Skill Question

I am converting from ICON to CODA in my current Star Trek campaign and while I have figured out most of it but there is something that is throwing me, skills and specializations. Hopefully, someone can set me straight.

1) Reading NPC Skills: Let's take Kirk on page 239 of the Narrator's Guide. He has Armed Combat: Simple Weapons (Sword) +5. How do I read this? Is his base skill in all simple weapons +5 and he has a +7 with swords, or does he has a +3 in all simple weapons and a +5 with swords. Also am I correct that for all the skills provided with published characters attribute modifiers and edges have been factored in already?

2) Handling Specializations: OK if I have a character with Life Sciences +3 that is simple enough. Now the character takes a specialization of Genetics, giving the character Life Sciences (Genetics) +3(+5). If this character raises her Life Sciences to +4, I assume this also raises the specialization to +6, is this correct?

No doubt I will have more questions, for some reason while I understand the basics of the system the little stuff is throwing me. No doubt it is probably because I have been spoiled by the simplicity of LUG and d20 for too long. :D

Anyway thanks to any help clearing this up.

Specilizations in CODA are much easier than in ICON. All specilizations add a +2 to the skill test. So when you see someone with Simple Weapons (Swords) +5 it means that they have a skill of +5 and get a +2 bonus when using a sword (total bonus =+7).

THis isn't like ICON where you track the skill and specilties separately. THe skill rating is what is tracked and impoved, and the specialty is a straight +2 bonus. Ifa skill goes up from +3 to +4 the speciality is unchanged (+2) but the total modifer to use of that skill would be +6 when the specialty applies.

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Originally Posted by Kirk Johnson-Weider

1) Reading NPC Skills: Let's take Kirk on page 239 of the Narrator's Guide. He has Armed Combat: Simple Weapons (Sword) +5. How do I read this? Is his base skill in all simple weapons +5 and he has a +7 with swords, or does he has a +3 in all simple weapons and a +5 with swords.

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The former. That is his levels in the skills.

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Also am I correct that for all the skills provided with published characters attribute modifiers and edges have been factored in already?

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Nope. Attributes and Traits have not been factored in at all.

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2) Handling Specializations: OK if I have a character with Life Sciences +3 that is simple enough. Now the character takes a specialization of Genetics, giving the character Life Sciences (Genetics) +3(+5). If this character raises her Life Sciences to +4, I assume this also raises the specialization to +6, is this correct?

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Correct. Specializations always add +2 to the level (which is why they're noted in the character stats as "+3" instead of "+3 (+5)". The specialty always adds the same amount).

Thanks guys! That really clears things up and keeps me on track. I am right now running an Academy campaign in LUG and upon graduation will convert to CODA for active service, still have plenty of time to get all of these mechanics down pat. Once again thanks, no doubt I will have more questions later.

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Originally Posted by Kirk Johnson-Weider

Thanks guys! That really clears things up and keeps me on track. I am right now running an Academy campaign in LUG and upon graduation will convert to CODA for active service, still have plenty of time to get all of these mechanics down pat. Once again thanks, no doubt I will have more questions later.

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I'd advise against doing a switch right after the Academy. Either Stick with LUG, or make the switch whole the characters are still in the Academy. You see, you players have spent all this time learning the game as thier learned thier characters. Once they gradulate they will have a sort of "system shock" if things suddenly change and thier characters don't work quite the same way. It is better to do the change over during thier time at the Academmy. THis gives them time to learn the differnet game mechanics and get familar with CODA before jumping out into the final frontier. Generally it is better for the players to learn that there is no dodge skill anymore BEFORE they are getting shot at by a Cardiassian with a Disruptor!:D

Also, If you a going to switch to CODA, I strongly recommend you use time at the Academy to teach the players the CODA starship combat rules. They are very differenet from ICON, and besides, why miss out on the Kobayashi Maru?

Hmmm...that is a valid point. From the rules though LUG is clearly the easier one to handle the skill progression from the Academy, as the template system handles it better. It is a solo campaign and my player knows LUG and d20 well, so the transition shouldn't be that hard; CODA is to me clearly a LUG-d20 hybrid. But this is a good point, starship combat is more detailed in CODA and combat is different, and why wait.

Maybe what I will do is as she is completing her second year, I will convert her to Starship Officer as she is entering her branch and major and have her earn her Elite Profession (Flight Control Officer) during her last two years. I assume that would work. Alright, I will try converting her character today, I have some free time. I can't access Don's conversion guidelines, but I think I have most of it figured out. I will of course pester with any questions.

