Here be Klingons...

[Dan Gurden]

So. I started developing this a while back when LUG went, while working on ideas for the Trill Symbiont points (replacement for Courage) to go with the Romulan Der'a in Way of Der'a and the lost ideas of Honour and Pagh for Klingons and Bajorans...

So I found myself developing Klingon Honour to serve Klingons in place of Courage. Its taken a while to finish off, but here are the final rules, I sort of wonder how close this is to what LUG would have published, but thats all old history now. WARNINGUnfortunatly you will need 'Way of Der'a' to use this fully, as I am not going to copy whole passages and rules from a published product, but combine that with this, and Klingons will get kick-arse!

Enough talk, heres the rules;
---------------------------------------------------------------

Klingon Honour;

Although I have never needed it I have designed a Vague system for Klingons called 'Honour' it replaces Courage in a similar way to the Glory Points system written for the 'Way of Dera' Boxed set. Honour is based on the Aggression, Discipline and Skill renown, the combined totals of which provides the character with the Honour points available for use in game play.

The use of Honour points is exactly the same as with Glory points, and it is recommended that you purchase or gain access to the 'Way of D'era' for a full description.


A Good Day to Die.
A Klingon may, should they so wish spend ALL their honour on a last ditch fight, alone... This is their final act of defiance against the universe, and a great tradition among Klingons. This expenditure of all Honour is a final act and will result in the Klingons death, but there are times when that is indeed the acceptable choice. The Klingon must announce that 'Today is a good day to die' just when all looks bleak, a common enough saying amongst Klingons, but on this occasion the Klingon in question means it just that little bit more. Such an action can be used to buy time to allow comrades to escape, regroup or whatever. Or simply to dole out pain to ones enemy in return for a glorious death in combat. Remember this is usually only undertaken by the old or the dying, or when there are no other alternatives... And should not be undertaken lightly. The Narrator has final approval whether the situation merits being truly a good day to die. A drunken brawl against an unarmed Ferengi Bartender doesn't count, while standing your ground against a hoard of Breen pirates while your crewmates escape does...

Upon expenditure the Klingon should turn and face the oncoming enemy and the combat becomes a lot more narrative than rules bound, as the Klingon in question fights and kills and describes the vague effect that is required. This effect should be a simple sentence such as 'holding and delaying the enemy', or 'killing as many of the hoard as I can before I go down'... Such an event will guarantee entry into Sto'vo'kor...

Once this has been complete. Add the final expenditure of honour to the Klingons total renown. If the amount gained is more than 50 then such a glorious death will be remembered in song on the Klingon home world. If more than 100, then the Klingon will be honoured with a Statue depicting the momentous battle in the hall of heroes, posthumously of course.

A Note on Rescue. Once the Honour has been expended, rescue is impossible, for whatever reason the Narrator decides. The body may be retrieved, but a Klingon that is rescued by interfering types (like Starfleet) will succumb to their wounds and not die in battle. This would be a bad thing, denying access to Sto'vo'kor. Of course if the enemy wishes to use other means to ensure the Klingons survival, that’s a plot direction, and the Narrator shouldn’t allow ‘Today is a Good Day to Die’ in the first place.


Linked Advantages/Disadvantages;

Great House +2; Your character comes from one of the great Klingon Houses, this can have a significant effect on other Klingons interaction with you, and affect your Honour, increasing it by 5. This Advantage can also serve for Betazoids, another species that holds certain family lineages in high regard. (adjusted from the Way of Kholinar, the Vulcan Sourcebook)

Discommendation -2 (Klingons Only); A great shame has befallen your family, for three generations your family may hold no honour, and will be considered dead by other Klingons. A character with this Disadvantage may not use Klingon Honour and must use Standard Courage rules as per ICON. The Discommendation is not given lightly, only the greatest offence can earn discommendation.

