So do you guys think you could run a "standard" ST game set aboard a runabout?.........................Discuss!!
Printable View
So do you guys think you could run a "standard" ST game set aboard a runabout?.........................Discuss!!
It would work, but it would bar all long range exploration, gearing the campaign more towards covert ops, or short range missions... Like diplomacy, or a JAG-like campaign.
Personally, I wouldn't do it - there's nothing on a runabout that cannot be accomplished on a rather small starship, and that limits the narrative freedom, but that's just me :)
I considered a mini-campaign set aboard a runabout at one point.
It was going to be set during the Dominion War when starships and personnel were in short supply yet Starfleet wanted a certain region of space investigated but with limited exposure. There had been indications that a number of planets were inhabited by cultures not yet warp-capable but with powerful sensor technology at their disposal.
SFI also believed a number of less-than-friendly powers were either attempting to or had established influence in the region. The players mission would have been to scout the region and determine the actual state of affairs within it.
Unfortunately, the three players I had been designing it for had a major falling out and I shelved it.
Regards,
CKV.
A Campaign aboard a runabout?
Sounds to me a bit to small a ship for a long lasting campaign.
A runabout as a home for more than two people would be more than a bit cramped.
Epic battles won't be an option for a campaign like this.
For a miniseries it would be a real challenge, probably if the crew is forced to make do with only an runabout.
If the Players ship is destroyed and they can escape aboard a runabout it could be an exciting game.
Evading whatever enemy lurks outside, faced with serious shortages (...we only have one photontorpedo left), the thought is apealing to me.
But a long lasting campaign?
I don't think so :p
To even have a chance for it to work as a campaign, the PC's runabout would need to return to some type of station/port to restock and evaluate the results of their latest missions.
This is not necessarily a bad thing as it gives the characters a change of scenery and you can set a few scenarios aboard this station, after all not all problems are solved by the senior staff. Unfortunately, unless your players are focused on a select set of mission types, this could get stale after a time.
I think it could be done but it would require a fair amount of work including a deep understanding of what drives your players' interests in the Trek Universe.
Regards,
CKV.
Yup... :) My Star Trek: Relic campaign has been set on a runabout for the past 5 years, first on the Thames and later on the Lena.
there's nothing on a runabout that cannot be accomplished on a rather small starship,
Huh? I'm afraid a can't really make heads or tails of this statement - a runabout is a small starship.
The main reasons to run a campaign on a runabout are A) the entire crew can be made up of PCs - no expendable ensigns or security personnel and B) control of resources - the GM can make sure they have the specific tools they need to do the job, but can make sure they have to work for their success. It's all too easy in a campaign set on, say, a Galaxy class ship to pull all sorts of equipment out of thin air and to throw huge numbers of personnel at a problem. On a small ship like a runabout you also don't have the ship's captain problem so commonly complained about - with a crew of only 4, every character can easily (and indeed must) be involved in all aspects of the adventure. Far from being restrictive on the GM, it's makes it much easier to create a situation which challenges the characters without it having to be an galaxy shattering event every session.
Hmm, I think I have found an excellent alternative to the Danube. I was looking at the deck plans for the Tavares class on owens site and the thing looks alot like a Type 6 shuttle. Very NG feel. So with some minor deck plan tweaking to include a sickbay and some labs.....voila a federation far scout. With a crew of 4-8 it is perfect. It can land, has shuttles and has enough "room" inside so people arn't running each other over. I might also convert the shuttle maintenance bay to a astrometrics lab. Now to use my feeble skills to redo the deck plans :) Unless Owen has more spare time on his hands then I think he has lol
Owen, I meant that IMHO, there are things you can accomplish with a small staship (Nova, even Intrepid) that you cannot do with a Danube; but what you can do with a Danube, you can do with a Nova. YMMV of course :)
Well an extended campaign might be unrealistic, because basically this runabout HAS to be close to a mothership/base because of several basic reasons... It has a much more limited speed storage capacity and defence than most ships and it's operational range, realistically is not huge. In a first contact situation, like the one Captain Vaughn described, the players would be woefully underprepared if the natives got wise to them.. one ship, even in a pre-warp-capable context becomes a scary problem if they are discovered.. a handful of nukes would not bother an intrepid class ship, or even a Nova.. but a Runabout??
