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STAR TREK: LOWER DECKS


CAMPAIGN GUIDE
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2D20 SYSTEM DESIGN
NATHAN DOWDELL

STAR TREK ADVENTURES


Project Manager Editing Interior Artists
JIM JOHNSON JIM JOHNSON CARLOS CABRERA
KEITH GARRETT AUREA FRENIERE
Writing TOMA FEIZO GAS
RACHAEL CRUZ Canon Editing SUSANAH GRACE
ALISON CYBE SCOTT PEARSON EVA LARA

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MICHAEL DISMUKE BERENICE
Graphic Design TOBIAS RICHTER
JIM JOHNSON CHRIS WEBB CHRIS WEBB
JOHN KENNEDY CRYPTIC STUDIOS
FRED LOVE Art Direction
CBS STUDIOS, INC.
ARIEL OREA

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CHRIS MCCARVER
JIM JOHNSON Proofreading
TONY PI KEITH GARRETT
AARON M. POLLYEA Cover Artist JIM JOHNSON
AL SPADER EVA LARA VIRGINIA GARCIA MCSHANNOCK

MODIPHIUS ENTERTAINMENT
Chief Creative Officer Photographer Audio and Operations Manager Customer Service
CHRIS BIRCH Video Producer JOHN WILSON and Accounts Manager
FÁTIMA MARTÍN PÉREZ LLOYD GYAN
Chief Operations Officer STEVE DALDRY
Lead 3D Designer Factory Manager Events Manager
RITA BIRCH
Managing Director
CAMERON DICKS
Head of Brand
SAMANTHA WEBB
Head of Development
SOPHIE WILLIAMS
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JONATHAN LA TROBE-LEWIS

Senior 3D Designers
DOMINGO DÍAZ FERMÍN
CHRIS ‘CHRISPY’ PEACEY
Editor
BRYCE JOHNSTON
Development Coordinator
JASON ENOS
Developers
JONO GREEN
MARTIN JONES

Senior
Production Operatives
DREW COX
WARWICK VOYZEY
GREGOIRE BOISBELAUD
Community Manager
APRIL HILL
Translations and Publishing
Manager
MATT TIMM
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Senior 3D Plastics Designer Lead Production Operative Distribution and Key
ETHAN HEYWOOD ANTHONY MORRIS Accounts Manager
Head of Creative Services COLIN GRAYSON GARY MOORE
JON WEBB QA Testers Production Operatives Brand Manager
3D Designers SAMANTHA LAYDON
Creative Coordinator THOMAS BULL JASON BRENNER
KIERAN STREET JOANA ABBOTT NATHAN PERRY LOUIS HARTLEY-EDWARDS
DOMINIC WESTERLAND Marketing Manager
Financial Controller BEN DE BOSDARI JAKE PINK BEN O’BRIEN
LUC WOOLFENDEN SEAN BULLOUGH Senior Project Manager JAKE SKINNER-GUY
Marketing Coordinator
Logistics and GAVIN DADY MILES TURNER SHAUN HOCKING
Production Manager Lead Graphic Designer
Project Managers Assembly Team Customer Support
PETER GROCHULSKI MICHAL E. CROSS Representative
BEN MAUNDER ELAINE ELIZABETH HUGHES
CHRIS DANN
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Art Directors Graphic Designers CHRIS SHEPPERSON NICHOLA JONES


KRIS AUBIN Webstore Manager
ROCÍO MARTÍN PÉREZ STEPHANIE TORO GURUMENDI DANIEL LADE
Tool Makers APINYA RAMAKOMUD
Studio Coordinator MARK WHITTINGTON Assistant Project Manager LUKE GILL Bookkeeper
ROCÍO MARTÍN PÉREZ LEIGH WOOSEY HARALAMPOS TSAKIRIS DAVID HEXTALL VALYA MKRTCHYAN

FOR PARAMOUNT GLOBAL


MARIAN CORDRY STEPHEN ZELIN
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WITH THANKS TO
GENE RODDENBERRY JOHN VAN CITTERS DAYTON WARD THOMAS MARRONE
MIKE MCMAHAN MARIAN CORDRY SCOTT PEARSON And the many fans
who support this game

