2369
The mining station Terok Nor in orbit of Bajor is abandoned during the Cardassian retreat. The Bajoran Provisional Government requests Starfleet assistance in maintaining the station, and it is renamed Deep Space 9. The Enterprise-D arrives to offload personnel and equipment.
Shortly afterwards, Commander Benjamin Sisko and Lieutenant Jadzia Dax discover the Bajoran wormhole, the first stable wormhole known to exist. Sisko makes direct contact with the Prophets, becoming the Emissary of the Prophets as prophesied in ancient Bajoran mythology. The Wormhole leads to a completely unknown galaxy on the opposite side of the Laniakea supercluster, so far that it was previously unobserved from the Milky way and vice versa.
2370
A Cardassian funded Bajoran Isolationist Extremist movement called The Circle fails in its attempted coup of the Provisional Government which, combined with the vocal support of the major Bajoran spiritual leader Kai Opaka, convinces Starfleet that Bajor is stable enough to found a dedicated Exploration Command for the new galaxy based in DS9.
The newly formed "Trans Laniakea Object Exploration Command, 1st Squadron" arrives at DS9
You had only heard of the place thanks to the wormhole, and the fact it was an old Cardassian station hadn't inspired any confidence in you about the conditions aboard. Still, Bajor was the most logical place to set up a command post, and there were too many diplomatic tripwires to haul in a newer class of starbase. So, an old Nor class Cardassian mining station is what you had to work with.
But you were prepared to suck it up, thanks to the sheer prospect of what lay before you. A whole new galaxy, right at your fingertips. You had to remind yourself more than once to act in a way befitting an officer of your rank. So many new stars, new puzzles to piece together. It was a shame that it took this long for Starfleet Command to assemble even this much over Cardassian objections of a "military build up on their border", but even exploration had to take a backseat to politics at times. The situation on Bajor hadn't been pretty, to say the least.
Still, DS9 had bucked your expectations. The newly promoted Captain Sisko had greeted you at the door, so to speak, and had taken you on a short tour of the station. It had shaken off a great deal of the smothering atmosphere of Cardassian architecture, and had transformed into something fascinating in its own right. The tour had cut off abruptly when some issue had cropped up, and Sisko apologised, promising to continue it before he went to deal with…freighter issues? Your mind was consumed with what lay ahead of you, so you missed some of it. He offered to have his XO take over, but you weren't here to take in the sights of the retrofitted Cardassian station, so you begged off and had your things stowed away before hurrying to the meeting with the admirals. You were early, of course, but that just meant you could get started quicker.
The conference room seemed dreary, draped in the shades of grey that you understood were quick pleasing to the Cardassian eye. You glanced around the room for a moment, trying not to wrinkle your nose at the depressing architecture, and stood opposite of the two admirals you were meeting with. Usually such a thing would be done over subspace communications, but given the spectacular implications the stable wormhole represented, and the ongoing negotiations with the Bajoran Provisional Government you're not surprised to be seeing two admirals in person.
The two humans are reviewing datapads when you enter, "A bit early, Commodore." Vice-Admiral Owen Paris said with a raised brow standing on the right.
"My apologies sir. I'm just eager to get started."
"Might as well," Admiral Charlie Whatley shrugged, waving a hand at the seat you were standing near.
The three of you took your seats around the hard edged table, and a datapad was pushed your way. You poured over it while Vice Admiral Paris spoke, "You've gotten the gist when you were assigned to this operation, and in that PADD is all the information you need to know on the ships assigned to your command. There's been some preliminary investigation of the Trans Laniakea Cluster, and Trans Laniakea Object Primary in particular, since the wormhole's discovery last year, but we've had to keep things light due to Cardassian objections."
Whatley raises his hand slightly, fingers splayed outwards, "Not just the Cardassians either. The Romulans, Klingons, and others have also raised objections to the Federation having sole access to a whole other galaxy." His expression looks exhausted, "Never mind the Bajorans themselves realising the opportunity that this is granting them to rebuild their shattered economy without relying on resource extraction. And the Bajorans are also-"
Admiral Paris smoothly cuts in with a raised hand of his own, Whatley coming to a tired stop, "To be clear, Commodore, you have operational authority over the Exploration Command and operations in the Trans Laniakea Cluster, but DS9 is Sisko's haunt. You don't need to concern yourself with what's happening on Bajor."
