Using Traveller to Run a Star Trek Campaign (Part 1)

Traveller and Star Trek role playing have been borrowing from one another since the beginning. FASA’s Star Trek License had a lifepath generation system that was very much built on the foundation of char-gen laid by Traveller (for example). Even today, Modiphius’ Star Trek License echoes those early FASA roots.

Adapting Star Trek to Traveller is a huge project. More than I can fit into a single article. So this is gonna be a series for next few weeks. Also I’ve dipped a toe into using Star Trek for roleplaying over in the Triangle.

Of course with a perfectly fine Modiphius’ game, and at least two other licensed games we haven’t mentioned and of course FASA being available (if not currently in print)is why do all this work? Well, because it’s fun, of course, and it’s an opportunity to go through some old notebooks I’ve written in from back in the day. That’s a long way of saying that a this in no way, shape or form is anything but fair use. Paramount, please don’t sue me I have nothing you want.

Rank and Presence

Starfleet is a huge institution. Blue, Red, Gold (and sometimes Avocado Green) tunics cover more than what the “Navy” career covers. We will be using several careers to describe the crew and personnel that can be found on most Starfleet vessels.

The Federation does not have a Social Standing in the same way Traveller does. Instead, in a Star Fleet campaign, Characteristic 6 becomes “Presence”. Presence is a combination of personal charm, and reputation. Like Social Standing, Presence affects a lot of social interactions in the setting.

Rank in Star Fleet is universal, Commision and Promotion climbs the following (very simplified) Rank structure:

• Enlisted Ranks
  • 0 – Spacehand
  • 1 – Specialist : Mechanic /1
  • 2 – Petty Officer 2^nd Class : Vacc Suit /1
  • 3 – Petty Officer 1^st Class
  • 4 – Chief Petty Officer: +1 END
  • 5 – Senior Chief Petty Officer : Leadership /1
  • 6 – Master Chief Petty Officer
• Officer Ranks
  • 1 – Ensign: Melee (unarmed)/1
  • 2 – Lieutenant: Leadership /1
  • 3 – Lieutenant Commander
  • 4 – Commander: Tactics/ 1
  • 5 – Captain : PRE 10 or +1 PRE whichever is higher
  • 6 – Admiral : Admin /1

Starfleet Academy and Higher Education

There are several options for “Pre-Career Education” in the Federation. The Vulcan Science Academy, the Cochrane Institute, Utopia Planetia Institute of Engineering, and the list goes on. These schools would be termed “Universities” in the core rules. We’ll address those later on. We’ll start with Starfleet Academy

There are multiple military academies in the Federation. The Andorian Imperial Academy, The Lunar Military Institute, but the most prestigious and well known of the Military Academy is Starfleet Academy.

Starfleet Academy has four curriculum that correspond to the Army, Marines, Navy, and Scouts. The Army curriculum leads into the Federation Defense Corps, which is the planetside armed branch that specialize in conducting military operations on planetary, or moon surfaces. The Marine cirriculum leads into the Starfleet Marines, many Marines serve in the Starfleet Security branch (the infamous “redshirts”). The Navy branch lead directly into Starfleet, usually into Operations Branch and Command Branch. The Scout branch leads into the Exploration Department of Starfleet.

Admission into Starfleet Academy is a check of 8+ based on different characteristics for every curriculum. Army applications are very physical and use STR as the check stat. Marine applications are likewise very physical and use END as the check stat. Navy applications test mental ability and use EDU as the check stat. Scout applications test mental adaptability and use INT as the check stat. If this is the character’s second term, apply a DM of -2, if it is their third term or later, apply a DM of -4.

Once accepted into Starfleet Academy, cadets get all service skills for their curriculum at level 0 just like basic training. Graduating Starfleet Academy requires an INT 7+ check with a DM of +1 if END is 8 or higher and a +1 if PRE is 8 or higher. If the Graduation check is 11+, the cadet has graduated with Honors. If the cadet fails their graduation roll, they wash out of the Academy without any Graduation benefits.

Graduates of Starfleet Academy receive the following benefits

• When entering the branch their curriculum leads into, the graduate chooses three service skills to advance to level 1.
• EDU +1
• Graduates enter their service branch automatically
• Graduates enter their service branch as an Officer Rank 1
• Honor Graduates get PRE +1
• Honor Graduates enter their service branch as an Officer Rank 2

Graduating other Military Academies get a DM +2 to their Qualification roll when entering a branch that corresponds to their Academy’s specialty.

