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SECTION SIX - TECHNOLOGY

Table Of Contents - Section Four

bulletPhasers
bulletTransporters
bulletTransporter Abilities
bulletCommunicators
bulletKlingon Ceremonial Weapons
bulletLife Support Belts
bulletMagnetic Boots
bulletPADDs
bulletReplicators
bulletTricorders
bulletUniversal Translators
bulletUltra Tech Items

PHASERS:

Phasers are the standard defensive sidearm of Starfleet.

They also serve as the defensive weapon for most Starships. They fire a highly cohesive, phased particle/electromagnetic beam capable of effects from light stun to total disintegration of solid matter. There are three types of Phaser sidearms:

The Phaser I is a small hand-held Phaser that can be easily concealed (+2 to holdout).

The Phaser II is larger (-1 to holdout), but has more range.

The Phaser III, also known as a Phaser Rifle, has an extremely long range, and is very powerful. It is not commonly used, except in military applications.

Here are the basic stats of Phasers:

WEAPON TYPE SS ACC ½ D MAX WT ROF ST RCL
Phaser I imp. 10 2 200 400 0.5 1 -- 0
Phaser II imp. 9 5 450 600 1 1 -- 0
Phaser III imp. 12 10 1200 1200 4 1 -- 0

All Phasers have a malf. of ver., and a Rcl. of none. They are considered to be TL 11, and have a legality class of CR-1.

Phasers operate at varying power levels, starting with Stun effects and going up to total molecular disruption. Phaser I’s can only fire at settings 1 through 8, but Phaser II’s and III’s can fire at all sixteen settings.

The effects at the various levels are:

Power Level One

Setting Dam. Stun Chg Setting
1 1d-4 5 16 Lt. Stun
2 1d-2 15 45 Med. Stun
3 1d-1 60 161 Hvy. Stun

Power Level Two

Setting Dam Chg Setting
4 1d6 516 Heat
5 2d6 858  
6 3d6 2,700 Disrupt
7 6d6x2 4,900  
8 6d6x3 15,000 Kill

Power Level Three

Setting Dam Chg
9 6d6x8 65,000
10 6d6x12 125,000
11 6d6x18* 300,000
12 6d6x26* 540,000
13 6d6x30* 720,000
14 6d6x40* 930,000
15 6d6x50* 1,170,000
16 6d6x70* 1,550,000

* (see notes below)

The DMG column refers to the roll used to determine the damage of the attack. Phasers are most similar to Electron Pistols, found in GURPS: Ultra-Tech (pg. 90), but have a wider range of settings. GM’s should be warned that Phasers set on very high settings cause an unusually high amount of damage - a Phaser set on setting 16, for instance, can cause an average of 245 points of Phaser fire damage, and an additional average of 245 points of explosive damage. Phasers set on high settings not only mean bye-bye victim, but bye-bye nearby objects as well.

The STUN TIME column shows the amount of minutes needed by a stunned victim to regain consciousness naturally.

CHG (MJ), is an optional statistic. It represents the amount of energy in MilliJoules each shot at that setting consumes. This is subtracted from remaining charges in the Phaser’s power cell. Phasers use Saurium Krellide power cells allowing for large amounts of energy storage. The older "power cells" of GURPS: Ultra-Tech have been eliminated. Varying amounts of stored energy are expended per shot depending on the level selected. Fully charged energy storage rating for each Phaser type in MilliJoules is:

TYPE CHARGE (mJ)
I 7,200,000
II 45,000,000
III 67,500,000

Under normal game play, it is easiest to just ignore trying to keep track of the charges used, because, even in a fire fight, there is a -lot- of energy available. For example, a fully charged Phaser II could fire off 9,183 shots at setting 7, and 2,812,500 shots if set on setting 1. Under normal game situations, it is doubtful that the power cell of a fully charged Phaser will be depleted.

Note: at settings 11 thru 16, Phaser fire also causes an explosion of the same damage as the Phaser setting. This means roll twice for shots at settings 11-16 - once for the regular Phaser damage, and again for the explosion damage.