"It's best that's left to Sisko," Whatley tacks on. "Bajor is in a delicate state right now. Truthfully, Commodore, I do have concerns that the Exploration Command's assignment to Bajor might upset the political balance of the region."
You feel confused, but nod along regardless. You tried reading up on Bajor when you were assigned to this operation, but in between all the logistical necessities of actually getting to DS9 and detaching yourself from San Francisco, you learned far less than what you would've liked. You had the basics down, or so you hoped.
"I understand, Admiral. My focus will wholly be on the Trans Laniakea Object."
Whatley watches you for a moment more, studying you carefully. Then he nods, and looks at Paris.
"You have four ships, Commodore." The Vice Admiral continues. "Two New Orleans class frigates, a Miranda-class light cruiser, and finally one of our new Intrepid long range exploration cruisers."
"To start with?" You ask.
"In a sense," Paris responds evenly. "A wormhole to a whole new galaxy has everyone excited, but there's only so much we can devote to it with the fleet recovering from Wolf 359 and the delicate diplomatic situation. Depending on the success and needs of the Exploration Command, you may get new ships assigned to you. For now, though, these four starships are what you have to work with."
"Of course, sir." You nod. Admittedly more ships would've been lovely, or at least a few more modern ones. But four ships is better than one, so you'll take it. You scan the datapad briefly as you talk. Your two New Orleans class vessels are Ceylon and Ireland. Amador is your Miranda, almost a century old. And finally your Intrepid is USS Vancouver who is finishing her trials. The captains seemed solid enough…wait.
"What's this note about Vancouver's captain?"
Paris and Whetley exchange a look. The latter clears his throat and leans forward.
"Captain Mann's sitting this one out, for personal reasons. The new captain will be here shortly, and will be familiarised with the crew and be ready for when Vancouver launches next month. It's a little awkward, especially with it being the squadron flagship, but we have confidence in them."
[ ] Captain Jassar
Orion, ciswoman. Was rescued from the Orion Syndicate by Starfleet when she was a young girl and, lacking other relatives, was brought to live on Earth among the Orion abolitionist community. Grew up idolising Starfleet, and dedicated herself to joining it. Got good marks in the academy, though her classmates could find her intense at times and she had a noted tendency for aggressive tactics. Served ably in the Federation-Cardassian war, where she earned a captainship after stellar conduct when she was forced to take over as acting captain when the captain was injured during a Cardassian ambush. She was blinded in one eye during the incident and chose a cybernetic replacement over a cloned one. An eager explorer, though there have been incidents where she's pushed hard against suspected Orion Syndicate ships, to the point of almost causing a diplomatic incident. Rash when truly angered, but cool under fire. Tends to have a rosy picture of the Federation, perhaps idealising it too much. Overall serene and in control of herself, nigh on the model of a Starfleet Captain in that regard. Though slavers are the go to way to get under her skin. A lesser extent of that anger would be sparked by polities that remind her of the Cardassian Union. Though with those it'd be harder to get under her skin.
Unique Captain Tag: [Abolitionist Border Wars Veteran] [Excellent Drill] Tag, -2 Diplomacy but +2 Tactical when dealing with Slavers and -1 Diplomacy but +1 Tactical when dealing with Fascists.
Hobbies: Fencing and Map Making
[ ] Captain Matthew Tike
Human, cisman. A straightlaced Starfleet Officer. Tike was born on a Federation Deep Space Starbase and given the people he was surrounded by growing up, it was a practical inevitability that he would join Starfleet. He did not serve in the war with Cardassia, instead exploring on the other side of the Federation. A careerist, though one that holds a solid respect for the principles of Starfleet and the Federation. While an all rounder as captains are expected to be, Tike is more comfortable exploring than he is fighting, or even conducting standoffs against potentially hostile forces. A typical Starfleet officer, through and through.
[ ] Captain Prorr
Caitian, transman. Stiff and stern, Prorr comes from an engineering background, and that shows in how he runs his ships. An only child with a father who vanished and a mother who died in an accident when he was young. Prorr learned independence at a young age, even with Federation services keeping him in good living conditions. It is a trait that has transferred over to his career in Starfleet, from working on keeping ships on 5 year missions running in harsh conditions, to captaining them himself. Prefers to do things his own way, though is professional enough to defer to a higher authority when the situation calls for it.
