STA Captain - S Log Solo RPG (TNG Cover) v1.41

CAPTAIN'S LOG SOLO ROLEPLAYING GAME

|CREDITS 2D20 SYSTEM DESIGNER Nathan Dowdell

978-1-80281-074-5 | 978-1-80281-075-2 | 978-1-80281-076-9 | 978-1-80281-077-6

STAR TREK ADVENTURES

MODIPHIUS ENTERTAINMENT

PROJECT MANAGER Jim Johnson

CHIEF CREATIVE OFFICER Chris Birch

LEAD WRITER Michael Dismuke

CHIEF OPERATIONS OFFICER Rita Birch

CAPTAIN’S LOG RULES DEVELOPMENT Michael Dismuke, Josh Allen, Alison Cybe, Jim Johnson & Samantha Webb

MANAGING DIRECTOR Cameron Dicks

ADDITIONAL WRITING Rachael Cruz, Nathan Dowdell, Keith Garrett, John Kennedy, Fred Love, Chris McCarver, Aaron M. Pollyea, Jacob Ross & Al Spader EDITING Jim Johnson, Keith Garrett & Bryce Johnston

HEAD OF BRAND Samantha Webb HEAD OF DEVELOPMENT Sophie Williams HEAD OF CREATIVE SERVICES Jon Webb CREATIVE COORDINATOR Kieran Street FINANCIAL CONTROLLER Luc Woolfenden

CANON EDITING Scott Pearson

LOGISTICS AND PRODUCTION MANAGER Peter Grochulski

GRAPHIC DESIGN Jane Robertson & Roxanne Thompson

ART DIRECTORS Rocío Martín Pérez & Ariel Orea

ART DIRECTION Ariel Orea & Jim Johnson

STUDIO COORDINATOR Rocío Martín Pérez

COVER ARTIST Stephanie Toro Gurumendi

PHOTOGRAPHER Fátima Martín Pérez

INTERIOR ARTWORK CBS Studios, Cryptic Studios, & Modiphius Entertainment

LEAD 3D DESIGNER Jonny La Trobe-Lewis

PROOFREADING Keith Garrett, Jim Johnson & Virginia Garcia McShannock PLAYTESTERS Josh Allen, Alison Cybe, Michael Dismuke, Paxton Griffin, Jim Johnson & Matt Wonderlin

3D DESIGNERS Ben de Bosdari & Sean Bullough

Modiphius Entertainment Ltd. 39 Harwood Rd, London SW6 4QP, United Kingdom [emailprotected] | WWW.MODIPHIUS.NET Modiphius Entertainment Product Number:

TOS Edition: MUH0142304 (ISBN: 978-1-80281-074-5) TNG Edition: MUH0142305 (ISBN: 978-1-80281-075-2) DS9 Edition: MUH0142306 (ISBN: 978-1-80281-076-9) DSC Edition: MUH0142307 (ISBN: 978-1-80281-077-6)

GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Stephanie Toro, Chris Webb, Mark Whittington & Leigh Woosey AUDIO AND VIDEO PRODUCER Steve Daldry EDITOR Bryce Johnston DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR Jason Enos GAMES DESIGNER James Hewitt DEVELOPERS Jono Green & Ethan Heywood QA TESTERS Samantha Laydon & Nathan Perry COMMUNITY AND DESIGN ASSISTANT Dominic Westerland SCHEDULING AND DESIGN ASSISTANT Justin Talsma RPG DESIGN ASSISTANTS Andy Douthwaite & Jess Gibbs

SENIOR 3D DESIGNERS Joana Abbott, Domingo Díaz Fermín & Chris ‘Chrispy’ Peacey SENIOR 3D PLASTICS DESIGNER Colin Grayson

LEAD GRAPHIC DESIGNER Michal E. Cross

SENIOR PROJECT MANAGER Gavin Dady PROJECT MANAGERS Daniel Lade, Ben Maunder, Chris Shepperson & Haralampos Tsakiris OPERATIONS MANAGER John Wilson FACTORY MANAGER Martin Jones SENIOR PRODUCTION OPERATIVES Drew Cox & Warwick Voyzey

LEAD PRODUCTION OPERATIVE Anthony Morris PRODUCTION OPERATIVES Thomas Bull, Louis Hartley-Edwards, Jake Pink, Jake Skinner-Guy & Miles Turner ASSEMBLY TEAM Elaine Elizabeth Hughes & Nichola Jones TOOL MAKERS Luke Gill & David Hextall CUSTOMER SERVICE AND ACCOUNTS MANAGER Lloyd Gyan EVENTS MANAGER Gregoire Boisbelaud COMMUNITY MANAGER April Hill TRANSLATIONS AND PUBLISHING MANAGER Matt Timm DISTRIBUTION AND KEY ACCOUNTS MANAGER Gary Moore MARKETING MANAGER Ben O’Brien MARKETING COORDINATOR Shaun Hocking CUSTOMER SUPPORT REPRESENTATIVE Chris Dann WEBSTORE MANAGER Apinya Ramakomud BOOKKEEPER Valya Mkrtchyan FOR PARAMOUNT GLOBAL Marian Cordry, Brian Lady & Stephen Zelin WITH THANKS TO Gene Roddenberry, Marian Cordry, Scott Pearson, Thomas Marrone, and the many fans who support this game

The 2d20 system and Modiphius Logos are copyright Modiphius Entertainment Ltd. 2023. All 2d20 system text is copyright Modiphius Entertainment Ltd. Any unauthorised use of copyrighted material is illegal. Any trademarked names are used in a fictional manner; no infringement is intended. This is a work of fiction. Any similarity with actual people and events, past or present, is purely coincidental and unintentional except for those people and events described in an historical context. TM & © 2023 CBS Studios Inc. © 2023 Paramount Pictures Corp. STAR TREK and related marks and logos are trademarks of CBS Studios Inc. All Rights Reserved., except the Modiphius Logo which is Modiphius Entertainment Ltd.

S TA R T R E K A D V E N T U R E S

CAP T A IN ' S LOG

INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01

01.00 STAR TREK DEFINED. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 07 02.00 THE STAR TREK UNIVERSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 03.00 REPORTING FOR DUTY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71 04.00 YOUR HOME AMONG THE STARS . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139 05.00 RULES OF PLAY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179 06.00 PLAYING CAPTAIN'S LOG. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225

APPENDIX I - PROBABILITY MATRIXES . . . . . . . . 253

APPENDIX II - ALLIES AND ADVERSARIES. . . . . . 281

APPENDIX III - LOCATIONS AND STARSHIPS . . . . 293

APPENDIX IV - ADDITIONAL MATRIXES. . . . . . . . 311

APPENDIX V - FORMS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 317

INDEX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 323

INTRODUCTION

SPACE , T H E FINAL FRON T IE R . . . “ . . .t o b o l d l y g o wh e r e n o one has gone before.” — F R O M STARFLEET’S M AN D ATE

| A UNIVERSE OF POSSIBILITY FOR MORE THAN 55 YEARS AND ACROSS 11 television series, 13 feature films, and countless other forms of narrative, from novels to comic books to games of all types, Star Trek has delighted audiences worldwide with its science-fiction storytelling in a future laced with hope, adventure, drama, and wonder. From its conception by creator Gene Roddenberry as “Wagon Train to the Stars” (a Western series that focused on a recurring cast exploring together) to its current life in no fewer than five series in active production, Star Trek stands unique among science-fiction media properties,

presenting a comprehensive and consistent setting in which virtually every fiction genre and type of character can find a home. Any type of story you can imagine telling can fit somewhere within the expansive Star Trek universe. Welcome to Captain’s Log, where you can learn about the franchise, the setting, the eras and styles of play available to you, and then use the tools in this book to create a unique character and tell amazing Star Trek-style stories, either by yourself or with a group of friends.

|SUPPLEMENT STRUCTURE CAPTAIN’S LOG PROVIDES ALL THE INFORMATION you’ll need to understand the essentials of the Star Trek setting, the tools you’ll need to create a character, and guidance on how to develop satisfying stories with that character, whether you play by yourself or with a group of friends. Chapter 1: Star Trek Defined provides a primer on what makes Star Trek unique among science-fiction media properties, including the setting’s ethos, mythos, expectations, assumptions, and more. In addition, this chapter discusses what Captain’s Log is and how it directly ties into the DNA of what

makes Star Trek an amazing stage on which to tell great stories. Chapter 2: The Star Trek Universe is aimed at the new or casual fan who might not be familiar with all the myriad details of the Star Trek universe and how they might apply specifically to a solo roleplaying game. This chapter provides information about how the contents of the setting operate, how beings in the setting live and work, the various eras of play available, as well as a number of styles you can use to set the tone of the stories you want to tell.

INTRODUCTION

YESTERDAY'S ENTERPRISE This game can be used to tell stories in any Star Trek era, from the earliest days of the Federation in the 2100s to the 32nd century and beyond. You may choose to set your game at the dawn of Earth’s tentative steps to exploring space in the 20th and 21st centuries; during the “Five Year Mission” period in the 2200s when illustrious captains such as Georgiou, Pike, Kirk, and Kang commanded starships and pushed the boundaries of known space; during the 2300s

where the Klingon Empire and Federation forged peace and navigated the challenges of their new alliance while also facing a variety of threats; or even in the centuries following the events of Star Trek: Picard and into the far future depicted in recent seasons of Star Trek: Discovery. As Spock once said, “There are always possibilities.” Where will your imagination take you?  00.101

Chapter 3: Reporting for Duty explains how to build a character for Captain’s Log, either through a detailed lifepath to generate the character’s statistics and gameplay information, or via the creation in play method, to get you into the game faster. Whether you are playing a Starfleet officer, a civilian, or an officer from any other polity, this chapter will enable you to create a character that fits right into the Star Trek universe, no matter which era of play you choose to explore. Chapter 4: Your Home in the Stars enables you to build the other critical component of your stories – the ship or station on which your character lives. Starships and space stations in Star Trek are as critical as the characters, and this chapter gives you the tools you need to create the environment in which your character spends the bulk of their time. Chapter 5: Rules of Play provides all the rules you need to play in solo mode, including how to start your mission, how to handle task attempts, and ways to manage conflict in all its forms during the course of your mission. The chapter also discusses optional modes of play, including cooperative gameplay (gaming with fellow players without a gamemaster) and guided play (gaming with fellow players and a gamemaster serving as a narrator and guide). Chapter 6: Playing Captain’s Log offers additional guidance on effective Star Trek-style storytelling, oriented toward starting, playing, and completing a Captain’s Log session. You’ll find insights into the

traditional three-act structure, writing log entries, using the probability matrixes to ask and answer questions to add to your narrative, information on various narrative devices, and insights into completing a mission. Appendix I: Probability Matrixes provides you with the most essential random tables you’ll use in Captain’s Log, including the Yes/No Probability Matrix. The chapter also provides guidance on generating mission types; creating themes, advantages, and complications; building encounters; and managing Momentum and Threat spends. Appendix II: Allies and Adversaries gives you a wide range of random tables useful for creating the many non-player characters you may encounter during any given mission. The chapter also provides guidance on creating creatures, beasts, and spaceborne entities for your character to encounter, befriend, evade, or defeat. Appendix III: Locations and Starships offers guidance and random tables designed to help you create sectors, systems, planets, and moons to discover and explore, as well as interesting locations to serve as set-pieces for your adventures. Also provided are tools and tables to help create alien civilizations and add details to their form of government, religion, and other key societal details. This appendix also offers guidance on creating random ships, stations, and related information,

such as generating ship damage and managing crew casualties. Appendix IV: Additional Matrixes offers additional random tables designed to help you flesh out your ongoing narrative, including how to manage your character’s downtime in between missions, exploring time intervals, and generating names. This

appendix also includes tables to help you determine where your character was injured and what type of injury they might have sustained, should they get harmed during a physical altercation. Appendix V: Forms includes the Character and Starship, Missions and Log Entries forms, and a sample filled-out character sheet.

|USING THIS GUIDE THIS BOOK PROVIDES YOU WITH A WEALTH OF information about Star Trek’s eras, styles of play, and character options, all designed to help you develop and play a character that fits into the Star Trek universe. The book also provides a complete rules system for telling your own unique Star Trek stories with your character. Whether you are playing a Human, Klingon, Bajoran, Vulcan, sentient android, self-aware hologram, liberated Borg, or something else, this guide can help you build a unique character and then tell amazing Star Trek-style stories with that character.

With this book and a couple of 20-sided dice, you can bring a unique Star Trek character to life and tell dramatic and engaging stories, in your very own Star Trek episode or ongoing series. You may choose to use the book as a facilitator to telling stories collaboratively with friends who use their own unique Star Trek characters. You may even choose to play Captain’s Log like a traditional roleplaying game, with a gamemaster narrating the action for a group of players, using this book as a guide and reference. The choice is yours. Now, gather your writing material, some 20-sided dice, and your favorite snacks. It’s time to explore the final frontier, Star Trek-style. Engage!

INTRODUCTION

WHERE TO START? What if you want to play this game but you’ve never watched Star Trek? Perhaps you’re a casual fan who has viewed a handful of episodes here and there. Maybe you’re on the fence about the game and need inspiration. Perhaps you’re uncertain which handful of episodes out of the hundreds available might help answer “Just what is Star Trek?” and “What can I do in a game of Captain’s Log?” Consider watching the following episodes, which include some great character-focused Star Trek episodes and exemplify what’s possible for a typical Captain’s Log mission. As you watch them, imagine what your character might do to carry forward the Star Trek ideals and ethos embodied in these stories. STAR TREK The original series laid the foundation for the entire franchise and set the tone and style for more than 55 years of science-fiction storytelling. Episodes worth checking out include “Amok Time,” “The Galileo Seven,” “The Deadly Years,” and “Wolf in the Fold.” For a good example of how to have fun within the setting, check out “The Trouble with Tribbles.” STAR TREK: THE ANIMATED SERIES The Animated Series continues where the original series left off, and while the crew composition changed somewhat, the storytelling is as strong as ever. Three standout episodes include “The Time Trap,” “Yesteryear,” and “The Slaver Weapon.” THE MOTION PICTURES While feature budgets and scope require a refocus of intent, the Star Trek films deliver spectacle as well as story. The Wrath of Khan, The Search for Spock, and The Voyage Home present a deep, character-driven trilogy that is alternately action-packed, tragic, and humorous. It’s worth noting that three of the feature films involve time travel, a storytelling staple.

STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION Moving the franchise into a new era, The Next Generation built on what came before and added much detail to the Star Trek universe. Some standout character-focused episodes include “Remember Me,” “Tapestry, “Data’s Day,” “The Inner Light,” “The Emissary,” and “Sins of the Father.” “All Good Things” brings the series to an epic conclusion and tells a deeply personal story along the way. STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE Deep Space Nine took a bold new approach to Star Trek storytelling – rather than traveling to the adventure every episode, now the adventure would come to the station. This meant that issues and challenges left unresolved at the end of an episode would often still be present next time. Be sure to check out the episodes “Emissary,” “Duet,” “Dax,” “The Visitor,” “Far Beyond the Stars,” and “It’s Only a Paper Moon” for examples of powerful, character-driven stories. STAR TREK: VOYAGER Voyager showed us that even if you take a crew far away from the established Star Trek universe as shown in the Alpha and Beta Quadrants, you can still tell a wealth of stories in the Star Trek tradition. Standout character episodes include “Caretaker,” “Counterpoint,” “Lineage,” “Timeless,” and “Author, Author.” STAR TREK: ENTERPRISE Enterprise takes us to the beginning, showing us what exploration was like for Starfleet in its infancy. The Enterprise NX-01 breaks new ground episode after episode, illustrating what a deep-space exploration mission might look like. Check out the character development in “Carbon Creek,” “First Flight,” “Dear Doctor,” “Similitude,” the “Affliction” and “Divergence” storyline, and “In a Mirror, Darkly.”

>>>

STAR TREK: DISCOVERY Taking the franchise into bold new directions (and, in more recent seasons, 900+ years into the setting’s future), Discovery tells some of the most mature and thoughtful stories of all the series. Consider viewing “Lethe,” “Such Sweet Sorrow,” “An Obol for Charon,” “Magic to Make the Sanest Man Go Mad,” “Die Trying,” “But to Connect,” and “New Eden.” STAR TREK: SHORT TREKS Each of the ten Short Treks episodes are character focused, and all worth checking out, but if you’re pressed for time, try to watch “Calypso,” “The Trouble with Edward,” and “The Escape Artist.”

Season two took the characters in a new direction, into the past and into an alternate universe. The episodes “The Star Gazer” and “Two of One” are good character-focused stories. STAR TREK: LOWER DECKS Taking the franchise into the funnest frontier, Lower Decks brings a whimsical yet reverent tone to Star Trek. It’s worth checking the whole series out since the episodes are short, but if you need a few highlights, watch “Much Ado About Boimler,” “Moist Vessel,” “No Small Parts,” “I, Excretus,” “Wej Duj,” and “Reflections.”

STAR TREK: PICARD

STAR TREK: STRANGE NEW WORLDS & STAR TREK: PRODIGY

The first season of Picard tells a deeply personal story, something not seen before in the annals of Star Trek on such a scale or with such focus. Check out “Remembrance” and “Nepenthe.”

Two more series released during the development of this book, Strange New Worlds and Prodigy. Both have great characterfocused episodes, so check them out!  00.102

INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER 01.00

ST AR T R E K DE FI N E D 01.10

WHAT IS STAR TREK? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 08

01.20

WHAT IS CAPTAIN'S LOG? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

S TA R T R E K D E F I N E D

CHAPTER 01.10

W HAT I S STA R T RE K ? “ A n d y o u p e o p l e, you’re all astronauts o n som e k ind of star trek .” – DR. Z E FRAM COCHRANE

| TEN FACTS ABOUT STAR TREK WHILE STAR TREK HAS BEEN IN THE PUBLIC’S collective consciousness for more than 55 years and is one of the most significant popular culture icons in the world, it has come to mean different things to different people over the franchise’s life. For that reason, it’s worth examining ten key points to help establish a baseline when thinking about adapting Star Trek to a Captain’s Log roleplaying game experience you’ll inhabit with your character.

1. Star Trek has a Science Fiction Setting First and foremost, Star Trek has a science fiction setting with all the expected tropes and trappings that make science fiction what it is. Spaceships, faster-than-light travel, energy weapons, new worlds to discover and explore, a wide variety of alien life-forms to encounter and interact with, all with a firm basis in known science and scientific principles, as well as theoretical science. And not only the “hard” sciences – physics, astronomy, chemistry, biology, and all the xeno- and exoversions of these, certainly – but also the “softer” sciences of archaeology, sociology, psychology, and anthropology play key roles in many Star Trek stories.

CHAPTER 01.10

Writers involved in Star Trek stories have taken full advantage of the franchise to examine social issues of their times, focusing those issues through a science fiction lens. From its inception right up to its present offerings, Star Trek has tackled a wide variety of social and political topics, including, but not limited to: racism, social injustice, gender equality, sexual identity, labor issues, the challenges of reliance upon automation, Human rights and Human rights violations, war, violence, religion and faith issues, drugs and addiction, and terrorism. The franchise’s handling of each topic may not always be perfect, and almost never attempts to present solutions. However, Star Trek shows us that it’s important to raise the questions and to highlight the issues, through a science fiction lens, in order to spark discussion and, perhaps, lead to change for the betterment of all.

2. Star Trek Presents a Positive, Hopeful, and Vibrant Forecast One of the first things you’ll note about Star Trek on screen is that the colors pop out at you. The future presented by the franchise is vibrant, rather than washed out or shaded in grays. Starfleet

uniforms and civilian clothing are colorful, and Starfleet vessels almost always have brightly-lit interiors and control panels and displays. This attention to bright colors reflects the overall positive tone of the franchise, the hope baked into the concept of each series. Starfleet officers live in a post-scarcity society where all basic needs are met, where all individuals are free to pursue whatever interests or careers they care to set their minds to. They explore the universe not to conquer other peoples or to acquire land or treasure, but to expand their understanding of themselves and the universe in which they live. Unlike other science fiction properties that might present a dystopian future or a dark, brooding noir type of world, or settings in which endless war is a daily fact of life, Star Trek offers a universe of morality, hope, and joy in the wonders to be explored. What do you want to explore while creating a Star Trek story?

3. In Star Trek, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion are Paramount From the very first episode, Star Trek presents a diverse crew representing a wide variety of Human ethnicities, skin tones, backgrounds, histories, and identities, along with one half-Human, half-Vulcan science officer. In addition, the various series present many representatives from alien species and cultures, adding to the diversity of a given cast of characters. Star Trek presents a future where everyone is welcome, accepted, and considered equal no matter their species, gender identity, sexual preferences, faith, body shape, or other unique traits. Differences among individuals are embraced and celebrated, and discrimination and exclusion on any basis is prohibited. This standard of diversity, equity, and inclusion provides you with the flexibility to create any character you can imagine. They all have a home in the Star Trek setting.

S TA R T R E K D E F I N E D

NON-FEDERATION CHARACTERS AND CAMPAIGNS Many Star Trek characters and cultures do not embrace the IDIC philosophy or adhere to the generally hopeful and utopian point of view portrayed in most Star Trek stories. Often, these characters and cultures are presented as antagonists for the heroes to battle or overcome, which in some cases can be problematic. Not all Cardassians are fascistic torturers, nor are all Romulans treacherous schemers. As with any species or culture, there are members across the many spectrums, from conservative to progressive, fascist to libertarian. Tarring an entire people with the same brush or label is as unacceptable and intolerable in the Star Trek universe as it is in real life.

To that end, if you want to play Captain’s Log as a Cardassian soldier based on a Galor-class warship, run operations as a member of a Romulan Tal Shiar strike team, or portray a Ferengi arms dealer working every side of a given conflict to earn maximum latinum, there’s nothing stopping you from doing so. The game’s mechanics don’t change. What will change are the tone and expectations of your game in comparison to what is traditionally seen as a Star Trek story. Putting aside the tenets of IDIC and the Star Trek ideal of an egalitarian future for another approach means your game will have a very different feel from the intentions of the franchise’s creators and the game designers. And that’s okay – make the game your own and go boldly.  01.101

4. The Characters Build and Nurture Relationships

5. The Franchise Focuses on Character over Plot

Watch any episode of Star Trek and you’ll find characters working together, playing together, and exploring together. While there is a certain level of discipline and distance maintained by some characters, many of the characters on the shows are friends on- and off-duty – sometimes even family.

Related to the previous point, Star Trek is arguably at its best when it focuses on the characters and how they react and change to the circumstances placed in their paths. How does Kirk react when he learns that Edith Keeler must die? What does the crew of the Enterprise-D feel when they see that their beloved captain has been assimilated by the Borg and turned into Locutus?

It is Human nature to form communities, and the communities we see episode after episode are often ones many fans want to tune back in to time and time again. We respond in kind when we see the characters caring for each other, risking their lives for each other, or sacrificing their all so that another might live on. There are so many great relationships to draw from for inspiration; here are just a few examples: the dynamic between Kirk, Spock, and McCoy; the loving father-son relationship of Benjamin and Jake Sisko; the friendships forged between Burnham and Tilly, Data and La Forge, Bashir and O’Brien, and Rutherford and Tendi; and the nurturing mentorship Saru imparts upon Tilly.

CHAPTER 01.10

Star Trek certainly has its share of stories where the plot must be solved by creative thinking, scientific know-how, and a judicious sprinkling of technobabble, but it is arguably the character-driven episodes that fans remember most vividly, and they are often the ones that keep us watching season after season. As you play through Captain’s Log, develop your character and their supporting cast into fully rounded, fascinating characters that you’d want to watch in action, session after session.

6. Most Characters Live in a United Federation of Planets By the 24th century in Star Trek terms, the United Federation of Planets has grown to include more than 150 member worlds and protectorates, a conglomerate of billions of beings working toward a common purpose. Allying together for mutual protection and mutual benefit pays dividends for the Federation, whose members know that they are stronger together, rather than separate. There is safety in numbers, but there is also strength and solidarity and shared purpose. In addition, the Federation is grounded firmly in policies and practices that portray a grand view of ethics and morality. The Federation is aware of its strength and potential for abuse on other worlds, intended or otherwise, and endeavors to manage these concerns via law and order and a series of directives and policies intended to stand the test of time. The Prime Directive – which focuses on noninterference with pre-warp cultures – represents the Federation’s awareness of itself and requires all who serve in Starfleet to follow the spirit, if not the letter, of that directive. The moral challenges that arise from it are a staple of Star Trek drama. Where and how will it play a role in your stories?

7. Starfleet Characters Blaze the Trail Starfleet is the uniformed, exploratory organization within the Federation, primarily focused on deep-space exploration and research. Starfleet vessels and crews also take on other missions and assignments based on the needs of Starfleet and the Federation, including, but not limited to, peacekeeping efforts, disaster relief, defense, and diplomatic operations. Most Star Trek characters are Starfleet members, though most series also present non-Starfleet characters to provide contrast and alternative viewpoints and storytelling possibilities. As an organization composed of members from Federation member worlds, protectorates, and sponsored individuals from non-Federation worlds,

Starfleet is one of the primary organizations beings of the Galaxy can join to contribute their talents to the furtherance of knowledge for all. Is your character a member of Starfleet? If so, what motivated your character to join Starfleet over any other profession or life interest? What skills or perspectives do they have to contribute? If they’re not a member of Starfleet, would they ever consider joining? Why or why not?

