Beyond the Final Frontier Vol 2 No 1

8/8/2019 Beyond the Final Frontier Vol 2 No 1

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UNOFFICIAL WEBZINE OF THE

STAR TREK ROLEPLAYING GAM

OCT

10VOL 2

ISS 1


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October 2010 Issue 1 Volume 2

BEYOND the FINAL FRONTIER1

From the EditorTo the long-suffering faithful, and the new readers alike:Greetings!

To quote the Grateful Dead, What a long, strange tripitsbeen!

Back in the day, when I first picked up the Star Trek RPGPlayers Guide, I never imagined that Id be where I amnow, that Id be doing the things Im doing, or that Id

get to know some of the people I know. I was justanother fan of the show and of the game.

And now, here I am, helping to oversee the revival ofBeyond the Final Frontier.

It didnt happen in a vacuum, though. I probablycouldnt have done this without the help of Doug Joos,who did the layout for this issue. I know I couldnt bedoing it without Chris Huth, who for reasons surpassingunderstanding decided that I was the man who shouldbe carrying this particular torch.

I certainly couldnt be doing it, though, were it not foryou, the fans of the game who just wont let it die. I amboth humbled and thrilled to be able to do this forpeople who love the game as much as I do.

Live long and prosper.

Patrick GoodmanEditor

Beyond the Final Frontier - The Unofficial Star Trek Roleplaying Game Webzine is a not for profit electronic publication created by and forplayers of the Star Trek Role Playing Game published by Decipher, Inc. Star Trek and all other copyrighted trademarks are , and Paramount Pictures, inc. All Rights Reserved. Use of such material is intended as a tribute to, and not an infringement upon ParamountPictures, and/or Decipher, Inc. Beyond the Final Frontier is not officially associated, sponsored, nor sanctioned by Paramount Pictures, orDecipher, Inc. All articles that appear in Beyond the Final Frontier as Copyrighted by their authors, unless otherwise noted, and may not bereprinted without the express written permission of the author. This document is NOT for RETAIL sale.

In this Issue Engineering Room

Mixed species: A new look 2 The Shipyards

The Royal Oak 4

Its Not Just a JobDepartmental Duties in the24th Century 10

Hailing FrequenciesWhere No Man Has GoneBefore 23

You may contact Beyond the Final Frontier at:[email protected]

or visit us at:http://strpg.patrickgoodman.org/


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Rules Option: MixedSpecies Charactersby Patrick Goodman

One of the most frequent complaints about theStar Trek Roleplaying Games CODA rules system isthat the mixed species rules seem very easy to

exploit and abuse. With many possible advantagesand no apparent disadvantages in the rules aswritten, its not hard to see how someone couldreach that conclusion. This article will attempt toaddress this concern.

Character creation in a Star Trek RPG seriesis typically a collaborative effort by both theNarrator and the player. Characters of mixedspecies generally require even more interactionbetween the two. This is because a mixed speciescharacter needs a significantly more detailedbackstory to explain his origin. What era is theseries set in? What are the prevailing sentimentsabout mixing genomes at the time of conception,and among the two species in question? Whatbrought his parents together? Was his conceptioneven considered a possibility by his parents? Whatspecial measures, if any, were needed to ensure hissurvival in utero? These are only a few of thequestions that a player and his Narrator will needto ask between themselves when they decide to

include a mixed species character in their series,and the answers could (and should) have profoundimplications on both the characters developmentand his role in the series.

Mixed Species at Character GenerationOnce the decision is made to include a mixedspecies character, the player should decide whichtwo species he wants his character to descendfrom. Due to the actions of the Preservers billionsof years ago, dozens (if not hundreds) of speciesacross the Alpha and Beta quadrants share enoughgenetic compatibility that hybrids are generallypossible with a minimum of artificial intervention

Just as in the existing rules, one of the two speciesis considered primary, while the other is secondary.

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During the Select Species phase of charactercreation, the player must take the Mixed SpeciesEdge (see sidebar) for his character. This counts asthe free Edge which all characters receive duringcharacter creation; any Edges taken during thePersonal Development or Professional Development

phases must be offset with Flaws.Instead of generating two different sets of

attributes, as would be done under the existingrules, generate a single set of attributes (includethe eight bonus points if using the pick method). Ifone of the species is psionic, and the character willbe, too, don't forget the Psi attribute (as outlinedin the Player's Guide errata). Write this set ofattributes down twice. Apply one species' attributemodifiers to the first set, and the other species'attribute modifiers to the second set.

Select four attributes from the primaryspecies' set and the other two from the secondaryspecies' set to provide the character with all sixattributes. If the character is psionic and only oneof his parents is, take his Psi attribute from theappropriate set. If both parents are psions, take thelower of the two scores (psionic ability isfrequently a victim of mixed species heritage).

Species abilities, such as a Vulcan's MindMeld or a Bajoran's Pagh, are handled in much the

same way as they are in the Player's Guide. Some ofthese species abilities are learnable, while some areinherent parts of the species genome. The playershould choose all but one of his characters speciesabilities from the primary species, and theremaining ability from the secondary species.Typically, this is a learnable ability, such as theHuman ability Skilled, but this isnt always the case,and there are no hard and fast rules for making thischoice.

If the Narrator approves, and the player iswilling to take a flaw in order to spend anotherEdge, he can take either the Stringent Upbringingor Genetic Quirk Edge during the PersonalDevelopment phase of character generation. TheseEdges allow the player to modify how speciesabilities are assigned to his character.

Mixed Species (Edge)Your parents were of two different species. Youstand with one foot in each of two worlds,giving you a unique perspective on the peopleand events around you.Prerequisites: This edge can only be taken at

character creation.

Stringent Upbringing (Edge)While you are the biological blending of twodifferent species, you have been brought up

strictly within the culture of only one.Rather than taking most of the species

abilities from the primary species and onefrom the secondary species, you take all ofyours from the primary species.Prerequisites: Mixed Species edge. This edge

can only be taken during the Personal

Development phase of character creation, and

is incompatible with the Genetic Quirk Edge.

