Author: TardisCaptain

Posted in: Quotes, Star Trek

Daily Star Trek Quotes: October 21-27

Written by TardisCaptain
When you realize how busy it’s been lately and you’re just trying to hold it together.

Here are the Daily Star Trek Quotes that will appear on the @STrekQuotes Twitter account, the @STrekQuotes Mastodon account and the Bluesky account for the week of October 21st through October 27th. (Yes, we now have a scheduler for Bluesky)

October 21
“It is exactly as they left it, Number One, in the bottle. The ship in the bot- Oh, good Lord. Didn’t anybody here build ships in bottles when they were boys?!” Picard- Booby Trap, Stardate: 43205.6 #StarTrek #StarTrekTNG #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet #Quote

October 22
Happy Birthday to Christopher Lloyd. @DocBrownLloyd https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Christopher_Lloyd #StarTrek #StarTrekFilm #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet #Quote

“Yes sir. But the bridge appears to be run by computer. It is the only thing speaking.” Torg “Speaking? Let me hear.” Kruge “Nine, …eight, …seven, …six, …five,…” Computer “Get out! Get out of there! Get out!” Kruge- Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, Stardate: 8210.3 #StarTrek #StarTrekFilm #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet #Quote

October 23
“All she has to do is smile at me and I am happy beyond reason. A minor disagreement between us and I am devastated. It’s absurd. Sometimes I wish that I could reach inside myself and tear out my feelings for her, but I can’t.” Odo- Behind the Lines, Stardate: 51145.3 #StarTrek #StarTrekDS9 #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet #Quote

October 24
Happy Birthday to F. Murray Abraham. https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/F._Murray_Abraham #StarTrek #StarTrekFilm #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet #Quote

“Now! If the Enterprise gets through with news about their brave Captain’s valiant struggle on behalf of the defenseless Ba’ku, your Federation politicians will waver, your Federation opinion polls will open a public debate, your Federation allies will want their say. …Need I go on?” Ru’afo- Star Trek: Insurrection, Stardate: Unknown #StarTrek #StarTrekFilm #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet #Quote

October 25
“Mind your own business, Mister Spock. I’m sick of your half-breed interference! Do you hear?” Kirk- What Are Little Girls Made Of?, Stardate: 2712.4 #StarTrek #StarTrekTOS #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet #Quote

October 26
Happy Birthday to Anthony Rapp. @albinokid https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Anthony_Rapp #StarTrek #StarTrekDiscovery #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet #Quote

“Are there others like you?” Adira “There’s no one like me.” Stamets- People of Earth, Stardate: 865211.3 #StarTrek #StarTrekDiscovery #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet #Quote

October 27
Happy Birthday to Robert Picardo. @RobertPicardo https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Robert_Picardo #StarTrek #StarTrekFilm #StarTrekDS9 #StarTrekVOY #StarTrekProdigy #StarTrekStarfleetAcademy #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet #Quote

“I can describe every detail of every piece of equipment in this Sick Bay—from bio-bed to neurostimulator—but I’ve never even seen a sky or a forest, let alone Vikings and monsters.” Doctor- Heroes and Demons, Stardate: 48693.2 #StarTrek #StarTrekVOY #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet #Quote

What are your favorite daily Star Trek quotes selected for this week? This article is open for discussion on the TardisCaptain dot Com Discord server. You can also email me at Carl (at) TardisCaptain.com or click on my social media links with any comments.

Posted in: Quotes, Star Trek

Daily Star Trek Quotes: October 14-20

Written by TardisCaptain
When they tell you it’s Monday again.

Here are the Daily Star Trek Quotes that will appear on the @STrekQuotes Twitter account, the @STrekQuotes Mastodon account and the Bluesky account for the week of October 14th through October 20th. (Yes, we now have a scheduler for Bluesky)

October 14
“They’re not just Starfleet officers, they’re heroes. Let’s face it, Quark, there’s nothing heroic about earning profit.” Odo “There is on Ferenginar.” Quark “We’re not on Ferenginar.” Odo- The Magnificent Ferengi, Stardate: Unknown #StarTrek #StarTrekDS9 #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet #Quote

