By Jim Johnson, Star Trek™ Adventures Project Manager
Art by Justin Usher
After reading your copy of the Star Trek Adventures second edition core rulebook, you may discover that, as a gamemaster, you want even more tools to help you more effectively plan and run adventures. The Captain’s Log Solo Roleplaying Game can support you in a myriad of ways, four of which are discussed below.
Adding Names and Personalities to NPCs
Many gamemasters struggle to come up with names of characters, planets, or systems on the fly. If you are in that category, the two generator matrices on pages 315–316 can help. Simply grab some d20s and roll away. For example, needing a quick name for an adversary captain of a newly discovered alien species, the gamemaster rolls on the alien name generator and gets the result of the progression DABC. They then roll four more times and consult the relevant tables, following the progression. They get Uwa, Te, Ov, and Ved, and combine those syllables into Captain Uwate Ovved.
Similarly, a gamemaster might bring an NPC into a scene, and that NPC turns out to be more involved than anticipated. The matrices in the book can assist with fleshing out your NPC. For example, noting the players are asking lots of questions about Captain Ovved, the gamemaster pauses a moment and consults the matrices on pages 283–285, which offer random options for an NPC’s archetype, upbringing, cultural traits, goals, tactics, and their outlook on the Federation (or whichever organization the player characters are part of). The gamemaster rolls on the goals and outlook tables and gets the results of Gain Scientific Knowledge and Jealous. The gamemaster then folds in the idea that Captain Ovved is a scientist at heart, and is jealous of Starfleet’s robust sensor systems and scientific know-how. He knows his culture can stand on par with the Federation in scientific matters, and is driven to prove it.
Creating Cultures
Just as the tools in the book can assist with fleshing out characters, so too can the matrices help you develop cultures. The matrices in Appendix III.10 help you generate sectors, planets, and cultures, including their technological level, population, governance, and many other options. You can use the matrices in the moment to generate a key detail or use them when planning out the adventure or game session so you don’t have to pause and roll during the session.
For example, the gamemaster creates a new culture for the player characters to discover and interact with. Using the various matrices in Captain’s Log, the gamemaster establishes that the new culture’s civilization is in a binary star system, on the fourth planet. Their polytheistic population of hundreds of millions is ruled by a democracy, and the species has been warp-capable for nearly a hundred years. Their key offering is their scientific knowledge revolving around tetryons, though they’re not known to the wider universe of spacefaring civilizations. Few in the Alpha and Beta Quadrants are aware of their datasets or breadth of knowledge.
Enhancing Your Storytelling Chops
Chapter 6 is a mini-master class in effective storytelling and writing, with a specific Star Trek lens placed on it. Given that Star Trek was a television show first, and Star Trek Adventures strives to deliver that kind of feel at the table, Captain’s Log provides key advice on effective plotting, storytelling, and managing scenes. Read the chapter in full, or poke at various sections as desired. Perhaps there’s a storytelling nugget in there that’ll spark your imagination and help dissolve any potential writer’s block you run into.
Likewise, many of the dozens of probability matrices in the book are specifically designed to help you make choices in scenes to carry the story forward, whether you’re playing solo or with a group. If you’re working through a dramatic scene but get stuck, flip to a relevant matrix, roll a d20, fold the result into your narrative, and see what happens next. Let the book guide you into crafting a story that might just surprise you.
Figuring Out “What Happens?”
Many times in a game session or adventure, the players might take things in an unexpected direction, or a player character or NPC may get into a situation where there is some uncertainty about the choice someone might make. Most of the time the choices are binary—someone will either do something or they won’t; something specific will happen or it won’t. The question falls to what the probability is of that thing happening or not happening. That’s where the Yes/No Probability Matrix can help you push through and help you figure out what happens so you can carry on with the scene and the story.
For example, Captain Ovved has spent part of the adventure interacting with the player characters and learning more about them, their ship, and their scientific capabilities. A tense moment comes in the adventure where Ovved has a chance to swipe a PADD containing key scientific information that will prove his culture is competitive, if not ahead of, the Federation’s existing knowledge of tetryons. He’s had a decent rapport with the crew so far, but his deep jealousy of Starfleet and his desire to see his culture rise in the eyes of the galactic scientific community are powerful factors in his decision.
The gamemaster doesn’t want to make a choice by fiat, so decides to let the dice help out. They consult the Yes/No Probability Matrix and decide that, with all the factors in play, it’s Probable that Ovved would take the opportunity to try and steal the PADD. They roll a d20, and get a result of 7 or Yes: Ovved will try to swipe the PADD when he has the chance. The gamemaster would then have Ovved attempt to steal the PADD, and the story would advance from there.
These are just a few ways to use the tools in Captain’s Log to enhance your second edition adventures. If you discover you need help during a session or during adventure planning, rather than fall into analysis paralysis, grab the book, open to a relevant probability matrix, and roll some dice! Go with the random selection or pick an option you like, and go boldly into the next scene with your players!
Do you have additional ideas about how to use Captain’s Log in conjunction with your first or second edition core rulebooks? Join the official Modiphius Discord and share them with your fellow gamers!
Order a copy of Captain’s Log now in print or digital format and combine it with your second edition materials to expand the scope of your missions and campaigns!
Order your print copy of the second edition Star Trek Adventures core rulebook now in standard format or one of three limited edition covers! And order a print copy of the second edition Game Toolkit as well, to expand your options for exploring the final frontier.
2nd Edition Core Rulebook (Command):
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All print orders will also receive the digital versions right away.
Alternatively, you can order the digital editions by themselves of the standard core rulebook and the Game Toolkit.
2nd Edition Core Rulebook PDF:
Thanks for reading this article, and thank you for your interest and support of Star Trek Adventures! Keep frequencies open for news about other upcoming Star Trek Adventures product releases. Live long and prosper!
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