Unique Captain Tag: [Independent Engineer] +1 to Engineering. When commanding the only ship on a mission +1 to Tactical, Science and Diplomacy. When working alongside other ships -1 to Tactical, Science and Diplomacy. Narrative bonus to independent initiative and long term solo missions.
Hobby: Model Ships
[ ] Captain Yodra Tetner
Joined Trill, The current joining identifies as a woman. Starfleet may not be the safest of careers for a Trill joined with a symbiote, but it is typically considered socially acceptable in the interest of furthering and diversifying the symbiote's experiences. This is good, because Yodra Tetner likely would've joined Starfleet regardless, even if it risked her ostracization. The stars are forever Yodra's dream, and have been since childhood. It does not matter how much space one thinks they have explored, there's always something new, something different, something undiscovered laying around the corner. And Yodra intends to be there first, to peel back its mysteries and deduct its history. Joined or not, there could be no other path in life for them. That Yodra gets to do both is the rare instance of a dream come true, and it is one Yodra understands and cherishes the significance of. Tetner in contrast has never left Trill before and lacked any desire to do so until this joining. During their roughly 1000 earth year long life the Symbiont has preferred to focus on exploring all that Trill itself has to offer. They have had many careers in the past, from deep sea explorer to celebrated chef and navel gazing philosopher. They chose Yondra from the pool of volunteer candidates under peer pressure to broaden their horizons and step outside their comfort zone. The joined Yodra Tetner is very laid back, to a perhaps concerning degree during times of great stress thanks to their long experience. However she is very, very determined to explore and expand their understanding.
Unique Captain Tag: [Driven Joined Trill Explorer] +1 to all stats when exploring uncharted territory, meeting novel cultures and other missions that suit her interests. -1 to all stats when surveying known space, resolving disputes with familiar species or other missions she considers boring.
Hobbies: Kal-toh and Stargazing
You stifle a sigh. Not exactly the best foot forward, having an experienced captain sit out such a historic exploration mission. The Vancouver seemed to be filled with a lot of new faces, too. A lot of her junior officers were fresh graduates from the Class of 2370. You were glad they would be getting a taste of the stars, but as their superior officer you weren't sure if operating in a different galaxy entirely was the best way to break them in.
You nod, and Admiral Whetley leans back in his seat. Paris picks up again.
"We've had limited contact with life on the other side of the wormhole, mainly second hand detection of subspace signals and some debris along with some rare sightings of spacecraft." He looks at Whatley.
"You should know that there's a pre-warp species directly on the other end of the wormhole. They're on one of the moons of a local gas giant. A Hodgkin Four, basically stone age." You look down at your PADD and see a picture of a small statured being wielding a spear and wrapped in leather clothing. "There shouldn't be much concern about system traffic interfering with their development. But there will be a team of Federation Cultural observers using holo-camouflaged observation posts that you'll be required to support."
Paris straightens up, causing you to follow suit, "Starfleet Command is eager to see this begin. We have every confidence in you, Commodore. You were chosen for a reason."
Name: Self-explanatory. If nothing is offered, we will choose a name for the character.
Gender: Self-explanatory but remember that not all species in Starfleet use equivalents to modern human genders.
Species: Human, Andorian, ect. This does not have to be a species with its own historical state within the federation but be reasonable. Don't try to steal Worf or Nog's thunder. Horta are on the table however.
Early Life: Where were you raised? On a core federation world free from want and danger? On a comparatively harsh frontier world under threat from hostile neighbours? Perhaps you are a life long spacer born aboard ship? Were you an immigrant or refugee to the federation? Were you a citizen from early life or did you only gain it during adulthood, possibly through service in starfleet? What made you want to join Starfleet? Were you inspired by recruitment posters or a personal hero? A deep seated wanderlust?
Academy: Do you have any notable anecdotes from the academy? Or did you have an uneventful education? Which career track did you follow? Command, Sciences or Operations? How many of your academy peers are you still in contact with?
The following lifepath section is a little different in that it provides the Commodore with 1 [Tag] chosen from the list below. These have unique in-game effects. Some interact with Mission selection and Ship Requisition but others have an impact on your squadron's rolls in events.
Previous Career: How long did it take you to work your way up the ranks? Did you mainly serve shipside or deskside? Did you serve in the Cardassian or Tzenkethi Wars? Did you ever transfer divisions or did you focus your career entirely through Exploration Command? How many ships did you captain for and how long was it before you sought a higher command on your path to the admiralty? What were you known for as a captain?
