Post by finarvyn on Jun 17, 2014 5:23:38 GMT -5
There's a neat litte Star Trek thread on Dragonsfoot.
www.dragonsfoot.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=20&t=66500
A poster by the handle of WaterBob started off by discussing some of the Star Trek comics that he bought, then posted some thoughts on how to make the plot into an RPG adventure. I'm copying his initial post here, and if the discussion sounds interesting you can follow the link to the rest of the thread.
www.dragonsfoot.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=20&t=66500
A poster by the handle of WaterBob started off by discussing some of the Star Trek comics that he bought, then posted some thoughts on how to make the plot into an RPG adventure. I'm copying his initial post here, and if the discussion sounds interesting you can follow the link to the rest of the thread.
I recently bought the entire DC Star Trek series from a comics dealer. I bought them in single issues because I've heard how good they are from other Trek fans, and I'm tired of waiting for DC or IDW or some other publisher to re-publish and re-master the entire series.
So, now, I don't have to wait any more.
There are two series from DC. Both have been touted to me as being "good", but I understand the second series is supposed to be some of the best Trek ever written (in any form). I can't comment on that as I bought the first series. I figure, I'll read these 56 issues then I'll go and get the second series.
Bam! Right there with my reading of the first issue, I knew I had not wasted my money. THIS TRULY IS SOME GOOD TREK.
And, my GM eyes began to glow. The first story, spanning a couple of issues, would make a fantastic, action-filled basis for some Star Trek gaming. So, what I'm going to do is write a sparse outline of the major events in the story. You imaginative GMs out there can take what I write and make it your own, customized for your particular Star Trek lovin' roleplaying group.
This DC comic series is set right after the events depicted in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, but I don't see any reason why this adventure could not be used with just about any era of Trek. GMs, pick your favorite Trek flavor--from the old series (my favorite), to the Next Generation, the Captain Archer/Enterprise era, or even in the new movie universe--and have yourselves a grand old Trek time of it.
Ruleset? Use whatever you want. The FASA rules or some of the later Trek edition game rules--or use some conversion from your favorite system. YOU are going to be taking the outline, altering it, adding to it, creating something different and unique out of it, by harnessing your own GM creativity. This should be like you creating your own adventure from scratch--with just a little bit of help (that you can disregard with a snap of your fingers).
The format of the adventure is, of course, set around the USS Enterprise and her famous crew (sans Spock, as he has just died in TWoK), but you, as GM, need no heed this story type. This adventure can be extremely flexible. Your players can be members of Section 31 or Starfleet Military Operations, for example. And, you can make the main characters as crewers on any size of ship, from the flagship Constitution class cruisers to the small Archer class scouts (crew of 14).
You are the GM. Design the game for maximum enjoyment by yourself and your friends.
Many times, in rpgs, players play only one character. That can be done with this adventure, easily. But, when I used to run the FASA Trek game back in the day, I learned to give each player two or three characters. I'd give each player a "main character," which would be his character if he only played a single PC. Typically, this character is one of the Department Heads on the ship (the Captain, First Officer, Science Officer, Chief Engineer, Security Chief, Communications Officer, Helmsman, Navigator, or Chief Medical Officer).
For a players' secondary character, I'd give out important characters that were not taken the first time around. For example, if I had three players, where one was playing the Captain, another was playing the Helmsman, and the third was playing the Security Chief as their main characters, then I'd allow the secondary characters to be some of the other department heads. It's not necessary to make sure each position is covered. All you need is the ones that the GM thinks is important to the adventure.
As a general rule, I'd try to give each player a character that will not be in the same place as his other characters. The whole idea of assigning different characters is to be able to cut back and forth between situations and keep all of your players interested and participating in the game all of the time.
For example, there is a part in the upcoming adventure that I am going to outline for you where the Enterprise is damaged while and Away Team is elsewhere, off the ship. The main action happens with the Away Team, but the GM can cut back to the ship from time to time and see how the other characters are getting along fixing the ship's destroyed systems. Sometimes, action takes place on both fronts, and it can be quite fun to play a bit with the Away Team, then cut to the ship to see how it is faring in the space battle.
Players may also get NPCs assigned to them to play. For example, let's say the Captain character calls for the First Officer and the Medical Officer to join him on an Away Mission, with two or three Security Guards along as well. As GM, I would generate the Security Guards and give one to each of my three players. This breaks my rule of not allowing a player to have more than one character to play in a scene, but sometimes that rule cannot be helped. Besides, the three Security Guards are usually quiet and do not participate as much in the plot. In this circumstance, I would focus on the players playing their main characters, and only when it is logical and necessary do the Security personnel have any input. Typically, the redshirts stand in the background taking sensor readings or stand in one spot guarding something the Captain has ordered protected.
If you are not used to players playing more than one character, then go the usual way by only allowing players to play one character. You can run any other necessary characters as NPCs. Just try to make sure you don't spend too much time away from a player who is not involved in the action. For example, if the Helmsman is in charge of the ship while the Captain is away, make sure you have enough for the Helmsman to do to keep that player interested. Most likely, all of your players will want to be members of the Away Team, leaving you to play the people left aboard the ship as needed.
