By John Kennedy, Star Trek Adventures Contributing Writer
Art by Dat Phan
Working on Star Trek Adventures means you get to write about some pretty fascinating and exciting portions of Star Trek lore. In our most recent offering from Modiphius, we’re looking at the Federation-Klingon War! If you’re a fan of Trek, you already know a lot about this pivotal moment in the history of the Alpha Quadrant. Thanks to Star Trek: Discovery, we got to see firsthand the horrors of starships burning in the void, of colonies overrun with enemy soldiers firing weapons that can disintegrate you with a single shot, and we saw the Klingon banner flying briefly over one of Starfleet’s space stations.
Now players can see what the war was like with our new book! Our goal was not to just create an endless series of combat scenarios, nor were we trying to portray the conflict as an action movie with non-stop violence and one-liners. We wanted to show you multiple elements of the war, from the major battles and missions that you hear about on Discovery and Strange New Worlds as well the things you did not hear about.
Players may see Starfleet crews exchanging gossip on how well (or poorly) the war is going. They may see, firsthand, the cunning and guile of the Klingon warriors as they raid Federation outposts. They could struggle on board their battlecruiser as they attempt to break through Federation jamming techniques so they can connect with their cloaked ships as they set their sights on Bolias. Through it all, the characters may uncover terrifying mysteries, study astonishing stellar phenomena, and contend with new species and entities so powerful they could give Q a run for his money.
I think something players should think about when they play during this pivotal period is what kind of repercussions their character will experience afterwards. In Strange New Worlds, Lt. Ortegas talks about her piloting skills she learned during the war. Dr. M’Benga struggles with PTSD from his actions during the conflict. The focus shouldn’t be “what kind of PTSD or complex will I get after the war is over” but rather how the character chooses to deal with those repercussions.
That is not to say players have no choice in how to portray their characters! The war is an excellent opportunity for character growth in all directions. For Klingons, war is about the pursuit of glory and conquest, but how would a Benzite deal with the conflict? What about a character from a species that celebrates war? Some characters may find themselves called to command during the conflict while others may shift fields entirely.
All in all, it was a wonderful opportunity to explore a complicated storyline. I hope players forgive me for my brutal Klingon commandos. They play to win during their mission, so players will definitely have to think strategically in order to save the colony!
Order your copy of The Federation-Klingon War Tactical Campaign now in either print or PDF and start creating your own Star Trek wartime stories!
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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