Chaplains in Starfleet

[Lt.Khrys Antos]

Has there ever been on screen information about Chaplains or other faith-based positions in Starfleet? Or for that matter in the Federation as a whole?

In my upcoming FIS campaign, one of my players has decided to play a Starfleet Chaplain or a civilian priest who is recruited by the agency. I'd like to have on screen information to help shape his characters past.

[Lord Kjeran]

I started a thread last year about this...did we lose that info since? I can't seem to find it.

Someone did some really kewl overlays for SF Chaplains. i don't have it anymore....I have since had a drive crash.

The general consensus came down to the following conclusions, iirc:

1. An official position similiar to a ship's consuler but with less authority.

2. An officer who is a regular crewmember but "moonlights" as an unofficial chaplian (and is an ordained minister, shaman, what have you).


EDIT: Never mind...here's the link to that thread: http://216.40.212.6/forum/showthread...ight=Chaplains



Hope this helps.

Tony

[Lt.Khrys Antos]

It helped somewhat, thank you very much for the link to the thread. Sorry to hear about your accident.

Continuing on Chaplains, then do Starfleet personnel use Chaplains? I'm not interested in the religious meaning and their beliefs. I've always pictured Chaplains serving more like U.S. army chaplains.

Wouldn't Starfleet use the position of Chaplain in a more general manner? A person trained in the manners of all major faiths and their practices. At least have people giving the last rites, I'd expect no less.

[Greg Davis]

Funny that it should come up, but I had a Chaplin character once. He was primarily a Flight Control officer who was quite religious, as the Captain noted when, as the ship entered a combat situation, she heard my character quitely muttering a prayer under his breath.

To accomodate the various religions found in the Federation, I made certain that the character (after accepting an unofficial posting as the ship's spiritual officer and religious counselor) had a high general Theology rating (using LUG rules), with a variety of specializations in prominent religions of the Federation (Vulcan Mysticism, the Bajoran Prophets and Christianity, just to name a few).

In-game, there was a lot of play-ability for this character, as he was useful whenever the ship encountered species whose government was Theocratic, as well as serving in the roles that I previously mentioned.

Also, he was granted permission by Starfleet to perform wedding ceremonies, and he also led important dedications and commemorations. Finally, given his spiritual side, he served as the ship's Morale officer.

So, like I said, at least in our game it was a position with a lot of potential.



Greg

[toadkiller]

After last years thread I made an NPC that is a "chaplain". Acutally he's the counselor who happens to be a priest. For the (fairly small) number of personnel on the ship who are interested in his religion he's their priest. For everyone else he is the counselor.

Only major plot point has been that if he is told something in his role as a priest (i.e during confession) he cannot reveal that information - even to the CO. I decided that the UFP would support that.

[Dan Gurden]

Thanks for linking to the old thread. I had been looking for my old template for the Chaplain (as an addition to the councelling department),

**SHAMELESS PLUG MODE**

IMO the very best Chaplain template out there (and non specified religion too...)

Originally posted by Dan Gurden
OK, here is my version of a chaplain, based off the counselor overlay, I see it as a slightly more balanced character, which is probably easier to do as (not being a religious type) I see Theology as a social science rather than a skill in its own right...

Administration (Starship Personnel) 2(3)
Persuasion (Counseling) 2(3) (Oratory) (3)
Social Sciences (Theology) 2(3), (Choose Specialisation) (3)
Medical Sciences (Psychology) 1(2)
or
First Aid (Choose Specialisation) 1(2)

Athletics (Choose Specialisation) 1(2)
Computer (Choose Specialisation) 1(2)
Dodge 2
Energy Weapon (Phaser) 1(2)
History (Federation) 1(2), (Chosen Religion) (2)
Language
Federation Standard 1
Choose Language 1
Law (Starfleet Regulations) 1(2)
Planetside Survival (Choose Specialisation) 1(2)
Vehicle Operation (Shuttlecraft) 1(2)

Pacifist -1

I feel the slightly more rounded crewmember would be better represented in the average game, without sacrificing what they are to effectiveness in a game that doesn't feature religion.

------------------
DanG.

"Hi, I'm Commander Troy McClure, you might remember me from other academy training holo-simulations as, Abandon Ship, the quickest way out, and I sense danger, 101 things you dont need a Betazoid to know..."

http://www.theventure.freeserve.co.uk

[Lt.Khrys Antos]

I'll be using CODA for this new series (test running CODA this way), so I'll simply convert the template as best I can.

