A character type for a Star Trek game

[Astromancer]

Aiden Adair MacConnamara

ST 17

DX 14

IQ 17 Per 20

HT 14

Psionic Powers

Psi skills after Psi powers and in Italics.

Psi Sense 1 [8] Sense Psi-18 {1}

Emotion Sense 2 [9] Sense Emotion-18 {1}

Mind Shield 10 [40] Mental Shield-16 {2}
Expansion-15 {6}

Mind Clouding 1 [6] Cloud Minds-16 {2}

Psi Perks (I was allowed to buy ten for complex reasons)

Telepathic Perks [I Know What You Mean, Tactical Reading]
Probability Conc. Perks [Good Neighbor, Moneyclip Magnet, Shopper's Blessing]
PK Perks [Hydrokenesis, Ignition, Small-Scale TK]
ESP Perk [Card Sharp]
Teleport Perk [Coin trick]

Mindshipman Rank 3, Status 1

Advantages

Language Talent [10]
Voice [10]
Handsome [12]
Intuitive Mathematician [5]
Eidetic Memory [5]
Longevity [2]
Ambidexterity [5]
Very Fit [15]
Musical Ability 1 [5]
Recovery [10]

Disadvantages

Broad Minded [-1]
Congenial [-1]
Curious on a 6 [-10]
Duty on a 12 [-10]
Overconfidence on a 12 [-5]
Proud [-1]
Slow Riser [-5]
Sense of Duty
Federation [-10]
Starfleet [-10]

Complusive Behavior ("Self Improvement") [-5]
Reputation ("Eugenic Superman" -2, large numbers of people, mainly humans, 1/2) [-5]

Languages {Modifed by Language Talent}

English (Native) [0], French[4], Latin[4], Classical Greek[4], German [4], Gaelic [4]. Learned in school.

Chinese (Mandarin) [4], Arabic [2], Urdu [2], Swahili [2], Indonesean [2], Farsi [4]. Learned at Khan's court, the first and last improved later.

Vulcan [4], Andoran [4], Klingon [4], Romulan [2], Gorn [2], Orion [2], Betazoid [2]. Learned after his voyage on the Botany Bay.

Perks: Sanitised Metabolism, Classic Black Irish Looks, Blue Eyes!

(Aiden's eyes are an odd intense Blue, Aiden's combo of very dark hair, fair complexion and blue eyes was once seen as probverbially handsome and classically Irish)

Quirks: [Avoids Bars and any risk of a Brawl], [Sounds Old Fashioned, Formal, and Refined, unless he makes a serious effort not to],
[Hums, Whistles, and Sings to himself], [Bisexual], [Celtophile, especially anything Irish], [Culture Vulture]

Cultural Familiarities: 20th Century West, Late 20th Century South Asia, Vulcan Science Academy, Starfleet.



Skills:

Accounting - 15 (1)
Acrobatics - 13 (1)
Profesional Skill (Secretary) - 16 (1)
Scholar! -16 (12) {This skill covers all social science skills, Liberal Arts, Occultism, and Research in these fields.}
Artist (Drawing) - 15 (1)
Astronomy - 15 (1)
Phaser - 14 (1)
Biology - 16 (4)
Body Language -20 (1)
Chemistry - 16 (2)
Computer Operation - 17 (1)
Computer Programing - 17 (4)
Crytography - 16 (2)
Dancing - 13 (1)
Detect Lies - 18 (2)
Diplomacy - 17 (1)
Electronics Operations (Scientific) -19 (8) {All other types deflaut at 15}
Fast Talk - 18 (1)
Filch - 14 (2)
Games - 17 (1)
Geography - 15 (1)
Geology - 15 (1)
Housekeeping - 17 (1)
Intelegence Analysis - 16 (2)
Linguistics - 16 (2)
Mathematics-VH 17 (8) {This is math as taught in the Vulcan Science Academy, no specialisations required. Should I go for a higher base skill?}

Musical Comp. - 16 (1)
Musical Instruments:
Guitar - 16 (1)
Gaelic Harp - 16 (1)
Vulcan Lyrette (Ka'athyra)
Observation - 20 (2)
Performance - 18 (1)
Singing - 17 (1)
Physics - 15 (2)
Poetry - 16 (1)
Research - 17 (2)
Savoire-Faire - 17 [Starfleet] (1)
Savoire-Faire - 17 [Vulcan] (1)
Scrounging - 20 (1)
Shiphandling (Starship) - 15 (1)
Crewman (Starship) - 17 (1)
Sleight of Hand 13 (2)
Sports - 14 (2)
Skating - 12 (1)
Speed Reading - 16 (1)
Stealth - 13 (1)
Swimming - 14 (1)
Weird Science - 14 (1) Basically any alien tech Aiden would have to figure out.
Writing - 16 (1)

This is what I've put together for Aiden's Mart-Arts.

Judo - 13 [2]
Karate - 13 [2]

Acrobatics - 13, Body-Language-20, Stealth - 13, See Above.

Techniques:

Acrobatic stand - 11 [5]
Arm Lock (J) - 11 [2]
Wrist Lock (J) -11 [2]
Breakfall (A) - 15 [2]
Elbow Strike (K) - 13 [2]
Evade (A) - 15 [2]
Ground Fighting (J) - 11 [3]
Kicking (K) - 13 [3]
Knee Strike (K) - 13 [2]
Low Fighting (J) - 12 [2]
Push Kick (K) -12 [3]

Do feel free to Kibbitz. Tell me where points are wasted, which and what is simply not Star Trek: OS, stuff like that.

Also point out where my math is bad.

I've made some changes and might make some more. Am I improving him?

