Forum Rpg

[JALU3]

What would be a nice obscure, normally hostile race, to mix with a human? Gorn maybe?

[Sea Tyger]

Let's not get carried away, James.... Honestly, Klingons will probably be allowable. Romulans...maybe. Cardassian; yes, but only one on the crew and certainly must be (mostly) friendly to the Federation.

Orions are fine, as are (most) neutral and friendly aliens. I might allow a Gorn.

Hybrid character concepts need to be run past me, first. I have a narrow view of what's reasonable there (I err on the side of caution).

And, no worries, Tricky. I just want to stick with a setting I'm more comfortable with.

My initial thoughts are to have the crew in a Merced-class transport during the height of the Dominion War. The ship is caught on the far edge of Cardassian space when the pro-Federation goverment is ousted and the pro-Dominion goverment is set up in its place (I dont' recall the details off the top of my head at the moment).

Cut off from Starfleet Command (the Merchant Marine nominally operates under SFC at all times, and certainly does during wartime), the ship is forced to attempt to skirt around the edge of Cardassian space in an attempt to get back into Federation territory.

Thoughts? Feel free to start thinking out loud about character concepts.

[Cut]

I would love to finaly have the opportunity to play a romulan character.
I will read up on this thread thoroughly and then try to come up with some usable ideas in the next days, if that's alright with you SeaTyger...please?!
The other cool thing to play (with a character write up already done for use as a NPC for one of my own campaigns) would be a Selay merchant, once seen in an episode of TNG of season one.

I have just read through the thread and it would be an intersting move to pair my Selay with Tricky's Anticaan :-)

But I still love that Romulan option most!

[Tricky]

Don't worry about me, Sea Tyger.

Cut, I'm sure that now that they are both FED members, an Antican and a filthy Selay can work and live in peace.

As long as theres plenty of food available.

A Romulan would be nice; maybe a hybrid Romulan....byproduct of a wayward Subcommander or Tal Shiar agent?

JALU3: maybe you should try an Axanar? Or maybe a Xindi subspecies, like Arboreals? :P

So, my thoughts on character gen would be, at least to get started would be to use the Coda "Starship Officer" classes, but use the Icon Merchant Marine overlays as a sorta templet for skill/advantage/disadvantage picks.

I might have something like a begining character in a couple of days (working 3rd shift and trying to keep a Halloween party afloat, so time is precious)

[JALU3]

Come to think of it a FULL Gorn . . . raised in a Federation orphanage . . . on one of the outer Federation colonies . . . always being riticuled for being different.

Some of the other children being apprehensive about him . . . taken under the wing by a passing Vulcan Chief Engineer (a rank in the current US merchant marines) . . . who saw the logic of the character's species natural productivity in warmer areas . . . in its application to providing a hard working sailor. Having grown up in the Federation, without any significant contact with members of his own species . . . he is very out of place . . . having been adopted by the Vulcan Engineer at the late age of 10.

Although normally cold and logical . . . he can burst into moments of severe rage when provoked. Having to learn most everything through first hand, hands on, experience . . . he struggled through the non-officer engineer positions . . . until finally making it to the qualification of Third Assistant Engineer, at the age of 38 (after 20 years of the equivalent of Enlisted service).

What do you think, of the rough idea?

[Tricky]

Hmmm...a Gorn raised by Vulcans.

He HAS to be able to do the Vulcan Nerve Pinch! It would be funny to see this 7 foot tall crocodilianoid in a fight and simply grab a guy by the shoulder and drop him with a touch!

[Tricky]

So, I'm still playing with the idea of an Antican security or maybe...maybe some level of command. I imagine this fellow growing up a 'typical' Antican life: He had a regular pack upbringing, loved to hunt, but at some point became interested in seeing space (after all, look at all the wonderful creatures there are to hunt out there), and realizing he might not 'cut it' in Starfleet (they wouldn't like him hunting stuff on every world they surveyed), he gravitated toward the FMM.

He went into the security division to use his abilities to hunt out dangers to his ship and protect his crew.

I thought about using the 'Athletic' background package, with the Sport being Hunting (it appears in the Hirogen), and I might borrow the Skill Focus: Hunting from the Hirogen as well, if that's ok with everyone...?

Thoughts?

