GURPS Star Trekking - Help? Assistance?

[Inky]

Star Trek continuity seems inconsistent about replicators sometimes, so if Qoltar and Qoltar's players want no replicators in 2261, they can have it, and it possibly be as reasonable as anything else. There may be advantages to not having replicators - that way, you can have treasure, exotic cargoes being carried from planet to planet, and traders flitting about the galaxy hoping to strike it rich, and it make sense.

[Inky]

It looks like templates for all the five alien species you asked about (Caitians, Deltans, Denobulans, Edosians and Saurians) have been posted, don't know if that covers what you were after.

If so, that possibly just leaves the question of how to do spaceship combat (from scratch without relying on references to Star Fleet Battles).

[maximara]

Originally Posted by Inky

Star Trek continuity seems inconsistent about replicators sometimes, so if Qoltar and Qoltar's players want no replicators in 2261, they can have it, and it possibly be as reasonable as anything else. There may be advantages to not having replicators - that way, you can have treasure, exotic cargoes being carried from planet to planet, and traders flitting about the galaxy hoping to strike it rich, and it make sense.

Thing is both Harry Mudd and Cyrano Jones drifted to living..."cargo" and as one of the compendium books pointed out Cyrano Jones was an idiot (Tribbles breed too fast to be a viable commodity).

Kirk's comment to Korob his ship could make precious stones by the ton shows that they likely had the means to make inorganic matter at the drop of a hat.

We will just ignore the latest retcon because 'eww that is what the food is actually made from?' Never midn that dosen't match what TOS said.

[Inky]

Oh, I don't mean the existence of traders in the series proves that there definitely aren't replicators, I mean that not having replicators makes it easier to justify having lots of that kind of thing in your game and some people like it like that.

(The precious stones certainly hints at replicators, but could have been just very good regular (and more interesting) methods - I know this because I got distracted and spent nearly an hour looking it up earlier :-D Artificial synthesis of gemstones was well under way by the 1960s, and the equipment used isn't actually that huge - and it's pretty well established that the Enterprise's labs are equipped for any not-too-exotic scientific process that the plot needs them to be equipped for. (https://www.gia.edu/gem-synthetic). As for "by the ton", well... this is Captain Kirk trying to impress a bad guy, and he didn't say how long it would take to make a ton of them :-D
Note that when Kirk finds a heap of diamonds in "Arena", he calls it "an incredible fortune".
The one that seems to point more definitely to replicators is "Tomorrow is Yesterday" - that crew member asked the Air Force man to order whatever food he wanted, and clearly expected to get away with it - and, as other posters have pointed out, that's flat out contradicted by "Charlie X" and possibly other things. The question of what the little food dispensers actually do is so contradictory that it looks as if either the "writers' bible" wasn't kept up to date on this point or the writers weren't reading it.)

Replicators or not, it does seem clear that TOS Starfleet ships were meant to be Seriously Rich and have plenty of resources to throw at problems.

[Qoltar]

Short version with no 'debate' - they never said 'replicators' in any episode of "TOS".
Also, I have only seen the first episode of "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" - it was free on YouTube and I don't have 'streaming'.

So, in my campaign there are no darn 'replicators.

I know my Trek

The ship has food processors or food slots - and also chefs or cooks from time to time.

Like I said, I Know my "Star Trek"....

- Ed C.

[Pursuivant]

Originally Posted by Witchking

Well unless the ship being boarded is smashed to pieces they would not get surprise. A transport in is very energetic, ships sensors would detect that, so at the least defenders would know 'Transport in Cargo Bay Three, suspected boarders'.

Fires aboard ship or nearby energy overloads might provide cover, however. This could be treated as a QC of EO (Transporters) vs. EO (Security or Sensors), with Tactics as a Complementary skill.

Originally Posted by Witchking

If the attackers choose poorly or have bad luck and appear in an area with ARMED alert personnel they will likely eat a round of fire BEFORE round time starts.

Canon suggests that phaser/disruptor fire, and even explosions, which through a person before they fully phase in or after they start to phase out might cause problems for the transporter operator. Perhaps another skill roll vs. EO (Transporters) at -1 per 10d damage or fraction thereof, to a maximum penalty of -5? A failed roll means that the transporters whine and the energy pattern flickers while the operator fumbles for an additional 1d seconds. A CF indicates a more serious problem, which gives penalties to subsequent skill rolls to beam the person in or out.

