Can just any crew member carry weapons around on them onboard the starship?

The GM can spend 2 Threat per player character to end the scene immediately. This basically covers enemies beaming onto the bridge and taking over the ship.

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My take on this is it should be up to the captain and cheif of security.
The way I approached it was dependent on the ships security alert level.
The lowest being security alert level 3.
All security officers are armed with phaser 1ā€™s, 2 man stationary and patrol teams phaser 2ā€™s. All other departments unarmed.
Security alert level 2.
All security officers are now armed
with phaser 2ā€™s, and now all department heads are armed with phaser 1ā€™s.
Security alert level 1.
All security officers now armed with phaser rifles unless current duty station makes it impractical. Such as maning the tactical station. The rest of the crew on and off duty phaser 2ā€™s.
Of course the captain can tailor this as he sees fit.

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If itā€™s inappropriate, then I think my response would be that, similar to why type-3s incur Threat because characters are escalatingā€¦then having multiple weapons like that would also incur Threat, for each inappropriate weapon.

What is inappropriate is up to the GM (Iā€™m not venturing a guess here because I saw nothing that actually explains the playerā€™s mentality), but if all three were inappropriateā€¦then handing over 6 Threat each ā€œepisodeā€ would be enough for most people to reconsider being so heavily armed for metagaming reasons.

If itā€™s genuinely for roleplaying reasons then Iā€™d tone it down a bitā€¦but again, itā€™s the same logic that getting type-3s incur threat - being armed like Rambo is going to escalate situations, so Iā€™d probably insist on some Threat in order to be thus armed. How much depends on how well convinced I am that it genuinely is roleplaying and also the situation. In an already militaristic situation Iā€™d probably take none and just charge opportunity, but if thereā€™s no ostensible threat then Iā€™m ramping up that Threat.

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In the last game I ran and a new one I am starting up, it is post Dominion War and pretty much everyone carries a type one phaser, but that is because it has the hidden trait, and a type 1 phaser is as much a tool as it is a weapon. Carrying two type 2 phasers would give the crew the wrong impression of the first officer (or the right one) not to mention when meeting pretty much anyone else, a duel phaser toting officer with a combat knife is going to reflect badly on the ship and especially the captain. I think the other consideration is what type of ship you are on and what is itā€™s regular duties. If youā€™re on a tactical build of an Akira constantly hunting for pirates, then there may be room for the first officerā€™s ā€œpreparednessā€. But if your on a Luna in a science configuration or an Olympus Medical ship, uh no. In the end the Captainā€™s word is law on his ship.

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I feel like the best rule of thumb is like this from order of most important to least.
Captain has final say, if the Captain says ā€œdo thisā€ go for it.
Everyone in Security should have at least a type 1 at all times. Never know when thereā€™s a security issue requiring a phaser and any need for a type 3 should always be an armory thing. An argument could be made that type 2 should be standard for security.
Security Chief should have a type 2, easy access for bridge officers and senior staff to type two phasers is ideal.
Any situation where the crew are in potential danger from boarders such as pirates or raiders itā€™s fine for them to do a type 1.
Going into Borg territory or going to fight Jemā€™Hadar or anyone else in war time? Definitely should have type 2 on everyone and security should absolutely have a type 3 if itā€™s Borg, actually if itā€™s Borg everyone should get type 3s.

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I think thereā€™s two issues here. 1: Whatā€™s up with this dude acting like heā€™s in Rifts, no STA, and 2: Thatā€™s ā€˜allowedā€™ on a Starfleet Ship.

The primary problem here seems to be stylistic. 1: Why is a XO on a ship carrying around dual phasers? I personally carry a knife and have since I was 8. Itā€™s a tool for me. I ā€˜canā€™ use it as a weapon but I very seldom have had to. So the knife is debatable. Is it a folding knife kept in a pocket? Ok. No biggie. Is it some giant Rambo like short sword kept on a belt? Thatā€™s a bit more of a problem. If nothing else itā€™s against the Uniform code. Carrying a phaser when expecting trouble. Ok. As an XO heā€™d have that right but just getting out of bed, Replicating todayā€™s uniform, putting it on and strapping on two phasers on your hips like a gunslinger? No.

Even in war time you donā€™t see Starfleet crews doing that sort of thing. When expecting combat anyone could have a Type II, especially if ordered by the captain but just two phasers on your hips gunslinger style to take sensor readings of a nebula, or a scan of a comet? No.