Genetic Quirk (Edge)You dont favor one species as much as manyindividuals of mixed species heritage do.Rather than taking most of the speciesabilities from the primary species and onefrom the secondary species, you take all buttwo of yours from the primary species, and

the remaining two from the secondary.Prerequisites: Mixed Species edge. This edge

can only be taken during the Personal

Development phase of character creation, and

is incompatible with the StringentUpbringing

Edge.


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Royal Oak-classBattlecruiserby Roger L. Taylor IIartwork by Roger L. Taylor II and Adam Heinbuch

IntroductionLosses incurred in the Dominion War clearly

demonstrated that Starfleet vessels lacked theoverwhelming offensive power necessary toensure supremacy in the line of battle. WhileDefiant class vessels were well-matched againstvessels up to twice their size, they lacked theendurance of larger ships and were insufficient togo toe-to-toe with large combatants such as theKlingon NeghVar or various Dominion battleships,a weakness exacerbated by powerful new designsappearing in Romulan and Klingon shipyards. Oldervessels, such as the Galaxy, Ambassador, andExcelsiorclasses continued to serve admirably, butlikewise lacked the offensive power needed todecisively turn the tide of battle.

The few dedicated ships of the line, such asthe Olympus and Kelly classes, were capablevessels, but were designed with twenty-year-oldtechnological baselines that did not incorporatedevelopments in anti-Borg technology or counterthe massed-wave attacks used by adversaries suchas the Dominion. As these vessels aged, they

became far more expensive to maintain andoperate, both in terms of material and manpowercosts.

The first vessels to incorporate the newtechnological baselines were the Intrepid andSovereign classes, but even these vessels weredesigned as deep space explorers and both classes

were far too light or too few to serve in the line-of-battle.

Following the Dominion War, Starfleetcontinued to retrofit existing classes of heavyexplorers, but this was a stop-gap measure, at bestWhat was needed was a new class of line-of-battleships, fast, powerful, and able to take the fight tothe enemy. These vessels would need to beconstructed as quickly as possible, ensure the

greatest value per credit, and be armed andarmored sufficiently to survive in a new combatparadigm. Given the emphasis on replacing lostescorts, patrol craft, and explorers, Starfleet hadneither the time nor the resources to design andconstruct a new ship-of-the-line from the keel up.

Based upon lessons learned by the U.S.SEnterprise NCC-1701-E in her clashes with the Borgthe Sona, and the Romulans, and with severaincomplete hulls already available, Starfleet

Command decided that the new vessel shouldderive from an extensively modified Sovereign classbaseline.

In order to meet Starfleet's desire that thevessel incorporate the experimental multi-vectorassault mode first used in the Prometheus classvarious design yards proposed dreadnoughtvariations which added one or more additionawarp nacelles, either a third nacelle on the dorsacenterline, or two additional nacelles beneath theprimary hull in a manner similar to Miranda class

Both proposed designs, however, suffered fataflaws in warp field dynamics, structuraincompatibilities, and inertial stresses. Simply putadding additional nacelles to the basic Sovereignhull would do more harm than good.

The Sovereign class already enjoyed themost efficient, dynamic warp field known to

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Federation science. The addition of fixed, externalwarp nacelles could only disrupt the vessel's warpbalance and center of gravity, making her sluggish,slow to maneuver, and inefficient at warp speeds.

Additionally, large fixed nacelles addconsiderable mass, and thus inertia. With the vessel

interface (the point at which the two subshipsinter-connect) located almost exactly at the ship'scenter of gravity, large external nacelles couldincrease inertial differentials at the ship's weakestpoint beyond the ability of the structural integrityfields to compensate, causing the vessel to literallytear herself apart while maneuvering at speed.Since such maneuvers occur almost exclusively incombat situations, this configuration posedunacceptable risks to the vessel and her crew.

The problem was further compounded bythe fact that the antimatter reactor assembliesnecessary to feed such large nacelles would takeup an unacceptable amount of space inside analready cramped hull, reducing the room availablefor additional weaponry, shield generators, andmagazines.

Finally, any multi-vector assault would bea comparatively rare and short-term phenomenon.The vessel's various components would spend thevast majority of their service life joined together as

a single vessel, and the warp field dynamics had tobe designed to ensure the most efficient operationin that configuration.

Further, the Sovereign class baseline madeno provision for routine saucer separation, letalone for multi-vector assault mode, a fact madeapparent by the lack of a dedicated impulse engineon the secondary hull. Any new design would needto reserve space for a separation system and do soin such a way as to minimize the impact on thevessel's warp dynamics and finite internal volume.

The most logical approach was toincorporate a raised section aft on the primary hull,similar to that found in the Miranda class, whichhouses a small antimatter reactor and a pair ofretractable warp nacelles, a design elementpioneered on the Prometheus class. Whenextended for separated flight, the engines provide

full warp maneuverability for the detached primaryhull. While the lesser volume and mass of theretractable warp nacelles necessarily results inreduced operational lifetimes and somewhatslower speeds, this liability is more than offset bythe reduced weight and volume requirements and

the restored efficiency of the main warp drivesystem.

WeaponryThe other major concern for the new baselinevessel was her offensive firepower. The Sovereign

class already mounted the heaviest shipboardphaser array currently available to the FederationTo supplement this offensive punch, the Royal Oakwas fitted with an experimental phaser lancefiring from the ventral centerline, just above thecaptain's yacht and forward torpedo array. Basedon the type XV phaser (normally found only onstarbases), this phaser lance incorporates


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annular confinement beam jacketing which allowsthe weapon to be fired at warp speed.

These modifications have resulted in aradical increase to Royal Oak's offensive power, butthe system has proven both vulnerable to damageand difficult to repair.

Conversion and ServiceConversion began in 2381 with the starship RoyalOak at tr'Kierahn Yards, and with Hood andArkhangelsk following at 6 month intervals. Hoodwas refitted at Utopia Planitia, while Arkhangelskwas refitted at Starfleet Yards, San Francisco. A

fourth vessel, Resolution, was held in reserve forpossible future conversion. Royal Oak completedreconstruction in twenty-one months, Hood ineighteen, and Arkhangelsk in twenty-six. In eachcase, the reconstruction was followed by an eightmonth shakedown and evaluation period, testing

both the ships and their crews.Arkhangelsk is being fitted with an

experimental emitter configuration which allowsthe phaser lance to be arrayed in line with themain navigational deflector, rather than in theseparate emplacement used aboard her sisters.

