Adventure Seeds

[DDeridex]

Greetings to all you people, I’m a rookie here and I loved read your ideas, than I liked to share some of my ideas with you.

Episode: Trojan Horse
Era: later TOS or TNG
Series type: Exploration or Outpost

In a middle of a routine voyage, the ship’s sensors picked up a ship heading to a star corona, at full impulse. This ship must be saved. An away team must to beam aboard to investigate what happened. The rogue ship is a Rigel Class Cargo Ship, or any one class you want. There is no one on board and the navigation logs were erased, but using the sensors logs and downloading it to the players’ ship’s computer, they will be able to find out where the rogue ship has gone.

The sensor logs reveals from where the rogue ship came from. When the players’ship arrives there, they will find out a system without habitable planets, but an accurate sensor scan will reveal an underground complex on one of the system planets.

An away team will find out several corpses, including romulan corpses, and equipment stuff indicating that the complex might be a clandestine factory and the romulans tried to destroy it.

This is a seed for an adventure campaign in my series that shows Federation Underground supporting members of romulan resistance, providing equipment and weapons. I hope you like it.

[TorItara]

Greetings, and welcome to the boards Dderidex.

I have to admit, I like the 'Trojan Horse' idea - though I must admit, my first thought as a player when I pick up the ship en route to the sun would be "there's something on that ship that we really, really, don't want to escape" - perhaps I've just been reading too many of the Cthulu-Trek crossover adventure seeds here, or watched the TAS episode that had a similar idea too many times. My question is - the seed, as written, seems to have very little conflict in it (of any type - not just combat).. what could one do to 'spice it up' a bit?

The thought in my head is that some of the Romulans are still on the surface (and the associated cloaked ship in orbit - probably of the Incursion Frigate or Incursion Cruiser type, if I ever start up a Trek campaign). Other possibilities include some survivors, who want revenge upon the Romulans for ruining their plans, political interference in the mission (I'm sure some Federation Council members are secretly sympathetic with Spock's mission (I am, as an aside, assuming the 'Romulan resistance' you are talking about is Spock's underground movement, as seen in Unification, though it may be a campaign specific thing, in which case.. I'm curious about what you're refering to). Do you (or anyone else) have any other thoughts on this?

Enjoy,
-Tor

[C5]

Title : The failed experiment
Series type : Action, possibly horror
Era : Dominion War

During the Dominion War, the crew's ship discovers a Dominion fighter orbiting a remote planet in Dominion space. The lifesigns of an injured Vorta and a few Jem'Hadars can be detected inside the ship.
Advanced scans show what could be a hidden Dominon base on the planet, but no lifeforms can be detected.

The story can unfold in many ways depending on the crew's action, but here's what happened : the planet contains a secret research Dominion facility. The researchers were trying to create a new breed of Jem'Hadars soldiers, but something went wrong. A super Jem'Hadar (or maybe a few of them) has been created, but escaped, and dispatched everyone in the research center without effort (the Jem'Hadars in the fighter are the only survivors, and are waiting for orders from the Vorta, who is unconscious). This Super-Jem'Hadar can cloak to even tricorders and sensors and can fight while cloaked. He could also not be dependant on the White, or maybe need another substance to survive (if you want to gear the game toward horror, it could be blood or something like that).

Should some people beam to the surface, the experiment will try to kill them and be beamed back to the ship. Alternatively, he could already be on the fighter, and beam aboard as soon as the ship is in range.

Now how do you get rid of a nearly invicible undetectable killer on your ship (or on the surface of the planet) ?

For an additional twist, the super Jem'Hadar could be able to resist a lot of punishment (including phaser shots, depressurization, or gassing), and only some data in the research center could give the right clues on how to defeat it. Of course, in that case, it would be better to have one super Jem'hadar on the ship and another on the ground.

And even worse... maybe the super Jem'Hadar can not only cloak, but also shapeshift into other people (like the Chameloids, not the Founders)...

[Alex]

C5, ignoring the Dominion aspect of the beginning of your seed, this could have been TNG:The Arsenal of Freedom. One on the surface, one in space, nearly invincible, invisible, can look like people or things you don't suspect.... Changing the clothes does not change the person (or plot seed) underneath.

[C5]

Mmmh, yeah, right, hadn't thought of that episode...
What bugs me is that, when I first had this idea, some time ago, I'm fairly sure I had another plot twist to it, but I can't remember it now. For once, in this draft, the Dominion fighter had a role to play. Oh well... serves me right for relying too much on my memory.

[The Tatterdemalion King]

Kind of like "Empok Nor," too. And, uh, Predator. Maybe it was a life-form the Dominion was studying, or experimenting on?