8. Star Trek Examines the Human Condition Every Star Trek series has at least one character, often non-Human, who serves as the means by which the writers and the audience explore what it means to be Human. In some cases, it might be a Human character who was raised in a nontraditional manner, such as in the cases of Michael Burnham and Seven of Nine. In many ways, these characters often have the most Human responses to events and are often the ones musing on the story’s moral in the episode’s coda. Commander Spock, Lt. Commander Data, Constable Odo, the Emergency Medical Hologram, Neelix, Kes, Dr. Phlox, Commander Saru… these characters bring a uniquely non-Human perspective to their series. They reveal to us, Humans here on Earth, answers to questions and then present the inevitable questions that arise from those answers. Do you want to play such a character? What role would they play in your game?

9. Star Trek Explores the Wonders of the Universe In addition to exploring what it means to be Human, Star Trek, as a science fiction setting, embraces the exploration of the unknown, via real science, plausible science, and, when needed, fictitious science that sounds good for the sake of the story. Virtually every character in the various series have some education and background in one or more science disciplines and can understand and operate most standard technology (e.g., most beings can operate a shuttlecraft much as many today might operate an automobile). S TA R T R E K D E F I N E D

Star Trek has inspired generations of scientists, engineers, and theoreticians. Many technological devices and concepts that once began as science fiction concepts on the show have gone on to become real devices in real life. Just as modern technology inspires the writers of Star Trek to think more futuristically, Star Trek sparks innovation through inspiration. If your character isn’t a dedicated scientist or engineer, what disciplines are they interested in?

10. Characters Have Some Fun Along the Way Star Trek is most often presented as a science fiction drama, where high stakes, danger, and Galaxy-spanning events are used more frequently

|SUMMARY NOW THAT WE’VE ESTABLISHED WHAT STAR TREK is, or at least built a baseline to spark discussion, let’s take that foundation and apply it to the game you have in hand, Captain’s Log.

CHAPTER 01.10

than day-to-day storylines; yet, even with the everpresent drama, somehow most of the characters seem to love their jobs, their fellow crewmates, and the journey they all share. They even crack smiles and tell jokes along the way. Many Star Trek episodes carry a tone and spirit firmly planted in the comedy genre, showing that even while traveling through deep space, working far from home, facing hundreds of possibly fatal encounters, it’s Human nature to occasionally get silly and stumble into comical situations. You might come out of them unscathed, with perhaps a bit of replicated egg on your face and a purring tribble perched atop your head. If it fits into your game concept, remember to have fun while exploring all your imagination has to offer.

CHAPTER 01.20

WH AT I S CAP T AI N' S L O G ? “ Ye s , y e s , y e s . N o w, where are the gam es?” – FA L O W, MA S T E R SURCHID O F THE WAD I

|TEN ASPECTS OF CAPTAIN'S LOG NOW THAT YOU HAVE A GREATER UNDERSTANDING of what Star Trek is (if you didn’t already have a firm grasp of it before picking up this book), you might be wondering just what is Captain’s Log and why would you want to play it? What can your character accomplish in this setting that hasn’t already been portrayed by the many characters and crews in hundreds of filmed stories, and hundreds more in print? Those questions can be answered if you consider the following ten aspects of the game. Think on them so that you can determine just what kind of Star Trek game you want to play, and with what kind of character.

1. Your Ship, Your Crew, Your Adventures The Star Trek universe is really, really big. It spans more than a thousand years of in-setting content and touches on all four quadrants of our Galaxy (and sometimes beyond!). While the many characters we’ve come to know and love over the last 55 years have told amazing stories and lived amazing fictional lives, there’s always more to discover. You are a unique individual, as is everyone who has ever played the game, written a Star Trek story, or played some role in the design, development, or production of any episode, movie, or printed story.

Your character will likewise be unique, and the stories you tell will be unique as well. You’ll be developing your own series, set on your ship or station, in your own corner of the Star Trek setting. Starfleet always has need of new officers and new starships; create yours and add your stories to the ever-expanding Star Trek universe.

2. Rules That Support Every Era While many Star Trek Adventures products are designed to fit into specific eras’ visual aesthetics, with rules for those particular eras, Captain’s Log was designed to be era-agnostic, both visually and rules-wise. This means you can create stories in any era of Star Trek with this ruleset. You can play games in the 22nd, 23rd, 24th, 25th, or 32nd century, somewhere in between, or even in an alternate timeline or parallel universe. Where will your imagination take you?

3. A Streamlined Ruleset Focused on Narrative The game system presented in Captain’s Log is a streamlined version of the 2d20 system used in Star Trek Adventures. It features a straightforward task resolution system: when you are presented with a task to attempt, calculate your target number S TA R T R E K D E F I N E D

by adding one of your character’s attributes and disciplines together. Then, roll 2d20 and attempt to roll below the target number with one or both dice. If you learn only that core concept and can execute it consistently when attempting tasks and when in conflict, you’ll be armed with the single most essential tool you can use to build many sessions of entertaining gameplay. From there, you can gradually add in the rules for managing Momentum and Threat; using values and focuses; making use of your starship; and engaging in social conflict, personal combat, and starship conflict. Add additional mechanics as desired, adjusting the game system to the needs of your ongoing campaign and your comfort level with game mechanics. There are as many ways to play Captain’s Log as there are gamers playing or trying out the game. From play-by-post games in online forums that are 100% non-mechanics focused and essentially prompted fiction writing, to detailed combat scenarios using scratch-built models and painted miniatures moved around a game table, to something in between, there’s a way to play the game that will suit almost anyone.

CHAPTER 01.20

4. Character Creation Via a Lifepath The primary way to create a character for Captain’s Log is to work through a lifepath step by step, gradually building the character from childhood into their career as a Starfleet officer (or civilian, Klingon warrior, or officer of another polity). At each step of the lifepath, your character gains specific benefits and you are encouraged to begin building the story of that particular character. As you progress through the lifepath, you add more story elements to your character, along with additional mechanical benefits. Once you complete the lifepath, you’ll have a fullyrealized character ready to take their place among the heroes of the franchise. Unlike many other roleplaying games, where characters start out with modest abilities and stand real chances of dying early and often, characters in this game begin play as highly competent and capable beings, ready to take on whatever challenges the universe throws at them. What path will your character traverse on their lifepath?

5. A Role for Everyone Some players have a preferred role to play in roleplaying games, while others are happy to pick a role that best supports the needs of the game. No matter what type of player you are, or what type of character you want to play, there’s a place for them in Captain’s Log. If you come up with a character concept that excites you but doesn’t reflect the traditional idea of a Starfleet officer, brainstorm something amazing and craft a place for your character in the game.

6. A Concern for the Greater Good One common theme among almost all the main characters across the various Star Trek series is that they all strive to work together for the benefit of all, rather than toward their own self-interest or personal gain. Granted, there are some notable exceptions, though even the exceptions are still portrayed as generally good individuals who often try to make decisions that benefit someone other than themselves. Star Trek characters usually have strong moral compasses and are devoted to concepts such as duty, honor, personal integrity, truth, and justice. Character perspectives and sensibilities are defined in Captain’s Log in the form of a character’s values, which serve as a barometer of their essential outlook on the universe, and which can be tested or challenged session after session. A character’s values can change over time, reflecting the character’s growth – or regression – through their life experiences and how they choose to navigate them. What are your character’s most important values?

7. Limitless Potential Star Trek characters encounter and solve problems ranging from the mundane to the incomprehensible, from easy to near-impossible. Each individual brings their own unique blend of skills and abilities and applies those talents to whatever problem they are faced with. All the series present well-trained crew members who combine their talents with

those of other characters to devise creative and, often, effective solutions to the most seeminglyinsurmountable challenges. Captain’s Log continues these traditions by providing dozens of tables you can roll on to randomly create problems and challenges for your character, as well as numerous options for building allies and adversaries to either help or hinder you as you strive to complete your mission. The probability matrixes, combined with your imagination, should provide you with unique story experiences every time you conduct a new mission.

8. Opportunity for Dramatic Events Decade after decade, series after series, Star Trek serves up epic, expansive storylines packed with drama and high stakes. Captain’s Log delivers on this promise for high drama as well. The game’s story-driven mechanics in the form of Momentum and Threat allow you to alter the circumstances of scenes and encounters to amplify dramatic gameplay and present big, Galaxy-defining events. In addition, Captain’s Log has an advantage over the series we see on screen in that the game provides an infinite special effects budget, no limitation on alien species prosthetics, and the ability to tell stories as large as the universe itself. The television and movie screens may have a limit to the scale they can present, but that limitation dissolves at your gaming space, where your stories are limited only by your imagination.

9. Story-Driven Gameplay The mechanics built into the game – notably Momentum and Threat, as well as the use of your character’s values, focuses, and traits – are tools designed to enable you to create Star Trek-like story events. You should feel free to use as much or as little of the provided ruleset as you require to play through your missions. You may choose to use the full range of options at your disposal, or you may opt to use fewer rules. All such choices are equally valid.

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You may play entire sessions of the game where you don’t roll a single die, perhaps even multiple sessions where you don’t roll on a single matrix or attempt a task, but rather delve deeply into the narrative fiction in which your character is engaged. And, you may end up with sessions that are entirely task-focused or conflict-focused, where the dice fall hard and heavy and resources are spent in a whirlwind of activity. All these options are possible, so long as they serve the story you want to tell.

10. A Safe Space in Which to Explore Star Trek expresses the Vulcan term IDIC – Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations – where everyone is welcome, accepted, and considered equal no matter their species, gender identity, sexual preferences, faith practice, body shape, or other

unique traits. This concept holds true for players just as it does for player characters. Captain’s Log provides a safe space for gamers, regardless of their race, faith practice, sexual orientation, gender identity, or other traits. Just as any character concept can find a home in the Star Trek setting, any player is welcome to pick up this game and play a character in the Star Trek universe. Should you choose to play Captain’s Log with a group, you and your fellow players should discuss what makes for a positive and safe game experience for each person, and clearly note what you are and are not comfortable exploring within a game context. Just as it is essential for all Starfleet officers to have and follow a common code of behavior and conduct, so too should your game group have an agreed-upon set of guidelines and safety tools.

|BOLDLY GO YOU’RE NOW PREPARED WITH A STRONGER understanding of both Star Trek and Captain’s Log. Read Chapter 2 if you’d like to learn more about the Star Trek setting and review the eras and styles of play you might choose for your game.

CHAPTER 01.20

However, if you’re already familiar with Star Trek and are ready to jump into the game and begin creating a character, skip to Chapter 3 and get started!

CHAPTER 02.00

T HE STA R TRE K UNI V E R S E 02.10

SOCIETY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

02.20

A PRIMER ON STAR TREK TECHNOLOGY . . . . . . 23

02.30

SERVICE PROTOCOLS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

02.40

ERAS OF PLAY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

02.50

STYLES OF PLAY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

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CHAPTER 02.10

SO CIE T Y “ E ly s i a i s , i n ma n y r e s p e c t s, a perfec t soc iety. But w it h a ll i t s v i r t u e s , i t i s n o t h om e. And hom e with all i t s f a u l t s ... i s w here we prefer to be.” – CAPT. JAME S T. KIRK

A WELL-WOVEN TAPESTRY Over more than 55 years, across 11 series and 13 feature films, Star Trek’s production and creative teams fashioned a sprawling science fiction setting that has remained remarkably cohesive. Even if it occasionally stretches a bit at the seams and allows in some minor inconsistencies here and there, the franchise and its contents as a whole hang together rather well. So much so that, for the purposes of Captain’s Log, there’s ample consistency in the franchise’s weft and warp that you should be able to confidently bring an authentic Star Trek

feel to play in any era and portray a character in situations that could easily stand alongside the many heroes and events depicted on screen and in print. This chapter is oriented toward fans new to Star Trek or those who want more information about the Star Trek setting to serve as a foundation for the stories you’ll create with this game. If you are already familiar with the setting, feel free to skip to Chapter 3 to create your character and begin playing Captain’s Log.  02.101

|A FUTURE OF HOPE AMONG THE MANY SCIENCE FICTION PROPERTIES and franchises in popular media, Star Trek is unique in that it presents an image of humanity’s future not as a post-apocalyptic nightmare or a cynical, dystopian cityscape, but rather as a positive, diverse, and hopeful one. Uniforms and ship corridors carry bright colors and dynamic designs. Crews made up of beings from dozens of different species and cultures work together to explore the mysteries of the universe, study scientific wonders, and still have time to explore their own rich inner worlds, to examine what it means to be alive, to play a role in a Galaxy staggering in scope and potential.

CHAPTER 02.10

This hopeful outlook is most evident when Star Trek is examining very real modern social issues, such as racism, sexism, and political unrest, or complex aspects of individual identity, including faith, disability, sexuality, and many others. Star Trek invariably promotes a future where everyone can live the life they want, unfettered by the 21st century challenges of bigotry, hate, and selfishness. The vast majority of characters in the Star Trek setting, especially those from the Federation, embrace this view and fold it into everything they do, the choices they make, and the direction they choose to pursue. Your character most likely shares this view. What do they see when they look to the stars?

|INFINITE DIVERSITY, INFINITE COMBINATIONS STANDING NEXT TO THE HOPEFUL VIEW OF THE future is the Vulcan ethos of Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations, or IDIC. This concept developed early on in Star Trek’s life and has grown to represent a philosophy baked into virtually every Star Trek story. It is made clear on screen, time and time again, that the United Federation of Planets, of which Starfleet is a key component, holds dear the rights and freedoms of all beings, even artificial life-forms. Further, the Federation expressly prohibits unfair discrimination based on a being’s species, ethnicity, nationality, spiritual or political beliefs (so long as those beliefs are not harmful to, or unjustly imposed upon, others), gender, sexuality, or a range of other factors, such as disability or neurological variation.

Within the Federation, all people are given the means and opportunity to pursue their ambitions and realize their full potential. The differences between individuals are embraced and celebrated, rather than becoming the basis for marginalization or persecution. Reflecting the strong ideal of IDIC, characters may be of any species, ethnicity, faith, sexual identity, gender, gender expression, and so forth without limit or restriction. Variations rarely have any impact upon the character in game mechanics terms, though you may choose to highlight some key element of your character mechanically, perhaps via a value or focus, should you so desire.

|CULTURE THE FEDERATION, AND THE HUNDREDS OF SPECIES, worlds, and cultures the main characters encounter across the Star Trek universe, each have cultures containing norms, expectations, and styles all their own. Precious few are provided with a deep dive into their beliefs, customs, morals, and so on – the stuff that roleplaying gamers rely on to deliver a meaningful portrayal of their character at the game table. The most-used species – Humans, Klingons, Vulcans, Betazoids, Cardassians, Bajorans, Ferengi, and Kelpiens, among others – are given sufficient cultural background (by virtue of being the species

of a main character) that makes them relatively easy to roleplay compared to others. Secondary canon has helped to fill in some of the blanks for other species as well. If you are playing a character from a well-known Star Trek species, much of the world-building has already been fleshed out for you. Create your character on that firm foundation and boldly add your own spin to an established species. If you are playing a character of a species that has not been given much canonical cultural detail (or if you are creating a unique species from scratch), embrace the fun challenge of fleshing out that T H E S TA R T R E K U N I V E R S E

species for the purposes of your campaign. Much as The Next Generation added a wealth of detail on Klingon culture, and Deep Space Nine dove deeply into the Ferengi psyche, use the opportunity to take a canon species and build their culture as

you play. Species such as the Tellarites, Andorians, Tiburonians, Ktarians, and Pakleds could all be embraced as a player character and given deeper cultural details and practices that could enhance any game experience.

RELIGION AND SPIRITUALITY For all that the Federation is a broadly secular society, religious and spiritual beliefs are far from absent. Vulcans are a deeply spiritual people, with ancient traditions of monastic contemplation and asceticism, and philosophies that encourage deep self-knowledge and musings upon the metaphysical. Bajorans, on the cusp of being a Federation member, have a rich religious life centered around worship of the Prophets in their Celestial Temple, and this organized religion holds much social and political influence. While few other Star Trek cultures have had their faith so prominently shown on screen, every culture is shaped by the beliefs and faiths of its people, past and present. Within humanity, religion often takes on more individual forms of practice than it may have in the past, but even atheists and agnostics typically recognize the cultural impact that religion has had upon their lives. Many of these faiths and practices have evolved over the centuries as spiritual leaders debated the interpretation of their traditions and texts in the light of new discoveries and new technologies. The Federation does not have an official religion and guarantees freedom of religious expression so long as one’s religious beliefs are not harmful to others. RELIGION IN PLAY Star Trek has typically been a very secular franchise, sometimes dismissing religion as superstition and speaking of it as if it were something that a culture evolves beyond, with

god-like beings (or beings posing as gods) serving as antagonists in many episodes. Gene Roddenberry is said to have believed that contemporary religion would be gone by the 23rd century, with humanity favoring a form of secular humanism as our guiding philosophy. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine took a more balanced approach, with the Bajoran faith explored in detail, and Benjamin Sisko having to strike a balance between being a Starfleet officer and a religious figure, but the religion in question was always that of the Bajorans; Human faiths never factored into it. Star Trek: Enterprise suggested that a variety of Human faiths persisted at least into the 22nd century, with Phlox having studied a range of Human religions during his time on Earth. The second season of Star Trek: Discovery deals with faith in an abstract sense and reveals that Captain Pike’s upbringing included study of religion alongside science, rather than in place of it. In these small ways, Star Trek has grown to explore belief and faith in ways it didn’t originally, even if it still shies away from talking directly about any real Human religion. These considerations are important in a game context because religion is a part of people’s identities and cultures, and that is as much a part of IDIC as race, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, and other factors. Within the game, you may wish to create a character which you identify with, and that may include some or all the aspects of your faith practice, if you have one.  02.102

CHAPTER 02.10

FEDERATION CITIZENS AND MONEY The United Federation of Planets is, broadly, a collection of post-scarcity societies where financial success and the accrual of wealth are archaic concepts consigned to history… but the exchange of resources is still managed and accounted for. Federation citizens receive a share of the economic product of their world, which is more than sufficient to provide for all their regular needs: food, housing, clothing, education, use of public utilities, and so forth. On a day-to-day basis, no citizen of the Federation needs to worry about lacking the means to survive. A portion of this share is set aside as credit to be traded on a discretionary basis for luxuries and extras – a visit to a restaurant, a bottle of real

wine, other items made the old-fashioned way rather than replicated, as well as a wide variety of trades practiced by skilled professionals. Starfleet personnel and citizens who travel extensively, or who come into contact with those outside the Federation, often exchange a portion of this discretionary fund for an equivalent value in latinum or other valuable commodity, allowing them to purchase goods and services from those who are not part of the Federation. For example, it is not uncommon for Starfleet personnel stationed at a Federation station or outpost to keep a stash of Klingon darseks or a few strips of latinum on hand for trading purposes.  02.103

|ECONOMY ANOTHER IMPORTANT FACET OF THE STAR TREK universe is that, by and large, the average Federation citizen has left behind the need to pursue a survival income or to hoard wealth. Replicator technology and the realities of a post-scarcity society mean that few beings in the Federation want for any of life’s essentials, which frees people to pursue careers or activities out of desire rather than necessity. Some individuals and cultures certainly do pursue wealth and material possessions, but these are seen as the exception rather than the norm.

Your character likely joined Starfleet (or whatever organization is appropriate for your game) out of a desire to better themselves rather than feeling the need to earn a salary and benefits or because they’re obligated to do so. Without a need to earn to live, free to join Starfleet to explore the Galaxy and to better themselves, what excites your character? What hobbies do they choose to pursue? Knowing that they can do anything they want if they put in the effort to learn new skills, what do they want to do in their Starfleet career? How about a second career? Perhaps they spend 30 years at one trade and then join Starfleet. What did they do and how does that experience influence their decision to join Starfleet?

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| STARDATES TIMEKEEPING IN THE STAR TREK UNIVERSE CAN BE tricky when dealing with multiple different worlds that each have their own native calendar and time systems, combined with issues that arise from relativistic effects. After the formation of the Federation, a standardized system was implemented called stardates. All you need to remember is that a stardate gives an internal reference to the chronological occurrences in your game. A story that occurs after another should have a higher stardate than the first. It’s up to you to figure out how you want to keep track of time.

While not always the case, there is a rough equivalence in stardates and the calendar of Earth after the 23rd century. A stardate of 44000.1 is roughly equivalent to January 1, 2367, with one year comprising 1000 stardate units. Alternate versions of stardates are sometimes used, including using the calendar year as the whole number, and the fraction of the year already passed as the decimal, i.e., 2285.2739 is 10 April 2285. You may also choose to use a traditional form of dating missions and sessions, for example, having one episode set on May 22, 2155 and the next episode set a couple weeks later, on June 14.

BEHIND THE SCENES: STARDATES If you want to use a stardate for your adventures that feels more authentic to the source material, consider the following guidance:

Star Trek: Enterprise uses traditional Gregorian calendar dating practices. The first episode, “Broken Bow,” starts on April 16, 2151, while the season four episode “Terra Prime” takes place on January 22, 2155. If you are playing in this era, feel free to use the Gregorian dating practice and simply sidestep the whole stardate issue.

Episodes in the original series, The Animated Series, the six original series-era feature films, Strange New Worlds, and the first two seasons of Star Trek: Discovery use stardates in the 1000–9900 range, though they are sporadic and rarely sequential from episode to episode. For example, the original series episode “The Man Trap” carries a stardate of 1513.1 (and is set in the year 2266), while Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country starts with a stardate of 9521.6 (and is set in the year 2293). If you are playing in this era, you can safely use a stardate in the 1000.x–9999.x range for the years 2254–2323 or thereabouts.

Starting with The Next Generation, the producers choose to use a five-digit stardate, suggesting a progression from the original series, and use a range of 41000.x–41999.x for the first season, set in 2364. This practice is continued sequentially through Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and the four The Next Generation feature films. For example, the pilot episode “Encounter at Farpoint” starts at stardate 41153.7 (and is set in the year 2364). Voyager’s final episode, “Endgame,” includes stardate 54973.4 (and is largely set in the year 2378). If you are playing in this era, you may wish to review various episodes or consult a Star Trek timeline resource in print or online to determine where in the canonical timeline you wish to place your adventures. Of course, you are free to ignore established canon and pick whatever dates you wish!

Star Trek: Picard is set in the year 2399, though it does not make use of stardates in its first season of episodes. Theoretically, the stardates would be in the 75000.x–75999.x range. If you’re playing a game set in this time period, you could choose to use a stardate following The Next Generation era pattern, or simply make use of the Gregorian dating system.  02.104

CHAPTER 02.10

CHAPTER 02.20

A PRIMER ON STAR TREK TECHNOLOGY “ I n s t r u me n t s r egister only those things t h e y ’r e d e s i g n ed to register. S pac e still c o n t ains infinite unk nowns.” – LT. CMDR. SPOCK

GADGETS AND GEAR This section provides an overview of some of the most commonly used technology found in the Star Trek setting with which your character would be familiar. Most of these types of technology are present in all eras, though

some are only available in specific eras. The various descriptions in this section will note what eras you may or may not find that particular technology.  02.201

|CLOAKING DEVICE A CLOAKING DEVICE, REGARDLESS OF THE POLITY producing it, is actually multiple pieces of equipment (heat sinks for the engines, baffled thruster ports, multispectral plating on the outer hull, etc.) installed on a starship that operate together to render the vessel undetectable to most sensors. Even the most advanced forms of the cloaking device require significant power; therefore, vessels under cloak generally do not have enough power to simultaneously provide for defensive and offensive systems. More primitive cloaking devices may even restrict the use of warp

and impulse propulsion, leaving the cloaked vessel maneuvering under thrusters only. You may expect to use a cloaking device for conducting covert missions, hiding from enemies, or getting a starship into position to make a surprise attack. While the Klingons and Romulans use cloaking devices extensively, the Federation has treaties that prevent its use in Starfleet vessels, except for the U.S.S. Defiant, which was destroyed during the Dominion War. Cloaking devices are present in all eras of play.

T H E S TA R T R E K U N I V E R S E

| COMMUNICATIONS THE ABILITY TO TRANSMIT INFORMATION between two points is integral to the Star Trek setting, be it using a personal communicator to speak to your ship from a planet’s surface, or connecting to computer databases lightyears away to download the latest information on a wide variety of topics. Most citizens of the Federation grow up with easy access to voice and image communications to speak with family and friends. An easy rule of thumb is that if you can do something today with communications technology, you can do something equivalent with the communications technology of the Star Trek universe. Personal communicators (from any era) utilize a subspace transceiver just like ship-based subspace transceivers, but with a more limited range due to its smaller size and energy storage. You should assume that your starship’s communications array will allow you to communicate with any world within a reasonable distance and even monitor communications at the same range as long as it isn’t encrypted. Personal communicators are able to talk to a ship in orbit or a crew on a nearby moon. By the 24th century, most communications occur via subspace, a layer of reality that exists alongside normal space-time. Within subspace there is a “spectrum,” just like in the electromagnetic spectrum in normal space-time, that allows data to be transmitted at faster-thanlight speeds. Subspace communication utilizes these subspace frequencies, and like its equivalent radio transmissions in normal space-time, allows vast quantities of data to be spread across the Galaxy at incredible speeds. This does not mean instantaneous, as even subspace communications have an upper speed limit similar to light-speed in normal space-time. In the 22nd century, power and technological limitations meant real-time communications, even over as little a distance as Earth to Vulcan, were difficult without subspace boosters. In the 23rd century, it would be difficult to get immediate contact with Starfleet Command on Earth when on the edges of Federation space, but by the 24th

CHAPTER 02.20

century, real-time communications Federationwide were possible due to an extensive network of subspace communication relays and boosters. While the Federation enjoys freedom of communications for its population, other polities may not put as much significance on the use of subspace boosters. The Romulan Star Empire, as an example, may only utilize boosters to operate between Romulus and strategically important worlds, in order to compartmentalize and cover up rebellious actions in conquered star systems. The Ferengi Alliance may have an extensive network of subspace boosters so stock traders from across the Alliance can quickly and efficiently make profits. Regardless, lightly settled or explored sectors may not enjoy subspace relays and boosters at all, causing a communications lag. Communications on a planet, or even communications between a planet and orbit, may not rely on subspace technology, and instead rely on older and less power-intensive fiber-optic wires and laser data transmission, especially in the 22nd and 23rd centuries. This practice would become redundant as power generation increased and the technology for subspace communications became more miniaturized. In the 24th century, older styles of communication became niche hobbies and studied by historians rather than engineers, and starships of that era would rarely monitor the normal EM spectrum. Knowledge of these older communications styles can be useful when dealing with less technologically developed societies that are pre-warp, or in emergency situations where no subspace communication is possible. Remember that old never means useless! You can expect to have communications interrupted or made unreliable through multiple events, such as ion storms, sheer distance to transmit over, and enemy jamming, to name just some examples. The distance that sublight communications can cover ranges from hundreds of thousands of kilometers to hundreds or thousands of light-years. You should understand that real-time communications may only be

possible between different star systems when there are subspace boosters in between them to “speed up” the transmission. Outside of this, a rule of thumb would be to assume it takes one hour for your transmission to travel six light-years. In Captain Archer’s time of the mid-22nd century,

this would mean a transmission from Vulcan to Earth would take two hours and forty-five minutes to go one way. When exploring the edges of the Federation, the closest starbases may be tens of light-years away or more, and calls for assistance may not be heard for days.

