Trek Characters in " 'Da Big House"!

[Hugh Casey]

Okay, so I am gearing up a Trek game, and I'd like some ideas to provide to my players...

It's not going to be a Starfleet game, but more of a "Rogue/Merc" Game, set post-Dominion War. The players have a lot of leeway in creating their character, but I have handed down one requirement for the characters.

They will be starting the game in a Federation Penal Colony.

What I need are reasons that they may be there.

Some ideas that have come up already include:

1. A Mystic character who has violated the Prime Directive.

2. A Vulcan who was serving with the Maquis (and he is actually a Romulan infiltrator... evil player; this one will be fun!)

3. A rogue/scientist (think Vash), who "appropriated" some artifacts she shouldn't have.

I'd like to know if anyone on the boards has any other ideas as to why characters from the Trek universe would be in a Fed prison. Please share.

Thanks.

[JALU3]

There are so many reasons why . . . I don't think I can name them all.

Smuggling or illegal goods/people
Trafficing of illegal goods
Murder
Grand Theft Spacecraft
Speeding
Illegal business practices (i.e. Enron, Martha Stewert)

Basically just go down the penal code and have fun with it:
Here it is for the Republic of California
http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/cacodes/pen.html

Look for Title 8 & 9 for some more notorious crimes

TITLE 8. OF CRIMES AGAINST THE PERSON
CHAPTER 1. HOMICIDE ............................................. 187-199
CHAPTER 2. MAYHEM ............................................. 203-206.1
CHAPTER 3. KIDNAPPING ........................................... 207-210
CHAPTER 3.5. HOSTAGES ............................................ 210.5
CHAPTER 4. ROBBERY .............................................. 211-215
CHAPTER 5. ATTEMPTS TO KILL ................................. 217.1-219.3
CHAPTER 6. ASSAULTS WITH INTENT TO COMMIT FELONY, OTHER THAN
ASSAULTS WITH INTENT TO MURDER ....................... 220-222
CHAPTER 8. FALSE IMPRISONMENT ................................... 236-237
CHAPTER 9. ASSAULT AND BATTERY .................................. 240-248
TITLE 9. OF CRIMES AGAINST THE PERSON INVOLVING SEXUAL
ASSAULT, AND CRIMES AGAINST PUBLIC DECENCY AND GOOD
MORALS
CHAPTER 1. RAPE, ABDUCTION, CARNAL ABUSE OF CHILDREN, AND
SEDUCTION ............................................ 261-269
CHAPTER 2. ABANDONMENT AND NEGLECT OF CHILDREN ............... 270-273.75
CHAPTER 2.5. SPOUSAL ABUSERS ............................... 273.8-273.88
CHAPTER 4. CHILD ABDUCTION ...................................... 277-280

[Tobian]

I think that whatever the crime is it needs to be relativelly light, and needs to be something they've done rather than who they are.. I.e. a crime of passion not a cold calculating psychopath.. otherwise .. you have a cold calculating psychopath in your group

Petty larcenists would make for good crew - a ship full of Quarks (that should have been an episode title ) - though I am reminded of 'the magnificent Ferengi' and I think you need some muscle!

One very simple way to put them all in the story together is the crime they did was all the same one - the last heist they did! I'm thinking like 'the great train robbery' from Firefly - only it went horribly badly!

Having cold blooded murderers, rapists, psychopaths and abusers is going to make for a decidedly more adult game, and not all your players would like that!

[Owen E Oulton]

"Having cold blooded murderers, rapists, psychopaths and abusers is going to make for a decidedly more adult game, and not all your players would like that!"

Ah, you're using the "Marketing Weasel" definition of "adult" .

I'd go more for The Dirty Dozen, myself. I might allow a Lon Suder (from Voyager) type, but not a Hannibal Lecter.

If I were running the campaign, I'd look to allowing one or two of the characters to be actually innocent, either victims of circumstance or framed for crimes they didn't commit (â là Dr. Richard Kimble). A takeover or other mishap on a Federation Prison Transport ship would be an ideal way to get the whole thing into play, and may allow for non-Federation types, like a Klingon being extradited to be incarcerated on Rura Penté.

[Ineti]

I think that whatever the crime is it needs to be relativelly light, and needs to be something they've done rather than who they are.. I.e. a crime of passion not a cold calculating psychopath.. otherwise .. you have a cold calculating psychopath in your group

Er...if all they did was a relatively light crime, I doubt they'd be stuck in a Fed. penal colony. My impression from the shows is that only Real Bad People go to the Fed Pen.

If it's post-war, they could be in for war crimes. Check out some info on the Nuremberg trials or the accusations against Saddam and co. for ideas.

