d6 Star Trek TOS

[Sketchpad]

Hiya Gang,
I've been kicking the idea of working on a Star Trek TOS campaign in d6. Does anyone know if some of the ideas have been covered? Anyone interested in playing with the builds? I've got a few things I've been working on, but I'll hold of until I see what people think :)

[skeloric]

Picking up "Prime directive" the RPG in any of its incarnations might help.
There is supposed to a "Prime Directive D6" being made but it is into its 50th or 60th writer since work on the conversion was started about 12 or 15 years ago and thus nobody really expects to ever see the thing get published.

[The Game Guy]

Hiya Gang,
I've been kicking the idea of working on a Star Trek TOS campaign in d6. Does anyone know if some of the ideas have been covered? Anyone interested in playing with the builds? I've got a few things I've been working on, but I'll hold of until I see what people think :)

While I dont currently have any ideas, but I would like to hear what you come up with.

[Lee Torres]

If memory serves, the gentleman last tasked with the D6 Prime Directive RPG was posting over at the WEG Forums (http://www.westendgames.com/forum/showthread.php?t=874&highlight=Webb&page=6)not too long ago.


Well, my experience with D6 goes all the way back to Star Wars 1st edition in 87 and Ghostbusters, which I picked up shortly thereafter. In fact, I remember smuggling my Star Wars hardcover into detention after putting a book cover on it and passing it off as a textbook...

I've been playing D6 for a long time. I've tinkered with homebrew versions of Star Trek, Transformers and GI Joe done with D6, and thought about trying Robotech... I love D6, even though I have a reputation around here for loving more "crunchy" games. I'm not the biggest fan of Ads/Disads and point buy in D6... I think part of the charm that made D6 Star Wars such a great game was the template system and all the wonderful templates in the back of the book.

As for SFU, I've been playing SFB since 1990, and picked up Prime Directive 1e when it came out. I like the SFU, since I like my Star Trek a little more "Navy" and a little less "STARFLEET is not the military". My two favorite Trek films are II and VI. So I'm fairly familiar with the Prime Directive material.

So that's me. I'll try to keep up with these boards, and keep folks as informed as I'm allowed to on how the project is going. Expect a bit of a delay,though, as D6 is queued up behind some other ADB projects.

Take care!

I think other then the speed of the Amarillo Design Bureau guys, the uncertain status of the D6 System also is a factor; but if it ever hits the market, I plan to grab it, even though I'm more a Star Trek Original Series fan than a Star Fleet Battles fan - I also seem to recall seeing a fan-based adaptation out on the web somewhere -I'll try to find a link for you guys...

Et voila! http://www.westendgames.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2432

[pathfinderap]

If it was D6 Legends it would rock (and for that you may like to give the Last Unicorn Trek stuff a look at, it would be an easy conversion)

[Grimace]

I've dabbled a little here and there with Star Trek for D6. Nothing that I've ever really tried out or fully fleshed out. I've got bits of some of the races, ideas for the phasers, and the workings of how the starships would be statted. Other than that, though, my work on Star Trek D6 has been rather minimal.

As I was on the linked thread, I'm interested to see what you come up with. And if you ever want to bounce ideas off me, feel free!

[The Game Guy]

Sorry if I sound like an idiot but what does TOS stand for?

[skeloric]

Sorry if I sound like an idiot but what does TOS stand for?

Turgid
Orgy
Stuff
?
...
Nah.

The
Original
Series

[Whill]

Hiya Gang,
I've been kicking the idea of working on a Star Trek TOS campaign in d6. Does anyone know if some of the ideas have been covered? Anyone interested in playing with the builds? I've got a few things I've been working on, but I'll hold of until I see what people think :)

I haven't worked on it and I doubt I ever will, but I like Star Trek to a point, and I think it could work as a D6 game. I'm interested in reading what you've worked out so far.

[The Game Guy]

I haven't worked on it and I doubt I ever will, but I like Star Trek to a point, and I think it could work as a D6 game. I'm interested in reading what you've worked out so far.

I second this. I would like to see what Sketchpad comes up with. If it's good I may even use it.

[skeloric]

And it is likely to arrive decades before the "Prime Directive" sourcebook.

[The Game Guy]

Sketchpad,

It appears we are all really interested in what you come up with for Star Trek D6. Please keep us up to date on what is going on and if you need space to store files please let me know, I have hosting space to offer.

[Sketchpad]

Good to know TGG :) Might be a few before I get anything solid done ... I'm tweaking the rules a bit and making some notations here and there as I do research. I'll have some stuff up probably after Halloween ...

[jontheman]

I'm a bit annoyed with myself, now.

I bought the Prime Directive game when it first came out and we couldn't get used to the system. It wasn't great and we were coming out the backend of six years of continuous D6 gaming. I was asked if we could still do Trek but with the D6. I made the changes using the actual Prime Directive character sheet, used the weapon stats as they were in the book and that was about it. I didn't worry about the different races and just got on with it.

The annoying thing is that I've since sold my copy of Prime Directive and I can't remember what I did with all my notes. I know that I treated the main stats as attributes, and instead of a number of skill dice to spend on all skills there was a number of dice you could spend in each skill list. If you wanted to serve in a certain area then you had to put dice in the pertinent skills.

I had a basic 3D for weapons damage, and (if I remember rightly) the points damage of the individual weapons just added 1D per point.

I really regret getting rid of my book and I can't find my notes. I managed to get a good few games out of it.

Sorry, guys. If I find my notes I'll scan them and put them up somewhere. If I could get hold of a copy of the original character sheet I'm sure I'll remember some of what I did.

[jontheman]

In fact, if anyone has a copy of the orginal Prime Directive character sheet they can point me to or send to me, then I'd be really appreciative. I've searched high and low for it on the web and I'm either missing it or it's not out there. If you do have a copy, or you can do me a copy, throw me a PM and I'll drop you an email address to send it to. I can see what I can remember and I'll post it for everyone.

And I've just found the website I built for the games, which was set up about eight or nine years ago! This brings back memories! (Noises are a bit annoying, though.)

http://easyweb.easynet.co.uk/~lightsabre/Star%20Trek/USSLOCKHEEDNCC77832.htm

[Sketchpad]

So I started plotting some ideas here and there ... and I think I may use Star Wars as a start rather than d6 Space. There's a few new parts that I think I'll insert as well ... like a slightly different advantage/flaw system and some additional psionic rules.

[oz_chandler]

We've recently completed our D6 Star Trek TOS campaign using my D6 rules and it went very well! The players especially liked the career progression with medals and gaining rank. They started out as mid-shipmen and ended up LTC's and CDR's thru a year of game play.

I hope everyone enjoys my D6 variant as much as we did.

[Whill]

We've recently completed our D6 Star Trek TOS campaign using my D6 rules and it went very well! The players especially liked the career progression with medals and gaining rank. They started out as mid-shipmen and ended up LTC's and CDR's thru a year of game play.

I hope everyone enjoys my D6 variant as much as we did.

Oz, welcome to the board. And please tell us more about your Star Trek D6. What are the attributes of Klingons and Vulcans?

[The Game Guy]

Good to know TGG :) Might be a few before I get anything solid done ... I'm tweaking the rules a bit and making some notations here and there as I do research. I'll have some stuff up probably after Halloween ...

No problem. And if you want to set up a blog to chronicle what you are doing, etc please let me know and I can set one up for you.

Anything I can do to help.

[jontheman]

I don't know if this is of use to anyone, but I found my old notes for my Prime Directive D6 conversion and I've typed them up.
This is the original Task Force Games Prime Directive game rulebook - it lends itself really well to D6 gaming and the character sheet is pretty much tailor made for it. I ran this conversion for a great post-Dominion War game, so even though Prime Directive is based on The Original Series it lends itself to pretty much any Star Trek time period.
Note that the D6 rules I was using were the original Star Wars ones (my personal preference).

----------------------------------


Star Trek PRIME DIRECTIVE by Task Force Games (1993)
D6 Conversion

For this conversion you will need only the original PRIME DIRECTIVE (PD) rulebook which is easily found in game stores or on Ebay.

ATTRIBUTES
These are as listed on the standard PD character sheet as CHARACTERISTICS, ten in all. The Racial Characteristics Tables (pages 18 and 143) have codes under every one of the ten Attributes. These are the basic D die codes for the race. Pips can be swapped between Attributes to modify the character to the player?s preference, but no Attribute can be raised by more than 1D or lowered by more than 1D in this way. Attributes cannot go below 1D or higher than 6D.
So, an Attribute with 3D can be lowered by 1 pip to 2D+2, and that pip can be put into another 3D Attribute, making it 3D+1. The 3D attribute cannot be lowered below 2D or raised above 4D. A 5D Attribute could go no lower than 4D or higher than 6D, and so on.