[C5]

I have this idea about a member of a not well known species (or even, unknown, but warp-capable) who left his homeworld to discover space, and joined this ship (or was rescued by it).
He would be quite skilled in engineering (maybe having built his own original ship, à la Cochrane), making him a helpful hand for the Chief Engineer. Something like a technical Neelix, in fact (or a Zefram Cochrane born one century later).
I'm still pondering whether to use an existing species or try to create an original one (nothing über, of course - but with maybe a few unusual quirks, like a diminutive size, or hailing from a world where days last 4 hours).

Of course, all of this is left to our GM's appreciation

[Cut]

I'd still love to play that Romulan charac, but won't start building one and getting fond of the character in the process, before I get the signal that its ok with you SeaTyger
I'd probably would want the guy to be a pilot/navigator/command style member of the crew.

[JALU3]

Has anyone else looked up the link provided by me regarding the naming of ranks for merchant marines, or atleast here in the United States?

There is alot of information there . . . that could prove useful for anyone trying to design a character.

[Sea Tyger]

So, no one will be playing traditional Federation members, then?

Cut: Okay on the Romulan character....maybe a mixed?

Tricky: Yes, I'll allow you to take hunting as a specialty of sport, and you can substitute Skill Focus: Hunting if you take your free edge during your background phase.

James: I would prefer you play a full-bred Gorn -- one from Cestus III could certainly be a Federation member. If you insist on having a Vulcan upbringing, use the mixed species rules, with the Gorn side as his dominant side. Only Int, Prs and Per can be from his Vulcan "side." Unless you plan on making your character a psionic Gorn (I'd rather you not), you replace either Determined, Resolute or Competitive with Nerve Pinch. (The idea here is that physical or core drive attributes and abilities should remain Gorn, while more learning-related items can be Vulcan).

C5: If you're going to put something together, send it to me (or post it here) when you're done.

Cpt Lundgren: Your character idea works fine. The ship's master can hire you on (if you're not wearing the uniform, still, that is. )

Did I get everyone?

Federation Merchant Marine Shipboard Officer Ranks:
Commodore (promotion 5, and only when commanding multiple ships in a convoy, otherwise, addressed as Master)
Master (promotion 4)
Chief Officer (promotion 3)
2nd Officer (promotion 2)
3rd Officer (promotion 1)
4th Officer (promotion 0)

For our purposes, we'll use "provisional officer" rank insignias found in Voyager (since Merchant Marine officers are given equivalent military ranks in wartime, their insignia would make complete sense). That also means, since this is a wartime show, that Starfleet has nominal control of the ship and the officers aboard have equivalent Starfleet rank and authority at the moment.

Positions (Rank):
Ship's Master/Captain (Master)
First Officer (Chief Officer), will also fill a bridge position (helm/nav/tactical)
Chief Engineer (Chief Officer)
1st Assistant Engineer (2nd Officer)
2nd Assistant Engineer (3rd Officer)
3rd Assistant Engineer (4th Officer)
Communications Officer/(de facto) Operations Officer (2nd Officer)
Helm/Navigations/Tactical Officers (2nd, 3rd or 4th Officer)
Medical Officer (3rd Officer)
Purser (3rd Officer)
Assistant Medical Officer or Assistant Purser (4th Officer)
(other positions desired, please talk to me)

So far, James is making a 3rd Assistant Engineer, under C5's Chief Engineer character. Cut will have a Romulan who is either the helmsman, navigator or a command-rank position (perhaps First Officer or Ship's Master?). Tricky's Antican is a security specialist, so he's nominally the tactical officer. Cpt Lundgren is either a "passenger" or has been hired on to a command/staff position.

Everyone uses Starship Officer templates. Purser would use the Starship Operations Officer template, specializing in logistics and administration.

We don't have a science officer or a counselor as part of the crew.

Advancements: You may take one advancement per 2 years of prior experience. Ship's Master is limited to 8 advancements, First Officer and Chief Engineer to 6, and all others to 4.

James, are you wanting to make your character enlisted? If so, use the enlisted rules I posted a couple years back (if they're still on the site, if not, I'll repost a copy). If you do that, I'll allow you 10 advancements to reach 3rd Assistant Engineer (4th Officer).

I think that addresses most everything discussed in the last week or so.

[Cut]

Thanks, SeaTyger, I love it

Will try to have a character in your mailbox by the end of the weekend might become mid-week though...

[JALU3]

So, no one will be playing traditional Federation members, then?

