By Jim Johnson, Project Manager
Art by Tobias Richter
As discussed in last week’s Star Trek Adventures blog article about pilot episodes, first episodes of a new tabletop roleplaying game are like the first episodes of a televised series. They introduce the campaign and give players a taste of what’s possible together at the game table.
Now, let’s dig into the concept and analyze the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine pilot episode “Emissary” to see what we can learn from it when planning our tabletop roleplaying campaigns.
If you haven’t seen this episode, or haven’t seen it in a while, grab some snacks and go watch it, then come back here and follow along.
Key Campaign Elements
After watching the episode, we can see that all the key elements needed to start a campaign are established:
- STARTING ERA OR YEAR: The opening exposition text and the contents of the episode show us this series is set in 2369, concurrent with the fifth season of Star Trek: The Next Generation.
- MAIN PLAYER CHARACTERS: All of the main characters are introduced in the pilot, each getting one or more key moments. Sisko, Kira, O’Brien, Dax, Bashir, Odo, and Quark are all given focus as the main characters.
- SETTING: Deep Space 9 is a station in the Alpha Quadrant and is clearly established as the primary setting of the series. Importantly, it’s also revealed to be at the gateway of a stable wormhole to a secondary series setting, the Gamma Quadrant.
- TONE: A variety of tones are introduced in the pilot, including moral ambiguity, the challenge of optimism under pressure, spiritual and existential belief systems, and family and cooperation.
- SCOPE: The foundation of the series’ scope is established as well, that of a complex social and political interaction among the people of Bajor, the Federation, the Cardassians, the wormhole aliens/Prophets, and more. That the station is at the gateway to the Gamma Quadrant also suggests the idea that the location will play a key role in future stories.
In addition, the style of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine is suggested in the pilot and expanded throughout the series. “Emissary” lays the groundwork for a series focused on long-form narrative storytelling with space for discrete character studies and one-off missions.
In essence, your pilot episode should establish the who, when, where, and why of your proposed campaign.
Tabletop Roleplaying Pilot Components
“Emissary” delivers on all of the key components useful to include in a pilot episode of your tabletop roleplaying game. Let’s cover them here.
- GREAT OPENING SCENE: The first scene immediately set us right in the middle of the brutal Battle at Wolf 359. Starfleet is getting hammered by the Borg Cube, and Commander Sisko, aboard the U.S.S. Saratoga, is pulled into an additional crisis when his wife is killed. He escapes with his son, and we can see that the experience has deeply impacted both of them. This scene sets the stage for the character threads woven throughout the pilot, and, as we’ll eventually discover, the entire run of the series.
- WORTHY ADVERSARIES: The episode uses the Cardassians as the primary antagonists, and introduces the complex character Gul Dukat, who remains a key presence throughout the series, ending his own character arc in the series finale.
- SENSE OF WONDER: The science fiction sense of wonder moment is introduced when Commander Sisko and Lieutenant Dax stumble upon the stable wormhole leading to the Gamma Quadrant. In addition, the explanation Sisko gives to the wormhole aliens/Prophets about the concept of linear time sets this series firmly in the science fiction realm.
- CHARACTER SPOTLIGHT MOMENTS: Every main character introduces their capabilities in this episode, giving each of them something significant to contribute. The foundations of each character established here are built upon throughout the series.
- A SATISFYING CONCLUSION: The ending shot on the Promenade grounds us in the series’ setting and illustrates how this station and this series is going to be the home for many adventures.
All these elements together create a fun and satisfying episode of Star Trek, and also serve to hint at more to come. The episode’s real success lies in creating a campaign framework capable of generating many different stories, rather than simply presenting the ingredients for the first mission.
While you should strive to make the first episode of your Star Trek Adventures game memorable in itself, you should also try to include some of these elements so that you can build an expansive series upon it.
Useful Elements for Your Campaign
Your introductory episode has a lot of weight to carry, but remember that, above all else, it’s meant to be a fun session of creative storytelling with your friends. That being said, consider including the following elements:
- CHARACTER CONNECTIONS: For your own campaign, consider opening with an event that establishes both the external stakes and a personal connection to the story. You don’t need to kill a character’s loved one or begin with a major battle as did “Emissary.” A difficult first contact encounter, a failed rescue, or an unexpected order can accomplish the same thing if it gives the player characters a meaningful reason to care about what happens next. Being familiar with the main characters’ career events, values, and backstories developed during character creation will help you here.
- MEMORABLE NPCs: When creating important NPCs, think beyond their immediate function in the first adventure. What do they want? What do they believe about the situation? How do their interests conflict with those of the player characters? An NPC with a continuing agenda can become an ally, rival, source of information, or antagonist as the campaign evolves. The most memorable NPCs may even change their relationship with the player characters over time. Think about how both Nog and Dukat grew and changed over the course of Deep Space Nine. What kind of supporting character might you develop that could have a similar long thread of development?
- SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE: When planning your first adventure, look for opportunities for different characters to contribute in different ways. One might lead negotiations, another might investigate a technical problem, and another might recognize a cultural or historical detail that changes the situation. You don’t need to give every character an equal amount of screen time in every scene, but you should make sure that each player has opportunities to affect the outcome of the story.
Hailing Frequencies Open
What do you think “Emissary” does especially well as a pilot episode? Which of its techniques would you borrow when launching your own Star Trek Adventures campaign? Share your thoughts, favorite moments, and campaign ideas with your fellow fans at the official Modiphius Discord.
Join the Modiphius STA Discord channels and yell DABO!; art by Joseph Diaz
In upcoming articles, I’ll explore additional Star Trek television pilots and examine what they can teach us about creating memorable openings for our own campaigns.
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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