[War Veteran] Your memories of war cause you to keep the tactical readiness of your squadron high. Your ships gain +1 Tactical stat but suffer -1 Diplomacy stat.
[Devoted Explorer] The stars have always been your dream and even now you prefer to go out and see them yourself than sit at a desk. You can choose to personally accompany any 1 1Q length Mission each quarter. If you do so then that ship will benefit from an additional +1 to all stat checks. However, that mission will reward half the Political Influence it otherwise would. Additionally any risk of damage to the ship also risks wounding yourself. Possibly even killing yourself.
[Political Animal] You've always had a talent for making friends and navigating Starfleet's labyrinthine bureaucracy. Each completed Mission will provide 1 extra Political Influence (The resource used requisitioning new ships and equipment)
[Excellent Drill] You did a tour as an instructor at the academy and you still have a knack for teaching those beginning their careers. All ships in your squadron gain +1XP per quarter until they reach Experienced.
[Renowned Diplomat] You are famous for the first contacts you have made and the treaties you have helped broker. Your ships gain +1 Diplomacy stat but suffer -1 Tactical stat.
[Applied Engineering] Starfleet engineers are famous for being able to repair almost anything with little more than a hydrospanner and a sharp knock. Your ships gain +1 Engineering stat but suffer -1 Science stat.
[Avid Researcher] You know no greater joy than novel scientific discovery. Even if it comes at the expense of safety regulations. Your ships gain +1 Science stat but suffer -1 Engineering stat.
Hobbies: No one can be on duty all the time. What do you do to relax when off duty? Who are you outside of starfleet? Are you friendly with your subordinates or do you prefer to socialise outside of your command?
Commodore votes should be by plan formatted as so,
[ ] Commodore name
-[ ] Gender
-[ ] Species
-[ ] Early Life description
-[ ] Previous Career description
-[ ] Selected Tag
-[ ] Hobbies description
"Thank you, sir." And you say that sincerely. "This is every Starfleet officer's dream."
At that, Paris finally cracks a smile. "So it is. Good luck, Commodore."
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Hello everyone and welcome to my first quest on this forum! In this quest you will be taking the role of the commodore in charge of the first squadron exploring an unknown galaxy. I'm working with Co-QMs @khan2012, @AKuz and @triumph8w. With Akuz being a To Boldly Go veteran we will be using a simplified version of that rule set with her blessing, though with a much smaller scope. Your Commodore doesn't need to budget materials and logistics for the entire federation after all. I'll be making a seperate mechanics post and dramatis personae below. Like lots of quests nowadays I've made a channel on the WordSmiths discord server for off site discussion but voting will be purely here on SV.
Roll 3d6+[sum of the called for ship stat from all participating ships]+[lowest participating crew rating]+[relevant captain bonuses]+[bonuses from relevant tags] against a variable Target Number (TN).
Easy Tests have a TN of 7
Medium Tests have a TN of 12
Hard tests have a TN of 18
Contested Stat Checks
These represent ship to ship combat, diplomatic talks, scientific competitions, races etc.
With the exception of Combat both ships simultaneously roll the required stat against a TN as normal with the higher score winning the contest assuming it passes the TN. If both rolls fail to pass the TN then both fail.
In combat the same simultaneous roll happens except that target's Engineering Stat+7 becomes the TN which the attacking ship rolls its Tactical Stat against. On a failure the attacking ship fails to damage its target. On a pass it successfully damages its target and inflicts one Damage Tag. If it beats the TN by double the score needed then the target is instantly destroyed or reduced to a crippled wreck depending on the the intent of the attacker. It is possible for ships to achieve a mutual kill or both fail to damage each other.
In cases where multiple ships are fighting alongside each other the sum of their tactical stat is rolled against the lowest of their opponents Engineering stat with the worst crew rating used. Each relevant captain bonus is applied.
Missions
Missions: Each year Admiral Paris assigns your Squadron a list of Missions and may also add new ones if events unveil new information. You can assign any of your 4 ships to a mission. More than 1 ship can be assigned to a mission, not all of your ships must be on missions at once and you are not required to complete every mission on your list each year. However if you do succeed in completing all missions assigned that year you get a bonus to your Political Influence (your in-game currency which lets you argue for assigning new ships to your squadron at the end of each year and to request repairs or equipment during the year). Each mission has a length measured in quarters of the year. So 1Q, 2Q, 3Q or 4Q. This covers travel time, time at target and flexibility for any unexpected events which might occur. It also lists its expected main stat used, the predicted roll difficulty and the pay out in Political Influence (PI).
