RPG Campaign Tour Challenge 2026 - DAY 1

Welcome to the first day of the first annual RPG Campaign Tour Challenge! 

I've decided to give you the grand tour of Star Trek: Prosperity!

Day 1-Campaign Introduction and Overview

Star Trek: Prosperity is a Star Trek Adventures Roleplaying Game campaign that follows the voyages of four core player character serving the command crew of the Starfleet vessel USS Prosperity, NCC-1587, a Ventura Light Cruiser, set during The Original Series era of the Star Trek universe [and franchise].

Star Trek: Prosperity is the longest running and most consistent campaign I have ever Gamemastered, lasting approximately 12 years of real time as of this writing. I consider it a great success and I am incredibly proud of it and the player participants. 

Our player characters are Dan as Captain Anne Fletcher, Alex as First Officer/Chief Engineer Tha'ar Bhoth of Andor, Leo as the young Chief Helmsman Lt. Charlie Wilder, and Arthur as Chief Science Officer Lt. Commander Rhys Carr. 

When the campaign began [approximately 12 years ago], Leo was the First Officer and Chief Science Officer Commander Solok. Solok remained First Officer until late April or early May of 2024 when he takes a short leave of absense from Starfleet to marry Prosperity's NPC Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Margaret 'Maggie' Hanover. Alex's Lt. Commander Bhoth was Chief of Security in the very beginning. Arthur's Lt. Carr was our Communications Officer and later our Security Chief. As the campaign went on the PCs changed positions and raised in rank over the course of its [now] nine 'Seasons'. 

Other players and PCs have came in and out of the campaign periodically and some of their PCs remain NPC supporting characters up to the present. Others moved on to other Starfleet  assignments I suppose. 

Premise: The campaign is about a Starfleet vessel and its crew exploring the 'Final Frontier' of deep space during the Original Series era of Star Trek. While there is a lot of focus on the player characters and their personal reasons and long terms goals regarding being in Starfleet, there is a shared objective of going where no one else has gone before.

It's classic, straightforward original series Star Trek with a little more attention given to internal consistency and continuity. What makes Star Trek: Prosperity distinct are its 'conceits'. 

Conceits: The early Seasons of the campaign, speicfically the 1st through 3rd, had the theme of underdogs trying to prove themselves:

A young female Captain trying to overcome a dicey past and make a name for herself, not for the fame and glory but in order to earn the respect of her fellow Captians and the Admiralty so she could make real change in the Galaxy. A Vulcan Science Officer from an overachieving family trying to find a way to make a name for himself and find out what that name stands for. An Andorian traded to Starfleet from the Andorian Imperial Guard, possibly to not embarass his famous General father, only to seriously butt heads with his first Human Captain. A former Starfleet Intelligence Cryptoanalyst who wanted to apply his codebreaking and language decoding talents to bringing people together instead of taking down enemies.  

The ship itself shared this same atmosphere and feeling. As a Ventura Class Light Cruiser, the Prosperity is seen as dependable but out-of-date. Once top-of-the-line, the Prosperity was launched about 15 years prior to Constitution Class starships such as the USS Enterprise (no bloody A, B, C, D, E, or anything else). Being an older vessel viewed by much of the Starfleet top brass as 'past its prime', the ship was relegated to support operations, testing new equipment, and other vital but less glamorous activities. 

Overview:

Together, this motley but professional crew and has-been vessel proved themselves time and time again, earning not only respect but admiration from Starfleet, the people of the UFP, and even their enemies. 

Over the course of the game's decade plus run, the themes and conceits have changed so much it's impossible to sum it all up in a since post. The characters have evolved and the setting has greatly expanded. The Ventura Class itself went from being in danger of being completely mothballed to redesigned and modernized by the Prosperity's Chief Engineer and now the first new Venturas in 44 years have come out of the shipyards at Mars' Utopia Planitia. 

With all that's happened is it extremely difficult to sum it up in a single post but thankfully, I don't have to! This is just Day 1; merely the beginning of the Campaign Tour Challenge.

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Barking Alien

STAR TREK MEMORY BANKS

It all begins with Star Trek.

Happy Star Trek Day everybody! It's Star Trek's 59th birthday, with The Original Series first airing on September 8th, 1966. 

A major contributor to my life long love of Space Adventure Science Fiction, the original Star Trek television series has sparked my imagination since I was a very small boy. I would play Star Trek with friends the way other kids played Cops and Robbers, complete with toy Phasers and walkie-talkie Communicators. We collected Star Trek Action Figures, went as Mr. Spock for Halloween, and just ate up anything related to Space...The Final Frontier.

FASA's Star Trek, The Role-Playing Game was therefore a dream come true for me. It was the first tabletop RPG I purchased with my own money, completely by myself. Up to that point, I had received all of my game books, boxes, and dice through holiday or birthday gifts. I did buy Villains and Vigilantes with my own money before I got the Star Trek RPG but I split the cost of the former with a friend. This felt different and it remains a special moment for me within my time in the hobby.

From purchasing the FASA RPG in 1982 to my current Modiphius Star Trek Adventures game, now in its 11th year, it is safe to say I've run A LOT of Star Trek. From innumerable one-shots to several long term campaigns, I've run so many scenarios in the Star Trek universe I could start a new campaign tonight and have it last decades with only material from previous games. 