SELECTING SERVICE DIVISION. (Page 19)
Characters can now choose their Division ? Command, Engineering, Marine Surface Combatant, Science, Medical, Psionic.

STANDARD STAR FLEET SKILLS (Page 20)
Each character is given the skill points after each of the listed skills as pips to add to the skill. So, Martial Arts is raised by 1 pip, Fire (Phaser) is raised by 1 pip and so on.

SKILLS BY SERVICE DIVISION (Page 21)
Go to the Service Division section the character has chosen.
All the points as they are listed, either +2 to skill or skill ?2, are converted into pips. Put them into the skills as directed. So, +2 to Fire (Phaser) would be +2 pips, and Melee Combat ? 3 would be +3 pips.
All extra skill levels are also regarded as pips and are divided as directed and ignore limitations. So, on page 21 where it says under Engineering that ?20 skill levels to be applied to any combination of Technical skills?, then 20 pips can be split between al the skills listed under the Technical Attribute. The part where it says ?NO skill level may be brought above a value of 4 in this manner? can be ignored.

RANKS
These can be chosen to suit your game, but if you wish them to be random then use the tables on Page 24. It?s advised that a single roll is made for all the PCs so that they are of the same rank and therefore there is little to no stress in the group, but that depends on your playing style.

You can ignore the Reps and Background rating sections.

PERSONAL INTEREST SKILLS (Page 29)
Now you have 7D to divide up between all your skills as you see fit. No single skill can be raised by more than 1D.

WEIGHT (Page 30)
Using the table, take your Strength Attribute and drop the pips, and then roll against the resulting number.

CHARACTER SHEET (Page 33)
Ignore the following:
MOVEMENT
BASE A/I TRICODE: 4/6/8
AR MODS
DMG MODS
ADJ. A/I TRICODE
PRO. REP. LEVEL
PRO. REP. POINTS
HER. REP. LEVEL
HER. REP. POINTS
BACKGROUND RATING
LIFT
JUMP
RANGE TYPE

SUCCESS LEVELS (Page 36)
You can either keep the standard D6 system resolution, in which case just take note of the COMPLETE SUCCESS and the FAILURE entries. If you want to add a bit of extra tension, use the MODERATE SUCCESS section if the PC rolls dead on the difficulty number. So, if the difficulty is 10, rolling more than 10 is a COMPLETE SUCCESS, rolling less than 10 is a FAILURE, and rolling dead on 10 is a MODERATE SUCCESS.

SKILLS AND SKILL TRICODES (Page 46)
Ignore the Tricodes and just refer to the entries under the Success Levels entries, COMPLETE SUCCESS, FAILURE and, if you?re using it, MODERATE SUCCESS.
As there is no DODGE skill, all PCs use their SPEED characteristic.
As there are no PARRY skills, PCs use HALF their Martial Arts or Melee skill levels to parry with (drop pips).

HOW TO READ THE DAMAGE TABLES (Page 69)
Use the middle number of the D#s column under the weapon descriptions as the damage dice. So, using the phaser on page 70, to determine damage look at the D#s column, take the middle number and roll that as damage. In this case, a phaser pistol set to Stun-3 would roll 8D damage on a successful hit.
This applies to all weapons.
Energy depletion is the same ? see Energy or Rounds on page 69.

--------------------------------

If I ever fnd my notes on Starships, I'll post that, as well.

[oz_chandler]

Oz, welcome to the board. And please tell us more about your Star Trek D6. What are the attributes of Klingons and Vulcans?

sorry I haven't passed on my attributes you asked for, but we've moved two states south and we're just about settled. After I get my home library setup, I'll pass along more info.

[Jamfke]

Hey Oz! You're just down the road from me. Welcome to the board!

[oz_chandler]

hey cool! if you're in the Nashville area, maybe we could meet at the Game Keep sometime and chat about playing some Star Trek TOS D6 goodness after the holidays :)

[Lee Torres]

http://www.robertsaintjohn.com/tsff/tsFinalFrontier.zip

I ran across this over at RPG.net; something in the works for the Thousand Suns RPG, but it looks like it should be fairly simple to convert over to D6 if anyone were interested in doing so. Lots of good stuff in there...

[hellsreach]

Sorry if I sound like an idiot but what does TOS stand for?

Terms of Service? :)

[oz_chandler]

The Original Series

[Whill]

sorry I haven't passed on my attributes you asked for, but we've moved two states south and we're just about settled. After I get my home library setup, I'll pass along more info.