It could make for a good couple of extended adventures (multipart) for the reasons Owen listed, if only for the low-crew=empowerment and the lack of thousands of nameless NPC's to solve your problems for you.. It would also be a good set of adventures for those looking to gain command.. a plucky young lieutenant taking on a small mission to impress Fleet command. You could well be attatched to a larger facility, in a sector like the Bajor sector (with lots to see and do) or the Rigel sector (true Rigel, as in FASA, with 4 star systems in close proximity and over 10 m Class worlds, and orion pirates hiding in every corner) Or maybe just one of the core worlds, exploring an unusual anomaly or running a scientific study.. There are a dozen reasons to have such a mission, but having it week in week out without support would be very hard to explain week in week out! :)
Exactly Tobian, if they get discovered things are going to get nasty.
In a campaign, they'd eventually have to return to a base for various reasons but you can still manage to always find some reason to explain why the characters are the only ones available to do that mission that week.
Even the mini-campaign I had in the works would have them return to a base eventually just for a change of pace.
Though my own preferences tend toward saving the "Big" ships for campaigns and the smaller ones for my mini-campaigns but even my TNG/DS9 era campaigns tend to be heavily influenced by the feel of TOS. I prefer a game where the players use their characters rather than fall back on letting the tech solve things. Fortunately, most of the players I have had tend to prefer doing it on their own so to speak.
While a runabout without support might be a bit hard to push in some cases, it would not be that difficult to come up with reasons why this crew is out here doing what needs to be done with whatever they've been assigned for the task. It's all in how you swing it and the Dominion War can make a great vehicle for such things.
Regards,
CKV.
Actually a Danube without support could be quite interesting. Picture the characters stuck in the middle of nowhere with just a runabout. Could be from a wormhole, the characters' ship being destoryed - lots of reasons. The characters now are on their own and with minimal resources. Lots of opportunities for tough decisions, quick-thinking, and long-term planning.
There certainly is that Dan. Take away the tech and it forces a number of hard choices.
In some ways I am doing that with the three or four episode mini-campaign I am currently setting up. While I had the idea some time ago, the series "Lost" has since helped me refine it.
The PCs' ship is going to get badly damaged during a fight with various Dominion Forces. The CO orders the ship's recorder to be ejected believing their end is near and the battle lost. In one last desperate maneuver, the ship tries to go to warp but ends up due to the battle damage and incoming fire causing an anomalous occurrance which flings the ship many light-years distance, completely out of control in a wormhole-like imbalance. When they exit, unable to regain control of the tumbling vessel it crashes on a planet in the system the ship found itself ejected into.
The ship is pretty well-destroyed, very little salvage with only a few dozen survivors. The PCs being the most senior officers still fit for duty must organize the others in an attempt to survive on a most inhospitable planet knowing that Starfleet likely believes they were lost in battle. Furthermore, as will be discovered, something on the planet blocks all distress beacons and the survivors are not alone.
While my scenario is a bit more extreme then what you suggested Dan, the runabout crew would be forced into doing similar things in some ways, having to find and obtain resources on a far more regular basis with less data than one would have at their fingertips on a larger starship. The crew's ideals could and should be tested as to whether they will bend or even break various regulations just for the sake of getting what they need to survive and maybe get home.
Regards,
CKV.
Well yes that is a bit more extreme, but it sounds like a thorny knot for your players to solve! :D
I assume that in the crash a Runabout survives, and the players have to repair it (maybe partially damaged) using spares salvaged from the crash site. It will be a gruesome episode, especially if the players have to rummage throught the wreckage to find the spares they need.. amongst several hundred charred shipmates!.. and of course once the fires go out.. natural scavengers could come a calling!
In this mini-campaign, not even a runabout survives. The crew will have no easy means to contact Starfleet to let them know that they yet live.
The planet itself is barely hospitable, long-term survival at least where the ship crashes is impossible as the planet's temperature is far too hot, on par or worse then The Forge on Vulcan.
So they are under time constraints to attempt to locate a far more temperate local and figure out a means to get there while also moving the injured. There are a few locations that will serve this purpose.
There is one problem though, once they get settled in and it seems like they will be able to manage for the long haul, crew start disappearing. The planet is inhabited by a species that I am still working out the details on but their core body temperature is so high that a mere touch can burn most humans. They also view these temperate locations as divine places of worship and the crew as defilers who have come to deface the "temples" for it was their gods that raised them up from nothing and it was in these cooler places that the gods lived and took their pleasures.
Presumably the PCs will eventually find a way to make peace with the natives and maybe if they catch on to the clues that will be dropped, realize that something more was going on here. In truth, a highly advanced race came to this planet, partially terraforming it so that their scientists could survive here and perform experiments toward evolving a race of sentient slaves. I'm currently leaning toward using Iconian Scientists but have not completely settled on this yet. Eventually, the experiments were considered a failure and the project was abandoned. The scientists never realizing they had indeed succeeded.
