Critical Hit! - "Horrified: Dungeons & Dragons"

Fact #1: I loved the original "Universal Monsters" Horrified and gave it a glowing review right here. 

Fact # 2: I also dig this other little indie game called Dungeons & Dragons, which I've talked about here more times than y'all have had hot meals.

Ergo, when Horrified: Dungeons & Dragons got released last year, it wasn't so much if I'd get it but when. 

Here's the adventure hook for this particular itiration right from the Dungeon Masters at Ravensburger:

"Terror is in the eye of the beholder! Horrified: Dungeons & Dragons will not only set players against four of the classic role-playing game's most fearsome foes, but will also introduce new gameplay elements inspired by the mechanisms of D&D, including the use of a 20-sided die.

"Horrified: Dungeons & Dragons features gameplay elements familiar to players of other games in the series: Players work together to face monsters and puzzle-like obstacles to gather item tokens, protect citizens, and avoid attacks. Unique and thematic challenges for each monster further immerse players into the detailed setting and story. 

"Additionally, each player chooses to play as one of five heroes inspired by character classes from D&D: wizard, rogue, fighter, cleric, or bard — each with a unique set of abilities that can aid their party as they move around the board to defeat the monsters dwelling in the dungeon below Waterdeep."

Wanna read the full Players Manual? Then click on the following magical link for Volo's Guide on How to Gank a Beholder!

***

Sample Playthrough

Went with the classic party composition (Fighter, Cleric, Rogue and Wizard) versus the Mimic and the Red Dragon.

TURN ONE

The Fighter spends one Action to pick up the Backpack in the Hall (1), two Actions to get to the Obelisk of the Eye (2-3), then discards the Pack to reveal the Lair (4). By some good fortune...it's just so happens to be the Vault of the Dragon Orb!

The Savage Hunt Monster Card is drawn, adding a new Item to the board. The Event moves a Sword Monster two Locations towards a Hero...so the Dragon wings two spaces via the Teleportation Circle towards the Rogue! Even though the Frenzied Monster is not activated, Wand Creatures are, so the Mimic moves one space on its board. 

The Cleric uses an Action to pick up the Rations in her space (1), then moves to the Yawning Portal Exterior (2), picks up the Rod and Mace there (3) and spends her Perk Card to get two more Actions. After arriving at the Yawning Portal Well (5) she uses her Special Action and rolls an "11"...which will force the next Monster to re-roll Hits and Power results!

A second Savage Hunt Monster Card is pulled, adding a Sword to Castle Waterdeep. Again, a Sword Monster moves two Locations towards a Hero...so the Dragon menaces the Rogue! Frenzied Monsters are not activated, but Wand Creatures are, so the Mimic moves one space along its own track.

After snagging a Greatsword and Spellcasting Focus from the Sword and the Sextant (1), the Rogue manages to disappear into the darkness, moving one space into a Teleportation Circle (2). He warps off to Wyllowwood (3) and then arrives in the wyrm's own back yard: the Dragon's Platform (4)!

Two items are added to the board, but the Event ("Elusive Displacement") is ignored because neither Monster bears a Skull. Again, the Frenzied Monster does not activate, but Shield Monsters do. As such, the Dragon Teleports one space away from the Rogue!

The Wizard plays Renaer Neverember, so all four players draw and place an Item! They then use on Action to pick up two Items at the Tower (1), shift to the House of Wonder (2), pick up the Items there (3) and then use their Special Ability (4) and get an "11"...teleporting the Rogue to their same space with a "3."          

Three new Items are drawn and placed. The "Stone of Good Luck" lets the Wizard pull a Perk Card! The Frenzy Token moves to the Dragon, which then Activates! The winged beast moves three locations via the Teleportation Circle...placing it one space away from the Fighter!

TURN TWO

The Fighter uses his Ability and rolls a "2", which moves him into the Dragon's space! Yikes! He spends his "Skeemo Weirdbottle" Perk Card...but the resulting "6" is no better! He then uses his next three Actions to reach the Portal's Taproom and pick up the Potion there! 

Three Items are dropped on the board and Citizen Aurinax pops up in the Abandoned Camp. The Frenzied Monster (I.E. the Dragon) is Activated, but since the Cleric and the Fighter are in the "Anti-Dragon" boundary of the Portal, the creature moves one space towards alternate prey. Then a Treasure Icon causes the Mimic to activate! A random Yellow Item is drawn...but neither the Fighter nor the Rogue possess a match! As a result, the Terror Level goes up by one (TERROR LEVEL: 1), the drawn Item is thrown away and the Mimic continues to be sneaky! 

The Cleric spends two Actions to reach the Vault of Dragonkind, then spends a Mace to move the Red Obstacle one space to the right then the Rations to move the Orb three spaces to the right. She then gambles and tries her Special Action, rolling a "12"...which will force the Monsters to re-roll Hits!

Three new Items are placed on the board and Nihiloor surfaces at the Entry Well. The Frenzied Dragon immediately pounces on him...but rolls a stunning miss!!! Then a Treasure Monster - the Mimic - moves one space along its path!

The Rogue enlists the aid of Laeral Silverhand, who compels the Dragon to go back to its Starting Location! He then rolls his Special Action (1) and gets a "12"...sourcing a Yellow Rope from Trollskull Alley. They try that again (2) and this time the roll is "17", giving them two things from the Discard Pile...namely a Mace and a Backpack! They then shift to Anghairon's Tower and (3) pick up the Scroll there (4)!

Three Items are pulled from the bag and placed. Citizen Noska turns up at the Abandoned Camp. The Frenzied Dragon moves from the Platform to the Teleportation Circle. There is no Skull creature, so the rest of the card is ignored. 

The Wizard plays "The Blackstaff", which lets them give the Cleric a Blue Wand and the Rogue passes off a Yellow Rope and a Red Mace! They then try their Special Action (1) and score a "4"...letting them move the Dragon to the Lair on Skull Island! They then move two spaces to Castle Waterdeep (2-3) and pick up the Greatsword there (4)!

After three new Items are situated, the City Guard Captain starts out from Anghairon's Tower. The Frenzied Dragon moves two spaces to the Teleportation Circle, then the Sword Symbol Activates it again...allowing it to swoop down into the Abandoned Camp! It rolls two dice, scores a Power Symbol and turns both Noska and Aurinax into briquettes with its "Fire Breath"! As a result, the Terror Level goes up by two (TERROR LEVEL: 3)! 

TURN THREE             

The Fighter picks up the Rations and the Whip, then rolls the 20-sider (1-2)! He scores a "13" which ensures the next Monster's Attacks ignores all Hit results! He then moves to guard Nihiloor (3-4).

Three new Items turn up. The "Cursed Arcane Gate" Event sees the Fighter rolling "7" and moving to The Yawning Portal Exterior, the Cleric gets a "10" and (mercifully) ends up in The Hall of Heroes, the Rogue's "18" puts them in Wyllow's Tower and the Wizard appears on Skull Island thanks to a "16." The Frenzy Marker moves to the Mimic, which shifts a whopping three spaces along its track! A Blue Potion is drawn...which is great because all of the Heroes currently possess Blue Items!!! They're all  Discarded, but the Mimic appears at the Fighter's Location! It can now be Defeated with 6+ of Blue Items! It attacks the Fighter with two dice, scoring a Hit (ignored) and a Power result, which disappears the Battleaxe at Trollskull Alley! 

