Star Trek Week: LaForge and Data

This Friday, Star Trek: Into Darkness opens in theaters here in the US, so I thought I'd count down this week with write-ups for the Next Generation cast.

Lt. Commander Geordie LaForge

Geordie was born blind, but was fitted early in life with a VISOR. A cybernetic implant that gave him access to the full electromagnetic spectrum.

LaForge began his service aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise as junior lieutenant serving as helmsman. His technical aptitude eventually lead him to become the ship's Chief Engineer.

His closest friend on the Enterprise is Data, though all of the crew appreciate Geordie's easy going nature.  





ATTRIBUTES (19)
Awareness  3      Coordination 3
Ingenuity  4        Presence  3
Resolve  3          Strength 3

Good Traits (8)
Brave
Boffin
Charming
Cyborg (minor)

Military Rank (Starfleet Lt. Commander )
Technically Adept

Bad Traits (-5)
Distinctive
Impaired Senses- Blindness (major)
Obligation- Starfleet (major)

Skills (20)
Fighting  2
Knowledge 3 (Area of Expertise: Warp Physics)
Marksman  3 (Area of Expertise: Phaser)

Survival 2
Technology 4 (Area of Expertise: Starship Systems)
Transport  3

Story Points 9
Tech Level 7

Distinctive Features: Always wears VISOR, positive nature

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Geordie's VISOR (minor gadget)
The VISOR, acronym for Visual Instrument and Sensory Organ Replacement, was a medical device used in the Federation to aid patients who had suffered loss of eyesight or who were born blind. The VISOR detected electromagnetic signals across the entire EM spectrum between 1 Hz and 100,000 THz and transmitted those signals to the brain through neural implants in the temples of the individual via delta-compressed wavelengths. The result was a vastly different visual acuity, with VISOR-wearers able to see in the infrared and ultraviolet ranges and beyond. To normal Human eyes, the images relayed through the VISOR could seem disorienting and unfamiliar.

Traits: Scan, Restriction (Removable, character is blind without it)
Story Points: 1

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Lt. Commander Data

Data was the fifth of six known androids designed by Dr. Noonian Soong. He was built on the planet Omicron Theta around 2336, after Lore was deactivated, and over the protests of Soong's wife Juliana. Soong claimed he built Data to perfect his design of his androids, and when Data was perfected, apply his improvements to Lore. But before that happened, the colony was attacked by the Crystalline Entity. Data had been deactivated at the time and most of the colony wiped out.

Data was found and reactivated by the USS Tripoli after the Crystalline Entity destroyed the entire colony on the planet. His connection with Starfleet resulted in his choice to enter Starfleet Academy. Upon applying to the Academy, he met with some resistance on "the grounds that he was not a sentient being". Eventually Data was admitted to the Academy in 2344, and spent four years there. 

 Data served as operations officer and second officer on board the USS Enterprise-D from 2364 until the vessel's destruction in 2371.  Since he did not require sleep, he routinely stood night watch on the bridge. He frequently participated in many of the away missions undertaken. His speed of thought and great strength made him an important asset to the ship, and the fact that he was unaffected by disease, radiation, or mind control was vital on more than one occasion. 

ATTRIBUTES (30)

Awareness  6      Coordination 5

Ingenuity  5        Presence  3
Resolve  4          Strength 7

Good Traits (12)

Boffin (major)
Brave
Photographic Memory (major)
Quick Reflexes
Rank (Starfleet Lt. Commander)
Tough (x2)
Robot
Experienced (x3)

Bad Traits (-12)

By the Book
Distinctive
Last of My Kind
Obligation- Starfleet (major)
Eccentric-Babbles (minor)
Code of Conduct-Programming (major)
Weakness-Deactivation Switch: will render Data unconscious (major)

Weakness-Hackable: Data can be remotely programmed to act without free will (major)

Skills (24)

Fighting  2
Knowledge  6
Marksman  3
Science 5
Technology 5
Transport 3

Story Points 3

Tech Level 7

Distinctive Features: pale golden skin, expressionless face

Stop whatever you are doing and listen.

Commander Chris Hadfield of the Canadian Space Agency has been a in command of the 35th mission aboard the International Space Station. While there he's made quite quite good use of his downtime on the station to engage in a lot of social media outreach. He's traded tweets with the Star Trek cast, has done a number of Youtube videos and posted lots of wonderful images of the Earth from their vantage point.

Commander Hadfield's mission aboard the ISS is scheduled to be completed tomorrow, with the crew returning to Earth on a Soyuz capsule. And his sign off to his social media followers is a wonderful tribute to David Bowie's classic "Space Oddity".

 Yes ladies and gentlemen; the world's first music video from space.

