Okay I've referred to it in other threadsand asked questions related to scenes or situations in my campaign....

Here now is the ...:

'CLEAN SLATE' STAR TREK RPG Campaign thread

This campaign started in an embryonic/prototype form during FREE RPG Day 2009.
I recycled an old introductory FASA Star Trek adventure by setting it in the ABRAMS universe (the 'clean Slate!' universe)

Two of the players had so much fun that they asked me to start a regular campaign with that setting. It took us close to 6 months - our first game session was the last week of December 2009. We had the first game at a local game store that about 10 to 15 minutes driving time from where I live. (its NOT the store I work at)  

At that game session a guy there was playing Magic:the Gathering with his friends - but he kept getting distracted by hearing us throw around STAR TREK terminology during the game session. He saw three women players and a GM playing an RPG that emulated or simulated Star Trek. He asked to join up and be included.

We now had a four players (a good number)
Heck he even tried out my attempt at a TRAVELLER-style character generation system for GURPS 4/e. (that was interesting to try)

For their first game session where they get assigned to a hip long-term I decided that the NPC captain would be injured and incapacitated in almost the first scene and the players would have to take command and complete the mission. There wouldn't be much of a choice iof they wanted to save their lives and the ship.

This is a cut & paste of what I handed out to them that first game session as a full group:

STARDATE 2258.213   (AUG 1, 2258)
Commander Cross, You and these officers are assigned to the Destroyer USS COCHISE for the next six months.

STARDATE 2258.214    (August 2, 2258)
Starfleet intelligence AND Starfleet Merchant traffic liaisons have become concerned about ships disappearing or not returning from journeys in the area of sector 3287.
The Cochise has been assigned to investigate.

…For reference purposes…:

2258 AUGUST 3      =      2258.215

2258 August 4            =      2258.216


At the end of that session the players were now the ship's Commanding officer, First Officer, Chief Medical Officer, and Chief Communications Officer


Any questions? Comments?

There have evolved some 'ground rules' or agreements between the players and  me their GM.

 One is : NO TIME TRAVEL

I'm not messing with it in the game. The year in which their adventures are set has no reason for any 'time travel' stuff to happen. The slingshot effect has notr been discovered yet, the same with the 'Guardian of Forever' .

Two : NO 'GOD'-like beings will be encountered
Its just very, very, very unlikely. IF Starfleet ever encountered such entities - they haven't told these Starfleet officers or their friends  about them.

All of this campaign takes place in an extension of the setting seen in the 2009 STAR TREK movie that was directed by J.J. Abrams.

- Ed C.

Just before this campaign started I found a really useful website. A computer graphics artist has re-done the starship designs from the Franz Joseph Technical manual in the style of the J.J. Abrams movie starfleet.

My players are the crewmembers or Officers of a Saladin-class destroyer named the USS Cochise (NCC-530)

Here is an illustration of what their ship looks like:


From this website:

http://madshipyard.com/ships.htm

Those web pages have been VERY useful in illustrating many, many scenes in the game over the past two years.


- Ed C.

You should have a Q join the crew of the ship and go by the name "Dungeon Master."

He could give them weekly quests. You could even have them explore Gurps Ancient or Gurps Modern on various trips of self exploration.

Anyway, that's what my Star Trek game is going to be like

That a good find thanks for sharing that.

I find your ideas intriguing and wish to subscribe to your newsletter.

Seriously, though, I would like to see more from this campaign as it develops.  Before Abrams' Trek was released, I tried to start a Star Trek campaign using LUGtrek with the proviso that we would be playing a more mature Trek with more modern, "realistic" sensibilities, set around the TMP era.

It never flew, because anyone interested just would not let go of the whole "but it's not Trek if you don't have..." whine.

Surprisingly, instead of being strung up on the nearest lamppost for eliminating all existing continuity Abrams seems to have been embraced by the fans, so I might have a shot at this now and I'd like to see how yours runs.

(The biggest challenge I can see for myself is getting that big screen epic movie feel in the sessions, since TOS was basically staged and scripted like a Greek morality play and TNG was The Love Boat in space).

We've recently acquired an ancient FASA boxed set for Star Trek, ca 1986 or so.

There's a lot of supplements in there, I don't think it all came with the single set.  We're probably going to start on OS campaign, as one of my club-mates grew up around the Star Trek convention crowd.

I do prefer the Abrams' aesthetics, thanks for the website!

My desire to run a canon-less Abrams-inspired Trek was the main inspiration for my present design project.

Quote from: daniel_ream;484546Surprisingly, instead of being strung up on the nearest lamppost for eliminating all existing continuity Abrams seems to have been embraced by the fans, so I might have a shot at this now and I'd like to see how yours runs.

(The biggest challenge I can see for myself is getting that big screen epic movie feel in the sessions, since TOS was basically staged and scripted like a Greek morality play and TNG was The Love Boat in space).

The "Big Screen" feel kind of comes into play because for most of the recent sessions I have just under three hours to try and get as  much fun, gaming, and amusing/swashbuckling story to happen.
The earlier game sessions were onm Saturdays or Sundays - the more recent game sessions sinmce our 're-start' of the campaign are on Tuesdays and are supposed to go from 6pm to just before 9pm each time. (Remember my thread from a week or two ago ? - where we ran overtime by 10 to 15 minutes? - thats this same campaign that I was talking about)

My first 3 or 4 sessions the players were 3 women and 1 man playing. Then we had a 'pause' or break in the campaign of almost 11 months due to scheduling problems....when we started up again the two or three main players and myself decided on a set schedule of every other Tuesday at the store that I work at.
Now, the mix is three men and 1 woman playing. Two of the players have beenm in the military, one of the others wasn't in the military but grew up as a Base Brat because his Dad was in the military.

