Star Trek Adventures IDW Year Five Tie-In

*Originally posted on the British Fantasy Society

What happened after the original Star Trek was cancelled three years into its five-year mission? As the introduction explains for Star Trek Adventures IDW Year Five Tie-In, there is a space that was never really filled in between the original show’s last episode, and the first movie. Attempting to explain that gap, publisher IDW created Year Five for the Star Trek comics, and now Modiphius brings that content to the Star Trek Adventures Role-Playing Game.  

It might not be Star Trek’s official canon, but this book is all about providing new options for players. Something that is specific to this particular supplement is that some of the art looks like it was taken from, or inspired by the comics. The effect gives this a slightly different aesthetic than other books in the Star Trek Adventures line, making it stand out a little. 

It is a very short supplement, offering two new factions, Aegis and the Originalists which could be used for very compelling missions. There are also three new life path options, I’Qosa, Iotians, and Tholians, as well as non-player characters, including Gary Seven, a character that did appear in the original series. Finally, there are new vehicle options. That’s a fair amount of stuff in about two dozen pages.

Unfortunately, being familiar with the comics might not be necessary but may help. Not knowing the storyline developed by IDW might leave one feeling a bit lost. It would be information but without much context. 

As a concept, this is a great idea. There is a gap in Star Trek’s timeline that was never filled in. As Modiphius works around that gap, IDW created a way to fill in the missing time. Having this supplement bridges that empty space in Star Trek’s history, and offers a clean continuity for other supplements. 

Additionally, this proves that there is material that can be re-adapted to the game line beyond the television shows and movies, although it probably helps if players are familiar with what is being re-created. Star Trek is a multi-media franchise, and there is a rich tradition of material that can be drawn from by Modiphius to expand the game. Moving beyond the large and small screens makes sense, and hopefully, Modiphius publishes more books like this one.