Star Trek Week: Captian Picard and Commander Riker

This Friday, Star Trek: Into Darkness opens in theaters here in the US, so I thought I'd count down this week with write-ups for the Next Generation cast.

Captain Jean-Luc Picard
Jean-Luc Picard was a celebrated Starfleet officer, archaeologist and diplomat who served during the latter half of the 24th century. The highlights of his career were centered around assignments as commanding officer of the Federation starships: USS Stargazer, USS Enterprise-D, and the USS Enterprise-E. In these roles, Picard not only witnessed the major turning points of recent galactic history, but played a key role in them also, from making First Contact as captain of the Federation's flagship with no fewer than 27 alien species, including the Ferengi and the Borg, as well as becoming the chief contact point with the Q Continuum, to serving as Arbiter of Succession- where he presided over the investiture of Chancellor Gowron, and exposing the Romulan Star Empire as backers of his chief rivals, later aiding an Romulan underground movement of dissidents to gain a toehold on the Romulan homeworld. He continued to serve as captain of the Enterprise-E, the sixth starship to bear the name, until at least 2379.
ATTRIBUTTES (21)
Awareness  3      Coordination 3
Ingenuity  4        Presence  4
Resolve  4          Strength 3

Good Traits (10)
Attractive
Brave
Experienced (x2)
Indomitable
Military Rank (Starfleet Captain)
Technically Adept
Voice of Authority

Bad Traits (-10)
Adversaries (major)
By the Book
Code of Conduct-Prime Directive (major)
Obligation-Starfleet (major)
Obsession-Archaeology (minor)
Insatiable Curiosity
Eccentric-difficulty dealing with children (minor)

Skills (31)
Athletics  2
Convince  3 (Area of Expertise: Negotiation)
Craft 2
Fighting  2
Knowledge  3 (Areas of Expertise: Diplomacy, Starfleet, Military Tactics)
Marksman 3 (Area of Expertise: Phaser)
Medicine 1
Science  2
Subterfuge 2
Survival  2
Technology 2
Transport  2

Story Points 6
Tech Level 7

Distinctive Features: Bald, Hawkish looks, resonant voice, projects authority.

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Commander William T. Riker

 Will Riker has served as First Officer of the U.S.S. Enterprise for many years. He's developed from a brash young officer into a seasoned leader who has held his own against grave threats including the first attempted invasion of the Alpha Quadrant by the Borg.

He previously had an intimate relationship with his fellow officer Deanna Troi, but they chose to remain friends during much of their service aboard the Enterprise. He pursued several other relationships during his tenure as First officer.

ATTRIBUTES (21)

Awareness  3      Coordination 4
Ingenuity  3        Presence  4
Resolve  4          Strength 3

Good Traits (7)

Attractive
Charming
Brave
Experienced (x1)
Military Rank (Starfleet Commander)
Voice of Authority

Bad Traits (-4)

Argumentative
Distinctive
Obligation- Starfleet (major)

Skills (24)

Athletics 1

Convince  2

Craft 1

Fighting  3

Knowledge 3

Marksman  3 (Area of Expertise: Phaser)

Subterfuge 2

Survival 2

Technology 2

Transport  3 (Area of Expertise: Shuttlecraft)

Story Points 9

Tech Level 7

Distinctive Features: Beard, Rugged Good Looks, Athletic

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Military Rank (Starfleet)

The military rank trait system from the UNIT Sourcebook works the same way for Starfleet personnel,the only difference is the titles.

Rank Trait                          Ranks

None                          Crewman* or Ensign

Minor                   Chief Petty Officer* or Lieutenant 

Major                        Lieutenant Commander

Major x2                             Commander

Major x3                               Captain

*These ranks are non-commissioned officer positions.

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The first and most important piece of equipment in Star Trek is of course the Starship Enterprise.  So using a combination of the Defending the Earth Sourcebook and the Primeval base traits I came up with appropriate base stats for the ship.

USS Enterprise NCC 1701-D

The USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D) was a Federation Galaxy-class explorer that was in service with Starfleet in the mid-24th century. This was the fifth Federation starship to bear the name Enterprise. During her career, the Enterprise served as the Federation flagship.

Good Traits: Armoury, Computing Power, Database Access, Defence System, Fortified, Holding Cells, Internal Sensors, Laboratory, Landing Pad, Lockdown, Medic, Minions, Mobile Base, Secure Base, Training, Troops

Bad Traits: Code (Prime Directive), Main Reactor, Ongoing Mission, Wandering Civilians (Dependants and non Starfleet Personnel aboard)

Base Points: 12

It's Star Trek Week!

Friday May 17th marks the opening of Star Trek: Into Darkness, and I thought this week would be a good time to provide some DWAITAS write-ups for the Next Gen cast.