It can be quite rewarding, though, to play the game with one player playing multiple characters. And, as long as you keep the Command power balanced (don't allow one player to play the Captain, First Officer, and the Helmsman), and try to keep players playing only one of his characters at a time (with the rest "off camera"), you'll probably have a blast running the game with cutting from action scene to action scene, just like the Trek shows.
So, now, I don't have to wait any more.
There are two series from DC. Both have been touted to me as being "good", but I understand the second series is supposed to be some of the best Trek ever written (in any form). I can't comment on that as I bought the first series. I figure, I'll read these 56 issues then I'll go and get the second series.
Bam! Right there with my reading of the first issue, I knew I had not wasted my money. THIS TRULY IS SOME GOOD TREK.
And, my GM eyes began to glow. The first story, spanning a couple of issues, would make a fantastic, action-filled basis for some Star Trek gaming. So, what I'm going to do is write a sparse outline of the major events in the story. You imaginative GMs out there can take what I write and make it your own, customized for your particular Star Trek lovin' roleplaying group.
This DC comic series is set right after the events depicted in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, but I don't see any reason why this adventure could not be used with just about any era of Trek. GMs, pick your favorite Trek flavor--from the old series (my favorite), to the Next Generation, the Captain Archer/Enterprise era, or even in the new movie universe--and have yourselves a grand old Trek time of it.
Ruleset? Use whatever you want. The FASA rules or some of the later Trek edition game rules--or use some conversion from your favorite system. YOU are going to be taking the outline, altering it, adding to it, creating something different and unique out of it, by harnessing your own GM creativity. This should be like you creating your own adventure from scratch--with just a little bit of help (that you can disregard with a snap of your fingers).
The format of the adventure is, of course, set around the USS Enterprise and her famous crew (sans Spock, as he has just died in TWoK), but you, as GM, need no heed this story type. This adventure can be extremely flexible. Your players can be members of Section 31 or Starfleet Military Operations, for example. And, you can make the main characters as crewers on any size of ship, from the flagship Constitution class cruisers to the small Archer class scouts (crew of 14).
You are the GM. Design the game for maximum enjoyment by yourself and your friends.
Many times, in rpgs, players play only one character. That can be done with this adventure, easily. But, when I used to run the FASA Trek game back in the day, I learned to give each player two or three characters. I'd give each player a "main character," which would be his character if he only played a single PC. Typically, this character is one of the Department Heads on the ship (the Captain, First Officer, Science Officer, Chief Engineer, Security Chief, Communications Officer, Helmsman, Navigator, or Chief Medical Officer).
For a players' secondary character, I'd give out important characters that were not taken the first time around. For example, if I had three players, where one was playing the Captain, another was playing the Helmsman, and the third was playing the Security Chief as their main characters, then I'd allow the secondary characters to be some of the other department heads. It's not necessary to make sure each position is covered. All you need is the ones that the GM thinks is important to the adventure.
As a general rule, I'd try to give each player a character that will not be in the same place as his other characters. The whole idea of assigning different characters is to be able to cut back and forth between situations and keep all of your players interested and participating in the game all of the time.
For example, there is a part in the upcoming adventure that I am going to outline for you where the Enterprise is damaged while and Away Team is elsewhere, off the ship. The main action happens with the Away Team, but the GM can cut back to the ship from time to time and see how the other characters are getting along fixing the ship's destroyed systems. Sometimes, action takes place on both fronts, and it can be quite fun to play a bit with the Away Team, then cut to the ship to see how it is faring in the space battle.
Players may also get NPCs assigned to them to play. For example, let's say the Captain character calls for the First Officer and the Medical Officer to join him on an Away Mission, with two or three Security Guards along as well. As GM, I would generate the Security Guards and give one to each of my three players. This breaks my rule of not allowing a player to have more than one character to play in a scene, but sometimes that rule cannot be helped. Besides, the three Security Guards are usually quiet and do not participate as much in the plot. In this circumstance, I would focus on the players playing their main characters, and only when it is logical and necessary do the Security personnel have any input. Typically, the redshirts stand in the background taking sensor readings or stand in one spot guarding something the Captain has ordered protected.
If you are not used to players playing more than one character, then go the usual way by only allowing players to play one character. You can run any other necessary characters as NPCs. Just try to make sure you don't spend too much time away from a player who is not involved in the action. For example, if the Helmsman is in charge of the ship while the Captain is away, make sure you have enough for the Helmsman to do to keep that player interested. Most likely, all of your players will want to be members of the Away Team, leaving you to play the people left aboard the ship as needed.
It can be quite rewarding, though, to play the game with one player playing multiple characters. And, as long as you keep the Command power balanced (don't allow one player to play the Captain, First Officer, and the Helmsman), and try to keep players playing only one of his characters at a time (with the rest "off camera"), you'll probably have a blast running the game with cutting from action scene to action scene, just like the Trek shows.