I started writing a similar episode seed a while ago... hopefully I'll finish it for the Decipher con episode thingy...

[C5]

Thinking of it, there's still a big difference between the TNG episode and my idea : the rogue super-Jem'Hadar are not simply here to defend their planet, they're out for blood and eager to spread amongst the galaxy.

Okay, it's a variation on the theme of "big threat that want to take control of the ship to spread itself around" instead of just a redressing of Arsenal of Freedom.

[The Tatterdemalion King]

Thinking of it, there's still a big difference between the TNG episode and my idea : the rogue super-Jem'Hadar are not simply here to defend their planet, they're out for blood and eager to spread amongst the galaxy.

Okay, it's a variation on the theme of "big threat that want to take control of the ship to spread itself around" instead of just a redressing of Arsenal of Freedom.

that's not really a theme, that's more a plot...

[DDeridex]

Greetings, and welcome to the boards Dderidex.

I have to admit, I like the 'Trojan Horse' idea - though I must admit, my first thought as a player when I pick up the ship en route to the sun would be "there's something on that ship that we really, really, don't want to escape" - perhaps I've just been reading too many of the Cthulu-Trek crossover adventure seeds here, or watched the TAS episode that had a similar idea too many times. My question is - the seed, as written, seems to have very little conflict in it (of any type - not just combat).. what could one do to 'spice it up' a bit?

The thought in my head is that some of the Romulans are still on the surface (and the associated cloaked ship in orbit - probably of the Incursion Frigate or Incursion Cruiser type, if I ever start up a Trek campaign). Other possibilities include some survivors, who want revenge upon the Romulans for ruining their plans, political interference in the mission (I'm sure some Federation Council members are secretly sympathetic with Spock's mission (I am, as an aside, assuming the 'Romulan resistance' you are talking about is Spock's underground movement, as seen in Unification, though it may be a campaign specific thing, in which case.. I'm curious about what you're refering to). Do you (or anyone else) have any other thoughts on this?

Enjoy,
-Tor

TorItara, when I designed this idea, my first thought was that seed would be about an investigation plot, and I wanted to play with my players’ curiosity and paranoia. I didn’t go further in details, to make easier to adapt to any series. I putted some clues in the computer data retrieved by my players to push them to other episodes’ questions in my series.

On the next seeds about this plot, I want do explore and put in more elements, I liked your suggestions too.

[jayphailey2006]

Game Idea 10-25-2006

Lagal, A planet on the frontier, with the Klingons.

Balkanized, recently unified by the Syndicate of Nations, a totalitarian regime, after being used as a free port by the Orions.

Recently a Klingon Representative to the planet was assassinated by national syndicalists, sparking violence.

The Klingons are sending more troops.

Unbeknownst to the Federation and the Klingons, Nationalist movements on Lagal are being supported by the Romulans and the League of Unaligned Worlds

The Romulans are hoping to suck the Klingons into a quagmire. The League wants Lagal to remain independant.

There is a sizable Orion descended population on Lagal, they are a hated minority, blamed by the National Syndicalists for the sad state of the planet.

There is a virulent Orion/Human underworld in operation on Lagal.

Factions

Nationalist Unity Front - one of the Romulans Chief puppets, intensley nationalist and loyal to Kzar Afrak, a charismatic power mad, Dictator wannabe and his trusted Lieutenants. Characterized by hatred and distrust of aliens.

The Liberation Union - A Puppet of the League, a democratic front with elected officers, just as interested in fighting for influence amongst themselvesas in resisting outside domination of their world. Argues about just how racist they are going be, from a little, to a lot.


The Holar Crime Family. A super rich Orion Family with dozens of human and Orion "Made Men" aligned with Orion House Hamilcar, a major player in the Galactic Underworld.

Tal Shiar, Lagal Office. Run by a mid level Tal Shiar officer who is gleefully rubbing his hands together at the thought of suckering the Klingons into a quagmire. Most Romulans Agents here are disguised as Orions or Humans.


Klingon House K'Zarq - A Mid list house, not on the council. Built bu K'Zarq's father from a small house into a much larger house. K'Zarq himself fncies himself a warrior, a general and a contender for the Klingon High Council. It was his Agent who was killed on Lagal. K'Zarq's father started the mission with the permission of the Council, trying to develop Lagal into an allied trading hub.


K'Zarq is affronted, and his public reputation is at stake. Secretly he never understood why his father was negotating with the Humans of Lagal, when conquering them would be "easier".

With this excuse, K'Zarq means to take Lagal, beat it into submission, and then systematically exploit it to fund his houses' further rise in power.