Here are the effects of various settings upon targets:

SETTINGS 1 TO 3 - Light, Medium, and Heavy Stun

Any hit at these settings done on a living being will cause the subject to roll against HT-3(minus the Phaser roll) to save versus stun. Central Nervous System (CNS) damage done (if any) at these settings is reversible.

SETTINGS 4 TO 5 - Thermal Effects

Also called "Heat Settings", Phasers set at these settings are primarily used to produce heat effects. These settings can also produce CNS shock (see below) and will produce from mild (setting 4) to severe (setting 5) burn effects on clothing and living tissue. CNS damage done at these settings is generally reversible.

SETTINGS 6 TO 10 - Disruption

Setting 8 is also called the "Kill" setting. Thermal effects drop off as matter tends to disassociate at higher settings. If a living target takes damage greater than HTx3, it will disassociate into energy. If damage is less than HTx3, it will take damage normally. On any successful hit, CNS shock can set in. If any damage penetrates armor, the target must make a roll versus HT minus damage taken or have their heart stop. The subject will die in HT/3 minutes unless someone successfully performs CPR to save them. Doctors can use equipment in a standard medical kit for this purpose. This takes one minute per attempt, and requires a successful First Aid/TL or Physician/TL roll. Some CNS damage done at these settings may not be reversible - if the subject rolls a critical failure, treat that CNS damage as permanent.

SETTINGS 11 TO 16 - Explosive Disruption

When damage inflicted exceeds the Hit Points of an object, but is less than three times the Hit Points, the object will either be burned through, detonated, or melted, depending on its composition. If 3xHP or more damage is done, the object will disassociate into energy, generally followed by an explosion. See GURPS: Basic (pg. 125) for guidelines on assigning DR and Hit Points to inanimate objects. The GM determines final outcomes of attacks. Note that all settings in this category require two rolls: one for the actual damage done by the Phaser fire, and one for the explosion.

Phasers can also be set for overload, a process where all the energy remaining within the power cell is released explosively. The safety interlocks must first be disabled, and requires a successful Beam Weapons: Phaser skill roll. It takes one round to disable the interlock, and one round to start the overload process. It takes 30 seconds for overload to occur. During this time, the Phaser will emit a high-pitched squeal which increases in pitch while overload is occurring. During the 30-second build-up, the overload can be deactivated by re-enabling the interlock, which requires another successful Beam Weapons: Phaser skill roll. After 30 seconds, the Phaser will explode, causing 6d6x700 points of explosion damage.

No price is listed for Federation Phasers because they are issued to Starfleet members routinely. Should one ever be available on the black market, the price should be at least three times that of an ordinary blaster.

When dealing with the Disruptors used by the Romulans and other races, the tables above can be used to determine the effects of these weapons with only minor changes. Here are some guidelines on the similarities and differences between the various weapons. The GM has the final determination of their effects.

Romulan Disruptors are essentially identical to a Phaser II except that they are slightly heavier, around 1.75 pounds. Romulans also have a Phaser III like weapon with similar stats to the Federation Phaser III.

Klingon Disruptors are considered to be Phaser II’s with only power levels 2 and 3 available. Also, weight would be around 2.5 pounds, since they have a larger power cell. However, it should only have 200 charges due to the fact that the Klingon power cell is less sophisticated than the ones the Federation or the Romulans use. The added weight will give it a SS of 11.

Other Disruptors, such as the ones used by the Ferengi and other races, are similar to Phaser I’s in effectiveness, charges, range, etc., but should be like Phaser II’s in size, snap shot, etc. Feel free to make it up as you go along, varying weapon configurations from race to race based on the information above.

TRANSPORTERS

Transporters are matter-energy conversion devices that take an object or being and transform it into a pattern of phased energy that can be transmitted as a complex trans-barrier signal through the first level of subspace (or hyperspace) domain to a set of desired coordinates. At the desired coordinates, it is reintegrated into its original structure.

