Klingon sourcebook

[PGoodman13]

I'm willing to get involved on writing parts of the Klingon Book. Maybe we could do it as a joint ICON/CODA book. I'm getting fairly heavily into doing Klingon Mythology and Cosmology.

Drop me an E-Mail.

I'll do that, Owen; I feel it's important that it be a joint system venture, all things considered. Thanks for speaking up!

In the meantime, you might want to poke around the Klingon sourcebook forum, a fairly quiet place at the moment, to see what I'm thinking about in terms of organization and whatnot.

[Ensign001]

How goes the Klingon Sourcebook? I was just curious because I don't think I have permission to lurk on that forum.

[PGoodman13]

How goes the Klingon Sourcebook? I was just curious because I don't think I have permission to lurk on that forum.

Sure you do. Anybody does. Just go here. Click on "Fan Project Workspaces." Read the sticky, and then follow the instructions to join the "Klingon Sourcebook" forum.

It's pretty dead in there, though, since no one's really sent me anything. I feel that's going to change, at least partially, but we'll see. To answer your first question, though: It's not going. There has to be participation first.

[Nuclear Fridge]

I've considered a short-term Klingon series for some time, but I've kept coming up against a huge barrier.

Lursa, B'Etor and Gowron. Oh, and Worf getting dumped on. Again.

Yep, the Klingon Civil War. And Worf. The thing is, nobody seems -- beyond the guy who has given us the IKS Gorkon -- to have strayed beyond this "boring power struggle" scenario.

A sourcebook is great -- seriously -- but there has to be some springboards for different series. Say, three episode seeds for Enterprise era, three for the TOS, three for TNG. The conflict of heart and blood -- of duty and honour -- that is what matters to a Klingon. How that is addressed in each "era" is worth looking at, surely?

[selek]

I've considered a short-term Klingon series for some time, but I've kept coming up against a huge barrier.

Lursa, B'Etor and Gowron. Oh, and Worf getting dumped on. Again.

Yep, the Klingon Civil War. And Worf. The thing is, nobody seems -- beyond the guy who has given us the IKS Gorkon -- to have strayed beyond this "boring power struggle" scenario.

A sourcebook is great -- seriously -- but there has to be some springboards for different series. Say, three episode seeds for Enterprise era, three for the TOS, three for TNG. The conflict of heart and blood -- of duty and honour -- that is what matters to a Klingon. How that is addressed in each "era" is worth looking at, surely?

May I humbly refer you to the Blood and Honor mini-campaign in BTFF-9, -10, and the downloads section?

Yes, there's political intrigue- but that dandy little three-parter (written by a minor acolyte with no talent and too much time on his hands) is a nice TOS/Movie era exploration of those very concepts.

I am currently working on a similar post-TNG/DS9 mini-campaign along the same lines, and have at least three more stand-alone Klingon adventures for TOS/TNG, and (if I retrofit it nicely), Enterprise.

I must say over all that S John Ross's (boy, I hope I got that right) Narrating In Klingon is an absolute must-read for anyone considering a truly Klingon adventure or campaign.

I'm also seriously considering adapting that article for my players- a sort of How-To-Think-Like-A-Klingon-Guide-for-The-Ridges-Deprived.

There is a lot of untapped potential in Klingon stories, and I hope that I might contribute in some small way to mining that vein with my upcoming work...

[Nuclear Fridge]

Thank you, selek. I'll go take a look.
I was only reminded of my attempts to 'go Klingon' when I unpacked my Decipher CCG sets the other days -- and found the Delta Quadrant Klingon deck I'd put together. Now that would be a blast: the crew of a Klingon ship, stranded in the DQ like Voyager or Equinox.

The Kazon sects, posturing and sounding off about how tough they are? Put them to the bat'leth!
The Hirogen, big game hunters? Show them it's a bad idea to stalk a son or daughter of Qo'noS!

[selek]

Thank you, selek. I'll go take a look.
I was only reminded of my attempts to 'go Klingon' when I unpacked my Decipher CCG sets the other days -- and found the Delta Quadrant Klingon deck I'd put together.

Never got into the CCG aspect of the game, but the decks do come in handy for props and presentations, and of course, for brain storming.

Now that would be a blast: the crew of a Klingon ship, stranded in the DQ like Voyager or Equinox.

Would've made for an almighty short series. A typical Klingon crew (in my opinion) would've 1) fought the Kazon to the death for possession of the Caretaker's Array, 2) used the Array to get home and used timed scuttling charges to blow it up afterward, or 3) all of the above.

Such a crew would've had a hard time developing the empathy and maternal attitude Janeways displayed towards the Ocampa (in fact, sneering contempt for their passivity and pacifivism would be a far more likely reaction from a typical Klingon).

The Kazon sects, posturing and sounding off about how tough they are? Put them to the bat'leth!

Depending upon how canny and clever the Klingons were, this would've been a rout- what was the line from Conan?

"Crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and hear the lamentation of their women."

The Kazon would learn soon enough to give the Klingons wide berth.

The Hirogen, big game hunters? Show them it's a bad idea to stalk a son or daughter of Qo'noS!