The player sounds like he needs to be pulled aside and reminded that heā€™s playing Starfleet, not the KDF, and that they just donā€™t do that. Theyā€™re much more like US naval ships where hardly anyone is equipped a gun much less has them on a daily basis. Most US naval crew and officers never touch firearms after basic and re-qualifications. They go their entire careers with out putting on a gun.

Problem 2: As a captain you can tell anyone on the ship what they can or canā€™t do. Period. If they donā€™t like your command they can ā€˜tryā€™ and go over your head to Fleet but whoa be it the dude that tries it and fails. As a Captain you can look at your XO and go ā€œDude. Put those in the weapons locker.ā€ and thatā€™s the end of it. Period. You can justify yourself or not. You could go ā€œWeā€™re Starfleet and we do not purposefully put forth an aggressive stance or vision of ourselves with out causeā€ or you could simply go ā€œthatā€™s an orderā€ and leave it at that.

Can officers get dispensations for things? Sure, the Tamarians can get allowance to wear a sash with a knife on the chest. They can even pull them in combat situations. (Theyā€™re not just decroative), Bjorans can get allowance for their ear-rings. (Religious exemption) Even Orians can get religious exemption to wear their ā€œMulti-keyā€. Which is a weapon and a lock pick and even has tools to pull teeth (Likely just pliers, but CAN pull teeth), Worf could wear his baldric. Weā€™ve seen multiple instances of religious exemptions for head scarfs, turbans and hajibs (Even in Divisional colors).

All that said. I donā€™t think the above circumstance is that. This isnā€™t a Mandalorian going ā€œWeapons are a part of my Religion!ā€ Itā€™s a dude that wants to be armed to the teeth and a combat wombat.

So in general the Captain wouldnā€™t allow this, and if it got out the Admiral above him would likely crack down on it. Thatā€™s just ā€œNot who Starfleet isā€.

As a side note, there are phasers on the bridge at least in later Star Trek shows. Tuvok draws one from under his console, as does Harry and even Tom up on Conn, more than once. The guys arenā€™t always wearing them on their hip. They reach under their consoles and yank them out when needed a number of times.

Depending on Alert status, more officers/crewmen would be armed. Depending on the status, Condition, Green, Yellow, or Red.

This is covered in the books, I know the Captainā€™s Log has it, but if memory serves itā€™s in another book or two as well

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Donā€™t forget that Star Trek pants have magic pockets, phasers, pads, tricorders can pop up from nowhere.

Elite Force uses a transporter buffer in the belt to explain it.

Most important coverage of ā€œphasers under the consoleā€ would be the use of Momentum to acquire weapons in the core rulebook. ā€œCreate Advantageā€ Momentum use is literally explained with these examples.

XO in question probably just wants to spare Momentum/Threat costs. Thereā€™s a talent for that if itā€™s just so urgent. :person_shrugging:

Generally speaking (for the games I ran at least) no. During normal operating conditions there is no need for the general crew to be armed. A Klingon or Andorian (or similar) with the appropriate background and talents might be allowed to carry a small melee weapon (dagger/knife equivalent) but energy weapons would be out except for possibly security details posted directly at very sensitive areas on certain vessels/bases.

During a yellow alert Iā€™d say security details and officers would be authorized to arm themselves with handheld phasers from pre-positioned storage lockers (or replicators depending on era) with a PIN or Passcode. Likewise Engineering personnel could grab tool kits and medical personnel could grab medical supplies from such facilities during yellow alerts. Simple momentum expenditures could be used for this in game terms with the GM having the ultimate say on costs.

It makes sense that a Red Alert situation makes these items available to rank and file crew as needed from pre-positioned lockers or replicators (with a valid Starfleet PIN/Passcode to keep intruders out). In game terms I would use those explanations to reduce or eliminate momentum/escalation costs depending upon the environmental conditions of the scene.

In short, there are very few (if any) examples of rank and file crew being strapped for combat during regular operating conditions, and there are good in game universe reasons why it isnā€™t needed. Even in wartime season 1 Discovery I donā€™t remember rank and file crewmembers carrying sidearms during normal operating conditions (aside from the SPOILER ALERT EVEN 6 YEARS LATERā€” mirror universe, PTSD, scene-chewing Captain of a top secret technical testbed vessel keeping a type 1 phaser under his pillow). If someone is that hellbent on carrying all the time perhaps it is time to watch some Star Trek episodes with them and have a serious discussion about the setting and tone of the game. If multiple members of the group are that itchy with the trigger appendages perhaps it is time to run a Klingon Defense Force based game or switch to a different genre like Fallout, Devilā€™s Run or Achtung Cā€™thulu.

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