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Star Trek Constitution
Era: 2245
The series I am putting together envolves the launching of the first Constitution class starship, hence the name. I think this is a great time period as you have the Klingons as enemies and alot of unexplores space. The Federation does not have the members that it has in the TNG, and the tech is a little lower allowing for solutions other than technobabble. I am revamping the look of the ship to match a cross between the look of Enterprise and TOS. I have redesigned the bridge and engineering. I am about to start the designs for the hanger deck, then sickbay, transporter room, and then maybe some different uniforms. Very little has been seen from this time period allowing alot of leeway with the look and feel of this timer period.
Well I'm running my TOS game in 2269. six months after the last episode...I'm running with the idea that this is the second star trek show on the air in the fall of '69. One of our main players is female and wanted to be Captain...sooooooo....
STAR TREK
THE NEW FRONTIER
Episode 0 : Where no woman has gone before
Stardate 25.12.2269
After the incident with Dr. Janice Lester on Camus II (3.6.2269) James T Kirk leads a petition to Star Fleet Command to rescind the rules that forbid a woman from becoming a Starship Captain. With heavy support from more egalitarian societies like the Centaurians and Vulcans, Star Fleet changes its anachronistic rules regarding gender and command.
At the time the decision is made NCC-600 the USS Crockett is docked at the Utopia Planitia Shipyards for repairs and maintenance after a successful seven-year tour of duty on the Spinward frontier. Her Captain, Commander Sajek has retired from active duty and recommended the command of his vessel to his newly promoted first officer Commander Satsumo Takeda.
Starfleet however, has other plans. In honor of its historic decision Starfleet re-christens the Crockett the USS Artemis and designates it as the first vessel open to women for command consideration.
So we've got our first season in-cast conflict. The former first officer. the unproven captain (well not REALLY unproven, but she's the first woman to actually have commission as a Captain). We have in the cast so far a vulcan engineer, lakota helmsman, axanari medical officer, japanese first officer, anglo female captain... keeping with Roddenberry's theme of promoting mult-ethnic casts...I'm using the LUG Star Trek RPG for my background pretty strictly so that's the show..err..campaign...
Era - Any
Type - Variable, not lots of exploration, though, Unless the Gm works it.
Name - The bucket
The PCs are junior officers hopefully with quirky backgrounds, or civilian missions specialists also with quirky jobs and backgrounds.
The format is this, the PCs are members of the crew of a space station or starbase that has personell issues, There are too few people spread over too many jobs.
They are often issued the USS Bucket. Imagine a Federation Answer to the BoP in STIII (I'd use a Peregrine class but there are serious discussions about how big this one is) I'd look for a ship with some legs, a crew of about a dozen people (optimally) and a cargo bay perhaps the size of a modern C-130
This ship is old, and used hard, it needs a crack engineer to keep running let alone dream of upgrades.
It's barely big enough, if an emergency cargo has to go through, the Bucket is the ship elected to carry it. If a crime needs investigation the Bucket transports the investigators, (Or it's crew must *be* the investigators)
As the PCs succeed in their tasks they'll be assigned more and more complex or sensitive tasks. Their Boss, the Station commander doesn't have enough starships and crews to cover every call. He doesn't have time to look over their shoulders. Results count. He also doesn't have enough resources for quick backup for the PCs unless the Gm feels it makes dramatic sense...
If they have a diplomacy mission you can bet it's a junior diplomat and the situation is more complex than they'd imagined.
If it's an intelligence mission it's going to start off a boring milk run and go wrong, or perhaps they are considered a better risk than a full sized ship and crew. Or maybe someone is trying to get something over without Starfleet command noticing.
If you want to convert this to an more exploratory campaign, then the success of the PCs on the Bucket brings them to be transfered to a bigger ship, or the USS Bucket is assigned to the "Enterprise" as an auxiliary ship.
the feel I'd aim for is trying to be Starfleet while on a budget and barely staying ahead of disaster. Sort of Firefly meets Star Trek.
Dwarf Trek a crew of intrepid explorers are trapped on a ship far from home trying to get back .Think Red Dwarf as seen through Trek eyes a comedy series . Crew can be small with people doing many things ship advanced with its own AI and a self maint system
I'd always had this concept knocking around in my brain but don't have a regular gaming group to try it on.Quote:
Originally posted by Perrryyy
Since Michael Barratt (aka 'Nathan) bumpted the "Adventure seeds" thread, I thought I'd bump this one.
Star Trek: Stargate
Era: Any
Type: Exploration
Location: Delta/Gamma Quadrants
Details: The Federation Science Council has recently unearthed some ancient artifacts on a planet near the Romulan/Klingon/Federation junction of space.
The characters' ship are sent to secure the gate, but due to a malfunction in the engines, they are pulled into the gate. Now they have to explore, secure the gate, and try to get home to stake their claim.. before their adversaries do!
Basically an attempt to copy Stargate or The Janus Gate (book) series, with a few adversaries thrown in.
