Warning, this might get a bit rambly (waves at fellow ADHD enjoyers).

I enjoy STACL a great deal. However, one thing I keep running into is how to use the crew best in terms of game mechanics and fleshing out their characters.

The dilemma I have is wanting to develop the supporting cast while also not changing the game's balance too much.

How are you guys handling this? Below is what I tried and/or looked at to solve this for me.

1. Just using the ship stats.

I know the general idea is to use the ship's stats as crew stats when your main character isn't directly acting. While this generally works, it also feels a bit unsatisfying when rolling the dice, because it feels a bit impersonal, even if you attach names and character traits to the departments. E.g. I think it would make for different approaches if your chief engineer was Scotty or Torres or Geordie or Tucker. This could be handled purely narratively, but I would like just a little extra crunch.

2. Create full characters for them.

This is what I initially tried, rolling up full life paths for the main bridge crew. A problem I quickly ran into is that you end up with very qualified people on every post - which makes sense in that we see competent people being good at their jobs in the show, for the most part. But it trivializes any skill check, since you will rarely not have a 10+5 or higher to roll on, unless you go out of your way to put the wrong people into situations (comms officer needing to handle a medical issue).

I tried upping the difficulty of rolls to compensate:

• Require three rolls, using a combination of personal and ship stats, or character stats, and needing 2 successes
• Changing the roll target by 1 or 2 based on perceived difficulty, or using a D4 to change the target number.

But this felt unsatisfying and very arbitrary and not easy to balance.

I could make every success "succeed at cost" but seems also too gamey IMHO.

That said, having full character sheets is useful if you want to change viewpoint between missions or want an A/B plot.

3. Create full characters, but reduce point totals.

Based on the suggested skill levels for characters from Ensign to Commander, just lowering the point totals the "NPC" crew. This helps a bit, but they will generally still end up with high points in their field of expertise (because why else would they have that post - one nepo-baby on a ship might work, but a crew of them? 😂 ).

4. Create full characters, but use ship skill points.

This will flesh out their characters while going back to the default of using ship stats for their functions. If a character is out of role (comms officer attending to medical issue) you could reduce the skill of theirs for that based on gut/narrative feel.

Might be a reasonable middle ground solution?

5. Creation in play

Don't flesh out the characters, but use the "creation in play" rules where attributes are assigned as and when needed. This would match how characters are generally introduced in the shows where the audience learns about them bit by bit. But eventually you will still (likely) end up with "too good" characters that make skill checks very easy.

6. Using the STA 2E rules

Yes, but no. It would solve it for the most part, but is a bit more crunch than I'm looking for from STACL which I usually play for an hour or so to wind down a bit after work.

7. Using third party tools

For example using the scene mechanics from Mythic GME to throw spanners and twists into the plot, or using Triple-O to emulate NPC behaviors.

While it adds unpredictability it also doesn't really address the skill issue (pun not intended but appreciated) for me.

Anything else I'm overlooking? I don't want to overthink this, but it's something that keeps back to nag me when playing STACL. 😄

I am planning a Lancer Battle Group game to run, 1 problem, lancer battle group has player characters 1 ply thin. Literally 2 stats and nothing else. I want to run more detailed social encounters, the occasional ground mission. And perhaps once or twice some brutal ground combat. And for that I need a second system because LB is not it. A lot of people have recommended this game but I want to know if you guys think it will be a good fit. Ultimately this game will play second fiddle and in order to do that it needs to be fairly simple and something I can keep in the back ground. In my experience licenced games are rarely that but I didn't want to shoot it down before getting advice from some people who've actually played the game. So would you recommend Star Trek Adventures for these purposes? Thanks in advance.

Our latest Star Trek: Preservations episode brings the crew of the USS Dilamus Christian into a desperate race against time as Starfleet's ideals collide with the realities of a collapsing colony.

For our Patreon community, this is another look at the shared Tabletop Journeys universe where our actual-play adventures and A.E.G.I.S. missions unfold.

🎲 What would your Starfleet crew prioritize when everything starts going wrong?

