Klingon Campaign Help

Hey all!

Although I've lapsed in my posting, I HAVE been poking my head in a bit now and then, and now I have a question that can only be resolved on these boards.

My players and I are beginning a Klingon campaign set just after ST6: The Undiscovered Country. Our gallant crew is serving on a Bird of Prey and dealing with the chaos caused by the loss of Praxis and the repurcussions through the Empire.
I've read everything Klingon I can get my hands on, and one thing that seems to have slipped through the cracks (the ones in my mind), is the agonizer.
It showed up in the TOS Mirror, Mirror episode, and was later recycled for the TOS Klingons only to disappear.
My problem lies in how to reconcile such a device into the crew discipline on a standard Bird of Prey, and how to reconcile it to Klingon honor. I personally think such a device is somewhat less-than-honorable.
I am inclined to think of it as something left to the Captain's discretion, and used (if at all) for minor transgressions of duty- something that wouldn't warrant a court-martial or summary execution.
Also, I don't know how it would fit into the Klingon honor system, except that the Klingons use pain for ritual and ceremonial purposes (such as bachelor parties and rites of passage).
Perhaps the agonizer could be considered a form of penance (cleansing one's honor through suffering)?
Any thoughts, tips, hints, or otherwise evil suggestions will be cheerfully considered and inflicted upon my helpless victims:D

The only way I can see to fit the agoniser into the post-movie-era Klingon ethos is for it to be, as you speculate, a form of ritual cleansing. By willingly accepting pain without flinching, a warrior could regain honour - to a degree. The circuitry of the agoniser (both the hand-held and booth types) is likely very similar to that used in the painsticks.

Note that the agoniser booth is also used as an interrogation device. When so used it is called a "mind sifter." See the TOS episode Errand of Mercy.

At the Time of ST6: TUC there was a rather large dust up between the Komerex Klingons (TOS non ridgeheads) and the klingons we're more familiar with. The Komerex were largely ruthless and every shade as dishonorable as TOS showed them.
The ridgeheads finally got annoyed enough to stomp the Komerex into the pavement after watching them whitle away Klingon honor and send thier sons to needlessly die for no real gain that was detectable.
A book that deals with this question was "In the name of Honor" by Dayton Ward

I just can't see the klingons using an agoniser. Generally when Klingons have a personal grudge with someone, they hit him with a klife (or a Bat'leth if you really pissed him off!).

Generally if your captain does something dishonourable, or fails terribly then it wouldbe the right of the first officer to challenge him and take his place and or kill him outright. I can't see many klingons volunteering to serve on a ship where that right is taken away. Loyalty to their captain is their primary motivator. The whole thing seems to hang on the whole 'personal glory' and warrior culture - I doubt they have a conscripted army - it's just that so many of them want to serve!

I think I would rather just stay away from the ridge/non ridge thing altogether - it's all just too icky!

I was setting up a campaign in just this era a while back (before my players said "No!" to anything Trek). My notion was that the transition was neither as swift nor as smooth as everyone wanted, that there were many Klingons who still wanted the old ways and that there were also some just willing to carve out their own little fiefs while the Empire was in Chaos.

To follow along that same notion, the Klingons in my campaign would have one foot in the "New" (Worf, Gowron, et al) camp and one foot in the "Old" (TOS/movies) school. As such, agonizers would still be around, although probably not used as often and only by those holding to the vision of Klingons a la TOS. Batleth would be coming around, but many preferred the disruptors and knives.

My vision was that the Empire of TOS was essentially an extended hiccup -- the Klingons had been much like they were presented in TNG/DS9 before, but that certain generals and politicians had moved thing closer to the John Ford (The Final Reflection) view of Klingon society for a couple hundred years; now, in the post-STVI universe, the Klingons would be slowly attempting to reclaim old traditions.

As to the Ridges/Non-Ridges, well, I had an idea, but I'll leave that aside ;)

Oh, BTW, you are allowed to ask this question in the Narrators' Ready Room. No need to resort to General Chat. :)

But is General Chat the kind of Klingon who would use agonizers or not?

Thanks for all the input, I really appreciate it.

Owen, I had intended to submit this in the Narrator's Room, but blew it. Temporary mental abberration brought on by overwork and insufficient alcohol;) .

I've suffered a severe blow, however, that will likely postpone the campaign for several weeks if not months.

My gaming bag (including all of my books, CD's and meds) suddenly grew legs and disappeared. :rolleyes: Back to Square One.

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Originally posted by Cochrane
But is General Chat the kind of Klingon who would use agonizers or not?

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I don't know Chat personally, so I couldn't say.

Maybe board resident General Chang would know?

;) :D

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Originally posted by Ramage

My vision was that the Empire of TOS was essentially an extended hiccup -- the Klingons had been much like they were presented in TNG/DS9 before, but that certain generals and politicians had moved thing closer to the John Ford (The Final Reflection) view of Klingon society for a couple hundred years; now, in the post-STVI universe, the Klingons would be slowly attempting to reclaim old traditions.

As to the Ridges/Non-Ridges, well, I had an idea, but I'll leave that aside ;)

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That's pretty much my take on things too. And what we've seen in Enterprise doesn't contradict it, IMHO. If anything, it supports it.

I have an idea about the ridges too, I wonder if we're thinking along the same lines?

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Originally posted by selek
I've suffered a severe blow, however, that will likely postpone the campaign for several weeks if not months.

My gaming bag (including all of my books, CD's and meds) suddenly grew legs and disappeared. :rolleyes: Back to Square One.

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I know the feeling all too well. I was planning to run a GURPS Cyberpunk one-shot at a local convention this summer, and my backpack got swiped from behind the gaming area desk. In it were my dicebag (hand-made by a friend & containing dice I'd had since 1979), numerous sourcebooks relating to the subject (Modern Firepower, High Tech, UltraTech 2, etc...), non-specific GURPS books that you shouldn't run a convention game without (Basic, Compendium 1, many copies of GURPS Lite), most of the card games & Frag! I was demoing that weekend, and the notebook that had all the info on the Cyberpunk campaign that I was starting soon. Also gone was my calculator, my 64 meg thumb-drive, and a random assortment or cartridges still in there from my last trip to the range. :eek: :mad: