Lore and Legends of the Dezzyverse

Author: Dezzy Parrish

  • Aslan in the Dezzy Traveller Universe

    Aslan in the Dezzy Traveller Universe

    A very brief overview of Aslan Culture in the Hierate

    Aslan society is heavily gendered. Female Aslan are born 3 times more often than male Aslan. As the Aslan developed their sentience, the gender roles became reflected in their societal development. Male Aslan led the pride, claimed and defended hunting territory, and female Aslan hunted, developed tools, and later on, agriculture. For much of the development of Aslan civilization, forming clans, moving from nomadic prides to building cities, their industrial revolution, and the development of Jump Drive.

    The Cultural Purge and establishment of the Codices of Sakolusalo loosened the strict adherence of gendered professions and skills to an Aslan’s gender as defined at birth. Outside of the jurisdiction of the Hierate, the various worlds, colonies, and settlements in Reaver’s Deep continue to observe or not observe traditional roles as each community’s tradition would address. Such is life in the Buffer.

    The Akuaeuhrekhyeh and Gendering during adulthood

    Aslan culture has developed along gender distinction. As mentioned, vocations were divided between gender. That strict distinction has loosened in the current age. In systems where the population can support it, individual Aslan are more free to choose the work that matches their talents and interests regardless of their gender.

    In most Aslan cultures when a young Aslan reaches adolescence, before their Akuaeuhrekhyeh rite of passage they are encouraged to explore their place in their ekho, ahriy and huiha. When the time of their Akuaeuhrekhyeh arrives they are offered the choice to undergo their rite as a male or a female. Once the Akuaeuhrekhyeh is complete the Aslan is considered male or female based on the rite of passage regardless of their gender at time of birth.

    Of course, there are traditional clans, prides and families that retain a more restrictive view of the Akuaeuhrekhyeh. Still, they are becoming less and less common with each passing century, especially in places outside the Hierate where Aslan and other species have deeper contact with one another.

    With the exception of the choice offered before the Akuaeuhrekhyeh, the gendered culture of the Aslan changes little. There are still male and female skill sets, the heads of ekho, ahriy and huiha are still male the career paths remain divided between male and female. Aslan socialize, and present as the gender they finished their Akuaeuhrekhyeh as, rather than the gender they were identified as at birth.

    Socialization of preadolescent Aslan

    For the vast majority of Aslan, they undergo the Akuaeuhrekhyeh as the gender they were identified as at birth. A combination of social inertia, history, education and folklore has habituated conformity. It’s that same cultural normalization which endorses acceptance of an Aslan’s gender based on their role in society.

    A small percentage of Aslan (and for that matter, most sophonts which have bimorphic gender divisions) are transgender, and while the acceptance of Aslan who present through the cultural window of their gendered role helps this population to realize their identities, it is not transition. Though, IMTU, the society of Charted Space has progressed beyond persecution. Only in those systems and states where a strong authoritarian governmental control locally prohibits nonconformity can such oppression still be found.

    Tolerance, Dueling, and Marriage

    Aslan society remains patriarchal, male Aslan remain in leadership positions in all aspects of Aslan culture. The change that has developed over the ages is with the definition of “patriarch”. Instead of accident of birth, the term patriarch is defined by the role an Aslan fills in their society.

    The cultural pride of Aslan remains, they are still a “touchy” people in conditions where their honor, respect and status are involved. redefining the patriarch along roles instead of birth opens still more possibilities for an Aslan to take offense and demand satisfaction.

    Marriage and inheritance have also changed. Not only is the head of an ekho, ahriy and huiha a patriarch by role, the institution of marriage is also moved away from the birth genders of the bride and groom. Same sex marriage is a common arrangement for ekho.

    With regards to gender and marriage, Aslan traditions of “plolygamy” remains. One male and one or more females bound by marriage. Again, determined by role rather than sex.

    The practical concerns over childbirth are trivial at this point in Aslan History. While primogeniture remains the system for inheritance along ekho, ahriy, and huiha institutions, like with changing patriarchial definitions, the “oldest male” refers to the Aslan’s job.

    Hierate vs Satellite systems

    The Hierate is where the majority of traditional “akhaoye” huiha reside. A little less than half of the Tlaukhu are akhaoye. The progressive “akyafteirleao” clans tend to be smaller, and only six that are strongly akyaftheirleao. However, the minor clans in the Hierate are becoming more and more akyafteirleao with each passing generation.

    Beyond the Hierate, in those satellite systems where Aslan huiha have control of the culture and government, the percentage of akyafteirleao climbs significantly. The younger ihatei often don’t have the personal charisma to resist the reforms that arrive with colonists and adventurers that arrive to settle the new worlds.

    There is a tension between the akhaoye and akyafteirleao factions in Aslan society. The akhaoye fear losing their centuries-old control and dominance over culture and the akyaftheirleao chafe under the arbitrary rules and traditions that worked well on the savannas of Kusyu, but struggle to remain relevant in a starfaring civilization that has spanned 3 millennia. This tension has lead to countless duels and many feuds among the huiha. While, to most people who are familiar with Aslan culture, the difference between akhaoye and akyaftheirleao factions are obvious, to the uninitiated, assumptions can lead to disrespect and challenges to duels.

    As of the current era, (3i 1105-3i 1125 in the Dezzy Traveller Universe) this has not sparked into a general civil war among the huiha. The fight is still political and has been for centuries (since the adoption of the Codices of Sakolusalo in the ftahea 2525 of the Hierate calendar)

    Happy Pride 2026 no matter where you are in Charted Space. Love is Love!

  • Hard Times in Reaver’s Deep

    Hard Times in Reaver’s Deep

    Eldrytch Suns – Part 1

    Zazaraah began as a Reaver Kingdom in Reaver’s Deep. Founded almost 1500 years ago by Admiral Katarina Tang as the “Grand Duchy of Marlheim” (see The Deep and The Dark pg38). In the early 800s (Imperial) the government was overthrown in a coup by a new despot, a Noble named Zazaar.

    Zazaar subdued any rivals to his power quickly, and within 12 years of his coup, the Grand Duchy of Marlheim had been re-founded as a new Empire, named Zazaraah. Emperor Zazaar held on to power by dividing his subjects along species and cultural lines and playing them off one another. He appointed “Princes” over each of these factions to govern them in his name.

    Subjects of Zazaraah

    The Trauhiyha and the Asitreikhiyl are Aslan clans and rivals. Both clans claim the mainworld in the Hriakh (Ea 1127) system. The Princes, Khah Trauhiyha and Lalasa Asitreikhiyl fight regularly to win the favor of Zazaar and his permission to conquer the neighboring Htalrea (Ea 1226) system.

    The Vell-Karath are a minor human species. In their distant pre-history, they were genetically engineered with a lighter frame and feathered wings. They were settled on the mainworld of the Skara-Vell (Ea 1129). Skara-Vell is a small world with a thin atmophere (C455869-A) The Vell Karath build floating cities in the skies over the surface-bound subjects. Their Prince is a warlord named, Kyrii, a muscle-bound, boastful man that Zazaar .

    The Vell-Karath as Travellers apply a the following modifiers to their characteristics; STR -1, DEX +2, END -2. They have the following Traits:
    Heightened Senses, Sight. Vell-Karath have a Boon to checks that rely on vision and they have a further +2 bonus to offset penalties based on distance.
    Wings. Vell-Karath have large, brilliantly feathered wings that grow from their shoulder-blades which allow them to fly. On worlds with a SIZ of 5 or less and an ATM between 4 and 7 (Thin to Standard), a Vell-Karath can fly unaided. A STR characteristic of 4+ is required to fly. If STR falls to 3 or lower, the Vell-Karath will be unable to continue flying, but may attempt an Emergency Landing. Vell-Karath can fly quickly and engage in combat maneuvers for a number of combat rounds equal to their END characteristic, after which they become fatigued. Distance-covering flight can be maintained for 5 minutes per point of their END characteristic before becoming fatigued.

    The Zarahi are the same species as Emperor Zazaar, and as such enjoy the highest tiers of privilege in the Empire. The Zarahi were a lost Darrian colony that had settled in Reaver’s Deep during the Long Night. In Zazaraah, the Zidunuus (Ea 0926)system has the largest Zarahi population (though Zazaar is not himself from Zidunuus). Of course, the Zarahi do not have a Zazarine Prince like the other cultures in the empire. Or, perhaps more accurately, Emperor Zazaar himself is the Zarahi Prince.

    There is a Vargr culture. Like all Vargr cultures in Charted space, it’s chaotic, and disconnected. The Vargr refer to their faction as “Raekhae”. They don’t have a central system in Zazaraah that is “home” but are spread more-or-less evenly throughout all the Zazaraah systems. While there is a Rhaekhae “Prince” that answers to Zazaar, that position experiences high turnover, either from other charismatic Vargr looking to take the position, or through Zazaar’s displeasure executing the Prince, or even the Prince getting themselves killed in attempts to further their own legend. The current Prince of the Rhaekhae is Kueghfu Khokre, an extravagant, flamboyant corsair queen. She became Prince after spacing her predecessor because Zazaar hinted to her that he wished it.

    There are several human cultures in Zazarah, the Amgimemaa, the Oridgin, Thyqytt, and Von Steyer are the strongest, and they represent entire factions in the Imperial Court.

    The Amgimemaa heritage is primarily Vilani. They have developed a religion around worship of Zazaar as Emperor. The Church of Emperor Divine isn’t simply based on sycophantic devotion to an absolute ruler. Zazaar has been Emperor of Zazaraah for over 3 centuries, he has endured both age and misfortune. He has returned from repeated, documented occasions of his death. He has demonstrated repeated supernatural, even miraculous abilities all of which are obsessively recorded into Scripture. The Prince of the Amgimemaa, Saint Celeste is the head of the church.

    The Oridgin are nomadic, spacefaring caravan-dwellers. They regularly travel outside of the claimed territory of Zazaraah. In addition to their lifestyle of trading and throughout the surrounding subsectors the Oridgin act as spies and scouts for Zazaraah. Furthermore, when the opportunity presents itself, the caravans are not above resorting to piracy, searching for and bringing treasure back to Emperor Zazaar. The Prince of he Oridgin is Kassall, the oldest serving Prince in Zazaar’s court. She is blind, mostly deaf, and is attended to constantly by her grandson, Zindelo. Kassall maintains her position through her expertise as a diviner. She uses several traditional methods of divination and a little help from her Psionic talent with Clairvoiyance to predict the intentions of her rival Princes. Zazaar often uses Prince Kassall’s reputation and influence to seed “divinations” of his own into the Imperial Court.

    The Thyqytt consider the vast forests of Theodora (Ea 1030) to be their domain. They have extended that claim to any large forested region on other worlds within Zazaraah. The Thyqytt build their cities high in the old-growth trees of their forests, and because of this, they often compete with the Vell-Karath over the heights. Both factions have colonized the worlds of their rivals. The Prince of Thyqytt is Rhoban, a masterful swordsman and duellist. Probably the best in Zazaraah, though Rhoban would deny that, deferring to Zazaar himself.