Other Prime Directive Variants (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prime_Directive_(role-playing_game))

It has been announced that versions of Prime Directive and related sourcebooks will be released from 2007 on for the D6 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D6_System) role-playing system in order to further expand the potential user base for the role-playing aspect of the Star Fleet Universe..

Wikipedia says that they have already released GURPS and d20 version of Prime Directive, and then has the above info. I know info on Wikipedia is not automatically true, but it makes a lot of sense that there would be an interest in releasing the game on multiple systems, and specifically D6. With the new movie this year, I can see the desire to release another Star Trek RPG.

I want Star Trek on D6. I want it bad. :cool:

[Grimace]

The only problem I see with the new movie coming out is that it will likely invalidate nearly every thing we've seen in TOS. That's the problem with "reboots", which the new Star Trek movie is going to be, is that they effectively supercede or change everything created before.

I think if a Star Trek in D6 is made, it'll have to be patterned off something like SFB, as that is a stand alone and seperate entity from the Paramount TOS...and it can "officially" be produced and marketed. Or it would have to be a fan made creation based on TOS and select derivatives (like maybe TAS) and could simply discount things that didn't "fit". Since none of us really know how the new Star Trek movie is going to fit in the overall scheme of things, or whether it'll just wipe everything away and start anew with who-knows-what (from what I've heard this is the more likely case) we don't know whether it would be the better platform for fan-made material or whether it's better to go for TOS material.

[Jeffrywith1e]

Picking up "Prime directive" the RPG in any of its incarnations might help.
There is supposed to a "Prime Directive D6" being made but it is into its 50th or 60th writer since work on the conversion was started about 12 or 15 years ago and thus nobody really expects to ever see the thing get published.Star Fleet Games still has the D6 Prime Directive listed as if it's still coming. Is this vaporware?

[Grimace]

Yep, it's vaporware.

For a bit we had at least a couple of the people who were "working on it" visit this site. It was during various years. Not quite 12 to 15 years ago, but it was at least more than 5 years ago. So if anyone wants a D6 Star Trek, they're going to have to do it themselves.

[AdAstraGames]

I used to be ADB's marketing director. One of the people tapped to write the product was my business partner, Scott Palter.

It may someday get done, but there has to be a business case for it. Unfortunately, the business case needs to cover a lot of editorial time and continuity checking, as well as paying the writer for it.

[Whill]

It may someday get done, but there has to be a business case for it.

Prime Directive was an alternate reality to the official Star Trek 23rd century canon. Star Trek (2009), which features a return of the franchise to the 23rd century, is a canon alternate reality to the Prime Reality. Star Trek (2009) is the highest-grossing Trek movie of all-time, with a world-wide theatrical gross of $385,494,555 (http://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=startrek11.htm). DVD sales have been very good, as well as many new Trek merchandising deals. The rights to make Prime Directive are permanent, and the D6 System is now completely Open Content for free. The only thing that would need writing is the D6 game mechanics. You may be able to secure cheap to free fan assistance with the editing, continuity checking and slight fine-tuning of the mechanics to the Prime Directive game.

That seems like a good business case for it to me.

[Cryonic]

Prime Directive was an alternate reality to the official Star Trek 23rd century canon. Star Trek (2009), which features a return of the franchise to the 23rd century, is a canon alternate reality to the Prime Reality. Star Trek (2009) is the highest-grossing Trek movie of all-time, with a world-wide theatrical gross of $385,494,555 (http://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=startrek11.htm). DVD sales have been very good, as well as many new Trek merchandising deals. The rights to make Prime Directive are permanent, and the D6 System is now completely Open Content for free. The only thing that would need writing is the D6 game mechanics. You may be able to secure cheap to free fan assistance with the editing, continuity checking and slight fine-tuning of the mechanics to the Prime Directive game.

That seems like a good business case for it to me.

Interesting. ROI was only 2:1 for the latest Trek. Star Trek II had closer to 8:1 ROI and if you compare GDE of it vs the latest Trek and scale the amount to account for inflation of the $ since 1982, you get $209 Million for ST2 vs $257 Million for Star Trek (2009). (Star Trek II Only had domestic distribution). If you then scale GDE by the change in population (assuming similar numbers as a % of the population would see it today as did in 1982), then ST II would have had a GDE of $274 Million.