October 15
Remembering Mark Lenard who was born on this date in 1924. https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Mark_Lenard #StarTrek #StarTrekTOS #StarTrekFilm #StarTrekTNG #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet #Quote

“My logic is uncertain where my son is concerned.” Sarek- Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, Stardate: 8210.3 #StarTrek #StarTrekFilm #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet #Quote

October 16
“The quest for youth, Number One. So futile.” Picard- Too Short a Season, Stardate: 41309.5 #StarTrek #StarTrekTNG #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet #Quote

October 17
“Captain Janeway’s methods are unorthodox. It is her strength as a leader, but unfortunately, it is also her greatest weakness.” Tuvok “Stubborn as a Klingon.” Chakotay “To put it mildly.” Tuvok- Night, Stardate: 52081.2 #StarTrek #StarTrekVOY #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet #Quote

October 18
“A crewman’s right ends where the safety of the ship begins. That man will go ashore on my orders. What’s his name?” Kirk “James Kirk. Enjoy yourself, Captain.” Spock- Shore Leave, Stardate: 3025.3 #StarTrek #StarTrekTOS #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet #Quote

October 19
“We won’t go back. You don’t know what it’s like in our universe. The Federation’s gone! The Borg are everywhere! We’re one of the last ships left. Please… you’ve got to help us!” Riker (counterpart)- Parallels, Stardate: 47391.2 #StarTrek #StarTrekTNG #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet #Quote

October 20
“All breakthroughs are hard to imagine before they happen.” Emory Erickson- Daedalus, Date: Unknown #StarTrek #StarTrekENT #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet #Quote

What are your favorite daily Star Trek quotes selected for this week? This article is open for discussion on the TardisCaptain dot Com Discord server. You can also email me at Carl (at) TardisCaptain.com or click on my social media links with any comments.

Posted in: Quotes, Star Trek

Daily Star Trek Quotes: October 7-13

Written by TardisCaptain
How it feels after a long trip.

Here are the Daily Star Trek Quotes that will appear on the @STrekQuotes Twitter account, the @STrekQuotes Mastodon account and the Bluesky account for the week of October 7th through October 13th. (Yes, we now have a scheduler for Bluesky)

October 7
“The key to tongo is to confront when you’re sure you’re in a better position than the other players.” Dax- Meridian, Stardate: 48423.2 #StarTrek #StarTrekDS9 #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet #Quote

October 8
“Tyree, supposing you had to fight? What then?” Kirk “Jim, this man believes in the same thing we believe in. That killing is stupid and useless.” Dr. McCoy- A Private Little War, Stardate: 4211.4 #StarTrek #StarTrekTOS #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet #Quote

October 9
Happy Birthday to Scott Bakula. @ScottBakula https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Scott_Bakula #StarTrek #StarTrekENT #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet #Quote

“I believe someone once defined a compromise as a solution that neither side is happy with.” Archer- Cease Fire, Date: Unknown #StarTrek #StarTrekENT #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet #Quote

October 10
“Doctor, if you wish to master the bat’leth sword you must learn to strike and avoid in the same motion.” Worf “I almost got in under your guard, Worf.” Dr. Crusher “Almost.” Worf- The Quality of Life, Stardate: 46307.2 #StarTrek #StarTrekTNG #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet #Quote

October 11
“The Borg value efficiency, not redundancy.” Seven- Nightingale, Stardate: 54274.7 #StarTrek #StarTrekVOY #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet #Quote

October 12
“I wouldn’t want to slow the wheels of progress. But then on the other hand, I wouldn’t want those wheels to run over my client in their unbridled haste.” Samuel Cogley- Court Martial, Stardate: 2947.3 #StarTrek #StarTrekTOS #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet #Quote

October 13
“A child born from parents who love each other will have nothing but goodness in his heart.” Dr. Juliana Tainer- Inheritance, Stardate: 47410.2 #StarTrek #StarTrekTNG #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet #Quote

What are your favorite daily Star Trek quotes selected for this week? This article is open for discussion on the TardisCaptain dot Com Discord server. You can also email me at Carl (at) TardisCaptain.com or click on my social media links with any comments.

Posted in: Quotes, Star Trek

Daily Star Trek Quotes: September 30-October 6

Written by TardisCaptain
What’s going to happen this next week?