    Von Steyer is an old Solomani Clan. They claim to trace their lineage back past the Long Night to the Rule of Man. They are the masters of the mainworld of the Pendang (Eakoi 1231), Pendang is the Industrial Heart of Zazaraah and the Von Steyer faction are among the most wealthy non-Zarahi in Zazarah. The Thyqytt and Vell-Karath factions bear particular animosity to the Von Steyers because Pendang, and the other Industrial Centers throughout Zazaraah area blight on nature. Their Prince is Guztoff, an extravagantly wealthy member of court, although Guztoff is careful not to outshine Emperor Zazaar.

    The Azoren rule the deep of the seas across Zazaraah. They are a human minor aquamorph species (see the Solomani Rim supplement for their write-up) who claim the water-rich, Agricultural mainworld of Zidunuus as their home. They are amphibious, able to breathe in both oxygen rich air and water, but they prefer a water environment. They maintain cities on the sea floor when they are able, their technology (supplemented by Zazaraah) allowing them to construct permanent structures that can survive the incredible pressures of the world-ocean of Zidunuus. Zidunuus is the largest of the Agricultural worlds that support Zazaraah, unsurprisingly specializing in “the bounty of the Sea”. Their Prince, Izhiroh looks down on most “air-breathers” as weaklings, often bragging that life at the bottom of the sea, facilitates physical exceptionalism, which he is eager to test on anyone who is either too proud of their physique or larger than him. Except, of course Emperor Zazaar. Izhiroh my be brash, but he is not foolish.

    Technology

    The average subject of Zazaraah, the “Zaari” enjoys a Tech Level of 7. It’s not much different than the technology of Earth at the end of the 20th century. There’s broadcasting, the beginnings of global network communications, spaceplanes and early orbital stations, solar-power and fission nuclear power, manufactured goods, so-on and so-forth. It is a comfortable, contenting existence for what are, for all intents and purposes, a peasant class in the empire.

    The regimes of each Prince operate at Tech Level 11 (B). This is consistent with what would be considered “Average Interstellar” in Charted Space. Jump Drives can support Jump-2, basic fusion power, grav technology and in general advanced “science fiction” services and goods. This is the tech that drives the armies and navies of the different Princes, and their civic services, public transportation, state-run media, security, and similar goods or services. The privileged class that serve each Prince enjoy the fruits of technology at this level.

    The highest technology level, Tech Level 16 (G)is reserved for Emperor Zazaar’s personal use, the use of the Zarahi, and of course Zazaar’s elite military and secret police. TL 16 is a similar technological zenith to what the Darrian Confederation has reached. Zazaar’s elite nobility enjoy technological wonders that are beyond even the peak of the major empires outside of Reaver’s Deep. The Hierate, the Third Imperium an the Confederation.

    But, Zazaraah is not a technological superpower in the sector. Zazaar keeps a tight control of the highest technology for his own purposes. Zazaar uses the technological mastery of his culture to secure the Zarahi’s position at the peak of Zazaraah’s class structure. The vehicles, starships, and devices are used to suppress any subversion within the Empire, and to express the excessive wealth and resources available only to the most powerful and favored subjects. Zazaar’s science ministry also continuously pursues “wonder weapons” for use against the Emperor’s enemies, not the least of which is the “Star Trigger” of Darrian fame.

    Rocket Jockeys

    Something specific to this campaign, which is different from the other Hard Times (or OTU campaigns) is in service to supporting the Planetary Romance genre of this setting, is the replacement of Maneuver Drives with Reaction Drives. There is no in-setting reason for this, the Reaction Drive just fits the genre better. Rocketships burning fuel to acellerate along vectors. This change has a bunch of follow-up effects that as of yet I can’t predict as a Game Master. But I’m looking forward to finding out.

    There is gravitic technology in Reaver’s Deep. The Vell-Karath are the leading engineering faction that has been developing it. Using grav technology to maintain their Sky Cities, Flight Harnesses, and a variety of flying vehicles. Though, Vell-Karath gravitics doesn’t primarily apply thrust. Instead, the grav effects is desgned to counter the force of natural gravity. It’s designed to allow things to float, and a secondary motive engine is used to move the vehicles around.

    Blades and Laser Guns

    Reaver’s Deep has an adventuring culture that promotes proficiency with close-quarters-weaponry and energy weapons. From the high-level view, this is in service to the Planetary Romance themes, which promote swashbuckling action over military tactics. From the perspective of being in the setting, there are a couple of factors involved. First, melee combat reduces the risk of catastrophic collateral damage in space.

    A missed shot with a projectile weapon can damage critical equipment that helps keep the environment livable on a starship, or a space station, or an outpost in a hostile environment. Everything from punching through atmospheric containment to damaging power systems or destroying computers. Automatic projectile weaponry compounds that issue. Energy weapons mitigate the danger (doesn’t eliminate it, a blast from a Plasma Gun will burn through a LOT of delicate parts before it stops).

    There are also several systems with Law Levels that prohibit the possession of firearms, which encourages being armed and trained with knives, blades, or dueling swords. Especially among the aristocratic classes who consider sword-dueling the height of athletic competition (having access to advanced medical care, even a sword wound through the heart can be healed so long as the medical support is immediately available). Outside of the cities or arcologies, many of these aristocrats will either carry lasers on their person, or have their bodyguard and entourage so armed.

    Energy weapons also add a factor of efficiency to logistics. In an empire spread over the length of the subsector, transporting ammunition can become a vulnerability. Projectile ammunition to supply an army can be more costly to transport than the army itself, and an interruption in that supply can cripple that army. Energy weapons can deliver more volume of fire for the same mass of power packs, and recharging can supply an effectively limitless amount of ammunition. Cartridge power supplies can become a compromise solution, retaining the form factor of a magazine without burdening the soldier with the need to fill those magazines with expendable ammunition.

    The Hard Times in Reaver’s Deep

    The Rebellion has pulled the Imperium apart, the Confederation has been forced back to it’s pre-invasion borders in Reaver’s Deep and Daibi Sectors. The Hierate remains a loose alliance of clans that never did provide stability to the buffer region. Thus, for the first time in centuries, the systems in Reaver’s Deep do not find themselves in the shadow of Empires that span multiple sectors.

    The scale of politics has shrunk to clusters of individual systems which, in some areas, have formed pocket empires that are nothing more than extensive local trading mains and promises of mutual protection. Zazaraah, however is different.

    Zazaraah has designs on expanding it’s control to all systems in the Sector. They have built up their navies and armies with “tribute legions” raised by the Princes of Zazaraah and given to the Emperor. There are several nearby systems that Zazaar has his eye on, but his first strategic objective is to conquer the worlds of the Confederation of Duncinae.

    The Confederation of Duncinae is the Agricultural breadbasket of the sector. Six of the seven systems are Agricultural, Rich, or Garden systems. They export food to nearly every corner of the sector (and deep into the neighboring sectors). They are not a political “state” like Zazarah, or the Principality of Caledon but are more like an interstellar “Guild”, setting prices and supplying the ravenous demand of the sector. The Confederation of Duncinae relies on that importance as a breadbasket to ensure its security and independence. The neighboring systems and the larger alliances like the Principality of Caledon and the Carrellian Assembly have keen interest in keeping Duncinae from becoming absorbed by their rivals.

    Now that Zazaar has secured his position as Emperor, that security which the Confederation of Duncinae relies on is seen as being inadequate for its defense. Zazaar calculates that the strong systems which would come to Duncinae’s aid have been forced to look towards the chaos of the Rebellion War and the collapse of the Third Imperium. An invasion by Zazaraah could seize most of the Confederation before any other state could mobilize.

    Once Zazaraah conquers Duncinae, they would in effect, control the heart of the sector. They would also control the majority of Agricultural worlds in Ea Subsector. The resulting expanded Empire would be in position to dictate terms to most of the Sector.

    Zazaar is eager to begin his War.

  • Hanging on to your Humaniti

    Hanging on to your Humaniti

    Cyberpsychosis in Traveller

    One of the central tensions in cyberpunk fiction is the toll that having cyberware takes on the mental state of a augmented individual. If a heavy enough load is taken on, the individual suffers a break from reality and often (though not always) goes on a rampage that only ends when they are neutralized. In environments where a cyberpunk culture will rise, loading one’s self up with as much cyberware as they can bear is a necessity. The risk of cyberpsychosis is ever-present and balance isn’t a strategy to survive.

    High-Tech, High Population, High Government, High Law

    There are some system characteristics that lend themselves to a cyberpunk environment. While all of these characteristics need not be present to give the right feel, as the more of these characteristics are met, the more cyberpunk the system can be. of course, it’s up to the GM as to what culture and setting is present on any given world.

    High-Tech

    What classifies as ‘cyberware’ is first developed around TL 8 or 9. The real breakthrough is the development of a neural interface, allowing mental control of the cybernetic implants. At TL 7 or below, direct control of implants requires physical manipulation.

    As technology becomes more pervasive and less of a novelty, cybernetic implants become more and more common. In addition, higher tech models of earlier tech cyberware creates a smaller impact on mental and emotional health. By TL 13 and above, advances in bio-nanotechnological integration has transformed the degredation of an individual’s sense of self to a self-manageable state. Thus, what is traditionally considered Cyberpunk is best presented between TL 10 and 12.

    Cybernetic (and DNAM) Augmentation at these Tech Levels also correspond with the technology presented in 2300 AD (Traveller: 2300). GMs who have this game can reference it to more-or-less freely use it to offer more options for augmentation in their campaigns.

    High Population

    Cyberpunk settings need people. Overcrowded cities, teeming masses of humanity, for the hyperwealthy to live above. Thus, the feeling of Cyberpunk works best when the Population Score is 8 and above. The system needs a population large enough to justify massive, sprawling cities. While a lonely, sparsely populated outpost can have elements of Cyberpunk, the setting really works best in an overcrowded, grimy SprawlZone.

    The higher the population, the separation between the wealthy and the poor can be made more intense. The room among the poor of the slums is cramped, there is no personal space, no privacy. It’s just a carpet of people living in a claustrophobic maze of dirty, neon and trash-strewn streets. This can be contrasted with the real luxury that only obscene wealth can afford, space. The rich live above the clouds on palatial estates. They never have to see the masses surviving below their feet. The open sky, or vast expanse of near-orbit permits the occupants to only interact with people they choose.

    High Government

    The governments in Cyberpunk are universally oppressive and authoritarian. While some Government types, Captive Governments (6), Self-Perpetuating Oligarchies (3), and Company / Corporate ownership (1) can, with a little coaxing provide the careless oppression and soulless systemic, managed societies. But it’s the high levels that lend themselves best to a cyberpunk feel.

    Impersonal Bureaucracies (9), Dictatorships (A, B, and D), and and the Totalitarian Oligarchy (F) really fit the genre. Government in Cyberpunk exists for the purpose of either serving the corporations that feul the engine that keeps the city running, or serving itself, the city is governed for the purpose of continuing to govern the city. Honorable mentions should be given to the Feudal Technocracy (5), and the Religious Autocracy (E) Both of which have a definite Cyberpunk Edge.