The Cleric picks up the Staff (1) then rushes three (2-4) spaces towards the Mimic!

Two Items are placed. For the "Trial of Valor", the Cleric dedicates a 2-point Rope and a 3-point Mace to her d20 roll. Gets a "7" + 5 = 12...a failure! The Terror Level goes up by one (TERROR LEVEL: 4)! The Frenzied Monster - I.E. the Mimic - attacks! It rolls two dice and gets a Hit and a Power result. The Quarterstaff vanishes from the Obelisk and the Fighter loses an Item! The Wand symbol activates this aggressive little shit again and this time the roll is one Hit...the Fighter loses his last Item! 

After the Rogue uses an Action to pick up the Wand and Battle Axe from Wyllow's Tower (1), he uses his Special Action (2) and gets a "6", which lets him give the Fighter all of his items! He then moves onto the Dragon's Platform and Hoovers up the Holy Symbol, Bow and Shovel scattered around there (3-4)!  

After two new Items find their homes, "Elusive Displacement" activates...but mercifully there are no Skull beasts! The Frenzied Monster isn't activated but the Shield Symbol has the Dragon soaring off two spaces to get on the Teleportation Circle next to the Platform.

The Wizard's Special Action (1) dials up an "8", deposing the Dragon to the Abandoned Camp Lair! Tries it again (2)...but gets yet another shitty roll of "3." In a daring move, the Wizard moves the Dragon into their own space! Their third roll (3) is a "9", letting them re-locate any Hero to space "11"...they opt to be that Hero! Fourth (4) roll: a "6"...the Dragon shifts back to the Abandoned Camp.

NOTE: If nothing else...I'm glad y'all are witnessing my average rolls whenever I play D&D. Fuuuuuu...!!!

A single Item is placed, but there are no Hat Monsters, so "Eye Found You" has no effect. The Frenzied Monster doesn't Activate but the Potion symbol shifts the Dragon one space towards the Wizard!

TURN FOUR

The Fighter uses the Scroll and Wand to annihilate the Mimic (1)! That's one down! NOTE: whenever you defeat a Monster, the Terror Track is reduced by one. TERROR LEVEL: 3. His Special Action Roll - another fuggin' "6" - moves him back to the Monster's location!!! He then moves into the Abandoned Camp (2), discards a Backpack to investigate the Lair (3)...and discovers the Hoard!!! He then uses his last Action to pick up the three Items piled up there (4)!

Two new Items are introduced to the map and then "BeHOARDer" kicks in. The Morningstar at the Dragon's current location (Kalabash's Chambers) is discarded. The Frenzied Dragon moves into the Fighter's space and Attacks with three dice! One Hit...so the Fighter discards a 2-value Pouch. There are no Hat Monsters, so the rest of the script is ignored.

The Cleric moves three spaces to the Vault by the Obelisk (1-3) and then spends a Blue Staff to shift the Coffin one space up (4)!        

Three new Items are placed. Olive Stillwater shows up in the Goblin Bazaar. The Frenzied Dragon Attacks, rolling two dice...getting one Hit! The Fighter throws out a Longsword. The Dragon has no Wand symbol, so that's ignored. 

The Rogue uses the Teleportation Circle in Wyllowood to get to the Dragon Hoard (1-3) then places a Shovel on the ol' Hoard Board (4). 

After three new things are placed, the bravery-lite City Watch are looking for an escort from the Taproom to Blackstaff Tower. The Frenzied Dragon attacks with two dice...no Hits but its "Fire Breath" forces the Fighter to throw out a Battleaxe and the Rogue gets rid of a Holy Symbol. Since the Dragon is also a Spellbook creature, it attacks again! Another damned Power result! The Rogue loses his last Item - a Long Bow - and the Fighter turfs a Greatsword!

The Wizard picks up the three Items in their space (1) then rolls a "19 (2), which beams the Rogue to Dead Man's Corner! They then move into the Hoard to face off against the Dragon (3-4)!   

After two new Items are drawn and placed, "Safe Haven" moves the Dragon back to the Platform and all Citizens move one space towards their intended destination. The Frenzied Dragon is equally close to Citizens and Heroes, but Monsters always put priority on attacking Heroes. It flies two spaces, adjacent to the Abandoned Camp. Then the Spellbook Symbol moves him again and he attacks with one die...getting yet another "Fire Breath" attack! The Fighter gets his...a-hem...ROD burned off (!) and the Wizard discards a Candle. 

TURN FIVE

The Fighter roll an "18"...no Monster Card will be drawn (1)!!! He then spends two Actions (2-3) to move to the Goblin Bazaar and Guides Olive and Nihloor into his space (4). 

The Cleric picks up the Caltrops and the Spell Scroll (1), uses a Blue Item to shift the Coffin (2) and Caltrops to retrieve the Orb (3)!!! She then rolls her Special Action...but sadly gets a "1"! Critical Fail! Can my dice luck get any worse???

After three Items are introduced to the board, Black Viper is seen skulking in Trollskull Alley. The Frenzied Dragon rolls one Hit, so the Wizard discards an Oil Flask. The Shield symbol triggers it again...two more Hits! Two Daggers gone! 

The Rogue picks up three Items in Dead Man's Corner (1), moves to the Teleportation Circle just south of the Camp (2-3) and then rolls a "2" for his Special Action (4). He gives all of his equipment to the  Wizard! 

Three Items placed, requiring a bag refill! Volo starts at Trollskull Manor. Frenzy and Book symbols mean two back-to-back Dragon attacks: one Hit on the first roll (Shovel discarded) and a miraculous miss!!!

The Wizard throws the Blue Ring and the Red Whip (1-2) into the Dragon Hoard and then rolls a "12" for their Special Action (3). The location roll is "17"...putting the Cleric at The Sword and the Sextant! They try it again (4)...this time getting an "11." The Location roll is "18" so the Rogue is positioned there!  

Two Items placed. The Dragon doesn't have the Wand symbol, so "Lure of Riches" doesn't trigger. But the Frenzy and Sword Symbols means that it does attack twice...and with all three dice! First roll is "Fire Breath" and a Hit...second roll is two Hits. The Wizard is killed and the Terror Track moves up one (TERROR TRACK: 4)! 

TURN SIX

The Fighter rushes in two spaces, pausing only to pick up the two Items in Kalabash's Chambers (1-3). He then uses his Special Action (4) and rolls a "5"...which is absolute garbage.     

Two Items placed. The "Lure of Riches" Event is moot but - once again - two Attacks with three dice. Two Hits on the first Attack...but a Miss on the next!!!    

The Cleric uses all four Actions to get to the Hoard...and place the Orb! 

One Item placed. "Hidden in Plain Sight" sputters since the Dragon doesn't have the Chest Icon. But it does have the Spellbook...so it's a two-die Attack! Sadly the result is two Hits...the Fighter and the Cleric both die, resulting in a two-point Terror Track hit! (TERROR TRACK 6)

NOTE: I originally thought this was the end of the game, because I didn't realize defeating a Monster earns you a -1 Terror Track reduction. So, unless I recreate this and play out the last few turns, I guess I'm just gonna hafta leave this one as a cliffhanger.