Starfleet Royal OakclassBattlecruiser; Commissioned 2385


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Game StatisticsHull Data Propulsion DataStructure: 40 (5 ablative) Impulse Engines: FIG-4 (.9c) (D)Size: 8/ 24 decks Warp Drive: LF-44 (Warp 6/9.5/9.7 MCU) (C)Length: 685/88/250 meters

Complement: 855

Operational Data TacticalAtmosphere Capable: No Phaser Banks: Type XII (x6)Transporters: 8 personnel, 8 cargo, MK XV Phaser Lance(x1) (E)

8 emergency Penetration: 8 / 7 / 7 / 0 / 0Cargo Units: 80 Photon Torpedoes: MK 95 DF (x3/E)Shuttlebays: 2 a Photon Penetration: 6 / 6 / 6 / 6 / 6Shuttles: 16 size worth Quantum Penetration: 7 / 7 / 7 / 7 / 7Tractor Beams: 1 av, 1 ad Deflector Shields: FSS-3 (F)Separation System: MAM (1 subship) Protection/Threshold: 18/6

Sensor Systems: Class 4 (+4/E)Operations Systems: Class 4 (E)Life Support: Class 4 (E)

Miscellaneous DataManeuver Modifiers: +2 C, +0 H, +3 T

TraitsAblative Armor [NG 143], ACB Jacketing [SS 27], Unique System (Phaser Lance) [NG 144], Visible [ESO 11], VulnerableSystem (Phaser Array) [NG 145], Intricate System (Phaser Array) [ESO 11]


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Starfleet Royal OakclassSaucer Section; Commissioned 2385

Game StatisticsHull Data Propulsion DataStructure: 40 (5 ablative) Impulse Engines: FIG-4 (.9c) (D)Size: 6/ 12 decks Warp Drive: LF-41 (Warp 6/9.2/9.6) (C)Length: 327/30/250 metersComplement: varies

Operational Data TacticalAtmosphere Capable: No Phaser Banks: Type XII (x3) (C)Transporters: 4 personnel, 4 cargo, Penetration: 5 / 5 / 4 / 0 / 0

4 emergency Photon Torpedoes: MK 95 DF (x1/B)Cargo Units: 30 Photon Penetration: 4 / 4 / 4 / 4 / 4Shuttlebays: 1 a Quantum Penetration: 5 / 5 / 5 / 5 / 5Shuttles: 8 size worth Deflector Shields: FSS-3 (F)Tractor Beams: 1 ad Protection/Threshold: 18/6Separation System: MAMSensor Systems: Class 4 (+4/E)Operations Systems: Class 4 (E)

Life Support: Class 4 (E)

Miscellaneous DataManeuver Modifiers: +2 C, +0 H, +3 T

TraitsThis subship shares all the traits of the combined vessel. Additionally, it has Intricate System (LF-41 Warp Drive) [ESO11].


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Starfleet Royal OakclassEngineering Section; Commissioned 2385

Game StatisticsHull Data Propulsion DataStructure: 40 (5 ablative) Impulse Engines: FIG-4 (.9c) (D)Size: 8/ 16 decks Warp Drive: LF-41 (Warp 6/9.5/9.7) (C)Length: 685/88/212 metersComplement: varies

Operational Data TacticalAtmosphere Capable: No Phaser Banks: Type XII (x3)Transporters: 4 personnel, 4 cargo, MK XV Phaser Lance(x1) (D)

4 emergency Penetration: 6 / 6 / 6 / 0 / 0Cargo Units: 40 Photon Torpedoes: MK 95 DF (x2/B)Shuttlebays: 1 a Photon Penetration: 5 / 5 / 5 / 5 / 5Shuttles: 8 size worth Quantum Penetration: 6 / 6 / 6 / 6 / 6Tractor Beams: 1 av Deflector Shields: FSS-3 (F)Separation System: MAM Protection/Threshold: 18/6Sensor Systems: Class 4 (+4/E)Operations Systems: Class 4 (E)

Life Support: Class 4 (E)

Miscellaneous Data TraitsManeuver Modifiers: +2 C, +0 H, +3 T This subship shares all the traits of the combined

vessel.

Ships in ServiceUSS Royal Oak (NCC-73815), USS Hood (NCC-73816), USS Archangelsk (NCC-73817)


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StarfleetDepartmental Dutiesin the 24th Centuryby Dan Gurden

Introduction

One of the questions that seems to get asked a lotis a variation on, What exactly does the operationsofficer do, anyway? What do any of the variousdepartments found on a starship do? Its notalways as cut-and-dried as it appears.

CommandSecond star to the right and straight on 'tilmorning.

The ultimate control of the starship falls to theCommand department. Both the captain andexecutive officer usually fall into this department,regardless of which branch of service they

originally came from. Some smaller vesselshowever, such as the Defiant and Saber classeshave such small crews that an XO will often also bea department head. Captains most commonly risefrom the ranks of the Science, Engineering, orOperations departments, but it is possible for anexemplary officer to rise from other departmentsdirectly. For instance, with the recent increase inhostilities from the Borg and the Dominion, there

are an increased number of captains rising from theTactical branch. Flight Control also falls under thisbranch of service, as do many starbase personnelThis is the only branch of service that wears red.

Captain: The ships commanding officer, thisperson in turn takes orders from StarfleetCommand. While many tasks are delegated toother senior officers, such as the Executive Officerand department heads, the ultimate responsibility

for the ship and all those who serve upon her fallsto this individual. It is he/she who decides the bestcourse of action and interprets the guidelines setdown by Starfleet Command.

The captains job is to carry out StarfleetCommands orders to the fullest extent. Inaddition, captains also have legal authority whileseparated from command, acting as judge,minister, or representative of the UFP, dependingon the situation.