And that, in a manner of speaking, is what this MEMORY BANKS post is all about. To celebrate Star Trek's Anniversary I thought it might be fun to give you some examples of original creations that have appeared in my various Star Trek games over the years. Everything that happens in one of my games becomes part of that universe's canon, so all the elements entered into the 'Barking Alien Memory Banks' can be reused in a future session months, years, or even decades later. 

Now you can include some of it in your games.

Initiating Uplink...Memory Banks activated...Display onscreen...

The Bonhomme Richard

The first Bonhomme Richard to appear in a campaign and the one that started the tradition

was a Bonaventure Class Survey Vessel based on the USS Bonaventure 

from Star Trek: The Animated Series. CG rendition by Aaron T. Harvey. 

The USS Bonhomme Richard (Good Man Richard) is destroyed in every campaign I've ever run. It isn't the same Bonhomme Richard but rather any ship christened with that name ends up in a very bad way, often resulting in the loss of the vessel and all its crew. We've seen ships with this dedication lost to Spatial Anomalies, Klingon Battleships, Interphasic Aliens, a Sentient Computer Virus, and more. 

It has been suggested that the name may be cursed but we are beings of Intellect, Reason, and Science. We know for a fact that there is no such things as a 'curse'. For this reason, starships continue to be dubbed the Bonhomme Richard.

Cross my heart and knock on wood.

Starfleet Starfighters - The PT-009 'Attack Craft' and 'The Mars Defense'

PT-009 Attack Craft in mid-ground of image.

Concept Art by Andrew Probert.

Largely inspired by this concept art from the incredibly talented Andrew Probert, my longest running TNG Era campaign had the PCs' ship carry three PT-009 Attack Craft. Never referred to as Starfighters by any character in the campaign, neither PC nor NPC, it was clear that that's exactly what they were. 

In one Episode/Session two squadrons of these are launched from Mars, making up a protective group known as the Mars Defense Perimeter, a reference to a similar group in the Star Trek TNG episode, 'The Best of Both Worlds - Part II'. In the episode the Borg are coming to Earth and three tiny, roughly missile-shaped pods are launched to stop it. Seriously. It was so ridiculous and pathetic looking that my friends insisted that our campaign feature something far more substantial. Given that Mars is the site of the Utopia Planitia Shipyards, I agreed that it needed considerably better guardians than a few unmanned space darts.  

The PT-009 is a Sublight/Impulse, single being spacecraft, armed with Phaser Cannons, Micro-Photon Torpedoes, and light Shields. It is extremely quick and agile, being ten times more maneuverable than a standard Type-8 Shuttlecraft and considerably faster at Impulse than a Type-11. It is a difficult ship to pilot and if a character lacks a specific Attack Craft Piloting Skill or Focus, increase the level of Difficulty or number of Successes needed for any given action by at least 1 (or one Difficulty Level depending on system). 

The Morena / Meropean Chelons

Commander Merot, Chief Engineer and 3rd in Command,

Miranda Class, USS Odyssey

The highest ranking Morena in Starfleet as of 2290

A sentient, starfaring species from the planet Moren (also known as 'Merope II' or '23 Tauri Aa II'), the Morena (plural and singular are the same) are amphibious humanoids descended from a shell-less, turtle-like ancestor. Instead of a shell, the Morena have flexible armor plates on their heads and backs. They possess webbed hands and feet but are primarily land dwelling at this point, returning to the water for various courtship, reproduction, spiritual activities and rituals, and for fun of course. Morena just enjoy swimming. A Morena's eyes have evolved for operation in low-light and underwater conditions but can adapt to Federation/Starfleet standard illumination with time and exposure. Their vision extends into the ultra-violet range. 

Although there are some biological similarities between the Meropean Chelons and the Rigellian Chelons, the two species are not directly related in any way. 

A curious element of Morena sociology, philosophy, and culture is that they self-professed perfectionists. Although individuals can become obsessive in this regard, the Morena's cultural drive is to try to achieve 'perfection' in whatever it is they do. What constitutes 'perfect' can vary from individual to individual but a Morena never does anything half-heartedly. Their government includes a 'Council of Perfection' that advises the other legislative and executive bodies, identifying flaws in various laws or operations and constantly seeks ways to improve and perfect them. 

Sometime after First Contact with the United Federation of Planets in 2239, the rather impassive and even-keeled Morena became fascinated with the emotional displays of other intelligent species. Most notably, they were intrigued by Human emotion, the Vulcans' apparent lack of emotion, and the intense emotional reactions of Andorians. It became common practice for Morena to choose an emotion or mental state and attempt to 'perfect it'. This eventually developed into a major aspect of their civilization, organically growing from fad curiousity to common planetary pasttime. 

For example, a Morena might decide to be 'Enthusiastic' and react to any and all situations with positive enthusiasm. After at least 5-10 years of this practice (on average), when the individual feels they completely understand the emotion they've chosen, they have a small celebration with close friends and/or family in which they display their chosen mental or emotional state for the entire event. At the end of the party, the oldest, youngest, and closet peer are assembled and judge whether or not the Morena has 'mastered' or 'perfected' being Enthusiastic. If so, there is much joy, drinking, eating, singing, etc., and return to a more normal way of life. They might also choose a new emotion or mental state to perfect.

If not, if their mastery of the chosen concept is deemed 'imperfect', the hosting Morena thanks everyone and then leaves their own party, encouraging everyone else to enjoy themselves. The Morena then proceeds to take a contemplative 'walkabout', a few days to a week off to figure out where they went wrong. What was it they missed? Upon their return they are likely to try again for a shorter time, 3-5 years, before throughing another such celebration. 