Transporter operation is fairly straightforward. The object being transported is first "locked onto" by the scanners. This lock may be maintained, in principle, indefinitely. When teleportation actually begins, the subject is encased in a force-field, called the Annular Confinement Beam (ACB). Then everything within the ACB is scanned by the Virtual Focus Molecular Imaging Scanners (VFMIS). Because these scanners are designed to register individual subatomic particles and quanta within the area of the ACB, Transporters are able to affect things that otherwise might be invisible to sensor systems. Heisenberg compensators are used to overcome the uncertainty of positioning. Information gained during this process is fed into the autosequencers and forms the basis for the "ID Trace".

Because of the immense amount of stored data needed to perform a quantum positioning scan, ID Traces are rarely stored longer than needed. They are simply overwritten by the next process. Cargo Transporters and Replicators are not usually programmed to operate at this level of detail, but generally at least at the molecular level. Cargo Transporters and Replicators can be reprogrammed for more detail if desired.

After the data is stored, the Ionizers and Phase Transition Coils work together to perform the quantum matrix manipulation required to transform the subject into phased matter. This is called the dematerialization process. This produces the familiar gold sparkles of older Federation Transporters, and the red and blue effects of newer Federation systems, as different methods of dematerialization and phase transition were developed.

A method used by some technologies utilizes what is known as a "Hyglanian Shift" to dematerialize objects, which produces variations on the familiar effect. These processes result in other patterns: a reddish, blotchy shimmering (older Klingon); a red solid swipe with some gold sparkles (newer Klingon); a fast green dissolve (Romulan); a blue-grey spiral pattern (older Ferengi); amber sparkles (newer Ferengi and Cardassian); a translucent light green with a glowing double helix effect (Borg); and a white swirling effect (Pakled).

All dematerialization processes leave distinctive residual ionization traces that can be detected later. These small traces rarely last more than a few hours.

Note that during the dematerialization or rematerialization processes, the subject being transported can be capable of speech and limited movement until the appropriate body part is fully dematerialized or rematerialized, though this is not recommended. At all times, a living object being transported remains conscious and relatively aware of what is happening.

At this point, the object is now "phased matter", existing along the first level of the subspace barrier, and is fed into what is known as the matter stream, which is held in the pattern buffer. An active-feed pattern buffer will maintain a single, analog, control over the matter stream; while a multiplex, or multi-feed pattern buffer maintains a much more complex, continuous control over the matter stream.

With older, active-feed pattern buffers, there exists some possibilities for side effects that might be experienced by beings who undergo repeated transportations. "Transporter Psychosis" was originally diagnosed in 2209, and referred to conditions caused by breakdowns of neurochemical molecules during transport. This was caused by the quantum status of atoms within the reintegrated organism being randomly changed.

This condition affects the body’s motor functions, autonomic systems and higher brain functions. Effects are cumulative over a period of time. Victims can suffer from: paranoia and paranoid delusions, multi-facet dementia, tactile and visual hallucinations, psychogenic hysteria, and absent-mindedness. Peripheral symptoms can include: sleeplessness, accelerated heart rate, myopia, muscular spasms, and dehydration. With improved technology, and after development of the multi-feed pattern buffer in 2319, there have been no cases reported in the Federation, although some races still use older units.

While held in the pattern buffer, a number of things can be done to the matter stream, such as the manipulation of its energy, enabling the Transporter operator to drain energy packs or negate a beam of fired energy.

While the matter stream is in the pattern buffer, biofilters seek out patterns of known biological agents, such as contamination and diseases, and remove them. Biofilters can only seek out forms that they have been programmed to look for. This currently includes over 95% of all known viruses and bacteriological agents. In older models, the decontamination procedure was done on a materialized object, essentially scanning the object, and transporting the agents away without dematerializing the object or damaging the host.

It is also possible, though not recommended, at this point, to alter the pattern trace in order to adjust the genetic material of the transported object. Finally, while the pattern is in the matter stream, the ship’s sensors scan the targeted landing site, and the pattern is adjusted to match the landing site’s relative velocity and spatial position.