[First of Two]

I don't know if this would help, but in one of my PC's backstories, there is mention of an Officer who was cashiered for purchasing an Orion girl. Despite the fact that he freed her immediately and raised her as his own child, his purchasing a 'slave' was still frowned upon by his superiors.

Probably not enough for a penal visit, but enough for a 'checkered past' and an obvious dislike for authority/starfleet. Oh, and a Dependant, too.

[Poolshark]

My impression from the shows is that only Real Bad People go to the Fed Pen.

Hmmmm.....not sure if I agree with this. Wasn't Tom Paris in a federal penal colony? I don't think the was a Real Bad person (tm).

I think that The Federation knows how to weed out the worst of the worst. Those that are likely to be playable will be victims of circumstance/crimes of conscience or similar. All will have disagreed with The UFP (E.g. broken The Law). Those characters that will be in a position to partake in a 'mercs/rogues' background should have a reason for being available. Your average psuchopath/murderer is not likely to be around. The Federation is humane, not stupid, and would not likely allow RBP's to roam relatively freely, IMHO.

Types I would think to be in a penal colony, with a chance of adventuring:

Those who made a "mistake" according to The Law. (EG Bashir's parents). A crime based on parental/moral judgement that had no real bearing on society, but was deemed illegal because of laws prohibiiting potentially dangerous situations. (Genetic Supermen alwasy seem to be unstable, but in Bashir's case it all turned out fine.However, the Law states that the guilty need to be punished).

Conscientious Objectors. Those who chose not to fight in any given conflict.

Those that tried to benefit sapient species, but bent the rules a little TOO far.

Someone who broke the PD, and it all went wrong.

Someone from an alternate timeline who is somehow prevented from going home.

Someone who made a choice based on personal morals, and not the accepted 'wisdom' of starfleet.

Just a few ideas from a tired mind. (Apologies for any typos I cannot be bothered to look for! )

Cheers

Tas

[JALU3]

The thing here, is not-all convicted criminals will go to a penal colony. Remember in the Federation you don't have a centralized government. It just seems that way cause we're constantly dealing with Starfleet. An organization of the 'Fed'eral government.

Underneath all that, you have Local, Provincial/State/National, and planetary/system wide. Depending on the system of course. Furthermore, they don't all have complex legal systems like Earth is written to still have. But they all have their legal jurisdictions. That is something to remember.

After working in a building where a City Attorney did business you learn that. And depending on the crime, their are fights over jurisdiction. But that's besides the point.

Think of it this way . . . if you do Grand Theft, Auto. You are tried under by the State (in the US) in a county court. If you are cross state lines, you can be extradited to the original state (unless you commit a crime in another state, in that case they have a legal claim on you as well). And depending on those crimes, you could be violating federal law, in which the Federal government has a right to try you as well. A good example of this are those two people who sniped several people along the Interstate 95 corridor a short time back.

But there is a limit to their jurisdiction to. If it's not in one of the more local jurisdictions, in your scenario, it would fall under 'Fed'eral jurisdiction, but not necessarily at a higher level.

For instants crimes between systems, such as smuggling, or pirating.

But would the Federation keep all types of criminals who they have convicted under their jurisdiction in the same place? Doubtful. The really bad ones may go to one place, where as petty criminals may just be locked up at the local starbase brig.
And there may or may not be parolle programs, which could lead to a whole new line of backgrounds for your characters.

So the possibilities (like the thick book of Federal/State statutes) are nearly endless.

[Flamestrike]

Also keep in mind that not all punishments are obvious.

Take a look at Captain Janeway. Looking at her command record (ST: Voy) we find that under her fist command, she was a poor tactician/stratagist, handled almost every first contact situation disaterously, had an almost non-existant repoor with her crew, and was responsible for destruction of countless warpshuttles.

Did they demote her? No- they promoted her to an admistrative position, where she would be unable to assume command and risk more lives.

[Tobian]

I think there is a post-written clause in your Starfleet contract that states "Any officer who seriously damages the Borg is largelly immune from criticism" - which applies to both Picard and Janeway Both of them could paint themselves blue and dance naked through the president of the UFP's office, and still get away with it

Kirk committed just as many violations, people like to forget that, conveniently

[capnhayes]

We are doing a campiagn arc in which our captain is taking full responibility for the actions of the players, who really screwed up in a number of ways. Not the least of which they got three starships destroyed in a battle, and through their incompetence got the command crew and bridge module of the U.S.S. Columbia a Soveriegn-class starship destroyed. While the Players are really to blame for poor judgement calls. I thought it would be more fun to use the captain as the fall guy since they all admire her so much. Also the negotiations fell apart with a potential new federation member race. This is what lead to the battle with the alien fleet. Anyway I was wondering what charges could I use aginst her in the case. Any suggestions would be helpfull.