New Career Templates

[Dan Gurden]

Well. After the popularity of my Dabo Girls and Romulan Psions (posted a couple of months ago, ask nice and I'll post it again...), leading to the neccesity of the Law officers... And not being one to spam the list to raise my post count on my way to Commander...

I thought it time to share some more of my templates...

As always feedback and input is gratefully accepted, unless I disagree, when I'll state my case to the alternative.

Also, if anyone else has templates to add to the list, heres as good a thread as any...

So without further ado;



Conn Officer (Command) By DanG

For many Starfleet Cadets the most common branch of service is Operations, from there their further advancement is wide open, allowing them the potential to further define their shipboard position as needed. However for young, eager officers looking for a way to get noticed and take the promotion ‘fast track’ there is no substitute for Bridge duty.
An Operations officer has the potential for duty on the bridge, ranging from Tactical through to the Operations management console, even Conn. However for these young officers they have an opportunity to focus their training as pilots, wear the red of command, and further diversify their skills later on, while on duty, all the while serving on the bridge and being noticed.

Engineering, Propulsion (Warp Drive and Impulse Engine) 1 (2), (2)
Engineering, Systems (Choose Specialisation) 2 (3)
Sciences, Space (Choose 2 Specialisations) 1 (2), (2)
Starships Systems (Flight Control and Choose Specialisation) 2 (3), (3)
Vehicle Operations (Shuttlecraft) 2 (3)

Administration (Starship) 1 (2)
Athletics (Choose Specialisation) 1 (2)
Command (Starship Command) 1 (2)
Computer (Choose Specialisation) 1 (2)
Energy Weapon (Phaser) 1 (2)
Language; Federation Standard 1
Law (Starfleet Regulations) 1 (2)
Personal Equipment (Choose Specialisation) 1 (2)
Planetary Survival (Choose Specialisation) 1 (2)

[Dan Gurden]

Next up;

Ferengi Accountant/Bureaucrat by DanG

The Ferengi accountant is designed to fill one of the most important gaps in Ferengi society, a profession of prestige and honour.* It is only the most skilled and most efficient accountant that manages to proceed up through the ranks to that of 'Liquidator', a rare honour indeed, but usually one that is deserved after many years of hostile negotiations and 'hands on' methods of job promotion...

Administration (Accounting) 2 (3)
Bargain (Choose Specialisation) 2 (3)
Culture (Ferengi) 1 (2) *
Fast Talk 1
Law (Ferengi Commercial By-Laws) 1 (2)

Computer (Research) 1 (2)
History (Ferengi) 1 (2)
Intimidation (Bluster or Interrogation) 1 (2)
Languages; Ferengi 1
Persuassion (Negotiation) 1 (2)

Wealth +1, Contact +1, Rival -1

* After much discussion at the time of creation it was decided that the Laws of Aquisition would come under Ferengi Culture, rather than Law skill. Tus the raised total...

[Dan Gurden]

And third (or sixth, depending on how you look at it!);

Obsidian Order Operative By DanG

We had cause for a detailed Obsidian Order NPC a while back, so this template is a variation of the standard Tal Shiar template, making it a little more 'Cardassian' in feel. NOTE: This is not the template that will be used in the Cardassian Fan Sourcebook.

Behaviour Modification (Torture) 2 (3)
Espionage (Choose Specialisation) 2 (3)
Intimidation (Choose Specialisation) 2 (3)
Security (Choose Specialisation) 2 (3)
Surveillance (Choose Specialisation) 2 (3)

Athletics (Choose Specialisation) 1 (2)
Computer (Choose Specialisation) 1 (2)
Dodge 1
Energy Weapon (Cardassian Phaser) 1 (2)
Personnal Equipment (Choose Specialisation) 1 (2)
Ships Systems (Choose Specialisation) 1 (2)
Unarmed Combat (Choose Specialisation) 1 (2)
Vehicle Operations (Choose Specialisation) 1 (2)

[Lancer]

Dan, concerning the Conn Officer:

Your Overlay leaves out 2 skills everybody else gets: Dodge and History (Federation). The Academy box lists basic self-defense as a mandatory skill for all cadets, and therefore IMHO at least Dodge should be included.
There are IMHO 2 ways to get the DPs for at least one of those skills:

[list=1][*]Give the Conn Officer a choice between Administration and Command. That way you'd free up 3 DPs for inclusion of either Dodge or History. While Conn Officers wear red like Command Officers I'd say their job doesn't really require Admin and Command.[*]Another way to get the points for Dodge or History would be to have only one specialization for each of the primary skills.[/list=1]

Another thing I would probably change for use of this Overlay in my game would be the Shipboard Systems skill: Shipboard Systems (Flight Control) 2(4) [instead of 2(3)and(3)] would still give you a good knowledge of ship functions while putting the focus more on piloting.
Wiht the Flight Control specialization only at 3 any Operations Officer can be as good a pilot as your Conn Officer, if he takes that specialization.

That's just my 0.02$, anyway.

[Dan Gurden]

Those are both true...

However...

Concerning hand to hand.

The Acadamy boxed set does indeed state that all cadets learn rudimentary hand to hand, but not all templates have the unarmed combat skill.

Coupled with the fact that the position is a sedentiary one, likely remaining aboard ship over going on away teams every 5 minutes... I could see valid reasons for its absence.

However, you are quite at liberty to make the alterations for your own use, or even suggest the player concerned use the development points from elsewhere... Perhaps the 5DP from childhood...

