Rudimentary Concept of the System

Written by DoStuffZ

You start by choosing a Race, you select your Star Fleet Academy training, from those you get your base Attributes, and a set list of skills. You add your modifiers which create a success number. Rolling a d20 (or multiples) you must roll below that number to create 0, 1, or 2 successes.

Core Concepts You May Be Overlooking:

1. Momentum and Threat:
   
• When you roll successes beyond what you need, you generate Momentum, a shared resource for the group. It can be spent to buy additional dice, gain information, or improve outcomes.
• The GM uses a similar resource called Threat, which represents danger and complications. Players can add to Threat to buy dice or make narrative concessions. Threat is also generated by rolling complications.
2. Values and Determination:
• Characters have Values, personal principles that guide their actions and roleplay. Invoking a Value lets you spend Determination (a powerful resource) to gain automatic successes or re-roll dice.
• Compromising or challenging a Value creates dramatic story moments and rewards you with additional Determination.
3. Focuses:
• These are areas of expertise (e.g., Astrophysics, Hand-to-Hand Combat) that expand your critical success range. When a Focus applies, a roll of ≤ your Discipline counts as a critical success.
4. Tasks and Difficulty:
• Tasks are rated by Difficulty (number of successes required). Difficulty ranges from 0 (routine) to 5 (impossible). A Difficulty 0 Task can generate Momentum without risk.
5. Complications:
• Rolling a natural 20 (or a 19-20 under some circumstances) creates Complications, which introduce setbacks or narrative twists, even if the task succeeds.
6. Teamwork and Assistance:
• Star Trek emphasizes collaboration. Other players can assist by rolling a single die using relevant Attributes and Disciplines, adding successes to the lead character's roll.
7. Extended Tasks:
• Some complex problems are resolved through Extended Tasks, requiring accumulated successes over multiple rolls. They use a mechanic called Work Track, with Magnitude and Resistance factors adding to the challenge.
8. The Narrative Framework:
• The system emphasizes storytelling. Every Task roll should tie into the ongoing story, and players are encouraged to describe their approach in narrative terms.
• Momentum and Threat are designed to keep the narrative dynamic, with rising tension and dramatic turns.
9. Starships:
• Ship operations involve teamwork. Each crew member contributes with their station's specialty. Ship stats (e.g., Systems, Departments, Shields) and Talents come into play, mirroring personal mechanics.
10. Roleplay and Traits:
• Traits define the environment or situation and influence outcomes. They can represent cultural norms, environmental hazards, or situational factors.

Summary of Core RP Concepts

In STA, the interplay of Momentum, Threat, Values, and Determination drives both mechanics and roleplay. The emphasis on teamwork, narrative-driven rolls, and collaborative problem-solving captures the spirit of Star Trek. While rolling d20s and calculating success rates form the mechanical backbone, the heart of the system is in how these rolls advance the story and character development.