Posted in: Conventions, Dungeons and Dragons, James Bond, Red Dwarf, Role Playing Games, Science Fiction, Star Trek, Star Wars

Prepping for SaltCON Spring 2024

The two games that I will be running at SaltCON-Spring.

The time has come again to get ready for SaltCON, a local gaming convention in my area. This is the first of three SaltCONs and the biggest. It will take up the entire Davis Convention Center. You can read about my past adventures at SaltCON in my past blog entries. I will be packing my Convention Backpack that I have documented in a previous blog post.

When I first discovered that SaltCON had multiple RPG sessions (and not just board games, which is a massive draw at the convention) I had decided to make this my relax-a-con after volunteering at a lot of other local conventions. However while attending the SaltCONs last year I was talking with the RPG coordinators who expressed interest in having more game masters signing up to run games. Also the fact that I would be getting into the con for free (and get a special t-shirt) sealed the deal after some other bills had pilled up. So I’m nervous, but excited to dip my toe into running one-shots for the convention in the spring. If you can guess from the photo above, I’ll be running a Star Trek: Lower Decks inspired one-shot (think Lower Decks meets the cast of the BBC television program, Top Gear) called Top Core. The second game will be using the Basic Fantasy 4th Edition RPG using a polished up scenario that I used with my daughter and her 5th edition playing friends. It is my hope to take all of the notes from these two sessions and submit it to the Basic Fantasy community for possible publication. I’ve also been working on a Basic Fantasy 4th Edition Reference Sheet that players can use to answer basic questions while the limited gaming session is in progress.

Of the games that I’ve signed up to play, there are a few that I’ve played before and some new ones. They are as follows.

Fallout The Roleplaying Game– After playing this at a past SaltCON, I knew I wanted to play it again. This is the game from Modiphius.

James Bond 007– The classic game from the 80’s released by Victory Games. This will be run by the same GM who ran it last time. He did such a good job that I wanted to sign up again.

Dreams and Machines– A new game released by Modiphius that I haven’t played yet. This uses the 2d20 system that we’ve also seen in Star Trek Adventures, Dune: Adventures in the Imperium and John Carter of Mars. I think it’s a type of post-apocalyptic world some 200 years after a great war with machines.

Red Dwarf The Role Playing Game– The game originally released by Deep 7 in 2003. Not only have I always wanted to play this game as a huge fan of the series, but its currently my holy grail of RPG books to find.

Star Wars Roleplaying– Released by Edge Studio. I have not had a chance to play this variant of the Star Wars RPG so this will be interesting to try.

The Witcher Roleplaying Game– A game by R. Talsorian Games that I haven’t had a chance to play yet. I recently picked up the PDFs in a bundle sale, but I haven’t had a chance to look at it yet.

Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition- The description of the scenario sounded interesting, so I’m going to check it out.

Old School Essentials– I was going to play this D20 clone at SaltCON-Summer, unfortunately the GM came down with con-crud. I’ve signed up for a session hoping that we can get a chance to try this game.

GURPS Star Wars– The GM will be running a Star Wars scenario using the GURPs rule system. While I hate making a character for this system, I’ve had success with playing the system at past conventions.

What should I be on the look out for? Any recommendations for the games I’m going to be playing? This article is open for discussion on the TardisCaptain dot Com Discord server. You can also email me at Carl (at) TardisCaptain.com with any comments.

Posted in: Quotes, Star Trek

Daily Star Trek Quotes: February 19-25

Who are you dressing up for President’s Day?

Here are the Daily Star Trek Quotes that will appear on the @STrekQuotes Twitter account and the @STrekQuotes Mastodon account for the week of February 12th through February 18th. Coming soon to Bluesky once we can find a scheduler option.