Over history, only a rare few Klingons have been able to overturned such a political and social calamity, but such an occurrence is rare and would require deeds of great Valour and Honour. And are usually imparted to the Klingons family for actions the Discommended Klingon took leading to a great death and the defence of the Empire.

Loss of Honour; -1 to -3; The Klingon, or his family, have a reputation for actions not befitting Klingons in general, and has suffered loss of honour. For each level taken of ‘Loss of Honour’ the Klingon looses 2 points to the total honour. If taken into minus figures, then reputation must be taken in the negative in Honour based renown, namely; Aggression, Discipline and Skill.

[Setvenharis]

erm.......I realise everyone has better things to do with their lives but...........

Has anyone considered making a Klingon Sourcebook for downloading purposes?

That'll complete the LUG Trek collection IMHO

What do people think?

[Thierry]

That would be killer. I always liked the Klingons
Worf was my favorate character from TNG and DS9.

[Phantom]

Though I think the Klingons were way over used in TNG and DS9, to be completely fair they should have their own source material as well. Especially if it were as well done as the Among the Clans, Way of D'Era and the fan based Cardie and Bajoran net books.

BTW what was the address to that Bajoran net book?

QA'PLA!

[Dan Gurden]

Yes, people thought about a Klingon book. But unfortunatly the group collapsed under the weight of an influx of Klingon Language fans... And destroyed the work...

The only way it'll happen is if someone is very selective in choosing who they work with, or if I compare my work ofn the Maquis to the Trill, would be far better off writing it themselves, and then sharing it with a few people for expansion and additions...

Otherwise the project is way too big, much bigger than the Trill book that has been in limbo for a year or so... And, I am sorry to say, a far greater draw for the Anal retentive.

You know the really sad news. Somewhere out there, LUG had written and were fine tuning the Klingon book. The reason a few chapters showed up in Steve Kensons work, and that some ICON links preveiwed a few pages was because it so nearly made it!

Frustrating isn't it!

As for myself. I really want to focus on the Trill, despite the short-falls in the undertaking (ask me again someday, it has proved very inciteful as my first experience at writing for the masses), So writing for the Klingons iswayyy secondary to me, and I am far more likely to do smal amounts of stuff for the Hirogen and Taurhai before that... (Hell I even linked the Taurhai and Vaadwaur based on the mention of the Taurai alien species in the Voyager episode 'Dragons Teeth')... And watching Caretaker last night I got a hankering to write something for the Kazon, including the Trabe and Ocampa...

The point is, if you want this project, go ahead an start writing. Dont be afraid, but your best bet is to focus on the task at hand. And if you my advice have a clue what you want to write first... Dont start unless you have direction. And try to ensure that you have the background before you add the games rules. That you have covered canon, before you draw from you imagination, and that you write the document before you add any pictures (but keep an eye for images you want to use and keep them nearby).

And dont be afraid to ask for help.

[Dan Gurden]

Originally posted by Phantom

BTW what was the address to that Bajoran net book?

Jabara Eris's Bajoran Netbook is at;
http://remember-forever.tripod.com

Although it can more accuratly be described as web pages. Of course this work does leave non-canon expansions and rules applications open to all of us...

[Eustravath]

Originally posted by Phantom
Though I think the Klingons were way over used in TNG and DS9 . . . QA'PLA!

What about the complete LACK of use of Andorians in the TGN and DS9 series? Multipul books go on and on about how andorians were integral to the UFP, but you never saw even one Andorian EXTRA kicking around in the back ground somewhere. I'd complain about Centaurans, but you'd never know even if they did use them, for their obvious human appearance.

Here's something: Anybody have any comprehensive rules for Tholians? There's great campaign potential here, and I'm sure both Decipher and LUG wanted to leave something to the imaginations of our illustrious Narators, but some specs would impresively helpful.

[AslanC]

What is the obession with races we have seen once or twice?

How can anyone have any rules for the Tholians ever? We saw them (or possibly a projection) of them once.