[Þorkell]

FWIW he seems to lack a HT stat.

[Irish Wolf]

The mention of Occultism snagged my eye. In Star Trek, there is no occult, simply levels of scientific understanding we haven't achieved yet.

[combatmedic]

Originally Posted by Irish Wolf

The mention of Occultism snagged my eye. In Star Trek, there is no occult, simply levels of scientific understanding we haven't achieved yet.

Are you saying that no cultures in the Star Trek universe have occult traditions to study? YMMV, but that seems both boring and implausible to me.

In any case, isn't this character thawed out from a past time? Even if blinkered, smug, and oh so ''enlightened'' FedHumans have "advanced" beyond the use of their imaginations or interest in the occult, that need not restrict Aiden.

And what about all the nonhuman species? None of them have occult traditions? Nobody studies this stuff?

[Astromancer]

Originally Posted by Þorkell

FWIW he seems to lack a HT stat.

Noted, corrected. Thank-you.

[Astromancer]

Originally Posted by Irish Wolf

The mention of Occultism snagged my eye. In Star Trek, there is no occult, simply levels of scientific understanding we haven't achieved yet.

However people have Occult beliefs. Thus a socio-cultural science guy would need to know about Occult beliefs in order to do his job.

[Astromancer]

Originally Posted by combatmedic

Are you saying that no cultures in the Star Trek universe have occult traditions to study? YMMV, but that seems both boring and implausible to me.

In any case, isn't this character thawed out from a past time? Even if blinkered, smug, and oh so ''enlightened'' FedHumans have "advanced" beyond the use of their imaginations or interest in the occult, that need not restrict Aiden.

And what about all the nonhuman species? None of them have occult traditions? Nobody studies this stuff?

Aiden's cousins (his true family in most ways) enjoyed, but were not obcessed with, the occult boom of the early 1970's. Aiden has always enjoyed the Occult and New Agey stuff, but he is no New Ager.

Like you Combat Medic, I assume that all human cultures tend to have occult, religious, and/or spiritual beliefs. They may not be labled as such, in fact, as in the old Soviet Union, they might be labled as the opposite of such. I assume future societies will have more rather than fewer beliefs of these kinds. Mainly because it seems to me that, the more complex a society is, the richly developed its religious, spiritual, and occult beliefs become.

[Astromancer]

The characters in this game aren't going to be points balanced, they're Function/Role balanced. This is why Aiden hasn't taken any engineering or medical skills (others cover those) and why Aiden's Psionics and Martial arts are much less than the other PC's. However the group is making suggestions and I've been asked to get some opions from you guys.

A) One of Aiden's roles is simply, he's the strongest one. Some of the others suggest Aiden should be signifigantly stronger. A St of 20 would make Aiden four times stronger than a normal human. A St of 23 would make him more than five times stronger than normal. Should Aiden, if the group wants him to be the Forklift that walks like a man, be stronger? If so, how much?

B) Although the group thinks the points in skills are okay, some of the group think Aiden's DX should go up one or two. What's the reaction from these boards?

C) Should Aiden have more (!) skills. I think that Encyclopedist! (which is all Area Knowledge and Current Events skills) would be good. Six points would get me a skill of 15.

D) Some of the group think Aiden's perception could go up a bit. Reactions?

E) Might it be good to add professional skill Busker and have Aiden be able to pass as a sametime entertainer as a means to go undercover?

All of the players in this group has been asked to see the characters of the other PCs as support for their PC. This is supposed to be the basis of their judgement.

[combatmedic]

Originally Posted by Astromancer

Aiden's cousins (his true family in most ways) enjoyed, but were not obcessed with, the occult boom of the early 1970's. Aiden has always enjoyed the Occult and New Agey stuff, but he is no New Ager.

Like you Combat Medic, I assume that all human cultures tend to have occult, religious, and/or spiritual beliefs. They may not be labled as such, in fact, as in the old Soviet Union, they might be labled as the opposite of such. I assume future societies will have more rather than fewer beliefs of these kinds. Mainly because it seems to me that, the more complex a society is, the richly developed its religious, spiritual, and occult beliefs become.

Right, I hope I didn't come across as poo-poohing IW's read on Star Trek.


Roddenberry does seem to have had a real animosity towards traditional religions. Whether that feeling extended to cover occult and magical matters I don't know. How much it affected TOS or TNG, I don't know.

I do see some 'New Age', mystical influences in TNG. I don't know if that stuff came from Roddenberry or other writers.

Star Trek contains a number of vaguely mystical, semi-religious ideas about directed/teological evolution, godlike aliens with Sufficiently Advanced technology, mind powers, and Progress with a capital P. I'm not sure I'd call any of that "occult" but some of it could from the basis of occult traditions in the milieu.

[Astromancer]

Originally Posted by combatmedic

Roddenberry does seem to have had a real animosity towards traditional religions. Whether that feeling extended to cover occult and magical matters I don't know. How much it affected TOS or TNG, I don't know.

I do see some 'New Age', mystical influences in TNG. I don't know if that stuff came from Roddenberry or other writers.

Star Trek contains a number of vaguely mystical, semi-religious ideas about directed/teological evolution, godlike aliens with Sufficiently Advanced technology, mind powers, and Progress with a capital P. I'm not sure I'd call any of that "occult" but some of it could from the basis of occult traditions in the milieu.

Science Fiction and the Occult seem to attract similar (but not identical) groups. Both Sci Fi and the Occult seem to atract and delight certain types of imagination. That any major work of Sci Fi would have Occult influences on it, and cultural influences on the Occult beliefs of the societies that enjoy/embrace the Sci Fi work, seems, as Spock might say, logical.