I will start with where I think that Modiphius product, did best with this book. The artwork is on point and catches the correct vibe all the way through. One scene is so out of the video game, I am pretty sure I went through the exact scene that the artist drew. The font is easy for my dyslexic eyes to read, and the layout is pretty good with pink(ish) callouts for important notes etc. So a good job there from Modiphius there.

If you have played the traditional 2D20 systems of these, I think you will be able to pick it up well. It’s a traditional 2d20 maybe a bit more mechanically heavy and random tables (I love a random table!) and equipment choice along with a new luck mechanic. I think that the 2d20 system is a good basis for converting video game to tabletop game, as I think was clear from how I can spot elements derived from the video game instantly. So, while I have yet to play it, I think that will be a nice transfer of experiences! It might be a bit time consuming the first couple of sessions (as are most games), but experience will help with that.

My core problem is not with the game itself (the 2d20 system is well trodden at this point), but really who the book is for in a manner of speaking.

There isn’t really an introduction of what is Fallout (at the time of Fallout 4), it kinda assumes that you already know this. While this might be true, if you are buying the Tabletop RPG of a video game RPG its likely because you are cool with the IP. But if you are picking it up off the shelf, I think that you will clearly get its from a video game and then have to open the wikia to understand what the setting is. I do not know if that will be enough. If you are an experienced GM and know the video games, you can pull it together. However, a newbie for both wanting to play in a post-apocalypse world, I think you might struggle even though they try to give you a good list of locations in the Commonwealth, random vaults, pre-War corps and what their schemes were to act as plot hooks.

It’s a solid looking system, but one that needs you to have played a DM that has played and loved at least to get a sense of what is going on, and to make best sense of the material provided. Like, I know the Brotherhood of steel and you get rules for playing as Brotherhood of Steel PCs, there isn’t really anything there to tell you what being a member of the Brotherhood is. There is no mention of the Enclave, etc. Plus given how much its drawn from Fallout 4, we seem to be missing the whole settlement creation and management part of the game

Therefore, it will be key to see what the next books they produce will be to really flesh out missing bits. At the moment, I would be tending towards just throwing out as many Fallout 4 plot hooks and see what evolves organically as the players live in the community from the starting adventure. This the core rulebook, it provides a good core, but it really needs the fluff and background to be fill out. A short campaign book will be a create start to give me a more solid idea of what a PC does in the setting, rather than just being a love note to the video game.

Overall, I would rate it somewhere between 3-4 stars depending on how well you love the video games.

I got this book the day it came out and read it all, but not had a chance to play though the adventure that came with it. So please keep in mind this is a first look at it.

There is nothing more Star Trek that a good Klingon. This version of Star Trek Adventures (STA) lets you go embrace the Klingon Empire! It’s basically the same rule set as STA with some slight changes to fit the new focus on Klingons. There is a massive improvement across all the rules in that they now come with flow charts (I guess you would call’em) and better descriptions to clarify how they are meant to work. Personally, I felt that was a problem with the original STA book, so I hope this improvement carries onto that book in the next version.

The biggest rule changes I can see is that there is an alternative reputation system to match the focus, with a small PDF on how to use the rules for the cowards in Starfleet. I haven't had a chance to try it out yet, but it is indeed interesting Personally, I do like tables for backstory (such as rolling for career events) and you get some to design your House. Determining Age (e.g. old and proud, or new and brash), Legacy (what you are good at e.g. engineering, leadership), temperament (Hot/tempered, stoic etc). They provide some values, talent ideas, etc. Considering how much family and honor is to the narrative of the Klingon its an important and interesting addition. The fact that the houses are not static and can also advance overtime give it a nice Game of Thrones-esque vibe if you want to get all the NPCs from the same house and try glorify your house.

Most of the differences in this book from the previous books is the change in narrative means we get a more detailed view of the galaxy from the Klingon perspective. Also as a YMMV bit, I do prefer that most of the info is provided as actual text and not in game narratives/documents. I personally like this balance more than the other core book, but I know at least one of players will not. Production values 5/5 as always for the star trek RPG again coming with no background and colored/textured background

Overall 4/5. Not because the new rules are better but they are refocused where needed and clearer, but then with rules its YMMV, what stops it being a bit better in my PoV is that much like with the FFG Star Wars games, I am unconvinced it need a whole new rule book rather than a splat book. But still an interesting book if you like the Empire(!) and want a more focused experience rather than being a Klingon in a Starfleet game.