Here are the Daily Star Trek Quotes that will appear on the @STrekQuotes Twitter account, the @STrekQuotes Mastodon account and the Bluesky account for the week of September 30th through October 6th. (Yes, we now have a scheduler for Bluesky)

September 30
“You don’t really think you’ll have any luck, do you?” Ferris “Look, these people are my friends and my shipmates. I intend to continue the ship’s search for them until the last possible moment.” Kirk- The Galileo Seven, Stardate: 2822.3 #StarTrek #StarTrekTOS #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet #Quote

October 1
“What’s so important about the past? People got sick, they needed money. Why tie yourself to that?” Dr. Soong “Humans are mortal. They seem to need a sense of continuity.” Data “Ah hah!! Why?” Dr. Soong “To give their lives meaning. A sense of purpose.” Data- Brothers, Stardate: 44085.7 #StarTrek #StarTrekTNG #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet #Quote

October 2
Happy Birthday to Avery Brooks. https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Avery_Brooks #StarTrek #StarTrekDS9 #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet #Quote

“I can throw away the uniform, resign my commission, run all the way to the Nyberrite Alliance, but it really wouldn’t matter. A Starfleet officer. That’s what I am, and that’s what I’ll always be.” Sisko- The Way of the Warrior, Stardate: 49011.4 #StarTrek #StarTrekDS9 #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet #Quote

October 3
“Warp 1.8 works just fine for us. Any faster and there’d be no time to enjoy the trip.” Matthew Ryan- Fortunate Son, Date: Unknown #StarTrek #StarTrekENT #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet #Quote

October 4
“I’m a doctor, not a battery.” The Doctor- Gravity, Stardate: 52438.9 #StarTrek #StarTrekVOY #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet #Quote

October 5
“Doctor gave me a pill and I grew a new kidney! The doctor gave me a pill and I grew a new kidney!” Elderly Woman- Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, Stardate: 8390 #StarTrek #StarTrekFilm #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet #Quote

October 6
“Nothing reveals humanity so well as the games it plays.” Q- Hide and Q, Stardate: 41590.5 #StarTrek #StarTrekTNG #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet #Quote

What are your favorite daily Star Trek quotes selected for this week? This article is open for discussion on the TardisCaptain dot Com Discord server. You can also email me at Carl (at) TardisCaptain.com or click on my social media links with any comments.

Posted in: Dungeons and Dragons, Reviews, Role Playing Games

A look at the Time Magazine D&D Special

Written by TardisCaptain
The cover to the Time Magazine Dungeons and Dragons special edition

So walking through a local drugstore I finally saw my first copy of the Time Magazine Special Edition on Dungeons and Dragons. The history of this roleplaying game was interesting enough for me to pick this up as a curiosity buy. I’m going to take a look through this magazine and see if it was worth the $14.99 cover price.

This special edition will be displayed on stands until December 6, 2024. The editor-in-chief is Sam Jacobs. The magazine itself has 96 pages. I couldn’t find an edition number but the bardcode on the front of my issue was 0 70989 10230 9 (ISBN number?) As with all Time Magazines, it has the red border on the cover. There are no advertisements in this magazine.

There is an introduction, four sections and a last page about the dragon. The introduction (titled “Storied Roots”) talks about the literary influences that helped Dungeons and Dragons. It also talked about the days of wargaming in the 1960’s that influenced Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson and the early development of Chainmail.

The first chapter is titled Origins. Some of the information is similar to the Storied Roots listed above, with a little bit more detail. It was interesting to read some of the history contained in this section. I wasn’t aware that Gary Gygax’s four-year old daughter came up with the name “Dungeons and Dragons”. There was more information on the “satanic panic” that happened in the 80’s, the departure of Gygax and the development of 2nd and 3rd editions. I’m not surprised that in this history, they didn’t even mention fourth edition. A timeline is provided in this chapter, which was interesting.

The second chapter talks about D&D on the screen. The first section is about Critical Role, which I’ll admit, I’ve never seen. While I’ve watched a few “how to play” videos on YouTube when trying to learn a new system, just watching someone else play is kind of depressing. Because I want to play myself. So I kind of skipped this section for now, but I intend to go back and read it in detail so that I can understand. Then there was an article about Stranger Things (a show I’ve only seen a hand full of episodes of) and one about Vecna. Finally there was an article about the recent Dungeons and Dragons movie that just came out. Now this one I’ve seen. I was a little surprised that there wasn’t anything more on the inspirational Dungeons and Dragons animated show from the 80’s in this section. I watched the heck out of that series.