Some other modifications I'd make: 1) The Guardian of Forever is an *advanced* Stargate created by The Ancients (who, we discover, are evolved Iconians) and 2) Apollo (from "Who Mourns For Adonais") and his Greek "god" cohorts (which would include Pelops) were actually Goa'uld (or maybe Tok'Ra). Perhaps, in the ancient past, Apollo's clan were the dominant system lords and brought the seeds of Western culture to Earth (and Magna Roma from "Bread and Circuses," and the parallel Earth from "Miri," etc.)
Okay, this is an idea a friend and I have had for a long time. I think I'm finally going to get to run it.
Star Trek: Absolution
What (I've often asked myself) does Starfleet do with "problem officers"? Simple answer: the Dirty Dozen. Starfleet Intelligence, specifically Section 31, has requisitioned a handful of hard cases and put them in harm's way. Set during DS9, specifically the Maquis era, they are assigned to infiltrate the Maquis and report any information on the Cardassian/Bajoran/Federation/Gamma Quadrant front. The crew is to operate in civilian attire, on board a "civilian" vessel: a Klingon bird-of-prey. However, it is no ordinary bird-of-prey, but the same vessel captured by Admiral James Kirk and sunk in the San Fransisco Bay. It has been refitted and refurbished and is commanded by "top men". My idea is to have them chase the Maquis for a while, but then be reassigned to the Gamma Quadrant after the destruction of the USS Odyssey. The cloaking device will serve them well on both fronts. Eventually, they will get caught up in the Dominion War and have to deal with internal command problems as well. Hopefully, my players will like it. They're all relatively new to RPGs/Star Trek, so I should be able to "exaggerate" with no problems from nitpickers. What do you think?
Star Trek: Phule's Paradise
I'll just say it's a comdey series idea bringing together Robert Asprin's Phule's Company and Star Trek.
Star Trek: SovereignQuote:
Originally posted by First of Two
This was a series I posted on another board back when "Enterprise" was just a twinkle in someone's eye.
STAR TREK: EMPIRE'S END
It's 5 years after the Dominion War.
The Romulan Empire, having used up most of its military resources during the War, and, due to its isolationism not being able to economically and politically recoup, has collapsed.
The Romulans have split into several squabbling factions, each of which is trying to gain power in its own way, including:
--- Old Imperialists
--- The Tal Shiar
--- The Unificationists
--- Petty Warlords and Pirates
The Orion Syndicate is moving in.
Various and sundry planets that were previously Romulan-subjugated worlds with servitor people, are rebelling, some seeking simply independence, some seeking to startup their own little Empires.
"Shattered Future"
I admit it: I love this. In the aftermath of Nemesis, it could be that the Star Empire fragments just in this fashion. Donatra could be the leader the Empire needs, and it was she who requested peace talks between herself and the Federation. As Preator, she lasted about a week before Anti-Federation powers took Romulus away from her. The Unificationists control scattered areas, and support Donatra when they can.
But there are a few Klingons who want a peice of this action, and Admiral Zowred is their leader. Martok has assigned a Weaponmaster (Kaa, Son of Mong) to the USS Sovereign to serve as liaison between himself and the Captain of the Sovereign (some guy named Tucker). Going along for the ride is the Unificationist Representative (Romulan Dr. Sejia) and a Deltan Counselor (LTCmdr Alia). The most decorated engineer in Starfleet, Cmdr Jake Cardigan, and First Officer Devon Shinoda round out the crew. Oh, Yah... Flight Control is provided by an Orion with a checkered past and the Ops Manager is an amnesiac Iconian... I think...
Thanks for the great idea... I'll update when we've started the game next Saturday!
Star Trek: Colonial Affairs
Era: any time from the Ent-C era forward (excluding Dominion War)
Type: part the first - exploration/survey; part the second - planet-bound
Location: wherever, depending on what type of dangers you want to bring in.
The PCs take the roles of the leaders of a colonial effort in search of a suitable planet. The UFP Colonial Admin has a large list of planets tagged as possibilities. Many of them aren't surveyed yet, and SF and CA only have so many resources, but they lend support to civilian efforts whenever possible. The PCs have gained access to a ship like a Raven-class, have whittled out a short list of planets to check out, and set off in search of a new home.
Basically, as long as it's fun, the Crew can zoom around looking at new planets, and getting into trouble, occassionally reporting back to the colonial hopefuls. Once a decision is reached, Starfleet can be brought in to transport the colonists to their new home. After that there can be plenty of adventure settling a new planet, and who knows who might drop by to harass them?
Sticking with the colonial theme...
Era: NX-era
Type: Cultural/survival
Location: Terra Nova
Terra Nova being the "Roanoke" of Earth's extra-terrestrial colonial efforts, I could see Starfleet sending the NX-2 or -3 by to look into setting up a fresh colony, and make another go of it.
Not only would the colonists need to learn survival on their new planet, there could be lots of good cultural fodder, re-introducing Earth cultures to Terra Nova.
Era: Post Romulan Civil War (2381+)
Type: Freelance
Location: All of known space.