The Klingon Council, recognizing a bad situation will stand back and let K'Zarq sink or swim on his own. K'Zarq has a small fleet and several hundred thousand soldiers, as well as whoever he could hire or entice with promises of land and prestige.

If their pride is badly affronted, the Klingon Empire would take the campaign over from K'Zarq, but there wouldn't be much of a planet Lagal left.

The Mission of the PCs - get to Lagal, and make sure the situation does not blow up. The Federation specifically does NOT want
A) A Klingon war agaist a human populated planet
B) A Romulan Friendly government installed by Lagalian facists.

If they can work it, they'd like to reduce Orion influence in the area, but if they have to choose, Orion corruption is better than a Klingon Quamire or a Romulan Dictatorship.

----

Sub Plot Seeds

Contact Guerillas in the hills - using scan bafflers and ore deposits in cave ridden mountains, guerillas are preparing redoubts from which to fight. The PCs must track down Guerilla factions through unwilling townships and villages, into the mountains and talk them into joining a peace process.

The Price of Cooperation. Gan Holar, the patriarch of the Holar Crime Family needs to be approached. PCs must research Orion Culture and be prepared to treat a thug, drug runner, loan shark and murderer with "respect" to being him aboard the process. Holar has three objects that are his price.
A) His Daughter was arrested for "Driving While Orion" In a City held By the National Syndicalists. They mean to make an Example of her. He wants her back. Body guards and retainers optional, but it would be nice.
B) A shipment of Gravenol was siezed by parties unknown (Not the police). This drug is usually used to allow humans to adapt breifly to high gravity worlds. It is intoxicating, especially after prolonged use and quite addictive. Street Gravenol is usually more pure and more dangerous than medically prescibed doses. Side effects include euphoria, mania, enhanced strength and delusions of invulnerability.
This drug shipment was stolen by Tal Shair Agents to use as leverage to sway Guerillas into the anti-Klingon resistance.
C) A rival criminal, an information broker known as Gizzip is to be taken into custody. Gizzip is a Starfleet intelligence asset. Gan Holar knows this and wants Starfleet to remove him, so Holar can operate unwatched.

If these conditions are met, Gan Holar will. Himself become a Federation asset, working to keep Klingons, Romulans and Human Facists from gaining control of Lagal.

Talk-talk The PCs are assigned to present their case to the Liberation Union and Persuade the semi-Democratic, semi-marxist political organization to support a peace process.
Wile there three batches of "Terrorists" hired by the Tal Shair stage attacks intending to polarize the Liberation Union into supporting a war.
The PCs have unexpected help from Cardassian and Ferengi agents who want Lagal to stay neutral.


Major Diplomacy - The PCs will have to meet with survivors from the Klingon Office, and try to talk K'Zarq out of his tree. Sicne K'Zarq doesn't see the conquest of Lagal as a problem he is not all that willing, Although with a suitable bribe hewill lay off. Accepting bribery is always more cost effective than warfare.

There May even be a Pro-Klingon Faction on Lagal, operating under the impression that a Klingon Military Governor would at least keep the Guerillas, Terrorists, Partisans, Fascists and Fruit Loops under control.


---

I am sure you can come up with more, should you need them.

Lagal - a World populated largely by Humans. They are not Earth Descended Humans but are in all ways biochemically compatible with humans. (Possibly a preserver transplant). They have their own language and culture, in some ways reminiscent of middle ages Spain.

The world was in mid 20th century style balkanized warfare when the Orions dropped in and began to interfere with the Lagalians.

The Orions never really decided to conquer or rule Lagal. It was too far way to be really worththe effort. It is closer to the Klingon Empire than anyhere else, but it's not near anything, really.

A federation Starship Visited the place some time ago and let the Orions know that of they tried to dominate a human populated world, Earth and other federation worlds would have something to say about it.

The Humans of Lagal resented being a backwater, and a football in Galactic politics. They developed angry, resentful nationalist guerillas, terrorists and political parties.

They have fought wars amongs themselves and with the Orions.

The Klingons Moved in recently. K'arq's father saw the world as a potential money maker, if he could convince them to become a trade center and a world allied to the Klingons.

He was making progress until his untimely death last year, due to a bad case of Bat'leth poisoning.

[Dan Gurden]

A Stitch in Time.

Setting. Post Dominion War.

Background. the war is one and the various galactic powers are licking their wounds. However all is not well. A lone Vorta has evaded capture, and is expressing unusual free will, and has just enough white to retain the loyalty of a few Jem'Hadar...

He also happens to have some very secure starfleet intelligence captured during the dominion war, 2 pieces of which have mashed into an insane plan that might-just-work.