Morena entering Starfleet Academy are given psychological screening to ensure their chosen mental state will not interfere with their potential duties and the safety of their future crewmates.

We've had at least 3 Morena Player Characters over the years attempting to perfect 'Calm', 'Gregarious', and 'Determined' to both exciting and hilarious effect. My current Star Trek: Prosperity campaign has a Morena NPC, Engineering Ensign Megop, who was only recently assigned to the ship after graduating from Starfleet Academy. He is 'Meticulous' and its sometimes very helpful, other times very annoying to his fellow crewmates. 

The perfectly Meticulous Ensign Megop.

I forget what exactly inspired the creation of the Morena but their homeworld was mentioned in one of the FASA sourcebooks as a major Starfleet/UFP Shipyard. When one of my campaign crews ventured there during a mission I introduced a number of Morena NPCs working and managing the facility. 

Well, that's all for now. My brain is experiencing 'creative turmoil' so you're either gonna get some oddball posts over the next few weeks or hardly any posts at all. Which will it be? Who knows? That's the fun of it!

Heh. *Sigh*

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Barking Alien

A Giant Leap for Mankind or A Stumble in the Dark?

Is this an April Fools prank? A hoax? No?? It's real? Really real?

It's not my birthday. It isn't Xmas or Hanukkah. Life Day?

How can this be true? 

Well it is...it definitely is...

Modiphius Entertainment, the makers of my beloved Star Trek Adventurers, have announced that they are making a Space:1999 Roleplaying Game. 

I've brought up Space:1999, the British Science Fiction TV Series, only a few times in the past and as some may remember, that's the tagline for my Thorough Thursdays series. I had always intended to do a Thorough Thursdays about this show but never got around to it much to my dismay. Now I have every reason to do so...only its Saturday. Drat. Oh well, the show must go on! I'm too excited about this to wait until next week. 

I caught the show when it first aired in the US in 1975 and instantly fell in love. It was like a  a cross between Lost in Space and Star Trek, yet distinctly different in setting, plot, and atmosphere from both of those shows. The stories were somewhat darker and more surreal. The science of it was often wonky (Isaac Asimov famously lambasted the 'science' of the series in Cue Magazine in 1975) yet somehow gave off the feeling of being more 'realistic' due to its tone and look. 

I for one ate it up. I had the Mattel Eagle 1 Spaceship (the Eagle Transporter), action figures, the toy prop Stun Gun and Communicator, and even went as a Moonbase Alpha crewman one Halloween (not a store bought costume but a total homebrew - long sleeve colored shirt underneath another white one with one sleeve removed. Vintage/second hand clothes are magic). 

I've always wanted to run a Space:1999 RPG but never have as best I can recall. The series has absolutely influenced many of my Sci-Fi campaigns such as Star Trek, Traveller, Red Dwarf, and more but I have never done a dedicated Space:1999 game. The reasons for this are really three fold:

While I was and am a fan of Space:1999, my working knowledge of the setting and its elements is no where near as strong as those of Star Trek, Star Wars, ALIEN, or Red Dwarf. I would need to re-familiarize myself with the series in a big way in order to feel comfortable running it as a campaign. 

Am I alone in my love for Space:1999? I've seen a lot of people on the internet surprised that Modiphius chose this particular franchise to produce as an RPG. Most noted positive but only vague memories of the show or a hope that some other Gerry Anderson property would be made into a game (most notably UFO or Thunderbirds). My concern now is the same as it was in the past - do enough people know about and like Space:1999 enough for me to find players?

Lastly, the setting focuses on one 'world', Earth's Moon. On it is a single, large base known as Moonbase Alpha which is occupied by 311 crewmembers*. That's kind of limiting when compared to the settings of other modern SF RPGs. In the RPG to come, are you one of the 311 on Alpha? Don't we know we (the Player Characters) aren't the ones in charge unless the players are controlling John Koenig, Helena Russell, or Alan Carter?

The question that comes to mind would be the same one I'd have if I were running a Star Trek campaign set on the original series Enterprise; if we come upon a derelict alien vessel and we're not playing Kirk, Spock, and McCoy, how is it that the PCs get to go on a mission to investigate it? If we are assigned to accompany the leads, do the NPCs (again, Kirk, Spock, McCoy) decide what to do? That doesn't sound like fun even though it makes internal sense.

Personally, I am very excited to see this game and will definitely be picking it up. I do hope that the book dedicates a significant portion of the GM section to how you play this given the parameters of the milieu.

Until then, "Loyalty is better than logic; Hope is better than despair; Creation is better than destruction".

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Barking Alien

*Between character deaths and new births during the course of the show's two seasons, Moonbase Alpha has approximately 284 occupants (including at least one baby as I recall). 

RPGaDay Challenge 2023 - What Goes Around Comes Around

 Bonus Prompt!

Consider this more a palette cleanser than a follow up. Stuff in my head I need to clear so I can move on to more intriguing things.

This year's RPGaDay event, the 10th Anniversary of this endeavor, was very disappointing to me. I lost interest about part way through but decided to continue anyway until I finally ran out of motivational energy around the final three posts. 