Examples: Captain Jean-Luc Picard, Captain

Benjamin Sisko, Captain Kathryn Janeway, ColoneKira Nerys.

Executive Officer: Second only to the captain, theXO is an invaluable part of the function andcommand structure of any Starfleet vessel orfacility. The position was first established on Earth

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This officer usually works closely with theCommand and Science departments, as well ascivilian diplomats.

The diplomatic liaison officer serves bothStarfleet and the Federation as a whole. They arethe voice of reason and diplomacy in the area. They

are duly appointed representatives and must co-ordinate any peaceable talks with either hostile orunknown entities. This appointment is still unusualas a continuous posting. However, with missionprofiles growing longer on many explorer-classvessels, Starfleet has begun to assign these vesselsa DLO on a permanent basis.

This position is considered a missionspecialist.

Flight Control Officer: Commonly known as theconn officer, this officer is directly responsible forthe navigation and direction of the ship. While thisis mostly an automated process, in times ofemergency, the conn officer will take direct controlover the starship and control its speed, direction,etc. Therefore, this bridge position is always filledwhile a starship runs under its own propulsion.

There will commonly be several flightcontrol officers aboard a starship, usually amongthe pool of junior officers. They are responsible formonitoring and controlling a ship's course, attitudeand speed. Usually this officer will be heavilyversed in starship systems, navigation skills, andbasic engineering abilities to allow constantmonitoring of a ships engineering status. A connofficer will have full control of a ships warp,

impulse and even the RCS thruster systemallowing pinpoint control over the vessel.

Recent alterations to the established designof Starfleet bridges, have begun merging theabilities of Ops and Conn, further expanding therole of pilot, and on some smaller ships, such as the

Defiant class, it is not uncommon for noncommand officers to fill this role, a vitarequirement in situations where the total numberof crew available is a concern.

It is often the case that the most seniorflight control officer will also be the most skilledpilot available, often in multiple pilotingspecializations.

Examples: Acting Ensign Wesley Crusher,Ensign Ro Laren, Lt. Tom Paris, Lt. Commander JadziaDax.

Shuttle Specialist: On some larger vessels adedicated shuttle specialist will be assigned. Thisofficer is assigned as chief shuttle pilot, and is partof the Conn section. He coordinates theshuttlebays of a starship, and will be the liaisonofficer to help coordinate the reassignment of thesecondary shuttlebays during emergencyprocedures. He will also be responsible for keepingthe senior staff up to date on any maintenance

needs, as well as coordinating EVA operations.

Chief of the Boat: The chief of the boat is theranking NCO on the ship, usually a veryexperienced individual with many years of serviceThe chief of the boat performs an equivalentfunction to the XO, but is directly responsible forthe NCOs and enlisted personnel in the crew. Achief of the boat is usually only assigned on largerstarships, as smaller ships have correspondinglysmaller crews, with less need for this position.

Usually, the chief of the boat is as qualifiedif not more so, than many of his contemporariesamong the commissioned officers. The chief of theboat is also responsible for coordinating with theXO and Security departments on matters ofpersonnel and visitors to the ship, as well asacclimatizing new officers.


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EngineeringA good engineer understands machines almost aswell as he does people; a great engineer understandspeople almost as well as he does machines.

One of the most vital departments aboard a

starship, Engineering deals with the repair andmaintenance of shipboard systems, the mostimportant of these being the warp core, whichsupplies power to the whole ship. Many see themas miracle workers, getting things running to tip-top condition with little (or no) notice. Starshipdesigners usually hate the chief engineer, due tothe numerous alterations they make to thestandard specifications while improving a vesselsperformance. Engineering serves as the starshipsheart.

While its easier to run the engines from theengineering department, there is an engineeringstation on the bridge. This station allowsmonitoring and even some control over theengineering department, so while a chief engineeris most likely to be found in the engine room, thereis usually an Engineering officer monitoring thisstation.

Along with the security and operationsdepartments, the majority of Starfleet's enlisted

personnel serve within this department. Like thoseother departments, Engineering wears golduniforms.

Chief Engineering Officer: The CEO is responsiblefor the ships propulsion systems, as well as almostevery other major system aboard the ship (with theexception of computer systems, which fall underthe purview of Operations). In addition tocoordinating repair and maintenance schedules,the chief engineer is usually responsible forupgrades made to improve or optimizeperformance. They are also responsible forcoordinating the personnel serving under theircommand, as well as the condition of all equipmenton a Starfleet ship.

Examples: Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge,Chief Miles O'Brien (aboard the Defiant), Lt. BElannaTorres.

Deputy Chief Engineering Officer: The deputy chief

is expected to act in the chief engineers placewhen he is away or unavailable. They will alsosupervise maintenance tasks in remote areas (suchas on away missions), or critical maintenance taskswhen there is more than one task of the samepriority. The deputy chief engineer is alsotraditionally known as the Engineers Mate.

Example: Lt. Joseph Carey.

Engineering Officer: The officers and NCOs ofEngineering are charged with the actual repairs and

maintenance needed, as well as the normaeveryday tasks that keep a starship running. Theyoften work very closely with the Operationsdepartment to this end.

Examples: Ensign Vorrik, Ensign Robin Lefler,Lt. Reginald Barclay.


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MedicalFirst, do no harm.

When a ship full of people goes out to explore thegalaxy, it's sure that at some time, someonesgoing to get hurt. Thats where Medical comes in.

Their job is to treat the injured and heal the sick. Aqualified doctor holds significant respect, whatevertheir rank. It is possible for the Chief MedicalOfficer to order the captain to stand down, if hebelieves the captains behavior to be affected bymedical conditions.

Non-commissioned officers in thisdepartment serve as orderlies and technicians;junior officers who haven't gone through fulldoctors training serve as nurses. A doctor will gothrough an extra couple of years at Starfleet

Academy gaining their medical training. It is rare fora qualified doctor to enter service below the rankof lieutenant junior grade; most enter as fulllieutenants. Medical personnel, like the Sciencedepartment, wear blue uniforms.