    Those Governments that permit agency among their populations Democracies, Balkinization, and the Civil Service just require more work to corrupt into the heavy boot that marks Authority in the genre.

    High Law Level

    The source of law enforcement varies depending on the society. But to work in the setting, it needs to be unjust, unfair, and oppressive. Whether it’s Corporate Security, Contract Law Enforcement Corporations, Civic Law Enforcement or Security Forces, Law Enforcement and the Courts do not serve nor protect.

    Law Level almost demands to be high for Cyberpunk. While Law Level 9+ prohibits the means for citizens to resist control, those products are still available through Grey and Black Markets. This is why having a High Population is important, a large enough population is impossible to Police everywhere, all the time. Even with advanced surveillance technology, clearing the streets of every scrap of contraband demands too many resources to allow a city to function.

    That being said, it is often in the interest of the Megacorps or the Government, or the Hyperwealthy to cultivate a measure of lawlessness among the masses they govern. So long as the crime and violence never reach the wrong people or damage the wrong institutions. Huge resources are consumed in studying the benefits of allowing “controlled” anarchy. Of course, even these rigorously contained and managed criminal, or revolutionary cultures are never fully pacified, and it only takes a small spark to ignite an uprising.

    Megacorporations

    The Third Imperium of Traveller hosts hundreds, perhaps thousands of Corporations that stretch across entire Sectors and Domains. These monolithic institutions are Empires in their own right, with Boardrooms and Chief Executive Administrations serving the function of Legislative and Executive branches of Government. They have fleets, armies, they wage war against one another, not only through the expected means of commerce and finance, but through armed military operations too. Remember; Weyland-Yutani Corporation, from the Alien Franchise has a bio-weapons division.

    Corporate Branch Directors often wields more power than local governmental leadership, especially on wolrds where a single Megacorp enjoys a monopoly on manufacturing and commerce. When the risk of potential profit-loss becomes too great and less-than-legal means to resolve that risk is deemed necessary, Megacorporations are more than willing to hire Mercenaries and Privateers to pursue the corporate objectives. Megacorporations also provide campaigns and characters with the contact with 1000 faces, Mister Johnson. (“Mister Johnson” is a contact lifted from Shadowrun lore. A “Mister Johnson” is the alias that a Corporate Handler uses to hire the characters for jobs that require Corporate Deniability.

    Cyberpsychosis

    There is a story in the Shadowrun supplement, Cybertechnology that talks about what it’s like to live with Wired Reflexes. You need to take precautions because the world moves in slow motion and your reflexes are faster than your thought processes. You sit with your back to the wall because when anyone walks up behind you and trips your fight reflex, a person who is wired to the limit can react before they realize they are reacting. This can lead very easily to injured or dead friends.

    Similar things happen with cybernetic optics that are networked to a weapon starts superimposing targeting data over potential threats in your field of vision. You’re friend is smiling, saying hi and offering a drink and in your visual field you’re seeing Terminator-style readouts on probabilities of hostile action, weak points, threat analysis. They just wanna give you a “Pepsi”, dude! Augmented strength that pushes your abilities into the super-normal, sometimes means you break someone’s wrist shaking their hand, or dislocating their shoulder helping them off the couch.

    The point here is, that the disconnection from empathy isn’t some cyborg transformation into an unfeeling semi-robotic being. It’s the weight of living in a world where the augmented person is constantly seeing the potential threat of everyone around them, constantly having to work at dialing back their abilities when not in a combat situation. Even something like cyberoptics that just replace the biological eye has a level of detachment, the effect is not seeing the environment as it is, but being a step removed, like seeing everything through a monitor screen. Hearing, smell, any augmented sense isn’t the same as the baseline biology. This all combines to push the augmented individual away from the community experience with their fellows. It kills empathy.

    When that separation from empathy finally becomes too great, then everyone is seen as things. Not really “people” but threats, tools, and objects. The subroutines and processes take over, the struggle to manage a sense of humanity ends, and the augment reacts like they are always in a target-rich environment. That’s when the rampage begins. The fact that the augment is dodging fire and shrugging off damage that would shred even the peak physical specimens of their species is only reinforcing their own sense of supremacy. They are unstoppable, until someone hits them hard enough to put them down, which usually results in collateral damage for meters around.

    Game Mechanics

    In Traveller this is reflected through the Sanity characteristic found in the Traveller Companion. Every piece of Cyberware has a Santity cost associated with it. Several pieces that have generally low impact on the body (like a Wafer-Jack or Subdermal Armor has a cost of 0.) Cyberware that has a greater impact on the body (like Strength, Dexterity, or Endurance Augmentation) have a 1 point cost. Cyberware that have an extensive impact on the body (like additional limbs, or torso mounted manipulators have a 2 point cost. Cyberware that directly affect the individuals mind (like Cognitive Augmentation, or the Neural Comms) have a 2 point cot. Pieces that are above TL 13 will reduce the basic cost of Cyberware by 1 point. (For example, Strength Augmentation +3 is TL 15. Normally, Strength Augmentation carries a 1 point Sanity Cost, but because it’s TL 15, that’s reduced by 1, which makes the cost 1-1 = 0 points.) For those Cybernetic Implants that are TL 9 or lower the Sanity Cost is increased by 1. (For example, the Basic Combat Arm is TL8, so even though it’s less sophisticated than the more advanced models, it’s cost is increased by 1. Furthermore since it replaces an arm, the basic cost for the cyberware is 2. Thus, the Basic Combat Arm is 2+1 = 3 Sanity.)

    This cost is applied as a permanent reduction to the Sanity Characteristic. If this characteristic reaches zero due to Cyberware, the character suffers a complete collapse of empathy, and suffers Cyberpsychosis. During the first high-stress event that the character suffers, they lose control and launch into a rampage, attacking anyone and everyone they can find until they are neutralized. Should they survive, and if their rampage does not result in incarceration, they will remain in a state of violence for which they will need to be restrained until such a time that their Sanity Characteristic is brought back to at least 1.

    Permanent Sanity loss is not naturally recoverable. Once a character’s Sanity characteristic is reduced, they will require specialized treatment over a long period of time to recover the loss. The process, if the patient can endure it in their near constant state of psychosis, requires first for all Cyberware to be removed from their body. Then a specialist in psychosurgery needs to guide the patient through extreme therapy. For every standard year the patient is in therapy, their Cyberpsychiatrist can attempt a Very Difficult (12+) EDU (Science/ Cyberpsychiatry) test. If that test is successful, the patient can recover a number of lost Sanity characteristic equal to their cyberpsychiatrist’s Science (Cyberpsychiatry) skill levels. The character can, once their Santiy characteristic is positive regain control of their mind and resume their lives. An episode of Cyberpsychosis effectively removes a player character from the campaign, should they survive, and should their treatment stabilize them, they can be consulted but their Travelling days are over.

    Psionic Therapy, using Telepathy in addition to surgery and traditional therapy can be much more effective. The Psionic Therapist’s Psionic Telepathy skill levels can be added to their Sanity (Cyberpsychiatry) skill, when rolling the treatment check. Also, the Telepathy skill levels can be added to the Science (Cyberpsychiatry) skill levels when recovering the Sanity Characteristic.

  • Augmented Imperium

    Augmented Imperium

    Chromed Augmentation and Glammed DNAM trends

    Augmentation, whether through Cyberware or DNA Modification is still on the cultural fringes of the Imperium. Even after 11 Centuries and thousands of cultures that have adopted the technology for ages.

    In “mainstream” (that is, the Nobles who follow fashion trends from the Moot and Imperial Court) Imperial culture, Augmentation is designed to be unobtrusive and mostly invisible. Even Military cyberware is designed to conform to the Imperial Uniform Standards for the service that authorized the surgery.

    Flashy, attention-grabbing cyberware is seen as “tacky”. DNAMs that stray too far from the “natural” bodily appearance are considered freakish and ugly. The practical advantages of Augmentation are appreciated, only the surface appearance is judged.

    Of course, there are rebellious subcultures throughout the Imperium which revel in the derision cast at them by the
    “mainstream”. Youths, marginalized communities, the underclass, especially in densely populated settlements on prosperous worlds. The embrace of Chrome or Flash corresponds to the gulf between the poorest and richest subcultures in a System.

    On the opposite end of the economic scale, the ultra-wealthy or Celebrity class can indulge themselves in shocking cyberware, or “exotic” DNAM as a show of conspicuous consumption. They may never be invited to Court, or the Moot, but they will make an impact on the “social season”, and for many Nobles, attention is everything.

    Of course, in Imperial Culture, even in the Moot and the Court, one form of DNAM is normalized and widely accepted, Anagathics. The highest ranks of nobility can afford the exorbitant costs for these ongoing treatments to maintain their youth and extend their lives. What is commonly (some would say deliberately) overlooked, even by the most conservative, tradition-bound Vilani families, is Genetic Engineering and alters the patients body as extremely as if it would have bestowed webbed digits and amphibious gills. (Having the body of a 30 year-old in their prime when your chronological age is over 90 is extreme by most any measure).

    Vilani Culture

    Vilani Culture was the fist human culture to develop cybernetic and genetic technologies. For over 10 milennia, the Vilani have utilized augmentation, The Ziru Sirka was familiar enough with the technology that practical augmentation was fully normalized. However, the slow development and evolution of Vilani culture has restricted the propogation of augmentation to practical uses. Medical prosthetics to allow people suffering injury or debilitation to maintain a comfortable level of ability and dignity or inconspicuous augmentation that improves professional performance. In the Third Imperium, Vilani cultural influence is the main influence keeping Augmentation unobtrusive.

    Zhodani Culture

    In the Consulate, augmentation is a complex subject. On the one hand, the mastery of psionics has made the Consulate masters of psychosurgery, and the addition of cranial augmentations. Cybernetics that enhance psionic ability was developed two tech levels lower than it was in the Imperium. However, the psionic caste society of the Consulate represses the adoption of augmentation.

    Voluntary augmentation for reasons other than compensation for injury or debilitating conditions indicate a dissatisfaction with one’s body and is cause for re-education. The Prole class is scrutinized heavily, augmentation is strictly controlled to prevent the Proles from gaining an unnatural advantage. Intendants are likewise subject to surveillance. It is of uttmost importance by the Noble class that the psionic abilities of Intendants are developed through approved means, and not through technological or genetic modification. Nobles are constantly watching one another in the Consulate, looking for any leverage they can use on one another to gain social and political power without appearing “unmutually ambitious”. Augmentation to the Nobles are regarded as a potential vulnerability that outweighs the advantages they can provide.

    Solomani Culture

    The Solomani have embraced augmentation since even before they discovered Jump Drive. DNAM among Solomani colonies have given rise to dozens of sub-species of humaniti throughout charted space. In the Imperium, the Solomani culture pushes against Vilani traditionalism.