At this point, the Transporter emitter array sends out a subspace carrier wave signal along the first level subspace barrier. The ACB is then "beamed" along this carrier wave to its destination. At the destination, the ACB returns fully to normal space and the long-range phase transition rematerialization process begins. This essentially reverses the process above.

It is entirely possible for the operator to intentionally disrupt the ACB and disperse phased matter into normal space. This process, however, will release tremendous amounts of energy, as the object attempts to "re-phase" back into normal space, and unleashes much of its molecular bonding energies as its original configurations are destroyed. Also, any energy that the object held, such as a battery, will also be released. This released energy often creates an explosion.

This process is much the same for bringing an object "to" the Transporter unit, with the exception that the ACB is initially formed, the dematerialization occurs, etc., at a distance. The ACB is then drawn back into the emitter array and rematerialization takes place.

Each operation takes 5 seconds from the moment the ACB is engaged until it is disengaged. Systems reset and cool down takes 85 seconds. Each Transporter station can perform only one transport operation every 90 seconds. To transport a mass of 250 kg requires an expenditure of 37 MW of energy.

Normal operating range for standard Federation Transporters depends on the maximum range of the Imaging Scanners, the Ionizers, and the Phase Transition equipment. Normal range is 40,000 km. The range for emergency or shuttle-based Transporters is 15,000 km. If a Transporter can link into a system that contains its own equipment, that range can be extended greatly. In cases of low power, or interferences from subspace, electromagnetic fields, or radiation, this figure can be reduced at the GM’s discretion. Severe interference can result in the Transporter being unable to operate. Transporters cannot normally be used through deflector screens, dense masses of matter, intense energy fields, gravimetric fields, or things which otherwise may affect the structure of the subspace barrier. Interference can also be caused by certain radioactive materials, minerals, or ores, ionic radiation, and so forth. Interference can be partially decreased by utilizing either tandem Transporter units, and essentially ‘beaming’ from one unit to the other, or by using Pattern Enhancers to improve the information flow between the Transporter and the distant site.

Transporting from a Transporter station that is within a Warp bubble is possible, but only if subspace conditions at the destination are very similar. The less similar the condition, the greater the likelihood of failure. This means, if Transporting objects from ships under Warp, it is best if both vessels are travelling at the same speed.

Transporting while the target and destination are at wildly different velocities can create a minor distortion in the materialization pattern, giving the sensation known as "Walking Through Walls". This is often referred to as "Near Warp Transport", since it is usually performed by a ship dropping out of Warp only long enough to complete the cycle.

To successfully transport matter to or from a Transporter array, a successful (modified) Electronics Operations:

Transporter skill roll must be made. If it succeeds, then the transport occurred correctly. If it fails, the amount it was failed by is subtracted from a second Electronics Operations: Transporter skill roll (which is also modified by all of the original modifiers). If this roll also fails, then the amount that this roll was failed by will govern results. If the second roll fails by 1 to 15 points (1 to 10 in older models), the object will begin to suffer from some form of physical imbalance, most likely Transporter Psychosis. If it fails by 16 to 19 points (11 to 19 in older models), then the object is destroyed in a particularly grisly fashion. If the roll fails by 20 points or more, something "weird" happens. If the second roll succeeds, then transport is still successful. The operator is considered to have noticed the mistake themselves and corrected the problem. Any failure can also indicate that the computer has cancelled the operation due to safety parameters being exceeded. If this occurs, transport cannot be successfully performed until 85 seconds pass, while the Transporter resets itself. A critical failure doubles reset time as the computer compensates for the unforeseen trouble. Final decisions are up to the GM.

"Weird", in the case above, can indicate that the object was somehow duplicated, was thrown "out of phase" with the normal universe, swaps bodies with a nearby parallel universe, etc. This decision is also left up to the GM.

The following modifiers apply to the effective skill levels when attempting a Transport operation.

Transporting TO a location:

+10 (Base of 40,000 km) -1 per extra 1,000 km. *

bulletThis bonus applies only to the initial attempt.
bulletAny failed rolls will be made as if this were zero.