February 19
“All of us corporeal, linear whatevers have certain things in common. And one of those things is… the need to improve ourselves.” Quark- Prophet Motive, Stardate: Unknown #StarTrek #StarTrekDS9 #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet

February 20
“If I could travel back in time, I know exactly what year I’d pick. 1588.” Reed “What happened in 1588?” Tucker “England defeated the Spanish Armada.” Reed- Future Tense, Date: Unknown #StarTrek #StarTrekENT #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet

February 21
Happy Birthday to Martha Hackett https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Martha_Hackett #StarTrek #StarTrekTNG #StarTrekDS9 #StarTrekVOY #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet

“We made a promise, B’Elanna, that we’d all stick together until the Zone was safe, and I intend to keep that promise.” Seska- Prime Factors, Stardate: 48642.5 #StarTrek #StarTrekVOY #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet

February 22
Happy Birthday to Jeri Ryan. @JeriLRyan https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Jeri_Ryan #StarTrek #StarTrekVOY #StarTrekPicard #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet

“You and Janeway convinced me to join Starfleet. I thought this could be the right path for me. I thought… I thought I could… one day inspire people to follow me, even if it’s dangerous. The way that you do.” Seven- The Next Generation, Stardate: Unknown #StarTrek #StarTrekPicard #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet

Happy Birthday to Celia Rose Gooding. @celiargooding https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Celia_Rose_Gooding #StarTrek #StarTrekStrangeNewWorlds #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet

“Think of the ocean in a storm. The surface is moving like crazy, but when you get under it, it’s calm.” Uhura- Charades, Stardate: 1789.3 #StarTrek #StarTrekStrangeNewWorlds #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet

February 23
Remembering Majel Barett-Roddenberry who was born on this date in 1932. https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Majel_Barrett-Roddenberry #StarTrek #StarTrekTOS #StarTrekFilm #StarTrekTNG #StarTrekDS9 #StarTrekVOY #StarTrekENT #StarTrekDiscovery #StarTrekPicard #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet

“It’s wrong to create a race of Humans to keep as slaves.” Una Chin-Riley (Number One)- The Cage, Stardate: Unknown #StarTrek #StarTrekTOS #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet

February 24
Happy Birthday to Tawny Newsom. @TrondyNewman https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Tawny_Newsome #StarTrek #StarTrekLowerDecks #StarTrekStrangeNewWorlds #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet

“I know, Starfleet’s just an idea, but the people matter. You served on the Victory; you know that.” Mariner “Mariner, it’s suicide! We’re just one ship!” Aberdeen “I know, but we have to do something!” Mariner- The Stars At Night, Stardate: 58499.2 #StarTrek #StarTrekLowerDecks #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet

February 25
Happy Birthday to Anson Mount. @ansonmount https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Anson_Mount #StarTrek #StarTrekDiscovery #StarTrekShortTreks #StarTrekStrangeNewWorlds #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet

“Mmm, is that your mother’s sauce?” Batel “Anything else would be a crime against tomatoes.” Pike- Among the Lotus Eaters, Stardate: 1630.1 #StarTrek #StarTrekStrangeNewWorlds #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet

What are your favorite daily Star Trek quotes selected for this week? This article is open for discussion on the TardisCaptain dot Com Discord server. You can also email me at Carl (at) TardisCaptain.com or click on my social media links with any comments.

Posted in: Quotes, Star Trek

Daily Star Trek Quotes: February 12-18

The only reason to watch the Super Bowl is for the commercials.

Here are the Daily Star Trek Quotes that will appear on the @STrekQuotes Twitter account and the @STrekQuotes Mastodon account for the week of February 12th through February 18th. Coming soon to Bluesky once we can find a scheduler option.

February 12
“In our system of jurisprudence a man is innocent until proven guilty.” Picard- A Matter of Perspective, Stardate: 43610.4 #StarTrek #StarTrekTNG #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet

February 13
“Matt, where’s your crew? Kirk “On the third planet.” Decker “There is no third planet.” Kirk “Don’t you think I know that? There was, but not any more!” Decker- The Doomsday Machine, Stardate: 4202.9 #StarTrek #StarTrekTOS #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet

February 14
Happy Birthday to Andrew Robinson. https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Andrew_Robinson #StarTrek #StarTrekDS9 #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet

“Well, the truth is usually just an excuse for a lack of imagination.” Garak- Improbable Cause, Stardate: Unknown #StarTrek #StarTrekDS9 #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet

Happy Birthday to Simon Pegg. https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Simon_Pegg #StarTrek #StarTrekFilm #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet

“I told him that I could not only beam a grapefruit from one planet to the adjacent planet in the same system, which is easy by the way, I could do it with a lifeform. So, I tested it on Admiral Archer’s prized beagle.” Scotty- Star Trek (2009) #StarTrek #StarTrekFilm #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet

