[ICON] Boarding Party Overlay

[redwood973]

Something I have been playing around with (not sure where I am going with it).

Boarding Parties

These are not marines, but well trained boarding parties drawn, at need, from the ships complement [security, if available]. These are trained experts in boarding actions that can be assembled at short notice to perform custom and excise duties, blockade enforcement, and interdiction duties.

Demolitions (Shipboard Demolitions) 2 (3)
Engineering, Systems (Security) 1 (2)
Planetary Tactics (Small-Unit) 1 (2)
Starship Tactics (Boarding Actions) 2 (3)
Weapon, Energy (Phaser) (Stunrod*) 2 (3) (3)
Weapon, Unarmed (Starfleet Martial Arts) 2 (3)

Athletics (choose) 2 (3)
Computer (choose) 1 (2)
Dodge 1
Engineering, Any Other (choose) 1 (2)
First Aid (Trauma) 1 (2)
History (Federation) 1 (2)
Language (choose) 1
Law (Starfleet Regulations) 1 (2)
Personal Equipment (Translator) 1 (2)
Planetary Survival (choose) 1 (2)
Vehicle Operations (Shuttle) 1 (2)

* The stunrod is the primary weapon of the boarding teams, however, each team member is also armed with a standard phaser sidearm should heavier munitions be needed.

[LtCdr Kagan]

Originally posted by redwood973
These are not marines, but well trained boarding parties drawn, at need, from the ships complement [security, if available]. These are trained experts in boarding actions that can be assembled at short notice to perform custom and excise duties, blockade enforcement, and interdiction duties.

Great idea, redwood. A boarding party's uses in military ops and merchant marines are obvious, but...

1. How would you use them on an exploration vessel like Enterprise, TOS or TNG?

2. When you say drawn from the ship's complement, other than security who else might be a part of one of these?
I ask that question because people in science, medical, or engineering already have an overlay...and some GMs aren't wild about giving two overlays to a PC.

Again, I like the idea...just interested in more uses and justifications.

[Phoenix]

I would recommend making the idea in to an 'Academy Life History Package', or an 'Advanced Training Package'.

[redwood973]

Great idea, redwood. A boarding party's uses in military ops and merchant marines are obvious, but. . .

1. How would you use them on an exploration vessel like Enterprise, TOS or TNG?

--LTCDR Kagan

Thanks. I really don't know, like I said I really don't know where I am going with this. One of my friends said I should watch Enterprise and watch the army guys they have abaord. Might help me figure out where this is going.

2. When you say drawn from the ship's complement, other than security who else might be a part of one of these?
I ask that question because people in science, medical, or engineering already have an overlay...and some GMs aren't wild about giving two overlays to a PC.

Again, I like the idea...just interested in more uses and justifications.

--LTCDR Kagan

Some class of vessels have small complements, and thus the Security detail would be small. . .the Boarding Party would draw upon other crew as needed. As for the other crews already having overlays. . .I really don't know where I am going with this.

I would recommend making the idea in to an 'Academy Life History Package', or an 'Advanced Training Package'.

--Phoenix

Hum, much better idea. That would allow science, medical, ect., to join the team on smaller crews without having two overlays. My only concern would be dropping some skills to get it into the DP's. Let me see what I can come up with. . .and I would love to see others ideas too!

[Phoenix]

Just a quickie fix...

Boarding Party Training Package
Demolitions (Shipboard Demolitions) 1 (2)
Planetary Tactics (Starship) 1 (2)
Unarmed Combat (Starfleet Martial Arts) 1 (2)
Weapon, Energy (Stunrod*) 0 (1)
Intolerant: Choose hostile species used in simulations

There you go, 8 DP or 15 Exp

Reasoning:
I removed Systems Engineering: Security because characters can use there base skill level or the odds of a actual Security/Engineer being attached to the team IMO are quite good. I also removed Starship Tactics due to the fact that 'the call to Board' would come from the bridge, not one of the Boarding Party Members. I added the intolerant to balance the package back out, couldn't think of any thing else that would work. Also keep in mind that this would represent the minium training, the rookey, the wet behind the ears types, the more your characters do boarding actions, the better they will get.

[redwood973]

Yes, I like that. Much better than a overlay IMO. I am unclear what you ment, however, about removing "Starship Tactics (Boarding Actions)." That was ment to be the specialized skills the team gets during training and use during boarding actions. Yes, the call to board comes from command staff on the bridge; that is the skill they use when doing so. Is this the skill you mean to be "Planetary Tactics (Starship)?" (I am guessing we both mean the same thing. . .just saying it diffrent ways.)

As for a one point disadvantage I like the idea of giving the option of: Intolerant OR Fanatic (from the unpublished "The Starfleet Security Handbook.")

Boarding Party Training Package
Demolitions (Shipboard Demolitions) 1 (2)
Planetary Tactics (Starship) 1 (2)
Weapon, Primitive (Stunrod*) 0 (1)
Weapon, Unarmed (Starfleet Martial Arts) 1 (2)
Fanatic OR Militant (-2)

Yes, I am liking that a lot more than the overlay. Now, next question. A friend asked me this morning. . .how is this diffrent from the RRT's? Could the Boarding Teams be a specialized RRT, or would that just be overkill?