After I finish "Shattered Future," I intend to take a break from all the "high and mighty" Starfleet stuff and just bang around space in the Wanderer. The captain just inherited the ship, and the Engineer is a 15-yr old kid, the drive hands are both thugs with ties to the Orion Syndicate, and the doctor is quite mad. Oh... and the pilot is strikingly familiar to anyone who remembers that cat Gary Seven used to hang out with. Silly, but it's meant as a break.
Action will center around trying to stay ahead of the Orions, the FCA and every other trade or economic organization out there. Oh, yeah... and Starfleet, the KDF, the Cardassians, the Bajoran Miltia and half a hundred other military groups.
I've designed a ship, the Sojourner-class light freighter Wanderer.
The Ship stats include 3D renderings of the ship.
SS Wanderer
"Boldly Going where Angels Fear to Tread"
(100 pts if you can tell me where I got the Dedication Plague Quote)
Star Trek VI
Kirk and Spock are in Spocks quarters discussing their carrers before going into battle at Khitomer.
Kirk: "You're a great one for logic. I'm a great one for boldly going where angels fear to tread."
The name isn't final. It's an idea for a real show - not a RPG campaign.
It's set in a post-voyager's-return-to-earth era. The show is all about 7 of 9 and her struggle to fit in with life on earth. She comes to earth, DOESN'T join starfleet (at least not in the first season), looks for an apartment (the pilot) -- maybe with a roommate (comic-relief), tries several job opportunities, have romantic adventures (or mishaps). A bundle of comic situations.
The co-stars are her nana (her closest living relative?), the DOCTOR - who is the regular counter-part (his battle to achieve full human rights will also be explored). Maybe she gets a pet, I don't know.
She obviously dumps Chakote - but he might return from time to time to give a "Mister Big" appearance. Other cast members from Voyager (and other shows) might pop up from time to time and receive A LOUD applause from the audience.
Further seasons can explore her career in starfleet (which she does join eventually). And for the 5th or 6th season, when ratings are low, she can have a baby.
This started as a joke after not getting enough 7 of 9 after Voyager ended. It got out of hand as you can see.
A sitcom could be a nice change to the Star Trek saga though
:p
Roy.
The real novelty in this one would be the fact that there is an audience!
Renegades
Era: Any would work, but TOS would probably be best.
Style: Exploration / Combat
Although this campaign could be played standalone, it is intended as a sequel to an exploration campaign. The PCs are on their last exploration mission, ideally flying a small craft that is about to be decommissioned, when they come across a primitive planet that is being oppressed by some outside force. (Orions, Klingons, original baddie, etc...) They need to feel sympathetic towards this culture, so push the players’ buttons. Make them badly want to help these people. Of course being in a remote sector and mindful of the Prime Directive, Starfleet Command cannot help. The crew return to Earth, and are cut new orders for different postings – they are about to be separated. But they receive a further request for aid from the planet, a messenger sent at great expense.
So what can they do? The planet needs a ship to protect it from the invaders, and the PCs must provide one. They could resign their Starfleet commissions and try and get hold of a private combat ship, or steal one from an unfriendly power. Or, they could pull off a STIII and steal their old vessel out of Spacedock. (Well, Kirk had to get the idea from somewhere…)
The campaign then revolves around getting their ship to the planet, making any necessary repairs and upgrades while finding any suitable new crew. (A good chance to replace any characters, and to break out some civilian or ‘enemy’ archetypes.) Then they must fight the enemy off, alone. Some character conflicts can be introduced – the captain is now captain only by mutual agreement, and he can’t call for a court-martial anymore.
Some interesting twists could be brought in here. Perhaps the whole mission is under the control of Starfleet Intelligence, for some unknown reason. Perhaps the Admiralty wanted to help them, but could not do so officially. (Permission refused by the Federation Council, unable to antagonize the offending powers.) This could enable the players to return to Starfleet afterward, but otherwise it would make a great ending to a long campaign. (For maximum effect, destroy the ship at the end.)
Seemed like the best place for this, but basically this is for the Decipher people:
Has it ever been considered to try and catalog all the play groups for the RPG? If it could be done, several benefits would arise.
1) By having a central database of play groups, new players interested would be able to find an established group to go to and learn the game.
2) and potentially even bigger, this would open up the possibility of being able to run a national or even international storyline. Something like a mission every six months per play group, and they can all be coalesced into a unique storyline.
example: Decipher decides to run a Romulan War campaign in the post-DS9 era. With the catalog in place, the "admiralty" (either a group of GM's or a group of the game's designers) assigns missions to each play group, which will then perform them and report the results back to the "admirals." They will then come up with the new strategy based on that, and on what it has been decided the Romulans did, whether they were actually done by play groups or not. All actions and changes of territory are posted on a website such as this one, where everyone can see it. The war continues, possibly culminating at a convention, until the "admirals" come up with a better idea for a series and decide to end it.
A bit simplistic of an explanation, but you see the possibilities. Thoughts?
I like this idea! It is similar, I guess, in nature to the "Living Campaigns" that WoTC have (Living Greyhawk, etc.).