Modiphius Entertainment Product Number: MUH0142221


ISBN: 978-1-80281-042-4, 1st printing

The 2d20 system and Modiphius Logos are copyright Modiphius Entertainment Ltd 2023. All 2d20
system text is copyright Modiphius Entertainment Ltd. Any unauthorised use of copyrighted material
is illegal. Any trademarked names are used in a fictional manner; no infringement is intended. This is
a work of fiction. Any similarity with actual people and events, past or present, is purely coincidental
Published by Modiphius Entertainment Ltd. and unintentional except for those people and events described in an historical context. TM & © 2023
39 Harwood Road, London, SW6 4QP, England. CBS Studios inc. © 2023 Paramount Pictures Corp. STAR TREK and related marks and logos are
Printed by Standartų Spaustuvė, UAB, Vilnius, Lithuania. trademarks of CBS Studios inc. All Rights Reserved.

INFO@MODIPHIUS.COM Artwork and graphics © and ™ CBS Studios Inc. All Rights Reserved., except the Modiphius Logo
WWW.MODIPHIUS.NET & WWW.MODIPHIUS.US which is Modiphius Entertainment Ltd. This is a work of fiction. Any similarity with actual people
and events, past or present, is purely coincidental and unintentional except for those people and
events described in an historical context.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS MUH0142221

CONTENTS
CHAPTER 05

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FOREWORD....................................................................................002
PLAYER OPTIONS...........................................................................095
INTRODUCTION..............................................................................003 05.10 N. ew Lifepath Options ������������������������������������������������������������ 096
05.20 .Tools and Weapons ��������������������������������������������������������������� 105
CHAPTER 01

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STATE OF THE GALAXY �������������������������������������������������������������������007 CHAPTER 06
01.10 . alactic Overview ����������������������������������������������������������������� 008
G GAMEMASTERING...........................................................................107
01.20 .United Federation of Planets ������������������������������������������������ 010 06.10 . unning Lower Decks������������������������������������������������������������ 108
R
01.30 .The Klingon Empire �������������������������������������������������������������� 016 06.20 .Engaging Your Players ����������������������������������������������������������� 116
01.40 .The Romulan Empire ������������������������������������������������������������ 019 06.30 .Planning Story Arcs ��������������������������������������������������������������� 120
01.50 .The Pakleds �������������������������������������������������������������������������� 022 06.40 .Story Components.... ������������������������������������������������������������ 122
01.60 .Other Polities ������������������������������������������������������������������������� 026 06.50 .Mission Briefs............ ������������������������������������������������������������ 128
01.70 .Notable Worlds ��������������������������������������������������������������������� 030
CHAPTER 07
CHAPTER 02
02.10
02.20
02.30
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STARFLEET SUPPORT OPERATIONS ��������������������������������������������������033
. tarfleet’s Legacy ������������������������������������������������������������������ 034
.Support Operations ��������������������������������������������������������������� 037
.Swabbing the Decks�������������������������������������������������������������� 043
STARSHIPS, STARBASES, AND VEHICLES ���������������������������������������������� 141
07.10
07.20
07.30
07.40
. ederation and Starfleet Vessels ������������������������������������������� 142
F
.Notable Federation Starships ������������������������������������������������ 156
.Pakled Starships �������������������������������������������������������������������� 160
.Other Polity Starships ������������������������������������������������������������ 166
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02.40 .Reassignments and Transfers ����������������������������������������������� 052 07.50 .Ground Vehicles��������������������������������������������������������������������� 172
02.50 .Division 14.............................................................................. 055
CHAPTER 08
CHAPTER 03 ALLIES AND ADVERSARIES ��������������������������������������������������������������175
THE LOWER DECKS.........................................................................057 08.10 . ederation and Starfleet �������������������������������������������������������� 176
F
03.10 . iving the Life ������������������������������������������������������������������������ 058
L 08.20 .The Klingon Empire ��������������������������������������������������������������� 186
03.20 .A Difference of Opinion���������������������������������������������������������� 066 08.30 .The Pakleds............................................................................ 188
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03.30 .Doing the Work ���������������������������������������������������������������������� 074 08.40 .Other NPCs and Adversaries������������������������������������������������� 191
03.40 .Supervising Characters ��������������������������������������������������������� 079 08.50 .Beasts and Creatures ������������������������������������������������������������ 201