The Next Generation cast seems most appropriate following the IDW Comics crossover series (and source of the image at left.)

So, starting tomorrow there will be daily posts providing two character write-ups for the Next Gen cast, plus a few extra gadget entries for some of the more important equipment.




USING DWAITAS FOR A STAR TREK GAME

 It really wouldn't be that hard to use the DWAITAS system for a full on Star Trek Campaign. Both shows (especially TNG) were big on the idea of non-violent solutions to problems, and the DWAITAS system's very storytelling oriented nature would be a good fit for those looking for that kind of game.

The numerous (if sometimes contradictory information) from the pre-existing Trek RPGs makes for a vast array of source material. While I have neverplayed it, I was given the understanding the classic FASA Star Trek RPG utilized a similar game mechanic to FASA's Doctor Who rules. Marmal over at the DWAITAS forum had a simple manner for converting FASA Who stats to DWAITAS. Conceivably it could be used with FASA's Trek material.

Subtract 1 from the levels of all the NPCs (except possibly for the Doctor and TV companions) and you've got the AITAS stat.

 Though no real promises on that though, I have never played the Trek system so I really couldn't swear this would work or not. Then you have the problem of actually scrounging up the now thirty year old game books!

Of course, with Memory Alpha, and Memory Beta wikis covering all of the official Star Trek material and the non-canonical material respectively. The internet provides extensive source material for any game you might want to play. The only real limitation is your imagination.

 

Adventure Seed: Polybius

Back in the early 80's during the hight of the video game craze, there's an urban legend about the video game Polybius. It supposedly gave people who played it nightmares and suicidal thoughts, and it shortly disappeared after it's release. Some claimed it was a secret government experiment, maybe it's origins are even more sinister. This scenario would probably work better with a UNIT or Torchwood based campaign.

The players have come to Silicon Valley in the early 1980's to look into some strange incidents involving young people. Many have disappeared, and some have turned back up in catatonic states. A little research on all the victims discovers they were all avid video game players, and this new game that’s showed up around town, Polybius, has been the big attraction for all of them. Talking with the players at some of the arcades, the kids mention the game seems to disappear pretty soon after they show up. They think it's their parents complaining and the owners pulling the machines. Except the owners of these arcades have never heard of these machines! If you use the arcade player grapevine, you soon find a machine, and the owner of the arcade is wondering where it came from. If you can convince the owner to let you take a look inside the machine, things suddenly get out of hand, the game unit's screen starts making a pulsing glow, and attacks with an electrical blast. Then it just teleports away, leaving the injured and confused.

WHAT'S GOING ON


The Polybius is an alien computer. It was a tyrannical central authority on it's home world, and controlled through it's merciless iron will. Finally the people of the world rallied together to try and remove the machine, but before it was
overthrown, it launched a massive number of Nodes out into the stars, planning on spreading it's power off world.

Landing on Earth, it found humans easy enough to control, but it needed more computing power and energy to truly take over.. It was able to establish itself within a company making arcade games, and began building nodes within their games to help increase it's control and power. The Nodes have been hypnotizing the gamers (especially the highly successful ones) and having them come to the factory. Polybius is using their brains as organic computer power to help expand it's abilities and build more Nodes.

It's objective is conquest of the planet, it wants to establish control through it's hypnotizing Nodes and systematically incorporate everyone into it's network. At least those it can use, otherwise they end up catatonic like some of the kids.

THINGS TO DO 

Track down the Polybius factory. Free the people under it's control, and figure out how to shut it down.


ENEMIES

The Polybius Computer is stationary and defenseless, but it's Arcade Game Nodes can teleport freely and can either use it's screens to try and hypnotize or attack. It should almost be like the Weeping Angels movements, literally appearing out of nowhere with the glowing screens throbbing menacingly.

INTERESTING CHARACTERS


The kids at the arcade that know what's going on. Maybe a PI who's been hired by the parents to find their missing child. Maybe some of the aliens from it's home world have arrived on a mission to ensure it's eradication.

ACTION SCENES

A running fight within the highly automated Polybius factory.



PROBLEMS

Figuring out a way to free the hypnotized people from the Polybius control. Shutting down the main computer and interfering with the Node teleport signals.



CONTINUING THE ADVENTURE

This wasn't the only Node released, it may be encountered elsewhere.

A Cast of Dozens: Background NPCs for the game

Instead of the usual weekend write up with a single detailed character, I'm doing a group of related characters your players can run across in your adventures. Some a directly inspired by certain TV shows and movies, others are more generic in nature.

This week's collection is your typical (or maybe not so typical) rural villagers. Almost all of them have  potential story hooks in their backgrounds, and can easily be dropped into a game.

