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.
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 1ās, 2 man stationary and patrol teams phaser 2ās. All other departments unarmed.
Security alert level 2.
All security officers are now armed
with phaser 2ās, and now all department heads are armed with phaser 1ās.
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 2ās.
Of course the captain can tailor this as he sees fit.
If itās 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 (Iām not venturing a guess here because I saw nothing that actually explains the playerās mentality), but if all three were inappropriateā¦then handing over 6 Threat each āepisodeā would be enough for most people to reconsider being so heavily armed for metagaming reasons.
If itās genuinely for roleplaying reasons then Iād tone it down a bitā¦but again, itās the same logic that getting type-3s incur threat - being armed like Rambo is going to escalate situations, so Iād 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 Iād probably take none and just charge opportunity, but if thereās no ostensible threat then Iām ramping up that Threat.
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 itās regular duties. If youāre on a tactical build of an Akira constantly hunting for pirates, then there may be room for the first officerās āpreparednessā. But if your on a Luna in a science configuration or an Olympus Medical ship, uh no. In the end the Captainās word is law on his ship.
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 ādo thisā go for it.
Everyone in Security should have at least a type 1 at all times. Never know when thereās 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 itās fine for them to do a type 1.
Going into Borg territory or going to fight JemāHadar or anyone else in war time? Definitely should have type 2 on everyone and security should absolutely have a type 3 if itās Borg, actually if itās Borg everyone should get type 3s.
I think thereās two issues here. 1: Whatās up with this dude acting like heās in Rifts, no STA, and 2: Thatās āallowedā 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. Itās a tool for me. I ācanā 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? Thatās a bit more of a problem. If nothing else itās against the Uniform code. Carrying a phaser when expecting trouble. Ok. As an XO heād have that right but just getting out of bed, Replicating todayās uniform, putting it on and strapping on two phasers on your hips like a gunslinger? No.
Even in war time you donāt 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 heās playing Starfleet, not the KDF, and that they just donāt do that. Theyāre 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 canāt do. Period. If they donāt like your command they can ātryā 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 āDude. Put those in the weapons locker.ā and thatās the end of it. Period. You can justify yourself or not. You could go āWeāre Starfleet and we do not purposefully put forth an aggressive stance or vision of ourselves with out causeā or you could simply go āthatās 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. (Theyāre not just decroative), Bjorans can get allowance for their ear-rings. (Religious exemption) Even Orians can get religious exemption to wear their āMulti-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. Weāve seen multiple instances of religious exemptions for head scarfs, turbans and hajibs (Even in Divisional colors).
All that said. I donāt think the above circumstance is that. This isnāt a Mandalorian going āWeapons are a part of my Religion!ā Itās a dude that wants to be armed to the teeth and a combat wombat.
So in general the Captain wouldnāt allow this, and if it got out the Admiral above him would likely crack down on it. Thatās just āNot 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 arenāt 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 Captainās Log has it, but if memory serves itās in another book or two as well
Donāt 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 āphasers under the consoleā would be the use of Momentum to acquire weapons in the core rulebook. āCreate Advantageā Momentum use is literally explained with these examples.
XO in question probably just wants to spare Momentum/Threat costs. Thereās a talent for that if itās just so urgent.
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 Iād 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 isnāt needed. Even in wartime season 1 Discovery I donāt 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, Devilās Run or Achtung Cāthulu.
Iāve always assumed that, during the TOS era, Starfleet is still everyone aboard carrying a type 1 phaser is a reasonable precaution, at least in the Klingon, Romulan, Tholian, and Kzinti border fleets.
Likewise, the IDIC principle should allow for religious symbols as appropriate; I was actually annoyed when Ro Laren was forced to remove her earring.
As Iāve run it in the past, said first officer is overarmed. If heās a Sikh, or an Andorian, or certain other faiths, a knife is justified. Otherwise, no.
A second type 1? Again, no.
In a region with hot war, or a significant risk of hot war breakout, yep, everyone carries a type 1 IMSTUā¦
But then again, I often use the SFU in place of the canon ST universe.