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Beginner's guide

So you're getting into Star Trek Adventures

Star Trek Adventures puts you and your friends in command of a Federation starship. The 2d20 system is built for collaborative storytelling, the universe is one of the richest in fiction, and Modiphius has created enough supplements to fuel a years-long campaign. Here's exactly what you need to sit down at the table.

By Colin B. · Published June 11, 2026 · Last reviewed June 11, 2026
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The 60-second version

If you only buy 3 things to start:

  1. Star Trek Adventures 2nd Edition Core Rulebook — The 2nd Edition Core Rulebook: complete rules, lore, and a sample mission in one book.
  2. Star Trek Adventures Operations Division Dice Set — Official Trek dice: the custom symbols make Momentum and Threat tracking instant.
  3. Star Trek Adventures: These Are the Voyages Vol. 1 — These Are the Voyages Vol. 1: five ready-to-run missions across all the major Trek eras.
Budget total
$45
Typical total
$130
The core rulebook runs $55-65 physical. Add dice ($20) and one adventure book ($25-35) and you're ready to play your second session.

We earn commission on qualifying Amazon purchases — see our affiliate disclosure. Price tiers and budget totals shown above are editorial estimates; actual Amazon prices vary.

At a glance

Our top pick in each category

The fastest path through this guide — each best-starter pick by category. Scroll for the budget and upgrade alternatives.

CategoryTop pickPriceWhere to buy
Core RulebookModiphius EntertainmentStar Trek Adventures 2nd Edition Core Rulebook$$$ See on Amazon →
DiceModiphius EntertainmentStar Trek Adventures Operations Division Dice Set$$ See on Amazon →
Mission BooksModiphius EntertainmentStar Trek Adventures: These Are the Voyages Vol. 1$$ See on Amazon →
GM ScreenModiphius EntertainmentStar Trek Adventures GM Screen$$ See on Amazon →
SourcebooksModiphius EntertainmentStar Trek Adventures Player's Guide$$ See on Amazon →
Before you buy anything

A few things worth knowing first

The 2d20 system is simpler than it looks. The core loop is roll two d20s, try to beat a target number with both dice, and spend Momentum (a shared group resource) for extra effects. Most groups get it in the first session, no pre-reading required.

The 2024 Second Edition is the version to buy now. It streamlines rules that tripped up many First Edition GMs, clarifies starship combat, and consolidates years of errata. First Edition still works and has a richer supplement library, but start with Second Edition.

You do not need miniatures. Star Trek Adventures is a conversation-forward RPG. Most groups play theater-of-the-mind from session one and never feel like anything is missing. Hold off on figures until you've played five sessions and the table is asking for them.

The gear

What you actually need

Core Rulebook

The core rulebook contains everything you need: the complete 2d20 rules, character creation for all seven crew divisions, starship creation, a sample mission, and extensive lore across every Trek era. Get this first. The 2024 Second Edition is where new players should start, streamlined and well-organized. The 1st Edition is still in print and carries a deeper supplement library, but the 2E is the cleaner entry point.

Core Rulebook — what's the difference?

A few common shapes, each making a different trade.

2nd Edition (2024)

Streamlined rules, ideal for new GMs.

System
2d20 Simplified
Era coverage
All Trek eras
Supplements
Growing (2024+)

Best for All new players and first-time GMs

Tradeoff Fewer supplements available than 1st Edition catalog

↓ See our pick
1st Edition (2017)

More depth, larger supplement library.

System
2d20 Classic
Era coverage
All Trek eras
Supplements
20+ available

Best for System veterans, groups who want maximum GM flexibility

Tradeoff Denser rules, harder starting point for first-time GMs

↓ See our pick
Best starter
Modiphius Entertainment

Star Trek Adventures 2nd Edition Core Rulebook

$$$

The definitive entry point as of 2024. Second Edition tightens task resolution, rewrites starship combat (the section that confused most first-time GMs), and consolidates seven years of errata into one clean volume. One book gets a group of five playing the same evening.