LANGUAGE AND THE UNIVERSAL TRANSLATOR The invention of the universal translator in the 22nd century was a massive breakthrough in interspecies communication. In the centuries that followed, further advancements allowed the technology to be incorporated into personal communicators or unobtrusive wearable technology that allowed real-time conversation between any two beings regardless of shared language. Starfleet guidelines, and general pragmatism elsewhere, suggest that learning other languages in case of technical faults, or to help understand other cultures more deeply, is still valuable, but it is no longer an absolute necessity for an exploratory mission to have a xenolinguist on board as it was during the early missions of the Enterprise NX-01. In most games of Captain’s Log, the existence of the universal translator means that we can ignore language difficulties as a regular part of play, as it isn’t likely to be an issue. However, communication without using a universal translator is a plot point in numerous Star Trek stories, from the Enterprise crew desperately seeking to send a message in Klingon in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, to many stories involving Ensign Hoshi in Enterprise, to more recent stories such as the communication difficulties faced by the Discovery crew in the episode “An Obol for Charon.” Because of this, it’s occasionally useful to know what languages different characters speak and read.

Player characters are assumed to be completely fluent in one or two languages. These are typically the common language of their service – Federation Standard in Starfleet, or tlhIngan Hol in the Klingon Defense Force – and either a language reflecting the character’s heritage (an Andorian will be able to speak a form of the Andorian language, for example), or another language which the character studied at some point during their upbringing. It can be assumed that every civilization has numerous languages and regional dialects, with one being the most prominent and used for government and interstellar trade, as Federation Standard is for Earth. A character may additionally know languages based on their focuses – any focus relating to a particular culture means that the character has at least some understanding of that culture’s language, and knowledge of history may give a character a grounding in a dead language (such as Latin) or a particular chronolect of a language they already know (a chronolect is the way a language is spoken during a particular era, such as the differences between Old English and its modern forms). A focus in Linguistics or similar may allow a character to know numerous languages – Commander Saru, for example, speaks 94 different languages – and if you are willing to devote part of your character to that, you could choose to have your character know a minimum number of languages equal to their Reason score.  02.202

T H E S TA R T R E K U N I V E R S E

|HOLOGRAM TECHNOLOGY HOLOGRAMS HAVE BEEN IN USE SINCE THE EARLY days of the Federation when holographic imaging systems were used to record and display lifelike 3-D representations of people, scenery, objects, strategic maps, and more (perhaps your character has a treasured holorecording of a loved one, or a place they’ve visited). Starting in the 23rd century, some polities experimented with holographic communication systems (in lieu of viewscreens), though they did not see widespread use.

Many late 24th century starships are equipped with an Emergency Medical Hologram (EMH), an artificial intelligence designed to mimic a humanoid being and programmed with extensive medical knowledge. An EMH can operate in sickbay (which has been equipped with holo-emitters) and is intended to supplement or temporarily replace the medical staff in emergencies. Such holograms are not designed to be self-aware, though there have been a few notable exceptions.

However, the most significant use of holographic technology came with the invention of the holodeck (or, in some places, a smaller holosuite). Developed in the 2360s to address the psychological needs of most organic life-forms to relax and experience familiar environments – and do so in a way that utilized a minimum of space in the ships they were installed in – holodecks became instantly popular with Federation starship crews (despite a few technological hiccups).

As depicted in Star Trek: Picard, emergency holograms have expanded significantly by 2399. Additional varieties in use include the Emergency Engineering Hologram (EEH), Emergency Hospitality Hologram (EHH), Emergency Navigational Hologram (ENH), and Emergency Tactical Hologram (ETH). Emergency holograms in this era can be modeled on existing people, including their memories and personality.

Holodecks combine holographic imaging, forcefields, and tractor beams to create interactive environments that can be touched as well as seen (and heard, smelled, and even tasted). Standard safety protocols prevent items on a holodeck from being deadly, though accidents are still possible – for example, someone skiing in an Andoria simulation could still suffer a leg injury. Adding artificial intelligence allows for holographic characters that users can interact with, and the use of replicators allows for physical objects one can use or even consume. In general, objects created on a holodeck vanish when taken beyond its doors. A holodeck program can be paused, saved, and altered while in progress, using either voice commands or by summoning the room’s exit or “arch” (the control-laden framework around the door). This technology is in use beyond the Federation as well, popular for recreation, as a training tool, and as a development and simulation tool for disciplines ranging from engineering to medicine. It has also been used in anthropological field research, where holographic “duck blinds” hide observation posts behind images of natural scenery such as cliff walls or dense vegetation.

CHAPTER 02.20

Besides recreational use and emergency holograms, any ship department can make use of a holodeck in their day-to-day work. Science and medical officers can create working models of physical compounds, spatial phenomena, and even life-forms to test theories. Engineers and conn officers can run lifelike simulations to try out different power and flight configurations. Security officers train extensively against any conceivable simulated enemy in multiple environments. Counselors use carefully-crafted holo-environments (and sometimes holo-characters) to aid the therapeutic process. And command officers immerse themselves in situations both tactical and interpersonal that hone their instincts concerning following Starfleet protocol and making effective command decisions. Consider coming up with a few ideas for the kinds of holo-programs your character spends time in. Are they a holo-novel fan who enjoys stepping into the shoes of a fictional character? Do they spend more time in fitness and training programs than in pure recreational ones? Do they like designing their own programs? Do they hang out with other crew members in a simulated environment based on a real location, or perhaps even a fictional one?

|PROPULSION STARSHIPS IN THE STAR TREK SETTING MOVE among planets, systems, sectors, and quadrants using two primary forms of propulsion: impulse (sublight), and warp (faster-than-light). While many episodes present other forms of propulsion, including solar sails, quantum slipstream drives, and subspace tunnels, this primer focuses on the two most common forms you’ll likely use in virtually every adventure.

Impulse Drive An impulse drive is the primary set of equipment used to propel a starship, shuttlecraft, or probe at sublight speeds. United Earth, and later the Federation as a whole, standardized impulse drives to use highly efficient fusion reactors that would generate energy for ship systems and plasma exhaust that could be channeled through magnetic and subspace baffles to provide thrust that resulted in propulsion. These fusion reactors utilize deuterium reactions that produce helium and hydrogen atoms, free neutrons, and an amazing amount of energy. In the setting, it means that a helmsman can both accelerate and decelerate with an impulse drive without ever having to change the orientation of their starship.

You can use these systems to not only propel your vessel at sublight speeds, but also use them in ways that require thrust like a rocket or power like a nuclear power plant. Impulse drives are used to travel within star systems, and even at quarter impulse speed, a starship could travel from low Earth orbit to the Moon in 21 seconds. At full impulse, a starship would only require around a half hour to go from the Earth to the Sun, and could travel the entire diameter of Neptune’s orbit in a little more than 33 hours. While slow compared to warp velocities, an impulse drive is able to adequately provide movement inside a star system for most of the Federation’s citizens. All impulse drives in common use have limitations on velocity; this speed is typically between 0.25 and 0.33c. This restriction is meant to address both safety and relativistic effects. The faster a vessel goes in real space under impulse, the more damage any particles, dust, or larger objects impacting the vessel will cause, requiring more power to deflector systems to keep everyone on board safe. Time dilation becomes an issue as well: the faster a vessel goes, the more the outside universe seems to speed up. While at low velocities this may not be a large issue, at higher speeds the ship’s crew

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may find themselves unable to react fast enough to outside threats. Most civilizations the Federation interacts with do not like vessels continually being out of sync with other ships and headquarters, so the time dilation makes coordination difficult at best. At extremely high sublight velocities, it’s possible that characters may only feel they have been traveling for days when years or decades have passed outside. In game play, you may find that an impulse drive may shut down from heavy use, or that steep gravity wells mean the impulse drive struggles to provide enough velocity to escape. While fusion reactors are much safer than fission reactors (due to their failure only resulting in the dissipation of high-energy plasma out external vents), working near them still has dangers that you can introduce to provide some nail-biting tension, such as the plasma vents being damaged, the impulse drive taking damage during battle when maneuvering is vital, or perhaps the relativistic limiter failing and requiring repair before time (in the outside universe) literally runs out.

Warp Drive Star Trek without warp drive would be limited to being “Solar System Trek.” It is one of the most quintessential technological systems that every player character will encounter. Simply put, warp drive is a propulsion technology that warps spacetime around a vessel by producing a subspace bubble. This bubble allows a vessel inside of it to stay at slower-than-light velocities, avoiding relativistic effects, and moving the bubble itself at superluminal velocities. This subspace bubble is produced by warp coils, pieces of technology found in a vessel’s warp nacelles. Most vessels keep these nacelles far from the inhabited areas of the ship for safety reasons, but this isn’t a firm design rule. Warp travel requires significant amounts of power, even at low speeds, and this is commonly provided by matter/antimatter reactions inside of a warp core. In Starfleet vessels, the matter and antimatter streams converge inside a chamber where a faceted dilithium crystal helps to focus the resultant plasma into a ship’s warp plasma system, channeling the high-energy material to the vessel’s warp coils.

ERA-SPECIFIC TERMINOLOGY TRANSLATOR Many elements of Star Trek effectively work the same in different eras but have different names.

Here is a list of items and concepts that use different labels over time. 

Enterprise

Star Trek

The Next Generation

communicator

combadge

grappler

tractor beam

hand scanner

tricorder

landing / boarding party

away team

particle rifle

phaser rifle

phase cannon

phaser bank

phaser bank / phaser array

phase pistol

hand phaser

photonic torpedoes

photon torpedoes

polarized hull plating

screens or shields

shields

protein resequencer

food synthesizer

replicator

—

recreation deck (“rec deck”)

holodeck 02.203

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This form of energy generation isn’t the only means of providing power to warp drives. The Romulan Star Empire builds vessels that power their propulsion through a naked singularity. Any kind of large power source can provide power to drive a vessel in warp, even fission reactions found in modern nuclear reactors, though the lower the amount of energy provided, the lower the warp velocities. Much like other types of propulsion, warp coils are unable to sustain their maximum power rating for long durations, and vessels that have been traveling at higher than cruising speed must often slow or even stop for a period of time to let the coils cool or to perform maintenance. While warp speeds are incredibly fast by early 21st century standards, space is a very large place, and traveling between star systems isn’t something that happens in moments. During the 23rd century, a ship cruising at warp 6 (216 times the speed of light) would take 7 days and 4 hours just to travel between Earth and its closest stellar neighbor, Proxima Centauri. Even in the 24th century, when starship cruising speeds are higher and the warp scale was reconfigured, a ship cruising at warp 6 (392 times the speed of light) would still take nearly 4 days on the same journey. The highest speeds seen on screen are achieved by the Intrepid-class starship, capable of emergency speeds of warp 9.975, or a staggering 5126 times the speed of light, allowing the vessel to move between Earth and Proxima Centauri in a little more than 7 hours.

Regardless of the era, you should remember that if your crew is exploring deep space, help will often be weeks away. Standard warp isn’t the only way to travel at superluminal velocities. Transwarp is another form of travel that is often mentioned. First theorized in the late 23rd century, transwarp drive allows a vessel to shunt itself entirely into subspace, exponentially increasing the real space velocities of a starship. Borg vessels use this type of propulsion, in addition to normal warp propulsion, to be able to traverse the entire Galaxy in a matter of hours, either through conduits generated by an individual vessel, or through stable transwarp conduits, which provide even higher relative velocities. Warp and transwarp are only two examples of faster-than-light travel in the Star Trek universe, and there are dozens of others, each with their own quirks and benefits. Maybe your character will be able to figure out a way to introduce them to Starfleet and change the Galaxy for the better. Your characters can use warp drive systems in many ways, including for purposes of bending spacetime, producing localized temporal acceleration or deceleration, or even defensively to cause directed energy weapons to bend around the vessel. Warp drive is a wondrous invention, and there are countless opportunities for a creative player to use the technology in unique and fascinating ways.

|SENSORS SENSOR TECHNOLOGY IS A BROAD CATEGORY OF technology ranging from the “Mark 1 Eyeball” to the most advanced multispectral interferometric wideband subspace/EM detectors of the 24th century. Sensors are any device that can detect the outside universe and provide information about that occurrence to the user. Eyes see the visible portion of the EM spectrum and provide data to the brain to help a person interpret their surroundings. Dolphins use a form of sonar, allowing sound waves from their chirps to travel through the water and bounce back off objects so the dolphin can better interpret

their surroundings. In the Star Trek universe, there are far more things to detect than just the visual part of the EM spectrum and sound in water! The most common sensors player characters will come across while on a starship are longrange sensors. These are a variety of detection devices that operate by sending out pulses of wide-spectrum subspace energy and detecting the reflected energy that returns. The most important aspect of these sensors is that they use subspace; they aren’t limited by the speed of light. This is

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why starships can detect vessels approaching from light-years away, why the bridge crew can see a star collapsing as it happens even though they are light-minutes or hours distant, and how a starship navigates around obstacles in their path while at warp. These sensors operate on principles similar to modern-day radar and are used to determine the location of a ship or other object along with some basic information about it, such as speed, size, and mass. Operators skilled with such systems can tease out quite a bit of information about stars and planets, but detailed information is limited. In other words, a science officer won’t be able to detect where a specific person is standing on a planet’s surface from light-years away, but may be able to tell that there are many people on that world, via electromagnetic emissions typical of a technological society. Short-range sensors are similar to their long-range counterparts but have a larger amount of data they can gather at a higher resolution. Many of these sensors have no need to operate at faster-than-light speeds, so they do not rely on subspace to function, but often can be tied into subspace devices to get longer-range data than they otherwise would. These devices include standard electromagnetic spectrum detectors (cameras, as an example), particle detectors (such as Geiger counters), and even telescopic or microscopic equipment. Examples of short-range sensors include tricorders, medical scanning equipment, diagnostic equipment in engineering, etc. A rule of thumb is that if there is a real-world equivalent to a sensor (an optical telescope, Doppler radar, magnetic anomaly detector, blood pressure monitor, etc.), then the sensor falls into the shortrange category.

As the resolution at which a sensor is supposed to scan gets higher (i.e., moving from scanning something the size of a Human to a size of a cell), the closer the sensor needs to be to function well. This is why patients lay down in sickbay to be scanned for their injury or illness instead of being diagnosed from across the ship. It’s also why stars can be scanned from quite long distances but planets require closer proximity. For example, a star system may be detected from dozens of light-years away, a planet in that system or a starship not attempting to hide may be detected from several light-years away, and intelligent life on a planet may be detected as far away as a few light-years. Determining that the life-signs are humanoid will require the starship to be in the same star system as the world, detecting that the humanoid life-forms are Romulan may mean being an AU (150 million kilometers) away, and getting an accurate count on how many Romulans are living on the planet would require the starship to be in orbit. Discovering that the Romulans on the planet are sick will require being within tens of meters of the Romulans, and identifying the viral infection they are stricken with will require close contact. No approach yields more accurate information than being up close with whatever it is you are scanning and being able to manipulate it yourself. Exploration is far more than looking at something from a distance; it is about seeing, smelling, and experiencing it. And that means getting off your ship and transporting down to the planet or over to that alien spacecraft to check things out first-hand.

|SHUTTLECRAFT WHILE STARSHIPS MAY BE THE CAPITAL SHIPS OR ocean liners of the Star Trek universe, shuttlecraft are more akin to personal transportation. Shuttlecraft are small, space-capable vessels that most citizens of the Federation have easy access to. They are common sights both in planetary atmospheres and when traveling between worlds. Some shuttles have limited

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warp capabilities, and while you may not want to take long journeys between star systems with them, they can reduce the time it takes to get to faraway planetary bodies within a star system to hours. You can use shuttlecraft in any way you can imagine using an automobile, aircraft, helicopter, or shortrange spacecraft such as the space shuttle orbiters.

|TRACTOR BEAMS A TRACTOR BEAM IS A PIECE OF EQUIPMENT THAT focuses emitted gravitons and antigravitons into a coherent stream. This stream of particles is then directed at a nearby object, likely less than a few thousand kilometers away, so the beam can either bring the object closer, hold it at a set distance, or push it away. The mass of the object able to be towed or moved in such a way is normally limited to around a similar, but lower, mass as the vessel

generating the tractor beam. In other words, while a starship should be able to tow a smaller starship, it would be entirely unable to move a planet. In combination with the Laws of Motion and deactivated inertial dampeners, you may find interesting ways of maneuvering your starship using the tractor beam to push off objects to change your momentum.

|SHIELDS DEFLECTOR SHIELDS (ALSO CALLED EITHER deflectors or shields) are the most common type of defensive measure employed by starships in the known Galaxy. Available starting around the 2240s, shields are forcefields that surround a ship or base in an invisible bubble – except when they are hit by something, at which point an observer will see a multicolored flash of Cherenkov radiation. Shields protect against both physical objects (such as asteroids) and many types of energy (including phasers and other weapons). Shields that are active are said to be “up,” and shields that are inactive or have collapsed are referred to as “down.” Objects and weapons striking a shield reduce its effectiveness. Some interstellar phenomena can also impair or disable shields, including nebulae, stellar flares, radiation storms, geomagnetic storms, novas, and black holes. Once a ship or station’s shields are gone, the shields collapse and offer no further protection until restored or repaired. Most

ships cannot withstand many attacks once the shields are down. Some shipboard activities generally cannot be performed while shields are up, including transporting to or from the ship, launching or landing shuttlecraft, and operating a cloaking device. Some cultures have been able to work around this restriction, such as the Dominion and Borg with their advanced transporter technology. Shields operate at a specific frequency, and normally operate at the same frequency as the ship’s own weapons so they do not interfere with each other. Shield (and matching weapon) frequencies are changed regularly, because if an enemy manages to match its weapon frequency to that of the shields, the weapon will do the same as the target ship’s own weapons: bypass the shields entirely.

|TIME TRAVEL TIME TRAVEL IS A COMMON OCCURRENCE IN Star Trek stories. From the Guardian of Forever to the Orb of Time to the Red Angel time suit, Starfleet officers and members of other cultures have had many journeys into the past and future. In the Star Trek universe, time is malleable. It is possible to change the past and affect one’s own

timeline, so extreme caution is advised for any officers who find themselves traveling into history. Indeed, in the late 24th century, the Federation instituted a Temporal Prime Directive that prohibits changes to the past, in much the same way that the original Prime Directive prohibits interfering in the natural development of other worlds. Officers who travel through time can expect a thorough debriefing

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by the Department of Temporal Investigations. It is likely that other cultures have instituted similar directives and departments as the Federation. (Before establishing the Temporal Prime Directive, the Federation experimented with missions to the past for observational purposes.) The Temporal Prime Directive has three essential rules:

§ §

Don’t interfere with historical events.

Avoid revealing information about the future that could itself cause interference or even generate a time paradox.

Do take action to prevent historical alterations, if necessary.

The methods employed in traveling through time are quite varied, but common means to do so include the slingshot effect (warping near a powerful gravity source, such as a star, then rapidly breaking away), warp drive malfunctions, transporter accidents, and the general (but vague) category of “temporal anomalies.” Evidence of time travel is often detectable by sensors and tricorders, in the form of

such phenomena as temporal distortions, tachyons, and rare subatomic particles called chronitons. Alterations to history during time travel sometime create alternate timelines. These sometimes exist only between the time a change is made in history and the time someone else repairs that change, but in other cases, they remain in existence as a separate reality, leaving it possible to travel back and forth between the two timelines. This is separate from the concept of parallel universes, in that alternate timelines differ from ours only because of changes to historical events, whereas parallel universes generally incorporate different physical laws, even if the changes are minor compared to our own universe. In addition to the Federation, the Borg and Klingons both have access to time travel technology, and records at the Department of Temporal Investigations indicate that numerous other civilizations do as well. The Orb of Time on Bajor has been used for this purpose. Some organisms have even shown the ability to manipulate or travel through time, such as the Devidians, the Q, and a species of quantum singularity life-forms.

|WEAPONS THOUGH PEACE IS STARFLEET’S GOAL, IT’S A FACT of life that combat happens. (In the Klingon Empire, it’s an aspiration.) It helps to know the weapons you will be facing as well as the ones you will be using, so this section offers an overview of both handheld weapons and those installed on starships. We won’t cover every weapon in use in Star Trek, but rather present a summary of the most common or noteworthy. Note that when encountering the aftermath of a battle, it is often possible to use sensors and tricorders to determine which type of weapon was involved in an attack by analyzing the damage. Sometimes even hearing the sound of a weapon can differentiate it; Federation phasers sound quite different than Klingon disruptors.

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Handheld Weapons The most common personal weapon in the Federation and many other societies is the phaser (except in the Star Trek: Enterprise era, when it was the earlier-model phase pistol). Phasers are phased particle beam weapons, favored by the Federation because of their versatility, despite the fact that other weapon types can more easily cause greater damage. Depending on the setting used, a phaser can stun, heat, cut, kill, or even vaporize targets. Another highly popular weapon in the Galaxy is the disruptor, favored by the Klingons, Romulans, Gorn, Tholians, Breen, and more. Disruptors are less versatile than phasers but perform well at their primary task: inflicting damage. They do not have a stun setting, though characters can still use them for non-lethal attacks, in which case the target receives burns that are minor but survivable.

Other energy weapons in use in the known Galaxy are less ubiquitous. Though the Federation discontinued the use of lasers, early particle beams, and phase pistols by the early 2250s, a few civilizations still use them. Some cultures, such as the Andorians, have used plasma weapons, though the Dominion uses a version that incorporates an anticoagulant effect that makes injuries inflicted by them far harder to treat. The Federation has used a variety of grenades that use phaser pulse technology to stun targets, collectively called pulse grenades. The Klingons have an affinity for using melee weapons in addition to energy weapons, from their d’k tahg dagger to their

legendary bat’leth, and many warriors default to these whenever possible. Similarly, the Jem’Hadar enjoy using their kar’takins, which are like short polearms. Most energy weapons have a few features in common. They generally appear in both pistol and rifle variants, with the rifles having greater accuracy and the capability to inflict greater damage. They use rechargeable power cells that can support a tremendous amount of sustained usage. And many have an “overload” feature that can turn the weapon into a makeshift explosive device. T H E S TA R T R E K U N I V E R S E

Starship Weapons Starships usually mount both energy weapons and projectile-based ones, commonly called torpedoes. In general, energy weapons are more precise, while torpedoes inflict more damage. ENERGY WEAPONS Phasers are the primary starship weapon for many cultures, including the Federation, and some use a combination of phasers and other energy weapons, such as the Cardassians, Ferengi, and Orions. Shipboard phasers are similar to their handheld counterparts and can even use the stun setting (over a large area!). Disruptors are also common starship weapons, equipped on Klingon, Romulan, Gorn, Tholian, and Breen ships. Some civilizations have developed more unconventional weapons. The Breen use an energy dissipation weapon that can drain power from ships without damaging them, and the Ferengi sometimes fire an electro-magnetic pulse that combines a high-damage blast with low-level power disruption. Jem’Hadar ships use phased polaron beams, which excel at penetrating shields. One of the most unusual weapons is the Tholian web spinner, capable of (slowly) ensnaring a ship and draining it of power.

