Fleet Commander Elite Profession
This is very experimental; I started it with Romulan fleet operations in mind, and then it grew. (The Coordinate Fire ability is based on Picard's maneuver against the Borg cube in First Contact, and I Have Not Yet Begun to Fight is just oh-so-Sisko.) See what you think.
FLEET COMMANDER
The fleet commander takes the skills of the command officer to the next step: command of entire squadrons or armadas of starships. Fleet commanders are most common in those interstellar fleets that rely on coordinated tactics and strategies. The Romulan Star Navy makes greater use of fleet commanders than most other Alpha and Beta Quadrant powers, since the Star Empire emphasizes both long-term expansionist strategy and individual service to the state. Starfleet also has its share of fleet commanders; although Starfleet Command prefers to deploy its starships individually or in smaller groups for most routine operations, its commanders are expected to function effectively in coordinated fleet efforts when circumstances demand it. Garth of Izar in the 23rd century and Captain Benjamin Sisko and Admiral William Ross during the Dominion War are three good examples of Starfleet officers who might take the fleet commander elite profession. The Cardassian fleet has some fleet commanders, but the divisive, vesala-based politics of the Cardassian military (despite the Romulan-like official ideology of state service) sometimes prevents fleet command positions and the most talented officers from coming together as they do in the Romulan and Federation fleets. Klingon fleets tend to function as large aggregations of vessels operating individually, so relatively few true Klingon fleet commanders exist (although General Martok sometimes exhibited the coordinating skills that are the hallmark of the profession). Ferengi fleet commanders are almost unheard-of, since the Ferengi Alliance rarely fields anything approximating an interstellar armada.
MISSIONS: The fleet commander essentially serves only one function: command of large starship units in combat. As a result, fleet commanders often go long periods without really functioning as such (more so in Starfleet, less so in the Romulan Star Navy). Fleet actions may come about as a result of missions other than strictly military, however: a fleet commander may be called on to disrupt or prevent disruption of diplomatic and commercial missions or to lead an ad hoc fleet against some threat that arises in the course of exploration.
BACKGROUND: Fleet commanders overwhelmingly come from the starship officer profession, and especially from the ranks of command and sometimes of security officers. In some cultures (notably the Klingons and Cardassians, who make less distinction between space and ground forces, with competent officers expected to function adequately in both roles), fleet commanders may come from the soldier profession. Rarely, renegade or buccaneer armadas appear on the frontiers led by a fleet commander who started out as a rogue or merchant, but such cooperation among criminals is highly uncommon.
ROLE: Although most famous fleet commanders come from the ranks of large interstellar navies, a few pirate fleet commanders travel the spacelanes. In those services where fleets are assembled ad hoc or dispersed during normal operations, a fleet commander may perform in any of the roles of the starship officer or soldier, perhaps directing fleet deployment at a distance from a starbase or flagship but rarely engaged in actual fleet maneuvers.
PREREQUISITES: Command 2, Presence 8+, Tactics 8+, Administration 6+, Persuade 6+.
PROFESSIONAL SKILLS: Administration, Influence, Persuade, System Operation, Observe, Tactics.
PROFESSIONAL ABILITIES
The following abilities are characteristic of the fleet commander. A player character automatically gains one Tier 1 professional ability upon entering the fleet commander elite profession. Additional abilities can be chosen freely through advancement (see pages 152-153 of the ST:RPG Player’s Guide), provided the character meets the ability prerequisites.
TIER 1 PROFESSIONAL ABILITIES
FLEET MANEUVERS: The fleet commander is adept at coordinating the maneuvers of the ships in her fleet during combat. During each round of starship combat, the fleet commander can make a Persuasion (Command) skill test (TN 10, +1 per subordinate commander coordinated) to grant her subordinates a +2 bonus on Command maneuver tests during that round per degree of success achieved. The maximum bonus is equal to one-half the fleet commander’s Tactics skill level, rounding up. The bonus only applies if the subordinate commander(s) follow the orders of the fleet commander during that round.
REFLECTED GLORY: The successes of the ships under a fleet commander’s authority reflect well on her skill and ability. The fleet commander receives 1 Renown for every 2 Renown earned by a subordinate ship commander under her direct command.
TIER 2 PROFESSIONAL ABILITIES
I HAVE NOT YET BEGUN TO FIGHT: The fleet commander displays amazing resolve and courage in the face of adversity. When facing a superior force (defined as a force with an aggregate weapons Offense Value of 150% that of her own forces or greater, whether at the start of battle or as the result of combat losses), the fleet commander may spend up to 6 Courage per round instead of the usual 4, and gains a +5 bonus to Tactics (Space) and Persuade (Command) tests for each courage point spent instead of +3. PREREQUISITE: Fleet Maneuvers.
TRANSFER THE FLAG: The fleet commander can designate any vessel in her fleet as her flagship on a temporary or permanent basis. The fleet commander must personally board and take command of the vessel so designated, which receives the benefits of the Flagship starship edge (a +2 bonus to all Command maneuver tests) for as long as the fleet commander is aboard. If the fleet commander Transfers the Flag to a vessel that already has the Flagship edge, it receives an extra +1 bonus to Command maneuvers. PREREQUISITE: Persuade 8+ and Persuade (Command) specialty.
TIER 3 PROFESSIONAL ABILITIES
COORDINATE FIRE: The fleet commander can coordinate the weapons fire of several ships in her fleet against a single target. This is essentially the same as the Tier 2 Tactical maneuver Multiweapon, except that it combines the penetration values of weapons from several contributing ships rather than several weapons systems from a single ship. Participant vessels may employ the Multiweapon maneuver, but participation in Coordinate Fire counts against each ship’s maneuver limit for the round. Participant ships must all have established Lock On with the target. The fleet commander must make a Tactics (Space) skill test with a TN of 10, +4 for each participating ship, to coordinate weapons fire. A marginal success allows all participants who succeed at an attack roll (TN equal to the target’s Protection+10) to combine their Penetration ratings for that round; complete success reduces the TN of the attack roll by 3, superior success reduces the TN by 6, and extraordinary success reduces the TN to the attacker’s Protection+0. The fleet commander must make a new Tactics (Space) skill test each round to maintain coordinated fire for an extended period. PREREQUISITE: I Have Not Yet Begun to Fight.
It is by caffeine alone I set my mind in motion. It is by the juice of java that thoughts acquire speed, the hands acquire shaking, the shaking becomes a warning. It is by caffeine alone I set my mind in motion.
--Mentat Coffee Mantra
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