IIRC, there's never been a canon situation where the defenders are waiting as attackers phase in and just blast them. What seems fair, however, is for defenders to get an Aim bonus while boarders are phasing in. Several seconds of aim, plus bracing your weapon, would give massive bonuses to hit, especially at the relatively close ranges involved in boarding actions.

Boarders would have to make Body Control skill rolls to instantly orient themselves and then possibly Fast-Draw skill rolls to get their weapons in firing position, and finally the equivalent of an All-Out Attack if they want to get a shot off on the turn they materialize.

If you beam in with weapon in hand, you still have to do the Body Control roll and the AoA, but not Fast-Draw.

A potentially wiser trick would be beam in in a Crouch, then do Body Control roll and the equivalent of an All Out Defense to dive for cover.

The transporter operator's Tactics skill (or the Tactics skill of whoever is giving orders, if they can coordinate with the operator) is critical to getting spacing and facing of the boarders correct. A CF isn't going to materialize someone into a bulkhead, but it might have them facing the wrong way or on the wrong side of a door.

Originally Posted by Witchking

If the choose middling then they appear in an area with personnel, possibly even armed personnel. However they if they are not Security they are probably concentrating on their duties (in combat I would sure hope so). If the area has Security posted the Security alone would get one free shot. So basically I would then call top of the round.

Personnel focusing on other duties are likely to be seated and might not be armed, they certainly won't have weapons drawn. They would get a roll vs. Hearing or Vision, probably at bonus, to detect intruders beaming in, but with penalties for Distraction and possibly noise and poor visibility.

Originally Posted by Witchking

If they choose well then they are in an empty section and would get the 'round' to acclimate. Then reacting Security forces would not be surprised, but might be forced to attack. That would be a disadvantage, especially if the section has only one entrance.

Several other possibilities.

The "spearhead" landing party might try to find a secure area and then try to hack into nearby security and life support systems. This would allow them to open doors, drop or raise interior force screens, and, most importantly, control local gravity and HVAC systems. Failure to control gravity systems means that defenders might be able to play "gravity pong" with boarders by randomly increasing and dropping gravity levels or reverse the gravity direction at intervals to slam boarders into the deck or overhead. Just maxing out the gravity level might be enough to pin heavily encumbered boarders to the deck.

Failure to control HVAC systems means that the defenders can pump in gas, change atmosphere composition, or vent atmosphere to immediately incapacitate attackers. Trapped attackers can be frozen or roasted by setting heating or cooling in a given area on maximum.

It's never been done in canon, but there's also no reason why the attacking ship couldn't use its cargo transporters to beam in barriers to protect boarders, beam in explosives or gas as the "first wave," or play games with the defenders by beaming in humanoid dummies or partially beaming in objects and then reverse the process to beam them out. The last trick would create an obvious long lasting transporter energy signature that might distract defenders or confuse sensor operators. They can also try to beam out key enemy personnel in unshielded areas.

Attackers who find themselves in a tight corner could also ask to be transported to another location. Point-to-point transport is tricky, however, and might not be possible using 23rd century tech. You have to bring the boarding party back to the transporter pad, temporarily put their energy patterns into the pattern buffer, then reconfigure the transporter controls to beam them out again, to another location, without ever materializing them on the transporter pads. (SNW established that it is possible store living beings in a transporter's pattern buffer for weeks or months by about 2356. The problem is quickly reversing the process and "acquiring" a new landing location quickly.)

Originally Posted by Witchking

In most fiction the targets to protect are the Bridge, Life Support and Engineering. If I were GM I would assume they would get posted guards at Red Alert and that the boarders would be trying to seize all three.

It's established in canon that the Bridge and Engineering get extra guards during a red alert. Since I don't think that there's ever been canon that discusses "central life support systems," life support might be distributed throughout the ships rather than being centralized. I'm probably wrong, though.

Since larger ships often have auxiliary bridge and engineering control rooms, boarders might try for those areas and then try to hack the ship's security systems to divert control.

The other possibility is to take hostages in order to force a surrender, but this isn't likely to work against species that prefer death to surrender. When the tactic is viable, that allows boarders to go after the sickbay or civilian passenger quarters. (Borg definitely go for this option. Beam into civilian areas, seal them off, assimilate everyone, then use the newly created drones as cannon fodder to take the rest of the ship.)

Any species might consider a surrender or truce if the boarders capture something really important aboard the ship. ("You can die with honor, but weaken the empire by letting the unobtainium shipment get destroyed or you can agree to a truce and save it. A truce allows you to do your duty to the empire and live, while preserving enough honor that you're not perma-banned from Sto-vo-kor/turned over to the Tal Shiar/Obsidian Order/Founders for use as reactor shielding.")