    The Solomani Movement resists the adoption of too much cybernetics, and just outright rejects DNAM. The Solomani Movement venerates the Solomani Human Genome and the core of their philosophy of Solmani Human Supremacy proclaims the “essential human form” is Solomani.

    In the Confederation, augmentation is tightly controlled by the Solomani Party. Politically this represses the resources available to any potential subversive groups that may arise within the Confederation.

    Aslan Culture

    In the Hierate and it’s client states, Augmentation is framed by Aslan Honor. Within the duelling socienty, if an Augment is judged to bestow an unfair advantage, it will either be disabled (if possible) or the disadvantaged duelist will be allowed equalizer to make the duel fair.

    Aslan otherwise have a practical opinion of augmentation, members of more prosperous clans able to afford better technology, and the less prosperous clans making do with what they are permitted by the stronger clans. Most augmentation for the weaker clans is intended to increase professional performance, while the more prosperous clans, similar to the Imperium, augment for attention and presentation.

    Aslan assassins often go through the most extensive augmentation, improving their physical ability, concealing weapons, improving their reflexts, and other augments for use in personal combat.

    Vargr Culture

    Vargr, being by their very nature highly individualistic and chaotic express the whole range of views regarding augmentation. Their opinion of cybernetic augmentation varies based on the pack and environment that is being queried. Most Vargr maintain that “so long as it produces the desired outcome, augmentation is just another tool in the box”. Even extensive cybernetic augmentation is generally accepted in the Extents.

    Having been uplifted to sentience by the Ancients, Vargr are far more causally comfortable with DNAM than other cultures in charted space. Whereas, for most peoples, altering their bodies through genetic engineering is a relatively recent development when compared to the age of civilization and the history of their culture, Vargr have been engineered from the point where they achieved sentience. The fact that several Vargr societies have developed DNAM technology on their own gives genegineering a measure of perceived Vargr control over their own destiny.

    Hive Federation Culture

    The Hive Federation often adjust their own views on augmentation based on the area they’re nearest to. For example, the systems that have steady interaction with the Two Thousand Worlds, the Hive Federation will adopt similarly restrained and conformist views regarding cybernetic augmentation and DNAM. However, for those systems that have regular contact with the Imperium and the Confederation, the Federation takes a far more accepting attitude (even a promotion of Chromed Augmentation to appeal to the influential communities in those polities)

    Travellers

    The exception to all of these cultures and societies are the Travellers. Whether a Traveller chromes themselves to the limits of their resources and their bodies, or pushes their genetic tolerance with extensive modification, Travellers seldom care about the opinions of society. The very nature of a Traveller’s life give them the freedom to move to a more accepting system, or take on professions where being extensively augmented is considered an advantage (such as mercenary work, or deep space exploration).

    We will be revisiting this topic next week, introducing some expanded house rules and some home-brewed cybernetics with which to tempt your players. Until then, have a happy Mayday! Traveller enters it’s Golden Year!

  • Rank Structure in Starfleet

    Rank Structure in Starfleet

    A Brief Description of Titles and Duties

    Enlisted Ranks

    Spacehand 3rd Class (E-1) 
    These are fresh recruits and hold this bottom rank for their first year in Starfleet. Casually called “Greenhorns” or “Rookies/ Rooks” They are shuffled from assignment to assignment until their first evaluation and permanent assignment 

    Spacehand 2nd Class (E-2)
    Often referred to casually as “trainees”, these are Spacehands who have been given their permanent assignment.  Once they have been assigned a position, a formal request must be filed to be reassigned to a new position. This is primarily a training rank and once the Spacehand can demonstrate full proficiency in their assigned duties (usually 1-3 years, depending to the position assigned) they are eligible for Promotion 
     
    Spacehand 1st Class (E-3) 
    These Spacehands make up the bulk of the enlisted personnel in Starfleet. Referred to casually as “Able Spacehands” or “Specialists” the Spacehand 1st class is normally assigned to all of the mundane and routine duties of their post.  Tactical Spacehands have Guard Duty at sensitive locations, Science Spacehands ensure that laboratory facilities are clean and prepared for their designated use, Engineering Spacehands are assigned the minor technical issues which crop up in the course of operations and so on and so forth.  When a Spacehand’s Tour is complete, they are often encouraged to test for promotion to Petty Officer 

    Petty Officer 3rd Class (E-4) 
    The lowest level of leadership ranks, the Petty Officer 3rd Class is, much like the Spacehand 2nd Class, a training rank.  P.O. 3rd Class crew are placed in charge of very small units of Spacehands and evaluated on their ability to successfully accomplish group-oriented goals. 
     
    Petty Officer 2nd Class (E-5) 
    Petty Officer 2nd Class are often assigned a consistent squad of Spacehands to lead, 4 to 6 hands normally.  The P.O. 2nd Class are mentored by a Chief or Senior Chief Petty Officer in skills of team building and group projects.  Much like the Spacehand 1st Class, the assignment for the teams are all postings of mundane and routine duties. 
     
    Petty Officer 1st Class (E-6) 
    Petty Officer 1st Class are often assigned squads of 6-12 crew and is often expected to work on projects independent of supervision from higher ranks until the project is complete.  The additional crew assigned to their teams are often Spacehand 3rd and 2nd Class and in addition to leading their teams, the Petty Officer 1st Class trains the recruits assigned to them. 

    Chief Petty Officer (E-7) 
    Often referred to casually as “Chief”, the Chief Petty Officer is often assigned to lead a section, with all enlisted personnel answering to them.  They have multiple varied duties and projects to which they assign teams. The Chief Petty Officer is also the lowest enlisted rank to have regular interaction with Officer Ranks. It is possible for an individual to spend the majority of their Starfleet career as a C.P.O. Chief Petty Officer is also the lowest rank where refusing promotion does not negatively reflect on their overall career or prospects for future promotion. 

    Senior Chief Petty Officer (E-8) 
    The Senior Chief are assigned broader responsibilities.  Senior Chief Petty Officers form the majority of enlisted leadership in a department, receiving their direction from Lieutenants (O-2 and O-3) in their department.  The Senior Chief Petty Officer often have a great deal of institutional knowledge since it takes a dozen years (on average) to achieve this position and often more.  The Senior Chief Petty Officer is also the highest rank that an individual can test to without regard to positional openings. 
     
    Master Chief Petty Officer (R-5) 
    The Master Chief Petty Officers are Departmental Leaders, normally there is only one Master Chief post available in any given department, and this post needs to be vacant before it can be filled again.  The Master Chief is also a direct liaison to the Department Head (most often a Lieutenant Commander) and is a part of that officer’s permanent staff.  At this rank, though the Master Chief is enlisted, their seniority is often recognized above most Lieutenants. 

    Officer Ranks 

    Ensign (O-1) 
    Ensigns are the rank assigned most Academy graduates.  Ensigns spend their first year or two being shuffled between departments, assignments and posts, receiving on the job training specific to their potential duties.  After this training period, the Ensign is assigned their permanent posting and duties.  Ensigns remain very fluid in their assignments, being free to request transfer between departments to expand their breadth of experience. 

    Lieutenant, Junior Grade (O-2) 
    The Lieutenant j.g. is the lowest officer rank commonly given leadership responsibilities, serving as a section officer over enlisted personnel.  The Lt j.g. are responsible for most of the bureaucracy in a department, filing reports, managing departmental schedules, and coordinating projects between different sections. 
     
    Lieutenant (O-3) 
    Lieutenant is the most populous officer rank and is commonly the lowest rank posted to permanent assignment to a Command Position (often referred to as a “Bridge Officer” on board starships).  Departmental Lieutenants are often supervisors over the various Lt j.g. in their assigned sections. 

    Lieutenant Commander (O-4) 
    Lt Cmdr is the first of the “Senior Officer Ranks”. Commanders of a ship, starbase or facility will have a senior staff answerable directly to them, of which Lieutenant Commanders make up the majority.  Lieutenant Commanders fill all Department Head positions and command all long-term projects in a facility or on board a ship or starbase.  In situations where a ship or facility is commanded by a rank O-5 Commander, the executive officer is drawn from the Lieutenant Commanders on board.  As Senior Staff, Lieutenant Commanders are often Officers of the Watch and are in the chain of command, assuming command as 2nd, 3rd, 4th officers etc… 
     
    Commander (O-5) 
    Commanders are normally the Executive Officer on board a ship, starbase, or facility.  In situations where no officers of Captain (O-6) rank are available to assign to command, a Commander will be assigned to the post.  In most cases, Commander is a rank that is a preparatory position for full command. This makes Commanders very transitory very quickly promoting into Captain Rank. 
     
    Captain (O-6) 
    Captain is the highest field rank an individual can promote to.  Captains are in direct command of their postings.  Captains are never permanently assigned to the same posting as other Captains.  In situations where a visiting Captain is present on a mission or project, the visiting officer is placed outside the chain of command, to better prevent any conflicts of authority. Captain is commonly the pinnacle of an individual’s Starfleet career, and most captains will retire after years in this rank and multiple commands. 

    Flag Officers

    Commodore (O-7) 
    Commodores are the lowest flag officer rank.  Commodores are the only flag rank that are permanently assigned to command of a “field post” (being a starship or outpost).  Commodores in these command postings have all of the duties of any commander, but have expanded responsibilities that extend over multiple postings, like a task force of starships or the multiple postings of an outpost (like the outpost itself, orbital facilities, system defense boats, etc…)  

    Rear Admiral (O-8) 
    Rear Admirals serve in postings that command permanent Starfleet fleets or sectors. At this rank, the overall duties preclude the direct command of any single post.  The direct commander of a single ship in a fleet or a single base in a sector, will receive strategic direction from the Admiral, but the authority with regards to the operation of the ship remains solely the responsibility of the post commander.  Thus, when on board a ship, a “Flag Bridge” will be established for the Admiral, with resources that allow the Admiral to execute the greater strategic operation.  In practice, most Rear Admirals find this arrangement to be distasteful, and prefer to operate from a Starbase if at all possible, where they can retain direct command as well as operational strategic command. 
     
    Vice Admiral (O-9) 
    Vice Admirals command entire fleet groups assigned to a sector.  They administer their command from a command headquarters located in a sector’s capital system. Or from  Starfleet headquarters on one of the Federation’s primary worlds in the region.  Vice Admirals are the architects of Starfleet’s strategic policies and it is through their authority that Fleet Missions are assigned. 
     
    Admiral (O-10) 
    The highest rank in Starfleet, Admirals have strategic authority over entire theaters of operation.  These theaters are most often defined by the neighboring polities to the Federation (the Romulan Theater, the Cardassian Theater, etc…).  Admirals administer their theaters from core Federation systems like Earth or Tellar. 

    Fleet Admiral (O-11) 
    There is only one Fleet Admiral in Starfleet at any given time.  The Fleet Admiral is the Commander-in-Chief of Starfleet and operates from Starfleet Headquarters on Earth.  The Fleet Admiral is a Cabinet Secretary in the office of the Federation President they advise and directly report to the serving President and serves “at the President’s pleasure”.  The Fleet Admiral directs the overall policy of Starfleet, deciding on how the institution will apply it’s resources over the course of the Admiral’s tenure. This is a mostly political position, not only representing Starfleet in the Federation President’s cabinet, but advocating for Starfleet within the Federation Legislature.

