Journey to Federation campaign, invitation to comment
I wanted to share my campaign setting with the other Narrators out there, as well as invite comments before our first session.
Journey to Federation: A Star Trek campaign
Setting
Era: Circa 2180, between Enterprise and TOS. (I'm still working out the exact year.) Region: The Emerald Isle, a region of stars partially enclosed by the I-7623, a Hugora-class nebula. Traveling: Starship, shuttlecraft, occasional transporter.
Crew: Organization: Starfleet, composed of a coalition of soldiers from their respective navies. The logistics are similar to a NATO combined joint task force. To counter Vulcan criticism, Starfleet has mandated the existence of a "Diplomatic Officer", well-versed in negotiations as well as cultural and social sciences. This role would disappear but reemerge 150 years later as the Counselor. Mission Focus: Diplomatic, Intelligence, Trade, though any are possible. Composition: Federation member starship officers. That means Human, Centauran, Vulcan, Andorian, and Tellarite.
Base of Operations: Mobile: USS Daniel Boone, a pre-refit Declaration-class cruiser.
Technology: Era Technology: Basically, as seen in Enterprise with some enhancements. (For my purposes, the series Enterprise is a historical fiction, with many technical inaccuracies.)
The Declaration class (http://forum.trek-rpg.net/showthread...&threadid=5607) is brand new, the result of limited technology sharing and lessons learned from the recent Romulan War. It's the first Federation vessel that can burst at warp 6, though it is very taxing to the lithium crystals. (Yes, lithium. I haven't figured out a game mechanic for this yet.) The Declaration class is also the first Starfleet vessel to rely on shields rather than polarized hull plating. Ships are equipped with pulse lasers, phase cannons, spatial torpedoes, and graviton beam cannons. Subspace transmissions can take days. Transporters are used for cargo, some beaming from station to station. (Unlike in Enterprise, they take longer than in TOS, maybe 10-15 seconds. They take the time to do things right.) "Replicators" are crude but functional (basically an improved protein resequencer). The EM-33 plasma pistol is the sidearm of choice, being more reliable than the phase pistol. Portable universal translators (similar to the microphone model from TOS "Metamorphosis") are standard issue. Tractor beams are common. Microtronic computers. VR suits. Available Tech:
The Vulcans have better shields and computers. The Andorians have better phasers and are looking at improving the fusion torpedo. As integration problems are solved, they might become refits later.
Episode One: "Hope Springs Eternal"
This adventure is written up.
The USS Daniel Boone is ordered to rescue the SS Hopewell, a Oberth-class ship from a human commercial survey venture, from the I-7326 nebula. The Crew is the first Federation representatives to make contact with the Sigelian Cooperative. The Boone carries Niobe Stavanger, a representative of the Hudson Company. Stavanger (probably) decides to convert the Hopewell into a trade station.
Episode Two:
The Boone discovers a Debrune atmospheric probe. They only have a couple of hours to investigate before it becomes irretrievable. (Adapt http://www.mu.org/~joe/traveller/arc...adv.seed.1.txt)
The Debrune have Egyptianesque high-level technology (think Gou'ald from Stargate), but are long since dead.
Episode Three:
On their way to deliver a Sigelian envoy to Earth, the Boone must confront a group of pirates who have reprogrammed the navigational buoys to lead ship to their lair. (Adapt http://www.rpgarchive.com/index.php?page=adv1&advid=157)
Episode Four:
Having picked up the Federation envoy to Sigelia, the Crew must transport some delegates to an important economic conference on Epsilon Eridani (establishing broad economic policy guidelines, topic: raising the growth potential through the transition to a replicator-based economy). Once there, the building the Crew are currently staying in is taken hostage by extreme revolutionaries called the "Invisible Hand". Led by Charles Vang, the Invisible Hand is a radical political party who believes that replicator technology will bankrupt the UFP and its members. The revolutionaries are well trained, well organized, and coordinated. It's rapidly apparent to the Federation Council that any rash moves would result in the death of the hostages, but unknown to all, the Crew have been overlooked, and they are on the inside. (http://www.talislanta.com/talislanta/fan/advbcoll.htm)
Episode Five:
The Boone with its enhanced sensors is asked to assist in a underwater rescue. A Sigellian transport has crash landed on an 'uninhabited' water world. The joint Sigelian/Starfleet rescue party encounters a rebel faction trying to gather intelligence data before the sea stresses tear it apart.
