Introduction and questions

New guy here. Wanted to introduce myself and say hello. I've been roleplaying since round about 2000. Used to play in ST simm's, but grew out of that around '04 and moved onto D&D until about '07/'08. Now with my current gaming group we play Pathfinder, Star Wars Saga Edition, Ghostbusters International, d20 Modern and a slew of others. So, game math and new systems don't frighten me, but I am confused, and I'd like a little help, if you please.

I've been attempting to create characters, so that I can help my game group make theirs, because I want to run this game. The Player's Guide seems to be all over the place. I was attempting ot create "Ensign Ricky" aka Ensign Redshirt. Are Starfleet officers an advanced class, or am I simply over thinking and missing something?

From browsing the other books, it looks like the game might be a bit clunky with the rules. I figure this might appear so because I haven't played the game yet, but it looks slightly more confusing/scattered/clunky than other systems I've used.

The game can be clunky, but it is a good system.

Starship officers are not an advanced class (profession) and they are immediately awarded the Starship Duty ability, which gives them access to the elite Starship officer professions.

There is a character generation sheet on Patrick Goodman's website that aids in putting PC's together. It brings the book together in a simple way.

http://strpg.patrickgoodman.org

As for CODA, it is a game that has a few holes in it, but if you are a GM that can think on your feet, it is easy to make fixes. I can't speak for any other system for Star Trek - only played CODA - but this system is worth the time.

If you have anymore questions, this is the place.

Got the the "Beyond the Final Frontier" link in my sig and poke around. Chargen is a little wonky; there are numerous guides there to help you out. Also, errata for the Player's Guide.

Welcome to the forum, Mr. MacGyver :)

And I second Tomcat's opinion that CODA is a system with a few holes in it, but it is the best system for Star Trek I've ever played (and I've played 3 different ones). After two years I can't imagine playing another system for Trek.

Patrick's site (Beyond the Final Frontier) is a fabulous site, with lots of material that really adds to the game.

Welcome!

I don't find the system clunky, just character generation. And as Patrick has pointed out, his site has several character generation guides.

Here's my favrit' http://strpg.patrickgoodman.org/docu...Guide-CODA.pdf

I've recently been running this again for the first time in almost two years, and I still love it. It really does simulate Trek VERY well, except in one respect: security officers are hard to kill!

Thanks for the welcome and the support!

Patrick: I downloaded several supplements and errata from BtFF. I think they will be very helpful.

As far as GM'ing, I find it almost as fun as being a player. I'm going to have to read up in the NG. I've got what I hope is a good plot that I can develop. I'll have to post it on here and work it out with your guy's help, I think you might like it.

If a table appears in the Player's Guide and also the Narrator's Guide, and it comes up in the PG errata, assume that it was going to wind up in an expanded Narrator's Guide errata. There were a lot of things going on with Decipher when I was working on errata with them, and a lot of things obviously never got finished.

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Originally Posted by K.G. Carlson

Here's my favrit' http://strpg.patrickgoodman.org/docu...Guide-CODA.pdf

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That one is gorgeous ! I've downloaded it and definitely intend to use it !! Who designed it ? Whoever put it together deserves some serious praise !

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I've recently been running this again for the first time in almost two years, and I still love it. It really does simulate Trek VERY well, except in one respect: security officers are hard to kill!

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We actually have a House Rule to solve that problem. Based on a rule from the LOTR RPG.

Yeah, that's a good one. I should tweak it to comply with the errata one of these days, but otherwise, it's very not bad.

I've got a question about the "skill picks". If my understanding is correct, then each number I place is one level in that skill? So, if I only place a 1, I only have 1 rank, and if I have a 3 in that skill, I have 3 ranks? Attempting to build characters and get used to this system, lol.

I did download the Character Builder from BtFF. Seems that I got lost again. Why is the rank/position only numbered 1-10? Do they stand for a specific rank/position?

With the official character sheet, which mine is a high resolution golden colored one, where am I to put the species skills?

Edit I: I think I figured out the language thing. If I'm not mistaken, I just mark those down in the skills area, right?

Edit II: Sorry if I sound n00b-ish, this 'level-less" system is new to me. I'm very used to d20 level based. So, this one is throwing me for a loop.

Okay, species skills and personal development skills and profesional development skills all go in the same section of skills. It's all a matter of when you get them and whether or not they're considered professional skills for purposes of advancement.

Species skills come first. They're considered professional for purposes of advancement.

Then come personal development skills from your personal development package. They're not considered professional skills (unless they duplicate a species skill, or are a professional skill from your profession's skill list).

Finally come professional development skills, from your professional development package. Obviously, these are considered professional skills for advancement.

Each pick during character generation is added to each other pick, and they're cumulative. So if you get, say, Specific World (Vulcan) +4 in Species Skills, and your Professional Development offers you Specific World +3, you'd wind up with Specific World (Vulcan) +7. The only problem then is that starting characters can only have a +6 in a skill to begin. At this point, going back to your species skills and re-allocating that extra point to, say, Religion (Vulcan) would be the way to go.

On the character sheet, though, Species Skills go in with all the rest of the skills.

Did that help?

Yup! That cleared it up. I had a hunch after re-going over the Character sheet, that that's where it would wind up, though I didn't know it was cumulative. BTW, I'm loving this levelless system. I like how it's literally up t the player ot decide how they advance and where. Pretty neat, and definitely refreshing.

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Originally Posted by Fugazi Grrl

That one is gorgeous ! I've downloaded it and definitely intend to use it !! Who designed it ? Whoever put it together deserves some serious praise !

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I don't know that, I just know I was durn glad to find it on Patrick's site. It is indeed praise-worthy, kudos to the hidden master who created it

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Originally Posted by Fugazi Grrl

We actually have a House Rule to solve that problem. Based on a rule from the LOTR RPG.

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Is that the mook rules, with # of successes to defeat instead of tracking hit points? I ported that one to my house rules too. I guess I wasn't too clear, but I meant when a player character is a security officer, they seemed surprised to be in better shape than everyone else after the combat is finished :D

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Originally Posted by K.G. Carlson

Is that the mook rules, with # of successes to defeat instead of tracking hit points? I ported that one to my house rules too. I guess I wasn't too clear, but I meant when a player character is a security officer, they seemed surprised to be in better shape than everyone else after the combat is finished :D

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Yep, that's the one we use. It works really well to handle mass-combat and boarding actions, as well as those pesky red-shirts.

And security officers are supposed to be in good shape ;)

Our captain-PC makes them pass all kinds of fitness tests (which we actually roll out), and tests on the phaser-range. Our 24th century one, anyway.

Welcome, Sparx! CODA is indeed a wonderful system. Only the character generation is a bit clunky (especially as the PG is sort of backwards in the way it lays everything out), but given time it gets easier to use/do.

I've been using that same character generation cheat sheet (the one everyone is raving about) for years, and it's the best one I've found.