  • A Crossroads in the Deep

    A Crossroads in the Deep

    A Settlement on the Underworld Frontier

    Far below the surface world, a vast Empire rules a web of tunnels and caverns. The Empire of the Spider Queen is a dark mirror of the Elven realms that bathes in the golden light of the Sun. The founders of the Empire of the Spider Queen were the losers of a war against their Elven cousins ages past, and driven from the sunlit world into the lightles underworld. Over generations, they recovered from their grievous loss, adapted to their subterranean world and forged a dominion to rival their sunlit cousins.

    Genzhymyl

    Genzhymyl has changed greatly over the past ten years. Initially a trading post on the K’Kephredoc River and along the shore of the lake, Genzhymyl lasted for decades as little more than a permanent camp. The closest settlement was K’zeldremn, which was on the far side of the nearby causeway tunnel.

    Genzhymyl experienced rapid change following the Year of Rage. Every House in every colony of the Empire of Spider Queen, including K’zeldremn fell into anarchy as the Demon Princes raged through the Underworld. As demonically-feuled riots and chaos tore the cities apart, refugees from K’zeldremn fled to Genzhymyl, swelling its population and growing it into a proper town, independent of domination by the Empire.

    The town’s architecture is a chaotic mess of pavilions, temporary, and permanent structures. The oldest buildings, dating from the original Flayed Matron Manor and Kyrzhiim’s Mill are made of set stone and reflect styles from the nearby city of K’zeldremn. The Dzhuol Goblin Tribes and surface-influenced styles are common among the semi-permanent buildings that have been used since before the Year of Rage. Many of the newer permanent buildings are built by Klaarg Azhgov and are designed to be very efficient and sturdy, if not decorative. Finally over the ten years since the Rage of Demons, the refugees have begun to build out their tent encampment into semi-permanent buildings, owing to no architectural style other than what is the fastest and most convenient to build at that time.

    Genzhymyl’s independence is secure for the moment, the Empire and her dispersed colonies will be rebuilding for a long time to come. Although the Demon Princes have been banished back to the Pit, Demons still roam freely in the Underworld. And it is still not known when the Demon Queen of Spiders will once more establish her direct authority over her Empire.

    Rulership in Genzhymyl

    Genzhymyl is governed by a town council consisting of Vethric Ghaul – owner of the Flayed Matron Manor, Ztorv – Preadarch (Cheiftan) of the Dzhuol (the Goblinfolk tribe across the K’kephredoc), and Johayya (Viscount) Ivynna Kvarik of Klaarg (Clan) Azhgov. Vethric acts as head of the council with Ztorv representing the Dzhoul, and Ivyanna representing Azhgov interests in Genzhymyl.

    The government of Genzhymyl becomes informal below the town council, though there are some semi-official positions that have become permanent during the past ten years. Town Herald is one such post, answerable to the town council, which makes official pronouncements and proclamations public, and likewise hears any statements made by the citizens to bring to the council’s attention. The current Town Herald is “The Khabtyn Dhahabei” (the Gold Captain in his native tongue), Ehriegan Staav, a human from a great city on the surface who has prospered as a broker in Genzhymyl for twenty years. The Khabtyn Dhahabei employs a dozen “Town Criers” as deputies.

    In addition to Town Herald, there is the post of Magistrate, who mediates disputes among the population in the name of the town council. Though not exactly a Judge, since laws in Genzhymyl are not codified, the Magistrate, and their Adjudicators provide for settlements without need for violence. The current Magistrate is a Svirfneblin woman, Ynzylith, the oldest child of the owner of the town mill, Kyrzhiim

    The Master of Markets directs the shops and stalls of the Genzhymyl Bazzar, it is their duty to maintain order and peace within the Bazzar as well as collecting the taxes and fees from the merchants trading within the settlement. At present the office is held by a ruthless woman, a Drow by the name of Avzenthe Djerrn. The Mistress of Markets (as she styles herself), employs a small team of “Managers” and “Collectors” to enforce her authority.

    Locations of Note

    • The Flayed Matron Manor
      • The Flayed Matron Manor is owned by Vethric Ghaul and managed by Jeegan Thatz. Over the past 200 years, the Flayed Matron has served as a way-stop, a gambling den, a brothel, an inn, and a tavern. Currently it is all of those, and serves as the council chambers for government.
        • Jeegan (a Half Orc/Human) is Vethric Ghaul’s chief Lieutenant. She manages the day-to-day operations of the Flayed Matron Manor in Vethric’s place when he is away or otherwise occupied. Jeegan is a priestess of the Mistress of Whips and is a sadist. She has leveraged this trait into a profitable arrangement at the Flayed Matron Manor, serving a special clientele of powerful,influential people who have masochistic or submissive needs that need to be fulfilled with discretion.
    • Kyrzhiim’s Mill
      • A large water mill used by the town for processing all manner of seeds and grains for a small fee. The owner, Kyrzhiim is a Svirfneblin and one of the wealthiest people in Genzhymyl. He lives in an ostentatious mansion on the shore of Lake K’kephredoc.
    • The Grey Lantern Inn
      • The primary house for renting rooms. Since the Year of Rage, the owner, Ghazrahd Sablemane (a Duergar with rarely-seen black hair and beard) has expanded the grounds from a single building to a small campus with stabling, barracks, and suites for extended leasing.
    • “The Tent”
      • Before the Year of Rage, a goblin by the name of Gheez set up a huge pavilion on the then-edge of the Camp. “The Tent” as it came to be called, offered cheap, moderately secure space for patrons to sleep for a few hours. Since then, Gheez has died and “The Tent” has been rebuilt as a permanent structure (but remains a large, open building) operated under management of Klaarg Azhgov through Virdiloma Yth.
      • The “innkeeper”, Virdiloma keeps a shrewd eye out among her tenants for those in desperate circumstance. Individuals who don’t have family, money, or friends who wouldn’t be missed, escaped slaves, or known fugitives from one of the power centers in the region. These vulnerable people are targeted for abduction or capture by Klaarg Azhgov.
    • The Genzhymyl Bazzar
      • Along the road stretching from the Flayed Matron Manor at one end to The Tent at the other. The Bazzar is the central forum of Genzhymyl. The Market here never fully closes, with commerce being practiced at all hours. Nearly anything can be found here for sale, timbers from the Yyngvath Forest, fish from the nearby lakes, exotic wares from the Surface word as well as the Deeps. Also, of course, slaves being auctioned by Klaarg Azhgov.

    New Background: Enslaved

    • Ability Scores
      • Strength, Constitution, Widsom
    • Feat
      • Alert
    • Skill Proficiencies
      • Insight and Survival
    • Tool Proficiencies (choose one)
      • Cooks’ Tools, Leatherworkers’ Tools, Potters’ Tools, Tinkers’ Tools, Weavers’ Tools, Woodworkers’ Tools
    • Equipment (these items are either stolen, or the property of the character’s owner)
      • A toolkit that matches the proficiency chosen, An Explorers’ Pack, (Un)Holy Symbol, Manacles
      • or 10 gold coins
    • Disadvantage
      • The Enslaved bears a permanent mark of their bondage, a tattoo, scar, brand (or similar). This mark is easily recognized by most people. All Social Interactions with folk who are aware of this mark are made at Disadvantage.

    The character is or was a slave. Owned by another person, or household as property. They have either been granted their freedom, or escaped, but the marks of their bondage remain. If a fugitive, there is likely a bounty for their capture and return (GM’s discretion). The character’s time in servitude has taught them to remain aware of the people around them, reading their body language to divine their mood or to intuit their whims.

    Conclusion

    The caverns of Genzhymyl hold endless opportunities for adventures to explore the unknown along the periphery of the Empire of the Spider Queen. During the Year of Rage, earthquakes have changed the geography in the surrounding area, caving in and closing the tunnels that led to the surface, and revealing new passages. Secrets long hidden or lost in the Deeps have been revealed, waiting for the reckless, bold and curious to discover.

    The Township of Genzhymyl functions as a “home” for adventurers to return to when they need resupply, rest, or training. It’s independence and relative stability contribute to it’s reliability. Yet, since the catastrophe of the Year of Rage, Genzhymyl has become a new center of intrigue, as survivors and refugees jockey for power and influence. There is plenty of opportunity for “agents of fortune” to find good paying work and patrons in need.

  • Drow Hybrids in the Underdark

    Drow Hybrids in the Underdark

    Offspring of Dark Elves and their Thralls

    The 2024 revision of 5th ed D&D, retitled D&D 5.5, removed “half-” species from the game. While this choice was controversial (to say the least), there remains room for characters of mixed parentage. Especially in the Underdark, where the Drow rule over a vast Empire and Drow citizens have virtually unchecked privilege to indulge in their darkest impulses.

    The Empire of the Spider Queen

    A Drow Priestess wearing gold rimmed glasses chained to an ear piercing, with her head tilted back and looking down upon the viewer like she's offended that she's even in your presence.
    Illustration by Kazetier

    I’m going to use this generic name for the Drow Empire in the Underdark to avoid implication of canon, published source material. I also think, by writing this as a roughly generic “Evil Empire of the Dark Elves”, if any DM wishes to utilize the ideas and essays in the DezzyDark (my clever name for this corner of the multiverse).

    This distinction also serves another purpose related to my essay Half-Orcs, Half-Elves and Alignment . The Drow of the Empire of the Spider Queen are evil, and cruel and depraved because that is the society they have developed,a Theocracy that worships the Demon Queen of Spiders, a goddess of Chaos and Evil. Millennia of idolization have woven the Demon Queen of Spiders’ dogma into the very fabric of Imperial Society. But, the Drow are not cruel and evil from the womb.

    The Empire of the Spider Queen is a class society with Drow Priestesses of the Demon Queen of Spiders at the top and non Drow as second class and worse down to the enslaved at the bottom. This implies that the circumstances of a hybrid birth was not consensual.

    Half Drow Ancestries

    Imperial Society is hard on the Drow as a people. Being Elves, their natural birth rate is already low. Constant infighting among the different Households and Factions and Wars of Expansion is draining on the Imperial population. But, maybe due to some dark influence of the Demon Queen, Drow can successfully procreate with several different peoples within their Empire.

    When designing a character of mixed Ancestry, the following traits may be passed from the Drow parent. Some of these traits replace traits passed from the non-Drow parent, and in any case it is discouraged to add too many Drow traits to the resulting Half-Drow ancestry. The choice, as with most character choices, should be an agreement between the Player and Game Master.

