Star Trek: Unity

[Chris Blanchard]

Okay, I've finally decided on the campaign idea I want to use. I'm going to ditch my original campaign (which I actually attempted running using ICON) of Battlestar Galacta done via Star Trek.

Instead, I found my ICON DS9 Core Rulebook and the notes I had for that game, and think I will go with it. So, without further ado, I give you Star Trek: Unity!

The campaign will start in the year 2373, just after the "Klingon War" but before the actual start of the Dominion War. The Romulans have signed a non-agressin pact with the Dominion, and both the Klingons and Starfleet realzie that a conflict with the Dominion is just around the corner. Not trusting the Romulans to simply stand by and do nothing during said conflict (or even afterwards) Starfleet has opened it's newly built Starbase 357, located in the "Triangle" (yes, I'm stealing FASA-Trek ideas), as a jointly run station that can be used to keep an eye on the Romulans.

Renamed Starbase Unity, the station will serve three purposes. The first is as stated above, to keep an eye on the Romulans and serve as an early warning system incase they decide to do something. The second is that as a diplomatic contact. Starbase Unity was built in the home system of a newly warp capable race called the Eshin, an quadruped race. The Eshin are exploring their possibilities, finding themselves surrounded, as it were, by three empires. Starbase Unity allows them to meet and discuss things with both the Klingons and the Federation on their "turf" without having to have too many aliens on their homeworld.

The third role of the station is as a trade point. The Federaton does not have many trade points in the Triangle, so Starbase Unity will have large civilian facilities for use in trade into and out of the Triangle.

Thought it's a Starfleet facility, it is jointly run by Starfleet and the Klingons, with the CO being Starfleet and the XO being Klingon. A Klingon computer core was added to the station, as well as several specialized systems and facilities, but these are mostly last minuite addations, and don't change the apparence of running of the station.

The PC's can be Starfleet, Klingon or civilian. If Starfleet or Klingon military, they will be junor officers (no higher than Lt.). I haven't yet come up with any specific stories as yet. I'm thinking of having an Eshin "purity" movement, who want to see their people remain independant of any larger empire and wish to see the Station destroyed. Not that original, I know, but always fun to through local politics into the mix. I also want to have the Romulans come into this as well. The Eshin homeworld is stratigicly placed in the Triangle, so all three empires are interested in it. And, of course, stories involving the tensions that come with attempting to mix Klingon and Starfleet crews together. But, nothing specific. Mostly, I'm looking for the pilot episode hook.

Oh, one other note... both sides have assigned a ship to the station, but I'm not sure what these ships should be. Originally, they were a Saber-class and a K'vort-class.

Comments, story ideas, ship ideas, questions, flames?

[Tilarium]

No flames from me! I like the story idea, sounds like alot of fun...not to mention it's in one of my favorite ST time frames...the Dominion War.

For the first episode it could be the "moveing in" episode, sorta like the first episode of DS9. For other story ideas you can steal some ideas from DS9 and modify them to fit your story and make them unique. Like the purity movement, I see it as being alot like the Bajoran Circle. Don't forget about the pending War. In 2373 the tensions are really really high. Another good episode can have reports of a changling aboard the station or even on the planet! The planet would be more fun I think, the players will have to go down and try and root out the changling without being found out by the population.

For ships...I'd say either a saber or a steamrunner if you want a stronger federation ship. For the Klingon ship, go with a K'Vort. There the backbone of the Klingon Empire.

Just curious though, where abouts on the map would the "triangle" be?

Have fun with this series. let us know how it gos!

Kyle

[Chris Blanchard]

Thanks for your input.

To answer your question, the Triangle is something FASA invented, an area of uncontrolled space that is where the Klingon, Romulan and Federation borders meet. I always thought it was a fantastic idea, especially for a TOS campaign, which was a very cold war type of game. I just decided that it would be a great place to stick this station. Givin this, however, that places it in the Beta Quadrent, on the otherside of the Federation from the front lines. So, until the Romulans actually join the aliance, almost a full year after the station goes online, the Dominion War will not have as big an impact on the game.

I figured on doing the "moving in" story for the first episode, I just need a hook, something that happens that will set the tone for the campaign, or at least for the first season. My thoughts were to have the characters charged with escorting an Eshin ambasador to the station, and something happens along the way.

I like the idea of a changling being loose, especially on the planet. That would probably be a good third of fourth episode (assuming 5 to 10 episodes per "season").

Of course, reading what I wrote above about the Romulans joing the aliance, that will make for some interesting second season episodes, as the Romulans start coming aboard the station as friends.

Hmmmmmmm..... must mull this over.

[Tilarium]

With it being right one the Romulan border I'd go with a Steamrunner class ship. For the year that the Romulans and the Dominion had the non-agression pact there was alot of fear that they would enter into a full treaty with the Dominion...espically after the Cardassassians joined the Dominion.

The Federation would want to keep a strong ship in the area but not a full blown warship like a Soverign class, which might prevoke the Romulans.

For a hook for the first session....