TORPEDOES Starships in earlier eras (or modern fleets used by less-advanced civilizations) used rockets, spatial torpedoes, and then photonic torpedoes. As of the original series era, photon torpedoes became the most popular starship projectile weapon in the known Galaxy, and see use by the Federation, Klingons, Orions, Gorn, Dominion, Hirogen, Vidiians, and many others. Torpedoes are longrange projectiles that carry powerful explosive or energetic payloads. Many torpedoes can track a target, pursuing it at high speed until it strikes and detonates. Photon torpedoes contain a quantity of antimatter that combines with matter on impact, creating a powerful explosion. In the late 24th century, Starfleet began equipping ships with the more advanced and higher-damage quantum torpedoes, which work on a similar principle but use plasma-based warheads. An earlier plasma weapon still in use from the original series era is the Romulan plasma torpedo. This weapon is extremely powerful and can even follow a ship into warp for short periods of time. They require a tremendous amount of energy and have a longer charge time than most torpedoes, but when they strike, they spread a lingering field of plasma around the target, inflicting additional damage over time.

|TRANSPORTER SYSTEMS A TRANSPORTER IS A FORM OF TELEPORTATION system that converts matter into a stream of energy and sends it to another location where it is reassembled moments later. Transporters work on life-forms as well as objects and are used by most spacefaring civilizations in the Alpha and Beta Quadrants. They are available in all eras of play, though see the Transporter Era Notes (page 36) sidebar for comments on key changes over time. Traveling by transporter is commonly called “beaming,” as in “beam me up.” The complete dematerialization/rematerialization process only takes a few seconds. In game terms, most transporters are limited to Close range on a starship

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scale, which is close enough to beam to and from a planet from standard orbit. Some advanced civilizations have transporters that can operate across far vaster distances – up to thousands of light-years. Transporters cannot normally operate through shields, which means sending an away team to another ship would require one’s own shields to be down as well as those of the target vessel. In rare circumstances this has been overcome, as when the operator was familiar with the target vessel’s shield refresh cycle, and some civilizations’ transporters have been designed to bypass shields – notably the Dominion and the Borg. Beaming can be attempted

at warp speed, but at greater difficulty, and the velocity of the beaming ship must be set to match that of the target ship. Shipboard transporters are typically housed in one or more transporter rooms. Most transporter rooms have six transporter pads, sufficient to transport six individuals or an equivalent amount of cargo at once, though it is possible to beam more than six people with an increase in Difficulty. A transporter room is normally staffed by a transporter chief who specializes in the operation, maintenance, and repair of the system. A transporter operator commonly scans for a communicator or combadge as an easy way to identify and gain a sensor lock on a person for transport, though this is not required. Site-to-site transport is beaming from one location to another without materializing in the transporter room doing the beaming. Note that the transportees technically still pass through the transporter’s systems on the way, they just don’t materialize until they reach their destination. Biofilters were developed and added to transporter systems to scan incoming matter streams for known bacteriological and viral signatures and remove them, greatly reducing the risk of an away team bringing contaminants or diseases aboard. In a similar manner, a transporter operator can disable or remove weapons possessed by transportees, if they are of a known design. They can even nullify the effect of a weapon that has been fired during the transport sequence. These modifications to the matter stream are possible because of the pattern buffers that store the stream before materialization. The transporter system can hold a person’s pattern in stasis for short periods, typically a few minutes, before the pattern starts to degrade. Delaying a new arrival’s materialization in this way is sometimes used to give security or medical officers time to reach the transporter room, depending on the situation. Stellar flares, radiation storms, ion storms, and geomagnetic storms or other atmospheric disturbances can stop transporter operations or cause them to malfunction. Large amounts of

solid matter can block transporters as well, such as a target deep underground. Some devices can intentionally prevent nearby transporter operations, including transporter scramblers, transport inhibitors, and particle scattering fields. Transporter accidents are common in Star Trek, though this is likely skewed due to the fact that viewers are often presented with the dramatic moments rather than the countless routine times that everything works fine. In fact, engineer Geordi La Forge once stated that transporting is the safest way to travel. But it is true that transporters have led to people failing to materialize properly, materializing in the wrong location, aging in reverse, visiting the Mirror Universe, duplicating, splitting into two separate entities, merging two entities into one, and traveling through time. Perhaps it’s no wonder that some people still distrust them.

Replicators A major offshoot of transporter technology is the replicator, a device which uses a transporter to instantly recreate a wide range of inanimate objects. First available in The Next Generation era, replicators are popular among many societies in the Alpha and Beta Quadrants for producing tools, clothing, weapons, decorations, and even meals. The finished product is virtually a perfect copy of the object it was modeled on. Replicators form their creations from a supply of stored raw material, and they can work in the other direction as well – recycling waste material and other objects by dematerializing them and storing their raw materials for later replication. Replicators are useful on a ship for creating spare parts on an as-needed basis, though crews often keep important replacement parts in physical storage, either because they are difficult to replicate or because they are important enough that they might be needed when replicators are unavailable (such as during a loss of power). Replicators can scan items as well, which allows users to store object patterns for later replication. Note that some substances or items have too complex a molecular structure to replicate. An

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TRANSPORTER AND REPLICATOR ERA NOTES ENTERPRISE ERA: Transporters are new in the 22nd century and most people don’t put much trust in them for beaming living beings. A relatively primitive progenitor of replicators called protein resequencers can prepare a limited menu of common food choices to supplement the galley. THE ORIGINAL SERIES ERA: Transporters are in common use in the 23rd century, though some traditionalists still don’t trust them. Life-forms in transit are immobilized until they fully materialize. Intraship beaming is difficult and generally avoided. Replicators have not been developed yet, though food synthesizers replace the older protein resequencers in supplementing shipboard meal production, often in the form of multicolored food cubes.

example is latinum, and this is part of the reason latinum remains valuable. One of the most popular uses for replicators is for producing food, and replicators on starships include thousands of stored meal selections. Replicator terminals are located in most living quarters on a ship, as well as in lounges and other common areas. Most replicated meals on a Starfleet ship are designed with enhanced nutritional value as compared with their traditionally-cooked counterparts. Klingon ships don’t use replicators for food, instead relying on the important role of the ship’s cook. Though the energy cost is significant for creating most of the crew’s meals using transporter systems, the benefits are tremendous. Food storage needs are reduced, as is the need for personnel to prepare it, and of course the crew (and visiting guests) have access to a wide variety of dishes at a moment’s notice. It is important to note that replicators use molecular-level object imaging, rather than the quantum-level imaging employed by transporters,

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THE NEXT GENERATION ERA: Transporters are ubiquitous in the 24th century, and replicators are new. The transport process is faster than in the past, taking only a few seconds to dematerialize and rematerialize. Transportees can move and talk during transport. Intraship beaming is common and unremarkable. Beaming patients directly to sickbay is a frequent benefit. THE 32ND CENTURY: As depicted in the third and fourth seasons of Star Trek: Discovery, transporter technology in the 3100s advanced to the point that portable transporters were miniaturized and built directly into combadges, removing the need for transportees to go to a dedicated transporter room before beaming.  02.205

which means replicators are not suitable for recreating living things. It also means that replicated meals are not perfect, and single-bit errors sometimes occur; this may be why some users say they can distinguish replicated foods from the “real thing.” Specialized replicators in sickbay and various science labs have higher resolution than most, allowing them to replicate pharmaceuticals and other scientific supplies, and even create biological organs. Consider what sorts of meals your character enjoys. Do they prefer dishes from home (if available), or do they like to sample foods from other worlds? What’s their “comfort food?” Do they prefer old-fashioned hand-prepared meals, or have they ever even experienced such a thing as traditional cooking? Have they created and shared replicated meals of their own? Besides meals, what sort of things does your character tend to replicate? Do they dress their quarters with copies of art objects or other decorations? Or are there certain “original” keepsakes they have around for sentimental value?

THE FINE ART OF TECHNOBABBLE Often when Star Trek scriptwriters need to include dialogue that sounds scientific and technological, they simply type “TECH” into the script and let designated technical consultants fill in the appropriately Star Trek-sounding wording. As a player, you can operate in a similar manner. Don’t worry about the difference between baryon particles and tachyon particles (unless you want to) – just think about the gist of what you want to communicate, and assume your character and the NPCs use the proper wording. For example, if you’re wondering if it’s possible to detect the recent use of a time travel device in the area, you don’t have to say you’re scanning

for chronitons; you can just say you’re scanning for evidence of time travel. If your character is hiding aboard an enemy ship and trying to figure out how to sabotage its warp drive, you don’t have to know the difference between an intermix chamber and a plasma manifold – just note that you’re looking for ways to force the ship to stop. However, if you do feel like slinging technobabble like the characters on screen, go for it! One way to do this is to find a list of words related to the topic at hand. The following are some examples from technological domains commonly encountered in Star Trek stories.

Domain

Example Words

Computers

algorithm, compression, cybernetic, encryption, interface, matrix, model, network, neural, positronic, processor, subroutine

Engineering

accelerator, actuator, array, assembly, buffer, capacitor, coils, compensator, compressor, converter, generator, grid, module

Medicine

disorder, dysfunction, inducer, membrane, molecular, organic, receptor, resequencing, solution, syndrome

Physics

dark matter, field, frequency, graviton, inertial, nano-, neutrino, phase, polarity, quantum, tachyon, tetryon, wave

Time

causal, chrono-, dilation, inter-phasic, singularity, spacetime, temporal

Other

anomaly, continuum, flux, subspace

You can also use any number of online technobabble generators or just throw out whatever tech-y words sound appropriate to you.

Don’t worry too much about believability – neither you nor any of the other players of this game actually went to Starfleet Academy.  02.206

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CHAPTER 02.30

SERV I CE PRO T OCOLS “ I a s s u me s h e ’ l l b e s h i p s h a p e and Bristol fashion.” — C AP T. J EAN - LUC P ICARD

THE PREMISE OF STARFLEET Starfleet, the Klingon Defense Force, and other spacefaring organizations depicted in the Star Trek franchise are based on real-world militaries, even if they are not all militaries in a strict definition of the word. There has been much debate about whether Starfleet is a military in the same sense as modern armed forces; suffice it to say that whether it is a true military or not (or whether you choose to make

it so for the purposes of your stories), Starfleet does have a codified set of standard operating procedures that govern the organization’s operations and its members’ conduct and behavior. This section briefly discusses some of those procedures, specifically those that are likely to come up frequently in a Captain’s Log mission.  02.301

| STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES STARFLEET IS A VAST ORGANIZATION SPREAD across thousands of light-years, incorporating beings from over 150 member worlds and their associated colonies, and involved in a constant stream of research, exploration, defense, and training duties. Any attempt at detailing the procedures in use across the entire fleet would be an exercise in futility. Thankfully, Starfleet Command has codified the standard operating procedures in such a way that even guests visiting a starship (or a player wanting to learn how Starfleet functions) are able to quickly learn what should generally happen in certain circumstances. The Klingon Empire and other spacefaring polities in the Star Trek universe can be expected to have

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similar operating procedures. Adapt the following as you see fit for your non-Federation games.

Docked / External Support Mode Sometimes referred to as a blue alert or condition blue, this mode of operations is used when a starship is docked with a space station or starbase, landed on the surface of a planet or moon, or is otherwise out of harm’s way. The vessel has powered down its primary power source, typically its warp core. Secondary power systems, such as the impulse fusion reactors, are kept at minimal operations for as long as external power to the starship is connected. Life support systems are

also put in standby if the connected facility is able to provide support for these systems. Most of the vessel’s primary systems, ranging from propulsion to defensive and offensive systems, are either shut down or put on standby. During this downtime, the player characters and other crew are likely being shuffled off the ship for shore leave or encouraged to relax elsewhere off-ship. This is also a perfect time for the crew to perform vital maintenance on areas that are dangerous to access during normal operations, such as the warp core, warp coils, damaged bulkheads, and the outer hull. During these times, characters aren’t usually armed, and few characters would be carrying any specific equipment with them that isn’t personal possessions. Outside of these generalities, engineers performing maintenance may carry a tricorder and engineering toolkit. Medical personnel may continue performing their duties in sickbay and have access to the equipment normally at that location, but would rarely be carrying said equipment around the ship. Before the advent of replicators, a ship’s quartermaster might have found themselves at their busiest during this time as they coordinated loading and unloading of equipment, resupplied the vessel’s departments, and even ensured that personal equipment from newlyarriving officers and crew was stowed or moved to their assigned quarters.

Standard Operations During most adventures, this is the standard operating mode of a starship when conditions are not out of the ordinary. Referred to as cruise mode in the 24th century, it is also called condition green, referring to the Human tendency to use the color green to represent when a system is operating normally. On primarily Human-crewed starships, there are usually three shifts that total 24 hours, or a standard Earth day. The shift schedule can vary widely depending on the crew composition and the captain’s preferences. A primarily Vulcan crew and captain may keep a 24-hour standard day but only utilize two duty shifts, while an Andorian crew may use a 32-hour day and four duty shifts.

For most adventures, standard operations is the starting condition for the ship. Engineers on duty will likely have a tricorder and engineering toolkit, and medical personnel in sickbay will have access to medical diagnostic equipment. When entering a new solar system, science officers, especially those with physical science specialties, may want to scan the major worlds (planets and moons) in the system and, if time allows, the minor bodies (asteroids and comets). Interesting geological anomalies are noted and passed to specialists, and if life is detected on any world, xenobiologists and perhaps medical personnel will be called on to assist in the analysis of the data. Entering orbit around a world gives characters a better chance at understanding the long-range sensor readings. It’s here where characters with specialties can perform more detailed scans, perhaps pinpointing an anomaly or refining what was detected at long range. Standard away teams (or landing parties, depending on the era) move to the surface to get better readings, if surface conditions are safe for the crew. When an away team has beamed to the surface, Starfleet typically will have a shuttlecraft on standby in case transportation from the surface becomes an issue. A standard away team composition for general exploration consists of a command officer (often one with experience in the type of world they are exploring), multiple science division members who are specialists in relevant fields, and a single security officer. Away teams beaming down to worlds with life-forms will also include at least one medical officer, and often include a xenobiologist in case the away team encounters any new pathogens or otherwise fascinating life-forms. Regardless of why the away team is beaming to the surface, all characters are given communicators (if they do not already have one), tricorders applicable to the specialty, and the security officer will be equipped with a sidearm (type-1 phaser, phase pistol, or disruptor pistol). Away teams with a diplomatic assignment will rarely have any member armed unless the society being contacted is known to put an emphasis on being armed at all times. The captain of a vessel, in coordination with the chief of security, may amend these procedures T H E S TA R T R E K U N I V E R S E

as needed (for example, requiring all away team members to be armed with type-2 phasers).

Yellow Alert / Caution A yellow alert is called on a starship when the situation seems as though danger to the ship or her crew is a distinct possibility. On Starfleet vessels, this means that shields are raised, all shuttlecraft are readied for use, and recreational activities (such as holodeck programs) are canceled. While Starfleet does not usually fully arm weapon systems at yellow alert, Klingon vessels do but refrain from targeting nearby vessels or surface targets. The entire crew (apart from those in their sleep period) is brought to a ready status, and crewmembers with multiple areas of expertise are directed to where they are most needed. Similar precautions are taken for away teams that are moving into a potentially dangerous environment or situation. Just like standard away teams, these response teams are led by a command officer who has experience in combat situations, a medical officer trained in emergency medicine, and at least two security personnel (one officer and one enlisted). An operations or science division member may be present depending on circumstances. All members of the response team are armed with hand weapons and standard tricorders, and the medical officer carries a medical tricorder and a medkit. The response team is the standard form of away team when the environment is dangerous due to its climate or atmosphere, and environmental suits are issued to the team before beam down, along with portable light sources if dark conditions are likely. While on the surface, a shuttlecraft is kept in a ready launch status, and ship’s sensors are kept focused on the away team in case any problems arise.

Red Alert / Danger When a ship is in danger, about to enter an emergency, or is in a combat situation, a red alert is declared. The entire crew is brought to action, including those who were asleep. To provide for this contingency, many positions aboard a starship have two personnel assigned, one of whom may take over the position if the other is injured or otherwise

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unable to perform their duties. Long- and shortrange sensor sweeps are performed around the starship by the vessel’s tactical and science officers. On Starfleet vessels, weapon systems are brought fully online, whereas Klingon vessels will lock targets and begin combat operations immediately. On larger or more tactically advanced vessels, some command and operations officers report to their duty stations on the battle bridge, or to an auxiliary control center where bridge functions are duplicated. The officers there can take control of a ship’s operations if the bridge station or officers are unable to perform their duties. Given enough time, all crew arm themselves with hand weapons and security personnel prepare for possible boarding actions when in proximity to a hostile vessel. Away teams beaming into a hostile or dangerous situation are sometimes called boarding parties or tactical response teams. The only science division member typically on these teams is a medical officer capable of performing emergency medicine, equipped with a sidearm (usually set to stun to preserve their Hippocratic Oath), medical tricorder, emergency surgical gear, and a variety of hypospray ampules reserved for triage situations. The command officer of the party is always one with some tactical training and armed with a sidearm. The remainder of the party consists of security officers armed with hand phasers and possibly phaser rifles. If possible, transporter locks are maintained on every member of the team, and a shuttlecraft with extra security personnel is made ready in case transport to and from the area becomes impossible. If the party has arrived on scene in a shuttlecraft, the vehicle will be equipped with transport enhancers for the team to carry if they need to use them for emergency beam-out.

Emergency Evacuation / Medical Emergency All starships have a maximum number of crew complement they are rated to carry. This number, ranging from a dozen to thousands for larger ships built by the Federation and nearby polities, is determined by the number and quality of quarters for their crew, the volume needed for crew support

equipment, and, most importantly, the efficiency of the vessel’s life support systems. In rare circumstances such as an emergency evacuation, a starship may take aboard far more than its normal crew complement, stretching its resources to the breaking point to get civilians, rescued ship’s crew, or even livestock out of harm’s way. The numbers vary by starship, but at least twice the number of the standard complement of the vessel can be accommodated for short periods of up to a few days to a week before a strain on ship’s systems begins to show. On board a starship, the primary officer in charge of evacuation operations is the chief medical officer, as they mobilize anyone in the crew with at least first aid training to assist any wounded or sick individuals. During this time, any such character will have access to a medical kit and medical tricorder. Security personnel are posted around sensitive areas of the starship to maintain operational security and to ensure that personnel can continue to perform their duties. Away teams that are responding to a medical emergency have a makeup that is different than many landing parties. The team is led by a security officer with an additional security officer present to provide protection for the medical personnel who compose the majority of the team. Medical personnel include at least one general practitioner, one nurse or doctor trained in triage techniques, and specialists in the type of medical problem at

hand (viral or bacterial infections, radiation sickness, etc.). Security personnel beam down with sidearms unless hostile action is expected, in which case larger rifles may be issued on the determination of the commanding officer. Security personnel may also be equipped with a medical tricorder if they have any training. Medical personnel will each beam down with a medical kit, medical tricorder, and specialist equipment for the situation at hand. While shuttlecraft are typically used to evacuate severely wounded beings who are unable to be transported, in quarantine situations, shuttlecraft operations are halted unless the vessel has an isolated shuttlebay, as on many medical vessels.

Security Alert When a ship is boarded or an escaped prisoner or otherwise hostile entity is on board, a security alert is declared. All personnel are issued sidearms from the ship’s armory. Security personnel are equipped with phaser or disruptor rifles if the threat calls for it, as determined by the chief of security or commanding officer. Operations or science officers continually scan the interior of the ship for the hostile force or any signs of non-standard ship operation. Finally, security personnel are deployed to vital ship areas such as the bridge, main engineering, armory, weapon systems, and shuttlebays to guard the personnel and equipment in those areas.

|ORBITAL TYPES WHEN ORBITING AROUND A PLANET, A STARSHIP can assume any of several types of orbits, and some are mentioned more frequently than others in the Star Trek universe. A standard orbit is one in which a starship continues to use propulsion to maintain a position above a specific area of a planet, often from one to ten thousand kilometers in altitude, to facilitate transporter operations, sensor sweeps of the region, etc. This is in contrast to a synchronous orbit, where a starship doesn’t need to maintain power to its propulsion systems to stay above a region, but is at a much higher altitude, depending on the mass and rotation of the planet. A polar orbit

is one in which a starship crosses over the axial poles of a planet; this is a highly efficient way to quickly get sensor coverage across the whole globe. An inclined orbit is one in which a starship moves around the planet at an angle to its equator, giving it a path that looks like a sine wave when seen on a flattened map of a world. While not an orbit, Lagrange points are nonetheless useful to players who are portraying helm officers; these are gravitationally stable points between two masses, often quite far from either. Objects placed at Lagrange points remain stationary with respect to both the masses.

T H E S TA R T R E K U N I V E R S E

STARFLEET’S NAVAL TRADITION

STAR TREK NAUTICAL LEXICON

Many of the customs, regulations, trappings, and rituals of Starfleet originate from Earth’s nautical traditions. This is especially true of the Star Trek: Enterprise and original series eras, but it is evident in later centuries as well. A key part of this is that Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry was inspired by the Horatio Hornblower novels written by C. S. Forester, which feature the action-oriented nautical adventures of an introspective ship captain whose voyages involved both warfare and diplomacy.

Abandon ship: Leave the (presumably doomed) ship by previously arranged means, typically transporter, shuttle, or lifeboats. “All hands, abandon ship!”

We can start with the “U.S.S. Enterprise,” a vessel named after several noteworthy nautical ships from Earth history. “U.S.S.” is a common naval ship prefix that originally meant “United States Ship.” As was common with some Earth navies, Starfleet ships are traditionally referred to in the feminine. Starfleet ranks are also modeled after Earth navies, from admiral down to ensign, and even including midshipmen (Academy cadets receiving shipboard training). One notable rank holdover from Earth’s naval tradition is calling the commanding officer of a vessel “captain” even if they hold a lower rank than captain. (The person in charge in other fleets is often called “commander,” simply meaning “the one who commands.”) Many shipboard positions also have naval origins. The second in command is called the first officer, executive officer, exec, or XO. The head of a department is called a chief, such as the chief engineer. In earlier eras (through the original series), the officer piloting the ship is called the helmsman, and crews include the position of yeoman, which is an assistant to higher-ranking officers. For players who wish to immerse themselves in nautical-sounding speech, consult the following lexicon, which lists terms and phrases useful in giving orders and describing situations during a Captain’s Log mission.

Abeam: Alongside the ship, on a line at a right angle to the ship’s heading. “When she comes abeam of us, transport the survivors aboard.” Aboard: On a ship. “We have 300 tribbles aboard.” Adrift: Unmoored and not moving under the ship’s own power, likely drifting. “No power readings…she looks to be adrift.” Aft: Toward the back of the ship. “Aft torpedoes, fire!” Ahead full: Proceed at full speed, normally interpreted on starships as full impulse. All stop/full stop: Stop propulsion and bring the ship to a stop (possibly relative to some other object). A common response to this order’s completion is, “Now reading all stop.” The “all” is a throwback to ships that had multiple engines and would turn some off to move slowly, or all to come to a stop. Amidships: In the middle of a ship. “The torpedo struck her amidships.” Astern: Behind or toward the rear of a ship. “The object they dropped lies astern of the ship.” Aye: Confirms that an order has been heard an understood. “Aye, sir,” or the more emphatic “Aye aye, sir.” Battle stations: Orders the crew to prepare for combat immediately: “All hands to battle stations.” The similar order “general quarters” does the same. Bearing: The direction of an object relative to a starship. “Sensors are picking up an object bearing 245 degrees mark 18.” (Note that you would say this as “two-four-five degrees mark one-eight” rather than “two hundred and forty-five degrees mark eighteen.”) Belay: Cancel. “Belay that order.” Bow (rhymes with “how”): The front of the ship. “The anomaly is just off our bow.”

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Bulkhead: A dividing wall between shipboard compartments. “The enemy boarding party is trying to cut through the bulkhead into engineering.”

Heading: The direction a ship is moving relative to galactic coordinates. “The Tholian ship has a heading of 110 mark 12—directly toward the convoy.”

Captain on the bridge: A formal way of announcing a commanding officer’s arrival. Variants include other locations (“Captain on deck!”) and flag officers (“Admiral on the bridge!”).

Heave to: Another way of ordering a ship to stop, often issued as a demand. “Orion vessel, heave to and prepare to be boarded.”

Clear the bridge: Orders all non-essential personnel to leave the bridge. Closing: Moving closer. “That sensor blip has returned, and it’s closing fast.” Come about: Change the ship’s course to a new heading. “Come about to 045 mark 7.” Course: A path set by a navigator, giving the ship a new heading. An intercept course is one type, intended to meet up with a target vessel. “Set a course for Betazed.” Dead ahead: Directly in front of the ship. “The pirate ship is dead ahead.” Something directly behind is dead astern. Dead in the water: Disabled and incapable of defending oneself. “One more hit and we’ll be dead in the water.” Deck: A horizontal level or “floor” of a ship. “Impact on deck five!” Drydock: A starship repair yard located in space, away from gravitational or atmospheric interference. “The ship will need some time in drydock to repair those breaches.” Fore: Toward the front of the ship. Often interchangeable with “forward.” “Report to the fore phaser room.” Hail: Initiate communications. “Hail the Romulan vessel” or “Open hailing frequencies.” Hand: Crew member. “All hands, brace for impact!” Hard aport / hard astarboard: Turn the ship as quickly as possible in the specified direction. “Hard aport, get us away from that station!”