We have next to no information on them. And IMHO, Star Trek games suffer most when the writers extrapolate or invent out of whole cloth to fill in the blanks. I mean then you get these endless "is it canon or fandom" arguements on top of all that.

Sigh...

And the Centaruans are not from Star Trek. They are from Franz Joseph's Technical manual.

I will gladly read info on Klingons, since we have source material to work from.

Since we are at it. Why not a whole source book on the Troyians? Or the First Federation? Or how about the Gorns and the Metrons?

I mean we only saw them once?

And how is it no one clamours for the Tellarite source book?

:breathes in:

Sorry.. Having one of those nights...

My bad...

[Eustravath]

Hmm . . .

Just a thought, but I think it's the same reason the uh . . . "unluckiest" guy in every gaming group always plays slutty female characters. They, at least, don't want to play pig-snouted, bitchy people. Some proof in the other direction: the guy in our gaming group who's engaged and gets some regularly, always plays Tellarite Engineers when we play NextGen.

There may be some important phychological information here. Anyone care to comment?

[The Highlander]

Originally posted by Dan Gurden
Yes, people thought about a Klingon book. But unfortunatly the group collapsed under the weight of an influx of Klingon Language fans... And destroyed the work...

You're absolutely correct, Dan. It was an excellent project that would have been well-received...if the Klingon Language Institute people involved weren't so bent on writing a Klingon sociology text instead of a gaming supplement.

I know this, for I was part of the design team -- and I was one of those shouted down because I dared used "Fordian" Klingon to name the supplement instead of "Okudian".

There are other stories I could tell involving the genesis and fall of the project if anyone's interested.

The only good thing I got out of it all was that I still have the original character generation text....and it's pretty good stuff.

[Dan Gurden]

Originally posted by The Highlander
The only good thing I got out of it all was that I still have the original character generation text....and it's pretty good stuff.

Care to share? And does it gel with the Klingon honour rules above???

[AslanC]

I want to hear more stories of the Okudians Vs Fordians

:sets up sleeping bag and gets ready to make smores:

[The Highlander]

Originally posted by Dan Gurden


Care to share? And does it gel with the Klingon honour rules above???

Answer to question 1 -- yes. I just have to find the disc I put it on. If all else fails, I'll send you a hard copy of the text (I printed it out for easier use)

Answer to question 2 -- I believe so.

[Setvenharis]

While I was browsing through Trek Today's forums I found this lovely little gem that someone wrote about why there were Klingons that look "human" (ie...minus cranial ridges) and the Klingons we see now (better make-up )....so thanks to the poster known as "Samuel T. Cogley" for this.

Explaining Klingons

The Klingons we saw in season one of Enterprise were relatively indifferent to humans. They didn’t consider us a threat--and rightly so--and treated us as they would any other irritating new kid on the block.

They have been aware of Earth for years, but did not consider it to have many resources, and since our military power was weak, they essentially ignored us. This might help to explain why Earth has been ignored by a powerful empire that is so close by.

During the first part of season two (hyperthetical), we will see increasing hostility between humans and Klingons, but we won’t understand why. The Klingons seem to suddenly have a personal grudge against us, yet they still do not consider us to be a military threat.

In an episode that could occur somewhere near the end of the second season, we learn the reasons for the hostility. A Klingon hunts down Enterprise, seeking both answers...and the Enterprise’s destruction. We learn from this violent encounter that, to the horror of the Klingons, many of the newborn babies that have been recently born into the Empire...have a human appearance.

The Klingons have no explanation for this, but they can trace the origin of the problem to Klaang, the Klingon from “Broken Bow.” Ever since his return, at the hands of the Enterprise, a handful of Klingon babies have been born that appear to be human.

The first few babies were “destroyed” in an attempt to hide the problem. The next few were “removed” from their families and placed in laboratories for Klingon scientists to study. Recently, a few of the babies were born into powerful families, families who refused to let their children be destroyed. The private problem had become a public one.

The Klingon scientists have determined that the mutations are mostly cosmetic. For all intents and purposes, these children are still Klingon. They only resemble humans.