Transporting FROM a location:

+0 (Base of 40,000 km) -1 per extra 1,000 km.

bulletLight Interference: -4
bulletModerate Interference: -8
bulletHeavy Interference: -12
bulletTransporter lock aided by communicator: +4
bulletTransporter lock aided by pattern enhancers: +5
bulletSubject beaming to or from another Transporter: +7

Transport through a Warp field:

bullet-1 per 0.1 Warp Factor difference, -10 per WF difference.

Transport through dense materials: (such as: rock, cement, etc.)

-1 per 100 meters.

Transport through ultra-dense materials: (such as: reinforced concrete, etc,)

-1 per meter.

Transport through shielded materials: (such as: forcescreens, etc.)

-1 per millimeter.

 

Other Transporter abilities include:

Hold in Pattern Buffer:

The Pattern Buffer is a device that delays transmission of the matter stream while the Doppler compensators correct for relative motion between the Transporter emitter and the target coordinates. However, the Pattern Buffer is also capable of holding matter that is to be sent or has been received for up to seven minutes. This is mainly used to detain a transported object while giving time for security officers to arrive at that Transport site. After the seven minute delay, the computer will automatically complete reintegration of the matter so that no image degradation will occur.

Dispersal:

This is the process of purposely reintegrating matter after disengaging the ACB. It allows matter to reform without a pattern. To do this, safety interlocks must be overridden. This requires a Electronics Operations: Transporter roll and takes two seconds. This is used to accomplish the harmless dispersal of highly dangerous transport subjects, such as explosive devices. The transported object will form randomly, usually taking the form of gases and microscopic particulates, frequently creating an explosion.

Biofilter Scan:

When matter is beamed in, the molecular pattern is scanned by the computer using a level 12 diagnosis program. The program specifically looks for patterns corresponding to various bacteriological and viral forms. If their patterns are detected, the incoming pattern is manipulated to render the offending form(s) inert. This program can only recognize patterns it has been previously programmed for. It is not fool-proof, but will eliminate over 95% of all known viral, pathological, and bacteriological dangers.

Rules for Installing Transporters in Starships can be found in GURPS: VEHICLES (p.69-70) but lower the TL to 10

COMMUNICATORS

Communicators used by the Federation, Romulans, Klingons, Borg and Ferengi are all similar in nature and are considered fast FTL radios. With support from a ship in orbit they have a range of about 50,000 km; without support on a planet, they allow line-of-sight communications to a distance of 500 km. They can be comm badge types, like the Federation currently uses, or hand-held. Transporters can lock onto this signal in order to increase reliability of transport. Comm badges can adhere to almost any surface using a magnatomic adhesion area. They are powered by a rechargeable Saurium Krellide crystal that provides continuous usage for two weeks. They can be security coded to particular individuals.

KLINGON CEREMONIAL WEAPONS

bat’telh (Physical/Average - Defaults to DX-4).

This is a crescent-shaped, two-handed sword. It is also the legendary Sword of Honor, first created by the Klingon warrior Kahless the Unforgettable over 1500 years ago. This skill gives the character the ability to use this item effectively.

d’k tahg (Physical/Average - Defaults to DX-4 or Knife-2).

The d’k tahg, also called the Klingon Ceremonial Blade, is a large knife designed to inflict extra damage on impaling attacks. It has two small ‘arms’ that snap out into position before combat begins. These arms are designed to increase the amount of impaling damage.

gin’tak (Physical/Average - Defaults to DX-5 or Staff-2).

The gin’tak spear has a large, oddly-shaped blade set on a short thick haft into which are carved a regular series of notches. The butt of the haft has two animal fangs set into it. Because of its large head, it does more damage than similarly-sized spears. It is used entirely for combat. Anyone unfamiliar with it takes a -2 unfamiliarity penalty, as per pg. B43.

kut’luch (Physical/Easy - Defaults to DX-4 or Knife-1).

The kut’luch is a large knife with a serrated blade that leaves a nasty wound. It is usually used by assassins, and as such is frequently poisoned. It can be considered the "dishonorable" counterpart to the d’k tahg. Impaling damage is at a maximum of 1d+2. The statistics below represent a large specimen of a kut’luch.

qa’vak (Physical/Average - Defaults to DX-5, Spear-1 or Staff-2).