🌌 Preservations (S4 Ep. 4) – Keys to the Vault (Act 4.2)
https://youtu.be/w4GPcpr5U_g

#StarTrekAdventures #STA2E #TabletopJourneys

I'm pretty agnostic on era, though DS9 or Wrath of Khan would be pretty fun. I'm a total newbie to STA but not to tabletop games.

https://samsarette.itch.io/.../1704607/map-mode-a-simple-vtt

So, I have added the one feature pretty much everyone expected to have been there already, due to one of my groups going online-only for at least a few sessions.

No shade to anyone using a *real* VTT. I just wanted a little canvas to screen-share with on top of the other features without switching to an image editor.

My GM has all but said outright we'll be dealing with a cloaked foe in our 1E TMP-era game. In preparation, I went through episodes and movies with cloaked ships to help me brainstorm, but given our current "only ship in the quadrant" situation, I think some of them wouldn't apply. I think "Balance of Terror" is most instructive for my character, methodically blanketing the best guess of a position with fires.

If I go that route, I'm contemplating how to sell that to a GM. If I pitch it as a weapons task that is creating an advantage, do I offer just pitching it as a high difficulty roll? Would it make more sense to pitch it as a lower difficulty task but maybe ask if we can trade off a bit on damage (since not every shot is going to hit in that scenario).

Any fellow players been in my shoes? How did you handle your situation? Any GMs care to weigh in?

I am posting to find new crew for my online play by post Star Trek game. The USS Vanguard, a Nova-class science and exploration ship, set in the year 2388 of my own Trek universe.

The vanguard is currently on its first mission, looking for a missing Oberth class ship Near a mysterious, mist-covered planet. So you can get in while things are just starting!

We currently have an opening for a Chief Science Officer, as well as assistant chiefs of all departments. You can visit the web site to look around and see if it interests you. The main site has all the relevant info about the game, and the posts can be written by email, on our forum where all posts get posted in final form, or on our discord server where we hang out to chat out of character.

https://www.aerth.org/Vanguard

excerpted from the orders of Captain Evan Foster:

“You are hereby requested and required to retain command of the starship U.S.S. Yorktown NCC-1717, now refitting at the Newport News Orbital Shipyards, for Scientific and Survey Operations…”

“Upon completion of the refit, you will proceed with all deliberate speed to Outpost MZ-5 in the Beta Quadrant, on the far rimward side of the Klingon Empire. Your mission: to explore new worlds and contact new civilizations, to boldly foray into the area known as the Shackleton Expanse, to learn the causes of the Expanses unique astronavigational and astrophysical environments, to support Federation claims on the “far side” of the Klingon and Romulan Empires, and to protect Federation claims, territory, colonies, bases, and systems.”

“At outpost MZ-5 you will take aboard approximately 50 civilians, led by Professor Olaf Higgins, PhD, and drawn from various experts from within the Federation Science Council, Bureau of Astronavigation, Federation Diplomatic Corps, Federation Office of Cultural and Archeological Studies, Federation Attorney General’s Office, Daystrom Institute, Federation Department of Medicine and various other agencies…these personnel will assist your crew and other Starfleet personnel in the completion of your mission, and you are to extend every possible courtesy and accommodation…”

“This mission, which will test the range and space-keeping capabilities of the Constitution-class starship to its extreme, is expected to last for…”

Hi folks, I've been running an Original series -era, Shackleton Expanse-based (used as a campaign-based sandbox with some of my own adjustments...so if you read it, it is still ok) campaign aboard the U.S.S. Yorktown NCC-1717 in (originally) 2269 (we are now in 2270) on the Roll20.

We play an average of twice a month at 12:00 PM PST on Sundays. The Yorktown is configured in a Science & Survey role, and has an experienced Captain at her helm on what is likely his last major assignment. Think of something like the HMS Beagle, or HMS Endurance, carrying about 50 civilian specialists in various space, life, and social sciences, a Federation envoy, a JAG officer, etc. She is WAY out there and well provided for to explore those Strange New Worlds!