If they manage to piece the clues together they can find the labs. Each temperate locale has a lab underground in that area. With time they can possibly find a way to use the technology to alert Starfleet that they yet live.
Regardless of whether or not they learn of the labs, the Dominion eventually does learn of them and sends Jem'Hadar troops and a Vorta to secure the installations. If the crew know of the labs they may realize that the Dominion is here for the technology. If they do not, then this gives them another chance to learn of it though at first they will likely be left with the impression that the Dominion somehow learned that they had survived and sent troops to finish them off. Depending on how they work it, they might be able to capture the vessel that brought the Jem'Hadar there and finally escape or they may discover the labs and the opportunities therein. However, they will also be left with a tough choice given that they should realize the Dominion know about the installations and will likely send more troops to secure it.
Not only is there an issue of the tech falling into Dominion hand's, it is almost certain that the natives will resist them and in so doing, the Dominion will decide to kill them all just to make certain the labs are completely secure. Presuming a peaceful coexistance has been established that will include a number of friends the PCs have made among the natives.
It should make for some interesting decisions after some lengthly debating. :D
Regards,
CKV.
Well without a runabout we are heading slightly off topic, but it's an interesting diversion nontheless :D
If you intend to introduce the Dominion and Iconian technology this could create another set ot complications fot he players.. The last time, when the Dominion uncovered an Iconian portal (which may not exist on this planet but that's not neccessarily relevant) the Jem Hadar imediatelly decided to use it for themselves and relinquish their need for the Vorta and Founders.. The PC's may end up having to side with either the disident Jem hadar or a gaggle of isolated Vorta :D The site may have an inactive portal.. or advanced replicator technology, which can replicate Ketracel White.. The PC's may or may not get involved, because of course all of this can happen with or without them.. they just have to avoid the fireworks! :D
I think the Danube-class would be an excellent choice for a campaign. With the DS9 Tech. Manual as an aid we have a nice resource as to the interior of the ship, and a good understanding of its capabilities and uses.
The class is a courier, which would make for an excellent campaign setting. And with a crew of four it would make for a nice cozy game. The players would fill the roles of CO/Flight Control, OPS/Tactical, Engineer, and Science. One could forgo the Science slot and allow a second Engineer. The CO/Flight Control would, I feel, need to be an officer; while the rest of the crew could be senior enlisted. But then they could all be officers, the most senior being a lieutenant junior grade (or a lieutenant, I wouldn’t go higher than that).
Making courier runs in an assigned sector would allow all kinds of adventures. And with the different modules available (and of different sizes) it opens all kinds of possibilities. One could also have guest appearances, characters acting as payload specialists for each module they are transporting this week: Supply Officer/Specialist [enlisted] for cargo; Science Officer/Specialist for lab modules, ect.
Using the cargo module(s) the crew could be assigned a resupply mission of goods from Starbase 375 to DS9 that cannot wait for a proper freighter to take them, and be accosted by Ferengi in an outdated ship attempting to hijack the cargo. While transporting lab modules to such and such destination racked by a devastating plague they find themselves trying to prevent the limited colony population from fleeing and carrying the disease with them to other worlds (and perhaps have a hand in bringing the plague under control). Using the emergency habitat module the crew could be assigned the planting of a special forces squad on some remote Dominion/Cardassian world. Likewise they could be charged with the retrieval of such a team. With the additional living quarters module they could be tasked with the evacuation of a diplomatic team from a world suddenly gripped by civil unrest. The players could be assigned to pickup the personal module of an ambassador used as a mobile embassy and uncover one of the ambassadors staff selling information to Yridians. After retrieving a set of lab modules the crew is dispatched to a relatively close world though uninhabited, but suddenly broadcasting subspace transmissions.
And there is lots to do not centering around the modules. En route to such and such destination they get sidetracked aiding a vessel in distress. On such and such world they find themselves with some free time, and accidently stumble upon the Ferengi who attempted to hijack their cargo who was able to escape after the attempt failed. They find themselves amidst a fair sized colony trying to track down one being and bring him to justice for piracy. From an adventure I found on-line that I would love to run: the crew, waiting for a cargo module to be filled, explore the exotic downport and fall victim to a juvenile pickpocket. One member of the crew recognizes the child as one reported missing. Now the crew needs to locate the child before the local authorities, or the bounty hunter looking to collect the reward.
I think a runabout campaign would be very exciting, and I would love to run one if ever given the opportunity.