Thanks for reading!

***

REVIEW

THE GOOD

• Partially thanks to the d20 Special Actions, the more elaborate board, and the fascinating foes (see next point) I feel like this version is more substantial and structured than the OG Horrified. 
• The Monsters are thematically on point. The more Beholder eye stalks you damage, the less effective it becomes. The Displacer Beast is impossible to tag until you get a bead on it. The Mimic is equally elusive, popping up to terrorize the Heroes and disappear useful items until they pin it down and kill it. The Dragon is a blast to play against, since you first need to locate the  Vault and the Dragon Horde. Add in the Orb retrieval mini game (which feels like the Mummy's slide-y puzzle from the first game), the need to drop specialized Items into the Lair and then you gotta try and polish off the beast with an Item-juiced d20 roll. you have one of the most interesting Monsters in the entire franchise.
• Similarly, the d20-inspired Character Special Actions are great. Assuming you don't completely whiff your roll, you're gonna get some pretty powerful effects outta this. The Fighter neuters the Monsters, the Wizard provides timely teleportation for Monsters and Heroes, the Bard herds Citizens and directs ally and enemy traffic, the Cleric guards against Monster attacks and the Rogue collects and distributes Items. This alone is a fun, creative aspect of the game that the players can explore...and it's a great thing to spend your non-obvious spare Actions on.  
• In this day and age of rampant production costs, I have no sweet clue how this thing retails for $40.00. The art on the board, tokens, Perks cards, standees and Hero Tiles are all gorgeous. Add in cool customized dice and Monster Minis and you definitely get a lot of bang for your buck.
• This is truly a co-operative experience. If Players don't work with each other...it's the equivalent of splitting the party in the Tomb of Horrors. Thankfully, the Perk Cards and the aforementioned d20 Special Actions absolutely encourage that.

THE M'EH

• My play-through makes it pretty self evident that poor dice luck can definitely set you back despite your best efforts. 
• With more complexities, this also means that the rules are a little bit more esoteric than OG Horrified. For example: why are Lairs a part of standard setup when it's only used when facing the Dragon? Also Waterdeep's anti-Dragon spaces and the "hospital" / recovery symbols should have been explained right at the beginning of the manual when talking about the map board features. 

THE UGLY

• Not much to speak of, really. 

***

Yes, I know it's insane to give such a light, goofy, Ameritrash co-op game such a high rating. But, to use a film criticism parallel, sometimes you want Conan the Barbarian instead of Out of Africa.  

For being a tight, fun, challenging and surprisingly-thematic experience, Horrified: Dungeons & Dragons rates five pips out of six with a neck-stretching tilt up towards that giant, bat-winged shaped creature that's diving towards you in what appears to be a strafing run!

BONUS: IMPORTANT RULES TO REMEMBER

• Every critical hit during a Hero's Turn (even if boosted by a Perk Card) earns you a free Perk Card.
• When a Hero's Special Action effect takes place during the Monster Phase, you may choose the order in which they happen and when. One effect must be resolved before you use the next one. Effects may be used on different Monsters and, once the next Monster Phase has ended, any unused effects are lost.
• When a Wizard's power moves someone, this effect cannot be ignored and must be executed.
• Heroes can't use Guide Actions to move Citizens through a Teleportation Circle.
• Monsters prioritize going after Heroes versus Citizens if both are equidistant. 
• The Dragon can't enter the city of Waterdeep, as indicated by the "Anti-Dragon" symbol by The Well and Castle Corkscrew. All other Monsters ignore this restriction.
• Defeating a Monster reduces the Terror Track by one.
• POW effects resolve before Hits.
• The game also ends in Defeat if the Monster Deck is completely empty.

Sumfin' Fishy: "Finspan"

Admittedly I was a tad late to the Wingspan party, reviewing it in 2021, a full three years after it was released. At the time, I positively glazed the thing, giving it five pips out of six and tilting it up. 

Um, yeah...about that.

Since then I've played it many times and taught it even more, which has led me to realize that the game has some pretty big flaws, not the least of which is placing your action cubes in the right-most unoccupied spot then backtracking to Activate your Birds from right to left.

This has to be one of the ass-backwards, un-intuitive mechanics baked into a modern classic. So idiotic, in fact, that it was wisely jettisoned in subsequent 'Spans, namely Wyrm in 2024 and last year's Fin.

I haven't tackled the dragon-flavored game, but after playing Finspan at last year's Cabin Con, I sold off my copy of Wingspan (and it's flock of expansions) to buy the former. 

So what's this version of the game all about? Well, here's Stonemaier Game's equivalent of casting out a baited hook, so to speak:

You are a marine researcher seeking to find and observe an array of aquatic life in the colorful Sunlight Zone, ghostly Twilight Zone, and pitch-black Midnight Zone of the world’s seas and oceans. In Finspan, the fish you discover over 4 weeks will generate a series of benefits as you dive deeper into the ocean.

Each dive site specializes in a key aspect of expanding your research:

• Grow your collection of fish.
• Discover freshly laid eggs.
• Hatch eggs into young and consolidate young to form schools.

The winner is the player with the most points gained from fish, eggs, young, schools, and achievements. 

Wanna read the full scholarly article on all these phinny phreaks? Well, click on the following link and discover that there's always a bigger rulebook!  

***

WEEK ONE -EXAMPLE OF PLAY

Charlie goes first and places one of his Divers on the "Play a Fish" section of his board. He drops a Longfin Batfish in the Blue Sunlight Dive Site, which requires him to get rid of an Egg, so he takes it off the Glasshead Grenadier. 

Dory plays her Porkfish in the Sunlight section of the Purple Dive Site, which also requires spending an Egg. It's removed from the Catalina Goby. The Young Token on that space just gets overlaid on the new fish.

Chuck wants more Fish options so he Dives into the Blue Zone, nabbing two in the Sunny section (thanks to the Batfish and it's Activated special ability. NOTE: Dory also gets a card because of this!) and one from the Midnight Zone (via the Grenadier). Under normal circumstances, Charlie would retrieve a Discarded card, but since his pile is empty he just draws a random card. To signify that he got his one Bottom Bonus card for the Week, he places his Diver right on that Icon.   

Dory plays her Tropical Flying Fish in the Sunlit Blue Dive Site, requiring her to Discard a Card (she throws out the Spiny Sea Devil) and also sacrifice an Egg (discarded from her own Grenadier).

Charlie plays the Longspine Porcupinefish in the Sunny section of the Purple Dive Zone. This requires that two Fish be Discarded, so he throws out the Humpback Anglerfish and the Atlantic Wolfish. It also costs an Egg, which is discarded from the Goby. Chuck might look Egg poor right now, but the Porcupinefish has a "When Played" ability which lets him place an Egg on all Medium sized fish, so both it and the Batfish get yolked! 

Dory opts to Dive into the Purple Zone for Eggs. She gets three in total: one for the Sunny side's Porkfish, one for the Twilight's Bristlemouth and one for the very bottom. To denote this once-per-Week Bottom Bonus, she places her Diver right on the Egg Icon. The three Eggs are then placed on the Flying Fish, the Grenadier and the Goby.