Ships out on mission will roll for random events each Quarter which may result in additional PI or narrative consequences. However they may also damage ships and crew requiring a mission to be called off before its completion. Not all missions are pass or fail but some are. In such cases failure will normally still provide some PI but not as much as a success. In rare cases a failure may result in no PI or even subtracting from your current PI total.
DS9 has 3 Danube class Runabouts which Sisko can loan to you to assign to 1 mission with a length of 1Q each. However Missions completed by runabouts only reward half their listed PI value, as Sisko and his crew receive their share of the credit. Additionally Sisko does have regular duties for those ships and if he is understrength when an emergency happens the two of you will share the blame when starfleet comes to investigate.
You do not have to send every ship possible out on missions every quarter. Indeed a bit of rest and relaxation can do a crew good and if a ship is damaged then it will need a certain length of downtime to conduct repairs. However starfleet's primary mission is exploration, don't leave ships at anchor too long without good cause or both their crews and the admiralty will start wondering if the ship wouldn't be better assigned elsewhere.
Ship Stats
Simplified To Boldly Go Ship Stats.
Tactical: Ability to cause harm to defenceless rocks/Perform against hostiles
Science: Ability to uh, learn about stuff as well as execute exotic feats of science from the main deflector
Engineering: Both the ability to take damage as well as survive over long periods of time independently
Diplomacy: AKA the "Picard Speech" stat, how well you can diplomance people
All ship crews have a collective rating expressing their skill working together. Starfleet ships start at Qualified due to their formalised and high quality training.
Incompetent:-2 (0 XP to level)
Novice: -1 (7 XP to level)
Qualified: No bonus (15 XP to level)
Experienced: +1 (30 XP to level)
Veteran: +2 (60 XP to level)
Legendary: +3 (Narrative)
Crews gain experience as they complete missions. If the captain or commodore of the ship(s) has the [Excellent Drill] Tag then that crew gains 1XP each quarter until they reach Experienced. Multiple copies of the [Excellent Drill] Tag do not stack.
+1 XP for completing a mission
+1 for passing an Easy check, +2 for passing an Medium check, +3 for passing an Hard check
+1 per quarter for ships with the [Newly Constructed] tag (This tag expires 1 year after a ship is constructed)
Each ship also have [Tags] which represent class and vessel specific quirks which provide various bonuses to rolls and narrative events. Tags are also how damage to a ship is represented for example [Broken Warp Nacelle] or [Destroyed Primary Bridge]. These tags can be gained as a result of losing an event or combat. Their effects can vary from simply a malus to stat checks until repaired to more narrative effects such as preventing FTL movement or a ship's captain dying. Even complete loss of the ship with all hands at the most extreme.
Damage tags can be repaired by being given "Repair Damage" as a mission for that quarter. Each tag requires one quarter to repair, which is abstracting it being towed from DS9 back to drydocks deeper in federation space. If a ship is stranded outside of friendly territory in the TLO then first a mission to rescue and tow it back will need to be completed before it can be repaired. A completely destroyed ship obviously cannot be repaired but in some cases a mission may be assigned to retrieve the wreck for funeral or security purposes.
Ships with a [Replaceable X] tag can exchange their current tag for another version with a different effect. For example exchanging a Science Mission Pod for a Tactical one.
Title: CO, Trans Laniakea Object Exploration Command
Stationed: Deep Space 9
Gender: transwoman
Species: Vulcan (Romulan)
Early Life: Mirrin arrived in Federation space with her family at a very young age, as one of many political refugees of the Romulan Star Empire. Although she was told that they left due to fear of being targeted by her father's overly vindictive superior officer, she strongly suspects it was really because her parents were unwilling to dispose of her younger brother over his supposed "birth defects". They were settled on Alpha Centari, and while they took care to instill a strong Romulan cultural identity in Mirrin and her younger brother, it would be wrong to say that they were unaffected by the cosmopolitan nature of the world they grew up on. Mirrin herself was soon taken by the idea of joining Starfleet and testing her intellectual mettle against the various peoples of the galaxy. She enjoyed meeting people and figuring out their secrets as she grew to know them, and Alpha Centari was familiar enough to her at this point that either the challenge or reward wasn't satisfying to her anymore.
