#PRIME DIRECTIVE D20 MODERN FREE PDF LICENSE#
#PRIME DIRECTIVE D20 MODERN FREE PDF SERIES#

I was originally going to dive right in to one of the most recent versions of the game, the 'Powered by GURPS' version known as GURPS Prime Directive. As a result of the resurgence of interest in Trek RPGs and as PD is currently the closest thing to an active Trek RPG license, I decided it could not and should not be ignored on this blog. Nevertheless, although there are a few reasons that PD and the SFU are not for everyone as a Trek game setting, I'm not convinced that some of the criticism leveled at it over the years is necessarily 'fair and balanced' (heh). As a gamer, my opinion is that they have great potential, but make themselves and their products somewhat unapproachable to the gaming community at large. So I do bring some prejudices to this table (my blog), but now they're out in the open, in advance. Also annoying is a decidedly conservative flavor of politics which - for some unfathomable reason - they feel is important to broadcast (though perhaps they feel it is reflective of and appealing to their primary customer base).

I find the quality and value of ADB's products hit or miss, their website is a mess, and their inability to hit a release schedule aggravating. They have a passionate fanbase, but I've never been a part of it. I will state up front that I'm no great or long-time fan of the SFU or Amarillo Design Bureau (ADB). That does not mean the SFU and PD are beyond reproach and a critical examination. I don't think we're as high-minded as we say we are. As gamers and fans, many of us are attracted towards phaser battles, starship design minutiae, combat against an armada of D-7s and so on. And with the exception of some great homebrews, most Trek RPGs over-emphasize combat and can be just as obsessed with martial aspects and details (when compared to the show itself). People still love FASA's Trek (the RPG and the Tactical Combat Simulator), but it diverged from canon, built its own mythology, and completely disconnected shortly after the premiere of The Next Generation. Although I sympathize with both contentions, I think that both arguments are a bit disingenuous. Others feel that the SFU is simply too militaristic for 'true' Trek gaming. Since the SFU canon diverges so far from Trek canon, PD is often ignored by fans and gamers.

#PRIME DIRECTIVE D20 MODERN FREE PDF LICENSE#

In terms of this blog (despite its license with Paramount), Prime Directive may be 'not Trek', but it undeniably is a way to role-play Star Trek. For licensing reasons, the SFU is based on elements of The Original Series, The Animated Series, and The Star Trek Star Fleet Technical Manual, but mostly its own mythology built over decades. For those who don't know, PD is part of the Star Fleet Universe (SFU), derived from Star Trek and the background of tabletop and computer games such as Star Fleet Battles, Federation Commander, Starfleet Command and more.

#PRIME DIRECTIVE D20 MODERN FREE PDF SERIES#

Over the past few months, I've been perusing various publications from the Prime Directive series of role-playing games.

Prime directive d20 modern free pdf