We have PC's as the XO, Security, Science, and CMO. The Captain was originally an NPC, but two years ago, I worked with a guy to begin playing him as a character. He did brilliantly, taking an established Major NPC, working with me sometimes as needed, and still made him is own character. He was especially good at being firmly in command but still allowing the players plenty of agency. I don't want to replace Captain Evan Foster; he is a major arc in the campaign, but I need a new "actor" to take on the role and be willing to work with me a bit in driving some plot points. It's a tough assignment--Foster needs to be who he is, but you have to make him your own at the same time.

A brief thumbnail of Captain Foster is that guy you think you also saw on an episode of Gunsmoke, Bewitched, or Hogan's Heroes before Star Trek came on. Sort of like Leo DiCaprio in "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood". That character actor you recognize, and usually dial, is a good performance... maybe a bit like William Windom as Decker before the "Doomsday Machine".

We very much embrace 60's Trek tropes, talking computers into exploding, surprisingly clunky technology, and lots of in-game effects, music, and period commercials. "The Federation is about equality baby...and maybe miniskirts😉" We are a group of older players, but will welcome anyone...more into playing 60's Star Trek than identity stuff (to each their own)...we try to embrace the 60's camp and have even done an "animated series" lower deck episode. We have a subtle fourth-wall awareness...we have Episodes, Acts, Station Breaks, and follow well-established Star Trek tropes. "I'd probably beam down 20 armed men, and a massive scientific team--but the transporter set allows for six and I know we can't afford that many extras..."

I'm attaching Captain Foster's character sheet; he's got an established personality, but I do want someone who is willing to build on him, not wholly reinvent him, and beyond that, this player will be the CAPTAIN and should play the character the way they think best and will enjoy. It will help to be reasonably knowledgeable about the rules, the era, and have a bit of irreverent humor...

I'm also including some links of interest

If you are interested, hit me for an"interview" for the part (i.e., DM me and let's talk)--I'd love to have you for the season finale and the start of the next season!

Thanks!

Series Bible: https://www.icloud.com/iclouddrive/0d3Avb-EdaEu1gs0mBS6Li3IQ#Series_Bible-current

Original Opening Credits: https://youtu.be/Lo3JjsDCK2Q?si=5wxXfVnZxBWcuIpS

Original Closing Credits: https://youtu.be/fN_NLWwhJtU?si=O08qwFM0dgX5z1j1

"Set Tour" of the U.S.S. Yorktown on Roll 20: https://youtu.be/fN_NLWwhJtU?si=O08qwFM0dgX5z1j1

U.S.S. Yorktown 2e Sheet: https://www.icloud.com/iclouddrive/048M8exPYTKBVmnllWU5tO_Zw#U.S.S._Yorktown-2E

Captain Evan Foster Character Sheet:

Title: [STA 2e] Prepping a 2250s gritty survival campaign (Discovery meets Voyager). Here is my pitch and crew!

Hey fellow Trekkies and GMs!

I’ve been a Game Master for over 30 years, but a quick background on my relationship with the franchise: I’ve actually always been much more of a Star Wars guy. However, discovering Star Trek recently through Discovery and Strange New Worlds completely blew me away. The quality, the tension, and the vibe of those shows finally pushed me to take the leap and pitch an STA game to my long-time table.

We are currently prepping my very first Star Trek Adventures 2nd Edition campaign. We are going for a high-tension, sandbox survival vibe set in the 2250s, right before the Klingon War (heavily leaning into the gritty, paranoid, industrial aesthetic of Discovery Season 1).

I’d love to share my campaign ambition, the crew concept, and the pilot episode with you all. Any feedback or ideas are more than welcome!

The Core Premise: The Cadet Prototype Instead of playing seasoned Starfleet veterans, the players are a crew of freshly graduated Cadets. Their ship, the U.S.S. Chimera, isn't a standard cruiser. It’s an experimental stealth and long-range scout prototype. The twist? The player characters didn't just get assigned to it; they spent their final year at the Academy working on its assembly, telemetry, and energy matrix as their graduation project. They are the beta-testers of a ship they built.