Previous Career: Mirrin found the bureaucracy of Starfleet surprisingly easy to navigate once she graduated from the Academy's Command Track. The fact that she was willing to take deskside postings early on with little issue seemed to win her many friends amongst her superiors and more restless compatriots. Of course, staying in a single location and interacting with the largely same people can become boring after too long, and when she felt herself reaching that point, she would put in a request for a transfer to a shipside posting. This alternating promotional chain would continue with little issue, as the passion she put into her work left her with glowing reccomendations from her previous postings. Becoming the Captain of her own ship was easily the longest she had stuck with a posting to date, which thankfully didn't include having to serve in a military role during the Cardassian or Tzenkethi wars. However, with a First Officer she felt was more than ready to take full command of the ship, and the end of her most recent Five Year Mission, this new Commodore posting was exactly the opportunity she was looking for.
Unique Tag: [Political Animal] Mirrin has always had a talent for making friends and navigating Starfleet's labyrinthine bureaucracy. Each completed Mission will provide 1 extra Political Influence (The resource used requisitioning new ships and equipment)
Hobbies: Like most Romulans, Mirrin is both incredibly passionate and as sharp as a knife. Her proudest memory of her youth was keeping the exact nature of her band group a secret from her parents until their first gig at a major concert venue. To say that they were surprised by "Ancient Spirits of Vorta Vor" being a neo-progressive rock band would be an understatement. Although the band has gone on hiatus due to their careers making tours difficult, they still find the time to practice on their own and together whenever they can. Mirrin can often be found either practicing with her guitar or composing new songs when off-duty. Should anyone enter her quarters they would find a significant amount of artifacts, pieces of art, and books related to ancient Romulan mythology. They provide inspiration for her song-writing, as the band's aesthetic draws heavily upon said mythology to give it a unique flair in Federation space, and she is always on the look out for new additions to her collection.
Subordinates
Captain Captain Yodra Tetner (Joined Trill, woman, [Driven Joined Trill Explorer], Hobbies: Kal-toh and Stargazing) - CO of USS Vancouver, Intrepid-class Long Range Explorer, Squadron Flagship
Captain Jhimaa Sh'chathrar (Andorian, cisshen, [Astrophysicist], Hobby: Baseball) - USS Ireland, CO of New Orleans-class Survey Frigate
Captain Enim Achonu (Betazoid, transman, [Astrobiologist], Hobby: Rock Climbing) - USS Ceylon, CO of New Orleans-class Survey Frigate
Captain Vumi (Vulcan, Nonbinary, Command [Trained Telepath], Hobby: Competitive Lirpa Fighting) - USS Amador, CO of Miranda-class Light Cruiser/Tactical Loadout
Points of Contact
Captain Benjamin Sisko (Human, cisman, [Former ASDB], Hobbies: Cooking and Baseball) - CO of Deep Space 9, Converted Cardassian Nor type Refining Station loaned to Starfleet from the Bajoran Militia of the Bajoran Provisional Government, not in your direct chain of command as part of Orbital and Shore Operations but able to lend his Runabouts to your missions within reason.
Major Kira Nerys (Bajoran, ciswoman, [Resistance Fighter], Hobbies: Springball) - Bajoran Militia Liaison and XO of Deep Space 9
Vice Admiral Owen Paris (Human, cisman) - Trailing Near-Federation Alpha Quadrant Exploration Command, your direct superior.
Admiral Charlie Whatley (Human, cisman) - Diplomatic Officer External Relations, the officer overseeing Starfleet's interests in Bajor's application for Federation membership, constantly looking over your and Sisko's shoulders to make sure you don't screw up the relationship between the UFP and Bajor.
Hello everyone and welcome to my first quest on this forum! In this quest you will be taking the role of the commodore in charge of the first squadron exploring an unknown galaxy. I'm working with Co-QMs @khan2012, @AKuz and @triumph8w. With Akuz being a To Boldly Go veteran we will be using a simplified version of that rule set with her blessing, though with a much smaller scope. Your Commodore doesn't need to budget materials and logistics for the entire federation after all. I'll be making a seperate mechanics post and dramatis personae below. Like lots of quests nowadays I've made a channel on the WordSmiths discord server for off site discussion but voting will be purely here on SV.