It was decided by the Empire that this was a stunt--on the part of the humans--designed to shame and embarrass the Klingons. Rather than admit this shame to the universe, the scientists were ordered to resolve the problem internally.

The Empire’s scientists determined that the genetic mutations were the result of a genetic virus. The virus originated with Klaang. Klaang appears to have had sexual relations with many of the mothers involved, but his behavior does not account for all of the “human” babies born. Therefore, transmission of the virus remains a mystery. (Klaang has since mysteriously disappeared.) The scientists believe that the virus can be contained--not all Klingons will be affected--but many more will be contaminated before containment can be achieved. Scientists also believe that mutations will not extend beyond more than two or three generations. At that point, even the “human” looking Klingons will give birth to Klingon looking babies again.

Despite the skin-deep nature of the mutations, cosmetic surgery is not possible due to the way the Klingon nervous system weaves its way through the body. Cosmetic repair might be possible someday (think TOS Klingons who appeared on DS9), but not with today’s level of medical technology.

When the problem continued to spread, it became more and more obvious that the Klingons would not be able to keep it a secret. One angry Klingon father (and starship captain), whose baby was born “human,” decided to attack the Enterprise directly, causing the confrontation that brings all of this information to Archer’s attention for the first time.

Subsequent investigation by both the Enterprise and the Klingon ship uncover the truth.

The Suliban originally intended to kill Klaang in the cornfield. However, when the humans decided to return Klaang to the Klingons, the Suliban altered their game plan. Seeking to increase chaos in this part of the galaxy, the Suliban, at the instruction of FutureGuy, snuck onboard the Enterprise and injected Klaang with a virus. The purpose of the virus was to frame the humans and shame the Klingons, increasing the hostility among all parties involved.

This episode will conclude with Starfleet and the Klingons begrudgingly coming to a general acceptance that the humans were not directly responsible, but this situation is ripe with future story possibilities. The Klingons and the humans do not part on good terms, and every future confrontation is a potantial disaster.

Here are some issues addressed and some possibilities created:

The “smooth-heads” are finally explained. (I know! I know! They don’t need to be explained! But why not work them into the story if it adds to the drama?) Once we know of the “smooth-heads’” existence, we would never have to see them or hear of them again. They will be too young to participate in the events of this series, but the implication is that many will still be around to participate in the events of TOS.

This would explain why Klingon/Human confrontations during season one were lackluster. They didn’t consider us anything more than a minor annoyance. Now they are forced to take notice and address us, whether they want to or not. Future conflicts will be violent and deadly.

This would be a shameful experience for the Klingons. This would explain why Worf--and the rest of the Klingons--would never want to talk about this part of their history. (Although, I’ll admit, this kills the humor of Worf’s line.)

The Suliban appear more sneaky. This beefs up their villain-potential and makes their ultimate agenda more mysterious.

Starfleet, afraid of the potential fall-out with the Klingons, rushes several new ships into service, just in case. (More ships! A real fleet at last!)

The Vulcans, angry with humans for not listening to their initial advice about what to do with Klaang, start to back away from their support of the humans. After a series of what the Vulcans consider to be misfires on Archer’s part, the Vulcans leave the humans to fend for themselves. (This would help to explain the Vulcans' seemingly lesser role in the eventual Federation.)

The humans, who were barely a blip on the universal radar last year, are suddenly infamous as the race that dared to anger the Klingons.

Many of the friendlier aliens, who have been bullied around by the Klingons for years, are suddenly open to forming loose alliances with humans--the new--and yet unwilling--poster children for defiance against Klingons. This would quickly bring humans into the limelight and could explain their central role in the Federation. These alliances could also lay the foundation for the Federation that will later form during or after the Romulan War.

If B&B stay true to their word and don’t show us the Romulans, it is going to be very difficult to show us dramatic stories that result in the bonding of the various races. Why not use the very visible Klingons as a catalyst for this bonding? The Romulan War would simply be the tragedy that gets everyone to sign on the dotted line.