What we like

  • Complete game in one book: rules, character creation, lore, sample mission
  • 2024 rewrite clarifies starship combat, the trickiest part of the system
  • Gorgeous full-color art from the official Star Trek library throughout

What to know

  • Physical copy is $55-65; the Modiphius PDF is $25 and identical content
  • Fewer supplements available in 2E than in the original 2017 edition
See on Amazon →
Budget pick
Modiphius Entertainment

Star Trek Adventures Starter Set

$

Pre-built characters, a condensed rulebook, and a two-part introductory mission. Everything a skeptical group needs for under $30, with no commitment. If you're not sure the table will stick with the game, this is the smart first purchase. When the group is hooked, the core rulebook is a natural follow-on.

What we like

  • Under $30 with pre-made characters so the group plays within an hour
  • Includes a full two-part mission, not just a demo encounter

What to know

  • Condensed rules hit limits fast; full game requires the core rulebook
  • Pre-made characters don't cover every division your players might want
See on Amazon →
Upgrade pick
Modiphius Entertainment

Star Trek Adventures 1st Edition Core Rulebook

$$$

If your group wants more mechanical depth or you want access to the larger supplement library (20+ division books and sourcebooks), the original 2017 rulebook is still in print and covers the same 2d20 core with more granular options. Not the recommendation for beginners, but the right call for system enthusiasts.

What we like

  • Larger supplement library with 20+ division books and setting sourcebooks
  • More granular character and starship options for simulation-focused groups

What to know

  • Starship combat rules read less clearly than the 2024 rewrite
  • Heavier GM prep burden for first-time GMs unfamiliar with 2d20
See on Amazon →

Dice

Star Trek Adventures uses standard d20s and d6s, plus a custom Trek Challenge Die with special symbols for complications and advantages. The custom dice make the Momentum and Threat economy feel like events, not arithmetic. You can technically proxy with regular dice and a conversion chart, but the official set costs $18-25 and makes the game feel like Star Trek from the first roll. One set covers a full group since rolls happen one at a time.

Best starter
Modiphius Entertainment

Star Trek Adventures Operations Division Dice Set

$$

Two d20s plus five custom Challenge Dice with the Trek complication and advantage symbols. The Operations Division set covers security and engineering officers (common player picks), and other division-themed sets are available if your captain or science officer wants matching dice. The visual feedback makes Momentum results feel like events rather than arithmetic.

What we like

  • Custom Trek symbols replace number lookups during play instantly
  • Build quality and art match the rest of Modiphius's STA line

What to know

  • One set covers the whole table; per-player purchase is overkill
  • Symbols are Trek-specific and don't translate to other RPG systems
See on Amazon →
Budget pick
Chessex

Chessex d6 Dice Block (36 dice)

$

The Trek Challenge Dice are d6s at heart. Chessex's 12mm blocks are the tabletop standard for consistent, durable dice. Pair with two cheap d20s and you can run the full game while official dice are in transit. The conversion chart (1-2 = effect, 3-4 = blank, 5 = complication) takes 30 seconds to learn.

What we like

  • Under $15 and usable for every tabletop RPG you'll ever play
  • Ships fast; lets you play while waiting for official Trek dice

What to know

  • Chart lookup breaks immersion compared to reading Trek symbols directly
  • Most groups buy official dice within the first month regardless
See on Amazon →

Mission Books

Pre-written missions save a new GM twenty hours of prep. Star Trek Adventures missions are structured as flexible scene sequences with NPCs, moral dilemmas, and starship encounters, not scripted railroads. A good mission book gives you the bones; your group writes the story. Buy one before you try to invent your own material, especially for the first three sessions when you're still learning the system.

Best starter
Modiphius Entertainment

Star Trek Adventures: These Are the Voyages Vol. 1

$$

Five complete standalone missions spanning five Trek eras (Original Series, Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Picard). Each mission teaches a different system mechanic: social encounters, shipboard emergencies, away team investigations, and political intrigue. Buy this before you write your own material.

What we like

  • Five complete missions across all major Trek eras, each self-contained
  • Each mission spotlights a different mechanical focus, GMs learn by running

What to know

  • Missions are era-specific; check era match before session prep
  • Short missions (3-5 hours each), not a full multi-session campaign arc
See on Amazon →
Upgrade pick
Modiphius Entertainment

Star Trek Adventures: Shackleton Expanse Campaign Guide

$$$

A full campaign setting in the uncharted Shackleton Expanse during the Next Generation era. Dozens of planets, competing factions, and long-arc story hooks for a sustained series of sessions. This is where your group goes after the first five standalone missions, once you want a campaign world you can return to.