I'm mostly here to read things over and start screaming in terror when someone suggests introducing a new mechanic before slapping hands away from keyboards
Intrepid - USS Vancouver
Tactical: 5
Science: 8
Engineering: 4
Diplomacy: 4
Tags: [Fast] reduce the number of quarters a mission takes to complete by 1 to a minimum of 1 quarter, [Planetary Landing Capable] Able to safely land unassisted on solid ground under gravity, [Squadron Flagship] during narrative events this ship's captain takes the lead if the commodore is not present, [Newly Constructed] +1 XP per quarter
Crew: Qualified
Captain: Captain Yodra Tetner (Joined Trill, woman, [Driven joined Trill Explorer] +1 to all stats when exploring uncharted territory, meeting novel cultures and other missions that suit her interests. -1 to all stats when surveying known space, resolving disputes with familiar species or other missions she considers boring}
XP: 4 New Orleans - USS Ceylon
Tactical: 4
Science: 4 (7)
Engineering: 4
Diplomacy: 4
Tags: [Replaceable Mission Pod (Science) x3] +1 to the named stat for each pod
Crew: Qualified
Captain: Captain Enim Achonu (Betazoid, transman, [Astrobiologist] +1 to Science when observing Cosmozoans and +1 to Diplomacy when interacting with Cosmozoans)
XP: 2 New Orleans - USS Ireland
Tactical: 4
Science: 4 (7)
Engineering: 4
Diplomacy: 4
Tags: [Replaceable Mission Pod (Science) x3] +1 to the named stat for each pod
Crew: Qualified
Captain: Captain Jhimaa Sh'chathrar (Andorian, cisshen, [Astrophysicist] +1 to Science when observing Stellar Phenomena)
XP: 3 Miranda -USS Amador
Tactical: 2 (3)
Science: 2
Engineering: 2
Diplomacy: 2
Tags: [Replaceable Mission Pod (Tactical) x1] +1 to the named stat for each pod, [Ageing Class] +1 to TN
Crew: Experienced
Captain: Captain Vumi (Vulcan, Nonbinary, [Trained Telepath] +1 Science when dealing with Psychic Phenomena, +1 to Tactical, +1 to Diplomacy when dealing with other Telepaths)
XP: 4
DS9
Danube-USS Ganges
Tactical: 0
Science: 1
Engineering: 1
Diplomacy: 0
Tags: [Small Craft] (Ships with this tag have limited range and can only be sent on Missions 1Q from their base/parent ship. They also do not have assigned crews and use the crew rating of their base/parent ship. However they may choose their replaceable mission pod type at the begining of their mission rather than needing to use a mission and spend PI to change it like larger ships.) and [Repacable Mission Pod x1]
Crew: Qualified
Captain: N/A
XP: N/A
Danube-USS Orinoco
Tactical: 0
Science: 1
Engineering: 1
Diplomacy: 0
Tags: [Small Craft] (Ships with this tag have limited range and can only be sent on Missions 1Q from their base/parent ship. They also do not have assigned crews and use the crew rating of their base/parent ship. However they may choose their replaceable mission pod type at the begining of their mission rather than needing to use a mission and spend PI to change it like larger ships.) and [Repacable Mission Pod x1]
Crew: Qualified
Captain: N/A
XP: N/A
Danube-USS Rio Grande
Tactical: 0
Science: 1
Engineering: 1
Diplomacy: 0
Tags: [Small Craft] (Ships with this tag have limited range and can only be sent on Missions 1Q from their base/parent ship. They also do not have assigned crews and use the crew rating of their base/parent ship. However they may choose their replaceable mission pod type at the begining of their mission rather than needing to use a mission and spend PI to change it like larger ships.) and [Repacable Mission Pod x1]
Crew: Qualified
Captain: N/A
XP: N/A
Important Note: While there in all likelyhood will need to be future balance passes those will happen at the end of each year when you expand your squadron. That way you know what your ships and captains are capable of while making plans for each quarter and the year.
I'm mostly here to read things over and start screaming in terror when someone suggests introducing a new mechanic before slapping hands away from keyboards
Thankfully the smaller scale means that ship building won't be a part of this game. You'll have plenty of freedom in ship requisitions but what ships are on the list to requisition is out of your commodore's hands (or other manipulators).