Helm: The controls for piloting the ship (aka the conn in later eras). Leave / shore leave: Time off from duties, especially shore leave, involving downtime on a planetary surface. “Looking forward to shore leave on Risa?” Maiden voyage: A vessel’s first assignment. Port: To the left side of the ship. “The signal came from our port side, 120,000 kilometers away.” Shakedown cruise: A simple mission to test a ship and her crew’s readiness for duty after first being constructed or after major repairs or refit. Shipshape: Functioning normally. Shipyard: A starship construction facility, which may be on a planetary surface or may consist of orbital drydocks. “The newest class of cruiser is under construction at the Utopia Planitia shipyards.” Skeleton crew: The minimum number of hands required to operate a ship, often assuming little or no redundancy. Starboard: To the right side of the ship. “Starboard shields buckling!” Steady as she goes: Remain on current course; keep doing what you’re doing. Stern: The back, or aft-most, part of the ship. “The pursuing ship has struck our stern.” Something behind the ship is called “astern,” or “dead astern” if it is exactly behind. Take the conn: Can mean either take control of piloting the helm of a starship or shuttle, or take command of the ship (e.g., if the commanding officer or watch officer has to leave the bridge and turn over command to someone else). Underway: Describes a ship in motion. “Once we are underway, the trip will take two days.”  02.302

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|THE PRIME DIRECTIVE STARFLEET’S GENERAL ORDER ONE, ALSO KNOWN as the Prime Directive, prohibits personnel from interfering in the affairs and natural development of other cultures – even if such changes are well-intentioned. The most familiar application of this Prime Directive involves non-warp-capable cultures, as these are the cases where interference could happen most easily and with dramatic consequences. Even introducing a world with the knowledge that “aliens” exist – perhaps even accidentally – could transform a planet’s society overnight, with end results that are not predictable. The Prime Directive is not just a rule, it is the guiding philosophy of Starfleet. Upholding it takes priority over the lives of Starfleet personnel, even an entire crew. Unfortunately, upholding it is not always easy, and often involves making tough decisions. Should the crew intervene to save a primitive population even though the Prime Directive forbids it? If an allied Klingon ship asks a Starfleet crew for help against another Klingon faction, should the player characters get involved? If crew members themselves get into legal trouble on a developing world, do other characters dare bend the rules to get them out of it? In Captain’s Log, the Prime Directive is not meant to trip you up, or prevent them from doing fun things; instead, it is a means to increase drama and

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introduce philosophical considerations into a story. There is often a lot of room for interpretation of whether the Prime Directive should apply in a given situation, and you should feel free to determine whether you think it does and what you should do. Such moral quandaries are the bread and butter of Star Trek. Although Starfleet captains are often in the spotlight for possible Prime Directive violations, every crew member must do their part to apply the directive. The captain won’t be the only one to suffer scrutiny from Starfleet Command if an officer reveals “miraculous” capabilities to a primitive culture. Loss of reputation is possible, as well as demotion, or even, in extreme cases, court martial. Complicating this, of course, is the fact that although every Starfleet officer has sworn a vow to uphold the Prime Directive, not every officer has the same opinions about the directive or how to interpret it. This is a good thing, though, because it is an amazing source of drama. Keep in mind that not only do most other cultures not have such a noninterference directive, some of them actively work to interfere with other cultures. Indeed, a Starfleet crew might have to involve themselves to prevent interference from happening, or repair it when it already has.

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ER AS OF PL A Y “ H o w l i t t l e d o y o u mortals understand tim e.” — “J UD G E” Q

SELECTING AN ERA OF PLAY The Star Trek franchise spans thousands of years of storytelling, though that massive breadth of time can be broken down into specific eras of play. The various eras can generally be mapped to specific series, though as the franchise continues to grow, there are

overlaps where multiple series fit into the same general era. This chapter details the key eras of play you should consider when determining when in the Star Trek timeline you wish to set your Captain’s Log adventures.  02.401

| THE FOUNDATIONAL YEARS (2063-2199) THE LATTER HALF OF THE 21ST CENTURY WAS A time of great change for humanity. The hundred years after Earth’s first contact with an extra-terrestrial civilization would prove to be formative and crucial to the eventual safety of the local Orion Spur.

This era includes Star Trek: Enterprise, elements from other series, and parts of Star Trek: First Contact.

Hope and Distrust Earth lay in ruins. World War Three ended without a victor. The military forces of Earth had beat themselves bloody and destroyed everything around them in drug-fueled nuclear rage. Vulcans had always seen humanity as unworthy of contacting, an emotional and dangerous species that didn’t have the common sense of even the warlike Andorians. The Human Zefram Cochrane changed everything overnight on April 5, 2063, when he rode Phoenix into orbit and broke the warp barrier, ironically on top of a rocket designed for mass destruction. The Vulcan survey vessel T’Plana-Hath made landfall after monitoring the Phoenix’s flight, beginning a nearly century-long struggle between the two peoples.

Earth was dying from climate change, radioactive pollution, and nearly a century of constant warfare. Humanity began to see its own follies in a new light, and began to make changes for the better. Vulcans assisted in the rebuild effort to some extent, though they also worked to ensure Humans didn’t push too far too quickly. Unlike what they had done with the other species in the local stellar neighborhood, Vulcans refused to assist humanity with technological and scientific studies beyond allowing medical exchange programs to visit a slowly uniting Earth, Luna, Mars, and the fledgling colony on Alpha Centauri. Vulcans had been exploring space since Earth’s 9th century BCE, Tellarites and Andorians since the late 19th and early 20th centuries, respectively, and Earth was forced to play catch-up. Each technological development, each breakthrough in warp technology, was hindered by Vulcan interference and the sowing of doubt in humanity’s own ability to walk as equals in the Galaxy. At each step, humanity surprised the Vulcan High Command with breakthroughs through means the Vulcans would consider reckless, dangerous, or impossible. The Warp 5 program was the breakthrough the T H E S TA R T R E K U N I V E R S E

United Earth Space Probe Agency (UESPA) and Earth’s Starfleet needed. With the construction and launch of the NX-01 Enterprise in 2151, a new age of exploration began, one with a renewed Earth looking outward, not just with wonder of all there was to discover, but with hope.

Coalition and Federation The exploits of Enterprise during her early voyages opened up the nearby Orion Spur to humanity’s eyes and showed how much the Vulcan High Command had been hiding from Humans. Two species had homeworlds even closer to Earth than Vulcan: the Andorians and the Tellarites. While the Tellarites had a neutral relationship with the Vulcans, the Andorians were hostile and teetering on the edge of open conflict with the High Command. The increasing presence of Starfleet and UESPA vessels in the regions near the Sol system drew attention, first from the Suliban, then from the Xindi, both of whom struck out at Earth and its colonies. These brief conflicts drew together the Vulcans, Andorians, and United Earth, and it was only a short time before Tellar Prime was also drawn into the burgeoning group of allies. The addition of the trade fleets of the Tellarites to what was called the Coalition of Worlds was a step too far for the new allies’ oldest foe, the Romulan Star Empire. Originally a group of dissident Vulcans who fled their homeworld, the Romulans had been interfering in the Vulcan government for centuries in an attempt to force a return to older ways.

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Many historians believe that much of the Vulcan antagonism toward the Humans and Andorians was started and supported by the Romulans in order to weaken all the nearby allies. Events quickly unfolded as Romulan interference was brought forward. The Coalition of Worlds was at war, and Earth was the primary target. During the Earth-Romulan War, bonds were forged that bound the members of the Coalition together. The war was brutal and every world lost tens of thousands of officers and crew, in addition to countless civilian casualties. Worlds burned from orbital bombardments. Before, there was a loose coalition of worlds, then the war made each member see the others in a new light, one in which they not only could, but should, cooperate. The founding of the United Federation of Planets on August 12, 2161, with the original delegates from Vulcan, Andor, Earth, and Tellar Prime, built a framework for a government that stabilized the region for dozens of light-years in every direction. Starfleet, with the remnants of UESPA at its core, quickly became the Federation’s unified organization tasked with exploration and defense. Following the founding of the Federation, worlds in the region began clamoring for admittance to the new government. The last half of the 22nd century saw the Federation begin its push outward into the Galaxy as it slowly rebuilt from the devastation of the Earth-Romulan War. Once it was stable, the peaceful explorers in Starfleet would begin to get pushback from less-cooperative galactic neighbors.

| FEDERATION AND EMPIRE (2200-2299) THIS ERA INCLUDES STAR TREK (THE ORIGINAL series), Star Trek: The Animated Series, the first two seasons of Star Trek: Discovery, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, and all of the original series-era motion pictures (plus the opening scene of Star Trek: Generations).

The Calm Before the Storm The formation of the United Federation of Planets in the mid-22nd century led to a time of slow growth at the beginning of the 23rd century as Starfleet rebuilt its shattered fleets and was tasked with protecting the new borders with the Romulan Star Empire and the Klingon Empire. Internally, the Federation was solidifying its governance of its member worlds, and was slowly integrating new members. Exploration had taken a back seat to consolidation for the time being. Campaigns set in this period of the 23rd century should have a focus on diplomacy and a sense of unease. The scars from the Earth-Romulan War are still fresh, and many worlds still have people in power who remember the orbital bombardments and losing loved ones in the conflict. While the Romulans in this time have been quiet for decades, and the construction of the Neutral Zone outposts has been complete for decades, there is still worry that the Romulans will attack again. Into the mid-23rd century, this sense of paranoia fades and worry about the rise of the Klingon threat takes over. It’s in this era where the core worlds of the Federation are at their strongest together, yet still somewhat apart. It’s rare for species to serve on each other’s starships, but not unheard of. It’s here where you can begin to include ideas and concepts that may be literally alien to the players’ characters. Exploration is a common thread for Starfleet in all eras, but here it is focused on ensuring the stars contained inside Federation space have their worlds fully charted, their resources mapped, and new colony worlds flagged for later settlement.

Five-Year Missions A new age of exploration began with the development of the incredibly powerful duotronic computer by Richard Daystrom in 2243. Installed in the new Constitution-class starships, these computers would significantly improve sensor data analysis. Starfleet saw the opportunity and grabbed hold. This is the era of the deep space five-year missions where Constitution-class starships were sent out far past the Federation’s borders with the goal to find new civilizations, make new scientific discoveries, and fly the flag of the Federation. Campaigns in this period are all about exploration and the problems that come along with it. Diplomacy on the frontier, encountering new and old threats that are rising again, and as time goes on, another period of open warfare. Discarded pieces of the past can come back to haunt the Federation, and the long-simmering conflict with the Klingons can erupt at any time.

On the Shoulders of Giants The cold and hot wars with the Klingon Empire of the 2250s and 2260s would cease with the Treaty of Organia in 2267. The final opposition to the peaceful expansion of the Federation had ceased, and with it the payoff to the investment in exploration and diplomacy Starfleet had undertaken through the earlier part of the century. What the Treaty or Organia started, the Khitomer Accords of 2293 solidified into place. The Federation and Klingon Empire would move together into the 24th century as allies. Campaigns set in this time are ones where espionage is commonplace. Peace may mean the vessels of Starfleet and the KDF aren’t facing off with each other across the Neutral Zone, but it does mean intelligence agents, saboteurs, and diplomatic backstabbing is far more common. Both sides distrust each other and are forced to meet at the negotiation table by the Organians. The treaty also made it clear that whoever could best develop a planet would gain use of that world, so scientific discoveries and new technologies such as the Genesis Device were important to both polities. T H E S TA R T R E K U N I V E R S E

Exploration, as always, is Starfleet’s priority, and discovering new worlds in the treaty area that the Federation could use to better itself and deny use to

the Klingons was important, making the treaty area one of the most charted in the region.

|ALLIES AND ADVERSARIES (2300-2379) THIS ERA INCLUDES STAR TREK: THE NEXT Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: Voyager, and all four Star Trek: The Next Generation motion pictures. The peace that the Klingon Empire and Federation share isn’t one that can be relied upon, and both nations work to ensure that war isn’t the outcome of disagreements. The stabilization of the climate of Qo’noS and the other settled worlds in the Klingon home system by Starfleet Corps of Engineers terraforming teams requires decades of work, slowing the colonization and terraforming efforts elsewhere in the Federation. While Starfleet continues to push into the frontier and integrate new civilizations, the beginnings of large conflicts are set in motion that change the Orion Spur as much as the founding of the Federation itself did. In the first decades of the 24th century, Starfleet makes it a priority to explore and chart the entirety of the Romulan Star Empire’s border. As many new habitable worlds are discovered and new civilizations are contacted, it becomes clear that the Romulans had done little expansion into the coreward regions beyond their held systems except to attack and enslave inhabited worlds. The Federation Council decides to provide aid to worlds about to be annexed by the Romulan Empire and to offer Federation membership to shield them from future aggression. The Federation expands at a speed that the glacial Romulan Empire can’t match. The Romulan Star Empire finds itself almost entirely circled by Federation- or Klingon-held space by the early 2300s. The Romulans respond in the only way they know: through subterfuge and indirect attacks. The Romulan Star Empire begin a series of raids into the Klingon Empire, often disguised as pirate forces, but sometimes not hiding the fact that they were Romulan. With the Klingon Empire still rebuilding from

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the Praxis disaster, Starfleet is called upon to assist the Klingon Defense Force (KDF) in hunting down these raiding forces. The Romulans ensure that they only attack worlds where Starfleet has no assets or can’t reach in time, and the Klingon government comes to believe that perhaps this was a way for the Federation to weaken the Klingon Empire. In 2344, an event occurs that changes minds and cements the relationship between the Klingons and Federation: the Battle of Narendra III. U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701-C, commanded by Captain Rachel Garrett, responds to a distress call from the Klingon colony on Narendra III and engages the overwhelming force of Romulan warbirds intent on annihilating the civilian population. The bravery of Enterprise and the sacrifice of her crew and ship showed all in the Klingon Empire that Starfleet crews are willing to both die for their allies and die honorably in battle. The Federation and Klingon Empire soon signed a treaty that would enable the two polities to work together as firm allies. The final two conflicts are set in motion with the rapid expansion of the Federation into star systems claimed by the Cardassian Union. Many habitable worlds are discovered in the region along the border, and settlers from both polities claim the same worlds. The result is worlds taking defense into their own hands, with the two governments not clear on who should be where. The Federation-Cardassian War lasts from 2347 to 2366, and includes lowintensity conflicts across dozens of star systems. While the Cardassian military is far smaller than Starfleet, it makes up for its size with brutality and a willingness to destroy civilian targets. As Starfleet and the Cardassian military skirmish year after year, the worlds defending themselves form militias, then standing militaries. When worlds begin to change hands both during the war and after the treaty ending it, partisan groups become common.

The largest of these was the Maquis, who continued to fight against Cardassian occupation of their worlds until they were later wiped out by the Dominion. The Cardassian Union, while occasionally testing the border patrols of the Federation, largely holds to the peace treaty, but feels the Federation is not forceful enough in preventing continued Maquis raids and attacks. Between 2366 and 2373, the Cardassian government becomes more belligerent with the Federation, demanding Starfleet destroy the “terrorist” group. With the discovery of the Bajoran wormhole in 2369, the Union begins to feel cheated and ignored by the Federation. Due to these deteriorating relations, shortly after contact

with the Dominion is established in 2371, the Cardassians join the Dominion in hostilities against the Federation and its allies. The Dominion War is fought between 2373 and 2375, resulting in horrific losses on both sides. While the Federation and its Klingon and Romulan allies stop the Dominion from destroying them, each ally loses hundreds of starships and millions of lives. While the 24th century starts with the hope of long-term peace in the local Orion Spur, it quickly devolves to low-scale warfare, then high-intensity conflict. Each of the major polities experiences major changes in their policies that shift their gaze inward for decades to come.

|POST-WAR AND RECONSTRUCTION (2380-2401) THIS ERA INCLUDES STAR TREK: LOWER DECKS and Star Trek: Picard. The years after the end of the Dominion War bring a shift in focus for all the large polities. Extensive resources were expended fighting the Dominion and their allies, and even more are required to rebuild formerly occupied worlds such as Betazed, not to mention the large amount of aid required to stabilize the broken Cardassian Union. Inside the Federation, there is strong opinion to not assist the Union, until the devastated world of Betazed pledges the remains of their merchant navy to assist in the relief efforts. The Betazoids’ gesture ensures that public opinion quickly sways back to assistance. In the Klingon Empire, the former leader of the Empire’s military efforts, General Martok, becomes Chancellor and begins a series of reforms. Subject species and worlds across the Empire are given more rights – most significantly, the right to serve on KDF vessels, in an attempt to shore up the military after the losses of the war. The former subjects become Minor Houses in their own right and pledge support to Chancellor Martok. While some waning Houses fight against these reforms, the strength of the Empire – diplomatically, economically, and militarily – improves at a faster rate than other allies.

The Ferengi Alliance provides trade and weapons to both sides in the conflict, and the increasing interaction with the Federation impacts their society. The rise of Grand Nagus Rom in 2375 brings significant changes to the Alliance: female citizens gain equal rights to males, and limited labor unions form for certain trades. While not a popular move with the wealthiest of their society, and one resulting in skirmishes between union members and hired mercenaries, these reforms cause the economy of the Alliance to become noticeably stronger in the years after the war. The Alliance also becomes one of the greatest contributors to the rebuilding of the Cardassian Union. As the Grand Nagus notes, “A little goodwill is an investment; a lot of it is insurance against future uncertainty.” The Romulan Star Empire suffers only minimal losses during the Dominion War, but its losses from home-grown events prove far more costly. The Romulan Senate is assassinated by a Human named Shinzon in 2379, and he claims the title of Praetor with the assistance of Reman sympathizers. It is only through Starfleet’s intervention that Shinzon is stopped. Temporary political chaos follows as forces from across the Empire converge on Romulus to fight over who would become Praetor and lead the new Senate. The looming civil war is halted in 2387 by the destruction of the Romulan star. The capital

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system of the Empire is destroyed in minutes. The radiation from the event renders more than fifteen worlds uninhabitable and requires the evacuation of billions of sentient beings. With the remaining Romulan navy distracted by the relief efforts, several Houses in the Klingon Empire begin a series of annexations of bordering star systems inside the former Romulan Empire, expanding Klingon territory coreward. Already surrounded by Federation worlds, the farthest worlds of the former Romulan state are allowed membership to both protect them from hostile pirate groups in the region and to ensure they do not add to the chaos plaguing the former Empire. This rapid expansion of the Federation means Starfleet personnel already stretched thin after the losses of the Dominion War suddenly find themselves having to patrol and

integrate nearly six sectors of space, including former worlds inside the now-defunct Romulan Neutral Zone. The response to the Federation’s rapid expansion is a colossal ship-building campaign by Starfleet to better protect its new member worlds via easilymanufactured modular starship classes, such as the Inquiry-class. In response, multiple Romulan factions begin manufacturing swarms of smaller corvette-style birds-of-prey capable of swarming a target. Even with these new fleets, both Starfleet and the Romulan factions continue to fall behind on properly charting all of the now-open areas of space, with inhabited worlds going undiscovered only light-years from long-time Federation member worlds. By the end of the 24th century, the Federation firmly controls most disputed systems, and law and order returns to systems plagued by piracy and lawlessness for a decade or more.

|THE TEMPORAL COLD WAR (27TH CENTURY AND OTHER TIMEFRAMES) TTHIS ERA INCLUDES ELEMENTS FROM STAR TREK: Enterprise and other series. The Temporal Cold War is a paradox in many ways. Many of the primary participants originate from the 26th to 31st centuries, but the battlefield stretches widely across the timelines of multiple branching universes. Participants even appear from possible futures where they existed, intruding into multiple pasts in order to ensure their future selves. Temporal agents of the Federation in the 31st century see a far different picture than those who are living through the events in chronological order. To them, the war stretches from antiquity into the far future. Events have probabilities and history books are just hopes for what may be, has been, or is for a short period of relative time. The 26th century sees the beginning of events when a parallel timeline intrudes into the 22nd century. The Sphere Builders, capable of looking across time, see that they would be defeated by the allied powers of Starfleet and the KDF and

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decide to intervene to ensure that the Federation never comes into existence. From that point, exact chronological events are difficult to determine. One theory is that two separate time travel events executed by Romulans – one from the 24th century that attempted to change the 23rd century, and one from the 27th century that sent a strike force to 4th century Vulcan to assassinate Surak – begin the process of polities sending agents back in time to either secure crucial events or change them in favorable ways. Many of these early agents are lost in the shifting timelines, some going rogue and continuing the fight long after their mission is done. When multiple versions of Starfleet timeships begin fighting each other for the right to be the “real” version of themselves, the Federation detonates multiphasic subspace field weapons in the early 25th century to provide a dimensional “nudge” to nearby parallel timelines. The goal is to shore up temporal stability and prevent incursions from other possible futures, but it accomplishes little, as new futures appear each time an agent from any side travels through time.

The Guardian of Forever (an ancient time travel device and sentient being) determines that the timelines of multiple realities are beginning to fray around the edges from the constant splintering of possibilities. A cease-fire is called in the relative present while the Temporal Accords are debated. The end result is peace as long as no new temporal warfare is waged by any current or possible current participant. Any polity engaging in attempts to change history would be erased from reality. While peace is declared, the war itself continues to be waged as agents, starships, and even whole worlds move through space-time and appear to perform their duties before disappearing again into the past, alternate present, or future. The primary battlefields

of the 26th to 32nd centuries are ones where events are unclear, a Gordian knot of cause and effect in which even the most well-read historian or researcher may be correct one moment and then wrong the next. The events after the signing of the Temporal Accords are still as much in flux as before, but careful study of the timeline by Accord Monitors existing in subspace note few incursions from possible realities. Only already-departed agents, vessels, and probes are seen moving through the continuum, and allowing them to continue to perform the missions they’ve already accomplished will ensure the stability of all possible futures.

|THE 32ND CENTURY THE THIRD SEASON OF STAR TREK: DISCOVERY took the franchise into a bold, new direction and era of play, moving the franchise to the late 3100s and upending the major polities in the Galaxy. Much about the setting remains the same, in terms of species and technology, though much has changed as well.

Somewhere around the year 3069, a cataclysmic event known as the Burn occurs, which renders inert most dilithium in the known Galaxy. The Burn causes the detonation of every active warp core, crippling Starfleet and many other galactic polities. Countless deaths result from the event, along with the destruction of many cities, stations, and worlds. New technologies must be created to compensate

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for the changes, and active dilithium, now a rare and precious resource, skyrockets in value.

Emerald Chain and started destroying their ships and bases.

The Federation is a shell of its former self, the disparate pieces of it striving to hold together and continue its mission. In the resulting anarchy, various factions, such as the Emerald Chain, rise up to gather power and influence.

The Federation’s return to prominence could not have come at a better time, as the next great crisis of the 32nd century saw the destruction of dozens of planets. A massive Dark Matter Anomaly (DMA) was discovered, using its massive gravity well to annihilate planets within minutes. The DMA, which was over 5 light-years across, was revealed to not just be a random anomaly but a construct created by an unknown species known as the 10-C. The 10-C, who were highly reclusive, utilized the DMA to render down planets in order to retrieve the boromite ore within their mantles. It was thanks to the efforts of the crew of the U.S.S. Discovery and the Federation that the 10-C’s new homeworld was discovered and the 10-C were convinced to power down the DMA. The successful negotiation between the 10-C and the saving of United Earth from destruction did much towards restoring the public’s trust in Starfleet and the Federation, and membership slowly started to grow.

With galactic travel severely limited, the foundations of the galactic community as it had stood for centuries slowly collapsed. Colonies were suddenly cut off from their homeworlds, and many species found themselves in desperate need of medicine, food, and other key supplies. Several key member species of the Federation withdrew entirely, crippling what remaining strength Starfleet had. When Earth, once considered the heart of the Federation, withdrew its membership, the Federation could do nothing but quietly remove what resources it could from the planet and withdraw. The Emerald Chain filled the need for couriers to deliver goods between systems and the criminal syndicate slowly expanded its reach across the quadrants. When a new source of dilithium was found, the Federation was slowly able to stop its decline and, for the first time in centuries, began to grow once more. Older members were welcomed back while newer species sought the protection and commerce the Federation offered. With its strength renewed, the Federation was able to cripple the might of the

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The 32nd century presents an entirely new stage for galactic intrigue and adventure. What role does your character play in this Star Trek era? Will you play a brave Starfleet officer looking to chart a new course forward, or perhaps an independent trader seeking their fortune? Whatever the case, the future is still being written, and there is opportunity for you to blaze an all-new trail.

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STYLE S OF PL A Y “ S o m et i me s t h e o n l y wa y to find out where you fit in is t o s t e p o u t o f t h e r o u tine, bec ause som etim es w h e r e you r e a l l y b e l o n g wa s waiting right around the c orner all along.” — M ICHAEL BURN HAM

SELECTING A STYLE OF PLAY There are a variety of adventure and campaign styles of play you can select from to use as the foundation for your game. Adventure is to be had, whether it is serving within the deep interior of your territory, along the borders, or exploring unknown space far from home.

This section details the most common styles of play upon which Captain’s Log stories can be built. Think about which one appeals the most to you, or if perhaps a combination of styles better suits your interests.  02.501

|ADMIRALTY CAMPAIGNS ADMIRALTY CAMPAIGNS PUT YOU IN A HIGHranking leadership position either within Starfleet or the Klingon Defense Force, allowing you to make big decisions that could affect billions of lives on multiple worlds. The typical approach to an admiralty campaign is for you to take on the role of an admiral, or perhaps the role of support staff, such as adjutants, intelligence officers, or a Federation diplomat. This sort of campaign can work across many different time periods and regions of space. A few examples include the birth of the Federation, the years following the Khitomer Accords that established peace between the Federation and the Klingons, and the years before and after the destruction of the Romulan star. Players in any of these eras have to balance complex political considerations with challenging

logistical constraints. In many cases, the high ethical standards embraced by the Federation further complicate matters. For instance, characters in charge of a squadron along the Romulan Neutral Zone may feel an ethical obligation to help Romulan refugees after the destruction of their star. How will those characters respond if the very refugees they’re trying to help refuse to abandon the decades of hostility and bad blood between the Federation and the Star Empire? These questions, and the broad implications they have for the future of the Federation, form the core of an admiralty campaign.