1 - The Wormhole minefield was brought down by the insurgents on DS9 allowing Sisko to seek aid from the Wormhole aliens, but this event only happened because the founder Odo betrayed the Dominion.

2 - The location and postmission reports regarding a device called 'The Guardian of Tomorrow'.

Cut to your crew.
You starship, Space station or colony is playing host to a science team from Temporal Investigations, along with agents Lucsey and Dulmer (who have no sense of humour), a new 'temporal shield is being tested', this shield requires Bio-Nueral gel packs, something about organic matter... The effect is that it should allow the DTI to monitor changes in the time frame as the computers will retain memory even after a temporal shift... (or something)...

And would you not know it, but just as the computer turns on, a temporal shift occurs... Only theres a side effect... 'something about organic matter'... Anyone that was in the room with the test machine retains full memory of the post war environment.

Problem is that everything has changed, ideally drop them into a loosing battle with the Dominion. The Federation lost the war, the core planets lost, and a few rebels survive. Your crew may not even be on the same ship (I wanted to run a Romulan exchange officer and shift the Romulan into a Warbird...)

The crew must now manage the situation and rectify the problem, returning to a universe that only they remember.

1 - Find Lucsy and Dulmer
2 - Find the Guardian of Forever
3 - Kill the Jem'Hadar at the slaughtered Federation science outpost.
4 - Find out where history was changed
5 - Travel back to DS9 under Dominion Occupation and assassinate the mad-Vorta before he can assassinate Odo.
6 - Somehow avoid contaminating the timeline further.

Use of the 'pre-destination paradox' is at GM's discretion...

[Dan Gurden]

Reflected Light.

Setting TNG era/Mirror Universe.

Background, in the mirror universe during the late 20th Century there was a soldier for good, Khan Noonian Singh almost managed to defeat the evil that surrounded the planet and place his homeworld under his benevolent rule. Almost.

He was beaten back though and in desperation to spare his home planet the horrors of Nuclear war he fled to space with his followers in a hibernation ship drifting, awaiting discovery.

Your Crew.

Through some freal Ion Storm/Warp accident, your ship has managed to swap to the mirror universe... A full Federation starship at a time when Humanity is on its knees before the great Klingon/Cardassian alliance. It should not take them long to work out that this is not the best place to be, as the Alliance will want them dead, and the rebels will want their weapons.

And all the crew want is to get home.

Perhaps they will meet themselves?

The only thing that needs to happen though is that they discover the SS Botany Bay, and have to work out if Khan needs to be rescued, armed with their own pre-conceptions, they have an opportunity to provide the Rebels with the ultimate weapon and a superior intellect.

Of course its never that easy... If they do revive him, Khan will mirror his prime universe self and try to convince your crew to stay on, or leave him with the ship. He might even try to take over (a bloodless coup, this khan is acting for the good of the many).

Maybe they will join him and remain with the rebels?
Maybe they will strike a deal (just where did Smiley get the parts to make a Defiant?) and get Khan to help them find a way home?
Perhaps the ship cannot return, and they must use the transporter crossing to return home and Khan gets the ship (and your players get a new ship on their return?)

The choice is yours.

[AndorianLantern]

I haven't been very active here for a while as real life has gotten in the way of enjoying myself. However, I always love gaming, always love Star Trek and nothing beats a good Star Trek campaign. So, here's a few of my adventures (apologizes if I've ever posted these before, maybe years ago...)

Title : I, Vulcan
Series type : Philisophical, Action
Era : Post-DM DS9/ST: Nemesis

*Use this is if only a few of the regular players show up to a session*

While the PC vessel is performing a routine survey, a few members of the crew attend the annual Artifical Intelligence and Cybernetics Conference on Psi Perseus III. At the conference, several well-known specialists in the field are set to speak and new advances in the field are displayed. In addition, a competition to produce a Soong-Like Android was initiated several Conferences back and the results are to be shown here. Among the entries are a 'dog droid' simulating a real dog's intelligence, an advanced evolution of the Exocomp and success in overcoming a programming hurdle Soong figured out but no one has duplicated since. While impressive and receiving much applause, it's certainly not anywhere near a new Data. That is, until the last applicant. Dr. Serrevek and his assistant Solan. Dr. Serrevek has Solan describe the project in detail, an attempt to duplicate the Vulcan mind instead of a Human one. The quest to simulate Human emotion and intergrate it into thought patterns is, the Vulcans believe, what has prevented the creation of a stable AI matrix. Based on a Vulcan brain, this superior design can't create a flawless artifical being. Proof positive is right in front of the audience as Serrevek reveals Solan to be the android. Unfortunately, cold logic and razor sharp efficencey are a bad combo in conjunction with a superhuman android designed by egotistically Vulcan. Other projects and androids begin suffering terrible breakdowns and sabotage. The culprit is of course Solan but his reasoning is the belief that the quest to create an emotive AI is inherently dangerous. He thinks of himself as a saviour, protecting the UFP from the emergence of a 'dark and corrupt' version of himself. A combination of combat and reasoning should stop his rampage (once revealed) but what to do with him afterwards should be an social/philosophical dilemma. In one memorable instance his discussion with a Vulcan Female PC resulted in him believing it was illogical to remain active until such time as his reasoning did not drive him to harm lesser beings.