I've been comparing a number of my posts this past month to the same (or very similar) ones from 2014* throughout. I couldn't help it. Since the 2023 challenge is basically a repeat of the first one the original questions/prompts creeped into my memory unconsciously. 

The only two answers I'd like to visit (revisit?) are: 

Day 18 asks about favorite system. Generally I am of the opinion that the rules are the things that support the functionality of the game but stay out of my way so we can all have fun. That said, I do like mechanics that simulate and reinforce the setting and/or genre.

When I answered this in 2014 I said Star Wars D6, something I've said many times before and after and for years. 

The fact that in 2023 I am saying Star Trek Adventures is pretty amazing to me. Does this mean my tastes have changed? Are there similarities between these games perhaps? Hard to say without going into a deep analysis. Perhaps some other time. I do find it interesting that I've changed my feeling on this, even if its only by a small margin. 

Day 31 covers favorite game and that's somewhere else where the reigning champion has been unseated. Star Trek Adventures has topped LUG's Star Trek RPG and no one is more surprised then I. As I've noted before, there are aspects of the Icon System that I am particularly fond of and I do incorporate some of those into my Star Trek Adventures games. Even so, I am finding Star Trek Adventures to be the better game for my current crowd of Trekkers. It just works the way we need it to and feels the way we want it to feel. 

That's all for today. Just some thoughts with no real direction. I've got some ideas stirring up in my head but I'm not sure what directions I want to take them in. 

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Barking Alien

*It's the events 10th Anniversary, meaning the first RPGaDay occurred in 2013. For some reason I first participated in this challenge in 2014 and my 2014 posts seem to be the same as those for the original 2013 incarnation. I may have just learned about it in its second year, did a search, and got the questions from the first go-around without realizing it. Oops.

New Horizons

A bold new chapter in one of my favorite Space Adventure franchises is about to begin...

Kenobi? Oh, right there's also Kenobi. I was thinking of...

Engage Quantum Drive and get some music for these elevators!

The third season of The Orville, entitled The Orville: New Horizons, begins on Thursday, June 2nd. In the United States it will air on the streaming service Hulu. There will be 11 episodes, two less than the previous season but each episode will be roughly 15 minutes longer. 

In addition, the make-up, sets, and effects - already incredibly impressive for television - looks  to have gotten a heck of a boost. A new bridge set, improved practical effects, new uniforms, and a brand new cast member! Ann Winters will be joining the crew as Ensign Charly Burke, the USS Orville's new Navigator.

Could I be more excited? Let me check...nope, I don't believe so. 

The first season was funny, fresh, and yet shimmered with the light of classic and Next Generation Star Trek. The characters were likeable, the stories and relationships engaging and clever, the ship designs were awesome, and I was definitely looking forward to the second season. 

Season 2 was almost a different beast. Everything except the humor was turned up to 11. The humor was actually turned down a bit, giving the series a more serious Science Fiction tone. The overarching plots running through the show over the two seasons really came to a head, some stories colliding with each other to create a new status quo. 

An incredible set up for season three!

And now, the future of the future is upon us. 

As you can see, no spoilers here. If you want to know what happened in the first two seasons you'll have to watch this fantastic show for yourselves. I highly recommend it. Besides, you'll need to prep for Season 3! What are you waiting for? 

Now, this is primarily an RPG blog and yes, I have a strong inclination to run an Orville RPG campaign. I should say an inclination to try again. I've tried three times in fact, with the last one being the most effective overall. I can only imagine that after this new season, I will be all the more jazzed to give it another go. 

I can't wait to post all my thoughts and ideas on the subject and I don't even know what they're going to be yet! I just know I was really inspired by the previous seasons and I can only imagine what MacFarlane and his team have instore for us next. Expect to see some posts on converting Modiphius's Star Trek Adventures to The Orville universe sometime this Summer. 

Once again, we need not fear the banana,

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Barking Alien

Star Trek Adventures Are GO!

Stepping away from Horror for a moment, I'd like to discuss something near and dear to my heart that, it turns out, is near and dear to Japanese fandom as well, albeit to a smaller extent. 

While researching how big the Call of Cthulhu game is in the Japanese Tabletop RPG hobby market I wondered, and not for the first time, what other American made TRPGs are popular in Japan. That got me thinking about one game in particular...

I was curious how one of my favorite subjects for an RPG fared in the Japanese market - Star Trek and the current Star Trek Adventures TRPG by Modiphius. Do the Japanese play Star Trek Adventures? How popular is it or isn't it and why?

TOS Movie Era Cadets

Artist Unknown

This simple question lead me down a Wormhole of mixed opinions, contrary information, and some wonderful discoveries. I'll break in down like a Transporter doing an Emergency Beam-Out!

Art by Life Form 2602

I started my research by asking if anyone in either of the Star Trek Adventures or general Star Trek RPG Facebook Groups were aware of whether or not the game had sold in Japan, how well it had done/was doing, and if any member of these groups was running or playing it in Japan.

Initially I received very little response. Few people knew the answers to these questions and didn't want to speak on a subject they weren't familiar with, which is admirable in and of itself. There were a handful of members in one group, the Star Trek Adventures group, who did have some insight. 

One fellow, who is currently living in Japan, said that Star Trek is not a major franchise of interest to the Japanese at this time. Star Trek Adventures and Star Trek roleplaying is, and I quote, "A niche within a niche of a niche". Another confirmed this to some extent by noting that he lived in Japan and played the game with four other players, all of whom were Americans. 