Chief Medical Officer: The CMO manages theentire medical department, and is responsible forthe administrative tasks associated with thedepartment. The CMO must be both Doctor and

Administrator as they also have to fit in theirnormal medical duties as well. Under Starfleetsrules, the senior medical officer has final say in anymatter concerning health care and the treatmentof the injured.Examples: Commander Beverly Crusher, Lieutenant Julian Bashier, Voyager's Emergency MedicalHologram.

Deputy Chief Medical Officer: This position isntalways filled; effectively, it is the second-highestranking doctor on the medical staff. In the casethat the CMO is unable to fulfill their duties, thisofficer will coordinate with the head nurse, andtake over command of the doctors aboard ship.

Medical Officer: The doctor's primary concern iswith the physical health and well-being of the crewand, as a secondary role, the health and well-beingof any Federation citizen in need of medicaattention. In addition to performing routineexaminations and check-ups, the doctors on astarship perform emergency medical proceduresconduct surgery, and assist with injuries andillnesses of all types.

When not actively busy with patients, manydoctors occupy their duty time with conductingmedical research, or familiarizing themselves with

the results of other medical research. Manymedical officers specialize in particular areas ofmedicine, from neurology to exobiology andpharmacy, and many assume titles that describethis specialization. Like their counterparts in theScience department, many of them will findthemselves re-assigned often to better utilize theirspecialized skills.

Example: Dr Selar.

Head Nurse: The head nurse supervises all thenurses, orderlies, and technicians attached to themedical department. This individual is alsoresponsible for the medical equipmentpharmaceuticals, and other supplies. In additionshould the CMO be unavailable to fulfill theirduties, the head nurse is charged with assumingtheir administrative duties. Effectively, this makes


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the head nurse a second departmental deputy,while the other doctors make the medicaldecisions.Example: Lt. Alyssa Ogawa.

Counselor: A Starfleet counselor is primarilyresponsible for the mental and emotional health ofthe crew complement of the vessel or facility towhich they are assigned, but this is not the onlyaspect of the position. Counselors are usually partof a ship's senior command crew, and can holdranks as high as commander. As such, they may becalled upon to assume command of a vessel or anentire facility in times of crisis.

Logistically assigned as part of a ship'smedical contingent, the counselor is likely tooperate separately, and may even have assistantson ships with particularly large crews. A counselor

is likely to have a separate office, like any otherdepartment head, although this office is designedto provide a calm, relaxed atmosphere forcounseling sessions.

A counselor will usually have a seat on thebridge, often shared with other mission specialists,near the captain and executive officer. The captainoften has cause to call upon the experiences andskills of the counselor during first contact,negotiations, or other tense situations; they willadvise on the cultural distinctiveness of races orsuggest social etiquette that may need to beobserved during communication.

The ability to directly influence the captain'scommand decisions is an extremely importantresponsibility. A counselor is required to have ahigh degree of understanding, intuition, andconfidence in most aspects of running a ship, and

must also be aware of the protocol and regulationsneeded to deal with any species and situation thatmight be encountered.

A counselor is required to sit in on themajority of senior staff briefings and meetings andoften accompanies away team missions, especially

on diplomatic visits or functions. A counselorsadvice and expertise in these instances can be vitain avoiding cultural difficulties. The ship's counseloralso works with the XO when reviewing personneand making recommendations about transfers andpromotions.

Examples: Commander Deanna Troi,Lieutenant j.g. Ezri Dax.

OperationsTurn it off, turn it back on. It'll be okay.

The Operations department is a hybrid departmentcovering helm, tactical, and some engineeringTheir area of expertise is the control anddistribution of power and resources around theship. They deal with transporters andcommunications as well as shuttlecraft and tractorbeams; however, under combat conditions many ofthese systems will fall under the Tactica

department's control. Operations also deals withdamage reports when they come in, as well as thecoordination of damage control teams during theaftermath. Officers in Operations are usually easilytransferred between Helm, Engineering or Tacticain an emergency. They wear gold uniforms.Along with the Security and Engineeringdepartments, the majority of Starfleet's enlistedpersonnel serve within this department.

Chief of Operations: The Chief of Operations is alsoknown as the Operations Manager. This individuais tasked with the control and distribution oflimited ships resources such as power, computerusage, sensors, and even holodeck schedulingWhile most of these are handled on a routine basisby the ships main computer, the actual allocationof such resources is decided by the Operations


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Manager. The important necessity of the Chief ofOperations is highlighted by its positioning on aships bridge, often right next to either Conn orTactical.

An Operations Manager has at their disposala series of readouts that give a continually updated

list of current shipboard activities, thus allowingOps to prioritize resources on request, or alter thebalance in cases of emergency or potentiallydangerous tactical situations. The way in whichresources for a ships sensors are allocated isparticularly important for exploratory vessels as anumber of differing departments require the usageof this resource for a wide variety of reasons. Incases when there is a chance of one department'suse interfering or preventing the success ofanother department, the Operations Manager mayreschedule the allocation of resource usage andeven request more drastic recommendations, suchas course changes, to ensure total success.

For all these reasons, an OperationsManager is often particularly skilled in computeruse, and is often a skilled engineer to boot. TheOperations and Engineering departments workvery closely together, blending almostimperceptibly, and it is true that many of their skillsand abilities are interchangeable.

On the bridge, the Ops console providesaccess to the status of a ships sensors, shields, andcommunications, enabling the Operations Managerto access and report much of the same informationalso available to the Tactical Officer.

It must also be noted that many of thenewer style of Starfleet ships bridge arrangements(such as the Defiant and Prometheus classes) havebegun integrating many of the Operations andHelm controls into a single panel; as a result, morethan a few Operations Managers have foundthemselves serving as Conn officers as well.

Examples: Lt. Commander Data, Chief PettyOfficer Miles O'Brien, Ensign Harry Kim.

Deputy Chief of Operations: The Deputy Chief ofOperations is there to back the Chief up, andeffectively coordinate any departmental operations

across the ship while the Chief is busy on thebridge. He is also expected to take over on thebridge if the Chief of Ops is unavailable to take theposition. Likewise, this officer is in charge duringthe Chiefs absence.