James: I would prefer you play a full-bred Gorn -- one from Cestus III could certainly be a Federation member. If you insist on having a Vulcan upbringing, use the mixed species rules, with the Gorn side as his dominant side. Only Int, Prs and Per can be from his Vulcan "side." Unless you plan on making your character a psionic Gorn (I'd rather you not), you replace either Determined, Resolute or Competitive with Nerve Pinch. (The idea here is that physical or core drive attributes and abilities should remain Gorn, while more learning-related items can be Vulcan).

Actually the character concept is that he is an orphaned Gorn . . . so yes . . . he is a full Gorn by species . . . however, his background story is that he was found as an infant on a derelict wreck, within an unlaunched escape pod . . . while most of them had alrady been launched. The wreck was so badly damaged, that its original origin is unknown. Therefore, he was raised in a Federation Orphanage, and thus during childhood he was culturally, and for all intensive purposes legally, Federation. However, at the age of 10 he was adopted by the Vulcan Chief Engineer . . . and thus he became, and now is, culturally Vulcan.
Within his mind he does have those Gorn inbread traits . . . however, they are usually suppresed by his Vulcan cultural training.

Everyone uses Starship Officer templates. Purser would use the Starship Operations Officer template, specializing in logistics and administration.

I only own, a decent collection, of ICON books . . . can I use that to build my character, and then we can go through the translation?

Advancements: You may take one advancement per 2 years of prior experience. Ship's Master is limited to 8 advancements, First Officer and Chief Engineer to 6, and all others to 4.

James, are you wanting to make your character enlisted? If so, use the enlisted rules I posted a couple years back (if they're still on the site, if not, I'll repost a copy). If you do that, I'll allow you 10 advancements to reach 3rd Assistant Engineer (4th Officer).

Yup, he will be a hawsepiper otherwise known as a Mustang. Furthermore, can he have earned his equivalent to The Navy Reserve Merchant Marine Badge, which might mean that I will need to ask for a 2nd Assistant Engineer position, if the qualifactions for it are higher then what 3rd Assistant Engineer provides.

Furthermore, can he be in charge of escape pod operations . . . seeing as he has a real special connection to them?

[Cut]

Cut: Okay on the Romulan character....maybe a mixed?

Yes, I had thought about that as well...

Federation Merchant Marine Shipboard Officer Ranks:
Commodore (promotion 5, and only when commanding multiple ships in a convoy, otherwise, addressed as Master)
Master (promotion 4)
Chief Officer (promotion 3)
2nd Officer (promotion 2)
3rd Officer (promotion 1)
4th Officer (promotion 0)


Positions (Rank):
Ship's Master/Captain (Master)
First Officer (Chief Officer), will also fill a bridge position (helm/nav/tactical)
Chief Engineer (Chief Officer)
1st Assistant Engineer (2nd Officer)
2nd Assistant Engineer (3rd Officer)
3rd Assistant Engineer (4th Officer)
Communications Officer/(de facto) Operations Officer (2nd Officer)
Helm/Navigations/Tactical Officers (2nd, 3rd or 4th Officer)
Medical Officer (3rd Officer)
Purser (3rd Officer)
Assistant Medical Officer or Assistant Purser (4th Officer)
(other positions desired, please talk to me)

I'll probably go for First officer and bridge position helm but I'll need some more time than I thought to create the character, have to do extra shifts in the coming days.

[Sea Tyger]

I only own, a decent collection, of ICON books . . . can I use that to build my character, and then we can go through the translation?

I'm thinking I may have to construct him for you, simply because the enlisted rules are more complicated in Coda than in Icon. Email me some ideas on the focus of his skills, advantages and disadvantages, and so forth.

Furthermore, can he have earned his equivalent to The Navy Reserve Merchant Marine Badge, which might mean that I will need to ask for a 2nd Assistant Engineer position, if the qualifactions for it are higher then what 3rd Assistant Engineer provides.

Furthermore, can he be in charge of escape pod operations . . . seeing as he has a real special connection to them?

First, we can give him a Commendation that will reflect his Merchant Mariner award. Second, he can be 2nd Asst. Engineer with a promotion to make him a second officer.

Third, escape pod operations are generally part of the Communications Officer's duties, as he's the de facto Damage Control Officer, as well. But, perhaps your character can specialize as a damage control technical specialist (i.e., a damage control petty officer type ).

For everyone: if you have your character sheet completed, feel free to email it to me.