Starting Momentum

Star Trek Adventures
1

Do the rules grant players starting Momentum similar to the Threat granted the GM?

2

No, momentum musy be earned. The players do get one starting Determination.

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3

A table rule I use with my group, suggested to me by them is a special “Mission Preparation” Task roll. It is essentially the Commanding Officer RALLY TASK. With results as follows"

  • Each success generates 1 Momentum;
  • Each complication negates a success;
  • Each Complication in excess of generated successes translate into two threat.

This is a straight roll, no die pool modifications. The Momentum generated goes into the group pool, with normal rules for group Momentum applying. The player determines whether or not to attempt this task. It may only be attempted at the very beginning of a mission, immediately following the revelation of Mission Directives.

The logic behind the rule being that the Captain had some insight into the upcoming mission and helped guide the crew toward additional readiness.

Feel free to try it if you wish. It’s worked pretty well at my table.

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4

I think I will! I really like this idea.

5

We play in irregular intervals and only every few months. I award Momentum at the start of the game when players can recount the details of the previous adventure.

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6

I do something similar, although we play much more regularly. Most sessions start with a log entry, with the opportunity for momentum to be granted for a particularly insightful/funny/entertaining effort. Beyond that though I tend to start at 0

7

I similarly tend to have a task early on that’s Difficulty 0 or 1, which is mainly to set the scene. If the ship is en-route, then a test to plot a course and travel to the adventure is a good example of this (more momentum suggests you got there sooner and have more opportunity to respond; complications might mean unforeseen problems on arrival), but the normal example is a scan of the environment, though most of the momentum from that normally end up being spent asking questions. Complications on this can also be used to help establish the starting situation.

8

This seems also to be the tactics of one iconic STA-GM called Eric Campbell. :wink:

Another reason why I really like the concept of momentum-building difficulty 0 tasks!