 The Village of Mayburleigh
A  quaint little village that is not quite what it seems

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10 Characters on other TV shows that would make Great and/or Terrible Companions

I ran across a couple posts on WhatCulture arguing about what characters on other TV shows would make great companions and which ones would be terrible.

I don't think either list is very good, but the supposedly "Great Companion" list is by far worse.  At the number one spot is Sheldon Cooper , whom I have already done a write-up (along with the rest of the BBT cast) over at the DWAITAS message board. Regardless of what that blog thinks, Sheldon would be terrible in the TARDIS. Considering that his entire self image (hell his whole reality!) is based around the idea that he is the smartest person in the room. Any time he's confronted by someone who could truly challenge him intellectually, he's either reverts to downright childish behavior (like when he's verbally sparred with Leslie Winkle) or completely shuts down, uncertain how to react (worst case being when Stephen Hawking pointed out a math error in his paper and he fainted.) The Doctor, in his usual show-offy manner, would have Sheldon turned into a puddle within minutes of meeting him, and the second a monster showed up, it would be a pretty good guess that Sheldon's Mother really would need to have him tested again.

Of the other choices on the "Great Companions" list, I'd say the kid from Touch, Chandler from Friends, and Hiro Nakamura from Heroes, are the equally bad for different reasons. Chandler is just an idiot, has nothing resembling useful skills,  and unless the Daleks do us all a favor and exterminate him on sight he would be a total waste. The Kid and Hiro are pretty much on the opposite end of things, with too much power. Hiro's space-time bending and the kid's numerical clairvoyance would end up being power upgrades for deus ex machina that the Doctor often is.

As for the "Terrible Companions" list,  I just think the writer just threw out some names and didn't really try. Personally, I think most of them would work not as Companions, but as potential antagonists and villains. Take Mr. Bean for example, what if he was some kind of temporal anomaly that acted as a kind of anti-Doctor.  Popping up throughout history and wreaking havoc through his incompetent bumbling? Maybe he was chosen by the Black Guardian as his ultimate champion? What better instrument of Chaos and Disorder than someone who fully embodies such traits?

I could see situations where B.A. Baracus and the rest of the A-Team might find themselves in conflict with the TARDIS crew. It's not uncommon for Doctor Who stories to revolve around wealthy, powerful, and unscrupulous people.  Henry Van Statten , Luke Rattigan, or Joshua Naismith are all the kind of men that will trample over as many backs needed to achieve their goals. This is exactly the kind of situation the A-Team would often be called in to rectify. Considering the standard operating procedure for the A-Team includes them storming their enemy's stronghold and delivering an ultimatum, it might be really bad timing they show up right as the bad guy starts up some big plot and things go awry due to their interference.

Wesley Crusher of course, was the child prodigy of Star Trek that ended up gaining some kind of Vortex manipulation powers from his friend the Traveler. And all of this happened (relatively speaking) before the Last Great Time War. It might be the Traveler's people found themselves involved in the Time War, and Wesley might have ended up on the front lines. Much like the Doctor, he ends up sacrificing much to save reality, maybe finding himself trapped in strange alternate universe where nothing of his future exists. The once bright and hopeful Starfleet officer is now a damaged war survivor with an agenda, to return home, whatever it takes. He's probably had to break a lot of the rules Starfleet and the Traveler instilled into him just to survive, and now he's willing to burn worlds just to go back to where he belongs.

They do list BBC's Sherlock on the "Terrible" list. Like some of the other characters, he would not be an outright villain, but someone who starts out on the opposite side of the TARDIS crew. If they are trying to keep a secret and Sherlock is hellbound determined to uncover it, that would provide quite a bit of conflict for an adventure without him actually being a straight off bad guy.

Now Ted Mosby from "How I Met Your Mother" is clearly an outright villain*. I suspect he's a memory changing entity like Adam Smith, and this intricate tale he's telling these kids is an attempt to make them believe he is their father and belongs in their lives.

Since I go by the belief that all of the Hitchhiker's books exist within the same reality as Doctor Who, I would assume the Doctor has run into Zaphod Beeblebrox on a few occasions. They would definitely be antagonistic in a long standing rivalry of one-upsmanship and juvenile pranksertism. I could definitely see their last drinking binge together ended with the Doctor waking up with a hell of a hangover and in the First Queen Elizabeth's bed.

 It's unavoidable that everyone would have their own ideas for what character would be a great companion and which ones would be rubbish. The concept of the show lends itself so well to crossovers it's no surprise fans come up with ideas like this, and even less of a surprise fans comment incessantly about it:)







*And so is his actor, I mean, it's obvious the guy playing him is also some kind of experiment by the Silence to create a human with their abilities. Seriously, go look up his IMDB page and five minutes later, try remembering what his name is!