February 15
“I’m not bothered by what people think of me!” Torres- Parallax, Stardate: 48439.7 #StarTrek #StarTrekVOY #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet

February 16
Happy Birthday to LeVar Burton. @levarburton https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/LeVar_Burton #StarTrek #StarTrekTNG #StarTrekFilm #StarTrekVOY #StarTrekPicard #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet

“Ride’s going to get a little bumpy. Things are going to happen fast. Just keep alert, stay calm. Let’s focus on what we’re doing. You know your jobs. You’ve been trained, you’ve been tested. You’ve earned the right to sit in those chairs.” LaForge- Arsenal of Freedom, Stardate: 41798.2 #StarTrek #StarTrekTNG #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet

February 17
Happy Birthday to Jerry O’Connell. @MrJerryOC https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Jerry_O%27Connell #StarTrek #StarTrekLowerDecks #StarTrekStrangeNewWorlds #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet

“I know, it’s always weird revisiting planets from the TOS era.” Ransom “TOS?” Freeman “It’s what I call the 2260s. Stands for ‘those old scientists’ – You know, Spock, Scotty, those guys. Seems like they were stumbling on crazy new aliens every week back then.” Ransom- No Small Parts, Stardate: Unknown #StarTrek #StarTrekLowerDecks #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet

February 18
“It’s vital to keep the mind occupied during the healing process.” Dr. Phlox- Regeneration, Date: March 1, 2153 #StarTrek #StarTrekENT #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet

What are your favorite daily Star Trek quotes selected for this week? This article is open for discussion on the TardisCaptain dot Com Discord server. You can also email me at Carl (at) TardisCaptain.com or click on my social media links with any comments.

Posted in: Quotes, Star Trek

Daily Star Trek Quotes: February 5-11

Don’t tell Tuvok that it’s Monday.

Here are the Daily Star Trek Quotes that will appear on the @STrekQuotes Twitter account and the @STrekQuotes Mastodon account for the week of February 5th through February 11th. Coming soon to Bluesky once we can find a scheduler option.

February 5
“What must I do to convince you people that I’m mortal?” Q “Die.”  Worf- Deja Q, Stardate: 43539.1 #StarTrek #StarTrekTNG #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet

February 6
“Without freedom of choice there is no creativity. Without creativity there is no life.” Kirk- Return of the Archons, Stardate: 3157.4 #StarTrek #StarTrekTOS #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet

February 7
“This is pointless. Our culture is governed by rules. We’re not about to ignore them.” Stromm “There are no rules telling you to oppress minorities.” T’Pol- Stigma, Date: Unknown #StarTrek #StarTrekENT #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet

February 8
Happy Birthday to Ethan Phillips. https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Ethan_Phillips #StarTrek #StarTrekTNG #StarTrekFilm #StarTrekVOY #StarTrekENT #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet

“I’m just trying to look at all sides of the issue.” Neelix- Elogium, Stardate: 48921.3 #StarTrek #StarTrekVOY #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet

February 9
“I lied on my application. And that mistake will be with me for the rest of my life.” Tarses- The Drumhead, Stardate: 44769.2 #StarTrek #StarTrekTNG #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet

February 10
“This is an excellent body, Doctor. I seem to have received the best of the three. Strength, hearing, eyesight, all far above your human norms. I’m surprised the Vulcans never conquered your race.” Henoch “Vulcans worship peace above all, Henoch.” Dr. McCoy- Return to Tomorrow, Stardate: 4768.3 #StarTrek #StarTrekTOS #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet

February 11
Happy Birthday to Philip Anglim. https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Philip_Anglim #StarTrek #StarTrekDS9 #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet

“I suppose it must be nice to have that kind of faith. I’ve always preferred to believe in nothing. That way I’m never disappointed.” Mirror Bareil- Resurrection, Stardate: Unknown #StarTrek #StarTrekDS9 #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet

What are your favorite daily Star Trek quotes selected for this week? This article is open for discussion on the TardisCaptain dot Com Discord server. You can also email me at Carl (at) TardisCaptain.com or click on my social media links with any comments.

