By Rachael Cruz, Star Trek Adventures Contributing Writer
Art by Vincent Laik
The Star Trek Adventures second edition core rulebook is now available in print and digital formats. To support the game’s launch, we’re using several weeks of STA-related blogs to provide more detail on each of the playable character species presented in the core rulebook. Perhaps the information provided in these brief travelogues will help to arm you with ideas and inspiration on what species you might want to use for your character.
BAJOR
Planetary Background
The sixth planet of its system, Bajor bears a startling resemblance to the blues and greens of Earth. The temperatures of this once-thriving place are mild; again, comparisons have been made to Earth’s climate, though without the extremes of hot and cold that Humans regularly endure. All in all, a temperate, nature-lover’s paradise.
It was a rich and verdant farming world up until 2328, when the Cardassians overtook the planet and enslaved its inhabitants. Fifty years later, the Occupation ended and the Bajoran people freed, but extensive damage was done to the world itself. Its natural resources all but gone, the stalwart and determined Bajorans (see page 102 of the second edition core rulebook) worked with the Federation to revivify and restore their home.
Bajor is the home of Deep Space 9. The famed Federation space station is a hub of trade and exploration, due to the proximity of the Bajoran wormhole. It is the only known, stable wormhole in the entire Milky Way, and it gives travellers easy access to the Gamma Quadrant. Perhaps more important (at least to the Bajorans), it is home to the Prophets, the mysterious gods who guide their spiritual well-being.
Why You Should Play
Bajoran inhabitants are often categorized as determined and strong-willed. It takes a great deal of bravery and strength to remain on Bajor, whether recently freed from the Occupation or remaining to rebuild the world and its treasures.
Many who hail from Bajor have at least a passing belief in the Prophets. For some, it was the only reassurance as they toiled under the sharp gazes of the Cardassians.
If your character was born and raised on Bajor, consider how the Occupation impacted their lives. Were they freedom fighters? Were they stuck in labor camps? Someone who was probably has lived so long due to a high Daring and notable Fitness.
Characters from Bajor may be especially passionate regarding the topics of suffering, oppression, and captivity, seeing as their world and people have been deeply affected. Some are quick to jump to the rescue as a result, while others bear long-standing grudges against those who could have helped but didn’t.
Art by: Grzegorz Pedrycz
CARDASSIA
Planetary Background
Cardassia actually consists of four inhabitable planets, but unless they say otherwise, most natives mean Cardassia Prime. They tend to share the same general inhabitability—for them, anyway. Their skies are dark and red-tinted, the air humid and hot. Volcanoes are found all over the world, and this plays a great part in why they are ever-expanding outwards beyond their home system. It is not that they wish to escape their home; no, far from it! In fact, Cardassia refuses to give up their worlds in lieu of easier, greener pastures. Instead, for countless years, they have been driving ever outward, finding resource-heavy planets and stripping them down to support their own populations.
Why You Should Play
Cardassians (see page 104 of the second edition core rulebook) often have a species-centric view of others. They consider their thousands of years of experience in the universe as proof that they already know how best to grow a healthy civilization. They prefer their worlds in tidy, careful order, with government maintaining a firm grasp on the well-being of its populace.
The Cardassians seem harsh, unforgiving, and intimidating to outsiders, but past that hides a great poetry and loyalty, both to family and to government. If you are raised on Cardassia, you were likely taught from childhood the importance of loyalty and devotion. A strong sense of self-worth and a keen mind for strategy are highly valued here, so individuals growing up on this world would find a strong Reason or Presence serving them well. The inhabitants also favor the well-prepared mind; Cardassians are well-known for their resistance to mind-controlling effects.
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):
2nd Edition Core Rulebook (Sciences):
2nd Edition Core Rulebook (Operations):
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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