FEDERATION
CHARACTERS
Federation characters can serve in virtually any position
aboard a Starfleet vessel, or anywhere else in Starfleet. They can come in
any of the many Federation races available in these rules, or you can make
up your own race using either GURPS: Aliens or GURPS: Fantasy Folk 2nd
Edition. Gender discrimination in the Federation is virtually unknown.
Following are several of the various positions available to Federation
characters.
Captains
The Captain runs the show. Consider them to be like
today’s Chief Executive Officer. They are in command and in control of
everything. The Captain is the one all of the other officers in the main
chain-of-command eventually report to.
Executive Officers
Also called "First Officers", the Exec is in command in
the absence of the Captain. Frequently, the Exec represents the Captain on
Away Team missions, unless those missions are not considered life-threatning.
Chief Science Officer
The Chief Science Officer runs the science department
aboard Federation vessels and bases. They are in charge of the scientific
research and development and frequently have projects of their own as well.
Chief Engineer
The Chief Engineer runs the Engineering department and is
in control of the Engine room. They are the person to talk to about
operations and functions of the Warp and Impulse Drives, and functions of
the ship in general.
Chief of Communications
Some larger ships, and especially Starbases, have a Chief
of Communications. They handle the day-to-day operations of the
communications center and also frequently the Computer department. Other
vessels combine this position with the duties of the Tactical Officer.
Chief Counselor
Also called the "Ship’s Counselor", the Chief Counselor is
an adviser and psychologist. Their job is to monitor and aid in maintaining
the mental well being of the crew. They work closely with the Chief Medical
Oficer and the Captain and give advice to those who may need it.
Conn Officer
The Conn Officer replaces both the old Helmsman and
Navigator positions on newer Federation vessels. They chart the ship’s
course thru space, and perform other piloting duties.
Chief Medical Officer
More information is available on the CMO in GURPS: Trek -
Section Four C - Starfleet - Part Three.
Operations Officer
Sometimes called "Chief of Ops", the Operations Officer
handles such things as shift scheduling and coordinating the day-to-day
operations of all departments. They serve the Captain at an intermediary
stage and coordinate between departments as well.
Chief of Security
The Chief of Security handles the police activities aboard
Starships and Starbases. They also take care of personal weapons issue, away
teams, boarding parties and the like. Some ships have combined this position
with the Tactical Officer.
Tactical Officer
-The Tactical Officer is in charge of the ship’s weapons.
They are the ones who set up Phaser and Photon targeting and firing. The
Tactical Officer is sometimes also the Communications Officer as well. In
these cases, they have to double up by learning what there is to know about
proper procedures for communications in all situations. Some Tactical
Officers are also Chief of Security.
Specialist/Technician
Specialists and Technicians are the heart and soul of any
good department. They work on projects depending on the type of equipment
that they are familiar with. These are the typical rank-and-file workers.
Crewman
Crewmen are the base-line soldiers. Frequently, there are
no crewmen per se on board Starships unless they are in training to be NCO’s
and/or Officers. They have similar jobs to the Technicians and Specialists.
KLINGON
CHARACTERS
Klingon characters serve the Klingon Empire in just about
the same positions as their Federation Counterparts above. See the
Federation section above for some more ideas on what Klingon characters
would be doing on their vessels.
The Klingon Empire is also currently at war with the
Cardassian Empire, and thus, technically, the Federation as well. There will
be covert and overt missions occurring whenever the whim strikes. These
missions will primarirly be military in mature, but the exact purpose of the
mission varies depending on the type of result desired.
ROMULAN
CHARACTERS
Romulan characters in GURPS: Trek seem to come in two
types, renegades and spies. Other ideas are possible.
The Renegade is an outcast or a refugee from Romulan
society. They do not generally appear as player characters due to the (very
real) possibility that they could be spies for the Romulan government.
However, it is possible that a fully cleared Romulan could serve the
Federation in some function or other. The functions allowed such characters
would probably be limited to those in which a security clearance would
either not be necessary or would be very low. This means that unless a
player had a -really- good background, Romulans should not be Captains or
Execs on any Federation Starship. An "Unusual Background" disadvantage of at
least 25 points, possibly more, depending on individual GM’s, should be
assessed to anyone wishing to play a Romulan in Federation society. In
addition, the character should probably also have negative Status and/or
negative Social Standing to best represent their position within the
Federation. Many Federation characters would react negatively to a Romulan
just being on board a Federation Starship in any position.
Positions available to Romulan characters would probably
include any low level occupation or they might serve as advisers to ships
patrolling near the Neutral Zone. See the listing for Federation characters
above for some ideas on the types of characters available.