[Whill]

Interesting. ROI was only 2:1 for the latest Trek. Star Trek II had closer to 8:1 ROI and if you compare GDE of it vs the latest Trek and scale the amount to account for inflation of the $ since 1982, you get $209 Million for ST2 vs $257 Million for Star Trek (2009). (Star Trek II Only had domestic distribution). If you then scale GDE by the change in population (assuming similar numbers as a % of the population would see it today as did in 1982), then ST II would have had a GDE of $274 Million.

The success of TWOK is not really that relavant the "business case" for a modern Star Trek RPG, but I enjoy your posts so ok...

As far as comparisons, adjusting the figures for inflation is certainly a valid consideration. ST09 still has a higher adjusted gross domestic earning. And being released worldwide only adds to its overall sucess and ability to create more ST fans and thus more ST-related product customers worldwide, so it doesn't make sense to dismiss foreign money anyway. Net gain in total dollars is also certainly makes sense to consider, but the Return on Investment ratios you provide are basically meaningless to anything practical. Yes, it is true, TWOK cost $11.2 million to make in the early 80s vs. ST09 cost $150 million in recent years. Net in total dollars is much more meaningful than ROI. The bottom line. Based on my quick mental estimation, ST09 still comes out more than $50 million ahead of TWOK looking at worldwide net gain even when adjusting TWOK's net for inflation.

That comparison actually helps the business case for Prime Directive D6 a bit afterall! Thanks Cry.

[Jerry D. Grayson]

I think the business issue that he’s talking about is not if the book will sell but who will pay him for his time now.

[Whill]

I think the business issue that he’s talking about is not if the book will sell but who will pay him for his time now.


The rights to make Prime Directive are permanent, and the D6 System is now completely Open Content for free. The only thing that would need writing is the D6 game mechanics. You may be able to secure cheap to free fan assistance with the editing, continuity checking and slight fine-tuning of the mechanics to the Prime Directive game.

I admit that I am only a mere consumer, but I just supplied a possible solution that may not require much money or much of his own time time. If a few people really want to this be made, I think it could happen. But maybe I'm wrong. Perhaps I am being naive and oversimplifying the process of converting an existing game to D6 game mechanics and stats (with no change to the setting fluff text or pics).

[AdAstraGames]

I admit that I am only a mere consumer, but I just supplied a possible solution that may not require much money or much of his own time time. If a few people really want to this be made, I think it could happen. But maybe I'm wrong. Perhaps I am being naive and oversimplifying the process of converting an existing game to D6 game mechanics and stats (with no change to the setting fluff text or pics).

ADB is a five person company; RPGs are a tertiary business line for them.

They aren't in love with any RPG engine. They figure it's their setting that sells, and the RPG engine gets them a few more additional sales for fans of that engine.

The book has to generate enough sales to justify the time spent in A) paying the writer to write it and B) paying someone in the office to proofread it and lay it out, including C) learning enough of D6 to understand what the heck is going on with the stats. They will not trust a writer to do this who doesn't already 'know and love' their setting, and none of the staff in the office 'gets' RPGs.

That being said, feel free to offer to pick up the project; email design@starfleetgames.com and say you'd be interested in doing the conversion. Don't mention me or my products.

[Grimace]

Now, now, you're just setting him up for ol' SVC to shoot him down. Ol' king Cole probably needs to "know" the person writing the D6 version of Prime Directive. I doubt he'd even remember me, as I quit his discussion board several years ago. So while I "know and love" the setting, I wouldn't wish it on anyone to have to work with SVC.

Why don't you give it a shot again, now that OpenD6 is a reality. He knows you (unless you've burned your bridge there) and you know the setting and you're getting more and more versed with D6. ;)

[AdAstraGames]

Now, now, you're just setting him up for ol' SVC to shoot him down. Ol' king Cole probably needs to "know" the person writing the D6 version of Prime Directive. I doubt he'd even remember me, as I quit his discussion board several years ago. So while I "know and love" the setting, I wouldn't wish it on anyone to have to work with SVC.

Why don't you give it a shot again, now that OpenD6 is a reality. He knows you (unless you've burned your bridge there) and you know the setting and you're getting more and more versed with D6. ;)

I have too many projects on my plate at the moment as it is, and as soon as one or two of them clear off, there are others that are going to come in.

[Whill]

Now, now, you're just setting him up for ol' SVC to shoot him down... So while I "know and love" the setting, I wouldn't wish it on anyone to have to work with SVC.

Grimace, thanks for saving me from getting shot down!