    • Darkvision: 60 feet (18 meters) if the other ancestry does not have Darkvision, 120 feet (36 meters) if the other ancestry does have the Darkvision trait
    • Keen Senses: Proficiency with the Insight, Perception or Survival skill
    • Fey Ancestry: Saving Throws to avoid or end the Charmed condition are made with Advantage. Magic cannot force the character to sleep.
    • Drow Lineage: The following cantrip and spells are automatically known and are prepared. The spells may be cast once per day without expending a spell slot. Players must choose Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma as the spellcasting ability during character creation.
      • 1st Level: Dancing Lights cantrip
      • 3rd Level: Færie Fire spell
      • 5th Level: Darkness spell
    • Sunlight Sensitivity: A negative trait, when in direct sunlight, all Perception checks that involve sight are made at Disadvantage

    Half Drow/Human

    The most common hybrid ancestry in the Empire. Of all the enslaved people in the Empire of the Spider Queen, Humans are the most valued. Indeed, Drow will often raid the surface world for the purpose of abducting humans.

    • Type: Humanoid
    • Size: Medium
    • Speed: 30 feet (9 meters)
    • Traits
      • Darkvision: 60 feet (18 meters)
      • Resourceful: Gains Heroic Inspiration every time a Long Rest is finished.
      • Fey Ancestry
      • Versatile: Gain an Origin Feat of the player’s choice.
      • Sunlight Sensitivity

    Half Drow/Tiefling

    Another common hybrid ancestry. Abyssal Tieflings often find common cause with the Imperial Drow. Several families of Abyssal Tieflings have served Drow households for generations.

    • Type: Humanoid
    • Size: Medium (rarely Small)
    • Speed: 30 feet (9 meters)
    • Traits
      • Darkvision: 120 feet (36 meters)
      • Fey Ancestry
      • Resistant to Poison damage
      • Otherworldy Presence: Knows the Thaumaturgy cantrip.
      • During character creation, the player needs to choose between the Abyssal Legacy and Drow Lineage traits.

    Half Drow/Hobgoblin

    The Drow bear little respect for Hobgoblins, or any Goblinoid, considering them only useful for menial slaves. However, the shared connection to the Fae, allows for occasional hybrid offspring. Half Drow/Hobgoblin are used to command warbands of Goblinoids indentured to Imperial households. In Goblinoid Society, these hybrids often rise to positions of leadership, Cheiftains and Predarchs and Captains.

    • Type: Humanoid/ Goblinoid
    • Size: Medium
    • Speed: 30 feet (9 meters)
    • Traits
      • Darkvision: 120 feet (36 meters)
      • Fortune from the Many: On missing an attack roll, saving throw, or ability check, gain an immediate bonus equal to the number of allies visible within 30 feet (9 meters) to a maximum of +3. This ability can be used a number of times each day equal to the character’s Proficiency Bonus (refresh after finishing a Long Rest).
      • Fey Ancestry
      • Drow Lineage
      • Sunlight Sensitivity

    Half Drow/Orc

    An exceedingly rare hybrid, and many would say “cursed”. These unfortunate souls are not welcome anywhere, rejected by both the Imperial society of Drow and the Tribes of the Orcs. Both the Drow and Orcs consider one another less than people. Orc Tribes see Drow as another version of their cultural enemies, the Elves. Imperial Drow see Orcs as little more than beasts, unsuitable even for slavery.

    The Half Drow/Orc physical traits are not appealing when combined. They are misshapen, and considered ugly by the standards of either culture. Unlike other Drow Hybrids, the Half Drow/Orc are shunned and outcast. Living solitary, miserable, hidden lives in the deep tunnels and caverns.

    • Type: Humanoid
    • Size: Medium
    • Speed: 30 feet (9 meters)
    • Traits
      • Darkvision: 120 feet (36 meters)
      • Relentless Endurance: When reduced to zero hit points, but not killed outright, remain at one hit point. Can only be used once per day and refreshes after finishing a Long Rest
      • Menacing: Proficiency with Intimidation Skill
      • Savage Attacks: On scoring a critical hit with a weapon, roll one of the weapons dice an additional time and add the result to the damage total.
      • Fey Ancestry
      • Sunlight Sensitivity
      • Outcast: All non-intimidation social checks are made with Disadvantage

    Drow Cambion

    Cambion are not balanced with other character species options. Because of this, Cambion should be selected only with the agreement of the Game Master.

    In Imperial Drow society, the Cambion are the only hybrid Drow that are full citizens, but only those Cambion whose feindish parentage is enthralled to the Demon Queen of Spiders.

    • Spider Queen Cambion
    • Type: Humanoid, Fiend
    • Size: Medium
    • Speed: 30 feet (9 meters), Climb 30 feet (9 meters)
    • Traits
      • Darkvision: 120 feet (36 meters)
      • Tremorsense: 60 feet (18 meters)
      • Fey Ancestry
      • Keen Senses
      • Drow Lineage
      • Spider Climb: Can climb difficult surfaces, including upside-down on ceilings without needing an ability check.
      • Web Walker: Ignores movement restrictions caused by webs or webbing.
      • Fiendish Charm: Magically charm one humanoid hat can be seen within 30 feet (9 meters)for one day unless the victim can succeed with a Wisdom Saving throw against DC 8+ Proficiency Bonus+ Spellcasting Ability Modifier
      • Sunlight Sensitivity
      • Pull of the Pit: A cambion’s demonic ancestry creates a constant draw towards selfishness, cruelty, and evil. This creates a a Flaw Personality Trait that should the player choose to roleplay, and the consequences immediately and negatively affect the character or their companions, They gain Heroic Inspiration.
  • To Boldly Go

    To Boldly Go

    Building Chariots of the Gods

    The ships of Starfleet are heroes of the story almost as much as the people who crew them. With voice-interactive computers, holodecks, and by the 25th century, holographic crew, a Starfleet vessel (and presumedly, an Imperial Klingon Naval vessel, a Cardassian Union Vessel, an a Stellar Imperial Romulan Vessel) can have distinct personalities. In a Traveller game, most Starfleet vessels are firmly Capital Ship class, that is, over 10,000 dTons. Though there are plenty of smaller Adventure Class ships warping through subspace. The ubiquitous Runabouts stationed at DS9 are great examples of a Starfleet ship that masses about 100 or so dTons. For purposes of designing the navies in the Star Trek Universe, we’ll be leaning heavily on High Guard, and dipping into the Traveller Companion.

    Warp Speed!

    The Jump Distances in Traveller figure into Lightspeed (C) by a simple formula, Jump Value X 3.62 (light years) X 52 (weeks). For that week that a Traveller vesel is in jumpspace, they emerge at their destination at an effective speed of C (though the physics of Jump space vessels don’t actually travel faster than C).

    Once the speed in terms of C is known, Warp Speeds can be figured in different scales based on the era of Star Trek. In TOS and the TOS movies, the formula is the cube root of C. with no upper limit. In the TNG and later eras (though we haven’t heard much about the 32nd century’s scale.. more on that later), the formula is Warp Speed = Warp Factor 10/3 * C.

    When compared to Traveller, the various transluminal speeds look like this

    • Speed measured in C/ Jump Drive / TOS (Cochraine Scale) Warp / TNG (Okuda Scale) Warp
    • 189 C / Jump 1 / 5.74 / 4.82
    • 357 C/ Jump 2 / 7.23 / 5.83
    • 567 C / Jump 3 / 8.28 / 6.7
    • 755 C / Jump 4 / 9.11 / 7.3
    • 945 C / Jump 5 / 9.81 / 7.81
    • 1,135 C / Jump 6 / 10.43 / 8.25

    At one point, Voyager is reported at traveling at Warp 9.97 (Okuda Scale). This is roughly equal to Jump 25. Jump 8 allows crossing a subsector in a single jump. Which is Warp 11.18 (Cochraine) or Warp 8.99 (Okuda Scale).

    Whichever Warp Scale a Star Trek Campaign uses is only truly important in so far as the GM remains consistent. After all, in the series’ and the movies, the ships went as fast as they needed to go for the plot. Values were written to contrast the impression of speed. “Warp Factor 5” was relatively middle of the road. “Warp Factor 8” would often be accompanied by the sound effect of an engine hum to make it seem like the ship is pushing it’s limits. Since the Cochraine and Okuda scales differ, especially at the high end of the scale.

    Warp Drives and Dilithium

    The Warp 5 project started in the 22nd Century as chronicled in the Star Trek :Enterprise Series, at this time, the United Federation of Planets was not yet inaugurated, but Starfleet was in existance and acted as the Navy for a United Earth.

    By the 23rd Century, Warp Drives could routinely reach Warp 8 (on the Cochraine scale). And by the 24th Century, after adopting the Okuda Scale, Warp Drives could reach Warp 9.9 and higher.

    Warp Drives in Star Trek feature several fundamental differences from the Jump Drive in Traveller. Warp Drive does not leave the Spacetime it is in fully, instead it creates a Warp Bubble and travels through that subspace region to travel at superluminal speeds. Fuel for Star Trek vessels is not the massive holds of Hydrogen Feul that Traveller vessels use. Star Trek uses a much smaller mass of Antimatter (or in the case of the Romulan Imperial Star Navy, an artificial singularity). While the fuel for an Antimatter Power Plant does not demand as much fuel space as Hydrogen, but Star Trek ships are very hungry for power.

    Dilithium Crystal is a regulator of the matter/antimatter reaction. The crystals degrade through use and need to be refreshed often, so most vessels carry a supply of crystals. When that supply runs low, the vessel resupplies at a Starbase, or trades for fresh crystals at a nearby station or planet.

    For Star Trek Vessels, fuel capacity is measured in time rather than distance. The Warp Core (Power Plant) is the ship’s component that consumes both Antimatter and Dilithium Crystal. The Power Points the Warp Core generates, are what are spent in the Warp Drive, the Impulse Drive, shields, weapons, computers, life support, transporters, even the replicators. When designing a starship, most of the space that would be used for Fuel will likely be taken up by an expanded Power Plant.

    The Warp Drive functions the same as explained in High Guard pp. 80-81. It uses no feul, but a starship needs to generate power (with a starship the size of the TOS Constitution Class (60 dKTons) that runs into a little more than 10,000 power points) to use the Warp Drive.

    Shields Up! Arm Phasers! Load Photon Torpedoes!

    Most Star Trek vessels use Deflector Shields or Screens as their primary defense against weaponry. Using High Guard, Deflector Shields count as Improved Energy Shields in the 23rd Advanced Energy Shields (page 84). Most vessels designed for hazardous duty have multiple shields. Usually Six (Fore, Aft, Starboard, Port, Dorsal and Ventral which can overlap to cover each other.

    Phaser Banks function close to the rules found for Tachyon Cannon Bays in High Guard pp 82-83. In general Phaser Banks are higher powered and more versatile than Disruptors. In the 23rd Century, Phaser weapons are only used by the Federation and their allies. The rest of the Galaxy was using Disruptors. By the 24th Century, most every navy in the Alpha and Beta Quadrants had adopted Phaser technology for their starships.