This indeed will help build a community but I don't know how much a popular is Decipher's Star Trek RPG is. I know I love it but the forums are rather quiet and Decipher support is dodgy (their website never updates and books are delayed forever).
On the other hand -- you don't need Decipher to do this (although official support is nice) -- If you can find someone with the required web knowledge you can make a web-database/catalog on your own with any information you like in it. I am sure people will register because where else could they do it?
Eventually, with enough creative and motivated people in the community, the Living Campaigns you describe can come true.
Roy.
Definitely a good idea: need some work though and volunteers. It could become something really good. And I agree: Decipher support would be welcome but not mandatory.
ERA: Post-DS9
ORGANIZATION: Starfleet vs. Starfleet
GENRE: Espionage
FEEL: Intrigue
Found a used copy of Deep Space Nine Season 6 on DVD which contains the first Section 31 episode "Inquisition." In it, Sloan establishes that it was a provision in the Starfleet charter which authorizes Section 31. When Bashir blew the whistle on Section 31 at the end of the ep, Sisko mentions that some of the Starfleet brass was covering up Section 31's activities.
So, it means that there's corruption within regular Starfleet amongst high ranking admirals and officials. It also means that Starfleet does have the authority within itself to disband Section 31 if it so chooses.
This would be a great campaign springboard -- "White Knight" Starfleet attempts to clean up and take down "Black Ops" Section 31 Starfleet intelligence.
Not having gotten around to reading all of the above posts, please forgive if i'm repeating someone:
Era: Any
Type: Exploration, Time Travel/Alternate Realities.
Location: Theoretically Anywhere.
Details: I got this idea from a ST Book, but the title eludes me for now. The PC ship (preferably an explorer with a bit of staying power), is testing some new tecnobabble equipment (in the book it was warp boosted shields), when someone hops through the guardian of forever & changes the past. Unfortunatly this is no local change, they stopped the meteor from wiping out the dinosaurs. (You can insert what ever history altering event you want, but the further the better).
The ships & crew are protected but the new kit they are testing, but suddenly Starfleet & the Federation are gone.
From here it is totally up to the players what they do, but remember, if there's no-one on Earth (as in the book) how do you find out where history has been played with. Also, if you take away the Guardian of Forever, (as i am), then they players will have no easy way of checking history.
Another plus is you can use all the existing alien races, but slightly altered, if you prep it right, none of them will know what a terran is, & it's first contact all over again.
This is one you can play around with for as long as you want & to top it all off, when the players do fix things, (If they do), they have to remember to use their new kit, or they'll end up not remembering a thing about what happened.
(Another plus, if the 'Fix' the wrong thing, then they could end up making things even worse)
Sundowner
The book was First Frontier and the event that was disrupted was the Asteroid that hit Earth and wiped out the dinosaurs.
Ran it as an adventure for my Movie Era Crew using the Fasa system (Was a few years before Coda came out)
Era: any, but prefer Post Dominion War
Type: Starfleet Merchant Marine/Time Displacement
Believe it or not, I got the idea for this after seeing 'The Perfect Storm' a few times too many.
The story goes like this: a group of commercial fishermen on a dragger are caught in something like the perfect storm, only at its center is an energy phenomenon. The fishermen are caught in the storm, unable to escape. Their boat, severely damaged and overloaded, sinks in the eye of the storm.......
.....and as it sinks, it gets pulled into a time portal created by the storm. The portal transports them hundreds of years into the future where they end up on an island (on Earth). Eventually, they're recovered by Starfleet officers. After some period of adjustment (shock of time displacement, getting reacquainted with long-lost descendants, learning the ways of the 24th century), Starfleet offers to train them in the Merchant Marine. Having nothing else better to do, the former fishermen undergo the rigors of Starfleet Merchant Marine training.
Eventually they get their own ship, which they rename after their lost fishing boat. Their new lives take them to the farthest reaches of Federation space: new challenges, new adventures, new rewards, new dangers.
This series has lots of opportunities to deal with issues like:
first contact -- remember these are former fishermen. They'll be making contact with many Federation cultures for the first time.
business ventures -- since the crew have worked for themselves before, they'll know how to turn a potentially bad business deal into a profitable one, something the Ferengi might notice.
personal loss -- the adjustment to a new life will be easier for some of the crew than for others.
personality issues -- remember that a fishing boat crew is used to being on their own and relying on each other to work on a relatively small boat. Now they have to learn to work with several more people from different worlds on a much larger ship.
spirit of adventure -- fishermen have their own sets of adventure stories, some exaggerated, some not. They won't have to exaggerate any of their adventure stories from deep space. They may even be a bit overwhelmed, for example, the first time they encounter the Bajoran wormhole, or giant beings made of pure energy!
Just a thought.
-M_F
ERA: ANy but early Federation (Enterprise/TOS) is probably better.
TYPE: World Building.
Colony ship Omega arrives at the fourth planet from Epsilon Eridani (if it's far enough out) on the very edges of Federation Space.
Several dozen huge landing pods touch down in a 15 kilometer line and deploy their industrial equipment ready to start clearing the jungle and create a landing area for the colonist ships.