[AndorianLantern]

Title : The Battlefield of Empty Space
Series type : Philisophical, Action, Adventure, Time Travel
Era : Post-TOS/TMP

A follow-up visit to the planet Cheron found a survivor, a pregnant woman. The woman died giving birth to twins, one Black/White and one White/Black. The woman's face was bandaged and badly damaged and which group she was from could not be determined.

Fast forward to the present. An old friend/contact of the captain's in Starfleet Intelligence calls on him/her with the above info and the following story. The two remaining Cherons are agents of Starfleet Intelligence. Essentially raised by Starfleet, the male (Black/White) serves in the Department of Temporal Affairs as a research scientist. His twin sister is a special agent dealing with cultural and diplomatic affairs. As of now, few people in Starfleet or the UFP outside of Starfleet Intelligence even know the Cherons exist. This doesn't sit well with the brother who feels trapped and restricted in his own life.

So he decides to do something about it. Using his special access, he uses the Guardian of Forever (which he has been assigned to study) to travel back in time to prevent the war that destroyed his people.

The player's team must travel to Cheron's past and retrieve the brother before he is killed or makes things worse. Each time I ran this the PC's who went were surgically altered to look like Cerons, half one group and half the other. This enabled them to see many sides of the social and cultural upheaval this planet faced (based largely on the race riots in the US in the 60's). In one campaign there was a question as to the identity of the twins' father. It was revealed that the father was Bele and the mother was of Lokai's people.

[Scarecrow]

Title: The Slow Empire
Type: Diplomacy/First Contact
Era: Recommend ENT or TOS

(Taken from the Doctor WHO novel of the same name by Dave Stone)

Listening Outpost Dyonisis is registering a slow energy surge 3 light years away on Raksis IV. As the players' ship is currently docked with Dyonisis for routine resupply, Starfleet Command order them to go and check out the previously unexplored Raksis IV and it's power surge.

Upon arrival, scans show that Raksis is a dead world. Once M class and abundant with life, it is now scorched and arrid. It's atmosphere polluted and uninhabitable, irradiated and petrified. The energy readings are getting stronger aswell.

The energy surge is coming from the mountains on the northern continent and there are ruined remains there of an ancient city.

Exploring further (in environment suits), the players will discover a vast structure not unlike a radio mast or the eiffel tower, constructed of some strange alien metal, it's about 60 metres across at the base and stands over an ornately decorated and carved paved area. It's surface hums and vibrates and it's from this structure that the energy surge emanates. It appears to be some sort of conductor and it is being powered by an ancient reactor buried deep in the bedrock beneath it.

Whilst exploring the structure and ruins, the energy will suddenly peak and a blue, glowing energy field some 50 metres across will form on the paved area beneath the metal structure. Within it, will materialise several robed beings. Humanoid but very tall (7 feet or so), slender and almost skeletal (think Warhammer 40K Eldar or the Vau from Fading Suns). They appear to be able to breath normally within the sphere and players entering the sphere (as it is completely permeable) will find oxygen, temperature and radiation levels at normal (M class), so they can remove their helmets.

The beings are representatives of the Haldanis Combine. A vast empire from a distant galaxy. For political and religious reasons, Haldans do not posess faster than light starships and travel between worlds using a form of powerful transporter. It travels slower than light and as Raksis IV is one of their furthest flung outposts, they have been travelling for many centuries.

They believe, to begin with that the players are their welcoming committee and are angry at such a shoddy reception. It then becomes apparent that their outpost was destroyed many many years ago in a long forgotten war.

What happens next?

Perhaps the Haldans have some objective and enlist the help of the players either in a friendly manner or by cutting them off from their ship. Perhaps the players must find out what destroyed the outpost in a series of mini quests before the sphere dissipates and the Haldans return. The Haldans, afterall cannot leave the protection of the sphere.
Maybe if the sphere degenerates, it’ll send both Haldans and players back to the Haldanis Combine on a 1600 year round trip (Voyager eat your heart out).

I'm liking this more and more. I might have to develop it properly.

Crow