A key reason for this - and a logical one at that (no pun intended) - is the lack of Replays for Star Trek Adventures. As noted in previous posts, Replays are the entry way into the TRPG hobby for most Japanese people. 

Searching the internet for more information, I found few references to Star Trek on Japanese entertainment sites and of course even fewer mentions of the Star Trek Adventures game. What a different this was to my memories of Star Trek in Japan between 1988 and 1991. That's when I was starting college, working at the uptown Forbidden Planet in Manhattan, and Star Trek seemed like it was everywhere. 

We had movies, a new TV show, models, toys, books, magazines,  and of course the FASA RPG. According to some people I knew and the ads I saw in Japanese magazines, Japan had all that as well.

Art by TOM

Around this time I had a few Japanese friends, all of whom were Star Trek fans. One of them was a girl named Rina whom I dated for a short while. She would spend her Summers in New York City taking classes at NYU and in the Fall and Winter she would return to her home in Kyoto. On a few occasions she would show me Star Trek Doujinshi she had picked up in Japan. Some were parodies, some fan fiction of the TOS characters, and one was a kind of Light Novel/Manga combo featuring original characters on an original starship set in the Wrath of Khan to Undiscovered Country period. She was a huge Trekkie and so apparently was her father.  

Tanto Class Corvette

My attempt at re-creating the

Star Trek Doujinshin vessel design

The popularity of Star Trek in Japan would apparently continue as another friend years later - the brother of another young lady I was dating - was eager to trade Manga, models, and other Anime related paraphernalia for anything TNG or DS9 related. I got the impression that Star Trek had a smaller but even more die hard following over there at the time. 

Warping back to the present, I was about to give up and write the experience off as a good try that just hadn't panned out. That's when, low and behold, I found something. By searching for 'スタートレックアドベンチャー TRPG' instead of 'Star Trek Adventures RPG Japan' or 'Star Trek Adventures in Japanese', I came across one Japanese fan's blog and then, somehow, the floodgates opened to yet another hidden world of gaming. 

Art by Yasaka

I am reminded of my earliest days in the Anime/Manga hobby, seeking out Japanese language magazines that comic book stores had ordered by accident, checking for TV shows and characters no one I knew had ever seen or heard of but which fascinated me to no end. Gaming was the same in the mid-to-late 70s and early 80s, when you'd mention a new RPG to dumbfounded stares of those who thought that D&D was the only game that existed. 

Where was I? Oh yes, thanks to Yumesai Haruka, a female TRPG blogger with an interest in Star Wars, Star Trek, Call of Cthulhu, and other games, I managed to find how-to videos, reviews, a Reddit thread, and much more. All of it was dedicated to or at least promoting in some way, Star Trek Adventures by Modiphius. It would seem that the fellows in my Facebook Group were not a perfect picture of the games popularity in the land of sakura trees and everything-available-through-a-vending-machine. 

Of course, the true test of popularity of anything in Japan is how much fan art it receives. On the online art community pixiv, the Japanese equivalent of deviantart, I found over 30 pages, 1,837 entries, under the tag 'Star Trek'. A sure sign that the Japanese youth to middle adults of today do have a love for the Final Frontier.

A good portion of the [possibly renewed] enthusiasm for Star Trek in Japan at this time appears to come from the newer productions. While Japan received many of the prior TV series after they originally aired in the USA (though TNG and DS9 didn't air too far behind America), movies and modern shows like Discovery and even Lower Decks are coming out nearly simultaneously.

USS Cerritos from Star Trek: Lower Decks

Art by 'NCC-80602'

Lower Decks in particular seems more popular than I would have expected, since the art style is very us and a lot of the humor requires some knowledge of past continuity. The fact that the Japanese seem to enjoy Lower Decks tells me they do indeed have a general familiarity and appreciation for Star Trek. 

As for the game itself, from what I can tell, the Japanese play Star Trek much the way everyone else does with perhaps two slight differences. There seems to be a greater focus on the interpersonal relationships of the characters - personal drama, romance, etc. - and a bit more humor (which again might explain the popularity of Lower Decks). A Star Trek Anime Rom-Com? Sign me up!

Art by Yukikaze

I also imagine that the characters skew a tad younger as that is common in Japanese pop culture but I can not confirm that at this time. 

Well, that's all I have for the moment. Looking to get more information and maybe even run or play in a game through one of my Japanese friends who doesn't play STA himself but knows some people who do. 

Until then, Nagaku ikiru to han'ei...I mean...Live Long and Prosper!

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Barking Alien

PS: One point of interest I have not yet focused on is that Japan seems to have a fairly large percentage of female TRPG fans. While the demographics have improved in the US steadily over the years, it seems Japan might be way ahead in that regard. Likely the entry into gaming, Replay manga, is a big reason why. TRPGs are marketed differently than their Western counterparts. 

A quick final thought: I have mentioned the Japanese Edition of Traveller before, which came to Japan in 1984. It was very popular and remains popular to this day in a way that I think American fans might find curious. I may do a Traveller Japan deep dive in the near future. Let me know if you'd be interested. 

Things From The Second Impact

You know what goes really well with Giant Robots? Existential Dread!

I had something of an epiphany while doing research for [what I hope will be] a future Anime Mecha campaign.