Enter the players. It's a new world with new dangers and new challenges. You don't get many Starships out this far, if any atall so it's down to you to organise the colonists and keep them safe.
Maybe this system is on the edge of a hostile or agressive alien empire who contest the ownership. Beyond that, the world can present it's own mysteries and dangers. Maybe there is an ancient race here. Or just the ruins of one with terrible secrets. Maybe the Federation want to set up a penal colony alongside the main one. There are wonderful new flora and fauna to study and dangerous ones aswell and the planet has to make itself self-sustaining on schedule aswell.
Inspired by Lalonde in Peter F Hamilton's 'Reality Dysfunction.'
Crow
My story is of a Akira class vessel in the post-Dominion War assigned to the old DMZ- Which the Cardassians have given up due to thier losses of the war.
The Captain is a veteran of the war as are many of the crew; enlisted and officers alike-Thier job is to try to repair the damage of the treaty of 2367 and to rebuild and protect the former colonies.
Their fleet-The Tweflth is based at Starbase 129 and the area of responsiblity streches from the Talarian Republic to the Alpha/Beta border with the Klingons
For anyone who's interested, i've compiled a PDF of all the posts here & on the Adventure Seeds thread.
http://forum.trek-rpg.net/showthread...659#post151659
Era: Post-VOY
Type: Adventure, mystery and ocasional diplomacy
Setting: Small ship. Special Forces HQ (from time to time) and alien planets, bases and ships for the missions
I really liked the idea presented in the Elite Force game. It gives me the chance to give a low rank crew their own ship while keeping them subordinate to a superior officer that can put them back no track easily.
The cast should comprise a medical officer, a command officer, an ops and a tactical officer, as well as a pilot/helm.
The episodes would be a mix of ST, SWAT and other action settings, with the opportunity of adding as much or as little combat and diplomacy as the players want. I especially like the chance to throw in tons of mystery plots, with a lot of conspiracy.
I'll elaborate on it soon and would apreciate if you have any ideas to add to it.
:cool:
Live long and prosper.
Title: Will of the Prophets
Era: Bajoran Occupation
Type: Military, Espionage
Not terribly original, but the PCs would play Bajorans under Cardie occupation. They could be resistance fighters, apparent collaborators, even sympathetic Cardassians. It would be a dark series, but could have a lot of great drama, and even some big guest-star possibilities depending on exact time-frame and group inclination.
Working Title: The First Years
Era: Beginning in the early stages of the Dominion War
Type: Exploration, Military, Survival, Humanitarian
A Series focusing on the adventures of a group of SF Cadets (Final Year) who are drawn into the Dominion War during its early Stages.
So far I just made up some Ideas for the first season, which will certainly require some more refurbishing:
The PC Group consists of some SF Cadets (Final Year) along with their Tutor (Ensign or Lt. jg.). At the beginning of the series they are travelling in a Danube Class Runabout, enroute to a long term field assignment onboard the USS T'Pol, an aging Oberth-Class Science Vessel. They are to meet the T'Pol at a remote supply outpost (a civilian deuterium refiney or something like that somewhere between Betazed and the Cardassian DMZ).
Upon arriving there, they learn that the T'Pol has not yet arrived, and shortly thereafter receive a distress call from it. Travelling there (perhaps accompanied by a small civil freighter who opted to help) they find the wreckage of the T'Pol. destroyed by the advancing Dominion Troops. The next Starfleet Capship is several days away and the PCs return to the supply post to warn the civilians and help in defending the station until they are finally evacuated.
While SF struggles to put up a defense perimeter against the advancing dominin fleet, the PCs are caught between the lines on a small hodgepodge fleet of SF and civilian ships trying to reach a save haven within the UFP. Along their way, they have to help in the evacuation of colonies, come to aid ships in distress etc.
In the end of season one, the fleet eventually reaches safe territories, the cadets receive field promotions to full SF Officers and are assigned to a small ship, ready for more action as season two takes them into the now ravaging war...
Overall the series would not have that full blown military campaign feeling, as SF would not sent freshmen directly to the front lines (at least not in the early stages of the war), with episodes focusing on the scientifical/medical/humanitarian aspects of the war: M*A*S*H duty, salvaging and analyzing of enemy equipment, etc.
Perhaps the later seasons would lead the SCs closer to the front line, maybe even dropping them into a "guerilla war season" at some time, as their ship crashes on a dominion occupied planet
Star Trek: Farthest Star
Era: Early TOS, late 2240’s
Type: Exploration, First Contact, Conflict
A series based along the lines of PT Boats/Traveller Type S scout fleet.
Based out of a K type station on the edge of federation space, about a dozen “Mission” class scout ships explore large areas of space outside the federation. With crews of 9 and with deck plans available from Owen’s site, it would have a very personal type style. The ships comes with 2 shuttles giving the pc’s access to alternate transportation when the ship invariable runs into a phenomenon that renders the transporter non-operational. The PC’s would be in command of one of the mission class ships and do the usual type of Star Trek Adventures. The station would be the home port and R&R facility. Missions could last up too a year, with a bit of time off at the end of each “tour”.