I’ve reached the third chapter titled “Modern Ventures”. This discusses the reach of D&D into other business realms. This includes dice, video games like Baldur’s Gate 3 and other partnerships in the merchandising that I wasn’t aware of. It was an interesting read.

The last chapter, Healing Words, talks about how playing rolepaying games can be therapeutic. This is something that I’ve told other people for years. I’ve had one DM that would use D&D to help teach math to younger players. There were two articles in this chapter.

Alright, now that I’ve had a chance to go through the magazine, I can see where there will be some sections that I’ll get a chance to learn something. I enjoyed reading the history sections (and I would like to read more). I can see where some sections could have been expanded (more on B/X or BECMI, the animated series, etc.) but I also understand that there is a limit in the printed medium. So, I am happy that I picked up this issue as I’ll be giving it a deep read soon.

Do you have any questions about the Time Magazine special? Feel free to ask me about them. This article is open for discussion on the TardisCaptain dot Com Discord server. You can also email me at Carl (at) TardisCaptain.com with any comments.

Posted in: Quotes, Star Trek

Daily Star Trek Quotes: September 23-29

Written by TardisCaptain
How this year seems to be flying by

Here are the Daily Star Trek Quotes that will appear on the @STrekQuotes Twitter account and the @STrekQuotes Mastodon account for the week of September 23rd through September 29th. Coming soon to Bluesky once we can find a scheduler option.

September 23
Happy Birthday to Rosalind Chao. @rosalindchao https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Rosalind_Chao #StarTrek #StarTrekTNG #StarTrekDS9 #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet #Quote

“I don’t teach Bajoran spiritual beliefs. That’s your job. Mine is to open the children’s minds to… history, to literature, to mathematics, to science.” Keiko- In the Hands of the Prophets, Stardate: Unknown #StarTrek #StarTrekDS9 #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet #Quote

September 24
Star Trek: Discovery premiered on this date in 2017 with the episodes The Vulcan Hello and Battle at the Binary Stars. https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Star_Trek:_Discovery #StarTrek #StarTrekDiscovery #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet #Quote

“We have forgotten the unforgettable, the last to unify our tribes: Kahless. Together under one creed: remain Klingon!” T’Kuvma- The Vulcan Hello, Stardate: 1207.3 #StarTrek #StarTrekDiscovery #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet #Quote

September 25
“The Orient Express is romantic, mysterious. It’s an elegant way to see exotic places and meet fascinating people.” Dr. Crusher- Emergence, Stardate: 47869.2 #StarTrek #StarTrekTNG #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet #Quote

September 26
Star Trek: Enterprise premiered on this date in 2001 with the episode Broken Bow. https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Star_Trek:_Enterprise #StarTrek #StarTrekENT #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet #Quote

“God, she’s beautiful.” Archer “And fast. Warp four point five next Thursday.” Tucker “Neptune and back in six minutes.” Archer- Broken Bow, Date: April 15, 2151 #StarTrek #StarTrekENT #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet #Quote

September 27
“Fascinating is a word I use for the unexpected. In this case, I should think interesting would suffice.” Spock- The Squire of Gothos, Stardate: 2124.5 #StarTrek #StarTrekTOS #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet #Quote

September 28
Star Trek: The Next Generation premiered on this date in 1987 with the episode Encounter at Farpoint. https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Star_Trek:_The_Next_Generation #StarTrek #StarTrekTNG #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet #Quote

“Well this is a new ship but she’s got the right name. Now you remember that, you hear?” Dr. McCoy- Encounter at Farpoint, Stardate: 41153.7 #StarTrek #StarTrekTNG #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet #Quote

September 29
“Aren’t you capable of learning?” Kes “I have the capacity to accumulate and process data, yes.” The Doctor “Then I guess you’ll just have to learn… like the rest of us.” Kes- Phage, Stardate: 48532.4 #StarTrek #StarTrekVOY #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet #Quote

What are your favorite daily Star Trek quotes selected for this week? This article is open for discussion on the TardisCaptain dot Com Discord server. You can also email me at Carl (at) TardisCaptain.com or click on my social media links with any comments.