It came about after reading a post and its follow-up responses on Reddit regarding the very same subject I was thinking of exploring...a tabletop RPG campaign based on Neon Genesis Evangelion. The original poster, the person who started the thread, asked what game system people would recommend to run a NGE campaign. He further stated that he was well aware of the various existing Evangelion RPG offerings and was A) looking for something different and B) curious what others would consider a good match for the setting.

Wait...have I never discussed Neon Genesis Evangelion and its impact (no pun intended) on me and the stories I create?

That's just wrong.

(See what I did there? Now it's a Thorough Thursday post!)

For those unfamiliar with Neon Genesis Evangelion...what the heck is wrong with you? How are you even from this planet? I'm not and I still know what Evangelion is! OK, teasing aside, Neon Genesis Evangelion is a Japanese Mecha Anime that originally ran on TV Tokyo in Japan from October of 1995 to March of 1996. The 26 episode series was the product of Studio Gainax and was ground breaking in terms of subject, storytelling, and its deconstruction and deep love for the Mecha genre. 

Ostensibly a classic Sci-Fi Mecha scenario in which the Earth is attacked by alien monsters with only a handful of young pilots and super-powered giant robots to defend it, NGE isn't about that anymore than Citizen Kane is about a sled. There are layers upon layers of themes and meanings to Evangelion, including explorations of Mental Illness, Religious Imagery, Spiritualism, Psychology, and Philosophy. 

The end of the original series was quite controversial, with popular stories and theories being that they had run overbudget and behind schedule (which was true) forcing them to finish it somewhat abruptly. It spawned two films - Death and Rebirth and The End of Evangelion in an attempt to mitigate some of the ill-will towards the finale and complete the original vision for the series. Later, over a period of 14 years (between 2007 and 2021), four features films would retell the story and add a good deal of additional material.

The Rebuild of Evangelion adds new characters, expands and changes our perspective on old ones, and ends with a very different final act that only came out this month, Evangelion: 3.0 + 1.0 'Thrice Upon A TIme' (the only one I myself have not yet seen). 

I was absolutely obsessed with Evangelion when it came out and saw the original 'last film', The End of Evangelion, in a movie theater in conjunction with a Anime Convention I was working at. I once spoke to an executive from Gainax through a translator and he asked me if I like the film and I told him I liked it very much. Then he asked if I understood it. I admitted to being unsure that I completely understood all of it. He laughed a deep, hearty laugh and excitedly said, "That is alright. I did not understand it either." 

Finally, I have wanted to run an Evangelion campaign for many, many years now.

Japanese produced and published Evangelion tabletop RPGs

There have been at least two official versions of Evangelion tabletop RPGs in Japan (possibly three), as well as at least two or three made by American fans. One of the fan produced American games is actually quite popular, Adeptus Evangelion, and it uses the rules for Dark Heresy for some reason. (Kidding! Not a terrible game but not right for this). 

Going back to the Reddit thread, a great many commenters were suggesting on Mecha systems or another, if they weren't touting a generic game like GURPS, Hero System, or (*shudder*) D20. Then, like the Spear of Longinus itself, a reader game through with a statement that pierced the clouds and hit right on target. 

I am paraphrasing: "I see so many people recommending Mecha games. These people must not have seen Evangelion. That isn't the focus of the series. It's about people - damaged people - and their relationships with each other."

That is so right, so perfectly stated that it started me rethinking my own approach. 

Hold on a moment...Angsty Teens. Check. Each character has a Problem, a Drive, and a Shame. Checks. Relationships are a key element of the setting and system. Check. Scars, physical and mental, are what results from failure. Check. I've got it!

Things from The Flood.

The sequel to the absolutely awesome Tales from The Loop, the game is scaled up in both Player Character age and overall danger level. The game is essentially perfect for a Neon Genesis Evangelion campaign, albeit without the addition of some Mecha rules. Perhaps adapted from my MSV system? 

'Cause the thing is, even though NGE isn't really about Giant Robots battling bizarre Space Monsters...

It totally is!

Thoughts? Ideas? Questions? Feel free to share.

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Star Trek: Renown - The Voyage Home

For this last entry on my Star Trek: Renown 30 year reunion game, I wanted to reiterate how enjoyable it was/is to game with this group once again. 

I run and play with multiple groups and fairly often these days; the experiences running the gamut from light hearted fun to please someone put me out of my misery. 

With my ol' High School of Art & Design crew that is never the case. 

Every session so far has been amazing or better. Case in point, this Star Trek Adventures outing. 

To be honest, I didn't think I did such a great job running it. There were reasons, and I can definitely be too critical of myself, yet still and all I think it could have been even better than it was. That said, it was REALLY GOOD. Everyone said they had a great time, people were already looking forward to our next game together, and the player who played the Captain, David Concepcion, wrote this post-game 'Captain's Log' the next day and posted it to our group chat on Facebook. 

CAPTAIN'S LOG—STARDATE 9033.1

The USS Renown has received orders from Starfleet to put into Starbase 35 for refit and reassignment. Starfleet Command has also offered me a promotion to Admiral in light of our current mission's completion, the signing of the Treaty of Gamma Dorado III, in addition to my many years of service. I must admit it is bittersweet to accept either of these commendations. 

I have spent a majority of my career aboard the Renown; the last five as its captain and prior to that as the engineer who successfully devised the IPPS system that powers it. To have her under someone else's command is close to heart-breaking but that is mostly because she is one of the finest ships in the Federation and has a crew almost parallel to none. This is especially true of the Renown's bridge and command crew, who should be commended and rewarded for their outstanding ability and work above and beyond the call of duty. I owe them, as much as the Renown and its fleet, almost everything and so note this for the record. 