Possible short missions:
* relief mission to a refugee camp
* mercy mission due to solar flare
* dinner at the Federation embassy on Sigelia Prime
* one of the Crew must become a member of the Fingers of the Fist (http://www.complang.tuwien.ac.at/ale...lots/pl95.html)
* A powerful friend of one of the Crew is murdered, and he works with others to investigates
* A mining vessel encounters the Crew and dumps its cargo and tries to make a run for it (dilithium?)
Later Seasons:
* Starfleet sends the Boone to corroborate the findings of a Sigelian survey outpost. They discover the Tzenkethi Coalition.
* Revolutionaries try to dissolve the Federation (http://www.stormsurge.org/adventure/beachhead.html)
* Follow-up adventure, explaining more about the Debrune.
Originally posted by StyroFoam Man Very nice. What kind of feedback are you looking for?
Mainly, I want to avoid myopia. (That's why I wear contacts {cymbal crash}.) No, seriously, I wanted to get a few fresh pairs of eyes to take a look.
* Is the world internally consistent?
* Is it what you imagined the early Federation might be like?
* Are there any elements I can add or subtract that might make the playing experience more fun for the players?
* Do you see any room for improvement?
Originally posted by Liz Not Beth Be carful with the high-tech Debrune stuff in this era! Humanity hasn't evolved to the point that they can safely handle ubertech.
"OHHH! A deathray!"
>zoink< (gas giant planet explodes)
"Whoops! Quick! Blame it on Hoshi!"
I like it. Truly, the intention is for the tech to only be available for a short time before the "balloon" sinks irretrievably into the gas giant. I have to make sure they can't keep anything earth-shattering (literally!)
Re: Journey to Federation campaign, invitation to comment
Originally posted by Tangentier
well, all I can say is "Well Done!"
Very well thought-out, looks like your'e off to a great start. I especially like your extrapolations from ENT and TOS.
Officer-caliber work!
Think the Debrune out totally give some thought to how they ended there period of being a power and are no longer even relative by the time of TOS. Enterprise sufferes from the fact that B&B did not think the Sulliban through completely before using them. Just ask yourself in the end where is this race going (in both your series and in the Canon timeline) and how will it drop off the radar screen for the 22nd century?
Originally posted by Tangentier Mainly, I want to avoid myopia. (That's why I wear contacts {cymbal crash}.) No, seriously, I wanted to get a few fresh pairs of eyes to take a look.
* Is the world internally consistent?
* Is it what you imagined the early Federation might be like?
* Are there any elements I can add or subtract that might make the playing experience more fun for the players?
* Do you see any room for improvement?
Things like that. Thanks for asking!
Well, since your era is between ENT and TOS, you might want to include a healthy dose of brawling and blasting, just to get that TOS-era feel.
Originally posted by Eric R. Think the Debrune out totally give some thought to how they ended there period of being a power and are no longer even relative by the time of TOS. Enterprise sufferes from the fact that B&B did not think the Sulliban through completely before using them. Just ask yourself in the end where is this race going (in both your series and in the Canon timeline) and how will it drop off the radar screen for the 22nd century?
I found the name of the race from the recent Star Charts book. They are a dead civilization, similar to the Iconians. I'm hoping to envoke that feel.
Actually I thought it might be a civilian Oberth class and not the same one. There is precedent for two classes with the same name in non canon sources.
Originally posted by Eric R. Actually I thought it might be a civilian Oberth class and not the same one. There is precedent for two classes with the same name in non canon sources.
You're right. Initially, I was thinking of something like the SS Vico from that TNG episode, but quickly tossed it out.
Any better suggestions for a civilian survey vessel?
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