Even though the Klingons realize that the Suliban are ultimately responsible for this mess, they still blame Archer. If Archer had let Klaang die, this never would have happened. Plus, the shame of the whole mess requires a figurehead to lay blame upon. Archer is the most obvious choice.

Archer will feel guilt over his mishandling of the situation, due mostly to cultural misunderstandings. He will step up his efforts to learn and incorporate the cultures of other races into his missions.

This could also explain Archer’s connection to the formation of the Federation. His mistake, while based on good intentions, pulled humans into the universal conflict. Without his mistake, the humans might never have become a major player. This makes Archer’s role in history believable, and does not ask us to believe that he will somehow become a diplomatic Superman in the next six years.

Further, as some of these events are relatively embarrassing--yet still compelling--it might help to explain why Archer’s crew is not referred to very often by later Starfleet officers. This was a time in our history where we made many mis-steps.

Starfleet will realize that they need to implement stricter protocols, and that letting the Enterprise roam aimlessly was not such a good idea. An actual mission becomes paramount. (Pun intended.)

We will never learn what happens to the “smooth-heads,” at least not during this series. The implication will be that the mutations are temporary, and will last only for a few generations. The birth of several “smooth-heads” into powerful families will insure that they are not swept under the rug. Some will actually attain positions of prominence. While still technically Klingon, their appearance will cause them to develop a slightly different subculture from the rest of the Klingons. They will become more ruthless and cunning. Fans can speculate about the rest.

This would not necessarily make the show more dark, and would not need to be a major arc. These events could be discussed in one or two episodes and then be casually referred to whenever necessary. This story would, however, form a backdrop upon which to start the forming of the Federation.

Hope you all enjoyed that read........maybe it can be used in a Klingon netbook?

Lars

[The Highlander]

Originally posted by AslanC
I want to hear more stories of the Okudians Vs Fordians

:sets up sleeping bag and gets ready to make smores:

<Homer Simpson voice> Hmmmm....smores....


Okay.

The first argument started when we were discussing what the supplement should be titled. One of the KLI suggested an incredibly complicated Klingon phrase that no one would get without a copy of the Klingon Dictionary and 3 KLI tapes.

I suggested that it should be titled Khomerex (that which lives), a phrase from the John Ford novel The Final Reflection .

Lord, that drew me more hostile fire then D-Day...

I was accused of not being a "true" Klingon (I'm involved in Klingon fandom) by my use of "Fordian" Klingon -- which, according to this linguist/fascist (sorry, my opinion) wasn't "real" Klingon -- and was called a dilletante as well.

I asked the guy where the hell this was coming from -- he said "if we're going to do this, we're going to do it correctly and in the correct vernacular."

I replied "Correct vernacular? We're making a gaming book, not a Klingon textbook!"

That, readers, was the beginning of the end.

Half the group was focused on writing every bleeping aspect of Klingon history, and the other half was using Spacedock to translate every Klingon ship they could think of or create into the game.

As for myself and one other person, we worked on the actual gaming material, but ended up being ignored because, according to the KLI people, we weren't writing enough of the stuff in Klingon. And when I explained that we had to write in terms that John Q. Gamer could understand, I was shouted down for a "lack of dedication".

After that, it went the way of the dodo....

It could have a beautiful project, but here's the kicker -- it was never going to be distributed ove r the Net.

The "Powers-that-Be" were bound and determined they were going to sell it to LUG....I said that from my own freelancing experience that companies never take unsolicited material, and if they wanted stuff done, they had writers on staff that would create it.

Why not put it out over the Net? I said.

"Well, we want to make something out of our work," they said.

At this point, most of us flung our hands up and left the design team.


That, folks, is the digest version of what happened to the LUG Klingon supplement.

I'll do my best to find the file and ready it for an upload. And if I can't, I will provide printed copies of the text.