Also keen on more Eggs, Chuck Dives into the Purple Zone. He gets three in total: one each for the Porky-Pine fish, the Bristlemouth and the Bottom Bonus. With the latter tapped for the Week, he covers over the Icon with his Diver. The resulting three Eggs are placed on the Grenadier, the Bristlemouth and the Goby.

Dory wants more Fish options so she splashes into the Blue Zone, getting a new Card from the Flying Fish. This Activates said poisson, so she pulls the Seadevil out of the Discard Pile. She also nets a new random Fish from the Grenadier and takes advantage of the Bottom Bonus, marking the space with the Diver as a reminder. Her Discard Pile is tapped out, so she gets another random card off the top of the deck.     

Charlie puts a Diver in the "Place a Fish" section of his board then drops the Giant Devil Ray into the Blue Twilight slot! This costs him an Egg (from the Bristlemouth), a free-swimming Young and a Great Northern Tilefish into the Discard pile! Curiously, two Young pop up on the Devil Ray as a "When Played" feature. 

Dory finds a home for her Spiny Seadevil...and no, that isn't code for something. It's placed in the Purple Midnight section for two Eggs, which are taken from the Grenadier and the Goby. When Played, she retrieves three cards from the Discard Pile, but since that's empty she just gets three new RandoFish off the top o' the Draw Deck. 

Leaning into the Week One Achievement, Charlie Dives into the Purple Zone, snagging an Egg for both the Porcupine Fish and the Bristlemouth, which gets added to the Devil Ray and the latter. NOTE: the Bottom Bonus was claimed earlier so it doesn't pop again. 

Dory takes the same action, but gets three Eggs, one each for Porky, Bristleboi and the Devil in the dark. Her Bottom Bonus was also claimed earlier, so it doesn't add in. She decks all three out with Eggs and, with that, the Week - I.E. the round - ends!

END OF WEEK SCRIPT

Week One Achievements

Charlie: 6 Eggs and 2 Young = 8 Points 

Dory: 4 Eggs and 1 Young = 5 Points

All Divers come home and the First Player Token moves to Dory! 

***

REVIEW

THE PROS

• Like Wingspan, the art by Catalina Martinez, Ana Maria Martinez Jaramillo and Mesa Schumacher here is amazing. Confession time: I actually opted for Fin over Wyrm partly because I know that Fin can be tabled easier...but I also actively despise Wyrm's art style. Now, if it had some bad-ass dragons in the style of a Larry Elmore, it would have been a completely different story. 
• This one is definitely easier and more intuitive than its older sister. Here you don't have to futz around for food or juggle secret victory conditions, plus the concept of diving from top to bottom is a helluva lot more intuitive to the average person than back-tracking from right to left in Wingspan.
• Hey, I love birbs as much as the next outdoorsy guy, but I just find the ocean and its denizens much more alien and interesting. This comes through thematically with the three different offshore distances and depths. The fish also have some cool thematic powers  - like eating smaller fish - as well as neat attributes such as "Bioluminescent" or "Venomous."
• There are three informal stages to the basic Side "A" Achievements: generating Eggs / Young, getting Fish in a row and then sending all dem Young to School. Creating efficiencies to accomplish this is fun, and if it grows stale, you can always use Side "B's" Random Achievements and bonus points for each Week's top performer.  

THE CONS

• This one doesn't have a fancy bird feeder, dice or edible-looking eggs, just some boards, cards and crappy looking Egg / Young and School Tokens. So why does it retail for around the same price as Wingspan???
• To use a water-level pun: this one's kinda...um, shallow. It plays well enough, but will it hold up after a half-dozen runs? I just feel that it needs another element or two to bring it to a high water mark. Sorry.
• If you hate silo gaming, you may wanna give this one a really wide berth. Somehow the designers managed to create a game that involves even less player interaction than Wingspan. Beyond "cozy" games and cutesy, amprophmorphic animal bullshit, a lack of player interactivity in games is swiftly becoming my biggest pet peeve.  

***

Bottom (feeder) line: Finspan is a more streamlined and evolved version of Wingspan, but it also feels like a more superficial experience. Even though I give the former a slight edge over the latter, your mileage will likely vary based on your interest in the subject matter.

As such, Finspan scores four pips out of six with a slight tilt up towards the sparking surface of the ocean overhead. 

Don't get the bends...and game on!

***

IMPORTANT RULES TO REMEMBER

• Whenever three Young are on a space, remove them and place a School.
• There's a limit of one School per space. If there are six Young in a space, one group of three becomes a School but the other three stay there as Young. Should that School be moved away, the other three immediately School together.
• If you try and move a Young through a space with two more Young, they stop moving and all three immediately School.
• A School can't move through a space with another School.
• Once Schooled together, the Young can no longer be separated. 
• Each Fish can only hold one Egg.
• The Bottom Bonus only occurs once per Week, so place the Diver right on the icon as a reminder that it can't be tapped again.
• Deepwater: Although you can play any Midnight Zone fish at the very bottom of your board, some Fish can only be placed there! 

OOP # 4: "Star Trek: The Adventure Game"

The seemingly-limitless capacity for human dishonesty has me wondering lately if we're  even worth saving as a species. In an effort to quell these dark thoughts, I've been on a huge Star Trek kick lately and - pound for pound - I like the original series the best out of all of them.

Why? Well, it's probably because I'm a horror fan and - let's face it - pretty much every single episode of the 60's show was a terrifying space nightmare. In fact, I credit "The Corbomite Maneuver" as the first piece of media to legit scare the tribbles outta me as a kid.  

I also just adore the characters. Kirk's brash, bold derring-do. Spock's poise and supreme intelligence. McCoy's curmudgeonly, glass-half-empty attitude. I love 'em all. That's why I always play that era in Star Trek: Fleet Captains. That's why I bought Star Trek Panic.  

But what if I told you that there's a Star Trek game out there with the vibe of Tales of the Arabian Nights, but you were exploring strange new worlds, seeking out new life and new civilizations and boldly going where no one has gone before?

Well, Ensign, take your seat at the helm, activate the forward viewer and help yourself a full sensor sweep of this bad boy:

Fun fact: I was today years old when I discovered that the aforementioned Tales of the Arabian Nights was first published by West End Games waaaaay back in 1985. 

"What's West End Games?" I hear you young 'uns say. Well, it was a small-scale publisher that got started in 1974 producing wargames, but then segued into sci-fi and fantasy titles, likely due to the revolutionary appearance of Dungeons & Dragons a year later. Perhaps their most notable early hit was 1977's Cosmic Encounter, designed by Bill Eberle, Jack Kittredge, Bill Norton and Peter Olotka.  

This "little-company-that-could" later hit it big in 1984 with their darkly-humorous Paranoia role-playing game, which seemed to give them the capitol to acquire some sweet IP's, such as Ghostbusters in 1986 and then Star Wars in 1987. Between the resulting Star Wars: The Role Playing Game and Decipher's Customizable Card Game in 1995, innumerable alien races, character names and assorted lore in a galaxy far, far away were canonized and codified for the first time ever.   