[Phoenix]

Just to clear things up,
Starship Tactics is what you use when two (or more) ships encounter each other, and if your using that skill to board how many hull breaches are allowed .
Planetary Tactics: Starship functions just like small-unit only it's focused more on fighting in a starship, with all those EPS thingies, airlock thingies, possible explosive decompression thingies, etc...

With the Intolerant disadvantage, I should have mentioned the point value, (-2) I was basing it on the fact you would be placed on the border you trained in most likely. Also when posting here I try not to use the non-published materials, just so I don't have to look up where I found it, post the url, and hope the site is still around. Fanatic is from the core books, however Militant could fit the bill from the above mentioned source.

RRT's in my game they are the S.E.A.L. types not generic Ground Forces/M-word. A super elite used for extractions, recon, rescues, during times of war surgical strikes, capturing (not kidnapping), and general harassment behind enemy lines. Their just a little overkill for regular assignments to smaller ships, unless that's what the ship was designed for.

Well I think that covers it ?

[Owen E Oulton]

When posting things for public consumption, it's probably best to use standard skill names rather than the ones you use in-house. eg: Energy Weapons rather than Weapon, Energy; and Unarmed Combat rather than Weapon, Unarmed (which is really an oxymoron).

Stunrod would be a specialisation in Primitive Weaponry rather than Energy Weapon, IMNSHO. Using it is a lot more like swinging a baton or mace than shooting a phaser. Personally, i wouldn't use this as a Boarding Party skill, though - it's more a police or prison guard style skill.

I definitely prefer making Boarding Party a Players' Guide style Training Package rather than an Overlay.

[redwood973]

With the Intolerant disadvantage, I should have mentioned the point value, (-2) I was basing it on the fact you would be placed on the border you trained in most likely. Also when posting here I try not to use the non-published materials, just so I don't have to look up where I found it, post the url, and hope the site is still around. Fanatic is from the core books, however Militant could fit the bill from the above mentioned source.

--Phoenix

D'oh! Know what I did? I didn't count the "0 (1)" into the DP's and figured the disadvantage was only one point, since I was only one point over. [I have the unpublished stuff made available on .pdf's so I am used to using them, it never occured to me others might not use (or even know of) them. Sorry.] I do like using the Militant disadvantage. [Whenever disadvantages are listed, I like to have an option or two to spend the points on; thus producing much more varied characters rather than cookie cutter character. . .and my players seem to like it. Thus giving the Intolerant OR Militant option, not that I was intolerant of your suggestion.

I am glad this does not clash with the RRT's. I was wondering if I was wasting my time on this when one could just use the RRT's.

When posting things for public consumption, it's probably best to use standard skill names rather than the ones you use in-house. eg: Energy Weapons rather than Weapon, Energy; and Unarmed Combat rather than Weapon, Unarmed (which is really an oxymoron).

--Owen E. Oulton

Sorry, I am so used to doing it that way I don't even think about it any more.

Stunrod would be a specialisation in Primitive Weaponry rather than Energy Weapon, IMNSHO. Using it is a lot more like swinging a baton or mace than shooting a phaser. Personally, i wouldn't use this as a Boarding Party skill, though - it's more a police or prison guard style skill.

--Owen E. Oulton

The stunrod has always confused me, and this is my first ever use of it because of that. I never knew where to place it as a skill: it is basically a club (primitave weapon), but is powered (energy weapon). I guess in that it is not fired like a weapon, but relys on making physical contact with the object it is more of the primitive weapon type. As for not using as boarding skill, I didn't want to make this too overly a military action. . .I didn't want to see the players doing the boarding action seen at the begin of Star Wars: A New Hope. Phaser sidearms are carried, but are not/should not be the prefered weapon in a boarding action. . .IMO.

I made the adjustments to the Training Package listed a few messages above, and YES! I am loving this as a Training Package!

[Owen E Oulton]

I didn't want to make this too overly a military action. . ."

Well, you don't really get any more military than a boarding action. Rest assured, if the crew of the defending ship has any brains, the boarding party will never get close enough to use a stunrod. A ranged energy weapon would be the primary weapon of choice for boarding parties - if they don't have a phaser out and ready when the beam in, they will likely never get a chance to use it.

Stunrods are really only of use at hand-to-hand ranges and mostly against unarmed opponents or opponents armed with knives. Since a phaser can be set on stun and can operate at farther than arm's length, a stunrod is really superfluous.

If you want to avoid running firefights during a boarding action, simply use the ship's phasers to stun the entire crew before beaming in a boarding party - after all, the target's shields have to be down to beam in.

Now, this is no reason not to have a stunrod or stunglove available. If you're doing a covert boarding action, use it the way Gurkhas, Commandoes and SEALs do with their respective types of knife (kukri, Sykes-Fairbairn or Gerber, respectively)... Sneak up behind a sentry and tap him (much more humane/Federationish than slitting their throats).

[varin]

Very good thoughts and an excellent package-Owen your insights never cease to amaze me. You are in the wrong business.