Shaman and vision quests in Star Trek

A question to all you Decipher ST players, from a new GM in this system. I have run ST under FASA years ago, but this is a new game starting up under Decipher.

In the upcoming first scenario, sorry, episode, one of the players wants to play a Native American spirit walker similar to Chakotay. She's a very, um, intense, role-player and probably expects her time on the 'spirit plane' to be a worthwhile experience.

Does anyone have any ideas or advice on how I should handle the character and its vision quests. The group will be civilians, by the way.

How do you run a situation that can reveal the characters' inner truths to themselves? Should it just be a hallucination? Psionic? Should I give the player plot coupons? What good is it for the character and the game other than character colour or character background? I don't want to just say it's not relevant, and just throw it away, yet don't want the character to be a walking tricorder!

Descriptions of vision quests is one thing, but how relevant is it to the game?

Any ideas?

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Originally Posted by trynda1701

A question to all you Decipher ST players, from a new GM in this system. I have run ST under FASA years ago, but this is a new game starting up under Decipher.

In the upcoming first scenario, sorry, episode, one of the players wants to play a Native American spirit walker similar to Chakotay. She's a very, um, intense, role-player and probably expects her time on the 'spirit plane' to be a worthwhile experience.

Does anyone have any ideas or advice on how I should handle the character and its vision quests. The group will be civilians, by the way.

How do you run a situation that can reveal the characters' inner truths to themselves? Should it just be a hallucination? Psionic? Should I give the player plot coupons? What good is it for the character and the game other than character colour or character background? I don't want to just say it's not relevant, and just throw it away, yet don't want the character to be a walking tricorder!

Descriptions of vision quests is one thing, but how relevant is it to the game?

Any ideas?

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Some suggestions-

1) Turn the scenes into a role playing experience. Let the PC interact with other characters. If you can, try to get the other players to play some of the characters in the quest. THat way they don't sit around bored while she is playing.

2) Treat the quests as puzzles. You can make the relevant in some way, perhaps some sort of new insight or understanding cand be provided, IF the PC can figure out the clues. THe key is to make it something that the player has to work out. Most vision quest type stores on Trek and in other shows and movies don't just had out the solution to a problem, but show the quester things that they have to work out for themselves. For example, rather than letting the PC roll dice and be told "Trust the Romulan!", the quest could involve scnes involving trust, and how strangers ca at times be trusted.

3) Don't let the vision quests overshadow the main story. After you are confortable with it, you can one day do an adventure where it could be the main plot, or unlock a key clue that solves the main plot, but for now start small and build up.

4) Read up a little on native American beliefs and folklore. It will probably give you some ideas of what you can do.

What Tony said, with bells on.

I don't have anything to really add to that, but I do want to congratulate you on finding a player that willing to get into things. It's a stunning rarity to find that. Treasure it...and find a way to get me involved. I think I'd love to play in a group with someone like that.

And she's female, too.

Both rare in this hobby.

Are there actually female users of these boards (still) here? ;)

If she expects you to do all the work, however, that may be a bit much. One thing I have always required of my players is that they bear the majority of the research / creative load should they want to play a character whose cultural explorations are meant to figure into the campaign in a prominent fashion. That said, read everything you can on sweat lodges and other Native American shamanic traditions. As far as whether the experience is real, leave that to the individual players to decide for their characters.

Agree with most said above.

It can be mostly roleplay, but don´t let it become "voyager Holodeck Adventures" :rolleyes:

One suggestion: If there is some info/insight (in game plot terms) to be receieved from the spititual world, I believe she could develop a Skill, probably based on presence. But the visions should always be used to put pieces of info togueder, never receiving too much info.

Depending on what resocurces you have available, you can get some guidelines from other RPGs. THe Dreamspeaker's book for MAGE: the Acension has some stuff on the Spirit Journey that is mostly relevant (you have to ingore the setting specific stuff, and that the PC shaman in Trek isn't a full fledge mage).

THe Walking the Spririt Paths chapter is definately worth a look, and the 2 page outline, "The Shamaic Journey", can practically be used as is to work out a path for the shaman in the campaign.

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Originally Posted by tonyg

And she's female, too.

Both rare in this hobby.

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...really?

Symbolism, symbolism, symbolism!

I've had a GM who was fond of spirit quests and visions, I've run my own games with "visions" in them, and I've actually taken a spirit quest (My totem is Coyote, if anybody cares.)

It's all about symbols, and they don't always make sense at first. Finding the right balance between giving concrete clues and being obscure is a challenge.

