The basic campaign is centered around a Starfleet Intelligence Taskforce and their exploits. I am having each player create two characters - a lower decks character, and an upper decks character. The lower decks group will be creating more rookie characters, given some extra training and thrown into dangerous situations. The first couple of adventures will actually center in ont he lower decks characters and be set during the Starfleet Academy. There are some great roleplaying possibilities, and ways to flesh a characters out before things get dangerous. Also, rather than wasting a couple of hours trying to learn the new system, why not roleplay learnign the essential skills. Why not learn how to do things IN character - everything from using tricorders, to shooting phasers, to ship combat. We have a couple of players who are not that familiar with the Trek universe, and thus they will be given the opportunity to ask questions as they see fit in a "classroom" environment. As I mentioned, great roleplaying possibilities her. Eventually, after we have covered the basics, we will progress to the actual campaign. PCs include a female Flight Control Officer, a male Weapons Officer, a Security Major/Starfleet Ranger, and a Hot shot fighter Pilot (taken from JackKill's guide to Federation ships).
The second group of characters will be already established characters with some experience in their belt. They will be very qualified individuals from a variety of backgrounds. I will go into this further as I describe the setting below.
The campaign is called Star Trek:Relentless. The USS Relentless is the flagship of a 3 ship Intelligence taskforce. While we start playing in 2300, the actual "Relentless" campaign starts 4 years later, after the lower decks characters complete Starfleet Academy. This puts the setting in that black zone between the movies and the NG. Lots of interesting possibilites here. We are beginning to see the light of the NG, while still in the middle of the movie era feel. We have the Federation beginning to grow more secure, but still vast areas of the galaxy being protected by lone starships using "cowboy tactics" and "phaser diplomacy". These days of these methods is numbered as the Federation is slowly transforming.
Characters find themselves serving in Taskforce Relentless, a three ship intelligence taskforce that is sent on a variety of dangerousl missions and operations. Protecting the Federation from threats it doesn't know that it has. The lead starship is the USS Relentless, one of the first Rothwell class cruisers off the line ( taken from JackKill's ship guide volume III - basically a Excelsior saucer with no starboard hull, only twin warp engines - kinda a reverse Centaur). Also assigned to the Taskforce is the USS Valiant, a modified Jester class corvette (also from Jackill's guide - picture an Oberth upper hull only, replacing the lower with a photon pod. ) The Valiant has been modified with an illegal Cloaking device to be used in intelligence missions. At least one adventure will require a moral choice involving reveal this secret (causing the Romulans to protest to the Federation, or let something BAD happen. The third and final ship is the interesting one, but I'll get to that in a minute.
The Commanding officer of Taskforce Relentless is an NPC female captain who is an advocate of the new Federation and where it is going. The second in command is one of the PCs upper deck characters - a Commander with a background in Intelligence operations, Starship Command, and Games-and-Theory. He is an intelligence orientated as in the real world, they are always the last to convert to new ways. Thus he is old school. All of the lower decks officers will be assigned to him as his bridge crew and away team specialists. It is typical for the Relentless and the Valiant to be on two seperate missions, thus each Lead is assigned a "Team" that they take with them on missions. (This is a quick and diry way of assigning PCs to whichever ship, the Relentless or Valiant is cgoing on the mission I am sending them on. Plus it lets them experience life aboard two entirely different ships - a large spacious cruiser with rec facilites or a small submarine like cramped corvette).
Thus we move to the third ship, (so far unnamed). 12 years ago, Starfleet intelligence came up with the idea of creating a group of deep cover operatives. The picked an elite group of individuals, outfitted them with a ship ( a modified cargo vessel with secret hidden weapons) and sent them into the shadowy galactic underworld, the Triangle, and other seedy locations. Their mission: to establish themselves as smugglers and criminals, and build a name for themselves. Funnelled funds and money making cargoes, this elite group of agents did just that - for over a decade. Now, having left them unmolested for all of this time, Starfleet Intelligence has decided to reel them in and put their underwold knowledge and expertise to use. The problem is that these idividuals have been out there too long. The Starfleet mentality has been replaced with a maverick rogues ability to survive. The captain of this vessel with be another of the PCs. In the first adventure he will be recalled, and all of his crew given classified field ranks as Starfleet Intelligence Operatives. The problem is, though they believe in what Starleet is doing, their methods are not those of a disciplined Starfleet officer, but instead bringing the unpredictibility and survial skills of mavericks. This will lead to some interesting conflicts - disciplined Starfleet officers must learn to adjust to the unconventional tactics of the Rogue group, and the rogue group must get back into the swing of things again, working with more rigid Starleet Officers. This third ship will be attached to Taskforce Relentless to aid in their operations.
Thus we have all three groups of people converging. They are all very different and will have different takes. Moral conflicts that will arise stem from Old School vs New School. They stem from Starfleet characters vs the Undercover operatives who are used to their freedom. Younger characters faced with real dangers, and older characters trying to figure out how to get missions accomplished working with a wide variety of individuals. This also allows a wide variety of missions and adventures. Every adventure will not center in on every character. I may have a mission with just the Lowers. I may have one with the Uppers. I may have some of each. If someone can't make it, I have a pool of characters to pick the best ones for the missions.
Missions themselves will be of the widest variety. They will be everything from important diplomatic functions, neutral zone penetrations, adventures in the mysterious triangle, military encounters and conflicts etc. My version of Trek is going to be more dangerous, as one could expect. It will be darker and grittier, and deal with much crazier moral dilemmas and much more action and conflict. I am trying to take the best of Kirk's period and add in the beginnings of TNG, DS9, B5, and then throwing in my own stuff to boot. It will, but it's nature have a very Trek feel, but I hope to work some unique magic of my own with it taking us to places events and situations not seen in Trek. I even have an overarcing campaign that will introduce some two new powerful races that could drag the universe into conflict. bringing unexpaected forces together as allies, or old friends as enemies... I am not too concerned with maintaining cannon and having the NG era come to pass as I am with telling an exciting saga. The NG may happen, and it may not. We'll have to see how things go.
Well, now that I have said my mouthful, I would love to hear what other people think of my idea. I so enjoy reading and gaining inspiration from other peoples ideas, and I thought I would throw mine out there in case it can inspire other too!
Game on!
Razuur
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