Commanding officer would be a lieutenant, while the other pc’s being officers and the rest of the crew enlisted. I’m aiming for a low-powered campaign, with characters building names for themselves.
STAR TREK: NEW ERA
Era: 25th C.
Style: Politics and espionage
The campaign would revolve around a rapidly changing Federation. Daystrom Institutes have cracked the android problem, and with the Data v. Starfleet decision, they have the same rights as normal sentients. The androids have been 'breeding', creating new androids that learn much like humans -- through mimesis and directed self-exploration -- or through the merging of 'mind-states', the memories and personalities of their 'parent' androids. They have become indispensible to Starfleet and increasingly do the 'heavy lifting'. Sentient starships are increasingly the norm and make the fleet more adaptive and powerful. These machine lifeforms evolve at the speed of life; new models come out in increasingly fast waves, each smarter and more life-like. Worries over biological obsolescence are ont he rise.
The Federation is expanding rapidly, at the same time. The ROmulans and Cardassians are either allies, or in the process of absorption. The Klingon Empire is fractured between the progressives, who have stuck to the alliance with the Federation, and the conservatives, who have sided with the increasingly powerful Ferengi-Orion Trade Confederation -- a free trade zone with increasingly potent technology, savvy advertisement, and a cleaned up image (the Ferengi not as drooling perverts, but as canny businessmen with some scruples...unless the profit margin is right.)
The Federation has expanded over much of the Alpha and Beta Quadrant and is constantly encountering new races,but the real challenges are in keeping the UFP together...the leisure class of the Federation, always large, is now beginning to collapse under its own ennui. Colonies are now being formed to escape the crush of bureaucracy and sloth, and are more apt to ally with the Ferengi and Orions. The core worlds are paradise, with long life and comfort the norm, but a strange trend -- suicide and a rise in extreme (read suicidal) sports is on the rise. People are literally bored to death.
Starfleet is the elite, as in all the shows. These are the people with the smarts or connections to get into the organization that more and more runs things.
Run with it...
Love it, add that you can digitise human memory and you have Richard Morgan’s Altered Carbon meets ST, (something I thought would never happen :D ) Very different tone then reg Trek up some times this type of thing is exactly what is needed. You don’t want to retread the same old ideas over and over all the time. You get points for originality.Quote:
Originally Posted by black campbellq
Of course, the 'white knights' are really tools in an inter-factional war within section 31 after the conclusion of the dominion war. Bonus points if there's a Prisoner-planet somewhere in it (Talos IV?) and a mind-ripping into an insane Vulcan's psychic dreamworld.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ezri's Toy
You could spin this into a whole Illuminated Trek campaign–the Borg and the Federation competing creations of the Old Ones (or their minions), or the Guardian of Forever giving Section 31 access to anytime, anywhere, to the Federation's benefit. Was Flint the only immortal human? What don't the Q know? What don't the Q want to know? Were Sargon's people and Exo III's Old Ones the same people? Did the demons of air and darkness really die... or did they open a gateway to somewhere else? Where is Tau Alpha III, anyway?
Series Seed Ideas…
Type: Political/Espionage/Telepathic
Era: TNG+
Location: Anywhere, but would work best if the players are reasonably mobile.
Based on an idea I had a long time ago after reading the ST Novel ‘The Patrian Transgression’ by Simon Hawke.
Spoiler for the novel…
The basic premise for the novel is Kirk and the TOS crew visit Patria, the ruling party has developed a means by which they can artificially alter the brains of certain police officers to give them fairly potent telepathy.
These police officer for the core of a thought police, (much, much worse than B5 PSI corps) they have no restrictions, and can arrest/kill based on telepathic evidence alone… ‘Thinking’ about a crime can get you killed.
Kirk & his TOS mob figure out with their usual panache what’s happening, plus the side effects, and dutifully go about altering the social order of a whole planet… Again…
Anyway… Moving on… Many years later, after a suitable amount of research has been done, someone (Just who is up to you and your plot, Section 31 is getting to be a little overused I think, they’re bad, but they’re not responsible for ‘all’ the ills of the Federation, for my plot I was going to be using a branch the Federation government itself, (something akin to Homeland Security)) someone has devised a means by which one or two species in the Federation not normally gifted with Telepathic powers can be enhanced using a similar method.
Now the Patrian method had side effects after 5 or 10 years, whether this one does is up to the GM, but the Patrian version was usually fatal unless the procedure was reversed immediately after symptoms started manifesting themselves (Blinding headaches/blackouts/temporary paralysis etc)
I was looking at modifying Humans, Trills (Host, not symbiont) and Bajorans…
This agency who have figured this out then start modifying agents to create a force of officers who are loyal, and shall we say possessed with a flexible morality.
From here is where the PC’s get involved.
