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Thread: Star Trek RPG 004-A

  1. #31
    Quote Originally Posted by Silverstreak View Post
    I only made a base character yesterday, exactly as I would have made a level 1 character in D20. I did make some higher ranking characters last year or so in CODA and I had to take something like 12 or 13 advancements to make a Bridge Officer. It just seemed a bit much.
    Like C5 mentioned, a dozen advancements is equivalent to the time it takes to gain one level (at least at the rate the groups I've been in have gotten through encounters). CODA's packages end at Academy Graduation, more or less, while ICON character generation was designed with the assumption that most players will be creating mid-career officers. CODA has post-grad advancement packages in the SOM (not very many though).

    Where would I find this D20 version? Could you point it out to me, I'm trying to convert the game to D20 and it is taking a long time. LOL, I could use a bit of help.
    Here's one from ENworld. I can't seem to find the post on the true20 forums, even though i totally remember it.

    Just give the weapon damage based on what setting it is on, just like they did in ICON.
    So as a regular weapon, not like a wand of finger of death? 'Cause a gazillion d12s of damage vs. normal AC is pretty lethal.
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  2. #32
    Quote Originally Posted by The Tatterdemalion King View Post
    Like C5 mentioned, a dozen advancements is equivalent to the time it takes to gain one level (at least at the rate the groups I've been in have gotten through encounters). CODA's packages end at Academy Graduation, more or less, while ICON character generation was designed with the assumption that most players will be creating mid-career officers. CODA has post-grad advancement packages in the SOM (not very many though).
    I'll see what I can come up with with my books, I have all the CODA books except the PDF only released Worlds and whatever the other was...

    Quote Originally Posted by The Tatterdemalion King View Post
    Here's one from ENworld. I can't seem to find the post on the true20 forums, even though i totally remember it.
    Thanks, I'll look it over.

    Quote Originally Posted by The Tatterdemalion King View Post
    So as a regular weapon, not like a wand of finger of death? 'Cause a gazillion d12s of damage vs. normal AC is pretty lethal.
    More like, I roll to hit their AC and the weapon does like a D6 or D4 damage for each setting level with some settings being non-lethal damage.

  3. #33
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    If you quantified damage (i.e. for a phaser) by setting, wouldn't you have to make it so that setting 8 can reliably disintegrate most all man-sized targets? That is a lot of damage and depending on the d20 system used that HP range can be quite variable (i.e. AD&D has quite a wide range; d20Modern and B5 notably less).

    Perhaps a reason I don't find d20 as a good system for Star Trek. Just look at Prime Directive d20.
    "Everything happens for a reason..."

  4. #34
    Quote Originally Posted by Silverstreak View Post
    I'll see what I can come up with with my books, I have all the CODA books except the PDF only released Worlds and whatever the other was...
    Yeah, CODA fails at making stuff like this explicit.

    More like, I roll to hit their AC and the weapon does like a D6 or D4 damage for each setting level with some settings being non-lethal damage.
    Interesting. So would a Vulcan Nerve Pinch be unarmed grapple attack, and not an Sleep-style extraordinary ability?

    This totally isn't the approach I'd be taking...
    Last edited by The Tatterdemalion King; 03-20-2008 at 02:57 PM.
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  5. #35
    Quote Originally Posted by ImperialOne View Post
    If you quantified damage (i.e. for a phaser) by setting, wouldn't you have to make it so that setting 8 can reliably disintegrate most all man-sized targets? That is a lot of damage and depending on the d20 system used that HP range can be quite variable (i.e. AD&D has quite a wide range; d20Modern and B5 notably less).

    Perhaps a reason I don't find d20 as a good system for Star Trek. Just look at Prime Directive d20.
    D&D has a massive damage rule. But keep in mind I said D20, not D&D. In Star Wars Saga edition (the latest D20 version) a single hit can kill you, regardless of how many Hit Points you have.

    That said, even in D&D, most people, even PC's would rarely have more than 200 HP, even at level 20. A phaser set to level 8 could easily do a lot of damage, killing most people.

  6. #36
    Quote Originally Posted by The Tatterdemalion King View Post
    Interesting. So would a Vulcan Nerve Pinch be unarmed grapple attack, and not an Sleep-style extraordinary ability?
    You would need the feat Unarmed attack to use the ability but it would deal non-lethal nerve damage that incapacitates the opponent. As I said before, it would require some work, it could even operate the way the Star Wars Force Power "Force Stun" works.

    One thing I think you guys are thinking about too much is D20 is D&D, there are plenty of Sci-Fi D20 games out there. D20 has rules that differ slightly depending on the game you're playing. Star Wars D20, is not D&D, Babylon 5 D20 is not D&D or Star Wars D20. D20 Modern is none of those again.... You guys, it seems to me, are thinking D20 is just D&D, and that simply isn't the case.

  7. #37
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    If I where to start a compagnie that would bring out the Star Trek game, I would pick out a game system that has already some good base rules: like D20 or GURPS. This eliminates the need to correct the problems that the ICON and CODA system had. I've been tampering with the CODA mechanics since I first got my hand on the CODA Star Trek rpg. And most of the time I used D20 games like D20 modern, Star Wars D20, or Spycraft to try and correct these problems. I is a long and dificult process. There was a time, where I abondoned it completely, and started thinking about changing the entire system. So I purchased the GURPS base, and the Prime directive Grups based game, and a new world opened for me. I then started to convert the entire game, but I soon realised that where also some other problems: The system doesn't use a metric system, Starship construction dind't excist, and there was no interest in this conversion (see: http://forum.trek-rpg.net/showthread.php?t=13622). So I abandoned it completely and continued with my work on CODA (http://users.telenet.be/startrekphoenix/index.html).