As for the promotion, I am still considering it. It is a great honor and not one to be taken lightly, yet it can be ceremonial and lends oneself to many years of bureaucracy instead of being out in the field. As the events surrounding our last mission show, it feels a little early to be put on a display shelf just yet. Still, I am reminded of the words a fellow colleague once said, “galloping around the cosmos is a game for the young.” Maybe accepting a secure, less life-threatening job isn't as bad as one is led to believe. 

Whatever the future holds, this will mark the end of one chapter in the lives of the USS Renown and its crew. Another chapter will begin soon and I wish those involved nothing but the best of luck and the clearest of night skies. May we all live up to history and the bright future this ship has given us.

I love this. I love that someone was moved enough by the adventure, by the legacy of this campaign, its character and events, to write something like this. It may seem like nothing special to you but to me it's everything. These days I'm lucky if people remember the name of an NPC from scene to scene or what was happening in the previous session. Here I have a group of players who remember their characters and the adventures they were on from a game from 30 goddamn year ago. That story may have come to a close but clearly, with this team, the fun never truly ends. 

Live Long and Prosper Everyone!

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Star Trek: Renown - The Motion Picture - Part II

 The story continues...

"Why are you here?" Commander Sovik asks the Vanir representative. "Your people exist beyond the keen of mortal lives. You can travel when and where you wish, bend space and time, and no one here is a real threat to you. What do you have to benefit from 'Peace Talks'? Why should such a thing even come under your notice?"

The Vanir fixed its faceless gaze upon the Vulcan; the prismatic fire flickering and roiling within the deep, dark hood. A dozen voices old and young, male and female, deep and whispering, said, "Why indeed?"

There was a bunch of investigation at this point by the Science Officer, Ensign Sanchez, and a good deal of role-playing by the captain. This culminated in everyone coming to different realizations and needing to inform Captain Hendrix.

Meanwhile up in space, two Romulan T-10 'Reema' Class Destroyers have existed warp and were bearing down on the Renown. 

Several people approached the Captain to get his attention and as he turned to each his communicator chirped. "Hold that thought", he said to the group, holding up a finger on one hand and placing his communicator to his ear with the other. Lt. Tabula and Dr. Kron'kite filed the commanding officer in on the status of things. The Strider situation had been a ruse and now the Renown was under attack. The ship is detecting a powerful build up of Alpha Waves and Psychic Energy surround the ship, especially the bridge, but emanating from the planet. 

Lt. Commander Rrr'owfrtt stepped in at that point to note that he detected the Alpha Waves as well and they were coming from both the Vanir and the Vulcan Diplomat Saret. Oddly, Saret was coming up charged with Alpha Waves but not showing the standard biological readings of a Vulcan. He theorized she might not be real or even really there. He also detected a gravimetric disturbance that he could not yet explain. The Captain recommended he focus on that for now.

Commander Sovik said that he was familiar with Saret, at least the real Saret, and would deal with her if need be. The key was clearly the Vanir, a nearly god-like entity that shouldn't really have any stake in the game, as Humans would say. 

The Captain took a deep breath and gave the following instructions: 

He told the Renown to disengage from standard orbit to have more room to move around. Protect the planet and the Peace Negotiations at all costs. Also try to draw the enemy away from the planet and the ships of the other delegations. Hail the USS Daring and USS Invincible. See if they can come back us up. Do the best you can. 

Captain Hendrix then confronted the Vanir asking it was it was doing and why it bothered to show up just to throw a wrench into the works. Pulling back its hood to reveal a handsome, young, blonde Human with a sly grin, the Vanir said, "Oh come now Captain. This is the only reason to be here!" 

Miranda Class Deck 1 - Bridge design by Falke

Up in space, the Renown moves to engage its two unseen assailants. As one of the enemy ships decloaks to fire, Tabula angles the ship to put in it a better position to protect the planet. Using his Animal Telepathy, Dr. Kron'kite reaches out to see if there are any creatures aboard either of the opposing vessels. Sensing a bird at the fore of one of the ships, a pet of the vessel's commander, he confers with the bridge to give Tabula a rough idea of the Romulan Destroyer's position. The Renown fires and strikes an excellent shot on the 'Bright One's rear. 

The second destroyer swings around and fires but misses. The Alfeans contact the Renown and announce they are coming to their aid. The Hudra ask the Alfeans if they need assistance and the Alfeans give a haughty no, saying they have it under control. 

Back on Gamma Dorado III, Captain Hendrix and the Vanir, who identifies himself as Loki, discuss what is really going on.

After centuries, even millennia, of not being particularly invested in the affairs of mortals, the Vanir see this as a major time of change. One of those moments that define the nature of many species and their worlds for a long time to come. To what end though? For better or worse? For five years Hendrix and the Renown have worked to make peace between the powers of the Bluebell Reach. For five years the Romulans have worked to uncover its secrets and conquer it. Who's way is best? What are you really willing to do to bring about your endgame?

In an impassioned though short and direct speech, Hendrix summarizes what has always been his mindset - There is no goal higher than mutual understanding, friendship, and peace. Logan Hendrix will walk over burning coals, climb any mountain, cross any river, to prevent war and support the idea that all of us together create something greater than the sum of our parts. 