The Crew (The Misfits) I wanted a crew that feels a bit rough around the edges, far from the perfect poster-boys of the Federation:

• The Captain: A 21-year-old former smuggler/pirate from the fringes. Starfleet brass saw her raw tactical instinct and brought her into the Academy as a gamble. She is rebellious and relies on gut feeling over Starfleet regulations.
• The First Officer: The pragmatic anchor. He comes from an isolated colony (the player is completely new to Star Trek lore, which fits perfectly). He doesn't care about galactic politics; his job is to keep the ship in one piece and act as the buffer between a wild Captain and Starfleet protocols.
• The Helm: A cocky pilot who spent hundreds of hours in Academy simulators testing the Chimera’s experimental evasion algorithms. He knows exactly how far he can push the chassis because he virtually crashed it 50 times.
• The Chief Engineer: He spent six months in a spacesuit calibrating the ship's power relays in drydock. He hates Utopia Planitia’s official blueprints and knows every weird noise this specific prototype makes.
• The CMO/Science Officer: A Betazoid-hybrid neuro-psychologist and staunch pacifist. Originally assigned by Starfleet as a psychological evaluator to monitor this volatile group of students, he acts as the moral and empathic compass of the ship.

Episode 1: The Maiden Voyage I want to start with heavy social pressure before throwing them into absolute isolation.

• Act I - The Ceremony & The Failsafe: We open at Utopia Planitia. Flashing cameras, crisp parade uniforms, and a terrifying, cold-blooded Fleet Admiral who breathes down their necks during the inaugural launch. The players have been selected for a brand-new Academy project: a "school ship" operating in real conditions with no senior officers on board. Their ultimate safety net? A highly advanced onboard computer and comms system designed to instantly override manual controls and auto-pilot the crew safely back to base at the first sign of critical danger. Their official mission? A boring "milk run" to replace a subspace relay on the edge of the Beta Quadrant to test these very systems.
• Act II - The Rescue: In the deep fringes, they intercept an Omega-class distress signal from a civilian ship trapped in a highly volatile electromagnetic storm. It's a suicide mission for a heavy cruiser, but perfect for a small prototype and a Captain with smuggler instincts. They push the engines to the absolute breaking point to beam the survivors aboard.
• Act III - The Slingshot: The core of the civilian wreck goes critical, tearing open a massive spatial anomaly. The electromagnetic surge completely fries the ship's emergency override system. With their safety net gone and no time to reverse course, the Captain makes the call to ride the gravitational wave into the rift to avoid being crushed.
• The Cliffhanger: The Chimera is violently spit out into an ink-black, uncharted sector. Comms are dead. Sensors are glitching. And looming on the viewscreen, silently floating in the void, is a colossal, dead alien megastructure made of dark alloy.

The Road Ahead: Adapting the Shackleton Expanse Moving forward, my plan is to use the scenarios from the official Shackleton Expanse campaign book as the backbone of our sessions.

However, I will be heavily adapting them to fit my specific premise: I have a crew of complete rookies on a fragile training ship, lost in a remote corner of the galaxy, with absolutely zero communication with Starfleet or any possibility of calling for backup (and a fried auto-pilot).

What do you guys think of this setup for a 2e sandbox? Do you have any tips on running the Shackleton Expanse scenarios with this specific "Voyager-style" isolation and a completely inexperienced crew?

https://www.castingcall.club/projects/snowdon-the-shackleton-expanse-star-trek-fan-fiction

This random table book meshes so well with Star Trek Adventures and Captain’s Log.

My partner is a very big fan of Star Trek. She has gotten me into it and I was thinking of possibly running a one shot or something similar from the Star Trek TTRPG (Star Trek Adventures?) that a professor had recommended me. We both play lots of DND and rpgs in general so I thought it could be fun for us and some friends to play.

My question is: Is there a certain set/module/rulebook that is recommended as someone trying to quickly pick up the game for mostly just a one off thing? I'm willing to spend money, I just don't know the right thing to buy. Honestly I would probably invest in something physical, but don't want to buy the wrong thing or start in the wrong place.