Outside of that, the deputy chief of

Operations is usually found in charge of one of theother duty shifts, effectively delegatingresponsibilities between duty shifts of personnel.

Transporter Chief: The transporter systems are oneof the most important facilities available to

Starfleet vessels and facilities, enabling the near-instantaneous transportation of personnel andmaterials from one location to another, andreducing the need for shuttlecraft or other auxiliaryvehicles having to hard-connect via a dockingstation or shuttlebay. The transporters areoverseen by a senior NCO in the Operationsdepartment serving as Transporter Chief.

The number of enlisted personnel servingunder the chief depends upon the size of thevessel. There are usually one or two transporteroperators per transporter room, and two to fourtransporter technicians among the regularOperations and Engineering crews.

The transporter chiefs primary duties are tosupervise the operation and maintenance of thevarious transporter systems that operate aboard astarship. It is this crewmembers responsibility to


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ensure the safe transportation and retrieval ofcrew members during away team missions, as wellas assist their colleagues during the various unusualrequests that seem to crop up on a regular basis.Another of the chief's responsibilities is to ensurethat the equipment cabinets located in the

personnel transporter rooms are always fullystocked and that the weapons and equipmentstored within are always fully charged, to be readyat a moments notice.

Should something go awry, it is also the jobof the transporter chief to conduct an officialinvestigation to find out what went wrong andprevent it happening again.

During periods when transporters are not inuse, the Transporter Chief may order technicians tocarry out test transports, or even undertake suchduties personally, utilizing test materials. Suchmaintenance is to ensure the equipment isoperating at optimum conditions, as the loss of anyvital component during transportation can havecatastrophic results on the individual caught in theaffected beam.

Example: Chief Petty Officer Miles O'Brien(aboard the Enterprise-D).

Mission Operations/Communications Officer:While the role of Communications Officer haslessened considerably since the 23rd century,primarily due to increased technology andautomation available within the communicationsfield. It has typically been the case for Starfleet toexpand and increase the roles of such officers who

might find their positions undermined by suchincreases in technology.

In the case of the Communications OfficerStarfleet has expanded the role to include that ofMission Operations. Effectively, the officer servingin this position on the bridge is there primarily to

monitor and control multiple communicationschannels and support the Operations and Tacticabridge staff. They also monitor the MissionOperations terminal, and keep an eye on the statusof any away teams.

This officer often also serves as a floatingspecialist serving on the bridge, and is able to takeover from the Operations Chief should he getcalled away. Thus a communications officerremains an important link in a starships crew, andis commonly a senior Operations officer.

Communications officers, like security staffmust also be aware of Starfleet codes andemergency conditions, in order to immediatelyinform the Commanding Officer of potentiallyhazardous situations. This position can alsosometimes be filled by a Tactical officer.

Example: Lieutenant j.g. Worf (as a tacticaofficer on the Enterprise-D).

Operations Officer: The rank and file of the

Operations department, operations officersgenerally fill a bridging role between the Science,Command, and Engineering departments. Theyoften specialize in a particular system, focusing oncomputers, sensors, holographic systems, ortransporter systems, and are technically proficientin both their use and in their repair. They frequentlywork closely with Engineering, and quite often thelines between Operations and Engineering get alittle blurred. The Operations department often hasthe largest contingent of officers aboard a starship.

Examples: Ensign Nog, Rom.


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ScienceWeird is part of the job.

Starfleet's original mandate is as anexploratory and scientific organization, and itsprimary mission is one of exploration. The Science

department is the one primarily in pursuit of thatmission.Science officers serve aboard starships in

droves. While there may be a Chief Science Officer,usually the highest ranking officer in thedepartment, the department is further split intomany different fields of study, each with its ownteam or section leader. The largest sections aboardexploratory vessels tend to be Stellar Cartography,which charts the galaxy and explores anomalies inspace, and Xenobiology, which specializes in the

study of alien cultures; they usually have secondarytraining in first contact procedures, as well. Like theMedical department, Science wears blue uniforms.

While the ship's current mission alwaysreceives priority, Science officers are allowed, evenencouraged, to pursue whatever avenue ofresearch they desire, within Federation law, duringtheir off-duty hours.It is common for the Science department on astarship to subdivide into sub-departments, more

so than any other department in Starfleet. Thesesections are usually organized into the followingbroad fields: Planetary Sciences, Space Sciences,Physical Sciences, Life Sciences, and SocialSciences. These sections are further subdividedinto specialties within each field: Anthropology,Chemistry, Biology, Geology, and so on.

Chief Science Officer: The Chief Science Officer isresponsible for supervising all departmentalpersonnel and research efforts aboard ship. Theyoffer scientific facts and advice to the ship'scaptain, and when necessary, prioritize researchefforts in their department. On the bridge, the CSOhas access to the full array of ship's sensors,allowing them to gather scientific and intelligencedata.

The Chief Science Officer has been anintegral part of Starfleet crews since the creationof Starfleet, providing an invaluable service tosenior officers and answering directly to theirCommanding Officer. The CSO is the individuaresponsible for overseeing scientific investigations

and for providing specific scientific information toenable correct and relevant command decisionsThe relative importance of the role differs greatlyaccording to the nature of the vessel on which theofficer is assigned; a Starfleet vessel primarilydesignated as a research vessel will, by its nature,have a very high concentration of scientists aboardand increase the importance of the CSO amongstthe senior staff. The role carried out by the ChiefScience Officer outside of the coordination ofexperiments and research programs will dependentirely on their rank.

In Starfleet, the high consideration ofscientific achievement often leads science officersinto the Command branch, and a significantnumber of Starfleet Captains and ExecutiveOfficers come from the Science department.Examples: Commander Neela Darren, Lt. CommanderJadzia Dax.


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Deputy Chief Science Officer: The Deputy Chiefstands in for the Chief Science Officer when theyare unavailable. In addition, it will often be thedeputy chief who accompanies an away team to aplanet's surface to supervise planetary operations.On larger vessels, there are likely to be multiple

Deputy Chiefs, with each heading up a differentsection as listed above.