Concerning the flight control skill.

You have a valid point, and considering that this is a specialised template, over the far more generic 'multi-purpose' templates in the core book, it does hold merit.

I had chosen a specialisation level of (3) as the vast majority of overlays do not have any skills past that... And on the whole I tend to avoid all specialisations past level 3 and zero level skills when designing career overlays...

Its really just a mental limit I imposed on myself...

[Lancer]

Originally posted by Dan Gurden

Concerning hand to hand.

The Acadamy boxed set does indeed state that all cadets learn rudimentary hand to hand, but not all templates have the unarmed combat skill.

Coupled with the fact that the position is a sedentiary one, likely remaining aboard ship over going on away teams every 5 minutes... I could see valid reasons for its absence.

Dan, I wasn't talking about hand-to-hand as in Unarmed Combat, but about the Dodge skill and that is included even with the Science, Medical and Counselor departments. While those guys go on away missions from time to time they aren't expected to be combat monsters either.
And that would still leave us with the History(Federation) missing, but if you don't think that would be necessaryly included in the academy training that's certainly fine by me.

I had chosen a specialisation level of (3) as the vast majority of overlays do not have any skills past that... And on the whole I tend to avoid all specialisations past level 3 and zero level skills when designing career overlays...

Its really just a mental limit I imposed on myself...

Maybe I feel different, because in our series we encourage people to raise their specializations more than the main skills. Just feels more realistic for us to be really good at the things you do most and leave the rest at an average, or even low, level.

In the end it's just a matter of personal preferences and while we differ on this one I'd love to see more of your overlays here.

[Dan Gurden]

Originally posted by Lancer


Maybe I feel different, because in our series we encourage people to raise their specializations more than the main skills. Just feels more realistic for us to be really good at the things you do most and leave the rest at an average, or even low, level.

In the end it's just a matter of personal preferences and while we differ on this one I'd love to see more of your overlays here.

Oh, we dont differ there... But for a template as used in character generation, I tend to 'max out' at specialisation level 3...

As for more of my overlays. I am committed to writing up a couple for the Trill book, but as soon as I have the urge for more I will add them on, but the 6 posted recently are pretty much it...

Although I am tempted with a Ferengi Privateer template...

[reimero]

I haven't seen any of the DS9 material (I'm poor and only have the TNG books) but IIRC, the Obsidian Order and Cardassians in general take great pride in their art, literature, and "culturedness" in general. Somehow I think the template would be more complete with a combination of Arrogant -1 and something like Fine Arts (Cardassian Literature) 1(2). There should also be a "tetchy" disadvantage, reflecting that verbal insults are much more insulting to a Cardassian than, say, a Klingon.

Anyway, that's my $0.02 worth

[Dan Gurden]

Remember, these are Career Overlays, not species templates...

hose would be on the species Template, arrogant is already there, so adding those disadvantages would be a waste of points (in the players favour)...

[StyroFoam Man]

This message has been removed on request by the
poster

[Commodore 2]

I think the templates are outstanding overall.

[Lt.Khrys Antos]

I agree with Commodore, great work, I'm already beginning to use them.

[Brian K]

Very nice work as usual Dan!

I am just waiting for a Malon Sanitary Engineer, and it will be a happy day in the Delta Quadrant

[Dan Gurden]

Ferengi Privateer by DanG

The Ferengi Alliance does not have a regular space navy per se. What is known of the Ferengi Defensive forces seems to have developed from the cultures love of gain and wealth. A rich Ferengi will purchase a vessel, hire a crew and ply the spacelanes for profit.

It is known that several 'influential' individuals hold the contracts for patrolling and defending Alliance territory. These contracts from the Gevernment can be very lucrative and allow these 'Admirals' to purchase new and better ships, and hire the best personnel, although many frontier contracts are poorly defended due to thye smaller retainer fee's compensating those region fleets. The personnel on these ships are very similar to pirates upon ancvient earths oceans, who worked for their governments in wartime, making their operations legitimate (at least in the eyes of their government). And as such they were called privateers, a title that many of these personnel enjoy for its ancient and romantic connotations (and so much more appealing than pirate)...

Many of the Admirals/Owners hire personnel that fall within their budget, and it is not unusual to find members of many different species serving on these vessels, each earning their pay, plus a negotiated percentage of any booty.

This complex method of defence does mean that each 'sector' of the Alliance can have vastly differing operational techniques, and even strengths of fleet, making illegal activities rife within Ferengi space. At least they would be illegal if the Alliance felt that such activities constituted a crime.

Bargain (Choose Specialisation) 1 (2)
Energy Weapon (Choose Specialisation) 1 (2)
Security (Choose Specialisation) 1 (2)
Ships Systems (Choose 2 Specialisation) 2 (3), (3)
Fast Talk 1
or Dodge 1

Athletics (Choose Specialisation) 1 (2)
Culture (Ferengi) 0 (1)
Language; Ferengi 1
Personal Equipment (Choose Specialisation) 1 (2)
Planetside Survival (Choose Specialisation) 1 (2)
Streetwise (Choose Specialisation) 1 (2)


Bold +1, Wealth +1, Rival -1

[Phoenix]

Dan, you don't have the TOS core book do you. The Helm/Navagator (i.e. Conn) is covered in that book. Not trying to ruin your reputation, but thought you might like to know about it.

Other wise, looken' good my man!

Phoenix...just need to stay awake for 2 1/2 more hours...