My plan was to have then based on a ship or base, and for one of these agents to be assigned there. Said agent will go about their duties, but will obviously be looking for something, or just keeping an eye on key staff if this is an important ship/facility…
For instance... If this snoop was to be assigned to DS9, then they would hopefully be put in a position where they could stay close to Kira/Vaughn/Ezri/Bashir/Ro etc However, Nog, as senior staff would be a concern to them (Ferengi being hard for most Telepaths to read) and this is where your PC’s would hopefully start noticing things, somewhere there will be someone the snoop cannot read, so more conventional; snooping means will be needed and hopefully someone will pick up on it… ‘Why bug this guy’s quarters’
For a while your PC’s may wonder why pick on this guy, is s/he up to something, but after a while they might actually find out who’s doing it, and hopefully how… (This will depend on how many hints you drop, this is intended to take time during the course of other plots/investigations etc)
What happens next is up to the PC’s… Who do they tell… What do they do… How do they defend themselves against a P15 who can read them without breaking a sweat.
An interesting twist I plan to introduce one day is to let them find out ‘how’ it’s done, if they need to defend themselves (2 Humans, a Bajoran, a Trill and a Klingon) would some of them contemplate undergoing the procedure to ‘level’ the playing field.
This is intended (for me anyway) to be a long term ‘A’ plot arc, something that will basically take up one or two sessions in ten, until crunch time and then it settles down to be the main plot. Something that will be there in the background worrying them for a while.
For an added twist though, what if this new telepath group are simply trying to chase down someone like Section 31… Okay, they’re not following established procedures, and they’re breaking a ‘ton’ of rules, but do the ends justify the means?
If the players are doing the investigation, what do they decide?
Add a dollop of confusion and chaos, stir, serve & have fun.
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Type: Political
Era: Post DS9 would be most suitable I feel.
Location: Starship or Starbase
After the Dominion war certain elements within the Federation have decided that a somewhat more ‘Political’ approach to certain situations would be appreciated by many on the Federation Council. To this end a new branch of the council has been created. The Political office.
These officers travel around from ship to ship, base to base and just sit there, watching and listening, then they start talking after they’ve quietly become part of the background.
Their mandate, to make sure the current political situation in the Federation and the wishes of the Council are represented properly.
This is the sort of character that can be insinuated into just about any aspect of ship board life, questioning command decisions, annoying staff, and waving their orders like a shield when people complain, plus throwing weight around like the whole government is right behind them and will do as they wish.
Or, on the flip side, this could be someone who could be an invaluable asset, someone who could help out when political help is needed, someone who doesn’t interfere much, but makes very polite suggestions as to alternatives.
Either way it could add a political aspect to almost any situation when the character sidles up and says ‘Are you ‘really’ sure that what you want to do?’
Something with long running fun possibilities.
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Type: Any
Era: Any
Location: Starship
And another… Something for a little light hearted fun… Possibly :)
For some obscure reason someone in the upper echelons of the Fleet have granted the FNS (Federation News Service) permission to allow a reporter free access to a starship.
For anything but the most sensitive of subjects s/he is to be allowed to watch/ask questions/take pictures etc, generally, to make a nusinace of themselves.
The idea is for them to show the Federation what life is really like on a starship, what do these ‘brave’ people actually do, who are they. The reporter would be putting together a (Weekly/Monthly) package which would go out to the Federation at large (via a censor office of course, but I would suggest minimal censorship) and then everyone gets to see themselves on the FNS reports, special reports, hourly segments whatever.
I think you get the idea :)
"Task Force Campaign"
Type: Any
Era: Any
Location: Any
This campaign can be anything from exploration in the TOS era to the Dominion war. The premise is that instead of players controlling single characters on a single ship, they each control all the crew of different ships. All of the PC ships are then attached to each other in a task force or fleet.
The players would generate the commanders of their ships, and any others that they would like to be their "primary" characters. The rest of the crews will be generic, but be directly controlled by the player that commands the ship.
The characters that are used could be permanently named and noted down somewhere for future use (all characters player controlled should advance after each session, like regular PCs).
Examples:
TNG-era Beta Quadrant Exploration Squadron (7-year mission, circular route beyond Klingon space)
- One big explorer-type ship as the flagship -- you might have this ship GM-run at first. The ship is commanded by a Captain, and from here a GM-controlled Admiral runs the group.
- Two or more medium-large ships that can operate independently of the main group. Commanded by senior Commanders and junior Captains.
- Two or more medium-small ships that can operate independently of the main group for a short time (measured in few months). Commanded by senior Lieutenant Commanders and junior Commanders.
- Many small ships that can't operate independently from the group for more than a week or so. Commanded by senior Lieutenants and junior Lieutenant Commanders.
- One or more ships that are for group support -- they have the best industrial technology to replicate supplies for the rest of the group.
DS9-era Task Force (single-sector front-line theater)
- Four or more ships of more or less the same type and size, with one as the lead ship.
- One or more tenders -- for frontline resupply and repair.