Posted in: Collecting, Reviews, Role Playing Games

Mystery Dice Goblin sent me three mystery packs to review

Written by TardisCaptain

So we are starting off this blog post with a disclaimer. I was contacted on September 4th by Lee Smart, the owner of Mystery Dice Goblin. He inquired if I was interested in reviewing their Mystery Dice Bags that they sell on their family business website. I asked if I was allowed to review the products as I saw fit (i.e. not giving a good review just because I received a free product) and he responded with an enthusiastic “yes of course”. So, I gave him my address and moved onto other balls that I had in the air.

England? I wasn’t expecting that.

On Monday, September 16th, the following package arrived from England. Had I know this was a husband and wife company in the UK, I might have (jokingly) asked for a bribe with Doctor Who, Monty Python, Top Gear or Red Dwarf. I’ve always been a fan of British TV, humor, culture and even some of the food. Having a local restaurant run by British immigrants is something that I’m very grateful for.

There were three mystery packs inside.

Inside the box were three mystery packs. These are factory sealed bags with an easy tear-off top. Just inside the tear-off top is a zip-lock style closure. So, if you wanted to continue to use the bags for your dice, you could do so without worrying about them escaping and rolling initiative.

All three bags had the same information on the back.

So after taking these photos, lightning just struck me brain (or as Jeremy Clarkson would have said: “Sometimes, if you listen very carefully, you can hear my genius.”) Instead of just opening up the bags and putting the dice through the same review as I had with past dice products, I ran upstairs and gathered my geek wife and two geek kids. I had each one of them open up the packages one at a time and we checked them out together. My wife went first and opened up the package that contained these red dice with Chinese dragons on them.

I love the color red.

We all thought these were really kewl looking. Everyone took a turn rolling them and seeing how they felt in our hands. They have a good weight and the rolling seemed to come up random. (Sorry, I don’t have the patience to do a complete roll them a 100 times and write everything down test) We then opened up the next package.

Blue and white swirly dice.

The youngest opened the next set. I don’t know what the official name for this set is, but we called it the aquamarine set. The blue and white swirls reminded us of the ocean. This set was slightly smaller than the red Chinese dragon dice that we opened first. Because of this size difference, there is a slightly less weight to them. Rolling them did feel natural and random. My oldest then opened up the next package.

My wife loves this color.

The oldest proclaimed that mother would love this set as she loves the color purple. The numbers were using a different font than the previous two sets and there was a sparkle to these dice. I had seen this gothic type font on the Dice Legends sets that I reviewed prior. They had the same size and weight as the aquamarine set. They also rolled the same as well. Just as random and they felt good.

All three sets lined up together.

When we had opened up the sealed bags, I wondered if I could smell something? But further inspection didn’t reveal anything olfactory wise. I wonder if the muscle memory in my head thought: “A sealed bag has been opened, what food does it contain?”

This should be enough D20s for a Star Trek Adventures game.

In the picture above I lined up the D20s from the new dice sets with some previous dice I had reviewed in the past. The Mystery Goblin Dice are along the top. On the bottom row from left to right are the North-to-South Designs Gaming D20, the Dice Legends D20, the D20 from the Dollar Tree set and the D20 from my Chessex set that I’ve had for quite some time. Apparently I haven’t reviewed this last set yet. Comparing the weights they were pretty similar. At the last SaltCON, my wife and I were talking to a local dice manufacturer who had some sets with similar size and fonts. The colors could vary widely depending upon what material was used in the manufacture. While they had kits to make your own dice, we quickly passed, not needing yet another hobby to divide our limited time. So, we are grateful to those who have been bitten by the dice manufacturing bug. I wonder if these kits include the molds with the fonts and styles?

According to the Mystery Dice Goblin website, the price for these three mystery sets would have been $25 plus shipping. Had I paid that price, I would have been very satisfied with the purchase. I don’t know how much the shipping would have cost, but if you live in the UK they offer free shipping for any orders over 15 British pounds. I was told that the package was shipped on the 6th and it only took ten days to arrive at my house in the states. Coming from England, that is a quick delivery.