The qa’vak spear is a slim metal javelin used in the Klingon game of qa’vak, the object of which is to hurl the spear through the center of a half-meter hoop rolled through a series of stakes. This is considered essential training for the Klingon ceremonial hunt, which is performed using the qa’vak spears. It can be used in melee, or more commonly, using the Spear Throwing skill.

ITEM TYPE DAMAGE REACH WT MIN-ST
bat’telh cut sw+2 1 3.5 10
bat’telh imp thr C 3.5 10
d’k tahg cut sw-3 C, 1 1 --
d’k tahg imp thr+1 C 1 --
gin’tok cut sw+3 1 6 9
gin’tok imp thr+3 1, 2 6 9
kut’luch cut sw-2 C, 1 1 --
kut’luch imp thr C 1 --
qa’vak imp thr+1 1 2 --

LIFE SUPPORT BELTS

These are essentially the same as the ones described in GURPS:

Ultra-Tech (pg. 93 - sidebar), except that they can operate for a longer period of time (about 8 hours), and include an internal rebreather.

MAGNETIC BOOTS

These are large shoes that allow a user to walk along bulkheads or on Starship hulls in low-G or zero-G conditions. Movement is reduced to ½ Move unless the character has the Vacc Suit skill, then movement is full. There are two types:

one is fitted like shoes for indoor use and located in emergency lockers on most ships, the other type is designed to be fitted onto any Vacc Suit. It takes 10 seconds to put a pair on, 5 seconds to remove a pair. Weight is 2 lbs.

PADD

PADD stands for Personal Access Display Device. They are small hand-held units, specifically configured for individual users. They function (sort of) like a small Tricorder, with much more limited abilities. They can be configured for different functions, depending on the whims of the owner. Every officer in Starfleet will be issued a PADD which they then configure for their own needs. Typically, PADDs are programmed to help with normal Starfleet duties. Treat them as small multi-purpose computers.

REPLICATORS

Replicators can "duplicate" any item that they have a pattern for. They are considered by these rules to be a specialized form of Transporters. Replicators scan items for data storage, and then place the results of that scan into the ship’s memory storage systems. They use a small quantity of the matter in storage for the ship’s engines to convert into the item required. They are primarily used to provide a wider variety of food choices than would be possible if the food components were to be carried on board ships. Most personnel cannot tell the difference between standard food and replicated food, however a few do claim to be able to tell the difference. Replicators cannot reproduce items that they do not have patterns for. Nor can they produce materials on the quantum level, only the molecular level. Thus they can be used to manufacture items or repair portions of a Starship, but these items or repairs will never be as stable or durable as a purposefully-manufactured item. In general, Replicators are used only to produce food, disposable clothing, and emergency items, The ultimate limits of their abilities lies with GM’s.

Replicators seem to be a new item in the TNG era, but "food slots" in TOS may have been earlier versions. Note that cold-pressed latinum is one of the few substances in the galaxy which cannot be replicated with any degree of success, hence its value to some non-Federation races.

TRICORDERS

The Tricorder is (sort of) a Swiss-Army knife of hand-held computing units, containing a powerful on-board computer, sensors, and subspace transceiver to link up with the main computer on board a ship in orbit.

Current Federation models are small, hand-held boxes weighing 353 grams that swing open to reveal a display screen and controls. They are powered by a rechargeable Saurium Krellide crystal that can provide 18 hours of continuous usage, longer with power conservation features activated.

The Tricorder concept is very simple: combine a suite of sensors for material, energy, and biological analysis with a computerized record/playback mechanism. A small computer provides limited on-site analysis of the readings and presents the results to the user. Over the years, this concept has been refined, as more powerful computers drive more sensitive sensors with greater range. The basic concept remains the same: it detects, it analyzes, it records, and it presents the results to the user.