Posted in: Anime, Character Creation Challenge, Dungeons and Dragons, Horror, Humor, Role Playing Games, Science Fiction, Star Trek, Top Secret, Westerns

2024 Character Creation Challenge After Action Report

And we’ve reached the end of the 2024 #CharacterCreationChallenge. If you made it to 31 days, congratulations. Send me a note via email (carl (at) tardiscaptain.com) on the TardisCaptain dot Com Discord server. My daughter is currently working on a new graphic for those that completed the challenge and I’d like to make sure that it gets sent to you upon completion.

I did make it to 31 characters, but I was delayed by a few days due to a family emergency. Thank you to everyone who reached out to me to ask. One poster mentioned that they had seen a lack of entries for the last two days. My mother and grandmother were involved in an automobile accident. The good news is that they are OK with no injuries and they are just fine (other than needing to replace a minivan). But it was a little scary for me when I found out.

I noticed that the Scooby Doo gang was used in a lot of different themes by participants (seeing Velma and Daphne in the Doctor Who RPG was a hoot). It was interesting to see them show up in different gaming systems. On the discord server there was a very good representation of characters from 80’s movies represented in the Power Rangers Roleplaying Game. It was kind of a trip down memory lane since I hadn’t seen some of these moves in a LONG time. There was also a participant who was making Star Trek characters for three different RPG systems for several entries. It was interesting to see the characters side-by-side. One of the most unexpected discoveries wasn’t a current participant, but someone who participated back in the first challenge in 2021. Apparently it got him out of some serious mental funk that he had been dealing with. It got him back into blogging and eventually back into writing RPGs (that he had done before). It was an emotional moment for me when I read his blog post.

Of the entries that I used for 2024, the games that stood out to me were Monty Python, Fallout, White Lies and Star Trek Alpha Quadrant. I really enjoyed making a character for Teenagers from Outerspace and I’ve been watching some classic comedy anime lately While Vintage Space didn’t fully scratch the FASA Star Trek itch that I was trying to recall, it did get some gears turning that may result in a future project. I also appreciated the publishers that responded when I posted characters for their games. They were able to answer some of my questions that I had raised in the blog posts. I tried to post those responses in the “Additional Notes” section of an entry a day or two later.

The disappointments were those games that were needlessly crunchy or overbearing. I had a few readers on Mastodon and a few of the message boards respond with similar experiences, which made me feel like I wasn’t such an idiot. I’m still digesting Cowboy Bebop and I have a few things I want to check out before I post my unboxing and final thoughts entry.

Here is my 2024 list of characters:

Day 1: Fallout Character: Ragnal Walker of Vault 47
Day 2: Hackmaster Basic Character: Cid the Kid
Day 3: White Star Galaxy Edition Character: Jenker Slix
Day 4: Fantasy Quest (Dicing w/ Dragons) Character: Alric Hinman
Day 5: Top Secret S.I. Character: Nick Tanner
Day 6: Tiny Wastelands Character Stewart Barlow
Day 7: The Dark Eye Character: Halmar
Day 8: Star Trek: Alpha Quadrant Character: Tropp
Day 9: Monty Python Character: Sir Richard Hammond
Day 10: Basic Fantasy 4th Edition Character: Durlan Torven
Day 11: Teenagers from Outerspace Character: Prince Zaxxod
Day 12: The Spy Game Character: James “Captain Slow” May
Day 13: Star Ace Character: Balkor
Day 14: Ninjas and Superspies Character: Luke Ward
Day 15: Conan Character: Braga
Day 16: Boot Hill Character: Noah ‘Lasso’ Johnson
Day 17: White Lies 2nd edition Character: Jack Sterling
Day 18: Vintage Space Character: Troxtor
Day 19: Fantasy Hero Character: Drokkin the Dwarf
Day 20: Shadowrun Anarchy Character: Spike
Day 21: Nights Black Agents Character: Kendal Barker
Day 22: Barbarians of Lemuria Character: Kruk
Day 23: Starfinder Character: Sarangari
Day 24: Crypts & Things Character: Azor
Day 25: Cyberpunk Red Character: Indigo
Day 26: Dungeons and Dragons Essentials Characters: Pelloth Graysoul
Day 27: Cowboy Bebop Character: Wayne Wolf
Day 28: Rolemaster Fantasy Character: Hobson Silversting
Day 29: Tiny Frontiers Character: YYZ-2112
Day 30: Pathfinder 2nd edition Character: Rogar of the Granitebender Clan
Day 31: Anarchy Character: Marcell Freeman

Also, if you purchased anything after clicking on the link to DriveThruRPG or Amazon, thank you. I’m not doing this blog to make money, but the kickback helps when making game purchases for future challenges.