The "war" with the Klingons just ended, the Romulans signed a non-agression pact with the Dominion, the fog of war is hanging very heavy. That alone is a perfect very tense situation, the Klingons want on the Station to watch the Romulans, the Federation wants on the Station to watch the Romulans offically anyway. One of the PCs or NPCs can be a member of SI which is also keeping on eye on the Klingons. Remember, the agressions just ended, and with Klingons you never know if they'll join the Dominion, or even declare out right war on the Federation again

[Capt. K. Vaughn]

If you have the Romulan boxed set, FASA's Triangle is roughly where the Vela Expanse is on the starchart in the set.

I believe LUG was going for a similar idea with the Expanse that FASA had done with the Triangle many a moon ago. Unfortunately, that little gem never saw realization.

Regards,
CKV.

[Sho-sa Kurita]

As for the "unity" movement, how 'bout this?

Not only do they want to remain independent, but they want to take control of as much Triangle space as possible. Some of the more long-term thinkers in the group see getting help from the UFP and KE as a stepping stone (help with technology and area knowledge). To this end the leader of the Eshin mission on the station (or his lieutenant), is a "unity" member. Of course this takes the "destroy the station" angle out of the picture, but it replaces it with "take over the station."

Question: the Eshin being newly warp-capable, do they actually have a one-world government, or are there multiple nations? I would go for the latter, because it opens up the episode possibilities a great deal, especially in the diplomatic and intelligence arenas. And if a changeling does get to the planet, that just makes it even more fun.

-- Daniel

[Sho-sa Kurita]

I forgot -- ship idea. Having discussed the Saber and Steamrunner, you seem to be going for a harder edge feel, but consider a Nebula for this setup.

1) It's quite capable of defending itself, but is still not a warship.
2) With part of the mission being to watch the Romulans, the ability to put various powerful sensor packages on a Nebula would come in handy, methinks.

-- Daniel, again

[Imagus]

Neat idea, and I love anything to do with the Triangle, which is going to be the focus of my own campaign.

For your pilot episode, I'm a great believer in the idea that it should set the theme for your series. If you have a long-term plot arc planned, then drop its opening seeds into the episode - establish a future villain as a guest star, make sure some event foreshadows future events or something similar.

[Chris Blanchard]

Thanks, all, these are great ideas!

Actually, I don't have a long-term story arc for this campaign, which is really unusual for me. I tend to have a sweeping, epic story planned for my games.

However, as this is going to be an online game (We're going to play using OpenRPG), and not knowing how long this will last, I was figuring on leaving it more open ended and just let things flow. At the same time, I want the feel of the series to be one of hightened tensions, as people prepare for war, then watch as the war happens at the other end of the Federation. I want it to have a "who can we trust" kind of feel.

On that note, I LOVE the idea of the Eshin ambasidor being part of the purity movement. I'm definatly going to use that.

And I also like the idea of a Nebula-class. I always did like that ship, I don't know why I didn't think of it before. Okay, I like this too, so the USS Virginia will be a Nebula-class ship.

Now it's just a matter of putting the pieces together to come up with a few episodes, get the characters made, and start playing. I'll keep you all posted.

[Silverthorne]

I would actually be interested in the info from the Galactica game.. any chance i could see that info...

[Chris Blanchard]

Hey, I have no problems sharing my campaigns.

All the info on my Galactica rip-off (Which I called Star Trek: Earthquest) can be found at my website, here.

http://fubar.8k.com/vault/earthquest/index.htm

Enjoy. And please feel free to tell me what you think of it.

[Silverthorne]

BANZAI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


<returns>


Very nice, I was looking for a little more BSG.. but it works.

[Imagus]

Originally posted by Chris Blanchard
Hey, I have no problems sharing my campaigns.

All the info on my Galactica rip-off (Which I called Star Trek: Earthquest) can be found at my website, here.

http://fubar.8k.com/vault/earthquest/index.htm

Enjoy. And please feel free to tell me what you think of it.

Verrry nice!

I love the ship designs...

[Chris Blanchard]

Yeah, the Ships page is my favorite. The funny thing is, I stole... er... found most of those on the web at various sites. I had a friend with Bryce, and we were planning on doing Bryce pictures for most of the ships, but until he had finished, I was using those pictures. But, he ended up getting bored with Bryce, and the campaign ended (rather abruptly), and so I ended up with just what's there.

[Flamestrike]

Hmmmm A Nebula-class vessel would be appropriate to the Federation viewpoint, but methinks that the Klingons wouldn't be too happy with the Feds putting a research cruiser at the tip of what could turn out to be a very dangerous iceberg... could turn out to be a bone of contention between the two powers...

If you're going to be considering swapping out ships as the political climate changes, I'd suggest stationing and Akira-class vessel, complete with fighter squadron... That way, the Klingons would have someone new to pick fights with- the fighter-jocks!

Seriously, though, having that fighter squadron around would add a whole new dynamic to the station, and quite frankly, one we've never seen before in a long term scenario: Federation warriors. The Federation citizens as a whole are taught that fighting is the last alternitive solution to any problem... how would they cope in the long term with having to go from the air shows and role of symbolic defense to the grim skys of space combat? I can see some great drama coming out of such a scenario...