongoing "Living Campaign" that is free to download. Also some cool looking miniatures, and custom dice, and a planned line of geomorphic tiles, and more books in the pipeline. It really is the most "feels like a Star Trek show" than any of the other RPGs because I think it was designed specifically with that in mind from the start. And the rules show that they are more interested in creating the feel of star trek, and the drama and story of that, than say a miniature combat tabletop game, or a more combat oriented RPG. There is definitely a feel that solving non-combat problems in a dramatic, interactive way is a big part of the game, and I like that. That's my short answer. I hope it helps.
Prime Directive uses the GURPS system, and also has a version that uses the D20 Modern system. Starship Combat is skirted on - unlike the FASA system where the Starship Tactical Combat Simulator was designed to be fast-paced and complement the RPG. However the simplified Federation Commander fits in well, as games can be played in less than an hour rather than the whole day an average SFB game takes!
Threadus Resurrectus! FASA ST is the best ST RPG ever. If you look around you can find the books on line.
Far Trek is a great little system for a TOS era game cooked up by one C.R. Brandon. You can find it as a free download here- http://fartrekrpg.blogspot.com/ The download section is over on the right. There's an old Google+ site, but since that's likely to cease soon he's started up a MeWe Goup (which you'll have to join to see). For extreme simplicity you might try Starships and Spacemen which is Trek with the names changed to protect the guilty. There is a 2nd edition available now but also get the "Lucanii Drift" setting by Paul Kidd that adds a few missing races, provides a sandbox setting and is extremely funny into the bargain. You can pick them up on DrivethruRPG.
Oh yeah, there's also "Enterprise" RPG released in 1983 by Tsukuda Games, but this is probably not ideal since it is 1- Stupidly rare in the Western World and 2- In japanese. One owner has however translated it and provided a pdf for all to share in- http://www.robertsaintjohn.com/groknard/JRPGEN_Enterprise.pdf He also sold me his spare copy.