Inside the Situation Room The responsibilities entrusted to Starfleet admirals vary widely. Some admirals command a squadron, while others may work as administrators on a starbase or at Starfleet Command. Some admirals oversee a particular region of space, such as the

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Cardassian border, while others work on a specific portfolio of issues or operations. You should have a good understanding of what your game is about and make sure to create a character with relevant expertise and skills. Admiralty campaigns usually involve a heavy dose of politics and intrigue. This may require the main characters to establish relationships with spies, informants, and diplomats from hostile powers. Encounters with Section 31, the secret faction devoted to upholding Federation security at all costs, may also occur in an admiralty campaign. Often, characters introduced in this style of campaign have ulterior motives or hide their true intentions. Admirals and their staffs must hone their ability to sniff out deception and cement relationships with adversaries. This creates great potential for social conflict. You may want to think of ways your character can apply social tools effectively in highstakes situations. Information is power in an admiralty campaign. Admirals can’t be sure they’re making the best decisions unless they can see the full picture. Their support staff must make sure they’re doing everything they can to gather accurate and complete intelligence. They must also offer options of how to proceed based on that information. Gathering intelligence to inform the admiralty’s decisions may require support staff to attend regular briefings or to analyze reports and data gathered by others. It’s important to remember that the main characters in your campaign are supposed to be the heroes of the story. Most heroes don’t spend their

days analyzing reports from behind a desk. Rather, they go out and do heroic things, often at great risk to themselves. Accordingly, admiralty campaigns may require potentially dangerous fact-gathering missions and maybe even covert adventures. Starfleet Command usually frowns on admirals risking their lives by personally going on such missions, so these tasks often fall to support staff. However, flag officers have wide latitude to determine the right personnel for their operations. If a Romulan diplomat wishes to establish a backchannel with the Federation to exchange vital information but insists on speaking directly with a high-ranking Starfleet officer, it’s entirely possible that the admiral might make the calculation that personally traveling across the Neutral Zone is worth the gamble. Players in this kind of campaign should remember that they need not spend all their time in conference rooms listening to briefings and hashing out scenarios. Admirals and their support staff should make an effort to get out and experience the Galaxy. Admiralty campaigns might feature diplomatic summits in exotic locations, high-stakes treaty negotiations between hostile governments, demonstrations of innovative scientific research and technology, classified tactical briefings, and secret exchanges with spies or double agents. Any of these situations might go badly, resulting in the potential for action and danger. If the admiral has a squadron of ships under their command, then support staff might command those vessels and lead them to all manner of strange new worlds on high-priority missions.

|ADVENTURES WORTHY OF THE SILVER

SCREEN: CINEMATIC-STYLE CAMPAIGNS GRAB AN ICE-COLD SODA AND A TUB OF POPCORN, and don’t forget the buttery topping! Star Trek has a long tradition of telling sweeping, action-packed stories tailor-made for the silver screen, and you might want to capture that same cinematic feel in your game. In most cases, movie-style games

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adhere to the same conventions and tropes that you’ll find in most other campaign styles. But there are a few considerations that can set your game apart if you decide to pull out all the stops and go for box-office gold.

Often, the Star Trek film franchise distinguishes itself from the iterations made for television by telling bigger stories and leaning into action and adventure. Usually, this means big-budget set pieces and largerthan-life villains. Think of the destruction of the Enterprise above the Genesis Planet or the menace of Khan or the Borg Queen. Those stories can wow a theater full of movie-goers, and they can inspire truly memorable encounters in a roleplaying game. As an added bonus, you don’t have to worry about staying within a budget, so it doesn’t cost you anything to amp up the scale and action of your game. As a player in a movie-inspired campaign, you should display a willingness to go for broke and risk it all to create thrilling moments. This might mean taking on the role of the action hero, such as when Jean-Luc Picard and James Kirk team up to fight Tolian Soran on Veridian III. Or this philosophy might lead your character to make the ultimate sacrifice to save their crewmates, such as when Spock exposes himself to lethal radiation to conduct engine repairs, or when Data uses his emergency transporter to beam Picard to safety instead of himself before the destruction of the Scimitar. These kinds of personal sacrifices should occur at crucial moments in the story, and they should make a big difference in the plot by saving the other main characters, or achieving some other major, positive development. If you have doubts about your main character dying, no worries. They can always be resurrected in the sequel.

Off-Screen Character Advancement A lot can happen “off-screen” in a campaign aiming for a cinematic feel. In other campaigns, you can expect much of the character development, promotions in rank, and major improvements to your starship to occur in game. That is, these situations largely occur during a session and your character will have a chance to respond to them in the moment. In a cinematic campaign, months or years might pass between adventures, and the beginning of one adventure might find your character in a dramatically different place than where they were at the end of the previous adventure. Think of

Hikaru Sulu, who received a promotion to captain and took command of the U.S.S. Excelsior between films. Similarly, Geordi La Forge received prosthetic eyes and no longer needed his VISOR between film appearances. These are significant character moments, and, had those developments occurred during a television series, we might have expected scenes devoted to exploring the ramifications they had for these characters. In a film series, these developments often occur off-screen, and the audience simply has to keep up. Cinematic campaigns give you a chance to dramatically change your character’s circumstances between adventures. Maybe they get transferred or promoted before the next adventure. Maybe significant personal developments occur, such as an engagement or marriage. Don’t be afraid to shake up your character’s status quo in big ways and then explore those changes during the following adventure. This same storytelling style applies to factors external to your characters as well. Significant changes to your campaign’s status quo may occur off-screen. For instance, your crew might be transferred to a newer, more advanced ship (maybe you give your new ship the same name as your old one, adding a letter from the alphabet to the end of its registry). Or the political balance of power might shift with the signing of a new treaty or the outbreak of a new war. Characters from your supporting cast might have moved on to different things, leaving new characters with unfamiliar faces in their old positions. As a player, you should try to accept these sudden shifts in the status quo with an open mind. After all, a good story pushes characters to grow and change. Many entries in the Star Trek film franchise aim to tell big stories that result in sweeping changes. Characters may die, and ships may crash or explode. You needn’t feel too attached to the old status quo. Each of these big changes is just a new opportunity to tell a different story. And if there’s anything that’s constant about the Star Trek universe, it’s that there are always new stories to tell.

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|CAMPAIGNS BASED ON

SEASON-LONG STORY ARCS SOME GAMES REVOLVE AROUND STORY ARCS that play out over a series of intricately connected sessions. These games focus on a central mystery or conflict that starts early in the campaign and doesn’t reach its conclusion until near the end, much like the season finale of a television show. These campaigns may place less of an emphasis on providing a resolution for individual episodes and save the big payoff for the end. In Star Trek terms, you might think of this approach as similar to how Star Trek: Picard and Star Trek: Discovery are structured. Think of the mystery surrounding the Red Angel during the second season of Discovery or the real reason behind the synth attack on Utopia Planitia as depicted during the first season of Picard. A Captain’s Log campaign can emulate this kind of storytelling by posing questions and teasing plot threads during early sessions that you may not intend to answer until later. This campaign structure builds tension and allows players to invest in the central themes and mystery over hours of play. So, when the story finally reaches its climax and the plot is laid bare, it can be tremendously rewarding. Following are some guidelines to keep in mind to stay engaged with the long game of a season-long story arc.

Be Patient Patience is a virtue in a game focused on a central story arc. The default mode of Star Trek storytelling showcases episodes that introduce a central conflict, allow the characters to engage with the conflict, and then reach a resolution – all within the span of about 45 minutes. Conflict, in this case, simply means a problem at the core of a story that the main characters must solve. Most Star Trek series contain episodes in which the main characters confront a conflict and then warp off to their next adventure where they’re likely to deal with a totally new conflict that may have no connection to anything that occurred in previous episodes.

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Season-long story arcs involve conflicts that unfold over a much longer period of time, and you may find yourself dealing with the same conflicts from one session to the next rather than starting each session with a clean slate. This may require some patience on the part of the players, especially those keen on exploring as many strange new worlds and new civilizations as possible. If you’re playing in a campaign that focuses on season-long, or even campaign-long arcs, savor the sense of anticipation as you build toward the conclusion. You can devote regular scenes to having the main cast of your campaign speculating on the events of the main story arc. If your campaign takes place on a starship, make a point of having the main characters meet in the conference room or the crew lounge, reviewing clues and plot points and guessing where the story is leading. It’s also helpful to slow down and regularly go over the major developments of the central story arc to make sure you understand what’s going on. Games revolving around a long-developing, central story arc often involve an intricate and interconnected web of characters, locations, and events. These layers can build on top of one another to form a deep and engrossing story, but the big payoff at the conclusion likely will fall flat if you don’t make an effort to keep these elements fresh in their memories or record them somewhere.

Connect Your Character with the Plot This might be good advice for many different styles of play across many different roleplaying games, but it’s especially true for a game centered on long story arcs. You should try to find a way to connect your character as closely as possible to the central story arc. This style of game spends a lot of time building toward a climax that might take a dozen or more sessions to reach. When you put that much time and effort into one big story, you want the resolution to feel as impactful as possible. Making the stakes personal for your character is one of the most

effective ways of ensuring a meaningful conclusion. The last thing you want is to feel like the climax of the season-long arc didn’t make any difference to your character’s development. Captain’s Log offers a few mechanical elements, such as a character’s values and focuses, that can help you tie your character into the big story arc of your campaign. VALUES Values are perhaps the most obvious tool in weaving your character into a long-term plot thread. Values motivate your character and provide insight into your character’s priorities. Values that reflect curiosity or a commitment to scientific inquiry, for example, will keep your character in the mix during a season-long story arc that centers on a mystery. The ability to challenge values over the course of a long story arc also creates opportunities to develop your character, and rich character development is one of the hallmarks of season-long storytelling. If you intend to weave a lengthy arc into your campaign, you may want to review your character’s values early on to see if they reinforce the campaign’s themes. If so, play up those values during play. If not, you might

be able to challenge and change them in play as the story arc unfolds. FOCUSES Focuses are your character’s specializations and expertise, and represent one of the simplest ways to make sure your main character is in the thick of the action when the big, season-long story arc reaches its conclusion. Make sure you take a few moments to consider your character’s focuses and how they might help to connect your character with the ongoing story arc. CAREER EVENTS Elements from your character’s lifepath career events can provide excellent fodder for long-term storylines. This can be especially true if you took the time to roleplay scenes from the main characters’ career events. You can mine your character’s career events for interesting supporting characters, events, or locations that could reemerge during your campaign. Crucial points in your character’s backstory can come back to drive your current adventures.

|CLOSE TO HOME: POLITICAL

CAMPAIGNS AND CORE WORLDS SOME CAMPAIGNS MAY DEAL HEAVILY WITH A single region of space rather than warping across multiple quadrants and visiting a strange new world every session. Or your campaign may return to the same central world repeatedly throughout your travels, immersing your character in the politics, culture, and peoples of a specific planet or region, such as the Badlands or the Triangle. This can provide opportunities to engage in deep world building. The more time you spend on a single planet or in a specific region, the more you’ll likely develop that setting with vivid details and dynamic traits. This can be a rewarding collaborative exercise. However, these kinds of campaigns also have a way of piling baggage on your characters. When your missions keep you close to a single region, your actions and choices stick with you. You’re likely to

make friends, but you’re also likely to draw the ire of enemies. Mistakes will come back to haunt you. You can’t simply turn your back on the consequences of your choices. You have to live with them. This style of campaign may take place in the core worlds of the Federation, perhaps on Earth or Vulcan. Or, if you’re playing in a Klingon campaign, you might spend much of your time on Qo’noS. These storied locations have been the backdrop for countless stories, and you shouldn’t have any trouble finding interesting things to do on these worlds. Politics and diplomacy might play major roles in your campaign. Various factions might vie for power, and your decisions might tip the scales in one direction or another. Imagine a Klingon campaign in which powerful Houses maneuver for influence among the High Council. Or think of how

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Captain Jonathan Archer and the Enterprise NX-01 had to build trust among the founding worlds of the Federation, planets that in some cases had been on the verge of war with one another. This close-to-home campaign approach might also apply farther away from the core worlds. It might be rewarding to spend an entire campaign ushering a frontier world through the process of becoming a member of the United Federation of Planets. This could be an original world or colony that you invent. You might draw inspiration from watching the crew of Deep Space 9 as they deal with the many complications and crises that mark the Federation’s relationship with Bajor. In addition to building relationships with various Bajoran political factions, the crew also has to contend with the constant specter of Cardassian interference, as well as the Maquis and, later, the Dominion. Throughout the series, the characters cement relationships, make hard decisions, and deal with the consequences of everything they did to change the course of the region. Similarly, a Captain’s Log campaign that follows this model will offer you the opportunity to build

prolonged relationships with any and all influential factions that inhabit your chosen region of space. In many cases, the motivations of these factions may come into conflict with each other. Your regular presence in the area impacts the local politics and the balance of power. You may find that your character is sympathetic to a particular faction but unable to help them. This might be due to Starfleet orders, the Prime Directive, or treaty stipulations. You may find that collaborating with an adversarial faction, or otherwise compromising your principles, may serve the greater good of your mission. You might also find that your character’s feelings about a particular character or faction may shift over the course of the campaign as the story evolves. Imagine the complex emotions Kira Nerys must feel as she risks her life to help the Cardassians – a people that oppressed the Bajorans for much of her life – overthrow the Dominion during the late stages of the Dominion War. This kind of textured storytelling works well in a close-to-home style game, but may not work as well in a traditional Star Trek series in which your character and crew might travel to dozens different systems but rarely spend much time at any single location.

|DEEP SPACE EXPLORATION GAMES HUMANS HAVE AN INSATIABLE LUST FOR exploration. We have been enraptured with the idea of space long before our first rocket went into orbit. An everlasting fire was set in the hearts of people ever since the first person looked down on the blue orb called Earth from the earliest crewed starships. But humanity is not alone in its quest to visit the stars. Hundreds of other species share the appetite for adventure. In like manner, you may have decided to play Captain’s Log so that your imagination can take you farther than any Human has gone before. The Star Trek universe has an endless array of strange new worlds, fascinating civilizations, and scientific wonders to explore, and you might want to be the first Starfleet or Klingon officer to discover them. You are willing to land on hostile planets, encounter bizarre

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anomalies, and interact with extraordinary beings, all for the sake of saying you were the first to do so. Not everyone is cut out for deep space exploration missions. You will be estranged from friends and family you leave behind. You will be far away from the safety and security of the Federation or Klingon Empire. You will need to use every iota of wit and ingenuity to overcome unprecedented challenges and come up with novel solutions to an endless array of wild situations. Even though you will be warping into the deepest regions of the Galaxy, it does not mean you are completely alone. Deep space does not mean unexplored space. It could mean that it has not been explored by you. Your crew may unwittingly cross into the sovereign territory of another species or pass

into the realm of monstrous or godlike creatures. There are things out there beyond description, and hazards that have cost entire crews their lives. Still, you dauntlessly press onward seeking to reap the rewards of knowledge that might be the key to unraveling the ancient secrets of our universe. A few varieties of deep space exploration campaigns are listed below.

Scientific Missions Most deep space exploration missions depicted in Star Trek serve the main purpose of expanding the Federation’s knowledge of the Milky Way Galaxy. Though it is rarely seen, it is logical that the Klingon Empire has its own form of exploration. Seeking out new life and new civilizations is just part of deep space missions. Survey missions help chart star systems and spatial phenomena. They mark hazards that could endanger other vessels that are seeking to do more detailed exploration of star systems or desiring to set up colonies. Survey missions could include setting up subspace beacons to enable long-range communications or establishing defense nets to protect from hostile invasions. These missions can also help locate valuable resources that are of use to Federation worlds and their colonies. Discovering new life could mean encountering a sentient species. First contact is a carefully-regulated event. It is logical that any deep space exploratory

vessel would have mission specialists well-versed in first contact protocol, diplomacy, and xenolinguistics. Some deep space missions involve studying strange anomalies, searching for lost ships, and even crossing the boundaries of time and space. Officers are expected to keep detailed logs of all their findings. Every piece of data adds to the collective knowledge of the Federation. And, ultimately, knowledge is power.

Tactical Missions The farther starships push into the Galaxy, the more likely they are to encounter a hostile species with designs of its own. This has switched the tone of some deep space missions from scientific to tactical. A good example of this is Starfleet’s explorations of the Gamma Quadrant. It was not long after the Bajoran wormhole was discovered that Starfleet, Ferengi, Klingon, Romulan, Pakled, and other vessels began exploring the newly-opened region of space. Within a short time, it was discovered that the Dominion held sway over much of the quadrant and they were not pleased about all the “solids” pouring through from the Alpha Quadrant. What initially was met with excitement was soon replaced with a sense of dread. Exploring the Gamma Quadrant was equivalent to poking a hornet’s nest. Before long, Starfleet and its allies were devoting more resources to tactical exercises

DISTANCE IN STAR TREK : THE SIMPLE SOLUTION There are a variety of sources in published form and on the internet that explain how long it takes to get from here to there in the Milky Way Galaxy. Also, it seems that sometimes a deep space vessel has little trouble establishing communications with the nearby starbase while at other times they are out of range. Give or take a spatial anomaly or two, subspace communications should travel at roughly warp 9.9995. This means that it would take a

subspace transmission one full day to travel 144 light years. However, this guideline seems to be bent in more than one television episode. You should understand that time and distance in Star Trek is usually more of a plot device than an exact science. You may choose to come up with a variety of explanations as to why inconsistencies may appear; distance is rarely the crux of any story.  02.502

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and intelligence-gathering missions into the Gamma Quadrant than to scientific studies. In a similar manner, your crew might decide on a clandestine deep space mission into Dominion, Romulan, Breen, Tzenkethi, or some other hostile species’ space. Or maybe the unexplored Shackleton Expanse appeals to you and your players. Tactical missions afford more action, tension, and suspense than purely scientific missions. But, gathering intelligence that will secure the borders of your species is essential to your survival.

Non-Starfleet Missions Deep space exploration is not solely under the purview of Starfleet. Independent organizations, civilian agencies, and Federation members are free to pursue their own expeditions. This is highly risky since most vessels are rarely as well equipped as their Starfleet counterparts.

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If you choose to embark on a deep space mission that is unsanctioned by Starfleet, be prepared to bend the rules to survive. The Prime Directive might not hold much sway on the borderlands. You will likely find yourself in backwater bars and ragtag outposts searching for supplies or information. You may need to form alliances with non-Federation species to survive or integrate alien technology into your starship to effect repairs. Still, some scientists, archeologists, or treasure hunters brave the risks to reap the rewards, be they scientific or monetary.

Guidance for Deep Space Exploration Games If you are playing in a deep space exploration campaign, you can expect to come across stellar phenomena and alien civilizations that no other Starfleet or Klingon vessel have ever come across. But you must first locate the anomalies. It is undoubtedly thrilling to hear the commanding officer declare, “First star to the right and straight on ‘til morning.”

A crew might start by initializing long-range scans to locate star systems with a high probability of having planets capable of sustaining humanoid life. Enhanced long-range particle and field detectors and imaging systems might chart hazards along the way like solar flares, supernovas, black holes, and a wide variety of radiation, geomagnetic, or ion storms. All this information feeds the stellar cartography and astrometric labs and is normally transmitted back to the closest starbase via an encrypted subspace relay network, until it finally arrives for analysis at Starfleet Headquarters. Curiosity dictates further exploration. Excitement grows as the vessel comes within a few light-years of the target system. Sensors may start picking up evidence of civilization. The subspace and interstellar chemistry pallet could be brought online. The communications and sensor arrays might start to pick up radio signals or detect signs of post-industrial civilizations. Long-range sensors are now close enough to pick up other starships in orbit of populated planets or in transit through space. Once a starship is within a solar system, the true work begins. More detailed planetary analysis, remote life-form analysis, and electromagnetic scanning may occur. Fully autonomous probes equipped with terrestrial and gas giant sensor pallets might be launched to retrieve data on interstellar particles. Material samples can be analyzed for chemical composition. Other probes can observe pre-warp civilizations and transmit the data to the main ship. Multiple shuttles crewed by conn and science officers might strike out into the system, forming away teams to collect samples from the surface of large asteroids, moons, and planets. A hustle of activity fills every corridor as material samples and data are brought back to the ship to be analyzed, dissected, and catalogued in a variety of science labs. For most deep space explorers, the most valuable find is a new sentient species. This is a sensitive interaction that can go amazingly well or end in utter disaster. The astonishing diversity of civilizations your crew may discover can be created using the tools in this book. The television series had budgetary constraints that limited the type of aliens that could be created for on-screen use. This is not the case with your game. You can introduce the most obscure

non-humanoid species to the adventure. Your imagination is the limit! Give some thought as to why your character decided to take one of the riskiest assignments in Starfleet or the Klingon Empire. What was their motivation? What area of study did they want to expand on during the continuing mission? Do they have friends aboard the ship or will they need to reach out to others to form strong bonds? SENIOR OFFICERS If your character takes on a senior staff position assigned to a deep space mission, you can expect long stretches of quiet travel through interstellar space. It could take months merely to reach the outer borders of your territory and still many more weeks or months of high warp travel before you arrive at a new star system worth exploring. During that time, senior staff members would be dedicated to making sure staff morale is high and departmental operations are in top shape. These long interludes in action provide an ample opportunity for staff members to improve their expertise in their discipline of choice, learn new focuses, and pursue artistic and cultural endeavors. It is during these long periods of peace that amazing friendships and romantic relationships are born. Adventures can be born from scientific experiments gone awry or relationships coming to a boiling point. At the same time, staff members need to be ready to jump into action at any moment. Even wide swaths of interstellar void can contain oddities worth dropping out of warp to inspect. Sensors might pick up an incandescent swarm of spaceborne creatures migrating at sublight speed through an emission nebula. A derelict spaceship that appears on sensors could be possessed by a sentient super-computer eager to transfer its program to a better vessel. A cosmic entity could suddenly appear in your vessel’s path, beckoning the crew to play a game of chance. An entirely new scope of adventure occurs when the ship arrives in new areas of space. Senior staff members are likely the first to set foot on strange new worlds and establish first contact with new life and new civilizations. Without the immediate support of aligned vessels, only the most skilled officers dare take lead on these missions. Starfleet Command and T H E S TA R T R E K U N I V E R S E

the Klingon High Council are not quickly available for consultation. Established rules and regulations cannot possibly cover all facets of a deep space mission. Commanding officers and senior staff members must act independently, aware that their actions and the repercussions of such could be subjected to scrutiny at the end of the mission.

could be the difference between a promotional opportunity and career suicide. If you are playing a junior officer, what motivated you to take the deep space assignment? Was it to get more experience under your belt to further your career? Was it to get away from problems back home?

JUNIOR OFFICERS

There are several reasons why a civilian character would want to join a deep space mission. Perhaps they have negotiated temporary transport to get to another ship, colony, or planet. Perhaps the civilian character holds a specialty in archeology, astrophysics, or geotectonic activity and they have been assigned by a science council or representative species to participate in a research study. It could be that they chose not to undergo the rigors of Starfleet Academy or Klingon training but still had the desire to see the stars. Hence, they may have willingly accepted the opportunity to work in a service function such as cook, bartender, medic, counselor, journalist, teacher, maintenance personnel, or quartermaster.

Junior officers can expect monotonous days fulfilling their duty assignments. Staff meetings outlining new protocols and shift handover meetings are on the daily agenda. Long hours are spent performing routine diagnostics on critical ship systems. Routine maintenance duties may include lonely chunks of time spent working in Jefferies tubes or in the deepest bowels of the ship. Sensor arrays must be realigned, computer data analyzed, weapons systems tested, engines tuned, science experiments tracked, power systems optimized, medical equipment maintained, replicators reprogrammed, waste managed, staff fed, and quarters cleaned. During breaks and off-hours, junior officers might huddle together in enlisted mess halls that rarely boast the same views or perks of the officer’s lounge. This is time for junior officers and enlisted crew to catch up on the day, exchange stories, discuss their futures, or complain about their supervisors. Downtime could be spent expanding knowledge in their areas of expertise or enjoying their hobbies. Since junior officer crew quarters generally contain multiple roommates, bargaining for more time on the holodeck might be a common occurrence. Mission objectives and daily task lists can drastically change with zero notice and little explanation. Red alerts might have lower-ranking officers jumping out of bed, throwing on their uniforms, and scurrying to emergency stations with no idea of who or what is endangering the ship. Junior officers must be ready and willing to be transferred to other departments that might encounter a staffing shortage. A highlight for many junior officers is the opportunity to accompany a landing party or an away mission. The pressure to perform is on as your character desires to shine. Demonstrating their focuses and talents on an away mission

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CIVILIAN LIFE

Another possibility is that the character is the spouse or relative of another crew member. They may spend their days attending prerecorded classes, pursuing personal hobbies and endeavors, or fulfilling another function on the ship. They might even be raising a family and dealing with the challenges of raising children who have never set foot on a home planet. Civilians have the lowest security access than any others aboard a starship. It might be a struggle to feel relevant while other crew members attend to their duties. If you are playing a civilian, what motivated you to join a deep space mission?

|FAR FROM HOME GAMES ANY OF A VARIETY OF CIRCUMSTANCES MIGHT cause your character and crew to be displaced thousands of light-years from home. A chance encounter with a rogue Nacene’s new “Caretaker array.” Flung whimsically to the other side of the Galaxy by a Q. Caught in a spatial anomaly. Though some tales have a happy ending, very few ships have the power or stalwart crew to survive such ordeals. Some vessels become generational ships, where the offspring of the original crew have been born and raised aboard a vessel. It has been their only home. All their training has been in the field. Life in the stars was not a dream, it was a harsh reality, one they have adapted to in amazing ways. Your vessel and its crew might be caught in such unexpected circumstances. In this case, the characters might feel truly alone. Cut off from communications with their people. Desperate to find resources to keep the ship in working order. Now they are the aliens in a new part of space. This style of campaign is well-suited for fans of Star Trek: Enterprise, Star Trek: Voyager, Star Trek: Prodigy, or Star Trek: Discovery. New species and civilizations must be created from scratch as the dominant powers of the Alpha and Beta Quadrant hold no claim in this uncharted region of space. Invent drastically different species and worlds, the likes of which other Federation or Klingon citizens may never encounter except through your stories when you return home.

Lost in Space This might be the most common form of far from home campaign. You will need to answer a few questions to make the premise plausible. What force or technology was the catalyst for the extremely distant journey? Exactly how far from home are you? How many years at maximum warp would it take to get back to your native region of space? Are you on the other side of the Galaxy or in an entirely different Galaxy? What is the condition of the ship upon arrival? Is it lacking resources, and if so, where will you acquire them?