CHAPTER 04 CHAPTER 09
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY ������������������������������������������������������������083 MINI-CAMPAIGN............................................................................207
04.10 T. he Wonders of the Universe ������������������������������������������������ 084 09.10 ”. Unsung Heroes” ������������������������������������������������������������������� 208
04.20 .The Menagerie ����������������������������������������������������������������������� 090 09.20 .“Lightning in a Bottle” ������������������������������������������������������������ 210
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09.30 .“Game Night” ������������������������������������������������������������������������ 219


09.40 .“Second Prototype” ��������������������������������������������������������������� 228

INDEX...........................................................................................235

TABLE OF CONTENTS I
FOREWORD

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§ MIKE MCMAHAN
CREATOR, STAR TREK: LOWER DECKS
While I usually bristle at the rules in an RPG, I love following the rules
that Gene Roddenberry created for writing a Star Trek show. Star Trek:
Roleplaying games are serious business. I know this because I have Lower Decks is funny, yes, but it’s also Star Trek at its core. That’s why

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been kicked out of at least five of them. I think part of me lacks the it’s fun for us to make it, and hopefully fun for you all to watch it.
patience for a nice, long quest. I’m always getting killed, or irritating
the other players by diving in past the inn-keeper who has the clues Now, if I can follow the rules of Star Trek and still have fun, what keeps
the party needs (and then I very quickly get killed for it). I’ve got to be an RPG from doing the same? So here you have it: a comedic and fun
honest: I’m also pretty lazy when it comes to dice. We’re going to be supplement for the Star Trek Adventures roleplaying game you know
COUNTING, you say? In order to figure out exactly how fast I’m being and love. Maybe, finally, this will be the version of a tabletop RPG that
killed by the inn-keeper? Hmm: perhaps I will drink and relax while finally gets me to slow down and pay attention. It takes us a year to
everyone else plays once my mage is killed. No need to revive me; make an episode of Lower Decks – if I can work on it for that long,
save your elixirs for a later battle. surely I can enjoy a game for a couple hours, right? I’m willing to give

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Star Trek is also serious business. I’ve been told this by many people
who have a very firm belief that Star Trek shouldn’t be silly, or fun, or
animated. I have to disagree with this assessment of the franchise
(clearly, since I created an animated, comedic take on Star Trek).
it a go if you are.

Please enjoy this excellent sourcebook to a lighter side of Star Trek,


knowing that somewhere out in the world I’m being killed by a Ferengi
inn-keeper for rushing through the story too quickly.
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2 FOREWORD
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004
00.00 INTRODUCTION
CHAPTER
00.00

INTRODUCTION

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”UGH, SENIOR OFFICERS ARE OVERRATED. THEY’RE ALWAYS LIKE STRESSED OUT AND JUST YELLING ABOUT DIRECTIVES. IT IS BETTER DOWN
HERE WHERE THE REAL ACTION IS.”

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– ENSIGN BECKETT MARINER

WELCOME ABOARD, ENSIGNS! of space and investigate them to push the boundaries of
knowledge, one sector at a time.

Welcome to the Lower Decks Campaign Guide, where you, Among those crews is the future of each spacefaring polity:
the gamemaster or player of a Star Trek Adventures mission the lower decks officers. Whether serving in Starfleet, the
or campaign, can learn more about this style and era of play Klingon Defense Force, the Romulan navy, or some other

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and get your fellow players involved in an exciting campaign
focused on junior officers, Lower Decks style!

Even with all the technological advances available to the


Federation and other polities, the Galaxy of the late 24th
similar organization, junior officers are present in large
numbers, developing the skills they need to someday
become department heads, commanders, or even brave
captains of their own vessels.
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century is still largely uncharted and unexplored. The major Within this guide, you’ll discover a wealth of information
governments of the Alpha and Beta Quadrants may be at regarding lower decks officers from Starfleet and other
relative peace, but there are always pockets of discord and polities that builds on what’s found in the game’s core
unrest all around. Even with an ever-expanding collection of rulebooks and supplemental materials. The wealth of
active and potential threats, exploration and discovery remain information contained in this campaign guide should help you
key components of Starfleet’s primary mission. The crews of plan and tell fun and evocative Star Trek stories.
Federation vessels reach out toward the uncharted regions
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This guide provides you with a sandbox setting, one that