Science Officer: Most science officers remaintucked away in the labyrinth of science labs ofvarious types available on most Starfleet ships.Most rank-and-file science officers are usuallyspecialists in particular fields, and are usuallyavailable for transfer to ships going on missionsappropriate to their field of expertise. It is for thisreason that science personnel sometimes receivenumerous transfers in a short period of time,moving to where their skills are required for as longas needed. This sometimes leads to isolation fromtheir crewmates as they shift from assignment toassignment, rather than getting to know a crewand develop long-term working relationships.Example: Ensign Samantha Wildman.

SecurityTo protect and to serve.

The Chief Security Officer often supervisesthe Tactical department, and they deal with thereadiness and upkeep of the ships weaponsystems. They also provide security aboard ship aswell as a supply of troops. Tradition states that a

Tactical console on the bridge is manned by theChief of Security, and it is only very rarely that thereare two chiefs, one for Security and the other forTactical. The officers of the Security departmentwear gold uniforms, while Tactical officers wearred uniforms.

Security officers now have to go through anextra six months of rigorous training aftergraduation from academy; this training is designedto give them a thorough grounding in combat, afact that has increased survivability of Securityofficers by 20%,. There is no physical traininganywhere that equals that of Starfleet's securitypersonnel. The discipline and pride instilled by thisextra training also leaves a corps of highly trainedpersonnel willing to accept that their lives remainpermanently on the line in the name of peace.

Along with the Operations and Engineeringdepartments, the majority of Starfleet's enlistedpersonnel serve within this department.

Chief of Security: The Chief of Security aboard astarship is charged with the safety and defense ofboth the ship and her crew. In recent years, theChief of Security has also served as Senior TacticaOfficer, a situation that has matched Starfleet'smission of peaceful exploration. However, after the

recent hostilities with the Dominion, there aremany Senior Tactical Officers serving within thefleet, and it is likely that this split in specializationswill remain with the fleet for several years, leavingmany vessels with both a Security Chief and SeniorTactical Officer.

A Security Chief often accompanies anyaway teams at the forefront of the landing party,phaser at the ready, and scanning the planet forsigns of hostile life forms or environmentadangers. A starship's chief of security is also onhand any time a visitor beams aboard. If thenewcomer shows signs of hostility, the securitychief will use whatever means necessary to calmthe situation. The chief of security functions as anInvestigator, Policeman and Soldier, and as such isexpected to be fully conversant with all ofStarfleets weapons systems as well as multiple


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forms of hand-to-hand combat. However theSecurity chief must also be highly conversant withDiplomacy and Law to ensure the successfulcompletion of his assignment.

Examples: Lieutenant Tasha Yar, LieutenantWorf, Lt. Commander Michael Eddington, Lt.

Commander Tuvok

Deputy Chief of Security: The Deputy Chief ofSecurity is expected to act in the chiefs placewherever extra security is needed, or while thechief is busy on the bridge. It is the deputys job to

be able to either take over the bridge station, orfind another officer to assume the station whenthe Chief of Security is away. Like all the otherdeputy department heads, it is the deputys job toassume the position of chief if the actual securitychief is unable to fulfill their duties.

Master at Arms: The Master at Arms is usually theranking Security NCO assigned to a Starfleet ship orfacility. This position takes responsibility forcoordinating the continuous training of securityofficers, usually working very closely with the Chiefof Security in the upkeep of the securitydepartments martial skills. Unusually, this positionis also still referred to by its ancient name, SergeantMajor. The Master at Arms is also expected todiscipline security officers who step out of line, as

well as be able to lead them during combatmissions.

The vast experience and seniority of theMaster at Arms commonly means that an olderserviceman who has spent a long time in Starfleetfills the role. Often this will mean that the Master at

Arms equals the abilities and respect of the Chief ofSecurity, sometimes more so. Even though, as anNCO, newly minted Ensigns effectively outrank theindividual concerned, it would be a foolish juniorofficer who tries to pull rank on an enlisted NCOwith so much experience.

Shore leave security also falls under thejurisdiction of the Master at Arms, as do themaintenance and upkeep of the ships weaponslockers, but this is often shared with the Chief ofSecurity and delegated to junior officers.

Security Officer: The general rank and file of thesecurity department, trusted with ensuring thecontinued safety and wellbeing of the section theyare assigned to, as well as to be available for awayteam duty at any time. They must be able tofunction as both guard and soldier, and are oftencross-trained in other skills to best utilize their shipwide presence under alert conditions. Theycommonly support the Medical department as

emergency corpsmen, or the Engineeringdepartment on damage control teams.


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TacticalJust show me whereto shoot!

The officers in theTactical department

are responsible forthe upkeep of allshipboard weaponssystems, from thephasers and photontorpedoes throughto any specializedordnance requiredfor the mission.While the Chief ofSecurity often mans

the Tactical station on the bridge, when thatindividual is called away it is often a member of thisdepartment who takes over the station. With therecent conflict with the Dominion, many captainshave taken to assigning a specific individual to theBridge Tactical station, keeping the Security Chiefback for repelling boarders and accompanyingaway teams. This posting is at the Captain'sdiscretion.

Strategic Operations Officer: This is usually themost senior and battle-hardened tactical officerassigned to a ship, and is effectively the Tacticaldepartment head. This position is rarely assigned toanyone below the rank of Lieutenant Commander.It is this officer's duty to man the Tactical station incombat conditions, and he can sometimes takeover the ship if the Captain or XO are unavailable.This position is generally considered to be a majorstepping-stone toward becoming an XO or Captainin the officers own right.The tactical officer is commonly in total control of avessel's fate, and as such, a great amount of mentaldiscipline and character is required. The survival ofthe ship and the crew may depend solely on theactions of the officer assigned to the Tacticalconsole, whether it is facing the threat posed by anopposing force, or the manipulation of the shields

against potentially catastrophic contact withcelestial bodies or artificial constructs. Themanipulation of the first-line offensive anddefensive capabilities may be under the Tacticaofficers direct control, but this does not mean thatthe Strategic Operations Officer operates inisolation from other vital departments, either onthe bridge or at other stations within the vessel orfacility. In situations concerning any natural orartificial external hazard, the tactical officer willikely liaise very closely with the Flight Control,

Operations and Science officers, or liaise with theSecurity department to ensure the safety of thevesselExample: Lt. Commander Worf (aboard DS9)

Tactical Officer: The Tactical department is chargedwith the use of a starships offensive resourcesThey oversee any major modifications to thephasers and photon torpedoes, as well as theshields, usually working very closely with

Engineering officers. They must be as capable atrepairing the systems as using them, and Tacticaofficers are charged with helping out at the tacticastation as needed. A tactical officer on the bridgewill normally serve at the Mission Ops post, wherethey can monitor multiple away team activities, aswell as EVA operations.