Even a decade on, WEG was still earning a tidy sum from Star Wars alone, thanks to the IP's huge surge in popularity circa 1997. Sadly, when they lost the rights to WOTC in 2000, that pretty much signaled the death knell for the company.

But before that, back around the mid-80's, WEG was given permission to publish three games based on Star Trek. You can see them here, as featured in the company's 1987 product catalog:

As far as I can tell, The Enterprise 4 Encounter is a pretty basic set collection game whereby players are tested by the Q-esque super-being Trelane to prove that they're the "one true Enterprise." They do this by drifting around a garish, abstract-looking game board, re-living various original series episodes via "Adventure Cards" to gather crew and face-off against each other in battle. Spoiler alert: with a BGG rating of 6.0...it doesn't look too promising.

Slightly more interesting is the three-in-one, solitaire boxed set curiously dubbed Star Trek III. "Curiously" because none of the three scenarios has anything whatsoever to do with The Search for Spock! 

In "The Sherwood Syndrome" you've gotta depose a rogue Federation agent who's set himself up as a feudal overlord in a primitive medieval society. "Free Enterprise" has you hopefully out-trading the Klingons, hoping to ingratiate yourselves to a mercantile alien race called the Glista and tempt them into joining the Federation. Out of the three scenarios, only "Kobayashi Maru", based on the no-win training scenario from The Wrath of Khan, seems to hold much interest. The set, as a whole, has a BGG rating of 6.3. 

But enough about that crap. Today I'm talking the Cadillac of the series: Star Trek: The Adventure Game. Here's the game's Starfleet Command mission statement right on the back of the box:

In Star Trek: The Adventure Game, you send forth a starship, exploring unknown planets across the immense distances of space. One player represents the mighty United Federation of Planets; the other, the powerful and mysterious Klingon Empire. Solo play is also possible.

With outright war between the two interstellar powers forbidden by the Organian Treaty, both are constantly striving to increase their prestige and size. This is done by discovering, exploring and then persuading - or forcing - new worlds to join your federation or empire.

Play is simple, but successful exploration does not come easily. Upon reaching a planet, you choose a course of action, and learn from a special booklet how the planet and its inhabitants react to you. You might conquer a new world - or you could lose a starship! 

***   

SESSION PLAY-THROUGH

STARDATE 2743.2

U.S.S. Enterprise, captained by James T. Kirk, departing Starbase Four for the closest unexplored star system in the Organian sector. Starfleet intelligence indicates that Klingon activity should be expected. However, due to the dictates of the Organian-imposed detente, open hostilities against the Klingons is strictly prohibited. 

TURN ONE

Initiative Phase

Since the Federation token is face up on the Political track, they go first.

Movement Phase

Federation: a "2" is rolled, so no Random Event. The closest system to the Enterprise is three hexes away, at co-ordinate 2018. Dilithium depletion roll: 5 + 3 = 8 + 2 (for Engineer Scotty being on board)...they are a-ok!

Klingon: Random Event: "1"...no! The Swift Victory moves four spaces to sector 2209. Their Dilithium check is 6 + 1 = 7 +2 for Engineer Kor. Everything is fine. 

Exploration Phase

The Enterprise enters orbit around Trianguli VI and detects a potent energy signal below the surface of the planet. An away team consisting of Kirk, Spock, Scotty and two Security Officers transports down to the planet. On a roll of "5", passage 578 is consulted.

A "death trap" is revealed and a Security Officer is suddenly killed by lightning! Kirk opts to try and contact the local life forms, leading to passage 571. Traversing this dangerous terrain results in another Security Officer death! Passage 570 reveals that the plants, the rocks - everything- on this planet is lethal! Two more casualties...this time Kirk and Scott are killed! WTF??? 

Spock uses his Telepathy Skill to communicate with the entity that gave life to the planet and discovers that it's completely unsympathetic to outsiders. A roll of "2" makes the planet permanently Neutral and gives the Federation a +1 bump on both the Reputation and Political Track. Spock beams back to the Enterprise and they get -2 Reputation Points for losing two Commissioned Officers! Yikes!

Meanwhile, the Swift Victory arrives at sector 2018, known as Excalbia X. A scanning roll of "6" reveals an uncharted planet with a poisonous atmosphere. In response, the ship is subjected to an alien probe and suddenly an image of the legendary Klingon warrior Kahless appears on the main viewer...and asks to come aboard! 

A roll of "3" triggers passage 783. He does come onboard and proceeds to tell the crew that every mythical Klingon of note is alive on the planet's surface, preserved by an alien race that now wants to meet them. Koloth, Korax, Valara, Varozh and two Security Officers beam down, triggering passage 787. 

They encounter a being calling itself Yornek, who offers to give them the souls of one-hundred legendary Klingons for two of the crew. Insanely, Koloth agrees, leading to 793.

When the landing party beams back to the Victory, one-hundred of Klinzhai's (Qo'noS's?) greatest warriors have indeed returned and are now on board...but two crew members have also vanished! Dice are rolled to determine the type of casualties and, with a roll of "1" and "5", one of them has to be a Commissioned Officer. Varozh is selected (-1 Reputation) as well as a Security Officer! They gain no Reputation but 3 Political points! Glorious victory!

Klingon Agent Rule - Solo Variant

I will attempt to "hide" three Klingon Agents by using nine counters, three marked "agent" and six will be decoys. I'm going to randomly place these nine counters among the eighteen Federation bases and planets as well as the Klingon ships, via the following chart:

(1) Elba III (2) Starbase Five (3) Tantalus V (4) Andoria (5) Tellar (6) Star Base Four (7) Beta Comae III (8) New Paris (9) Memory Alpha (10) Deneva (11) Earth (12) Star Base One (13) Alpha Centauri IV (14) Procyon VI (15) Vulcan (16) Starbase Three (17) Babel (18) Starbase Two (19) Klingon Ship (20) Klingon Ship

My rolls for placement are: Starbase 16 (16), Starbase Four (6), one on the Klingon Ship, the Death Rattle, one on Elba IV (1), one on New Paris (8) one on Earth (11) and one on Alpha Centauri (13). 

NOTE: after a quick review of the rules, since only one Agent is ever loose in Federation space at a time, there should be a counter assigned to every ship at least. So, the Alpha Centauri counter is shifted to the Swift Victory, the Deneva counter goes to the Hawk Swoops and the Procyon chit is relocated to the Repentance.       

The Klingons may "activate" one Agent per turn by flipping over a counter. If it's blank, nothing happens. If it's an Agent, it does its random shenanigans. 

Political Phase      

A Klingon counter sneaks onto the U.S.S. Ares from Starbase Three. It's revealed as a "Bomber!" Their sabotage roll is a "2"...the ship is destroyed! Both Chekov and Fox escape, but the vessel is obliterated and they receive -2 Reputation Points!

As per rule 12, I can't roll for a replacement ship on the same turn that one got destroyed.

TURN TWO

Initiative Phase

With a higher Political rating, the Klingons go first! 

Movement Phase

After a Random Event roll of "6" and a follow up of "34", the Klingons have made a "Diplomatic Gaffe" and a planet that neither faction controls moves towards Federation membership. Since all planets are "Permanently Neutral" right now, I rule that this trumps this effect. (NOTE: since I didn't record why all planets are supposed to be "permanently neutral", this seems to be patently incorrect.) 