can house nearly any story you wish to present with a Lower

THE EVER-EXPANDING Decks feel. Star Trek as an expansive intellectual property


can support virtually any genre of story, and this guide carries

STAR TREK CANON on that tradition to your roleplaying game experience. No


matter what genre of story you want to collaboratively tell with
your group, whether it is slapstick comedy, political tension,
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This campaign guide was developed and released while Star Trek: mystery, horror, exploration, romance, diplomatic intrigue,
Lower Decks was in active production. As a result, the details wartime drama, or some other, they can all fit within the Lower
contained within this guide regarding characters, locations, and Decks style of play and the expanded Star Trek universe.
situations may be contradicted or amended based on future
episodes and seasons of the television series. The setting information, mission briefs, and plot hooks
woven throughout this campaign guide should provide
While Star Trek canon consists only of what appears on screen, you with enough material to play dozens of adventures or
your group’s game canon is what you choose to make it. Feel free campaigns set in 2380 and beyond, or even in the decades
to use as much or as little of this campaign guide as you see fit, prior to that span, in The Next Generation / Deep Space
whether it remains adherent to official Star Trek canon or not. Nine / Voyager timeframe.

In addition, the 3-part campaign provided in this campaign


guide was designed to give you and your fellow players many
hours of great gaming experiences.

4 INTRODUCTION
USING THIS GUIDE ESSENTIAL
With this campaign guide and a Star Trek Adventures core
rulebook of your choice, you can plan unique Star Trek stories
VIEWING
and situations, create interesting and cunning allies and Can I tell you about our show? Like
adversaries for your group, and collaboratively tell dramatic many Star Trek series, Lower Decks is
and engaging stories with your players and their characters, episodic, though the various installments
in your very own Star Trek-style episode or ongoing series set occasionally include ongoing subplots to
during the time period depicted in Star Trek: Lower Decks. create story threads where characters,

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situations, and events build upon each
Gamemasters and players are encouraged to use as much other episode after episode.
or as little of this campaign guide as you desire for the needs
of your group and campaign. Feel free to use or adjust the While I could suggest specific
setting details as desired, and use as much as or as little of episodes to watch to get a feel for

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the 3-part campaign as you see fit. the tone of the series, you really
should just watch all of them. Fun
Every junior officer’s department, from command to medical, fact: they’re each less than half
can find things to do in this era of play. Command ensigns will an hour long. So, go! Watch ‘em
find their diplomatic and leadership talents regularly put to the all! And I’ll know it if you don’t –
test during a variety of missions. Engineers and scientists will because I’ll be watching you.
be kept busy discovering and researching scientific concepts
and strange anomalies. Security personnel will be regularly
engaged in protecting their crewmates from hidden dangers

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and diabolical adversaries. Conn officers will have to keep a
steady hand on the helm to maneuver in battle and through
a bewildering array of spatial anomalies. Medical personnel,
meanwhile, will have to endeavor to keep their crewmates and
allies healthy amid all the biological hazards the Galaxy throws
YESTERDAY’S
ENTERPRISE
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at the crew. No matter the composition of your crew of player
characters, everyone will have plenty to contribute.
While this campaign guide is based in the early 2380s, much of
Now, gather your players, your dice and other gaming gear, its contents can be ported to other Star Trek eras of play with little
and your favorite snacks. It’s Buffer Time! difficulty, primarily because there have always been lower deckers
in Starfleet and in other polities’ spacefaring organizations, and
there always will be. No matter when your adventure is set – in

NON-STARFLEET
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2151, 3189, or somewhere in between – the contents of this guide


can find a use.

CAMPAIGNS
While this guide was written with the assumption
that the majority of gaming groups will be
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playing Starfleet junior officer crews, you can


use the contents of this guide to run adventures
and campaigns featuring non-Starfleet crews
as diverse as the Star Trek setting. Starfleet
collectively is a tiny organization compared to
the hundreds of other vessels and starships
plying the space lanes of the era, and the Galaxy
is big enough for all of them to have their stories
told around the game table.

Be sure to get your group’s consent before


running a non-Starfleet type of campaign.
Additional guidance for non-Starfleet campaigns
in this era of play can be found in Chapter 6.