Oh and as a thank you to my family for helping me review these dice, I’m going to give them the packs that they would like. I know that they will enjoy them.

Having gone through this experience, I think I’m going to add a new item to my Frequently Asked Questions. I am more than willing to review and item sent to me as long as I have the freedom to review the product as I see fit. If I like something, I’m more than willing to tell others about it. If there are things that could be improved, I don’t mind saying these things as well.

Do you have any questions about the Mystery Dice Goblin packs? Feel free to ask me about them. This article is open for discussion on the TardisCaptain dot Com Discord server. You can also email me at Carl (at) TardisCaptain.com with any comments.

Posted in: Quotes, Star Trek

Daily Star Trek Quotes: September 16-22

Written by TardisCaptain
When you find out it’s Monday again.

Here are the Daily Star Trek Quotes that will appear on the @STrekQuotes Twitter account and the @STrekQuotes Mastodon account for the week of September 16th through September 22nd. Coming soon to Bluesky once we can find a scheduler option.

September 16
Happy Birthday to Jayne Brook. @thejaynebrook https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Jayne_Brook #StarTrek #StarTrekDiscovery #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet #Quote

“You sleep with a phaser in your bed, and you say nothing’s wrong?! All these months I have ignored the signs, but I can’t anymore.” Cornwell- Lethe, Stardate: Unknown #StarTrek #StarTrekDiscovery #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet #Quote

September 17
Happy Birthday to Ella Purnell. @PurnellElla https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Ella_Purnell #StarTrek #StarTrekProdigy #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet #Quote

“When he took all of you, I stood by and did nothing. I need to make it right.” Gwyndala- A Moral Star, Part 1, Stardate: Unknown #StarTrek #StarTrekProdigy #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet #Quote

September 18
Happy Birthday to Christina Chong. @christinachongx https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Christina_Chong #StarTrek #StarTrekStrangeNewWorlds #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet #Quote

“The Federation teaches that if we can find a way to empathize with an enemy, then they can one day become our friends.” La’an Noonien-Singh- Memento Mori, Stardate: 3177.3 #StarTrek #StarTrekStrangeNewWorlds #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet #Quote

Happy Birthday to Babs Olusanmokun. https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Babs_Olusanmokun #StarTrek #StarTrekStrangeNewWorlds #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet #Quote

“I prefer saving lives to taking them.” Dr. M’Benga- Under the Cloak of War, Stardate: 1875.4 #StarTrek #StarTrekStrangeNewWorlds #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet #Quote

September 19
“A lifetime spent building emotional barriers—they are very difficult to break down and now the time has come when it’s too late. It’s a difficult moment. It’s a lonely one.” Picard- Unification I, Stardate: 45233.1 #StarTrek #StarTrekTNG #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet #Quote

September 20
“Justice, as the humans like to say, is blind. I used to believe that. I’m not sure I can any more.” Odo- Necessary Evil, Stardate: 47282.5 #StarTrek #StarTrekDS9 #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet #Quote

September 21
“You’ve done away with Humanity, the striving of man to achieve greatness through his own resources.” Karidian “We’ve armed man with tools. The striving for greatness continues.” Kirk- The Conscience of the King, Stardate: 2817.6 #StarTrek #StarTrekTOS #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet #Quote

September 22
“I know that you’re probably asking yourself: why would a brilliant, handsome, dashingly omnipotent being like Q want to mate with a scrawny little bipedal specimen like me?” Q “Let me guess, no one else in the universe will have you?” Janeway- The Q and the Grey, Stardate: 50384.2 #StarTrek #StarTrekVOY #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet #Quote

What are your favorite daily Star Trek quotes selected for this week? This article is open for discussion on the TardisCaptain dot Com Discord server. You can also email me at Carl (at) TardisCaptain.com or click on my social media links with any comments.