This article is open for discussion on the TardisCaptain dot Com Discord server. You can also email me at Carl (at) TardisCaptain.com or click on my social media links with any comments.

Posted in: Quotes, Star Trek

Daily Star Trek Quotes: January 29-February 4

How I’ve been feeling lately.

Here are the Daily Star Trek Quotes that will appear on the @STrekQuotes Twitter account and the @STrekQuotes Mastodon account for the week of January 29th through February 4th. Coming soon to Bluesky once we can find a scheduler option.

January 29
“Captain, you’re asking me to work with equipment which is hardly very far ahead of stone knives and bearskins.” Spock- The City on the Edge of Forever, Stardate: 3134.0 #StarTrek #StarTrekTOS #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet

January 30
“Already another one to take his place. It never ends.” Alexana “He could have killed you. He didn’t. Maybe the end begins with one boy putting down his gun.” Riker- The High Ground, Stardate: 43510.7 #StarTrek #StarTrekTNG #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet

January 31
Happy Birthday to Paul Scheer. @PaulScheer https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Paul_Scheer #StarTrek #StarTrekLowerDecks #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet

“But what if I forget her again?” Rutherford “Son, if you can’t keep making new memories, does it matter?” Billups- First First Contact, Stardate: 58130.6 #StarTrek #StarTrekLowerDecks #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet

February 1
“Principles, principles. That’s what it comes down to. Do I compromise my almighty principles?” Janeway- Prime Factors, Stardate: 48642.5 #StarTrek #StarTrekVOY #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet

February 2
Happy Birthday to Brent Spiner. @BrentSpiner https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Brent_Spiner #StarTrek #StarTrekTNG #StarTrekFilm #StarTrekENT #StarTrekPicard #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet

“Captain, the most elementary and valuable statement in science, the beginning of wisdom, is ‘I do not know.'” Data- Where Silence has Lease, Stardate: 42193.6 #StarTrek #StarTrekTNG #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet

February 3
“There are other ways to create order in your life—your quarters, for example. Everything in mine has its specific place and it’s all arranged just so.” Odo, Stardate: Unknown #StarTrek #StarTrekDS9 #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet

February 4
“No power signatures. It appears to be deserted.” T’Pol “But are your sensors calibrated for ghosts?” Tucker- Oasis, Date: Unknown #StarTrek #StarTrekENT #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet

What are your favorite daily Star Trek quotes selected for this week? This article is open for discussion on the TardisCaptain dot Com Discord server. You can also email me at Carl (at) TardisCaptain.com or click on my social media links with any comments.

Posted in: Quotes, Star Trek

Daily Star Trek Quotes: January 22-28

Hey Captain Kirk, it’s Monday.

Here are the Daily Star Trek Quotes that will appear on the @STrekQuotes Twitter account and the @STrekQuotes Mastodon account for the week of January 22nd through January 28th. Coming soon to Bluesky once we can find a scheduler option.

January 22
“The prejudices people feel about each other disappear when they get to know each other.” Kirk- Elaan of Troyius, Stardate: 4372.5 #StarTrek #StarTrekTOS #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet

January 23
Star Trek: Picard premiered on this date in 2020 with the episode Remembrance. https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Star_Trek:_Picard #StarTrek #StarTrekPicard #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet

“I haven’t been living. I’ve been waiting to die.” Picard- Remembrance, Stardate: Unknown #StarTrek #StarTrekPicard #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet

January 24
“We can’t try to save Humanity without holding on to what makes us Human.” Those were your words to me.” T’Pol- Damage, Date: Unknown #StarTrek #StarTrekENT #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet

January 25
“Never spend more for an acquisition than you have to.” (Third Rule of Acquisition) Quark- The Maquis, Part II, Stardate: Unknown #StarTrek #StarTrekDS9 #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet

January 26
“The logical course isn’t always the right course.” Chakotay- Tattoo, Stardate: Unknown #StarTrek #StarTrekVOY #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet

January 27
Happy Birthday to James Cromwell. @jamesocromwell https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/James_Cromwell #StarTrek #StarTrekTNG #StarTrekFilm #StarTrekDS9 #StarTrekENT #StarTrekLowerDecks #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet

“I gotta to take a leak!” Cochrane “Leak? I’m not detecting any leak.” LaForge “Don’t you people from the twenty-fourth century ever pee?” Cochrane- Star Trek: First Contact, Stardate: 50893.5 #StarTrek #StarTrekFilm #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet

January 28
Happy Birthday to Gillian Vigman. @Gillian_Vigman https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Gillian_Vigman #StarTrek #StarTrekLowerDecks #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet

“You’ll be a great officer on the bridge one day, but you’re gonna have to risk screwing things up to get there. You understand?” Dr. T’Ana- Mining The Mind’s Mines, Stardate: 58256.2 #StarTrek #StarTrekLowerDecks #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet

What are your favorite daily Star Trek quotes selected for this week? This article is open for discussion on the TardisCaptain dot Com Discord server. You can also email me at Carl (at) TardisCaptain.com or click on my social media links with any comments.

Posted in: Quotes, Star Trek

Daily Star Trek Quotes: January 15-21

I wish we could have seen this version of the NX-01 Enterprise on screen.

Here are the Daily Star Trek Quotes that will appear on the @STrekQuotes Twitter account and the @STrekQuotes Mastodon account for the week of January 15th through January 21st. Coming soon to Bluesky once we can find a scheduler option.

January 15
“Life’s true gift is the capacity to enjoy enjoyment.” Lwaxana Troi- Cost of Living, Stardate: 45733.6 #StarTrek #StarTrekTNG #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet

January 16
Star Trek: Voyager premiered on this date in 1995 with the episode Caretaker. https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Star_Trek:_Voyager #StarTrek #StarTrekVOY #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet

“Ensign, despite Starfleet protocol I don’t like being addressed as ‘sir.'” Janeway “I’m sorry, ma’am.” Kim “‘Ma’am’ is acceptable in a crunch, but I prefer ‘Captain.'” Janeway- Caretaker, Stardate: 48315.6 #StarTrek #StarTrekVOY #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet

January 17
Happy Birthday to Isa Briones. @TheIsaBriones https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Isa_Briones #StarTrek #StarTrekPicard #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet

“Is that strange? To find beauty in imperfection?” Soji Asha- Maps and Legends, Stardate: Unknown #StarTrek #StarTrekPicard #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet

January 18
“Starfleet could have sent a probe out here to make maps and take pictures but they didn’t. They sent us, so that we could explore with our own senses.” Archer- Civilization, Date: July 31, 2151 #StarTrek #StarTrekENT #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet

January 19
“Anything worth doing in a holosuite can be done better in the real world.” Kira- Second Skin, Stardate: Unknown #StarTrek #StarTrekDS9 #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet

January 20
Remembering DeForest Kelley wo was born on this date in 1920. https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/DeForest_Kelley #StarTrek #StarTrekTOS #StarTrekFilm #StarTrekTNG #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet

“Admiral Nogura invoked a little known, seldom used reserve activation clause! In simpler language, Captain, they drafted me!” Dr.McCoy- Star Trek: The Motion Picture, Stardate: 7412.6 #StarTrek #StarTrekFilm #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet

Happy Birthday to Rainn Wilson. @rainnwilson https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Rainn_Wilson #StarTrek #StarTrekDiscovery #StarTrekShortTreks #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet

“Where are we?” Lorca “On a resort off Antares Minor. You should try the spa. The hot-stone massage is delightful.” Mudd “Where are we?” Lorca “Typical Starfleet. No fun at all.” Mudd- Choose Your Pain, Stardate: Unknown #StarTrek #StarTrekDiscovery #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet

January 21
“No. Men do not roar. Women roar…and they hurl heavy objects…and claw at you…” Worf “What does the man do?” Wesley “He reads love poetry. He ducks a lot.” Worf- The Dauphin, Stardate: 42568.8 #StarTrek #StarTrekTNG #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet

What are your favorite daily Star Trek quotes selected for this week? This article is open for discussion on the TardisCaptain dot Com Discord server. You can also email me at Carl (at) TardisCaptain.com or click on my social media links with any comments.