[Witchking]

Originally Posted by Pursuivant

Canon suggests that phaser/disruptor fire, and even explosions, which through a person before they fully phase in or after they start to phase out might cause problems for the transporter operator. Perhaps another skill roll vs. EO (Transporters) at -1 per 10d damage or fraction thereof, to a maximum penalty of -5? A failed roll means that the transporters whine and the energy pattern flickers while the operator fumbles for an additional 1d seconds. A CF indicates a more serious problem, which gives penalties to subsequent skill rolls to beam the person in or out.

If Security Guards are present and a Transporter Materialization begins, assuming they have Tactics, for GURPS combat I would have them take wait manuvers.
When materialization FINISHES fire. At the ranges for most ST ship combats the boarders would die 85+% of the time before they draw a breath of your air.

Boarders would have to make Body Control skill rolls to instantly orient themselves and then possibly Fast-Draw skill rolls to get their weapons in firing position, and finally the equivalent of an All-Out Attack if they want to get a shot off on the turn they materialize.

Would work if Security Guards take an Aim action, would not work if Security takes a Wait action. Wait actions take priority.

If you beam in with weapon in hand, you still have to do the Body Control roll and the AoA, but not Fast-Draw.

A potentially wiser trick would be beam in in a Crouch, then do Body Control roll and the equivalent of an All Out Defense to dive for cover.

Add a Body Control roll and that could work. Also add an acrobatics roll if you do not want to land badly behind your chosen cover (if there is any).

Personnel focusing on other duties are likely to be seated and might not be armed, they certainly won't have weapons drawn. They would get a roll vs. Hearing or Vision, probably at bonus, to detect intruders beaming in, but with penalties for Distraction and possibly noise and poor visibility.

Yup their only advantage is likely to be numbers.

It's established in canon that the Bridge and Engineering get extra guards during a red alert. Since I don't think that there's ever been canon that discusses "central life support systems," life support might be distributed throughout the ships rather than being centralized. I'm probably wrong, though.

Not sharply defined in canon that I can recall but what hints I can remember leaves me with the impression that Life Support is part of the Engineering Deck/Spaces. This thread is Trek Specific I mentioned it as three separate because in other fictions it is presented that way.

Since larger ships often have auxiliary bridge and engineering control rooms, boarders might try for those areas and then try to hack the ship's security systems to divert control.

Conceivably possible but if I were GM would assess heavy penalties for the attempt because I would assume system hardwired to give Bridge consoles priority. After all the only time you would be using Aux Con would be after the Bridge was offline due to combat damage.


All of course my $0.02 but since we have been asked for help just dipping my oar in.

[Qoltar]

Originally Posted by maximara

"...you mentioned GCA uses Prime Directive for its templates of Vulcan, Andorians, and Tellarites. So by using those templates you are kind of stuck with SFU's take on those races.

Using the 'PD' templates on the GCA des NOT mean that I am running "Prime Directive" - it means that it is convenient because the Star Trek nouns and terminology are built into it.

It gives me the skeleton or foundation to build on.

No way in bleep would I ever run the "SFU"/PD universe. To me it reads like a twisted perversion of the 'Star Trek' universe.

Also, I am trying to emulate or simulate things seen or referenced in the current versions of "Star Trek" on TV - mainly the first two seasons of "Star Trek Discovery" and the first few episodes of "Star Trek Strange New Worlds".

- Ed C.

[maximara]

Originally Posted by Qoltar

No way in bleep would I ever run the "SFU"/PD universe. To me it reads like a twisted perversion of the 'Star Trek' universe.

Also, I am trying to emulate or simulate things seen or referenced in the current versions of "Star Trek" on TV - mainly the first two seasons of "Star Trek Discovery" and the first few episodes of "Star Trek Strange New Worlds".

It is all a matter of taste. For example, I consider near all the prequel Star Trek stuff ("Strange New Worlds" being the least annoying) a "twisted perversion".

[Qoltar]

Originally Posted by maximara

It is all a matter of taste. For example, I consider near all the prequel Star Trek stuff ("Strange New Worlds" being the least annoying) a "twisted perversion".

Wow, you really missed the point.

My players are most familiar with those recent shows so that is what is comfortable and familiar for them.

The idea is to have fun in a role-playing game - not start a critical debate about which version of 'Star Trek' is better.

New Players are most comfortable with what looks familiar.

- Ed C.