Posted in: Reviews, Role Playing Games, Star Trek

Review of Star Trek Adventures 2E Game Toolkit

Written by TardisCaptain
Opening the box containing my new STA 2nd edition toolkit

While my daughter purchased the Star Trek 2nd Edition Core Rulebook as a present for me (reviewed here), I purchased the STA Second Edition Game Toolkit for myself. I knew that I was preparing to run a second edition game for SaltCON End-of-Summer and I was hoping that it would arrive in time for me to use. While the shipping gods did not smile on me, Modiphius (in their infinite wisdom) had sent me the PDF of the toolkit so I was able to use parts of it for my one-shot. However since I had received the package, I thought I’d sit down and do a quick review of this supplement. Plus I wanted to note a few more things about the core rulebook that I realized that I had skipped. These additional notes will be after the review.

The Second Edition Game Toolkit has an ISBN number of 978-1-80281-325-8 with a Modiphius product number of MUH0142405. I had noted that the core rulebook was marked as a Phase II Core Rulebook and this trend continues with this product. It is marked “Phase II Game Toolkit”. Like the core rulebook, the toolkit was published in 2024 in Lithuania. We are already aware that Jim Johnson is the project manager and edited this product with Marieke Cross. Some of the writers listed included Michael Dismuke, Nathan Dowdell, Jim Johnson, Thomas Marrone, Aaron M Pollyea and the STA development team. The art director is Ariel Orea with interior art by Aurea Freniere, Thomas Marrone, Paolo Puggioni, Tobias Richter and Rodrigo Gonzalez Toledo. The cover art was provided by Carlos Cabrera.

The 1e Klingon Empire Gamemaster Toolkit (left) compared to the 2e STA Game Toolkit (right)

Previously I had purchased (and used) The Klingon Empire Gamemaster Toolkit (I don’t know why the name is slightly different). The Game Toolkit for the 2nd edition game is similar, but has some differences. Both publications contain a GM’s screen geared towards their respective editions. With the PDF version of this product (that I’m very grateful that Modiphius will provide customers with a PDF if you buy any of their dead-tree products) I was able to print out the GM screen inserts and slip them into my Stratagem “The Master’s Tome” 4-panel customizable GM screen for the con. There is a galactic map in both products, but on the back of the map in the 2nd edition kit is a poster with the cover to the core rule-book. Both products also contain double-sided reference sheets on sturdy card-stock. These are the type that you can drop in front of the players for easy reference to core rules, combat flowcharts and player options. There are eight of these in total.

Where the biggest difference between the Klingon and 2nd Edition toolkit comes into play is the booklet. In the Klingon kit there is a one-shot adventure that the GM can use to introduce the Klingon game to their players. On the 2nd Edition kit the 40 page booklet contains information that expands some of the rules and information from the core rulebook. This booklet is broken down into two chapters marked Players and GMs. For the players we get some new spaceframe rules that can be used to design (or in my case, homebrew ships from other Star Trek sources) starships for the game. We also get the spaceframes for the following classes: Freedom (as seen in Star Trek Beyond), Walker (Star Trek Discovery), Pioneer (Star Trek Picard), Crossfield (Discovery), Miranda (first seen in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan), Oberth (first seen in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock), Columbia (Star Trek Online), Constellation, Nebula (both first seen in Star Trek: The Next Generation), Akira (Star Trek: First Contact), Nova (Star Trek: Voyager), Defiant (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine), Luna (originally from the Star Trek: Titan novels), Sagan (also from Star Trek: Picard), Odyssey (also from Star Trek Online). Alien starships include the Vor’Cha (Klingon) and Mogai (Romulan). There are some additional mission profiles and talents are listed. There is also details on what happens when a vessel goes to Yellow or Red Alert. No it does not require changing the bulb.

The later half of the book has additional suggestions and details for the gamemaster. This includes items for running B-Plots, story threads and Chekhov’s Gun. For GMs that have used extended tasks in their games, there is some additional tidbits listed as well. I could almost see Jim Johnson holding onto these 40 pages needing to cut space from the core rulebook wondering how he was going to get this information to the players and GMs. This was a perfect opportunity and I think added value to this toolkit. The sections are color coded just as they are in the core rulebook.

The contents of the second edition kit spread out.