INTRODUCTION 5
SUPPLEMENT STRUCTURE CHAPTER 5
Player Options presents new lifepath options, including
eight new playable alien species (including Cetaceans, Gorn,
This Lower Decks Campaign Guide provides information you and Pakleds) and how to integrate them into your missions
and your fellow players can use to tell amazing Star Trek-style or campaigns. This chapter also provides a selection of
stories in the time period depicted in and around Star Trek: new options for gear and weapons, including the fancy new
Lower Decks, specifically the years 2380–2382, though the tricorder with the purple stripe (ooooh!), the standard Starfleet-
campaign guide does include information that spans the larger issue excursion helmet, and the Pakled clump gun.
period of time from the beginning of The Next Generation
through the end of Star Trek: Nemesis and edging up to the CHAPTER 6

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events depicted in Star Trek: Picard. Gamemastering provides you with advice and inspiration
for planning and running Lower Decks-style adventures and
CHAPTER 1 campaigns, whether you are playing a Starfleet campaign or
State of the Galaxy provides a primer on the setting during one based on any other polity. The chapter examines some of
the late 24th century, and provides detailed information on the tropes that comprise Star Trek and Lower Decks stories

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the status of the Federation, Klingon Empire, Pakleds, and and how to use those tropes to shape your missions. Also
other polities of this time period. The chapter also includes included is advice on how to engage your players, how to plan
brief descriptions of some of the key species and worlds out stories, and how to hook your players by using a variety
encountered in Lower Decks. of storytelling techniques. This chapter closes with twelve
mission briefs designed as detailed outlines you can customize
CHAPTER 2 and use as missions in your campaigns.
Starfleet Support Operations details the legacy of Starfleet
and the organization and function of Starfleet’s support CHAPTER 7
operations, including second contact and diplomatic missions. Starships, Starbases, and Vehicles arms gamemasters and

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The chapter also discusses a variety of elements lower
decks officers deal with, such as duty shifts, managing the
loss of fellow crew members and dealing with the sudden
reappearance (or resurrection) of senior officers, and the
roles of family and counselors at a duty post. The chapter
players with detailed information and statistics for several
new Starfleet spaceframes, ready to be adapted for use as
your crew’s “hero” ship in your campaign. Also included are
statistics for other Federation starships, Pakled clump vessels,
and space-faring ships from a variety of polities. This chapter
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closes with a discussion on reassignments and transfers, and also provides statistics for a variety of ground vehicles.
provides guidance on the mysterious Department 14.
CHAPTER 8
CHAPTER 3 Allies and Adversaries presents many non-player characters
The Lower Decks offers detailed information regarding the (NPCs) you can use to support the player characters during
life of a junior officer, including how to get a career underway, missions, or to act as adversaries during combat encounters
managing character advancement, and ways to manage and dramatic scenes while gaming in this era of play. These
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downtime. The chapter also examines how lower deckers are NPCs include Starfleet and Federation personnel, Klingon
managed in other polities, such as Vulcans, Klingons, and warriors, Pakled mercenaries, and a variety of characters from
Pakleds, should your group choose to play a non-Starfleet some of the other polities introduced in Lower Decks. This
campaign. Also discussed are the many types of assignments chapter closes with statistics and information on several entities
a junior officer might be tasked with, as well as guidance on or creatures that may prove to be interesting challenges for your
adding supervisory NPCs to an adventure or campaign. player characters.

CHAPTER 4 CHAPTER 9
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Science and Technology provides an overview of some of Mini-Campaign provides a 3-part campaign titled “Unsung
the key scientific anomalies and elements presented in Lower Heroes” that can be used to challenge a crew of player
Decks and offers guidance on how to use them in your game. characters through adventures focused on junior officers. The
Stellar phenomena, nanites, cybernetics, strange energies, three adventures also provide guidance on adapting them for
and parasites are all covered. In addition, some of the new use in other Star Trek eras of play and with various types of
technologies presented in the series are detailed, including crews from any polity.
training holocubicles, planetary ion fields, and planetary
shields. The chapter closes with an optional system for
creature generation so that you can create beasts of all types
for your player characters to encounter during away missions
or on their ship or station.

6 INTRODUCTION

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