Start with what information you want to get across to the character. Is it a "knowledge of self" thing, a "choose a path" thing, a "warning," a "subconscious clue to a mystery," or something else?

Then you need to pick symbols that will subtly convey what you want them to know.

A flight of hawks, for example, could signify a group of the crew, or an element of flight which will be crucial at some point, or a necessary change of perspective, or even be a warning of an upcoming attack by Romulans (Warbirds!)

Probably you should figure out a totem character for your player's character first, that can be an anchoring theme, for the other symbols to possibly interact with. The totem would depend a lot on your PC's personaliy. There should be plenty of resources, including online, that would help you pick one. Or you could let your player do it, and have it be part of her backstory.

In other games with totems, there are rewards and penalties for acting in ways consistent with, or contrary to, your totem's personality. That might give you ideas, too.

Didn't they have little Ferengi and Klingon kachinas on Dorvan V too?

If they're a fully-integrated part of the technophiliac Federation culture, their totem could be represented by anything. Maybe an old model-T ford, or a wormy/snake recurring symbol, or an alien animal without a human equivalent. What would having a Denebian Slime Devil as a totem mean? What about Johnny Cash appearing as different species?

This is an opportunity to get as damn surreal as you want; the juxtaposition between familiar elements and anachronism should be faintly hilarious and faintly terrifying.

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Originally Posted by PGoodman13

What Tony said, with bells on.

I don't have anything to really add to that, but I do want to congratulate you on finding a player that willing to get into things. It's a stunning rarity to find that. Treasure it...and find a way to get me involved. I think I'd love to play in a group with someone like that.

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My friend is a drama teacher, who tells more story-orientated scenarios with lots of roleplaying over combat, when we play D&D.

I have lots to think about and research on, I asked the original question because I didn't think that just giving a perception skill was the way to go. I plan on asking her for some info, such as her preferred tribe, and will then have an idea of what totems may be appropriate. She will have some suggestions and requests, I'm sure!

The research is going to be fun, as my friend loves Native American culture, there is an aspect of it in one of the nations in her game world in D&D, where symbols are used by some characters. I just wanted to touch base with people here to see what you had to say, and I am glad that I did.

I was wondering how to approach it in a Star Trek setting, hence the question.

If anyone else has anything to suggest, feel free. I haven't GM'd in years, so I need all the help I can get!:)

Thanks for your input, one and all.

One thing worth mentioning again, is making sure that the other players are kept active while the vsion quest thing is happening. Either through other plots, or by letting them play characters in the Vision Quest (you could even find someone to play the Totem).

You don't want this to overshadow everyone else.

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Originally Posted by tonyg

One thing worth mentioning again, is making sure that the other players are kept active while the vsion quest thing is happening. Either through other plots, or by letting them play characters in the Vision Quest (you could even find someone to play the Totem).

You don't want this to overshadow everyone else.

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If you want them to play other characters, having a rough idea of their role in it will help. Maybe just write up a bunch of post-it notes to hand to them.

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Originally Posted by tonyg

Depending on what resocurces you have available, you can get some guidelines from other RPGs. THe Dreamspeaker's book for MAGE: the Acension has some stuff on the Spirit Journey that is mostly relevant (you have to ingore the setting specific stuff, and that the PC shaman in Trek isn't a full fledge mage).

THe Walking the Spririt Paths chapter is definately worth a look, and the 2 page outline, "The Shamaic Journey", can practically be used as is to work out a path for the shaman in the campaign.

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Got the campaign started, but still to introduce the vision quests. Just a quick question, which version of the Mage the Ascension supplement is the best, 1st or 2nd edition, as I believe there is supposed to be a preference amongst Mage players?

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Originally Posted by trynda1701

Got the campaign started, but still to introduce the vision quests. Just a quick question, which version of the Mage the Ascension supplement is the best, 1st or 2nd edition, as I believe there is supposed to be a preference amongst Mage players?

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People still play Mage 1st ed?

The Mage Revised version is probably the easiest to find.

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Originally Posted by The Tatterdemalion King

People still play Mage 1st ed?

The Mage Revised version is probably the easiest to find.

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Yeah, and 2nd revised is the one that is most popular,. Of course, if you are just adating the symbolism to Trek, just get whatever is cheapest. All the changes are either in mechanics, setting, or other things that you'll be throwing out anyway.

Probably the easiest solution might be to treat vision quests as mini holodeck adventures. Let the character face challenges and do things, but skew the difficulties to reflect the quest.

I've actually seen two copies of each version currently on eBay! But I have still to check my local games shop which does do second hand copies of various games, and the auctions are still over a week to go just now!