Getting back on topic, there is no reason one could not add a runabout into the scenario I mentioned though you would have to add some reason for why the runabout was unable to either leave the system or communicate with Starfleet.
Perhaps the reason is somewhat similar to the plot of Andromeda this season, the crew find themselves trapped in a system that due to the navigational hazzards surrounding the system, no one has yet to survive the attempt or so it is believed given the number that have been turned back or were witnessed dying in the attempt.
Another region that would make perfect sense to employ a runabout would be the exploration of the Badlands due to its own unique navigational hazzards.
Regards,
CKV.
Hey,
Once upon a time in the Navy, I ran an ongoing campaign based off a squadron of runabouts. I modelled the operation on the PT and MTB squadrons used by the US and British Navies during World War II.
I found this format useful for dealing with absent players, because each mission could logically have a different crew loadout. As I recall, I gave the PCs a small planetary base and a stable of 6 runabouts to cover operations (scientific, defense, and exploration) for a small stellar cluster. If something came up they coudln't conceivably handle, they'd scream for starship support while fighting a holding action with the remaining runabouts.
It was one of our better campaigns, as we were able to play even short-handed, crew resouces were manageable, and the situation and NPCs memorable. If you like, I'll see if I can dig out some of my old notes and convert them (we were playing FASA trek at the time). Drop me a line and let me know.
I am sure more then a few of us would be interested in seeing your notes. You could always throw them in the FASA section as is. *grin*Quote:
Originally Posted by selek
Regards,
CKV.
It took a little while, but I managed to find the notes. Conversion (more like resconstuction) is well underway. I should have everything ready to post by Monday.
I'm very intrigued by this idea. The runabout could be attached to a smaller Starship (Nova or Oberth) for some planetary exploration etc.
Heck who needs a Danube when you custom build another class ofd Runabout ;)
As the thread starter, I as well would be very interested.Quote:
Originally Posted by selek
I'm very intrigued by this idea. The runabout could be attached to a smaller Starship (Nova or Oberth) for some planetary exploration etc.
Runabouts are not shuttles - they're small starships, amd as such are not assigned as small craft abord othet starships, although they are occassionally transported to distant locations aboard a large ship, as shown in DS9's Emissary. Even if they were, however, they're much larger than most shuttles, and a re larger than the entire shuttlebay in a small ship like the Oberth or Nova. Hell, it won't even fit in the shuttlebay or an Intrepid...
Well for your information Owen I was implying joint missions :P
I think i know what a Runabout is and how big it is ;)
Almost everyone here has stated that the Runabout is less capable then her bigger sisters and cousins of the fleet . . . but isn't that the point. Here you have a vessel vastly more capable then a shuttle, with the posibility to alter it with it's interchangeable rear compartment. And at the same time, it's small enough that the PCs would have to do EVERYTHING for themselves, and don't pack the power just to punch through a situation, forcing them to think.
Although, because of these limitations, it would highly unwise to give them only one vessel (that is, unless you want to up the difficulty factor immensly), that doesn't mean that it couldn't be done.
I myself . . . have theorized the usage of the Danubes as everything from S-1 Support vessels, to Gunships, to "Hoppers" being able to transport two heavy squads easily in an 'amphib' role. Furthermore, unlike her larger sisters and cousins of the fleet, they can be produced inmass, thus providing a good stopgap measure for the post DW era.
Now . . . to move off subject. In my current campaign idea (since I haven't found the time, nor the group to RPG here in SD,CA) . . . the PCs would be assigned to a Composite Squadron of Peregrins (or Banzais), Talons, and Danubes inorder to mantain order and assist in the reconstruction of the newly 'freed' CU. With the right mix . . . and enough isolation the campaign episodes could be endless. They would have freedom of movement and action, as well as control from higher. They would be able to take on larger vessels with proper tactical planning, but couldn't take on a fleet. Furthemore, if shit hits the fan . . . they can always pack up and hi tail it out of Dodge.
And it appears, that I have killed yet another thread. :(
Well maybe everyone agreed with you and didn't have anything to add ? :)
Originally on DS9 the Runabouts were for EXACTLY that purpose in the absence of a fully crewed starship, and they often performed in roles of fully fledged starships - escorting ambasadors, going on survey and exploration missions and even a couple of combats, and they performed rather well at it too, their only major limitation was their small size and relativelly slow speed (In the post TNG era, where most ships seemed to move warp 9+) However since most of their mission profiles fell within a 10 lightyear radius of the station, it was never too much of a problem, with only the occasional daytrip to eart hard to explain :D
Two more ideas, more for a mini-series or the like:
1)
Due to their small size and high modularity, Danubes would be my first choice when sending Starfleet Cadets on field trips.