Lost in Time Perhaps your crew has been flung far into the past or thrust violently into the future. In either case, familiar technology might be scant or non-existent. The social and political landscape of planets and empires might be totally different than what you were used to. What spatial effect or technology allowed you to break the constraints of physics and was there a purpose for the journey? Can a way be found to restore the timeline? It is possible that your characters have been caught in some manner of temporal war. Will you be viewed as criminals by temporal agents or enemies by vicious time-hopping aliens?

Other Realities The Mirror Universe. Fluidic space. The Celestial Temple. Some theorize that there are as many layers to reality as there are stars in the sky. With that, other dimensions spawn all sorts of life-forms. The laws of physics that you have come to know might operate in a different manner. Environments might be inhospitable to humanoid life. Your starship might be rendered inert in such alien realms. Once again, the desire to return home will be at the forefront of your crew’s thoughts. Will they be able to maintain their sanity while piercing barriers that are one quantum leap away but a universe apart?

Guidance for Far from Home Games If you decide on a far from home campaign, realize that help may never come. Starfleet or the Klingon High Council may have been left with few clues as to your current whereabouts. Characters will need to summon forth new levels of innovation to survive what could be a decades-long ordeal. Moral dilemmas might arise. Should you adhere to the Prime Directive? How far will your crew go to acquire rare resources? What will happen when your character comes across habitable planets? Will some crewmembers desire to transplant themselves in a new region of space, start a colony, and make like pilgrims in a new land?

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Being separated from your allies is dangerous; even worse when hostile species find out that you are truly alone. It could make for hard times if most of the crew’s time is spent fighting or running from attackers who seek to pillage the advanced technology of your ship or enslave your people. Xenophobic species may not be open for negotiation. Friendly species might be few and far between, though still boasting agendas of their own. First contact takes on an entirely new meaning in this setting. More caution than normal is advised as first contact could be your crew’s last chance to get home. Scouting parties, spy missions, and

underground bartering for goods might be the order of the day to keep from arousing suspicion or attracting unwanted attention. Each character will react differently in this extremely stressful circumstance. Realizing that one may never see home again will cause many complex emotions to rise to the surface. Isolation, desperation, fear, paranoia, anxiety, depression, and anger threaten to overcome the spirit of discovery at any moment. Or perhaps the crew will triumph in these harsh circumstances and discover a new destiny in the stars.

|SPICE OF LIFE GAMES LIFE IN SPACE CAN BE FULL OF VARIETY. VESSELS that stay within the boundaries of their alliances, federations, empires, and unions have a neverending array of mission profiles in which they may be assigned. In addition, your character might be one of the Federation or Empire’s top-notch diplomats, physicians, strategists, or soldiers. Their expertise could be called into service at any time. You may be assigned to missions based on your vessel’s capabilities or reputation in battle. This style of campaign is well-suited for fans of the original series or Star Trek: The Next Generation. One week you might be negotiating a treaty between the Pakleds and Yridians, and the next, rescuing a science outpost from a supernova. Days later, you could be asked to support a patrol of the Romulan border. Spice of life games allow you to have recurring guest stars, favorite ports-of-call, and familiar settings in which to play. The various Star Trek Adventures adventure compendiums, mission brief packs, and standalone missions provide a generous library of stories that can be used to inspire new missions. In addition, a lot of fan-made material is available on the internet. And, you can design your own campaign. The game is what you make of it.

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Another benefit of this style of play is the opportunity for your character to meet some of the stars of the Federation or Klingon Empire. It might be possible to rub elbows with legendary figures like Sarek, Kirk, Spock, McCoy, Picard, Riker, Kira, Janeway, Seven of Nine, Worf, and Gowron. You could make time to fraternize with popular personalities like Harcourt Fenton Mudd, Quark, Vash, Garak, Lwaxana Troi, Guinan, Morn, or Dr. Soong. You could walk the decks of famous ships-of-the-line like the Enterprise, Excelsior, or Zheng He. You might set foot on Deep Space 9 or Regula I.

Diplomatic Missions Though establishing first contact is a distinct privilege, there are other kinds of diplomatic missions. Starfleet’s mission is a peaceful one; however, factions within their borders might require assistance in ending a conflict. Even the Klingon Empire has worlds within their borders populated by other species. The Empire is no stranger to conflict between the various Houses. The KDF might be called in to settle all kinds of disputes. Some conflicts are not of an aggressive nature. Diplomacy can include negotiating trade deals; determining trade routes and land or mining rights; and sponsoring cultural exchanges like the Officer Exchange Program. Your crew might be asked to escort an ambassador or specialist to a meeting.

You may be called to represent Starfleet, the Klingon High Council, or your species during a major interplanetary conference.

Protection and Security Tactical missions are just one facet of protecting and securing the rights and territories of the Federation or Klingon Empire. Providing aid and relief to distressed outposts and planets is a possible scenario. You could be called on to coordinate mass evacuations after a major disaster, stop a virulent plague, deliver food supplies and technology, or perform other humanitarian deeds. Your vessel could be assigned to patrol a section of space along a neutral zone or ordered to provide security for a diplomatic convoy. Other missions could involve dismantling illegal trafficking cells, infiltrating criminal organizations, or destroying enemy installations. Also, adventure awaits at any one of the hundreds of ports-of-call at which your ship might dock. Your character might find themselves aiding any number of starbases, relay stations, science outposts, or colonies.

Science Missions Besides deep space missions that have already been covered, other mission types are available for the science-minded officer. You may be asked to survey an asteroid field, moon, or planet for mineral resources or colonization. Elaborate and sensitive experiments could be the order of the day. Conducting experiments in a controlled and isolated environment might decrease the possibility of accidents that could harm large populations. Some starships are replete with research labs wherein new technologies can be developed and scientific practices can be explored. There are also an infinite number of stellar phenomena to survey and catalog.

Guidance for Spice of Life Games The universe is your oyster if you choose to rotate through different mission types. This might be the most dynamic form of roleplaying as each character has a chance to really engage with their background and test their capabilities in a variety of scenarios.

T H E S TA R T R E K U N I V E R S E

You might choose to keep each adventure episodic in nature with each plot being resolved by the end of a single session. Or you may create a story arc that carries through multiple adventures and sessions. This format of play allows for rich character development as you have an opportunity to interact with people from your individual’s past. These relationships can be explored in greater detail.

family squabble than shooting it out in ship-to-ship combat.

Your character might be a little more comfortable in this setting as surroundings are familiar, relationships are established, and they have a good lay of the land (or ship). They might have the opportunity to visit home and communicate with loved ones on a more regular basis. Generally, there is not a state of constant war or conflict happening within the protected borders of the Federation or Empire. You might see more action engaging in a

Keep in mind, forces still exist within your borders that seek to destroy the carefully constructed peace. There are those trying to sow disorder and contention among allies. Spice of life games allow a myriad of nefarious characters to surface. Your adventures could reveal dark corners of the criminal underworld, uncover vicious conspiracies, and root out corruption in the highest levels of government

Does your character have a business back home? Is there a conference, concert, or exhibition they want to visit? Do they have a favorite vacation spot? These are all potential locations for memorable adventures, all available in your local quadrant of space.

|STATION-BASED GAMES IT WOULD BE A GRAVE ERROR TO ASSUME THAT life on a space station, colony, or starbase lacks the drama and adventure of a starship duty assignment. While characters on a space station may find few opportunities for away missions on exotic new planets every week, they’re sure to encounter fascinating supporting characters, complex antagonists, and challenging scientific and moral dilemmas. Warping boldly across the vastness of space in a starship might form the cornerstone of Star Trek storytelling, but campaigns focused on less mobile settings like starbases can make use of many of the same classic themes and story elements while providing opportunities to add new twists to the narrative.

Space Stations Space stations often reside in deep space in strategically important locations or near unusual spatial phenomena. Space stations attract Starfleet and civilian starship traffic alike, providing a safe port where crews can perform maintenance on their vessels or resupply for long voyages. They may also draw agents of other governmental powers, creating the potential for political and diplomatic intrigue.

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Some space stations, such as Regula I, act as research laboratories where scientists and engineers conduct ground-breaking experiments. These research stations may support a relatively small crew and be located in isolated regions of space.

Starbases Starbases built on planets, moons, or other celestial bodies share many of the same qualities as space stations. They may act as a crossroads for a diverse array of travelers and can provide compelling backdrops for political and diplomatic stories. A starbase may reside on a planet that also features strange scientific qualities. Such qualities could include unique native plant or animal life, unstable climactic or seismic conditions, or unpredictable temporal fluctuations.

Frontier Colonies Countless brave souls have set their sights on deep space and dreamed of carving out a new life for themselves on a distant, uninhabited world. They may be driven by the desire for freedom, scientific curiosity, or philosophical or religious motives. In

TOUGH LITTLE SHIPS? Some space stations, starbases, and colonies have ships, or even fleets of ships, permanently assigned to support their missions. These ships might take the form of shuttlecraft or runabouts, or they might be Defiant-class starships or even larger vessels, depending on the circumstances. In these cases, your character might spend some time taking on exploration missions and traveling to distant sectors.

On the other hand, some stations and colonies have very little in the way of ship support. These might be isolated science outposts or tiny communications relay stations. These settings likely depend on regular starship visits to deliver supplies or routine medical care. Determine what kind of starship support your character can expect on your station. These decisions can influence the kind of missions your character may take on.  02.503

any case, building a colony from scratch on an isolated world could form the basis of a tremendously rewarding campaign, but it also presents an endless parade of dangers. Colonists must take on the challenges of material scarcity and social isolation, compounded by the fact that many colonies are too distant from core worlds to receive help in a timely manner. When something goes wrong – and it always does – colonists can’t rely on anyone but themselves.

Guidance for StationBased Games If you’re playing in a station-based campaign, you may need to adjust some of your expectations and prepare to encounter some different themes and tropes that may not be as prevalent in a campaign aboard a starship. This section will explore some ways you can engage with this kind of game to produce a setting that’s as rich and dynamic as Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Perhaps most obviously, a campaign set on a station or colony grants characters less mobility than one set on a starship. As a consequence, the action must often come to you, rather than vice versa. In no way does this diminish a campaign’s level of excitement, because starbases and colonies are, almost by definition, remarkable settings that attract remarkable people and events. You should keep an open mind when strangers pay a visit. A space station is just as likely to host a diplomatic confab involving political

leaders from multiple quadrants as it is to be a meeting place for Nausicaan mercenaries or Yridian informants with dark secrets to sell. Indeed, the sheer diversity of characters that can make up the supporting cast of a station-based campaign also provides opportunities for conflict and character development. Player characters in a station-based campaign are likely to encounter a large and diverse array of recurring characters as part of their daily lives. You might play a Starfleet officer on a Starfleet-run space station, but your character may live alongside and forge relationships with civilians, or in many cases, characters who represent groups that have an adversarial relationship with Starfleet. You might create main characters who aren’t affiliated with Starfleet at all. Accordingly, players in station-based games should demonstrate a willingness to create interesting relationships with the other inhabitants of the space station. For instance, it’s unlikely that a plain, simple tailor on a Starfleet ship might also be a former Cardassian spy. On a space station or colony, not only is that possibility more plausible, but it might be great fun for the player characters to befriend this mysterious tailor, or at least strike an uneasy alliance with them. In this sense, station-based games spotlight the importance of IDIC, one of the core principles of Star Trek storytelling. The vibrant diversity of life on a station, starbase, or colony is also a terrific means to create meaningful

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non-player characters. You can build supporting characters who get increasingly more developed as they make additional appearances in your game. Before long, you’ll have a colorful recurring cast of merchants, priests, pirates, mercenaries, spies, or whatever else fits your campaign. These supporting characters can act as trusted friends or infuriating foils to your main character. Also, be ready to engage with the setting in such a manner as to bring it to life. Your setting isn’t just a workplace. It’s also a community where perhaps tens of thousands of beings from across the Galaxy live side by side. How does your character fit into this complex social fabric? How does your character spend their off-duty hours? Playing darts on the Promenade, taking a Klingon cooking course, training in the anbo-jyutsu arena? Embed your character into the life of the station’s community. Your character, and the decisions they make, can have a real effect on the development of the setting through their interactions with the characters around them. The inverse is true as well. As your character gains experience with the setting and the people and beings that live there, consider how exposure to such a wide variety of supporting characters challenges

your character’s values, goals, and perspective. A vibrant setting like a space station is sure to provide a different kind of insight and experience than a Federation starship, where many of the characters are likely to have similar goals and operate under the same command structure. Games set on starships likely hop from one planetary system to another from session to session. This often creates an episodic rhythm to the campaign as the characters confront a challenge on one planet, bring the story to a resolution, and then warp off to the next planet the following session. Station-based games, by contrast, create excellent backdrops for serialized story arcs where plot threads extend for multiple sessions. When so much of the story takes place in a single location, as it does in a station-based game, your character can drive much of the plot, leading to deep and interesting character development that unfolds naturally over the course of a campaign. What can you do to make sure you’ve created a character well-suited to life on a station or outpost? You might consider how your character ended up on this station. Were they ordered there, as Commander Sisko was? Or are they drawn by the romantic allure of the frontier, like Dr. Bashir?

|UNSANCTIONED MISSIONS THE CREW OF THE U.S.S. ENTERPRISE LED BY James T. Kirk defy Starfleet orders and return to the Genesis planet to rescue Spock. Worf resigns his Starfleet commission to join the Klingon Defense Force during a civil war. Jean-Luc Picard assembles a ragtag band to unravel the mystery of the Zhat Vash. In all these cases, the characters marshalled together what resources they could and struck out on their own without the support of a larger organization. In some cases, they openly defied direct orders to accomplish their objectives. Your character might feel forced to do the same. Maybe a friend or colleague is in trouble. Maybe it is time to repay a debt. Perhaps your characters are aware of a Galaxyspanning danger and you cannot wait to cut through

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governmental red tape to save the day. Maybe sabotage, infiltration, theft, and assassination are the only ways to preserve the peace or tip the balance of power. Unsanctioned missions give characters the opportunity to slip out from the Prime Directive and see the sometimes-unsettling reality of life without regulations. This style of campaign is well-suited for fans of Star Trek: Picard. If you are planning to play this style of game, it might end with your character saving a friend’s life, exposing a galactic conspiracy, or discovering a valuable treasure. Conversely, you might end up losing all rank and privilege, wasting away in a dank prison, or dead at the bottom of a ravine on a backwater planetoid.

A DEBT OWED A call from help has come from a person or a civilization. The situation is dire. Perhaps Starfleet or the KDF is deliberating on the matter, mired in politics and treaties, but you need to act now. Or your character may be currently serving aboard a starship when someone from the past reaches out to your character. You need to do something unscrupulous or off-the-record before an opportunity is missed. Whatever the ask, your character feels compelled to break protocol, grant the favor, or pay back the debt. Once they go down this road, their future with Starfleet or the KDF is uncertain. VIGILANTES The Maquis. Ferengi eliminator Leck. The Fenris Rangers. Starfleet and the Klingon High Council do not even play into the equation. Your character got fed up with the rules a long time ago. It is time to do what is right or in their own best interest. Dare anyone to try to get in their way. Your character might go it alone or join like-minded individuals to achieve their goals. Vigilantes might be out for justice, revenge, or a pile of gold-pressed latinum. They are familiar with hideouts, outposts, and safehouses used by illegal traffickers and traders. Anything or anyone can be bought for a price in this underworld environment. Vigilantes might be acquiring or exchanging information like the location of archaeological treasures, banned weapon technology, or security access data to some of the quadrant’s most powerful figures. ESPIONAGE Your character could be working for a secret organization like Section 31, the Tal Shiar, or the Obsidian Order. You are one thread in a tangle of lies and cover-ups. You have some of the information, but never all the information. You meet with disguised agents and counteragents in shadowy alleys, crowded marketplaces, and over encrypted comm lines. The lines of morality are blurred but your mission directives are clear. Perhaps you are an enlisted officer, but you know Starfleet could never support such a questionable mission. Nonetheless, your character is willing to put their career and life on the line to do that which Starfleet or the KDF would never allow a sanctioned officer to do.

Guidance for Unsanctioned Missions Games Traveling the Galaxy without the backing or protection of Starfleet or the Klingon Empire is one of the riskiest endeavors a being can undertake! Your character can easily drop into danger if you fall off the grid. Villainous people, nefarious crime syndicates, and desperate individuals are all too eager to take advantage of you. Goodwill is a rare commodity during unsanctioned missions, so you better have a chest full of gold-pressed latinum, hard-to-find technology, or valuable intel to exchange if you are going to keep moving toward your goal. If you are designing an unsanctioned campaign, there are some things that might be helpful to map out. CONTACTS Contacts that can provide information and resources are valuable assets in an unsanctioned campaign. These contacts can work for the government. They could be businesspersons, bartenders, local celebrities, or criminals. In any case, they can help you cover your tracks or get a lead on someone or something. They may not have the exact information or technology you are looking for, but they know someone who does. Of course, if other people come asking, they never saw you. Well, maybe they did see you… for a price. STARSHIPS Unfortunately, unsanctioned missions are rarely accomplished by staying on one planet. Transport is often required. It is highly unlikely that you will get your hands on an Intrepid-class science vessel or Pach’Nom-class escort. Hitching a ride on an interstellar cargo freighter, mercenary shuttle, or luxury commercial cruiser are more plausible scenarios. If you are even more gutsy and have highquality forged documentation, you may manage a ride on a Federation or Klingon vessel. The best scenario, of course, is if your character and crew can afford to rent, borrow, or buy their own vessel. Most likely, it will be an unregistered warp-capable vessel built by a private supplier or a third-generation retrofitted spaceship held together by self-sealing stem bolts

T H E S TA R T R E K U N I V E R S E

and chicken wire. If you are fortunate, fate may drop into your lap a Kaplan F17 Speed Freighter or some other modern ship. If none of these ideas work, you could always just try to hijack someone to get where you need to go.

your goals. If your character is playing an undercover officer, decisions will have to be made on when to cross the line. You may simply want to accomplish your unsanctioned mission as quickly and neatly as possible then head back to your normal life.

WEAPONS AND TECHNOLOGY

If your character has chosen the life of a vigilante, you will need to decide where the character lives, who they spend most of their time with, and how they pick up new missions. Do they live by an ethical code? What are their political views? Do they hold a particular view of the Federation or Klingon High Council? Do they have a criminal record? Will someone be pursuing them while they are pursuing their goal?

If you are going it alone, you will want a trusty sidearm… or maybe three. You may seek to hide weapon caches in cities, outposts, and planets you frequent. Your character will want to know one or more weapons dealers who can come through in a pinch. Of course, you run the risk of being sold a dud. And Starfleet will not treat you kindly if they find you in possession of an illegal weapon. Additionally, each mission often requires specialized technology. Vigilantes rarely have access to industrial replicators or starship cargo bays stuffed with useful gear. You may need to build, barter, or steal what you need. UNSANCTIONED MISSIONS A player character could easily get lost in the chaotic environment of an unsanctioned game. Individuals might have contrasting objectives and you may need to adopt a win some / lose some attitude to obtain

CHAPTER 02.50

You may want to run an unsanctioned storyline for a brief period before moving on to a different style of play. If so, did your character take on the unsanctioned mission for sport, adventure, money, loyalty, love, thrills, or something else? When and under what circumstances do they eventually want out of the game? Are their friends and families endangered or did they cut all ties long ago?

CHAPTER 03.00

R E P ORT IN G FOR DU TY 03.10

A CAREER IN STARFLEET. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72

03.20

LIFEPATH CREATION. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91

03.30

CREATION IN PLAY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133

03.40

CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135

03.50

CHARACTER CONVERSION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137

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CHAPTER 03.10

A C ARE E R IN STA RFLE E T “ Captain on the bridge!” – LT. SY LV IA T ILLY

|CREATING A CHARACTER WELCOME ABOARD! WHOEVER YOU ARE, AND wherever you’ve come from, Starfleet has seen fit to entrust you with an awesome responsibility. There’s no telling what challenges you may encounter on your assignment, except for this: they will not be boring, you will not emerge unchanged, and your logs will tell the story of what it all means. Your logs may chronicle your first post as commanding officer of a starship or recount a final voyage in which your accumulated experience was put to the test. Captain’s Log is about your character and their personal journey in a Galaxy of possibility. Whether your story takes you where no one has gone before, or on a voyage home to save your world from disaster, it begins with your character’s origins and is driven by their growth. There are two ways to create a character in Captain’s Log:

LIFEPATH: Choose this option if you wish to start your story with concrete knowledge of your character’s backstory, beliefs, and capabilities. The lifepath will help you choose or randomly select these elements. This detailed method can be time-intensive, taking anywhere from 45 to 90 minutes to complete per character.

CREATION-IN-PLAY: Choose this option if you wish to start telling your story with a basic character concept and uncover their backstory CHAPTER 03.10

and full capabilities during play. You will choose a few initial elements and use a framework to fill in the blanks as you need them. This process is covered in detail starting on page 133 and takes anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes to complete, depending on how many details you are willing to let unfold during gameplay.

Each method results in a character equally empowered to undertake tasks and evolve through their story arc. You only need to use this chapter once for each new character you generate. If you are playing in a cooperative or guided session,

character creation might take a few hours as several people are generating player characters together during Session 0. See Chapter 5, starting on page 219, for more details about running a cooperative or guided game experience.

|WHAT YOU NEED TO BUILD A CHARACTER, YOU NEED A CHARACTER sheet (see the sample on page 318), or a way of taking notes. It is good to use a pencil or some other

means of writing that can be erased or revised, since elements are subject to change during the creation process, and even after you begin play.

|PREPARING FOR DUTY THROUGHOUT PLAY, YOUR CHARACTER WILL BE challenged in various ways: interacting with the diverse allies and adversaries they engage with, attempting to triumph over crises in which they sometimes find themselves, and meeting unexpected encounters with the unknown. To facilitate these challenges and prompt your creativity, your character is built with elements that will reveal their readiness for a range of situations and the worldview that influences their actions. Though all Starfleet officers are broadly trained professionals, the specific elements you choose for your character will make them seasoned experts in some situations and leave them less experienced for others. These elements are traits, attributes,

disciplines, focuses, and values, and together they paint a picture of who your character is, what they are prepared for, and how they view the universe around them. Traits, attributes, disciplines, focuses, and values all contribute to the outcome of the challenges you resolve for your character through dice rolls. Your choice of these elements will weigh in to story development and evolution for your character. Do they fail or pay an unexpected cost for an action to which they are normally suited? Do they succeed in a crisis outside of their experience, surprising themselves and their colleagues? Do they perform a signature act for which their training and values have prepared them?

REPORTING FOR DUTY

|TRAITS AS STANDARD, A CHARACTER HAS AT LEAST A single trait – their species – with the potential for others. These traits – as permanent, or at the very least enduring, elements of the character’s nature – are not handed out lightly as part of character creation.

like Julian Bashir being genetically enhanced, or Malcolm Reed being connected to Section 31. It may even represent a reputation or status, and the benefits and problems that accompany them, such as Benjamin Sisko being the Emissary of the Prophets.

Your character may begin play with traits in addition to their species. These should have a clear place in representing the nature and experiences of the character, reflecting definitive facets of the character’s existence that are unlikely or even impossible to change. This might be something like a disability or injury, such as Geordi La Forge’s blindness or Jean-Luc Picard’s heart trauma, which requires the use of specialized equipment to overcome. It might be something secret or shameful,

Traits of this sort should be neutral where possible – either rarely applicable outside of exceptional circumstances, or applicable in both positive and negative ways. If a trait is purely negative – essentially a potential complication – consider a potential advantage to balance it out. For disabilities like La Forge’s blindness, this can take the form of a piece of equipment that not only helps the character operate normally but gives them some other benefit too.

|ATTRIBUTES YOUR CHARACTER HAS SIX ATTRIBUTES, EMBODYING their physical and mental capabilities and tendencies. These attributes are Control, Daring, Fitness, Insight, Presence, and Reason. Each attribute has a rating, with higher numbers reflecting greater ability. For humanoids, these attributes range from 7 to 12, with 8 representing average capabilities. Your character’s attributes define much about who they are and what they are good at. In addition

CHAPTER 03.10

to serving as rough benchmarks for the intrinsic physical and mental abilities of a character, they also reflect the way your character thinks about problems and the approaches they apply to solving those problems. As a result, the attribute scores a character possesses are a valuable roleplaying guide, and they can shape the way a character is played and how other aspects of that character’s nature and identity

play out. They also reflect a character’s priorities: a character’s better attributes require upkeep and practice, so the attributes with higher scores represent where a character is putting their efforts. Attributes are not purely physical or mental, and they are not absolutes. A Vulcan or a Klingon is significantly stronger than a Human, but this is not reflected only in the characters’ Fitness scores (which might be a little higher than that of an average Human character), as a Fitness score reflects how a character applies strength as well as how strong they are.

Control Control defines characters who are precise, orderly, disciplined, highly coordinated, and who possess well-developed fine motor skills. When faced with violence, a character may use Control to shoot at enemies, or to focus on a difficult problem despite the battle raging nearby. When faced with a physical problem, a character may use Control to overcome the problem with careful application of force, typically requiring finesse or accuracy, or with precision movement such as remaining stealthy or traversing precarious terrain. When faced with an intellectual or emotional problem, a character may use Control to center themselves and maintain their concentration, or to find a solution that relies on precision or attention to detail. When faced with a social problem, a character may use Control to remain calm, break down complex or intricate situations, and give detailed instructions clearly.

Daring Daring defines characters who are decisive and fearless. When the adrenaline (or equivalent) starts pumping, a Daring character can act swiftly and confidently. When faced with violence, a character may use Daring to strike in hand-to-hand combat, or to provide urgent first aid to an injured comrade.

When faced with a physical problem, a character may use Daring to respond to an urgent danger, or to act quickly before the situation deteriorates. When faced with an intellectual or emotional problem, a character may use Daring to find the quickest solution, rather than waiting around to find a perfect solution, or to overcome any doubts or hesitation that they might be feeling. When faced with a social problem, a character may use Daring to lead by example, or to break tension by speaking first without hesitation.