Most historians attribute Tricorders to Vulcans, who have been using miniature computer analysis tools for centuries. The truth is, many advanced cultures developed similar devices as they matured. The Vulcans have a history of relying on the Tricorder for a wide variety of uses, and they submitted the first prototypes in the early days of the Federation.

A Tricorder’s strength rests in the hands of the operator. It is not an independent probe, but merely a tool that, when used by someone properly trained, can improve individual performance in a variety of applications.

As a computer, consider it to have a complexity level of 3. It can accept input from the front panel keys or by voice commands. It also has the following software and capabilities on board:

bulletBiosampler (GURPS: Ultra-Tech pg.61)
bulletBioscanner (GURPS: Ultra-Tech pg.61)
bulletChemscanner (GURPS: Ultra-Tech pg.59)
bulletDatalink (GURPS: Ultra-Tech pg. 11)
bulletElectronics Repair (GURPS: Ultra-Tech pg.11)
bulletEnvironmental Analysis (GURPS: Ultra-Tech pg.11)
bulletMultiscanner (GURPS: Ultra-Tech pg.59)
bulletRadscanner (GURPS: Ultra-Tech pg.59)

Tricorders can maintain and store vast amounts of data in their own memory, which they use to help evaluate data collected on site.

Through the Datalink software and the subspace transceiver assembly, the Tricorder can instantly download or upload data to the ship’s computer, as long as the ship’s computer is in range. Special programs may also be run and/or stored on-board, depending on circumstances, such as: Expert System:

Biochemistry being used to sample planetary conditions, etc.

The Tricorder’s most important function is finding things. The standard TR-580 can detect minerals, power sources, life forms, and a wide range of other items. Detection range varies with the size of the object being sought. A unit set to detect power supplies, for example, can detect an in-use battery at 1000 meters, a Starship in orbit, or a planet’s sun if properly used. As an aid, use the Size and Speed/Range Table (pg. B201), with a +15 bonus for the sensors and scanners in the Tricorder. Thus, if you wanted to find a person that was hiding about 200 kilometers away, they would have a size modifier of -19. Add the Tricorders +15, and that person could be found with an Elec. Oper.: Sensors roll of -4! This roll could be further modified by environmental conditions such as unusual power fields, atmospheric ionization, etc. For example, locating the person mentioned above would be much easier if they were hiding in the desert than if they were hiding in a densely-populated jungle.

Specialists gain a further advantage with the use of a Tricorder. By using the Tricorder’s analysis capabilities in concert with specialty skills, you can greatly enhance your evaluation of whatever you examine. The successful use of a Tricorder in a specialty application adds +4 to your skill for that use. Failure means nothing is gained. A critical failure subtracts 4. Note that you must be fairly close to your subject to get an accurate analysis. The smaller the subject, the closer you need to be.

Tricorders also yield an advantage on most sense rolls. To gain this advantage, you must first save against your skill in Elec. Oper.: Sensors. If you succeed, you may make the sense roll with a +2 bonus. A failure indicates that the Tricorder’s readings are of no use to you. A critical failure will result in a -2 penalty.

It is fairly easy to set a Tricorder to record, so this is generally an automatic success, except under stressful or distracting conditions. In these circumstances, a saving roll on Elec. Oper.: Sensors would be necessary. A stealth roll might be needed to operate the device quietly if needed.

There are also specialized Tricorders for Science, Medicine, Psychology (Psychotricorders) and Engineering. Tricorders can also have external hand-held sensing devices. Medical Tricorders are covered in another section of these rules.

UNIVERSAL TRANSLATORS

Universal Translators are used to provide real-time two-way translations of spoken languages. In the TOS era, Universal Translators were wand-shaped items that sensed the brainwave frequencies of intelligent lifeforms, and provided comparable linguistic terms for communications. These provided quick, though inexact translations, and by the TNG era have been replaced by sophisticated computer programs stored on board Starship computer banks. These programs analyze samples of alien languages and derive translations within minutes, although much more extensive analysis is necessary before they may be used for diplomatic functions. Away Teams may access the Universal Translator programs with their Comm Badges via subspace links.

