Skills

Theoretically, a Captain skill could be changed if/when the captain character rotates. However, for simplicity the skill can just be tracked as if the command crew always stays the same. The exception to this is when a ship suffers casualties and receives new crew replacements. In that case, the old crew skill is averaged with the base crew skill of the replacements (with numbers of both accounted for) to determine the current one. Likewise, if a ship's captain is determined to be a casualty, then he is replaced by the next senior officer (with a Captain skill five points lower for each officer grade below the deceased captain). Once a new captain is assigned to the ship, the Captain skill is recomputed, per the skill generation rules.

New Version

The use of skills within the Starfleet Command RPG have been simplified, to accommodate the sheer numbers of ships involved and the events that can take place at any one time. All skills are boiled down into three:

• Command Skill
• Crew Skill
• Ship Skill

The Crew skill is all of the individual skills of each crew member of a ship, recognized as one overall skill level. It represents all specific skills present on the ship, when a Test roll (ex: Shipboard Systems) is required.

The Command skill does not have the same opportunity of individual use that the Crew skill has. Its purpose is to represent the captain's experience in decision-making and is averaged with the Crew skill to determine the Ship skill. It reflects a very specific skill, one borne of experience and specialized education.

The Ship skill is used to resolve Events that occur, either as assigned missions (outside of game-monitored combat) or unexpected incidents. It is comprised of the average of the Crew and Command skills.

Both of the first two skills are initialized at the ship's commissioning [see Skill Generation below]. The Ship skill is recomputed at the time of an Event, when a ship's safety is possibly at risk.

Skill Generation

Each ship starts out with a (hopefully) trained crew, but instead of every ship having a common Crew skill or a captain that performs identically to every other captain, the ships receive skills for both that reflect the differences that occur when comparing a multitude of ships to each other. These reflect different training styles, experiences and overall capabilities of the individuals serving on those ships. These skills are not static; they will increase with new experiences and can even decrease, as casualties occur. This section explains how those initial skills are determined.

Crew Skill

Crews are made up of diverse personnel; species, genders, ages and definitely experiences will be multiple and varied for each person there. Instead of generating the individual experience of each and every last crewman aboard, the recognition of Starfleet training will set a base and then a randomized number will be added to it; this determines the initial Crew skill for that ship, and is recorded on the ship's profile.

Crew Skill Generation

Era	Roll:
Pre-United Earth Stellar Navy	50 + 1d6
United Earth Stellar Navy (2069)	50 + 1d12
United Earth Starfleet (crew training)	50 + 1d20
Early UFP Starfleet (2161-2273)	50 + 1d30
"Modern" UFP Starfleet (2274-)	50 + 1d35

Command Skill

Captains of Starfleet officers are a different breed, compared to most 'Fleeters. They huge responsibility of commanding a starship, the enormous authority to affect UFP policy and foreign relations, the direct impact they have on the lives of those serving beneath them: these are all well-documented elsewhere. What is understood, though, is the experiences that go into making a stellar commanding officer is an art, not a science. The below chart indicates the ranges of Command skill different captains will have, dependent upon their rank and their era.

Command Skill Generation

Era (Roll:)	LT/LTJG	LCDR	CDR	CAPT
Pre-United Earth Stellar Navy	1d40	40 + 1d10	45 + 1d10	50 + 1d10
United Earth Stellar Navy (by 2071)	1d40	40 + 1d12	45 + 1d12	45 + 1d20
United Earth Stellar Navy Academy (by 2095)	40 + 1d6	45 + 1d12	45 + 1d12	45 + 1d20
United Earth Starfleet	40 + 1d12	50 + 1d10	50 + 1d10	50 + 1d30
Early UFP Starfleet (2161-2273)	40 + 1d20	50 + 1d20	50 + 1d30	55 + 1d30
"Modern" UFP Starfleet	50 + 1d20	50 + 1d30	50 + 1d40	60 + 1d30

Commanding officers that are promoted retain the skill level they have at the time of promotion, until new points are awarded. Promotions do not result in a re-roll of the Command skill. An individual person that takes on the responsibility as acting captain has his own Command skill determined by the above. If that person is not the properly identified executive officer, then the rolled skill level is at a -5 disadvantage, as s/he was unexpectedly thrust into that role and may not be ready, with all of the benefits of full command education, training and experience (plus the stress of the situation that led to the sudden elevation).