Overall, it is gnerally a good idea to leann the game system that you are going to be playing.

If you are going to conver the characters, I'd suggest stopping them before they get thier professional skills, and then dole out those 20 something points of skills during thier Academy years. So someone who has complete thier first year would get 5 points of thier professional skills.

That will help keep your playersd at around the right starting levels for CODA when the graduate (maybe an extra advacement or so if they do well at the Academy).

As for advancement that makes sense, basically an advancement every year. I will probably do an advancement every semester and just toss more challenges at the player. Plus she is interested in a lot of non-professional skills for a Flight Control Officer so that will keeps skills in check. I am also weaving her cadet cruise into the four years at the Academy so that is another justification for the additional advancements. As this is a solo campaign, I have less concerns about the character being above the curve so to speak. I am in the midst of converting the character now.

To be honest, I had ordered the CODA books on Amazon and intended to start the campaign as CODA...but needless to say that eventually we just decided to start it up in ICON instead of waiting forever. A friend finally found the books at a gaming store, so that is more of the reason we are finally converting.

Speaking of which, I have the Players Guide, Narrators Guide, and Starfleet Ops Manual, plus all of LUG's Star Trek line, so my question is whether Decipher's Aliens and Starships are worth it? I am using Spacedock now and can't imagine Starships having anymore detail or depth, plus I am running the campaign at the end of the 23rd Century so have more ships than I could ever use. Aliens I think could be useful to give me more examples for converting some of my old ICON races. Any thoughts on this?

I love the Starships sourcebook. But if you're running Spacedock anyway, it would be most likely only one more stylish book in your collection. I do own all LUG stuff as well (or at least nearly all) but wanted to have Starships, as I'm a Starship ( and for what it's worth a boxed set) geek :D

Starships and aliens are probably my two favourite suplements ! :D

Starships doesn't add any more complexity, it just adds more options, especially in the aliens department (I.e. details Klingon weapons systems and Romulan shields, Borg cutting beams etc.. rather than just substitute it with a similar, generic, Federation system) It also has a tonne of ships from the show detailed, within the Coda rules. it is a completelly different product to something like 'Spacedock' as it is a FAR more simplified system. Spacedock is an excelent product for accuracy, but Coda plays faster and you don't need to keep track of SO many technical doodats to play. Starships also adds maneuvers and merits too. You DO NOT need it to run Starship combat, it is simply an expanded suplement to the material in the Narators Guide.

Likewise Aliens is basically exactly what you would assume it is! It is a book filled with alien templates (like the ones in the Players Guide) Only greatly expanded, with sample characters and a little history of each of the species. All of the information within, much like Starships is nothing a patient GM with a little imagination couldn't design on their own.. it's just this takes the effort out of it!

Likewise I also suggest you download the fan suplement ESO http://rpg.lionelkw.com/trek/eso.htm which is an expansion of Starships rules, incuding Station building rules! :D

That supplement is great, I think I probably will cave and get Starships, a simpler and more integrated system may be better for my players to grasp. Aliens will be an acquisition as well, that is when I can find them. :)

Anyway thanks again, tonight I will launch into the CODA system, just have to convert my study abroad adventure from ICON to CODA. Have finished the conversion, definitely more art than science, but all looks good.

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Originally Posted by Kirk Johnson-Weider

That supplement is great, I think I probably will cave and get Starships, a simpler and more integrated system may be better for my players to grasp. Aliens will be an acquisition as well, that is when I can find them. :)

Anyway thanks again, tonight I will launch into the CODA system, just have to convert my study abroad adventure from ICON to CODA. Have finished the conversion, definitely more art than science, but all looks good.

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I'd suggest taking your time with the transition. Don't rush yourself. Probably do it at ther end of a year or some such. I'd also advise against the 1 advacement per semester, as this make make your characters quite a bit more advanced that they should be when the graduate. THat is, unless you think the typical adcademy graduate has more advancements than, say, McCoy.

Yeah, but its a solo campaign so balance and the like really isn't much of an issue, plus for some reason more happens to the character than happened to McCoy during his Academy time. We are right now at the end of a semester and right before the character leaves for study abroad so it is a good point for transition. Right now the campaign is heavier in roleplaying so easier to ease the mechanics into the game.