The other type of Romulan character would really -be- a
spy. They would, to all intents and purposes, be exactly like the Renegade
Romulan appearing above, but they would either eventually be found out or
would complete their mission and return to Romulus a hero. Either way, they
are not recommended as player characters.
GM’s can also consider running a Romulan campaign. If this
is done, the Romulan crew would be filling about the same positions as their
Federation counterparts.
OTHER
CHARACTERS
Other races
There are at least as many races in the Federation that
have not been discovered as there are ones that are known. GM’s and Players
can develop their own races as they see fit from ones on the shows or
develop their own. Use GURPS: Aliens for most of your main information, but
check your scores from the new second edition of GURPS: Fantasy Folk for
fine tuning.
See both the "Races" section and the "Aliens" section for
more information on how new races could be developed. I have even included a
race of my own creation, the "Histah", in GURPS: Trek - "Aliens" Part 3 for
this purpose.
Other characters:
Other characters can be of virtually any type. They range
from Ambassadors and Diplomats to Dilettantes and more. A few ideas are
presented below, but players and GM’s should not feel limited by these
lists. Make up your own ideas and send them in!
Ambassadors/Diplomats
Ambassadors exist outside of the Federation as well. They
represent their governments while on missions outside of their normal
territorial range. They frequently have diplomatic immunity and are usually
considered to be the legal representatives of the governments they
represent.
Explorers
Explorers can be from anywhere. They try to find whatever
they happen to be looking for. Whether this be new planets to colonize, new
minerals to mine, new frontiers to map, or just out for a good time,
explorers do some of Starfleet’s job for them. Characters could be sent in
on a rescue mission for stranded explorers.
Geologists
Geologists are usually hired by planetary governments and
companies that are interested in rocks and minerals. Some company could be
out there somewhere that handles the mining for the Federation, as well as
the various civilizations throughout the galaxy.
Merchants
Merchants provide products to clients on worlds both
within and outside of the Federation. Sometimes they operate within the law
and sometimes not. A good example is Cyrano Jones (TOS: "Trouble With
Tribbles").
Miners
Miners are the people that are sent after the Geologists
to dig for the materials that the Geologists found. A good example of these
were the miners in the TOS episode "Devil In The Dark".
Pirates
Pirates roam the spaceways searching for booty to plunder.
Pirates aren’t very common to Trek, but some could exist.
Scientists
Scientists work for themselves, for governments, and for
corporations looking for new discoveries. Examples include Dr. Soong, who
developed Data (and the other androids) and Dr. Daystrom (TOS: "The Ultimate
Computer").
Terrorists
Terrorists work against governments, whether this be local
governments, planetary governments, or even the Federation, Romulans,
Klingons, or whatever. A good example would include the Maquis.
Traders
Traders are sort of like merchants. They take items from
areas where they are plentiful to areas where they are not and trade them
for other items in those areas that are plentiful. They can and do trade for
gold-pressed latinum, as well as other commodities.
Colonists
People of all races seem to be willing to take on the
responsibility of taming a new world. Frequently, characters will be
transporting colonists to new worlds, and colonists may have many unforseen
problems that will require the player’s help.
Lawyers
Yep. There have to be lawyers in the Federation and in
other empires as well. They frequently work for the government or for
planetary governments and corporations. Good examples include Sam Cogley (TOS:
"Court-Martial").
Journalists
News still flows, especially from the front lines of
military actions, the frontiers of newly explored space, and from worlds
throughout the Federation. Journalists report on events that occur for their
clients. The Federation doesn’t have any Journalists of its own, but it does
maintain a public relations department where similar characters could work.
Bounty Hunters
Move over Boba Fett, here come the Federation Bounty
Hunters! They seek for known criminals to collect the reward for their
capture (or death). The Federation doesn’t use Bounty Hunters, but the
Klingon Empire and some non-Federation governments do.
Charismatic Leaders
Charismatic leaders have existed throughout time and will
still exist in Trek’s time. They attempt to get people to follow their
advice, whether it be good or bad, and frequently they succeed. Examples
include Sybok (ST:TFF) and Dr. Severn (TOS: "The Way To Eden").
Dilettantes
These wealthy nuisances are characters that can own their
own planets or small space stations. Examples include Flint (TOS: "Requiem
for Methuselah") and Kivas Fajo (TNG: "The Most Toys"). They make great
NPC’s for GM’s in a hurry to create a new adventure.
Space Hippies
These are the happy-go-lucky space pests (from TOS: "The
Way To Eden"). Tasteless clothes, bad attitudes, lame singing, etc. - living
incarnations of the maxim: "Those Who Cannot Remember The Past Are Condemmed
To Repeat It". Get out of the way "Herbert", we’re coming through.....