As the battle rages in space and the Alfeans suffer some minor damage, the Hudra and Froskr ships ask the Renown if they, instead of the Alfeans, would except help. The Deltan equivalent of 'hell yes' is Tabula's reply. With Kron'kite assisting by using Romulan psychology to predict the enemy ships movements, the Renown scores a very lucky shot on one of the destroyers. They take a hit to their shields that causes them to loose communications for time but the engineers get on that immediately. 

Lt. Commander Rrr'owfrtt uses some clever science techniques to investigate the odd gravimetric disturbance mentioned earlier. It turns out a cloaked Romulan ship has been sitting above the Diplomatic Outpost this whole time! Flashes of light from within the cloak of the Vanir spark Ensign Sanchez to tackle the immortal! She misses, falling on her face but impressing the entity to returns to his 'Loki' image. The Vanir makes it clear he didn't bring the Romulan ship here but he did allow it. 

Using the communications array of the Outpost, Rrr'owfrtt and Sanchez are able to jam the comm system of the mystery Romulan craft, forcing its crew to take action. The vessel decloaks revealing a Romulan V-10 'Nighthawk' which proceeds to beam a large squad of Romulan officers onto the planet, lead by the Renown campaign's long standing arch-nemesis, Romulan Commander Herucless (pronounced HEHRU-cless). The Romulans proceed to move forward toward the Outpost firing their Disruptors. 

Hendrix orders the delegates inside and all follow his commands except Loki the Vanir, who insists he is in no danger. The Renown officers return fire, including the NPC Security Officer brought in early to protect the Negotiations. Rrr'owfrtt meanwhile, still having access to the Outpost's sensor and communications systems, attempts to hack the Romulan ship's computer. He is successful and initiates all the vessel's ventral thrusters to fire at max, sending the craft straight up into the higher atmosphere. 

Romulan V-10 Nighthawk Cruiser.

Design by FASA.

Redesign and Illustration By Chris 'Atolm' Reyes

The Renown detects the rapidly rising Nighthawk Cruiser and asks the Hudra and Froskr to focus their efforts on that ship. They do, with the Hudra dropping mining charges down into the planet's gravity as the Nighthawk soars upward towards the explosives. KA-THOOM! A thunderous collision that causes the Romulan ship massive damage! The Froskr ships, Scout sized spacecraft they refer to as 'cruisers', use tractor beams to catch the ship and pull it out of the atmosphere of Gamma Dorado III. 

The Destroyers come in for another pass as the Renown detects two new Warp signatures entering the region. The Daring and the Invincible, under the commands of Captain McAllister and Capt. Stovol respectively! A barrage of phaser fire from the two Miranda Class ships cause the Destroyers to immediately go on the defensive and take evasive maneuvers. 

Meanwhile the battle on the ground is fast and intense. Hendrix and Sovik are able to stun Herucless as Hendrix shouts at the Romulans that they are wasting their time. It doesn't matter what their plan is, it doesn't matter what tricks they have up their sleeves, or even whether or not the Vanir are interfering. Hendrix and his people have spent too much in blood, sweat, and tears to give up. Peace will be achieved, the species of the Bluebell Reach will be allied, and the Federation will be waiting to shake everyone's hand, pat them on the back, and congratulate the Azure Nebula on finding common ground. It is a destiny achieved through hard work and determination. 

Smiling, the Vanir nods and says, "I agree Captain. I am convinced. You truly believe in this effort. You are willing to lay down your life so that future generations won't have to sacrifice theirs. The test is at an end and the Vanir will support your efforts." 

"Is that it? Is it over?" asks Sovik. 

"I suppose it is", says the Vanir. "Shall I dispense with the Romulans Captain? Their way is clearly not the future."

The Captain says, "Dispense? As in eliminate? No. Let them go. Let them take the same message you just learned back to their empire."

"So be it", says the Vanir and he puts his hood back up over his head. His face disappears, replaced by a blazing ball of multi-colored fire. The scattered and stunned Romulans disappear, placed back on their ship with their communications returned. They coordinate with the two Destroyers and all depart the system as quickly as they can, with a dazed Herucless vowing that Hendrix and company had not seen the last of him. 

Scene cut to sometime latter, with the delegates and Starfleet officers in a room inside the Outpost. Hendrix officially opens the proceedings and the Alfeans, Hudra, Froskr, Vanir, and a half dozen lesser powers all eager to hammer out a lasting accord of peace and mutual prosperity. 

In the final scenes, some indeterminate number of hours later, Hendrix meets with Captain McCallister and Captain Stovol on the grounds outside of the Diplomatic Outpost. McCallister hands Hendrix a plastic 'folder' with official Starfleet emblems and such on it. He opens to find documents congratulating him and his crew on a job well done. In addition, there are new orders, return to Starbase 35 for the completion of the Renown's Five Year Mission, its Repair and Refit, and the reassignment of its crew. As for the Captain himself, Starfleet is offering him the enticing though bittersweet position of Admiral. 

Logan Hendrix doesn't immediately respond to this, instead taking a moment to suggest there is no rush to engage in such weighty affairs. Better to take a deep breath, bask in the sun, and enjoy this moment right here, right now.

***

That was the end of the session. 

Stay tuned for one final discussion of the game and some interesting (hopefully) insights into playing Star Trek and playing with this group specifically. 

Peace and Long Life,

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Barking Alien