    Disruptors are very common in the 23rd and 24th Centuries. Relatively simple to design and maintain compared to Phasers, Disruptors follow the rules found for Plasma-pulse Cannon Bays in High-Guard pp 82-83. Even in the 24th Century, when the navies of the Major Empires in the Alpha and Beta Quadrant have adopted Phaser weaponry as their primary weapons systems, Disruptors remain common for system and colonial defense fleets, merchants operating in hazardous regions, and of course, pirate syndicates.

    Photon Torpedoes, and the late 24th century development of Quantum Torpedoes were pioneered by the Federation. By the late 23rd Century, Photon Torpedoes had been engineered and adopted by the Klingon Empire.

    • Photon Torpedo
    • Tech Level: 23rd Century
    • Thrust: 15
    • Damage: 4DD
    • Power: 50
    • Traits: Smart, AP 15
    • Quantum Torpedo
    • Tech Level: 24th Century
    • Thrust: 15
    • Damage 8DD
    • Power: 75
    • Traits: Smart, AP15, Burst 10

    Photon Torpedoes use the rules for Antimatter Torpedoes in High Guard pp 39-41. By the 24th Century, the mass of a Photon Torpedo is reduced to 20% of it’s older design. That is, a 24th Century torpedo masses 15 torpedoes per ton. In the 24th Century, the photon torpedo launcher are capable of launching volleys of 10 torpedoes (use the trait AF10). Quantum Torpedoes have a greater yield and to reflect this, double the damage characteristic (12D). 23rd Century vessels are restricted to Barbettes and Small Torpedo Bays. 24th Century Vessels can mount Medium Torpedo Bays. In either era, only installations the size of Starbases or Deep Space Stations can mount Large Torpedo Bays. In the 24th Century, Torpedo Barbettes and Torpedo Bays are designed to be loaded with either Photon or Quantum Torpedoes.

    Plasma Torpedoes are a weapon infamously developed by the Romulan Star Empire. These weapons were first developed in the 23rd Century and had enormous destructive power at close ranges, but their damage fell off at longer ranges, eventually dissipating entirely.

    • Plasma Torpedo
    • Tech Level: 23rd Century
    • Thrust: 10
    • Damage: 6DD Adjacent/ 5DD Close/ 4DD Short/ 3DD Medium/ 2DD Long/ 1DD Very Long/ No Damage at Distant Range
    • Power: 90
    • Traits: Smart, Enveloping

    Enveloping Trait: The enveloping trait applies damage to every active shield upon detonation.

    By the 24th century some ships designed explicetly for battle began to carry spinal mount weapons. The Romulan Star Empire had refined their plasma torpedo into a powerful beam weapon that could deliver punishing blasts without the limitations of launching a boiling ball of plasma.

    • Plasma Beam Spinal Mount
    • Tech Level: 24th century
    • Range: Very Long
    • Damage: +14D
    • Power: +6000
    • Traits: AP 15, Auto 10

    Cloaks and Holodecks

    A technology developed in the mid-23rd century by the Romulan Star Empire, the Cloaking Device is just as infamous as the Plasma Torpedo. In fact, the two were initially designed to work in tandem with one another. Coming out of cloak to launch a torpedo at close range and returning to cloak to avoid return fire and position for the next attack.

    By the end of the 23rd Century, an exchange of Naval technology between the Romulan Star Empire and the Klingon Empire gave cloking technology to the Imperial Klingon Navy, and a fleet of mothballed D-7 Battlecruisers to the Romulan Star Navy. The Klingon cloaking device is in general less effective and less efficient than the Romulan. By the Khitomer Conferences, Starfleet had become very good at uncovering the Klingon cloak. While the Romulans continued to develop and refine their cloaked navy into the following centuries, presumably all the way to Unification.

    • Romulan Star Navy Cloak
    • Tech Level: 23rd Century
    • Stealth Effect: -15 to Sensor checks
    • Power: 50 per 1,000 dtons
    • Imperial Klingon Navy Cloak
    • Tech Level: 23rd Century
    • Stealth Effect: -10 to Sensor checks
    • Power: 100 per 1,000 dtons
    • Advanced Romulan Star Navy Cloak
    • Tech Level: 24th Century
    • Stealth Effect -25 to Sensor checks
    • Power: 75 per 1,000 dtons

    Replicators in the 23rd century produce nutritional food for every species on board ship. The fare focuses on compatibility, and primarily serves the needs of the species that comprise the polity the ship serves, and have a secondary capacity to serve guests and passengers. The fare is passable and is served in a variety of shapes and colors (looking very much like a ’60s version of “future food”)

    In the 24th century, replicators are advanced enough to accommodate the cuisine and tastes and cultural preferences of the person entering the order. The 24th century replicator also incorporates transporter technology. The food is generated and prepared within the recycling and reclamation matrix at the molecular level, heated (or cooled) to the desired temperature (again through molecular excitement within the reclamation matrix) and immediately transported to a micro transporter pad at the user interface. The ship’s computer maintains an extensive database of recipies as well as the personal modifications from more creative crewmembers.

    There are, of course limitations, Klingons, Kzinti and Gorn often complain that replicators do not produce live food convincingly, and their navies often maintain stasis holds with live prey to satisfy their instincts.

    By the 24th century, positronic computers have allowed for convincing personal interactions, and a combination of holographic emitters, localized electromagnetic force and specialized replicator use have resulted in the development of the Holodeck. Spartan navies like the Imperial Klingon Navy, Romulan Star Navy, (Cardassian) Union Navy and others consider Holodecks at best a frivolity and at worst a distraction. They do make use of the technology for shipboard training, and interrogation, but seldom for recreation.

    Starfleet, on the other hand has a Holodeck on nearly every vessel by the end of the 24th century. Some ships, like the Galaxy class have several. Smaller ships may be restricted to a tiny conference room, but Holodecks are a part of the crew morale and restoration policy. Ships that do not have a Holodeck are frequently directed to starbases or facilities with Holosuites to relieve the tension of long patrols away from suitable shore leave planets.

    A Campaign’s Ship is both Character and Home

    In a Star Trek campaign, the ship the characters serve aboard is as important and colorful as the characters themselves. When voyaging between stars, the ship is the characters’ self-contained world. When at the adventure destination, the ship becomes a base of operations, a source of supplies. While a given team of player-characters can be promoted (or demoted) to different ships, the nature of the Star Trek setting encourages each assignment to last long enough that the characters identify with the ship.

    Even in the 23rd century, a ship’s computer is capable of interacting on a personal level. Quirks can develop in a ship’s operating system through extended use as the ship’s database of personal logs, psychological and medical data and communications grow. In most cases these quirks are purged with routine overhauls and upgrades, however, some may persist, giving the character’s ship a distinct “voice” and persona to interact with. Most of the time, the ship is compelled to service of the crew. (Especially following the M5 incident, no one in Starfleet had a great desire to give command control over to the ships’ computer). But there are rare exceptions where the ship’s computer may become more insistent in it’s “service” requests phrased almost as orders, advice colored with agendas. It is up to the GM, and the players as to how much personality they would like their ship to have. With the addition of Holographic Crew, a ship’s computer could have one or more instances of itself among the crew, performing duties.

    Now, boldly go where no one has gone before!

  • A Sufficiently Advanced Technology

    A Sufficiently Advanced Technology

    Technological Marvels of The Star Trek Universe

    The major empires of the Star Trek Universe, even during the 23rd century (the era of Starfleet’s “Five-Year Missions”) displayed a Tech Level around 15. In the 24th and early 25th centuries that mean Tech Level does not change all that much. In Traveller, or at least in the Dezzy Traveller Universe, Tech Level is presumed to lie on a logrithmic scale, with each higher tech level representing exponentially more development than the previous. The scaling is mostly abstract, blending the existing scale of benchmarks with arbitrary assumptions. Traveller and Star Trek both are realms of imagination, and the rules sometimes don’t count.

    This causes a bit of a challenge when modelling Star Trek technology into Traveller terms. As mentioned, most of the Star Trek Universe is around TL 15. That gives a good “feel” to the far future technology. Impulse Drives, Computer Systems, Sensors, and such. Still, there are well established Star Trek technologies that are far beyond Traveller’s definition of TL 15. Antimatter, for example is TL 20 in Traveller, but it’s a fundamental power source in Star Trek. The common (though finicky) Transporter is TL 19. But the societies remain relatable to our 20th century experiences. I tend to equate most technologies in Star Trek to feel like the 3rd Imperium around 1105. Powerful personal computers, communicators, orbital and deep-space habitats. Gravity manipulation, all are pretty common for everyone wandering around the core systems of the various empires in Star Trek.

    We’ll Save Starships for Next Week

    There is an entire article that can be written about building the starships in Star Trek. Modelling Shields, Naval Weaponry, Warp Speeds and the like. We’ll address those next week. For this essay, I’m going to try to stick to more personal technology. The type that player-characters would be using on adventures.

    Tricorder Readings, Communicators, and the Universal Translator

    Let’s start with computers. The Tricorder is, in effect a portable computer with some high-end sensors, regardless of the Tricorder’s configuration (there are differences between the various specialty Tricorders, but overall, the function and hardware of a Tricorder remains constant). In Traveller, I’d call the Tricorder a TL 15 portable computer, that ranges in size between the pouch-portable box from the 23rd century all the way to a hand held carton in the 24th century that can fit in a convenient pocket. The Tricorder would have Computer/6 processing (which would allow it to support 6 Bandwith worth of software packages) and will be issued pre loaded with the Expert processes that reinforce the Tricorder’s purpose. It masses between roughly 1.5 kg (for the old box on a strap) to maybe .1 kg. It has incorporated in it’s hardware, a variety of sensors. Densinometers, Geiger Counters, Bioscanners, Neural Activity Scanners, EM Probes and even more specialized sensors. Tricorders are furthermore capable of analyzing data they have gathered through their sensors and data from a seperate computer (like a ships’ computer, or a mainframe) and using their Expert processes, draw conclusions and even limited speculation.

    Communicators also vary in size. From the hand held devices with a flip screen antenna of the 23rd Century to the badge communicators of the 24th and 25th. They are uniformly small, and their mass, even as the hand-held communicator, is negligible. Communicators have an orbital range and are powerful and sophisticated enough to transmit and receive through all but the most intense interference. Of course, most people who use Fleet issued communicators (whether Starfleet, the Imperial Klingon Navy, the Cardassian Navy and so on..) often are trying to use their communicator within the most intense interference. Apart from the communicator’s form, the only real difference between 23rd Century and 24th Century communicators is the integrated Universal Translator. A communicator also has an integrated Computer/1 (23rd century) or Computer/3 (24/25th century). 23rd century communicators commonly have the Intelligent Interface Software Package installed, so the user can flip it open and open communications with a spoken phrase. 24th century communicators add Intellect/1 and Translator/1

    The Universal Translator in the 23rd century is a self contained device around .5kg and is portable. By the 24th century communicators have Universal Translators (as already mentioned). The Universal Translator is a Computer/3 with Translator/1, Intellect/1 and Intelligent Interface software packages. Most ship’s computers in the Star Trek universe have the software packages for Universal Translators loaded as part of their general software. Which allows for verbal and written communication on board ship without the need for a separate device

    Phasers, Disruptors, and Other Things That Go “Pew-Pew”

    Energy weapons in the Star Trek Universe are very effective and deadly. Energy weapons configured as pistols, carbines or rifles have effectively unlimited ammunition for any given engagement. Exhausting a weapon’s charge is a complication the GM introduces in a given scenario.