Fitness Fitness defines characters by their physical prowess, athleticism, and endurance. While no attribute is purely physical or purely mental, Fitness is the closest to being a physical attribute. A character with high Fitness is also more able to weather attacks and hazards. When faced with violence, a character may use Fitness to restrain a foe, resist a hazard, or to move quickly around the battlefield. When faced with a physical problem, a character may use Fitness to apply a solution relying on raw physical strength or repetitive actions requiring considerable stamina. When faced with an intellectual or emotional problem, a character may use Fitness to resist physical hardship when attempting to focus on the problem at hand. When faced with a social problem, a character may use Fitness to control the situation through physical presence and body language rather than social skill.

Insight Insight defines characters by their instincts and their perceptiveness. Insightful characters often have a good sense of the moods and feelings of others, but have also learned to trust their own feelings when it comes to the decisions they make and the problems they are confronted with. REPORTING FOR DUTY

CONTROL Rating 7 or less 8 9–10

11–12

Meaning You are uncoordinated or lack self-discipline. You might be clumsy or careless, easily distracted, or inclined to panic. Your control over yourself and your actions is ordinary and unremarkable. You pay attention to details, and you can maintain your concentration under difficult circumstances. You’re precise and careful, with good hand-eye coordination and steady hands. You always maintain perfect control over yourself. You are not one to lose focus or get distracted, you are keenly aware of pertinent details, and you are incredibly precise and efficient in everything you do. You might also be very serious and dedicated, rarely allowing yourself to relax, as that might mean giving up some of your self-control.

DARING Rating 7 or less 8

Meaning You are overly cautious, or you find yourself frozen and unable to act when faced with a difficult or dangerous situation. You might find yourself becoming uneasy in non-threatening situations. You are not overly hesitant, but you are not especially courageous either.

9–10

You are confident and decisive, able to act quickly and effectively when placed under pressure.

11–12

You are fearless, and often the first to confront a difficult or dangerous challenge. You don’t hesitate when the action starts, and you don’t doubt the decisions you make in the heat of the moment. Some might consider you reckless or hasty for rushing into danger.

FITNESS Rating 7 or less 8

Meaning You are disinclined to rely on strength to solve your problems and may be somewhat unfit. You probably lack stamina and struggle to resist the effects of physical hardships such as extremes of temperature. You are not unfit, but your fitness is unexceptional.

9–10

You are healthy and strong and have a good appreciation for how to use and maintain your body. You have considerable stamina, and a good understanding of kinesthetics.

11–12

You are a prime example of physical conditioning, with plenty of practical understanding for how to employ your strength, speed, and endurance to best effect. You may seem tireless, though you understand the value of rest better than most. Others may pre-judge you based on your physical presence, perhaps dismissing your intellectual abilities, or seeing your stature as imposing.

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INSIGHT Rating 7 or less 8

Meaning You are not accustomed to trusting your instincts, or your instincts are not well-honed. You may not be particularly observant of moods and behaviors in others, or you may hesitate because of doubts about reaching the wrong conclusion. Your judgement is not particularly poor, but neither do you rely overmuch on your instincts.

9–10

You have good instincts about other people and about situations and have a reasonable sense of when to rely on your gut, though you do not do so all the time.

11–12

You are deeply empathetic and can often pick up things about a person’s state of mind that even they didn’t realize. You have great instincts and rely on them even in the face of hard evidence to the contrary. More logical colleagues might consider you overly emotional and your judgements irrational.

PRESENCE Rating 7 or less 8

Meaning You are somewhat shy and reserved, unable or unwilling to command attention. Your manner of speech may be awkward, you might be wary of raising your voice, or you may trip over your words. While you are not particularly shy or awkward, neither is your charisma particularly noteworthy.

9–10

You have a strong sense of self, and your confidence comes out in your body language and the way you speak. You can hold the attention of a room and get your point across effectively.

11–12

You seem almost larger-than-life at times. You are the center of attention, and your voice cuts through the clamor of a crisis, so others reflexively look to you when danger is near. You may sometimes be viewed as overbearing.

REASON Rating

Meaning

7 or less

You do not have much patience for logic and meticulous analysis, or you frequently find your biases and your instinctive responses overwhelm your attempts to approach a problem dispassionately.

You can sit down and research a problem or devise a theory well enough, but you don’t excel at those things.

9–10

You have a clear mind, and you can set aside snap judgements to pursue the truth with a rational, logical mindset.

11–12

You are adept at approaching problems, perils, and the unknown with a dispassionate mind that studies them from all angles before reaching a conclusion. Others might regard you as cold, unfeeling, or even machine-like. You don’t allow their opinions to bother you.

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When faced with violence, a character may use Insight to speculate upon the enemy’s plans or motives, or to anticipate an incoming threat. When faced with a physical problem, a character may use Insight to assess the problem and form a quick theory on how to solve it. When faced with an intellectual or emotional problem, a character may use Insight to trust their instincts and choose the right course of action, or to speculate on other problems that may occur as a result. When faced with a social problem, a character may use Insight to judge the emotional state or discern the motives of another person.

Presence Presence defines characters by their strength of personality, and by their ability to draw attention and command respect. It may appear in deft and eloquent rhetoric, in bombast and bravado, in easy charm and enticing manner, or in quiet gravitas. Such strength of personality also means a strong sense of self, allowing a character to resist coercion or manipulation by remembering who they are and what they believe. When faced with violence, a character may use Presence to intimidate a foe or compel them to hesitate. When faced with a physical problem, a character may use Presence to rally and inspire others to work more effectively together. When faced with an intellectual or emotional problem, a character may use Presence to urge others to focus upon the problem and dismiss any distractions. When faced with a social problem, a character may use Presence to sway the other side through emotive language.

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Reason Reason defines characters by their adherence to logic, and it demonstrates a strong tendency toward meticulous analysis, detailed planning, the gathering of evidence, and the forming and testing of theories. Characters with a high Reason are likely to be patient and analytical, perhaps even dispassionate, relying on careful observation and understanding of the facts in evidence to come to the right conclusions. When faced with violence, a character may use Reason to devise a plan or strategy to improve the odds of success in combat, or to identify some flaw or vulnerability that can be exploited through careful study of the enemy. When faced with a physical problem, a character may use Reason to study the problem to find a solution, or to apply available information to coming up with a plan. When faced with an intellectual or emotional problem, a character may use Reason to engage in research or study to determine patterns or details that could be used to resolve the problem. When faced with a social problem, a character may use Reason to sway others’ opinions using facts and logic.

|DISCIPLINES IN ADDITION TO THEIR SIX ATTRIBUTES, YOUR character is trained in six disciplines. Whereas attributes show a character’s natural proclivities and preferred approaches, disciplines show the areas of a character’s expertise. The six disciplines are Command, Conn, Engineering, Security, Science, and Medicine – representing the departments aboard a Federation starship. It’s worth noting that many of the disciplines overlap in a few ways. Each discipline covers perception, social interaction, and knowledge to some extent, but which discipline is most applicable to any of those things will depend on circumstances more than anything else – a character with a high Security is quite adept at spotting ambushes and other dangers, but may be less adept at analyzing probe telemetry or experimental data. The kind of skill represented by a discipline requires work. Disciplines take time and effort to maintain, from practice with precision and reflexes for those specializing in Conn or Security, to regular reading

of new theories and breakthroughs in Engineering, Science, and Medicine, to leading and delegating with Command. Each discipline is rated from 0 to 5, with each rating representing a differing level of training, expertise, and natural aptitude. Your character will possess at least a 1 in every discipline – Starfleet provides extensive training and expects its officers to have at least basic proficiency in every discipline. If playing a civilian or an officer from another polity, you’ll also possess at least 1 in every discipline, representing the training your character received over the course of their existence. When your story prompts your character to undertake a task, choose a single attribute and a single discipline and add their ratings together. This creates the target number, and each d20 that rolls equal to or less than this number scores a success. If your character also has an applicable focus, your character may roll on the Advantages table on page 268 or select an advantage.

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Command Command covers leadership, negotiation, coordinating and motivating others, and also as personal discipline and resisting coercion. More broadly, it covers a variety of other social skills as well; characters who excel at these social skills tend to be effective at managing and leading others. A character with high Command and high Control is likely to be exacting and circumspect in their leadership. They prefer to have a plan, and preferably several, and these plans often demand nothing but the highest performance from the crew, as the crew are vital parts of those plans. Their orders are precise and clear, with little room for misinterpretation. A character with high Command and high Daring is probably bold and their adventures exciting. They do not necessarily plan things in advance, but rather prefer to make the decisions they need to make as and when they happen. They’re active leaders, leading from the front and getting personally involved in whatever problems they need to be, and they never give an order that they wouldn’t be willing to follow. A character with high Command and high Fitness is enduring and resilient, unlikely to give up or back down unless they have no other choice. They are likely to be highly active and athletic, and they seem tireless. They’re not afraid to roll up their sleeves and get their hands dirty on the job. A character with high Command and high Insight is likely to seem friendly and approachable, always willing to listen to the opinions and the problems of those around them, and willing to change their minds if proven wrong. A character with high Command and high Presence is likely to be an inspiring figure, who commands the loyalty of their subordinates and the respect of their foes. They are likely to seem powerful and in charge, and they have a level of confidence that is justified by their deeds and which seems to spread throughout the crew.

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A character with high Command and high Reason is deeply knowledgeable and probably seems to be wise and well-read. They dislike the unknown, venturing into the unexplored because they dislike not knowing. They will seek to be well-equipped with the facts as they enter new situations, and they encourage their subordinates to be similarly well-informed.

Conn Conn is about spacecraft, and the practicalities of living and working in space. In its most basic form, a character may use Conn to plot a course to a distant world or guide a ship carefully through an asteroid field, but it is far from just “the pilot skill.” Beyond its uses navigating and negotiating terrain, both on the ground and in space, and operating vehicles, Conn covers a familiarity with starships as machines and as places where people live and work, including an understanding of spacefaring traditions and protocols, familiarity moving around in micro- or zero-gravity environments, knowledge of how spacecraft move and operate, and how spatial phenomena impact space travel. A character with high Conn and high Control is deft and precise at the controls of a ship or shuttle, and can move with finesse in zero-G. A character with high Conn and high Daring is a more instinctive pilot, often guiding a ship through “feel,” but they are invaluable in a crisis as they can move a ship like nobody else, jinking and weaving through hazards and flying in such a way that even the most effective targeting sensors struggle to maintain a lock. A character with high Conn and high Fitness is familiar with extra-vehicular activities, orbital skydiving, cross-country hiking, and navigating through a wilderness. They’re resilient, even unshakeable, and nearly as comfortable outside a ship as inside one. A character with high Conn and high Insight has a sense for ships and crews. They can judge the intent of an unknown vessel by the course they’ve plotted and the speed they’re traveling, and they

can diagnose a problem with their own ship by the vibrations in the deck plating and the sound of the warp core. A character with high Conn and high Presence knows procedure, protocol, and tradition, and understands the importance of a crew presenting itself properly when greeting outsiders. A character with high Conn and high Reason is an excellent navigator, skilled at plotting the most effective route through the most difficult regions of space, and no less capable of tracking the signs other ships leave behind to locate and pursue them across space.

Engineering Engineering is about technology. While much of what an engineer does aboard a starship will relate to advanced sciences, the engineer is concerned with the practicalities of making the technology work, keeping it working, and ensuring that the results that come from technology are the desired ones. Designing, building, maintaining, understanding, and operating technology are all covered by the Engineering discipline. A character with high Engineering and high Control can operate complex, precision equipment such as transporters with ease, as well as being highly adept at performing delicate repairs to sensitive equipment. They’re likely the kind of person who fine-tunes the devices they work with to get exactly the desired result and are probably a perfectionist when it comes to the operation of the devices that they are responsible for. A character with high Engineering and high Daring is willing to throw out the instruction manuals, and probably sees operational tolerances as guidelines rather than actual limits. They’re the kind of person who can restart a cold warp core in five minutes when it should take thirty, and who can assemble some novel solution by rebuilding existing technology to function in new ways. A character with high Engineering and high Fitness is the one with their sleeves rolled up,

crawling through a Jefferies tube, recalibrating plasma conduits and microcircuits one at a time. They’re the ones who don’t shy away from the hard work. They’re the ones covered in stains and smudges from their work, and who know that old ships sometimes require care, attention, and occasional “percussive maintenance.” A character with high Engineering and high Insight has an instinctive knack for machines, able to judge “moods” and “feelings” in sophisticated equipment in the way that a counselor detects those things in people. They can normally diagnose a technical problem quickly, and their gut feelings about why something isn’t working tend to be right. A character with high Engineering and high Presence is often the spokesperson for their machines and their technology. They’re often able to convey the details of technology – and technical problems – in succinct ways, easy for nonengineers to grasp (this may or may not include the use of simple metaphors and similes), and they’re particularly effective at leading teams of other engineers to solve bigger problems. A character with high Engineering and high Reason has a deep understanding of the machines they work with. This comes from intensive reading of technical manuals and professional publications, understanding the theories and concepts behind the devices, along with extensive practical experience disassembling devices and understanding the function of every component and connection, and testing them extensively to ensure that everything works as desired.

Security Security is about safety, protection, and survival, but it is most importantly about violence. Watching for it, understanding it, defending against it, and employing it. It is the main specialty of soldiers and warriors, but also valuable for law enforcement personnel, peace officers, spies, and anyone whose line of work invites danger. A character with high Security and high Control is probably an expert sharpshooter. But more than REPORTING FOR DUTY

that, they’re probably cool and calculating when it comes to combat, seeking to approach dangerous situations with a calm, measured response. Their use of force is careful, precise, and seldom more than is absolutely necessary to achieve the objective. A character with high Security and high Daring is likely to consider themselves a warrior first and foremost. They are highly proficient in hand-tohand, and they’re innately courageous, which can verge on recklessness at times. They may have a somewhat romanticized view of honorable combat. A character with high Security and high Fitness is tough and tireless. They’re fit, resilient, and have probably faced more than their share of tough situations. They probably resemble what most people imagine as the dutiful, tough soldier, and there is little that will stop them from completing their objective. A character with high Security and high Insight has exceptional situational awareness and is likely to be the first to anticipate a threat or spot a potential trap. They tend to be vigilant and wary. Many such characters end up guarding secure locations or VIPs, or serve in peacekeeping roles where their awareness, and in particular their ability to read people, can help avoid or defuse conflicts before they escalate into violence. A character with high Security and high Presence is often placed in leadership roles during combat missions, where they can most effectively direct other soldiers or security personnel during the chaos of battle. They can be imposing and intimidating if they wish to be, able to convey the threat of force without resorting to actual violence. A character with high Security and high Reason is a tactician or strategist (or both), with a keen mind for how, when, and why to use force on larger scales. They tend to have a big-picture view of battle, viewing environments as battlefields, speculating on enemy motives and awareness, and forming plans, counterplans, and contingencies quickly even in the heat of battle.

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Science Science is, at its heart, about the pursuit and application of knowledge. Science covers a broad range of fields and subjects, from advanced mathematics to the complexity of subspace theory and temporal mechanics, to softer subjects such as anthropology and sociology. While nobody is an expert in all scientific fields, characters with a high Science score are likely to be fast learners and effective researchers, able to familiarize themselves with new concepts quickly when needed. A character with high Science and high Control is likely to be precise but practical, often testing their hypotheses or those of their colleagues with carefully designed experiments or detailed simulations and meticulously recording their findings. They’re also likely to be effective at learning new techniques and procedures, and at laying out instructions or directing another person through the steps of a complex task. A character with high Science and high Daring accepts that risk is often a necessary part of science, and that not all discoveries can be made inside a laboratory or simulation. They remain observant and clear-headed even when in mortal peril, often gaining valuable insights in life-ordeath situations. They hypothesize quickly and reach conclusions just as fast, but the moment they’re proven wrong, they’re ready to form a new hypothesis and try again. A character with high Science and high Fitness is prepared for the worst. They have a knack for applying their knowledge to provide practical solutions to immediate problems such as exposure to environmental hazards. When they are personally afflicted by fatigue, poison, disease, or other hindrance, they find it in themselves to keep pushing on to find a solution, even when others may have already succumbed. A character with high Science and high Insight are good at making intuitive leaps, extrapolating ideas from incomplete information, and making educated guesses when the facts aren’t all available. While not necessarily the best practice in

pure scientific work, this is valuable for the science officers employed by Starfleet and in militaries, who can present their commanders with options when facing the unknown.

and emergency first responders, and can excel as trauma specialists, racing against the clock to save a life. They need to remain calm and collected and make the right decisions under intense pressure.

A character with high Science and high Presence are effective science communicators, skilled at explaining complex subjects in an effective and engaging manner to people who may not have the same depth of understanding. This is especially valuable in Starfleet and military environments, where unknown threats may need to be studied and explained quickly so that the proper action can be taken to defend against or avoid them.

A character with high Medicine and high Fitness is prepared for the worst. They are well-suited to taking precautions and preventative measures to protect themselves and resist environmental hazards such as poisons, diseases, and radiation. The character is also highly adept at the more physical sides of medicine: moving a sick or injured patient safely, restraining a patient who is struggling, and guiding a patient through physical therapy.

A character with high Science and high Reason is perhaps the archetypal scientist. Rational and logical, the character seeks to understand things by piecing together the facts and evidence carefully to reach a conclusion. They consider every available variable, every likely possibility (and the unlikely ones too, if the likely ones don’t fit), and can produce mathematical proofs and solid hypotheses with the kind of speed and accuracy one might expect from an advanced computer.

Medicine Medicine, while a subset of science, is important enough to stand on its own as a distinct discipline and field of study, much as there is some overlap between Science and Engineering. Medicine, at its heart, is less about knowledge and more about the result: healing those who are injured or sick. A character with high Medicine and high Control is likely to excel as a surgeon, where steady hands, finesse, and precision are necessary to do the most good. Alternatively, they may study genetics or pharmacology, where tiny chemical variations can have major effects, and finding the balance that is most likely to help a patient is delicate work. A character with high Medicine and high Daring is a life-saver, well-suited to providing care in life-ordeath situations. They are effective combat medics

A character with high Medicine and high Insight are good at interacting with patients, figuring out problems by interpreting patient complaints and testimonies, or providing counseling and psychiatric care. They also have a good intuitive grasp of medicine, and they have a knack for making the intuitive leaps when diagnosing a problem that can mean the difference between life and death. A character with high Medicine and high Presence often leads teams of medical personnel, directing groups of emergency responders or overseeing a staff of doctors and nurses. They are also good at communicating the nature of a disease or injury to their patients (and their patients’ families, if necessary), and conveying complex details effectively to those who may not understand the medical science, such as when giving a briefing about a virulent plague spreading across a world. A character with high Medicine and high Reason is more likely to be involved in the research or diagnostic side of medicine. They study diseases in depth, relying on medical scans, biopsies, laboratory testing, simulations, and other methods to seek to understand an illness or condition as thoroughly as possible to determine the most effective treatment. They are a vital part of medical care, but may not necessarily deal with patients directly.

REPORTING FOR DUTY

|FOCUSES THE SIX DISCIPLINES CHARACTERS ARE TRAINED IN are broad; specific focuses allow a character to demonstrate talent for a narrower set of activities, representing specialization and the kind of expertise that comes from deeper study and practical experiences. Focuses are not tied to any specific discipline and can thus be applied to any task a character takes on, so long as the focus would logically provide a benefit. A focus is a short description of a skill, topic, or activity. Like values, focuses are open-ended. Captain’s Log includes many suggested focuses in the accompanying matrixes starting on page 85. There is no fixed list, however, and you are encouraged to create your own focuses. Each focus should be narrower than the six disciplines every

character is trained in, but they should not be so narrow as to never come up in play. There is no specific link between disciplines and focuses; a focus can be applied to any discipline; for example, Astrophysics could easily be used for Science tasks, but it also has potential uses when trying to plot a course using Conn. Each officer goes through rigorous training in multiple disciplines. Though they may have a proficiency in a specific discipline, you can assume they have taken other coursework pertaining to disciplines outside of their role. This multidisciplined approach to the acquisition of knowledge and skills allows an officer to have a wide range of abilities, from piloting shuttlecraft to operating a ship’s technology to a working knowledge of basic

FOCUSES AND CHARACTER Like values, focuses improve your odds at certain tasks while revealing your character. Above all, focuses represent activities at which your character will shine. Your character’s focuses do not all need to be associated with their role. Selecting distinct skills unrelated to their official position will show that your character is a well-rounded, seasoned, and memorable individual. Detailed focuses give your character depth. Carefully crafted focuses add a history and perspective to the character, allowing them to be unlike anyone else. This is what makes Captain’s Log unique from other roleplaying games. Each character has an entirely different combination of focuses that makes them truly unique. Make them a character to remember. Focuses can help pull the story toward elements you wish to explore. Do not be afraid to include a focus which represents a hobby, niche interest, or a unique approach. A focus of Poetry might lead the story toward the deciphering of ancient

writings or communication with an alien culture in rhyme and meter. A focus of Stand-Up Comedy might drive your character to resolve tense negotiations with humor. A focus of Servant Leadership might guide the story to focus on your captain’s empowerment of their senior officers and crew. Focuses are good prompts to act in-character, and it’s okay to seek solutions to your character’s problems that utilize their focuses. Though this inflates their odds of success, this is not negative meta-gaming – after all, they might still fail, leading to fun and meaningful new story elements! Finally, focuses are easy to change. As you complete missions, you may replace a focus with one you think is more relevant going forward. As long as it makes sense for your character and their story, focuses do not require years of experience and can represent a recent interest into which your character is putting significant attention.  03.101

CHAPTER 03.10

survival, energy weapons, and basic hand-to-hand combat. Focuses are merely areas of “focused” knowledge that makes your character a specialist in that field of study. And in the end – focus or no focus – a roll of the dice decides success or failure. When fully created, your character will have six focuses. Use the following probability matrixes to generate focuses. You can roll on the Focus Division matrix then either select or randomly roll a specific focus. Of course, feel free to tweak these in any way you like to create a distinct area of expertise.

FOCUS DIVISION d20

Division

1-3

Command

4-6

Conn

7-9

Security

10-12

Engineering

13-15

Science

16-18

Medicine

19-20

Pick one or reroll

For each focus table, roll a d20. On a result of 1-10, roll a d20 on first half of the table; on a result of 11-20, roll a d20 on the second half.

COMMAND FOCUSES d20

Focus

d20

Focus

Art

Law

Bargain

Lead by Example

Call to Action

Linguistics

Cold Reading

Mental Discipline

Composure

Multi-Discipline

Coordinated Efforts

Negotiation

Courting Rituals

Oratory

Cultural Expert

Performer

Debate

Persuasion

Deception

Philosophy

Decisive Leadership

Politics

Diplomacy

Prime Directive

Emotional Intelligence

Reporting Procedures

Etiquette

Rhetoric

Fleet Commander

Starfleet Protocol

Gambling

Station Operations

History

Strategy/Tactics

Inspiration

Teaching

Intimidation

Team Dynamics

Journalism

Time Management

REPORTING FOR DUTY

CONN FOCUSES d20

Focus

SECURITY FOCUSES d20

Focus

Astronavigation

Ambush Tactics

Astronomy

Blade Weapons

Astrophysics

Camouflage

Atmospheric Flight

Chemical and Biological Weapons

Attack Run

Combat Medic

Boat Pilot / Submersibles

Computer Security Systems

Climbing

Criminal Minds

Combat Maneuvers

Criminal Organizations

Communication Systems

Crisis Management

Covering Advance

Deadeye Marksman

Efficient Evasion

Deflector Operations

Evacuation Procedures

Demolitions

Evasive Action

Espionage

Extra-Vehicular Activity

Evacuation Procedures

Flight Controller

Fleet Formations

Glancing Impact

Forensics

Ground Vehicles

Forgery

Guidance Systems

Hand Phasers

Helm Operations

Hazardous Environments

Impulse Engines

Heavy Cover

Multi-Tasking

Interrogation

Pathfinder

Intimidation

Power Management

Klingon Weapons

Precision Maneuvering

Law Enforcement

Repairs and Maintenance

Lead Investigator

Ship Design and Construction

Martial Arts

Shuttlebay Management

Mental Resistance Techniques

Small Craft

Organizational Psychology

Space Station Operations

Patrol

Spacewalk

Phasers

Starfleet Protocols

Pickpocketing

Starship Expert (pick one)

Planetary Surveys

Starship Recognition

Precision Targeting

Stellar Cartography

Security Systems

Strafing Run

Ship Engagement Tactics

Subspace Theory

Ship Lockdown Procedures

Survival

Small Unit Tactics

Tracking

Strategy

Warp Drive

Targeting Systems

Zero-G Combat

Torpedoes

CHAPTER 03.10

ENGINEERING FOCUSES d20

Focus

SCIENCE FOCUSES d20

Focus

Advanced Holograms

Animal Behavior

Artificial Intelligence Systems

Anthropology

Cybernetics

Archaeology

Deflector Systems

Astrometrics

Diagnostics

Biochemistry

Electro-Plasma Systems

Biology/Xenobiology

Emergency Repairs

Botany/Xenobotany

Energy Weapons

Catastrophism

EVA Suits

Chemistry

Experimental Device (specify type)

Computer Science

Exploit Engineering Flaw

Deflector Operations

Flight Control Systems

Ecology

Force Fields

Expedition Expert

Holodeck Programming

Galactic History

Imaging Equipment

Geology

Impulse Fundamentals

Laboratory Maintenance

Jury-Rigging

Marine Biology

Locksmith

Matter/Antimatter

Maintenance Specialist

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