What we like

  • Full persistent campaign world with factions, planets, and multi-arc hooks
  • Designed to support 20+ sessions without recycling the same story beats

What to know

  • Overkill for a new group; buy after five or more standalone missions
  • TNG era only; needs adaptation for TOS or Voyager-focused crews
See on Amazon →

GM Screen

A GM screen hides your notes from players while keeping essential reference tables visible to you: task difficulties, momentum spend options, NPC stats, and starship combat steps. Modiphius makes a four-panel landscape screen with full-color art on the exterior. It's not essential for your first session, but the first time you run shipboard combat without one you'll wish you had it. Good GMs hide their dice rolls and their panic equally.

Best starter
Modiphius Entertainment

Star Trek Adventures GM Screen

$$

Four landscape panels with the tables you'll actually reach for mid-session: task difficulty numbers, momentum spend list, threat spend list, and a starship combat quick-reference. The exterior is a full-color nebula spread. Worth every dollar the first time you run a phaser fight without flipping pages.

What we like

  • Key reference tables prevent mid-session book-flipping during tense scenes
  • Four-panel landscape layout fits a full gaming table without crowding

What to know

  • Edition-specific tables; confirm 1E or 2E version matches your rulebook
  • Not essential for the first session; most GMs run from notes initially
See on Amazon →
Specialty pick
Chessex

Chessex Reversible Battlemat (Squares & Hexes)

$$

A vinyl grid mat paired with wet-erase markers lets you sketch sickbay layouts, shuttlebay floors, or away-team terrain on the fly. When a scene gets complicated, a quick sketch on the mat beats five minutes of verbal description. Rolls up for storage and works for any RPG system.

What we like

  • Wet-erase surface means infinite reuse for shipboard and away-team scenes
  • Works for any RPG system you'll ever run, not just Star Trek

What to know

  • Theater-of-the-mind works fine for most groups; buy only when needed
  • Requires wet-erase markers sold separately; dry-erase smears on vinyl
See on Amazon →

Sourcebooks

Sourcebooks expand the setting with prebuilt species, ships, factions, and worlds. Division supplements (Command, Sciences, Operations, Engineering) add player character options for each crew specialty. Setting books (Alpha Quadrant, Beta Quadrant, Delta Quadrant, Gamma Quadrant) give GMs canon-accurate NPCs and political factions. These are all supplements, not essentials. Finish three to five missions before buying any of them.

Best starter
Modiphius Entertainment

Star Trek Adventures Player's Guide

$$

A player-facing companion to the core rulebook with expanded character creation for all seven divisions and deeper background tables. Useful once your group has played several sessions and players want more differentiation between characters. Means the GM doesn't have to share the main book during downtime.

What we like

  • Players get their own reference so the GM isn't handing over the main book
  • Expanded background tables add genuine depth past basic character creation

What to know

  • Redundant if players share the core book; only necessary with 4+ regular players
  • Not needed for the first three or four sessions at all
See on Amazon →
Specialty pick
Modiphius Entertainment

Star Trek Adventures: Command Division

$$

Expanded talents, abilities, and pre-built shuttle and runabout profiles for captains, first officers, and helm officers. If anyone at your table is playing command-track and wants more mechanical depth, this is the book. Pre-built auxiliary vessel stats save the GM real prep time.

What we like

  • Pre-built shuttle and runabout stats eliminate hours of GM prep
  • New command-track talents provide genuine character differentiation

What to know

  • Useful only if someone plays command division; skippable otherwise
  • 1E content; needs minor rules conversion for 2nd Edition tables
See on Amazon →
Upgrade pick
Modiphius Entertainment

Star Trek Adventures: Alpha Quadrant

$$$

Canon-accurate profiles for the Federation, Klingons, Romulans, Cardassians, Ferengi, and dozens more Alpha Quadrant species and ships. The GM reference your campaign needs for political intrigue across the TNG and DS9 eras. Buy this when you're running a sustained campaign and need more than memory-lane lore.