WARP DRIVE

Warp Drives are pretty much described in GURPS: VEHICLES. No real changes are needed.

VULCAN CEREMONIAL WEAPONS

ahn-woon (Physical/Average - No default).

The ahn-woon is an ancient Vulcan weapon consisting of a strip of leather that can be used as a noose or a whip. It must be readied for one turn to change grips. The noose only does damage if it is wrapped around the neck, and the whip has a maximum damage of 1d-1.

lirpa (Physical/Average - Defaults to DX-5).

The lirpa is an ancient Vulcan weapon with a spade-shaped blade on one end and a heavy bludgeon at the other often used during Pon Farr ritual combats. One can strike with the blade, haft, or bludgeon, but after each strike the user must ready the weapon for one turn. He must also ready the weapon to switch from a long grip to a short grip and vice versa. The lirpa is a very heavy, unfamiliar weapon that requires a strong user, and anyone unfamiliar with it must take a -2 penalty as per the rules on pg.B43.

ITEM TYPE DAM REACH WT MIN-ST
ahn-woon: noose cr thr C 2 10
ahn-woon: whip cr sw-2 2 2 10
lirpa: blade cut thr+2 1, 2 12 13
lirpa: bludgeon cr sw+3 1, 2 12 13
lirpa: shaft cr sw+1 1, 2 12 13

ULTRA-TECH

The following is a list of items that should be considered to be either widely available or widely unavailable in a Star Trek campaign. However, feel free to use any item in Ultra Tech, Space, etc., on rare occasions as the GM permits. Just remember that Starfleet, and then the Romulans, have the best equipment. Other races should be limited to lesser equipment except in special circumstances.

Ultra-Tech: TL/8

Armor:

Monocrys and Reflect Armor are ineffective against Phaser or Disruptor fire (but are still quite useful against other beam weapons).

Ablative armor is used on some Federation ships to reduce Phaser damage. Use as personal armor has not been demonstrated.

Weapons: All superseded by Phasers.

Cloning: Although possible, Cloning is not widely used in the Federation, and has only recently been perfected by the Klingon Empire. In the Federation, Clones are considered to be different from their donors, and enjoy full legal rights as separate individuals.

Bionics: Their use is not extensive in the Federation.

However, Borg use Bionics extensively.

Brain Transplants: Virtually unknown.

Pneumospray Hypo: This is a Trek Hypospray.

Ultra-Tech: TL/9

Retro-Reflective Armor: PD 3, DR 1 versus Phasers.

Weapons: All superseded by Phasers.

Cybertech: N/A.

Diagnosis Table: Available in a Federation Sick Bay.

Automedic: N/A.

Braintaping: was used in 2365 by Dr. Ira Graves. Was also used by Dr. Soong in the transfer of his wife’s memories to the android body he had built. The Federation disdains its use.

Recorder Implants: N/A.

Advanced Implant Communicator: N/A.

Bionic Gills: N/A.

Silver Tongue: N/A.

Ultra-Tech: TL/10

Laser Crystals: N/A.

Weapons: All superseded by Phasers.

Neurolashes: A Ferengi Favorite.

Reflex Armor: N/A.

Powered Combat Armor: N/A.

Brain Implants: N/A.

Brainwipe: available, but considered cruel and unusual punishment by the UFP.

Ultra-Tech: TL/11

Electron Pistols: these are replaced by Phasers.

Ecstasy Weapons: N/A.

Force Swords: N/A.

Deflectors: used as ship defenses, under development in a personal and/or hand-held model.

Thermal Superconducting Armor: N/A.

Energy Cloth: N/A.

Cybersuit: N/A.

Brain Implants: N/A.

Holographic Equipment: This is currently at the "Holodeck" level of development.

Ultra-Tech: TL/12 (and up)

The only technology available from these levels of development are Transporters. It is currently unknown how the Federation was able to develop Teleportation technology so soon. See GURPS: Ultra-Tech (pg. 117) for more information. Replicators are considered to be a specialized type of Transporter for the purpose of these rules.

 

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