The four modular compartments seen on most deck plans could be outfittet like this:
-Crew Module: either "bunk style" to accomodate more students or a cabin for the supervising instructor
-Small sickbay: (one to two biobeds) just in case
-Science station: for all that trekkish technobabble stuff ;-)
-Cargo module: for equipment / consumables
et voila: The perfect little ship for extended academy field trips.
I can imagine Starfleet Academy having a small fleet of Danubes for field trips, hands-on training in small starship operations (giving a small group of students the opportunity to run a whole ship on their own), and the like.
This could also be a nice "first season", the PCs getting to know each other on an extended field trip before they graduate and get assigned to the same ship: The "cuddly" atmosphere and the lack of privacy should provide more than enough opportunities for the characters to get to know the others and their individual quirks.
-----------------------------------------
2)
During war scenarios (e.g. the dominion war), aside from the PT idea mentioned before, I could also imagine using them as couriers for sensitive messages or to reach ships/station that are cut off from the subspache comm network when the dominion begins to destroy more and more comm relays.
I agree with you there, though don't forget how small those modules are! I think one module would only be large enough to fit 2 people in a bunk configuration. The rear compartment would be better suited to having a biobed module (collapsible) installed as it's fairly large, and with enough space to accomodate everyone if needs be! I think the rear module also can have 2 stowed bunks.. so you could comfortably sleep 6 - 2 in the back, and 2 in 2 crew modules, and allow for a science module and Cargo.. more if you hot bunk! :D
I imagine shuttles of all sorts would have been used in the war, including retrofitted high warp courier shuttles, with only a pilot and spare on board, as couriers. It's fortunat in some ways most of the war was confined to a 50 lightyear zone (Earth to Bajor - ok plus a bit more) which would make such trips not TOO unbearable.. Several days in a shuttle on your own, or more, would make most people cabin sick, but then that's war for you! :D It's a nice, and sensible, feature of most Startrek ships that they take that into consideration!
Loki,
Yeah I had worked up some variant modules as well. I had included 1 as a holosuite for extended journeys or for when carrying VIP's. An actual passenger module. I bed, replicator and small desk with computer terminal. 1 bed sick-bay as you have mentioned.
I basically was looking for a vessel to use where I wouldn't have to run any npc's. Everyone would be involved and wouldn't have to worry about joe" red shirt.
My only concern is ship combat. My gaming group likes space combat, but it's hard to try to do any with the ship stats in Decipher. MY only option I think is to either increase the size of the Danube (or just stat out the runabout as I think it is onscreen) as was done for the Delta Flyer or to "narrate" the space combat and try to follow what has been shown on screen as opposed to how limited it is in the decipher system.
I've always been partial to small ships. One of my favorite is still the type S 100 ton scout/courier from Traveler.
So I still think you could run a campaign with a runabout. But at the end of the day is it still "Star TreK" ? I think so
The Runabout is fairly tough even in Decipher, relative to it's size.. It can survive multiple hits to it's shields from a capital class ship.. but there is no way to realistically have it survive much more! In any system a vehicle that size next to a Startrek sized capital ship would not last long. It's manouverability bonus is what allows it to survive, by performing evasion manouveurs. Engineers also make ships last longer too.. I have found performing Jury Rig during combat extends it by a hell of a lot.. though with Runabouts you don't have many hull points to lose before UH OH..
There is also the optional rule of ejecting the forward module as an escape pod.. at least it HAS an escape pod! :D
So I still think you could run a campaign with a runabout. But at the end of the day is it still "Star TreK" ? I think so.
I've been running a Runabout-based campaign for several years now, and my players (who've been gaming with me for most of the last 16 years) seem to think it's Star Trek.
The standard module complement the PCs use is as follows: http://www.coldnorth.com/owen/game/s...s/lena-old.htm
Of course, the answer to the question "How much damage can a Danube take?" is "You really don't want to find out first hand." They may be tough for their size, but since they're the smallest of the true starships (as opposed to warpshuttles), that's not saying a lot. They're not designed for combat. I think Ice Giant has hit the nail on the head when he compares the Runabout to the Classic Traveller 100t Type "S" Scout - a small, wonderfully versatile (from a gaming point-of-view) little ship just right for a small crew.
Hey everybody!!!!!
Sorry this took so long, but I FINALLY FINALLY FINALLY got my notes transcribed and brought up to speed. I'm submitting the campaign to the CODA Webzine, but if you want, shoot me an e-mail and I'll send you a copy.
WOOT!! Can't wait Selek!