The Swift Victory moves into Sector 2008, which is just two spaces away. Their Dilithium roll is "4", so they're okay.

The Federation rolls "5", so no Random Event. The U.S.S. Surak is dispatched to Starbase Three and the Enterprise warps off to sector 2015. With Dilithium rolls of "10" and "6", both ventures are fine. Chekov transfers to the U.S.S. Surak with both DiLucca and Fox onboard.

Exploration Phase

The Klingons arrive at Iotia where, two-hundred years ago, a scout ship of theirs was dispatched and promptly vanished. It did report back that there was intelligent life on the planet which was on the verge of a technological breakthrough. The Klingons have now returned to see if their society has advanced to the point of being...exploitable.

On a roll of "6", they contact Chairman Oxmyx, who agrees to meet with a landing party. Koloth, Valara, Korax and two security officers beam down. Oxmyx greets them as "Comrades" and describes the planet as "paradise" but the people seem downtrodden. After taking note of an old Earth book (Das Kapital) sitting in their host's study, the Klingons urge the Chairman to join the Empire based on its tenets. Surprisingly, Oxmyx rejects this offer of unity, claiming that they value individual courage above all else. 

Still, the Chairman is impressed by Valara's "Bravery" skill and their dedication to the Emperor. In turn, the Iotians are inspired to create their own standing army! This results in a Reputation bump of +1 and a Political jump of +2...they're now at +4. To Train the new recruits, the Klingons leave behind one Security staff. The planet defaults to Neutral and the landing party beams back up. Victory!

The Enterprise enters sector 2015 and investigates the planet Halka. It's revealed that the Halkans possess considerable reserves of Dilithium but are refusing to negotiate for fear that the Federation will use these assets for aggressive purposes. 

Spock, Sulu and McCoy beam down with three Security Officers. On a roll of "5" they're forced to beam back up due to a sudden ion storm, which results in the transporters creating duplicates of the landing party! They attempt to reverse the problem, but because there's no Engineer on the ship, it results in a Reputation reduction of -1 (Politics 0 adjustment) and the planet below is now considered Neutral.

Political Phase

The counter on the Hawk Storm is revealed...but its a fake-out!       

Replacement Phase

Destroyed ships return on a "1"...but the roll is "6." New Commissioned Officers arrive, namely Kerleth with the Communications (COM) skill on the INB-F Starbase and Banalao aboard the Surak. Thanks to his Command Skill (CMD), Eaglestar becomes Captain of that same ship. 

TURN THREE

Initiative Phase

Again, the Klingons have it!

Movement Phase

A roll of "4" means no random event. The Swift Victory moves three hexes to 1708 and the Dilithium roll of "6" means that they're a-ok.

The Federation also rolls a "4", so no Random Event. The Surak warps off to Gamma Trianguli, six hexes away (rolls an "8" for Dilithium) while the Enterprise proceeds on to sector 2013, three hexes away. The latter ship rolls a "5", so both moves succeed without incident.

Exploration Phase

The Swift Victory arrives at Ceti Alpha V and, on roll of "4", preliminary scans peg it as an uninhabitable, hellish wasteland. As the Klingons enter orbit, a voice calling itself "Sargon" comes across the communication channel, welcoming them and inviting a party to beam down. The Away Team includes Koloth, Valera, Korax and three Security men. 

In a cavern deep underground, a glowing globe calling itself "Sargon" tells the visitors that he and his two companions have been without physical bodies for thousands of years. In exchange for three Klingon bodies, they promise to share their tremendous knowledge to the Empire. 

The Klingons refuse! Valera's Telepathy saves the day as she mentally shields the Landing Party against Sargon's enraged psychic attack. The Klingons use their disruptors to blast the globes and then beam back to the ship. Their Reputation goes up +1, no Political gain and the planet is now permanently Neutral.

Meanwhile, the Enterprise enters sector 2313, encountering Camus II, a dry, barren world. Atop the planet‘s largest volcano is a massive structure. Sensors show no life signs, but a significant energy signature. Spock, McCoy and Uhura beam down with three security staff. 

On a roll of "2" they investigate the structure and find no obvious entrance. After choosing to press on, they don't find anything, but when Spock's mind meld is triggered involuntarily, a door opens in the structure. After venturing inside they discover a control room. 

Turns out the structure itself is a powerful weapon, likely designed by telepaths. Spock quickly determines that the facility is powered by the volcano itself, which has the ability to generate an impenetrable force field and project energy across vast reaches of the sector...definitely something to keep out of Klingon control! This results in a Reputation bump of +2 and a Political bump of +1 and the planet remains Neutral. They're now at -1 Reputation and the Klingon Political power drops -1 to 3.

Political Phase  

A Klingon agent is revealed on the Repentance!

Replacement Phase 

A "2" is rolled, so the U.S.S. Yamato appears at Starbase Three! 

TURN FOUR

Initiative Phase

Again with the Klingons!

Movement Phase

A roll of "2" means no Random Event. The Repentance sets course for Iotia, which is seven hexes away. She rolls a "6"...and burns out her Dilithium Crystals! The Swift Victory heads for Sector 1706 and obviously they're fine for fuel. The Repentance drops off the Agent onboard.  

The Federation rolls a "1" so no Random Event. The Surak warps over to Halka which is three hexes away (roll is "7") and drops off Commissioner DeLuca, while the Enterprise speeds off to Sector 2417, which is four hexes away (roll is "8", also okay).    

Exploration Phase

The Swift Victory arrives in sector 1706 and discovers the planet Cygnia Minor. It’s inhabited by goat-hooved humanoids with a primitive culture. Despite this, preliminary scans clearly indicate a major city at the confluence of two rivers. The city is dominated by giant step pyramids. A landing party, consisting of Korax, Valara, Kor and three security guards, is assembled to investigate. 

On a roll of "1" they arrive in a busy market. The Klingons then attempted to set themselves up as gods, using their superior tech to their advantage. Unfortunately, they've misjudged the locals, and it turns out that their mental and biological science is way beyond that of the interlopers. Using Korax‘s Treachery skill, they beamed into the temple to pose as gods but were quickly captured and imprisoned. 

In spite of this, they managed to convince the priest to accept the promise of advanced weapons to gain control of the entire planet in exchange for improved telepathy training. This results in a Reputation and Political improvement of +2 and the planet becomes "Klingon Inclined." They are also forced to endure three casualties, which they take as Security guards.

The Enterprise enters sector 2417, encountering Tycho IV. Scans of the planet's atmosphere indicate trace amounts of Di-Kironium, a gas only thought to exist in the lab. Spock, McCoy, Uhura and three guards beam down and, on a roll of "3", they materialize in a barren spot. 

A strange honey-like smell in the air triggers a memory for the away team. Years ago, there was a report about the same smell appearing in conjunction with attacks on Federation personnel by some strange creature that fled into space. Alerted to a scream, the landing party rushes back to the beam down point and discovers a dying Security guard, his body drained of red blood cells. Before expiring, he warns the rest of the team that phaser fire is useless against the creature. 