What we like

  • Canon stats for every major Alpha Quadrant faction, ship class, and species
  • Saves hours of worldbuilding for long-running campaigns with political arcs

What to know

  • Way too much material for a new group; save for month two or three
  • TNG and DS9 era focused; needs adaptation for TOS or Discovery settings
See on Amazon →
Going deeper

Your first three sessions of Star Trek Adventures

GMing a tabletop RPG for the first time feels like too much. Here's what actually happens across the first three sessions: what to prep, what to ignore, and when it starts clicking.

Read the guide →
Save your money

What you don't need yet

Beginners get pressured to buy a lot of stuff that doesn't help them play better. Here's what we'd skip on day one.

  • Miniatures — The game plays beautifully theater-of-the-mind. Buy figures only after five sessions if the table keeps asking for visual positioning.
  • All four Division supplements — Command, Sciences, Operations, and Engineering books add depth you won't need for months. Play the core system until it feels natural.
  • A setting sourcebook — The Alpha Quadrant, Beta Quadrant, Delta Quadrant, and Gamma Quadrant books are for established campaigns. Run standalone missions first.
  • Era-specific supplements for every series — Pick one Trek era and stick with it for the first campaign. Running TNG doesn't require the TOS, DS9, or Discovery sourcebooks.
  • A premium GM journal or accessories set — Free print-and-play character sheets from Modiphius and a spiral notebook are entirely sufficient for the first ten sessions.
  • Digital licensing and VTT add-ons — Roll20 and Foundry modules are great for online play, but get one in-person session under your belt before investing in virtual tools.
First week

Your first seven days

A short, real plan to get from gear-on-doorstep to actually playing.

  1. Download the free Star Trek Adventures Quickstart PDF from Modiphius before spending a dollar. · Action
  2. Order the 2nd Edition Core Rulebook so it arrives before your first full session. · Buy
  3. Pick a Trek era before session one and tell your players. TNG is the richest for starter material. TOS has the strongest nostalgic pull. Either works. · Learn
  4. Run the Quickstart with pre-made characters for session zero. Don't let anyone custom-build a character first, that conversation alone can eat three hours. · Action
  5. Order the official dice and These Are the Voyages Vol. 1 after your first session, once you know the group wants to continue. · Buy
  6. Build your ship before your crew. The starship is a character in Star Trek Adventures, and the choice of vessel shapes who everyone on the crew wants to be. · Learn
  7. Check out Continuing Mission for free fan-made adventures, species supplements, and GM tools before you buy anything extra. · Action
FAQ

Common questions

Do I need to know Star Trek lore to play?

No, but a few episodes of the era you'll play in helps. The core rulebook includes lore summaries for every major series. Players who've watched even one Trek series will feel at home; complete newcomers should watch three or four episodes of their era before character creation.

How long is a typical session?

Most groups run three to four hours. A standalone mission from 'These Are the Voyages' runs two to three sessions. The Quickstart is designed to complete in one session of about three hours. Longer isn't better early on, four-hour sessions let the GM prep between them.

Do I need one rulebook per player?

No. One core rulebook is enough. Players reference it during character creation. During play, the GM runs the session and players only need their character sheet. A Player's Guide is a nice addition once you have four or more committed regulars.

How is this different from D&D?

Less combat-centric and more story-forward. The 2d20 system rewards creative problem solving and crew coordination. Spending Momentum buys extra effects; the GM's Threat pool grows when players play it safe. Combat exists but is faster and less central than most D&D encounters.

Can I mix characters from different Trek eras?

Not without a narrative justification like time travel or an alternate timeline. Most campaigns set a single era. If your group is split between TOS and TNG fans, pick one for the first campaign. You can always run a second campaign in the other era once you know the system.

Where do I find other players if my friends aren't interested?

The Star Trek Adventures Discord and r/startrekadventures subreddit both have active looking-for-group threads. Roll20 has an STA-specific LFG section. Local game stores that run RPG nights often host one-shots, bring the Quickstart and five pre-made characters.

Going further

Where to next

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