Star Trek: Infinity
Type: Exploration
Era: Year 4000+
Location: Starship GSS Milky Way (NCC-12306)
Ship Class: Magellan Class Battlecruiser Refit
Series Description:
In the far future, The Federation as we know it from the various Television series is a distant memory. Stable Speeds near warp 10 have been achieved, allowing travel to other galaxies. The GSS Milky Way, one of the 4 ships of the Magellan Intragalactic Class is on a bold mission of exploration, and first contact. Meetings with alien intelligences on the level of the Q, races that can shape their own systems, construct ringworlds, dyson spheres, and harness the power of black holes are met, including many humanoid / other-oid races that were seeded among the Universe millions of years ago, and the decadent descendants of those races. Some are engaged in wars, most are peaceful, some are so far advanced as to be beyond comprehension, with the ability to alter space and time at will, making the Universe their own private holodeck, or changing, or creating parallels at will. The upshot of this is that the crew realizes despite all the advances of the past our race is the new kid on the block, and is still in its galactic infancy.
Note: I'm not sure if this could be played, because it might be too much change or lots of Phillip K. Dick style philosophy per session, but I've often thought it would be fun to make a try of it. The challenge would be to keep it from being too fast and loose with the setting itself, but I could see whole sectors changing in the blink of an eye, to fit the whims of godlike intelligences.
Qeustions: How to keep the characters from feeling powerless? No idea.
Perhaps they are given these powers, that ability to create, at a whim, anything they wish, through mere thought. Realizing, they had this power all along, in limited form, as imagination. It might work with a setup where every player is also a referee.
It asks the question, what does a Godlike being do with spare time.
This kind of concept is important to me, but I am sure I am not expressing it adequately, and would appreciate feedback.
One day, in the far future, there will be people with this kind of technology, I am certain. What will they do with it?
Perhaps this won't work for Trek, but I really enjoy sci-fi novels with this kind of setup.
That sounds very cool Indeed.Quote:
Originally Posted by Aedh Rua
Jay ~Meow!~
Star Trek: Othan Sector
Time: Post-DS9
Summary: The Othan Sector (detailed in both The Way of D'era and excerpts of the Klingon sourcebook posted on the web) is a region of space along the Romulan-Klingon frontier. with a neutral Klingon-like species (the Othans) currently in the process of being absorbed into the Romulan Star Empire, the Klingons covertly aiding the Othans, and the potential for lots of goings-on. So, therefore our intrepid players get to play the crew of a Romulan or Klingon vessel - alternately either conquering the Othans and putting down rebellion, or attempting to aid the Othan resistance without getting drawn into an interstellar incident over the matter. Gives, as with most of the ideas in this post, a chance to explore what makes these two great species 'tick'.
I.K.S. K'mpec
Time: Post-DS9
Borrowing a page from the IKS Gorkon novels, which I have recently begun to explore, this is, in many ways, a 'standard' Star Trek campaign, only played from the Klingon perspective. The Chancellor (or Qang, if you prefer) class K'mpec, one of the newest and most powerful vessels in the Klingon Empire, has been charged with exploring uncharted regions near the border of Klingon space opposite the Federation, and bringing the new worlds there under the Klingon flag - usually through military action, but occassionally diplomacy or some other method. How would Klingons react to many of the situations that faced the Enterprise during her journies?
Star Trek: Shattered Empire
Time: Immediately Post-DS9
In the aftermath of the Dominion War, the Cardassian Union lies in tatters, it's once proud fleet in ruins, around a billion of their people dead, their resources drained to the point of near-depletion.. this much is plainly obvious by the ending of the series. I've seen a number of campaigns - and a number of Trek novels and stories - focus on the Federation response to this humanitarian crisis.. but what do the Cardassians do to solve these myriad problems? The crew of one of the surviving Galor class vessels must face these problems, navigate the disaster zone the Union has become, and deal with internal politics in an ongoing attempt to restore the Cardassian Union to it's former glory.
Star Trek: Rigel's Shadow
Time: Early 24th century
The Khitomer Accords shattered the once strong bands of Orion pirates that threatened the trade lanes by freeing up Starfleet to act against them. But the Orions are, if anything, a group of survivors, and turned their crime underground, forming the Orion Syndicate as an underground criminal syndicate. But the reborn Syndicate is not without competition, not the least of which is from the Asfar Qatala, one of the most powerful criminal syndicates it's known space. The crew, formed up of a large cross-section of the galaxy's riff-raff, will eventually prove to be a key factor in dislodging the Asfar Qatala's position on top of the underworld, and allowing the Orion Syndicate to move on up... assuming they can survive the challenges a devious Director/GM can throw at them.
And last, but not least, I'd like to re-iterate an earlier suggestion that there's a reason the classics are classics, and every once in a while, setting a series on a major starship, assigned to boldly go where no-one has gone before, can be a worthwhile experience.
Read post #8 on the first page of this thread ;). Apparently, great minds think alike.Quote:
Originally Posted by TorItara
Good ideas by the way. I especially like "Rigel's Shadow", as it could allow for the oddest crew, and "Othan Sector", since it reverses the traditional roles of Klingons and Romulans, with Klingons covertly helping rebellion while the Romulans are the invaders.
The opportunity for a mixed Othan/Klingon group might give a cool opportunity to examine all the ways in which Klingon society is totally fucked up, too...Quote:
Originally Posted by C5