    I still think (my opinion of course) that the GURPS system (or a similar system) is the best way to go for the following reasons:
    -You can create anything (races, powers,...) with GURPS system.
    -It doesn't use levels.
    -Has a good Skill based system
    -Martial Arts is skill based, so you can create whatever style you want.
    -You have already some great books that where created, and they are compatible (and more books to come out).
    -You can convert the ICON Spacedock file, and convert it to GURPS.

    If there is any interest in working as a team an try to create or own version of the Star Trek GURPS just let me know. I will be very interested in participating.
    Ardet Nec Consumitur' / Burns but doesn't decay / Brandt maar vergaat niet.

  8. #38
    Quote Originally Posted by Silverstreak View Post
    One thing I think you guys are thinking about too much is D20 is D&D, there are plenty of Sci-Fi D20 games out there. D20 has rules that differ slightly depending on the game you're playing. Star Wars D20, is not D&D, Babylon 5 D20 is not D&D or Star Wars D20. D20 Modern is none of those again.... You guys, it seems to me, are thinking D20 is just D&D, and that simply isn't the case.
    Everyone (almost everyone) has a PHB, and given the quasi-magical nature of Trek technology makes appropriating spell mechanics a simple deal (as opposed to the WWII-esque Star Wars blastes/fighters/etc stuff). Many of the special abilities Trek races have are more-or-less spell-like abilities as well.
    Portfolio | Blog Currently Running: Call of Cthulhu, Star Trek GUMSHOE Currently Playing: DramaSystem, Swords & Wizardry

  9. #39
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    The next edition of the Star Wars RPG should be Risus.

    Seriously! I mean what are the various characters on the shows but generic Starfleet officers with a schtick or two?
    Drunken DM and the Speak with Dead spell: "No, I'm not the limed-over skeleton of the abbot, and no this special key in my boney fingers does not open the door to the secret treasury! ... Oh crap."

  10. #40
    Quote Originally Posted by Liquidator Queeg View Post
    The next edition of the Star Wars RPG should be Risus.

    Seriously! I mean what are the various characters on the shows but generic Starfleet officers with a schtick or two?
    Ęternal Legends' chargen is very RISUS-like, and I know a group using it to run Trek.
    Portfolio | Blog Currently Running: Call of Cthulhu, Star Trek GUMSHOE Currently Playing: DramaSystem, Swords & Wizardry

  11. #41
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    I have played the FASA, ICON and CODA games a lot during the last couple of years. While I always felt that the FASA game was somewhat difficult to learn, it was fun to play in long campaigns because rules where highly detailed and therefore character progression was very detailed.
    But when I started to work and had less and less time to play...the FASA system started to slip away and without "continuous training" it became more and more difficult.
    Then LUG published their fine game. At first I thought it's just for money-making: having three rule books for the same game. Pah! But I bought it nevertheless. We played it. Well. It was easy! But it was somehow to easy. To few details. The contrary to FASA. We didn't like it in the beginning. Then we had this feeling (that everyone seems to have sooner or later with ICON) that it wasn't very balanced and that the drama die was overpowerful. Then we realized that the focus of the game was totally different. It was absolutely concentrating on the story-telling part of the game and therefore it was logical that it doesn't matter if a character has a one in a skill or a six. It was so different from other games. It wasn't a Rolemaster. It wasn't a d20. It was a way like West End Games d6. But still different. From that point on we loved it until today. We played CODA. It had it's great ups. But it is to clumsy.
    We still play Star Trek and we still use ICON. It radically changed the way we pecieved Star Trek as an RPG. It's so heavily story driven and the rules jsut don't stand in your way.
    We even played Dune for a long time and this was another great game where ICON suited very well.
    Having another gameline for Star Trek using ICON again woud be the answer to all our pryers.

    And yet I do understand that other gaming groups play ST differently and might find more joy in detailed rules with games with more emphasize on the rules itself and character progression. But as with power gamers and story tellers - there will never be a game that satisfies all desires.

    We still hold on to ICON. And if I were ever to have to much money I would put all of it into aquiring the license for it to produce my own game based on it...

    God bless the creators for having invented it and for making such a wonderfull Star Trek game in the first place. I thank thee, oh mighty authors, for hundreds of fantastic and joyfull gaming hours and gorgeous memories! Hail! Thanks for what has come from your brains. Thanks for all the lovely moments I have spend with your blessed game. You are a truly gifted lot for us...! Thanks to the folks of Last Unicorn Games! Never give up! Never let go! You are our heroes!

  12. #42
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    Quote Originally Posted by ImperialOne View Post
    If you quantified damage (i.e. for a phaser) by setting, wouldn't you have to make it so that setting 8 can reliably disintegrate most all man-sized targets? That is a lot of damage and depending on the d20 system used that HP range can be quite variable (i.e. AD&D has quite a wide range; d20Modern and B5 notably less).

    Perhaps a reason I don't find d20 as a good system for Star Trek. Just look at Prime Directive d20.
    Whi9le not a b ig fan of D20, and wi7uld use a differernt system myself, I thinkthe best way to handle disintergate settings for phasers is to just use the iold D&D save vs. Disintergrattion.

    Set the DC for the save to something like 3xthe setting. So "saving" from a phaser I on setting 8 woulkd be DC24, very difficlut but possible.

    Damage would apply if the save was failed. Something like "Make a DC24 save or be disnintegated. If succe4ssful take 8d6 damage from a graze".

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