Posted in: Character Creation Challenge, Role Playing Games, Star Trek

2024 Character Creation Challenge Day 8: Star Trek Alpha Quadrant

For Day 8 of the 2024 #CharacterCreationChallenge I will be making a Starfleet Officer for the Star Trek: Alpha Quadrant roleplaying game. What is Star Trek: Alpha Quadrant? It is a fan-made conversion of the Cepheus Engine System Reference Document for Star Trek. It originally started as a conversion of the FASA Star Trek RPG, then evolved to cover all of the shows (up to Star Trek: Discovery) that had been released by 2017. Several years ago, the publishers of the Prime Directive rules wanted to make a “Traveller” version of their game, but it hasn’t appeared yet. So for fans who want to play some sort of Trek with the 2d6 system, this is probably going to be up your alley. Steven J. Ege, the author, did state that Star Trek: Alpha Quadrant is not compatible with other 2d6 style games.

Now this isn’t the first time I’ve used a fan-made Star Trek RPG in the Character Creation Challenge. Previously I had covered Far Trek and Where No Man Has Gone Before. I have also covered the original Little Black Book version of Traveller as well as Cepheus Deluxe release. So I’m interested to see where this goes.

The Star Trek: Alpha Quadrant PDF has 160 pages with the character creation checklist on page 11. There is no character sheet in the book, but luckily I found a fan made character sheet on the Polyhedral Nonsense gaming blog. This sheet has four pages with the first being stats and skills, second page is equipment and weapons, third page is character history and the last page is any telepathic skills. I discovered that there are a lot of good character sheets on the Polyhedral Nonsense website.

OK, let’s light this candle. The first thing the checklist states is that the characters begin at the age of majority (usually 18 in Humans). But with the Q’s consent (Q is the name of the Game Master in ST:AQ) the character can start at 19 or 20. The character is entering Starfleet Academy. After discussing with the Q what positions and ranks that the character will take you can dig into the attributes. Thinking about this, I want to create a character in the time of the Original Series. Looking at the different alien races available (there are several basic ones that are mentioned in the front of the book, then a lot of races listed later in the publication) I selected Denobulan and named him Lt. Commander Tropp. He would be the Chief Engineer on the USS Valley Forge, a Constitution-Class starship.

Next we generate the attributes for Tropp by rolling 2d6 and assigning them. They are Strength (STR), Dexterity (DEX), Endurance (END), Intelligence (INT) and Education (EDU). For those of you wondering, INT is the intellect and the EDU is the learning and experience. Traveller/Cepheus players may notice that there is no Social (SOC) attribute. The author of AQ did state that he had to make some changes to make it fit the Star Trek universe. I’m assuming that dropping this attribute was one of the items he was referring to. I rolled my dice and made the racial adjustments and wrote down the attribute modifiers.

Step three is to select the background skills that Tropp had before he entered the academy. The rules state that you divide the EDU score in half and that is the staring number, in his case 4. These skills would be of rank 0 (semiskilled) and I had to choose two from the education category and two from the development category.

Now we enter the academy and gain several skills from the curriculum. This includes core, candidate school, outside electives and advanced study. While this took a moment, I was able to complete the task.

Step six is the cadet cruise. I rolled a 2 on 1d6 to represent that Tropp participated in two six-month cruses. At the completion of the cruises, he has graduated from Starfleet Academy and now holds the rank of Ensign. To be a Lt. Commander, Tropp needed to go on nine tours of duty (from rolls and various modifiers). This time allotted resulted in several skill rank increases, which I wrote down.

The steps now indicate that I should come up with a background for the character (which I would if this was really going to be played). The Universal Character Format at the end of the steps can list equipment, but no rules were listed at this time to any allocation. I snuck down to chapter 4 to read about the equipment and it described some equipment types, but didn’t really say if you started with anything. In most Star Trek games, your equipment would be what is available on hand. So I didn’t bother with any on the sheet. This meant that I only wrote on the first character sheet for this challenge. I’m certain that at least three of the pages would have been used in a campaign.