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Example: Lieutenant j.g. Worf (before his promotionto Security)

Mission Specialists

Intelligence Officer: This officer is only partiallyattached to the Security or Tactical departments.His responsibilities involve keeping the seniorofficers ahead of any hostile forces by keepingtrack of troop movements and the like, as well assending regular update reports to StarfleetIntelligence. This is a non-standard post aboard astarship, and is considered a mission specialist.Aboard most ships that have one, the intelligenceofficers duties are to; Monitor Communicationsfrequencies, Reconnaissance flights, as well as co-

ordinate with the Diplomatic liaison and Captain.

Diplomatic Liaison Officer: Any diplomatic envoyworking within the Federation is assigned to thecare of the ships Diplomatic Liaison Officer. Veryrarely are diplomats actual members of Starfleet,although the fleet and the Federation DiplomaticService do work closely together. Instead,diplomats are most often civilians, so that they canensure impartiality and objectivity when

considering their diplomatic case files. However,Starfleet is often happy to assign a young up-and-coming officer as a Diplomatic Liaison in order toexpose the promising candidate to diplomaticprocedures and to the many eccentricities thatdiplomats are renowned for.

It is not unusual for retired captains andadmirals to become diplomats or ambassadorsafter they leave Starfleet. On the whole, fewvessels have a regular diplomat assigned to thecrew, unless they are remaining on-station within asystem for a long period of time. Many starbaseson the frontiers, however, have a long-termassigned diplomat. Generally, diplomats visit aplace for short periods of time, travelling whereverthey are needed, whenever they are needed.

Examples: Kyle Riker, Lwaxana Troi, Sarek ofVulcan, Ambassador Spock.

Scientists: Not all scientists work within Starfleet; itis entirely possible that a civilian specialist in aspecific field of interest may be assigned to astarships mission as a specialist. Such a placementcounts as a VIP posting and the specialist will be

assigned a berth as such. In many cases the abilityof a civilian scientist to focus on a specialization farexceeds the requirement of Starfleets scienceofficers, who may be good, but still need todiversify their skills as much as possible. Theassignment of a civilian scientist can significantlyincrease the specialist knowledge brought to bearon a scientific issue.

Civilian Service Personnel: Besides civilianscientists, there are a variety of other civiliansrunning a variety of businesses who can findthemselves aboard a starship or starbase, althoughthe recent war with the Dominion has led to acutback of civilian service personnel and familiesaboard front line ships. Starfleet tries to keepcivilian service personnel to a minimum, to avoidexposing them to danger, but in some casesmembers of the civilian service can be spouses andfamily of Starfleet officers and fill a practical rolealongside their family members assignment.

Most ships bars still tend to be run by acivilian, although many of those civilians are retiredStarfleet officers. Many members of the civilianservice tend to be caught up in their own area ofexpertise, and it is quite unusual for them to take apro-active role in the ships operation. Howeverthere are exceptions to this rule, usually in the caseof diplomatic aides or terraforming specialistsSometimes a member of the civilian service mayhave certain experiences that require the crew tointeract with them on a regular basis, whether onan official level or not.

Examples: Keiko O'Brien, Guinan, Mott theBarber, Quark, Garak, Neelix.


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BEYOND the FINAL FRONTIER

Where No Man has Gone Before

Whats out there?Here you will find a list of the many sites out on the internet that support Star Trek in all its myriad ofincarnations. If you know of a site you would like to add to the list, please let us know so that we canupdate this resource.

Hailing Frequencies

Beyond the Final Frontier Trek-RPG.Nethttp://strpg.patrickgoodman.org/ http://forum.trek-rpg.net/index.php

RPG .avioc.org Character Profilerhttp://rpg.avioc.org http://rpg.avioc.org/profiles/

Star Trek Memory Alpha Ex Astris Scientiahttp://memory-alpha.org/wiki/Portal:Main http://www.ex-astris-scientia.org/

Star Trek LCARS Blueprintshttp://www.cygnus-x1.net/links/lcars/blueprints-main2.php

Star Base 10http://www.starbase10.com/trek/

Star Trek CCG Continuing Committeehttp://www.trekcc.org/
http://strpg.patrickgoodman.org/http://strpg.patrickgoodman.org/http://forum.trek-rpg.net/index.phphttp://forum.trek-rpg.net/index.phphttp://rpg.avioc.org/http://rpg.avioc.org/http://rpg.avioc.org/profiles/http://rpg.avioc.org/profiles/http://memory-alpha.org/wiki/Portal:Mainhttp://memory-alpha.org/wiki/Portal:Mainhttp://www.ex-astris-scientia.org/http://www.ex-astris-scientia.org/http://www.cygnus-x1.net/links/lcars/blueprints-main2.phphttp://www.cygnus-x1.net/links/lcars/blueprints-main2.phphttp://www.starbase10.com/trek/http://www.starbase10.com/trek/http://www.trekcc.org/http://www.trekcc.org/http://www.trekcc.org/http://www.starbase10.com/trek/http://www.cygnus-x1.net/links/lcars/blueprints-main2.phphttp://www.ex-astris-scientia.org/http://memory-alpha.org/wiki/Portal:Mainhttp://rpg.avioc.org/profiles/http://rpg.avioc.org/http://forum.trek-rpg.net/index.phphttp://strpg.patrickgoodman.org/

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Beyond the Final Frontier Vol 2 No 1

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