I don't see Chaplains as spiritual officers, the counselor can see to those needs or even a plain civilian priest. I intended to run a specifically non-Starfleet campaign which would mean no ship and no regulations apart from Federation Law. The PC in question wanted to make a Chaplain from the Starfleet Ground Forces recruited by Federation Intelligence.

Just a thought, shouldn't Starfleet vessels have a person from each faith to minister to the needs of the believers on the ship? Such as Chaplains, priests, monks, vedeks, Vulcan Mystics and so on. Now wouldn't a Starfleet wanting to save space train people who are well versed in the needs of most religions? Through logistical processes assign "Chaplains" to ships on which they are needed? While being a seperate position from Counselors they would still be in the same branch.

[Dan Gurden]

Well, if your going into CODA, your problems are solved. Use the Mystic profession.

[Lt.Khrys Antos]

Posted by Dan Gurden:

Well, if your going into CODA, your problems are solved. Use the Mystic profession.

Doh! I completely forgot about that.

Thanks for the reminder, now I'll just modify it slightly for my own campaign.

[lyjobu]

If I may, I would like to offer 2 nearly useless pieces of information to the party.

1. Chakotay seems to follow a fairly well defined religon.
2. In the early '80s, the DC comic book had a character who was the adopted son of a SF Chaplain. In a flashback scene, the Chaplain was a Lt. JG, with a blue uniform and a modified collar.

My 2 cents...

[lyjobu]

If I may, I would like to offer 2 nearly useless pieces of information to the party.

1. Chakotay seems to follow a fairly well defined religon.
2. In the early '80s, the DC comic book had a character who was the adopted son of a SF Chaplain. In a flashback scene, the Chaplain was a Lt. JG, with a blue uniform and a modified collar.

My 2 cents...

[Trinity Zeldis]

Consider a dedication ceremony for a starship.

Or, as in some earthly religions, individuals aren't allowed to live or work at a location without being properlly blessed.

For this post I'll be using Navajo mysticism. For any Dine out there, please do not take offenses and feel free to correct me. Doo ahashyaa da.

Navajo buildings are built with the door facing east (the birth place of the sun, the beginning of all things). Where is east in space? Even then, the ship will constantly be changing. However, if you use the ship as a base singular "world," then perhaps the quarters of the individual are all that matters. So possibly having the doors facing.....Life Support? Engineering? Sick Bay? The Bridge?

Marriages....My knowledge is lacking in Navajo wedding ceremonies.

Singing the Ways. This is where the shaman (for us Europeans) comes in. The Ways have many functions, most notably healing. This brings to mind something EMH brought up in the minivan series, "I am programmed with all manner of holistic healing techniques and psycho-spiritual rituals." So religion (or mysticism) is more than just a Social skill. It is also a Medical skill.

Also consider funerary services. As I recall, Navajo don't mention the dead (for starters, Navajo didn't even have names until Eurpeans showed up). A commanding officer would have to refer to the deceased by way of rank and position (serial numbers might be considered a form of name.)

The one thing to keep in mind, not all religions are segregated from themselves. Christianity is notorious for this. Certain days are when you can talk to the spiritual, and only at certain places, and only through certain people. Some cultures, like the Dine, have no religion because they call it life. These are some aspects of various cultures that have to be considered when using alien religions. After all, what if it isn't a religion that is causing issues with procedure, but the culture itself. How would a ship's captain react to one of his crew smearing lamb's blood on the lintel of his quarters on passover?

[Dan Gurden]

Originally posted by Trinity Zeldis
Doo ahashyaa da.

Been reading some Alan Dean Foster recently?

[Trinity Zeldis]

With all due respect, I knew that phrase before I read that book. Some of us belagana have friends among Dineh.

[FDor]

I think that there are no special chaplains in Starfleet roster. Counselor has taken a role of 'chaplain' as a person you can talk to if you have to.
Counselor must be knowledgable with multiple religions so he knows at least how not to insult a person who is coming to talk to him.

Of course there may be persons who are chaplains or priests of specific religion. But they are not either working for Starfleet or don't let that religion interfere with their work.

Just thinking about how many religions there are in Earth nowadays (count in all branches and cults) and then expand that to hundreds or thousands of planets. It would require a fleet of chaplains to be spear around all ships. =)

Federation and Starfleet respect different religions and have true freedom of faith but they have also one faith above all that everyone working for Starfleet must respect first: Starfleet Regulations. =)

Vesku