Spock proposes trapping the entity using an antimatter bomb. After beaming down a supply of plasma, the creature appeared unexpectedly and consumed the bait before they could arm the weapon. Spock volunteers himself but, devoid of the Bravery or Charisma skills, Spock panics (!!!) and the bomb fails to trigger on time. This results is a -1 loss in both Reputation and Political clout. The planet is considered permanently Neutral, and - even worse - Spock is killed! Sulu is now in command!   

Political Phase

The Klingons reveal if there is an Agent on the Swift Victory, but the counter is blank! The Agent on Iotia rolls a "1", which makes the planet "Klingon Inclined." DiLucca tries to influence Halka to move towards the Federation, but a roll of "4" produces no effect.

Replacement Phase

Rodriguez enters the game for the Federation with the Telepathy ability at Starbase Five, commanding the Beijing.       

TURN FIVE

Initiative Phase

Still dem pesky Klingons. 

Movement Phase

The Klingons roll a "6", triggering Random Event # 64. The Repentance experiences "Subspace Interference" and is frozen in place. The Swift Victory makes a beeline towards INR-B, which is seven hexes away. Rolls 3 + 2 + 2 (Engineer on board) = 7. Ties on Dilithium rolls are always successful! NOTE: ships still complete their journey before the Dilithium Crystals burn out.

The Federation rolls a "5", so no Random Event. The Surak sets course for Tycho IV to rendezvous with the Enterprise, four hexes away. The Dilithium roll is 6 + 1 = 7...so everything is fine. 

Exploration Phase 

Neither faction explores.

Political Phase    

The Klingons reveal that there is an Agent on the Death Rattle! The Agent on Iotia tries to influence that planet but fails the roll. DiLucca on Holka rolls a "2", so the planet becomes Federation-inclined. 

Replacement Phase

The Klingons replace five (!) security officers for a Reputation Point.

TURN SIX

Initiative Phase

The Klingons still have it!

Movement Phase 

On a roll of "6", the Klingons trigger Random Event 26...a "Natural Disaster"! The Federation selects Cygnia Minor as the target system. If the Klingons can get a ship there before Turn Nine, they'll get a +1 Political boost! The Swift Victory delves into nearby Sector 1512 and the Repentance begins to limp to Cygnia. 

On a roll of "3", the Federation avoids a Random Event. Chekov and Banalao join the crew, with Eaglestar second in command under Sulu. With that, the Enterprise warps out to sector 2421, rolling a "2" + 2 (Banalao has Engineering). This equals the four required movement, so the Dilithium holds up! The Surak tags along, rolling a "4"! Again, ties are fine...barely, but fine. 

Exploration Phase 

The Swift Victory arrives in sector 1512, approaching Cygnet XIV. The last contact here reported that the planet - in self-imposed exile - was a matriarchal society where males are essentially designated as slaves. 

On a roll of "2", the Klingons are approached by a sub-light drive ship under the command of a Captain Mara. She asks to come aboard, so Koloth took Valara and Korax to the transporter room meet her. Mara beams over in the company of three other female guards. 

The Klingons immediately try to persuade them to join the Empire. Initially Mara flatly refused, not wanting anything to do with the Emperor's "male dominated" society, but Korax skillfully interjected, convincing the Captain that no major social changes would be asked of her planet. So impassioned was his argument that Mara agreed to go back and urge her Matriarch to join the Empire. This resulted in a +1 point Reputation bump and +2 point Political bump..and now Cygnet XIV is Klingon Inclined!

Both the Federation and the Klingons have staked a claim on Sherman's Planet and the Organians plan to grant full control to whichever faction develops their settlement the quickest. The Enterprise and the Surak enter orbit around the planet, keen on helping their colonists.

Unfortunately, on a roll of "5", the settlers have inadvertently built their settlement on the migration route of a local creature called the hoxet. Preliminary surveys of the planet should have revealed this! 

McCoy, Chekov, Eaglestar and three security guards beam down to the surface in an effort to determine why this was overlooked. Unfortunately, because no member of the landing party has "Logic" or "Intimidation", they can't puzzle out why the report was inaccurate. Because of our failing colony, the Organians grant ownership of the planet to the Klingons! This levies a -2 Reputation to the UFP and Sherman's Planet becomes a Klingon Satellite!    

Political Phase

DiLucca continues to sweet talk the Halkatians...but fails again with a "5." 

With so much compelling evidence of awesomeness to point to, the Klingon Agent on Halka rolls a "1" and the planet immediately becomes a Klingon Satellite! 

Also, the ambitious Agent on the Death Rattle rolls a "3", inspiring an assassination attempt on the Captain! The roll itself is a "2"...it succeeds and the Agent murders Gella and assumes command! In a more positive turn of events, since the Klingons brought both Iotia and Sherman's Planet into the fold, they get +2 Political Points since one planet is classified as "C" and the other is classified as a "D." They've already capped the Political Track out at "9"!!!

Replacement Phase

The Klingons bring Gamrel in on the INB-F with the Science Skill. 

TURN SEVEN

Initiative Phase 

The Klingons have the Initiative. D'uh.   

Movement Phase

With a roll of "6", the Klingons trigger yet another Random Event, this time it's #51. 

The Swift Victory's sensors suddenly snap on as an asteroid enters sector 1512. The asteroid displays unusual readings and a closer inspection indicates that it has a hollow core with a breathable atmosphere inside. It’s a ship, a mini-world designed to crawl through space until it reaches its destination generations from now. However, it's soon discovered that the craft is off course and, unless the Klingons interfere, it will collide with a populated planet, killing billions. As such, Kor, Korax, and Zhukov immediately beam over with three security personnel.

The culture aboard the asteroid is absolutely static. They are ruled by a woman named Nera, who seems to take orders from "the Oracle", whom the Klingons immediately suspect is some sort of super computer, designed to keep the people on course. The passengers don’t believe that they're in a ship and refuse to listen to warnings. Each is implanted with a pain device designed to ensure compliance. 

The boarding party attempts to break into the Oracle and try to alter the asteroid's course, but they get sealed up inside and and the walls begin to radiate heat. With his Science skill, Korax noticed writing on the walls which he translated to reveal a hidden door behind the control room. They eventually returned the asteroid vessel to its proper course and then beamed out, scoring yet another +2 Reputation and Political boost!         

The Federation rolls a "5", so no Random Event. The Enterprise speeds off to sector 2524 and the Surak follows. The ships roll "9" and "7" respectively for their Dilithium checks.    

Exploration Phase

The Swift Victory orbits Eminiar VII, where the crew has been ordered to negotiate a port treaty. They appear to be at war with a neighboring planet called Vendikar and initial contact with representatives have warned us to leave. We insist on beaming down, with Commander Koloth accompanied by Kor, Korax, Valera and two security officers. 

On a roll of "3" they're met with High Counselor Anon who takes their guests to a "sporting event." The Klingons spend the next hour watching teams of combatants from Eminiar and Vendikar fight it out in an arena. The Vendikars win and Anon tells us that his people must now submit to a years rule under their enemies, due to a dictates of a treaty. Since the Klingons are in planetary orbit, Anon informs them that they must also submit to this as well! 