Universities function the same way as described in the Traveller Core Rulebook except for the Vulcan Science Academy. Entry to the Vulcan Science Academy are restricted to Vulcans. Even the legendary Spock found their admission obstructed because of his human heritage.

Admission into the Vulcan Science Academy is an INT 10+ check. (The Vulcan Science Adademy does not entertain applications for admission after Term 1) Once admitted, the student picks four Science specialties at Level 1. Students gain EDU 8 or +1 EDU whichever is greater. Graduating the Vulcan Science Academy requires an INT 8+ check, if a 12+ is rolled, the student graduates with Honors. Graduates receive the following benefits.

• Increase two of their chosen Science specialties to Level 2.
• +1 EDU
• +1 PRE
• Graduates can automatically enter the Scholar (Field Reseacher or Scientist) Profession at Rank 1
• Graduates can automatically enter Starfleet Science branch as an Officer at Rank 1
• Honors Graduates receive a further +1 EDU and +1 PRE
• Honors Graduates who choose to enter the Scholar Field Researcher or Scientist) Profession at Rank 2
• Honors Graduates who choose to enter Starfleet Science branch enter as an Officer at Rank 2

Explorers, Diplomats, and Adventurers

Starfleet branches correspond to Traveller Careers.

Operations Branch: Operations (or “Ops”) are technicians and systems operators on board a starship. They maintain and work with the starships major systems. Everything from deflectors to the transporters and replicators. Navy: Line/ Crew and Engineer/ Gunner

Command Branch: The Command branch covers various leadership roles within Starfleet. Not only commanders, but diplomats, communications officers and department heads. Navy: Line/Crew and Noble: Diplomat.

Engineering Branch: The engineering department works with a ship’s power systems and engines. While the technical specialists in Ops perform maintenance and effect minor repairs, the Engineering branch are the crew that modifies and overhauls the primary ship’s systems. When the Captain is demanding more from the ship than what she’s built to deliver, it’s the Engineering Branch who work miracles. Navy: Engineer/ Gunner, Marine: Support, or Scholar/ Science

Exploration Branch: This branch of Starfleet are more common among the smaller vessels with crews of less than 50. But most cruiser-sized vessels on deep space missions have a full department of Exploration Branch crew. Scout/ Surveyor and Explorer. Scholar/ Field Researcher. Navy/ Flight

Science Branch: Science Branch is the largest and most diverse branch in Starfleet. Science Branch covers departments for dozens of Science disciplines of study. From Astronomy to Xenology and more. Scholar/ Field Researcher, Scientist, Scout/ Surveyor

Medical Branch: Field Medics, Nurses, Doctors, Surgeons and Medical officers. Starfleet medical serve everywhere Starfleet operates, entire classes of Starfleet vessel are designed as Medical vessels. Every Starfleet vessel has a Medical Department and a Chief Medical Officer (even the small Exploration Branch ships, though the CMO on those ships are often the entire Medical Department and hold low officer Ranks. Scholar/ Physician.

Security Branch: Starfleet Security covers both the Security personnel on board most vessels and starbases, and Starfleet Marines. The marines, while using similar tactics to the Federation Defense Corps when planetside, are used as ship’s troops and a specialist military option on Starfleet defense vessels. Marine/ Support, Star Marine, Ground Assault, Agent/ Law Enforcement, Navy/ Flight

Flight Branch: Starfleet maintains squadrons of small and auxiliary craft. Couriers, Shuttles, Runabouts, and Fighters. Starfleet’s Pilot Corps not only has pilots, but the entire support crew, mechanics, engineers and technicians. Navy/ Flight, Scout/ Courier

The Federation Defense Corps

Starfleet is primarily a scientific and exploration organization. The Federation Defense Corps has its roots in the various planetary armed forces of Terra (the Military Assault Command Operations, M.A.C.O) the Andorians (the Imperial Army) and Tellarites (the Coalition of Planets Guard). The Vulcans, of course, had left behind the philosophies of violence which had necessitated standing armies centuries ago.

The Federation Defense Corps has waxed and waned over the history of the Federation. During the Federation/ Klingon Wars, the FDC was expanded into a fully functional planetside army. When encounters with the Gorn threatened to spark into a new war, it was the FDC that was assigned to colonies under threat. By the time of the Dominion War, the FDC had become a fully supported military force, though still only a fraction of the size of Starfleet.

