Star Trek: The Triangle Missions

Since the other Star Trek page was a game proposal, and the setting related ones need a place to be collected, this will be the home page for the game. I am going to embrace the series concept as proposed in The Narrators Guide, and this page will provide all of the necessary information for players and the GM. Anyone who is in this game or who is not is free to comment and add insight.

About The Series

Star Trek: The Triangle Missions is a series set in 2367 in The Triangle section of the Federation. This is set during The Next Generation, at the time of the Klingon Civil War. Anything which has happened in the Star Trek timeline prior to 2367 will be considered canon for this series, but anything which happens after, and anything in the JJ Abrams reboot of the series, is not.

Cast of Characters

The stars of this series are the command officers of the USS Niven, which is part of Task Force: Triangle. There may be times that we switch points of view during the series, and have the players play the crew of a different ship or locality to establish background or setting. It will also be common for players to assume minor roles during normal missions. For instance, it is not always prudent for the captain to accompany away missions, or for all of the PCs to be together during important events, when this occurs players can perform as supporting cast or minor members of the crew.

The Stars

The following are the main characters of this series. They will be strongly involved with every episode. Their decisions will drive the plot and shape the setting. Each character will have a subplot as well as a moral question which is unique to him or her. These will all be important at least once.

Captain Layla Koyanagi
Commander Octavio Rodriguez
Lieutenant Commander Karl Link
Lieutenant Commander <insert chief engineer here>

Supporting Cast

The following are important NPCs which are often integral to the plot. They accompany the PCs on missions, perform vital duties, and otherwise advise them. They provide color and richness to the setting. They are not as well rounded or as skilled as the PCs. Some are nearer the competence level of PCs than others. They will often be controlled by players when the group is split necessarily.

Lieutenant Sandra Kingman
Lieutenant Silon
Lieutenant Dr Matthew O'Grady
Ensign Varok
Ensign Henri Beaujolais
Chief Warrant Officer Harald Lysander
Captain Ian Frazier
Captain Billiemae Tompkins
2nd Lieutenant Therval Sheraan
Warrant Officer Funciesta Gonzalez
Sergeant Major Michael Pierson (and the rest of Prime Team Alpha)
Command Master Chief Petty Officer Spencer Harlock
Master Chief Petty Officer Sharon Jameson
Senior Chief Petty Officer Christine Mashburn
Senior Chief Petty Officer Michael Standown

Minor Characters

The rest of the crew will serve as minor characters. They will be available for missions and will have general character sheets. They will have unique personalities and detailed backgrounds, but will not have their own character sheets. They will provide the little details that bring the setting alive. If a particular minor character distinguishes them self during an episode they may be shifted to supporting cast status.

The Setting

The game is set primarily aboard the USS Niven, which is a member of Task Force: Triangle, patrolling the Triangle under the auspice of Military Operations Command of the Federation. Because of the proximity of 5 major powers, and the constant presence of the Orion, this area is a hotbed of intrigue and tension. The triangle has multiple areas, including The Outback, the Romulan Neutral Zone and the Cardassian Neutral Zone. It has Federation member worlds, as well as independent worlds inside its borders.

Dramatic Tone

The Triangle is far from other starbases, therefore the Captain and crew almost always make their decisions independently, without contacting Starfleet. The episodes often present moral quandaries and instances of choice between two less than ideal circumstances. In the interest of a greater peace, force, and threats of force, are often viable options. Missions are very dangerous, and crew members often risk death or capture by hostile forces.

Adversaries

The Triangle offers a wealth of potential opponents, and it is likely that many of these will be explored at some time. Sometimes the opponent might be an agent of a larger entity, or instead it could be an individual. Some possible adversaries are listed here.

Romulan Star Empire
Tal Shiar
Cardassian Union
Obsidian Order
Klingon Empire
Klingon Intelligence Force
Gorn
Orion
Patrick O'Flaherty

Continuity

The beginning of the series has been mainly episodic, with little interconnection between episodes. As we go on, and establish more background and context I hope to have a greater feel of overarching plot to the series. There will still often be unrelated episodes which will stand on their own, however. As the characters grow and change I hope the setting itself can adapt and continue to provide worthy challenges for their new skill sets.

Experience

I will be awarding experience to players at the end of episodes. I am going to keep it small, especially at first, but as we go on we can all judge what will be an acceptable experience curve. Players will not be allowed to spend experience until they have recounted their thoughts on a personal log or otherwise enhanced the wiki presence of the game. This can be in a form of a personal recap of the previous episode, or a telling of an important off camera incident, or detailing of NPCs, setting details, or anything else which is approved by the GM as appropriate.

Episodes

The following area will be used to keep track of episodes and their recaps. Unlike previous games, if a scenario is separated into multiple sessions, the episode should be recapped separately, with a 'part 1', 'part 2' and as many others as necessary added to keep them together. Related episodes can be grouped together as arcs, and related arcs will be grouped as seasons.

First Season

The first season began with a routine patrol near the Romulan Neutral Zone. The Romulans are a recurring adversary during the first season.

Episode 1: Where Has All The Glory Gone?
Episode 2: A Doomsday Like Any Other Part 1
Episode 3: A Doomsday Like Any Other Part 2

Conflict of Interest

This is an arc of 2-3 related episodes, beginning with The Deposed and concluding with The Strider Incident.

Preludes

Before we played A Doomsday Like Any Other we watched The Original Series episode The Doomsday Machine. This was an excellent way to get us all in the mood for the game, get our cheesy jokes out of the way and, most importantly, set the scene for the game. When we first encountered the doomsday device in game, there was no question what it was or how it worked. The players knew what their characters would know about it without GM exposition. Whenever possible I will provide a relevant episode to be a prelude to the game and establish our common ground.

System

We will be using the Star Trek RPG produced by Dechipher. There is a download link provided here to get the players guide to read and understand. I have made a couple of minor changes to the system, but any familiarity you can provide will be of help. I am concentrating on keeping the action fast and the danger high, but any help is always appreciated. It is 125 megs and hosted via rapidshare.

http://rapidshare.com/files/411468981/Decipher-Star_Trek_RPG_Players_Guide-OCR.pdf.html