As we're just starting out in this new galaxy, the vast majority of missions this captain will be on will play to her trait. She can stay as a frontline/vanguard posting as our remit expands, and any backline/secure territory missions can be handled by the other captains. By the time things get so established and settled that the majority of potential missions she'd be on would play against her trait, she'll have long since been promoted to a different posting.
Not sure about what to do for the Commodore though. All I know is that I at least want the species to be a non-founding federation member.
Not sure on who I want our Commodore to be though. Maybe some sort of political or diplomatic actor? Who knows what civilizations are on the other side.
[X] Jeanne de Meulenaer
-[X] Female
-[X] Human (Hysperian)
-[X] Born on the colony world of Hysperia, Jeanne de Meulenaer grew up with a fascination of space and spent much of her childhood visiting the star viewers (observatories) and aether ports (spaceports) of the planet. When a Star Fleet officer gave a presentation on their work in Jeanne's last years of schooling, she eagerly signed on.
-[X] Over the course of many years, Jeanne worked her way through many different postings; first as an ensign on an isolated starbase, before landing a transfer to one of Star Fleet's many utility craft, and a promotion to Lieutenant just in time to face the Tzenkethi War. It was here that Jeanne learned the distastefulness of war, seeing her friends and captain perish in the conflict, and when the war ended she was content to stay in the exploration side of the fleet. At least, up until a year ago when her experience was requested for the Commodore position.
-[X] Devoted Explorer
-[X] Like most Hysperians, Jeanne has a fondness for Ballroom Dancing and renaissance reenactment. Less typically, Jeanne has also taken up jazz music, becoming especially proficient with the Saxophone.
I'm mostly here to read things over and start screaming in terror when someone suggests introducing a new mechanic before slapping hands away from keyboards
[X] Commodore Mirrin
-[X] Gender: Trans Woman
-[X] Species: Vulcan (Romulan)
-[X] Early Life: Mirrin arrived in Federation space with her family at a very young age, as one of many political refugees of the Romulan Star Empire. Although she was told that they left due to fear of being targeted by her father's overly vindictive superior officer, she strongly suspects it was really because her parents were unwilling to dispose of her younger brother over his supposed "birth defects". They were settled on Alpha Centari, and while they took care to instill a strong Romulan cultural identity in Mirrin and her younger brother, it would be wrong to say that they were unaffected by the cosmopolitan nature of the world they grew up on. Mirrin herself was soon taken by the idea of joining Starfleet and testing her intellectual mettle against the various peoples of the galaxy. She enjoyed meeting people and figuring out their secrets as she grew to know them, and Alpha Centari was familiar enough to her at this point that either the challenge or reward wasn't satisfying to her anymore.
-[X] Previous Career: Mirrin found the bureaucracy of Starfleet surprisingly easy to navigate once she graduated from the Academy's Command Track. The fact that she was willing to take deskside postings early on with little issue seemed to win her many friends amongst her superiors and more restless compatriots. Of course, staying in a single location and interacting with the largely same people can become boring after too long, and when she felt herself reaching that point, she would put in a request for a transfer to a shipside posting. This alternating promotional chain would continue with little issue, as the passion she put into her work left her with glowing reccomendations from her previous postings. Becoming the Captain of her own ship was easily the longest she had stuck with a posting to date, which thankfully didn't include having to serve in a military role during the Cardassian or Tzenkethi wars. However, with a First Officer she felt was more than ready to take full command of the ship, and the end of her most recent Five Year Mission, this new Commodore posting was exactly the opportunity she was looking for.
-[X] Tag: Political Animal
-[X] Hobbies: Like most Romulans, Mirrin is both incredibly passionate and as sharp as a knife. Her proudest memory of her youth was keeping the exact nature of her band group a secret from her parents until their first gig at a major concert venue. To say that they were surprised by "Ancient Spirits of Vorta Vor" being a neo-progressive rock band would be an understatement. Although the band has gone on hiatus due to their careers making tours difficult, they still find the time to practice on their own and together whenever they can. Mirrin can often be found either practicing with her guitar or composing new songs when off-duty. Should anyone enter her quarters they would find a significant amount of artifacts, pieces of art, and books related to ancient Romulan mythology. They provide inspiration for her song-writing, as the band's aesthetic draws heavily upon said mythology to give it a unique flair in Federation space, and she is always on the look out for new additions to her collection.