Characters that serve in the FDC use the Army career in character generation.

Federation Defense Corps ranks

• Enlisted Ranks
  • 0 – Private; Gun Combat (energy)/ 1
  • 1 – Lance Corporal; Recon/ 1
  • 2 – Corporal
  • 3 – Sergeant; Leadership/ 1
  • 4 – Sergeant, First Class
  • 5 – Master Sergeant
  • 6 – Sergeant Major

• Officer Ranks
  • 1 – Lieutenant, Leadership/ 1
  • 2 – Captain
  • 3 – Major, Tactics (military)/ 1
  • 4 – Lt. Colonel
  • 5 – Colonel
  • 6 – General PRE 10 or +1 PRE whichever is higher

UFP Diplomatic Corps

The UFP Diplomatic Corps is a separate institution from Starfleet. There are two divisions, the Diplomatic Corps which has Federation Diplomats, Negotiators and Ambassadors. The Diplomatic Corps use the Noble/ Diplomat or Administrator careers. The UFP Diplomatic Corps also has Federation Intelligence tasked with espionage, characters who serve in Federation Intelligence use the Agent/ Intelligence or Rogue/ Thief careers.

What about Section 31? Of course, there is no Section 31.
I would not recommend allowing Section 31 characters in a Star Trek Campaign. The power of Section 31 as an element in the Star Trek Universe is it’s mystery. Allowing player-characters to work for this shadow-organization strips that mystery away from Section 31 and turns it to yet one more faction in the Star Trek Universe.

Star Trek Is an Active Duty Campaign

When a character is generated for a Star Trek Traveller Campaign, they do not go through a final mustering out. When their Character Generation ends, they are still serving in Starfleet. Players can choose to change careers at the start of the campaign. Qualification rolls remain the same except if the Qualification check fails, the character remains in the career they served in the previous term.

Characters who fail a Survival roll during their term suffer a Mishap and must Qualify for a new Career to start the campaign. If they fail that qualification roll, the character is not viable for the campaign and the player will need to start over. In any case, failing a Survival roll will end character generation.

As characters progress through their careers, they also collect a service jacket of postings. Every term, along with their Event, the player needs to make a posting roll to see where they served in StarFleet for that term.

• 2 – Posted to a terrible assignment. Gain Enemy
• 3 – Posted to a terrible assignment. Gain 1 Ally
• 4 – Posted to an insignificant assignment. Gain 1 Contact
• 5 – Posted to a minor assignment. Gain 1 Rival
• 6 – Posted to a minor assignment. Gain 1 Contact
• 7 – Posting remains unchanged. Gain 1 Contact
• 8 – Posted to a better assignment. Gain 1 Contact
• 9 – Posted to an important assignment. Gain 1 Rival
• 10 – Posted to an important assignment. Gain 1 Ally
• 11 – Posted to a prestigious assignment. Gain 1 Rival
• 12 – Posted to a prestigious assignment. Gain 1 Contact

Terrible assignments are usually reserved for punishments of some sort. Old ships and forgotten starbases. Sometimes you make a friend because of shared misfortune, other times you make an Enemy because someone just doesn’t like you.

Insignificant assignments are dull. Routine postings to routes or bases deep in Federation Space, but far from any center of activity.

Minor assignments are a step down in importance. Either you are assigned to a less important duty at your current post, or you are given a more imporant duty at a less important posting. In either case, the opportunities to make contacts are plentiful, but if you’re not careful you can develop a Rivalry.

Better assignments are a step up in importance, assigned to more responsibilities and reporting to department heads or the Bridge crew. This is an excellent opportunity to make contacts.

Important assignments are premium postings. Assigned to an important route or base in the center of the action in the sector. Shmoozing and rubbing elbows with the command ranking officers or up-and-coming members of Starfleet. The possibilities to make new Allies or develop Rivalries abound in this environment of high ambitions.

Prestigious assignments are postings to the highest visibility missions or vessels. This is where you serve a tour of duty onboard a famous vessel or base or with a hero of Starfleet. You can make an important contact here, but it’s more likely your competition to perform under the spotlight will create a Rivalry.

At the end of Character Generation, all player character will begin the campaign serving on the same ship or starbase. Depending on the nature of the campaign, this assignment could be a step up or step down from their last term’s posting.

Next week we will continue this series, exploring the various species and ethnicities in the Star Trek universe.