Skill Gain

Both Crew and Command skills can increase, based upon experiences gained, as well as time spent working together as a team. Each added point should be logged on the ship's profile, so that errors can be found. No skill may climb higher than 95. Here is a list how how each skill grows:

• Shakedown cruise: following the ship's initial shakedown cruise, where the vessel is artificially stressed in order to test both the systems and the crew, both skills gain 1 point.

• Every second January (following commission): This represents the various normal, shipboard events (including internal training) that make the team work more efficiently and it results in 1 point to both skills. Instead of computing every ship's latest skill point levels every January, whenever a ship is chosen for an Event (or has one of the skills otherwise increased) the skill level from the last computation is updated (and recorded).

• Fleet Battles: these are non-Events, as they are such significant occasions, they are not to be randomly determined. Whatever the outcome, as long as the ship survives, both skills gain 2 points.

• Events: Events are Missions that have some notable reason to result in damage or risk to the ship and its crew. When these Events are resolved, the ship is awarded points for either one or both skills, as it is the philosophy that one learns most from difficulties. The points are awarded via the following:
  • Simple Events (when tracked individually and resulting in a mission failure) earn 1 point, randomly assigned to either the Command or Crew skills. (A ship experiencing Simple Events is normally assumed to be gaining experience in line with the points awarded every two years.)
  • Routine Events only garner points in circumstances where the mission failed, which is not a common event for Starfleet vessels at this level of Event. In the case of a mission failure, whether or not actual damage or casualties was incurred, one skill point is gained for both the captain and the crew.
  • Challenging Events earn one point for both skills, if the Event was successful (but as long as the ship survived, obviously). A mission failure results in one point for the captain, but two for the crew.
  • Difficult Events earn one skill point for a success for both skills and two points for both in the event of a failure.
  • Extreme Events earn two points for both skills, if the Event was successful. A mission failure also results in two points for both skills, but a third point is applied randomly to one of the two.

Ex: The ship survives a catastrophic Event, even though the mission failed. Randomly, the captain receives three skill points from the experience, while the crew receives two.

Skill Loss

The three skills (Crew, Command and Ship) can be reduced, just as they can be increased. The Ship skill, though, can only be reduced by the lessening of one or both of the other two.

The Crew skill is reduced as an indirect result of casualties to the ship's contingent, whether in a Fleet Battle or as the price of the mission failure of an Event. During a crisis, in the immediate aftermath and prior to receiving replacements for crew losses, the Crew skill does not actually get reduced; instead it is modified by a Crew Penalty that is the result of the significant lack of personnel (see the Crew Penalty table). When replacements do arrive, their collective Crew Skill is averaged in with the existing Crew's, generally resulting in a lower final skill level. (There is the possibility that a replacement contingent has a high enough skill level and enough numbers to raise the overall level, in some cases.)

To determine the new Crew skill, divide the original Crew skill value by the percentage of the remaining crew. Next, divide the replacements' Crew skill value by the percentage of the crew they are replacing. Add these two numbers together for the new Crew skill.

Ex: The USS Alliance suffers 17% casualties (of 442) following a failed mission. Her original Crew skill had been 78. At Starbase 33, 75 replacements come aboard, with an average crew skill of 69. As the original (remaining) crew makes up 83% of the overall crew, their equivalent skill is 65 (78 x 0.83 = 64.74, rounded), while the replacements (who make up 17% of the crew) have their equivalent skill pegged at 12 (69 x 0.17 = 11.73, rounded). The sum of those two numbers is 77, which is the new Crew skill level.

The Command skill can only change one way: the loss of the commanding officer. While this may occur as a result of a transfer (possibly due to a promotion), in this RPG, it is more likely to happen as an injury or casualty that came as a result of a crisis. When the ship's captain is incapacitated, the next senior officer takes command and a new Command skill (rank and era dependent) is then rolled. In all events that occur with the acting captain in command, his Command skill is used. This may be a significantly lower level, though sometimes a more capable officer is present to assume command. When the assigned captain takes back command or it is turned over to a new captain, then the Command skill changes also.

All skill levels should be logged on that ship's profile, along with the date.