Prime Directive d20 is out? Anyone have it?

[Ranger REG]

Huh, that must be a Trekkie suspension of disbelief thing. I don't think I'd want to play, for example, a game set in the Bab5 universe, where we all had to agree Babylon 5 didn't exist.

Might just be me though.

Oh, the Connie-class starship exist in SFB universe. But to use your B5 analogy, you don't have iconics like Sheridan or G'Kar. It's your own universe and you are the "star" players.

For some it's may be good thing because you don't have to have a benchmark for your own PC to live up to. I mean, you may be a great starship captain, but you will always live under the shadow of Kirk. In SFB, the shadow is removed.

 

[KaosDevice]

For some it's may be good thing because you don't have to have a benchmark for your own PC to live up to. I mean, you may be a great starship captain, but you will always live under the shadow of Kirk. In SFB, the shadow is removed.

I can dig it. But it is arguable that is that iconic universe still really that iconic universe minus its' iconic heroes? But if SFB's 'verse is 'variations on theme' and it has a cadre of loyal followers, who am I to argue.

It's entertainment value anyway. I just would feel wierd playing in a Trek 'verse without Kirk doing his two handed karate chop.

 

[William Ronald]

Perhaps a way to deal with TOS characters, is to have a few references to them, as opposed to stating them out. A lot of communication can take place between ships at considerable distances.

Of course, I imagine you can always stat the characters on your own.

 

[KaosDevice]

Of course, I imagine you can always stat the characters on your own.

Just two things:

I don't plan on playing it. Not a fan of Trek (but I like to understand it and fandom in general) I am running a Bab5 game that has Jackie Chan levels of kick arsedness about it.

Should I inadvertantly wind up in a game of this I like to know what I am all about.

-KD

 

[Ranger REG]

Perhaps a way to deal with TOS characters, is to have a few references to them, as opposed to stating them out. A lot of communication can take place between ships at considerable distances.

Of course, I imagine you can always stat the characters on your own.

Personally, I'd rather not stat them. I don't want them to feel they are second-rate to them, or wanting to have the same stats. OR worse yet, have some heated discussion about their their proper stats should be. The less we talk about numbers and crunch, the more we can roleplay and have a real conversational dialogue.

 

[KaosDevice]

Personally, I'd rather not stat them. I don't want them to feel they are second-rate to them, or wanting to have the same stats. OR worse yet, have some heated discussion about their their proper stats should be. The less we talk about numbers and crunch, the more we can roleplay and have a real conversational dialogue.

Damn right. Just as another B5 aside, in my game my players made an eclectic cast of folks but I told them off the bat, "You aren't going to meet any of the main characters of the show." Fortunately I have good enough players to know I meant it, if they tried to buck the B5 arc they were out. The whole point was that the characters were OUT of the B5 arc already, they all have these agendas and backstories, in a way the B5 universe exists to inform their characters and not vice versa. After the first game they picked up on that one quick. The vast majority of the game they are light years away from Episilon Eridani. It's fun.

 

[Voadam]

Is this available as a legal pdf anywhere?

 

[Henry]

Perhaps a way to deal with TOS characters, is to have a few references to them, as opposed to stating them out.

The Star Fleet Battles does sort of have a reference to Kirk -- it has a "Legendary Captain" rule, where if it's determined you have a Legendary Captain at helm, he can pull something out of his hat once per game.

As for me, if I were going to play a Star Trek Style game, Star Fleet Battles is the way I'd do it; you don't have Kirk or Spock to live up to, and the technology is not so over the top that inventive players can screw a whole session with some tactic out of the newer TV series.

 

[Lizard]

The Star Fleet Battles does sort of have a reference to Kirk -- it has a "Legendary Captain" rule, where if it's determined you have a Legendary Captain at helm, he can pull something out of his hat once per game.

As for me, if I were going to play a Star Trek Style game, Star Fleet Battles is the way I'd do it; you don't have Kirk or Spock to live up to, and the technology is not so over the top that inventive players can screw a whole session with some tactic out of the newer TV series.

Well, there's a lot less "Reonfigure the main deflector grid to emit anti-baryon particles" in the Star Fleet Universe, but, mein gott! Did you LOOK at the stats for a phaser??? It's a good thing BABs are low, as phasers in SFB are *very* faithful to the TV series. "Kill", will. And if the PCs are starfleet personnel heading into even a possibly dangerous environment, it's ludicrous for them not to be issued appropriate sidearms. So the players either get disarmed a lot, or Improved Initiative becomes the single most important feat.

Imagine a typical D&D game where first level characters have +5 flaming vorpal axiomatic returning 2-handed swords as standard equipment....and they're facing CR 1 critters.

 

[WildWeasel]

Nope. Paramount and then Task Force Games simply came to a mutual understanding. They can use elements they don't deemed important to them and TFG (now ADB) will stay away from Paramount's more valuable trademarks. So, just think of it as an alternate universe with no Kirk and Spock.

Well, Kirk and the Enterprise do exist in the SFU. If you check a listing of Federation heavy cruisers, the NCC-1701 is there (the only place they can mention it, as Paramount agreed it would be kinda silly to leave the Enterprise out of a master ship roster). And there are oblique referneces to some of the main characters here and there, such as a special diplomatic team assigned to clean up the messes caused by a certain gung-ho captain, including the Gorn first contact.