This one is a little different. I'm not sure how quickly the Klingon mindset would adapt toward dealing with the Hirogen....

....though I'm quite certain that their approach (once they'd figured out what was going on) wouldn't be terribly different from Arnie's. And besides disruptors are much easier to pack around than 20mm gatling guns.

Of course, once they had to track through Borg space, all bets would be off....

[The Tatterdemalion King]

Would've made for an almighty short series. A typical Klingon crew (in my opinion) would've 1) fought the Kazon to the death for possession of the Caretaker's Array, 2) used the Array to get home and used timed scuttling charges to blow it up afterward, or 3) all of the above.

Home? Pah! What about the glory of carving an empire out of these squalid sects?

[selek]

Home? Pah! What about the glory of carving an empire out of these squalid sects?

The thought crossed my mind as well....but I don't think it's all that likely.

First and foremost, any honorable Klingon is going to be thinking as much about his oaths to home, House, and Empire as he will be about carving out a niche for himself.

Second, a single Klingon vessel (even a Negh'Var) would have too few persons and resources to affect that drastic a change on the overall balance of power- especially in the long run.

Any such empire would- of necessity- depend upon coopting and incorporating the locals, and would rapidly spin out of the control of the few Klingons.

And besides- even if they were successful, what songs would be sung about their glorious deeds and who would hear them?

No.

I'm convinced that a Klingon vessel stranded in the Delta Quadrant would be just as obsessed with getting home as was Voyager, Equinox, or anybody else.

Of course, the truly frightening prospect in all of this is that (assuming they didn't kill him out of hand), the Klingons might actually LIKE Neelix's kooking.

[The Tatterdemalion King]

The thought crossed my mind as well....but I don't think it's all that likely.

First and foremost, any honorable Klingon is going to be thinking as much about his oaths to home, House, and Empire as he will be about carving out a niche for himself.

Yeah, but how many Klingons are actually honourable?

If TNG and DS9 taught us anything, one or two.

Second, a single Klingon vessel (even a Negh'Var) would have too few persons and resources to affect that drastic a change on the overall balance of power- especially in the long run.

Transporters, replicators, the Array, and the dream of a glorious death!

Any such empire would- of necessity- depend upon coopting and incorporating the locals, and would rapidly spin out of the control of the few Klingons.

That's why it's fun!

And besides- even if they were successful, what songs would be sung about their glorious deeds and who would hear them?

They'd write their own! That's half the glory.

[Ensign001]

Right now, The Scifi Channel is showing "Sins of the Father." I thought I would bring it up since it is a good example of the Klingon court system.

[Nuclear Fridge]

May I humbly refer you to the Blood and Honor mini-campaign in BTFF-9, -10, and the downloads section?

Having read 'Blood and Honour', I'm mightily impressed! "Meanwhile... as great and wide-reaching events occur on Khitomer..." A saga of glory, bloodshed, and reckless violence erupts in what has to be the armpit of the Klingon empire!

This will be handy to sketch in the House background for my TNG/DS9 Klingon exchange officer...

[PGoodman13]

A sourcebook is great -- seriously -- but there has to be some springboards for different series. Say, three episode seeds for Enterprise era, three for the TOS, three for TNG. The conflict of heart and blood -- of duty and honour -- that is what matters to a Klingon. How that is addressed in each "era" is worth looking at, surely?

This is, in fact, part of the plan. But I must reiterate: I'm not writing this thing. I'm not a big Klingon fan. You guys need to write it, join up on the Klingon sourcebook forum, and submit it. I'll edit, develop, do layout, whatever...but I'm not writing this.

So far, S. John Ross, Steve Kenson, and Owen Oulton are. Selek and TDK might be. But until someone starts submitting, the project's at a standstill.

[selek]

So far, S. John Ross, Steve Kenson, and Owen Oulton are. Selek and TDK might be. But until someone starts submitting, the project's at a standstill.

Aah'm workin' as fast as ah can, Captain! Yeh canna change the laws o' physics!

Part one of the new saga should be ready end of next week. I'm doing the ground work and back story now.

It goes without saying, of course, that anything I've tossed in the pot for BTFF can be spooned out, strained, peppered, and used for the Klingon manual, should that be your desire.

[PGoodman13]

Aah'm workin' as fast as ah can, Captain! Yeh canna change the laws o' physics!

True story: Back when I was in the Air Force, I was in a weekly game using FASA. I was the captain of the destroyer USS Sutherland; my friend Carmen was playing the chief engineer, a woman who'd served with Scott on the Enterprise and had picked up that particular chant.

We're sent to a place of questionable ownership (the Romulans think it's theirs, and the Federation thinks it's theirs), and something throws our warp drive into a tizzy. We're left stuck, without main power, and pieces of dilithium all over the floor. Can't change the crystals out until the radiation dies down.

Enter the Romulan Nova-class battleship, decloaking off the port bow....

"Heather, we need warp speed RIGHT NOW."

"Captain, I can't change the laws of physics; I only just got the crystals in and aligned. I try to start us now, we'll implode!"

"Heather...I don't want you to change the laws of physics; I want you to break them! You don't, and the Romulans are going to make us EXplode!"

"Give me a minute, I'll see what I can do...."