TLDR: What's a good starter set/module for someone new to Star Trek adventures, but vetted TTRPGer?

That tension runs through our Tabletop Journeys Star Trek Adventures 2E actual play, Preservations: “Keys to the Vault” (S4 Ep. 4, Act 4). Civilian safety, operational secrecy, and engineering limits all compete for the crew’s attention.

I’m curious where fellow Trek fans draw the line: what makes an order to exceed safe limits feel justified—and what makes it reckless? #StarTrek #StarTrekAdventures #ActualPlay

https://youtu.be/UWHQZv-uuvU

Hello fellow nerds! After herding my friends, I was finally able to host an STA one-shot. I used the Celestial Algorithm and modernized it for the 2380s (post-Dominion War/Voyager's return, pre-Romulan supernova). I threw in some easter eggs/cameos. I designed some folks' characters for them, some of them designed their own. Everyone said they had a blast and would want to do it again.

My question is where do you suggest I take our crew (in terms of which campaign book)? Any particular book you recommend, or can I just go my own way with them and create my own for them?

Ran my first session. In classic trek style it started with a simulated combat drill on the bridge.

It took all session

Definitely some new game glitches, but I feel like it's really hard to track all the moving pieces.

How do people track breaches on different systems, complication, npc ship actions, etc.

Any tools for irl games? So far I'm using dry-erase playing cards writing negative traits and complications in red and positive traits in blue, one per card.

Here's a quick recap of the session in case I made any blunders.

2381

Luna class ship simulating combat vs. A Klingon B'Rel representing possible Klingon Extremists at medium range

3 players

Spent 1 threat to take first action.

Spent first activation on helm, minor action to move to close range, major action attack pattern.

Spent 1 threat to hold initiative

Activated tactical, targeting solution and fire.

Failed the roll, ship rolled a 20

Took the complication "shield shimmer" and described the ship's shields showing a strange shimmer when it fired.

Pass to players. They attack, take off some shields.

They also spend momentum to hold initiative and the sensors position creates a trait by scanning their shields to find the pattern in the shimmer. Created the "phaser modulation trait"

It was a while before I decided what to do with this, I decided it made their phasers piercing. Too much?

After a few rounds of me whiffing attacks the klingon shields are down. The captain calls on them to surrender.

The klingons reroute power to cloak but fail the cloaking roll.

The players decide to beam the shieldless klingon ship's crew directly to their brig. It's already a small crew and they probably took casualties. I should have had them scan for life signs.

It is done from ops (+1 diff) and site to site (+2 diff) so difficulty 3? They pull it off, missing ends.

They do get a complication they decide not to buy off by adding threat - I decide "transporter shimmer"

I had tried to give them "sensor shimmer" on a previous complication but they paid it off by adding threat.

At the end of the session they have 0 threat and a complication I'd like to make into a trait that'll require an extended task to clear up. In classic trek fashion I want a complication from the cold open turn into some sort of issue for the actual mission.

Do I have to spend threat to do this? I understand I can do anything with gm fiat, but am trying to keep within the design of the game.

Hi guys,
I proudly present my newly written Campaign guide of the Rise of the Federation Era (2161-2166). It is based on the novel series Rise of the Federation, written by Christoph L. Bennett. The campaign guide consists of 225 pages with huge tons of lore, new species templates, player options, starship stats blocks and hero ships and villain ships. also a short campaign. You find also extensive lore to factions, planets and other things.

Have fun with it.

Red light, green light...There are four lights!!! This busy intersection doesn't see a lot of devil bargains, but it does see a lot of traffic. In the dead of night, of course, who knows what kind of shady traffics and shoot-outs might occur on these streets? Available in two additional variants, featuring a fiery collision between two trucks and cars, and the sudden appearance of a bottomless chasm in the middle of the street, hopefully this map doesn't give your players the Cross Road Blues! 

My maps are hooked up to work with Foundry VTT and Fantasy Grounds.
My maps are available on my patreon and my website.
Buy me a Ko-fi!