So something that is interesting in both the toolkit and the core rulebook is the examples that explain some of the rules. The writers used examples directly from the shows themselves. This gives a sense of familiarity to those that know the show. In my initial review I had noted the use of Star Trek Quotes in the sample values, well the writers had also used various quotes scattered throughout the book to add flavoring. I mentioned Star Trek Online above. Besides this cross-pollination with another Star Trek licensee, the core rulebook also mentioned some of the details from the IDW Star Trek Comics. I was glad to see this after the very well done IDW Year-Five Tie-In that Modiphius released several years ago. I’ve had a few readers ask me questions about combat and how the game compares to the FASA Star Trek RPG, which I’ve responded to in the respective mediums. And yes, I’ve been continuing to carry the second edition book around to read at my leisure.

I had mentioned in my Second Edition core book review that it was inspiring me to get a Star Trek Adventure campaign going (especially after the successful one-shot that I ran at SaltCON). Physically holding the Game Toolkit in my hand is only feeding that inspiration. I’m really glad that I had picked this up. I think that the booklet was a better use than another adventure.

Additional titles for the second edition game are in the works. So far my Tal Shiar spies have not reported back what they are. I may have to start reverting to Changelings if they can’t find anything out soon. But there is much more coming soon for this game.

Do you have any questions about the toolkit that I didn’t answer? Ask me about it. This article is open for discussion on the TardisCaptain dot Com Discord server. You can also email me at Carl (at) TardisCaptain.com with any comments.

Posted in: Quotes, Star Trek

Daily Star Trek Quotes: September 9-15

Written by TardisCaptain
Me typing up blog posts for the past month

Here are the Daily Star Trek Quotes that will appear on the @STrekQuotes Twitter account and the @STrekQuotes Mastodon account for the week of September 9th through September 15th. Coming soon to Bluesky once we can find a scheduler option.

September 9
Happy Birthday to Jeffrey Combs. @jeffreycombs https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Jeffrey_Combs #StarTrek #StarTrekDS9 #StarTrekVOY #StarTrekENT #StarTrekLowerDecks #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet #Quote

“Attack the leader of a movement you risk creating a martyr.” Brunt- Bar Association, Stardate: Unknown #StarTrek #StarTrekDS9 #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet #Quote

September 10
Happy Birthday to Harry Treadaway. @TreadawayHaz https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Harry_Treadaway #StarTrek #StarTrekPicard #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet #Quote

“Is your name actually Narek?” Soji “One of them.” Narek “So is there anything you can tell me about yourself?” Soji “Yes. I’m a very… private person.” Narek- Maps and Legends, Stardate: Unknown #StarTrek #StarTrekPicard #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet #Quote

September 11
Happy Birthday to Roxann Dawson. @roxdaws https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Roxann_Dawson #StarTrek #StarTrekVOY #StarTrekENT #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet #Quote

“It may be the warriors who get the glory, but it’s the engineers who build societies.” Torres- Flesh and Blood, Stardate: 54315.3 #StarTrek #StarTrekVOY #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet #Quote

September 12
“It would be illogical to kill without reason.” Spock- Journey to Babel, Stardate: 3842.3 #StarTrek #StarTrekTOS #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet #Quote

September 13
“I imagined my first diplomatic mission would involve sitting around a big table, toasting with champagne, signing thing with lots of pens…” Archer- Cease Fire, Date: Unknown #StarTrek #StarTrekENT #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet #Quote

September 14
Happy Birthday to Walter Koenig. @GineokwKoenig https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Walter_Koenig #StarTrek #StarTrekTOS #StarTrekPicard #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet #Quote

“I am Apollo!” Apollo “And I am the tsar of all the Russias!” Chekov “Mister Chekov.” Kirk “I’m sorry, Captain. I never met a god before.” Chekov- Who Mourns for Adonais, Stardate: 3468.1 #StarTrek #StarTrekTOS #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet #Quote

September 15
Happy Birthday to Tom Hardy. https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Tom_Hardy #StarTrek #StarTrekFilm #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet #Quote

“Silence, Romulan! …You really must learn patience, Commander. …Spend eighteen hours every day under the lash of a Romulan guard and you’ll soon understand patience.” Shinzon- Star Trek Nemesis, Stardate: 56844.9 #StarTrek #StarTrekFilm #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet #Quote

What are your favorite daily Star Trek quotes selected for this week? This article is open for discussion on the TardisCaptain dot Com Discord server. You can also email me at Carl (at) TardisCaptain.com or click on my social media links with any comments.

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