Afterthoughts:

This book was pretty thorough and covered the bases that you would find in a standard RPG core rulebook. These include a “What is roleplaying” section and how the core rules worked. You wouldn’t need any of the Cepheus books to play this game.

The lack of a character sheet concerned me. I was very grateful to find the Polyhedral Nonsense release. Their character sheet is also fill-able which may be of interest to some players. Since I was going old-school with my entries, I had mine printed out to mark up with a pencil.

Another concern was the use of graphics in the book. Since this book was never going to be printed for copywrite reasons, the author could use the images as he saw fit. There were some pages where a full color image in the background with white highlighted lettering over the top of it. It made it difficult to read.

I liked how the PDF was bookmarked. This made it easier to jump to a section to look up information. I also appreciate that major and minor characters from the Original Series and The Next Generation have been stated out. When talking with Star Trek fans who haven’t had a lot of experience with RPGs, they might create a character by saying “He’s good with computers, just not as good as Spock.” or “He’s just as strong as Worf.” I can take the provided stats to give them a starting point.

There is also a FASA to AQ conversion guidelines in the back of the book. While reading, I could see a lot of FASA influences in this publication. I could easily see myself homebrewing for this system just as I want to for Star Trek Adventures, Far Trek and Where No Man Has Gone Before.

Additional Notes:

I had a couple of readers report to me that they had heard of The Dark Eye and even owned a copy, but they hadn’t had a chance to do anything with it. So I guess this European game has made it to the states. But because they hadn’t tested it out yet, they couldn’t tell me about how the game plays at the table.

Coming Up Next:

Monty Python’s Cocurricular Mediaeval Reenactment Programme

This article is open for discussion on the TardisCaptain dot Com Discord server. You can also email me at Carl (at) TardisCaptain.com or click on my social media links with any comments.

Posted in: Quotes, Star Trek

Daily Star Trek Quotes: January 8-14

Still wrapping my head around this.

Here are the Daily Star Trek Quotes that will appear on the @STrekQuotes Twitter account and the @STrekQuotes Mastodon account for the week of January 8th through January 14th. Coming soon to Bluesky once we can find a scheduler option.

January 8
Happy Birthday to Michelle Forbes. @MishkaForbes https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Michelle_Forbes #StarTrek #StarTrekTNG #StarTrekPicard #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet

“I was dead and there was another life, and it made me feel like I’d been pretty arrogant to discount everything I’d been taught, you know? Now I don’t know what to believe.” Ro Laren- The Next Phase, Stardate: 45892.4 #StarTrek #StarTrekTNG #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet

January 9
“But most legends have their basis in fact, Spock.” Kirk- And The Children Shall Lead, Stardate: 5029.5 #StarTrek #StarTrekTOS #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet

January 10
“When every logical course of action is exhausted, the only option that remains is inaction.” Tuvok- Twisted, Stardate: Unknown #StarTrek #StarTrekVOY #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet

January 11
“I hope I never see snow again!” Mayweather- Breaking the Ice, Date: Unknown #StarTrek #StarTrekENT #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet

January 12
Remembering Kirstie Alley who was born on this date in 1951. @kirstiealley https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Kirstie_Alley #StarTrek #StarTrekFilm #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet

“General Order Fifteen. ‘No flag officer shall beam into a hazardous area without armed escort.'” Saavik- Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, Stardate: 8130.3 #StarTrek #StarTrekFilm #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet

January 13
“As First Officer, it is my responsibility to point out any actions that may be mistakes by a commanding officer, sir.” Riker- Chain of Command Part II, Stardate: 46360.8 #StarTrek #StarTrekTNG #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet

January 14
Remembering Barry Jenner who was born on this date in 1941. https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Barry_Jenner #StarTrek #StarTrekDS9 #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet

“That’s a glib answer and a cheap way to avoid the fact that you’ve trampled on the very thing that those men and women are out there dying to protect! Does that not mean anything to you?” Dr. Bashir “Inter arma enim silent leges.” Ross- Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges, Stardate: Unknown #StarTrek #StarTrekDS9 #IDIC #WeAreStarfleet

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