Needless to say, this doesn't go over very well! Koloth bravely offers to fight the best team from Vendikar for a chance to rule both planets. They seem interested, but don’t believe the visitors have anything of value to wager. So, The Klingons offer to use the Swift Victory arsenal of weapons to destroy one of their planets as a show of force. This inspired both races to have a change of heart and accept his proposal! 

Valera, Koloth and Korax stay behind to fight. Two dice are rolled, adding +1 for Personal Combat, Bravery and Ruthlessness. Valara adds +1, Koloth adds +2 and Korax adds another +1. The 2d6 roll is 8 + 4 = 12 victory! Both planets are now a part of the Klingon Empire! On a casualty roll of "4", one team member dies and sadly its Valera. They do end up with a +3 Reputation improvement, a +1 Political Improvement and the planet is now a Klingon Satellite!

The two Federation ships enter geosynchronous orbit around Holberg 917, a reported source for minerals needed to create a vaccine for Rigellian fever, which has broken aboard the Enterprise. Chekov, McCoy and Eaglestar beam down with three security guards. 

On a roll of "6" they discover that the planets overlord Lajeune is only willing to give up the minerals in exchange for Dilithium Crystals! They attempt to appeal to his better nature, but he’s having none of it. Regrettably, they're forced to sacrifice their Crystals for the cure. This results in a Reputation and Political improvement of +1, but the planet is now permanently Neutral. 

Political Phase

The Klingons reveal their counter on Starbase Four...no Agent. 

With a roll of "4", once again DiLucca proves to be just as thematically useless on Halka as his in-show counterparts. The Klingons, on the other hand, get +3 Political Points when Eminiar VII gets added to the mix.

Replacement Phase.

Zhokarn appears at INB-F with the "Bravery" skill. 

TURN EIGHT

Initiative Phase

Hmmmm, I wonder who has it? 

Movement Phase

The Klingons roll a "5" so no Random Event. 

The Repentance moves two hexes towards INB-D and the Hawk Swoops moves five, rolling "6" for their Crystals. The Swift Victory warps three spaces to sector 1308 and an "11" roll is more than good enough. The Death Rattle uses five movement points to reach Cygna Minor...but they roll a "4" and burn out on Dilithium! Meanwhile, an Agent beams down! 

The Feds roll a "4" so no Random Event. The Enterprise limps to INB-S while the Surak drops off Fox.

Exploration Phase

The Klingons encounter Beta III but hold in orbit. 

Political Phase 

The Klingons reveal if there is an agent on Earth...there isn't. However, the Agent on Cygnia might be up to some shenanigans. The roll is "5"...no effect!

Things get even more messed up for the Federation when DiLucca and Fox on Holberg both roll "6's"! That means Halka is now Neutral and Holberg is now Klingon Inclined! When do these morons get their performance review??? 

TURN NINE

Initiative Phase

The Klingons have the Initiative. Whatta shocka!

Movement Phase

Once again, the Klingons roll a "6", triggering Random Event # 56: "Extraordinary Repair Effort." Since they have no destroyed bases, this is ignored. The Repentance jets off to IWB-D, the Swift Victory holds, the Death Rattle drifts two spaces towards Starbase 12 and the Hawk Swoops moves five hexes towards Iotia, rolling a "4" and nuking its Dilithium Crystals. 

A "3" means no Random Event for the Feds. The Enterprise docks at INB-S and gets a rather chilly reception from the Klingon attendents. The Surak holds in place.   

Exploration Phase

Neither faction opts to Explore.

Political Phase

The Klingons reveal the token on Elba III, no Agent! The Agent on Cyania rolls a "6"...which mean that they're caught and executed! The Klingons suffer a -1 Reputation penalty and the planet becomes Neutral. 

Those two bureaucratic ass clowns, Beavis and Butthead (I.E. DiLucca and Fox) roll "5" and "4" respectively, so - once again - there's no Political movement there at all.

TURN TEN   

Initiative Phase

Who has it? Take a wild guess...

Movement Phase

The Repentance is now fully fueled! A roll of "1" means no Random Event. The Hawk Swoops glides two spaces on impulse power towards Organia! The Swift Victory holds and the Death Rattle docks at Starbase 12. 

The Enterprise is also re-fueled now, but, since the Klingons are taking their sweet time doing this, she can't move yet! A Random Event roll of "5" does nothing. The Surak holds in place.     

Exploration Phase

Neither side explores.

Political Phase

The Klingons flip a token, revealing that there's no Agent on New Paris. To absolutely no-one's surprise, both DiLucca and Fox roll "5's" so, once again, there is zero diplomatic progress on both Holka and Holberg. 

With the tenth turn completed, the Klingons declare a landslide victory: +9 on the Political Track and +8 on the Reputation Track. The lowly Federation has a shameful -2 for Reputation!

*** 

REVIEW

The Good

• The game's rules are surprisingly comprehensive, well-written, and not nearly as voluminous as one might expect. In fact, here's a pretty concise summary of the game's primary rules provided by Jan Horinek (a.k.a. yeeshkul) on Board Game Geek. 
• Forty planets, fifty-six unexpected events and one-hundred-and-twenty scenarios are all augmented by your choices as well as random dice rolls. There's a lot of branching content to explore here and, as such, the "choose-your-own-adventure" replayability dwarfs something like Above and Below.   
• The adventures feel like the original Trek, right down to the nascent motivations of the Klingons, who have an Emperor here and come from Klinzhai and not Qo'noS. Obviously their culture got fleshed out a lot during the Next Generation, mercifully moving away from being a race of Soviet Mongols (thank Kahless!) and more towards honor-bound warriors who crave battle above all else. Here the Klingons act more like the Romulans: engaging in sabotage, assassinations and subterfuge. Regardless of the faction, both players will find themselves warping their small fleet of ships all over space, aided by engineers who are doing their best to keep their unstable fuel intact. Characters with skills can transfer to different vessels. You compose landing parties, beam down to planets, meet alien races and solve dilemmas. Red shirts die in heaps. Diplomacy is a thing...at least in theory. It's olde skool Trek to its core. 

The M'eh

• Yes, a lot of the scenarios appear to be based on episodes of the show. The thing is, I'm actually re-watching the original series right now and the ambitious designers provided two other alternate story paths, likely in an effort to throw off hardcore Trekkers, I.E. the kind of people who've memorized Janice Rand's cabin number. The game still suffers from the same issues that plague Arabian Nights: even though you make what you think is a conservative decision...seconds later your ship's captain and his chief engineer have both been turned into crush-able d12's. 

The Ugly

• Between the warp-prone board and acid-trip planets, the "yellowing from age" manuals, the flimsy cardstock displays and the basic bitch wargame-era counters, this thing is (A) clearly not built to last and (B) objectively hideous. Like "Salt Vampire" uggo.

 ***

Star Trek: The Adventure Game is a fascinating relic of an era where a lot of IP offerings were a weird fusion between role-playing games and wargames. Given the recent release of the wildly-popular Tales of the Arthurian Knights, I can't see why we can't blow the dust offa this sucka, hire a graphics design team, make some mini starships and crew figs and republish it. It's a decent little Trek game, eclipsed only by my beloved Fleet Captains. (NOTE: I still haven't played Captain's Chair or Away Missions, so those two may very well be contenders for the best Trek board game ever)  

As such, Star Trek: The Adventure Game scores four pips out of six.