    Disruptor style weapons (the type used primarily by the Klingon and Romulan Empires, the Cardassian Union, and pirate syndicates) simply incapacitate on a successful hit. If such a target isn’t given immediate first aid, the target will die. Assuming the weapon doesn’t disintegrate the target outright. Whether or not a target is vaporized by a disruptor blast is a matter of the intensity the weapon’s output is set at. Sometimes, you need a body after shooting it.

    Phaser weapons are far more versatile than disruptors. In combat, a phaser can be set to “stun” which will, upon a successful hit, incapacitate most targets (some especially large, robust, or strong targets can resist a phaser set to stun). A target incapacitated by a phaser’s stun setting is rendered unconscious for ten to fifteen minutes before recovering with a really nasty headache. A hypospray injection of a stimulant will wake a stunned target immediately (with the same nasty headache).

    When set to kill or disintegrate, a phaser functions in the same manner as a disruptor weapon. Unlike disruptors, a phaser can also be used to cut or burn through hardened materials or heat objects until they glow and provide heat similar to a campfire (useful in a survival situation). There is a smaller phaser configuration, the Phaser I, which is a palm-sized weapon, easily concealable and non threatening. These small phasers are limited in effective accuracy and charge. Phaser I can support roughly 20 discharges on stun setting, 10 on kill setting, 5 on disintigrate setting. It can maintain a heated object for one hour per remaining charge, and can cut through up to 5 meters of reinforced bulkhead over the course of 10 minutes.

    In Traveller terms, the disruptor weapons are TL 16 (like a Disintegrator), and phaser weapons are TL 17.

    Armor

    Personal armor is uncommon, but not unheard of. Starfleet Security often wears reinforced uniforms with close-fitting helmets. Klingon warriors wear heavy mesh armor as a part of their uniform. Cardassians have distinctive breastplates. Romulan junior officers often wear close fitting helmets.

    In an environment of energy weapons that kill or disintegrate when they hit, this seems like a needless extravagance. However, a great deal of personal combat is done hand to hand with clubs, knives or unarmed strikes. In these instances, having a solid helmet or a reinforced tunic might turn a blade or cushion a blow. Most armor would fall into the categories of Jack or Mesh. Maybe in extreme cases like the Breen, Combat Armor.

    Vacc Suits, or Hostile Environment Suits are also very common. They usually impose negligible encumbrance on the wearer and can be outfitted with a wide variety of sensors, computers and communications devices. Powered armor, like Battle Dress is not a common sight, even the Jem’Hadar, the Dominion’s endless ranks of ground troops do not use powered armor.

    Medical Technology

    In addition to the Medical Tricorder, most medical officers carry a first aid kit with a hypospray and a pharmacy of medications used in the field. With Transporters being common, first aid is intended to stabilize a patient long enough to be transported to a medical bed in sick bay. This colors the medkit.

    Medkits in the Star Trek Universe are TL 15, and provide a +3 DM to any check to perform first aid. This means that even an unskilled person can use a medkit to attempt first aid with their non-proficiency penalty fully balanced by the supplies and the instruments in the medkit. When attending to a dying patient (all physical characteristics reduced to zero) a successful first aid attempt using a medkit will stabilize the patient, returning one of their physical characteristics to 1 immediately.

    Medkits in the 24th century have mico-replicators that when used with a Medical Tricorder can replicate dosage for any medical drug needed at the time. In the 23rd century, medkits contain doses of the following drugs for the hypospray

    • Anti-Rad
    • Medical Fast Drug (slows patient metabolism by a factor of 60:1 Placing them in a state of suspended animation for prolonging life support) 60 days pass while the patient subjectively experiences a single day.
    • Universal Vaccines, Antibiotics and Antivirals
    • Panaceas
    • Medical Slow Drug (increases patient metabolism by a factor of 30.) A medical bed or sickbay is necessary to make use of this drug. The patient will experience 30 days of accelerated healing in a single day. However unless treated with the resources of a medical bed (normally inducing a coma) the increased metabolism will cook the patient’s internal organs and brain.
    • Stims
    • Non-Federation medkits also have a supply of Combat Drugs.

    Resistance is Futile

    The Borg break a lot of these assumptions. They are cybernetically enhanced, networked into a communal matrix, and in general use higher Tech than the other empires in the galaxy. While the empires in Alpha and Beta Quadrants are around TL 15 by the 24th Century, the Borg are closer to TL 19 or 20. Borg technology is a bit beyond the scope of this short article, but GMs can feel free to use whatever unfair advantage their devious little hearts can dream up when sending The Borg after their player characters.

    A Glance Into the 32nd Century

    In the post-burn galaxy of the 32nd Century, the Star Trek Universe has advanced to at least TL 20. Teleporters are commonly used for inter-ship and inter-facility instantaneous travel. Programmable Matter can generate any needed device with just a command. Artificially designed sentience is self-replicating and have become species’ unto themselves.

    Until next time, Go Boldly, Live Long, and Prosper!

  • Infinite Diversity, Infinite Combinations

    Infinite Diversity, Infinite Combinations

    Using Traveller to Run a Star Trek Campaign (Part 2)

    The Galaxy of Star Trek has a bewildering variety of new life and new civilizations for a crew of player characters to seek out as they boldly go where no one has gone before. Especially in a Starfleet centered campaign that diversity will be front and center on display. Using the Traveller rules, it is not difficult to create a species for players to use. Modiphius has also recently published a Species Sourcebook for Star Trek Adventures, which is an excellent resource (obviously) for adapting the different species to Traveller.

    Vulcans Break the System

    When running a Star Trek game, character balance is not the point. Species are not all created equal. Vulcans (and Romulans) I’m looking at you.

    Vulcans (even mixed-species Vulcans like Mister Spock) have big bonuses to Strength, Endurance, Intellect, Education and have Psionic training in their backgrounds. Though I think Vulcans are limited to Telepathy and probably Awareness. I cant think of any Vulcans displaying Clairvoiyance, Telekinesis or Teleportation.

    As mentioned last week, the Vulcan Science Academy is exclusive to Vulcan students, and is a far better University than what other educational institutions offer. Vulcans also live over 200 years (on average), sometimes approaching 300. Add to this the “Vulcan Nerve Pinch” which could be a variation of Telepathic Assault with the range reduced to Personal. This also conveniently explains why non-Vulcans cannot normally perform the attack.

    Humans and near-Humans

    Most of the sophonts in the Trek Universe are human (at least in the Federation) are “human”. They may be from Rigel or Proxima, or Utopia or any number of colonies and systems that present human parallel evolution. For purposes of species, these all count as Human. Cultural and Ethnic diversity can account for different background skills, but for purposes of Starfleet characters, they count as human.

    Near humans are those non-human species that are so similar to humans that, like human characters only minor changes to their background abilities are really necessary. Betazoids, Bajorans, Cardassians, Orions are examples. They are not especially more or less strong, dextrous, intelligent, etc.. than humans. Their cultures make relatively minor adjustments to their character generation (Betazoids, for example, start with Psionic Training and Telepathy presented as reading emotions)

    Uplifted species like Terran Dolphins, Great Apes and Beluga also work well in Star Trek (just travel down to Cetacean Ops and party with Lieutenants Kimolu and Matt if a wanna know). Traveller already has templates for uplifted Terran species so adapting to Star Trek becomes that much easier. In the Star Trek Dezzyverse I’d allow Vargr because they are, in the Traveller Universe, an uplifted species from Terran Wolves. Also, I like Vargr and I think they ‘re neat. After all, if a Ferengi can join StarFleet, a rough-around-the-mange Vargr can join too.

    Non-Humans and Aliens

    Non humans are a category of sophonts that have fundamentally different characteristics and abilities from humans. Kzinti, Gorn, Ferengi, Klingons, Andorians, Tellarites. They are in general different enough from human that they have positive and negative Characteristic adjustments and abilities. The Kzinti in particular have a strong parallel in Traveller with the Aslan.

    Especially as the Star Trek Universe expands into more, shall we call them “Mileus” the variety and expanse of represented species expands far beyond the human and-near human. Star Trek Crew can venture beyond the humanoid, or even carbon-based forms. In one of the Star Trek comic book series, there is a Horta Bridge Officer on the Enterprise for a time. There’s a Medusan and a Brikar who join Starfleet in Star Trek: Prodigy. Some of these more extreme examples may be a challenge to model, but, like with Vulcans mentioned earlier, game balance is really not the point. Just work with your players to make something interesting and fun that satisfies their character idea.

    Of course, when discussing non-humans, Star Trek has plenty of examples of artificial, or engineered life. Androids like Data, Photonics like SAM, Ex Borg, Cyborg, the list goes on and on. In Traveller there are multiple resources to model these forms of life. From the rules in the Robot Handbook all the way through the campaign adventure Singularity. Of course, this brings up the question of Starfleet’s Tech Level, which we’ll be covering next week.

    Infinite Combinations

    The thing I absolutely love about the direction Star Trek has gone in Strange New Worlds, Discovery, and Starfleet Academy is how the Federation and Starfleet are no longer presented as majority human. It was impractical back in the 1960s and even the 80s and 90s to have too many radically non-human characters. And even the diversity, especially in the Original Series and Next Generation era was mostly focused on Earth culture of the time. James Kirk was famously from Iowa, William Riker, Alaska, Pavel Chekov was Russian and Nyota Uhura was Kenyan.

    As Star Trek has developed, not only were the species of the characters expanded, but where they came from got a more attention. Tasha Yar was from a colony where public security had broken down completely, Worf was an orphan raised by a human Russian couple, Deep Space Nine dealt with people recovering from a brutal Cardassian Occupation, Voyager XO Chakotay came from Trebus colony, Seven of Nine was a colonist from Tendara colony (before she was assimilated and subsequently recovered from the Borg). The point here is that players should be encouraged to explore the breadth of Star Trek’s potential through their character’s culture instead of leaning heavily on present-day cultural stereotypes. Nothing is entirely wrong with being proud of where you were raised, but Chekov has pretty much overdone the stereotypical over-the-top Russian for everyone at this point. If a player wishes to use an Earth culture (even if it’s a transplanted Earth culture onto a distant colony world), just tread lightly. Remember that if an existing culture is being used, real people, some of whom may be at your table, or at your convention, or are in your local Star Trek gaming community may belong to that culture. Be respectful.

    The existing promise of Star Trek, the Federation, and Starfleet is that all of these cultures, all of these People can coexist and work together. There is still conflict, and there are still a host of prejudices that the peoples of the Star Trek Universe continue to hold in their hearts. But the hope remains that the future continues to progress towards inclusion and diversity. Live Long and Prosper!