Currently in the campaign there is a War going on with the Romulans and oin the fictional calendar they are just about to pass the one year anniversary of "The Battle of Vulcan" (a.k.a as the Destruction of the planet Vulcan)

I'm actually in a twisted way enjoying the fact that Vulcans are much more rare to see in that universe.

- Ed C.

Okay, here's a topic.

In addition to Koltar's "No Time Travel" and "No gods" rules, what rules would you apply to an Abrams-like setting to make it feel like Abrams Trek and not TOS/TNG/DS9/VOY/ENT ?

I can think of a couple of "No"s, but I'm more interested in the "Do"'s, as that's a more useful guide for players and GMs.

Offhand:

No:

• Characters examining what it means to be human/in search of their own humanity
• Moralizing/preaching/social commentary/allegory

Do:

• Know thyself (Spock and Kirk, especially)
• Boldly Go (Abrams Trek is about going out there and conquering things: your fears, an enemy, the unknown,etc.)

EDIT: damn, ninja'ed.

QuoteTwo of the players have beenm in the military, one of the others wasn't in the military but grew up as a Base Brat because his Dad was in the military.

I remember Roddenberry being adamant that Trek was not "Hornblower in SPAAAACE" but watching Abrams Trek I was honestly getting that vibe.

While I can understand that someone wants to game in Abrams Trek I really can't fathom how anyone would chose a ship without those warp nacelle thingies.

Quote from: DominikSchwager;484602While I can understand that someone wants to game in Abrams Trek I really can't fathom how anyone would chose a ship without those warp nacelle thingies.

What are you talking about? :huhsign:


Edit: If you are referring to the ship Koltar chose, the warp nacelle is on the bottom.

Quote from: DominikSchwager;484602While I can understand that someone wants to game in Abrams Trek I really can't fathom how anyone would chose a ship without those warp nacelle thingies.

Wrong tech term.

 The ship they are using is an 'updated' version of a design that Franz Joseph did - the Saladin class destroyer.

What is 'missing' compared to the Constitution-class Enterprise is the secondary Hull with a shuttlebay hangar and that deflector dish...and an 'extra warp engine.

The fact that the players have a ship that is basically just ONE Warp engine and a saucer or primary hull just means that they have to be a bit more creative in solving problems. (Like getting out of dangerous situations)

The smaller ship type also means they only have a crew of 201 instead of the 430 to 497 crewmembers that might be on a bigger Constitution-class ships. That means a lot less NPCs that I have to wrangle as their GM.

- Ed C.


Here is a link to the deckplans of the ship they are using...you'll also see other useful info nand notes. It is done in the style of the classic STAR TREK  deckplan blue prints:

http://www.cygnus-x1.net/links/lcars/uss-saladin-destroyer-scout.php

For example...earlier tonight we had a gamew session from 6pm to 9pm, most of the character action took place on this deck:
http://www.cygnus-x1.net/links/lcars/blueprints/uss-saladin-destroyer-scout-sheet-8.jpg


 When playing & running the game we just extrapolate or imagine out the differences that would be there because of the shape difference of the ABRAMSverse-style look.

- Ed C.

Daniel, I think you need to reclaim the idea that the weapons are all powerful. It is an idea that comes and goes from trek. I think Abrams put it back, both with the power of the super weapon and the strength of the mining ship.

If someone shoots a torpedo at a city in Abrams trek, it should take out the country with it.

I just remembered a couple of DON'TS in my campaign...and maybe a few DOs that have evolved.

DON'T hint or indicate that Starfleet ships have crews that are 98% or 100% of one race. That always seemed wrong to me.
 Remember "The Immunity Syndrome" and the ship that was crewed by all Vulcans? As a kid that seemed odd or strange to me, as an adult that seems like unintentional racism within the fiction of the show. (Bad or lazy writing in the '60s)
In my version of Starfleet - ship crews are as integrated as much as possible. This also emulates what was seen in the 2009 movie. (unnamed obvious aliens on the Bridge, Orions serving in Starfleet, etc...)

DON'T mention 'replicators' or other 24th century terminology. In this era the ship has cooks or chefs, quartermasters, laundry services, and a materials fabrication department.


DO mention that the Federation and Starfleet uses money and the paygrades for the characters actually mean something. They get paid monthly. if not in hard cash when on mission in deep space - then it's automatically posted to their personal banking or checking accounts and accessible next time they are in port or at a Starbase.

DO show that crew and officers in Starfleet can have faults and quirks at times - but when battle happens they likely tough it out then deal with the stress days or weeks later.  Its a human thing and the players can relate to it. (I am using GURPS 4/e after all - disadvantages and character quikiness is encouraged within reason and believability)


Oh yeah - Starfleet characters DO drink from time to time and have wild parties get a little crazy. Its human and its makes more senjse than other versions of the Trek universe. (NO sanitized boring 24th century style humans or Terrans. !!!)

MORE as I think of them or remember them.

- Ed C.

Good stuff, Ed, thanks.

Followup question: PC captain or NPC captain?

Since I read a lot of military SF, the idea of the ship's captain being the Right Hand of God and the PCs being junior officers who Go Out and Do Stuff appeals to me, but it also flies in the face of the Boldly Go directive if the captain sits pretty on his tuckus in orbit all the time.

One option I suppose is to play up the fact that there's not much the ship can actually do from orbit, and landing parties are on their own and trusted to act on their own initiative as long as they can justify it to the XO when they get back.

On the other hand, a PC captain and bridge crew means that the PCs actually have meaningful things to do in a starship combat, which is something I think you need to have for it to be Trek at all.