Starfleet Academy

"I am a graduate of Starfleet Academy. I know many things."--Worf, 2373 (DS9: "The Darkness and the Light")

Starfleet Academy is a four-year institution of higher learning, the primary training facility for Starfleet officers. Located at the San Francisco Presidio, it was approved and founded on December 13, 2161. Admission to the Academy was intensely competitive. (ST references: Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion, Make It So: Leadership Lessons from Star Trek: The Next Generation, Last Unicorn RPG module: Starfleet Academy Handbook, ST reference: Federation: The First 150 Years)

Starfleet Academy Graduate

While in Starfleet Academy, cadets are instilled with an allegiance to Starfleet and the United Federation of Planets. Physically, they will be in the best shape of their lives. Their first two years of course work prepare them for basic service in starfleet; most cadets hope this means aboard a state-of-the-art starship, but there are other possibilities: a terrestrial appointment, a remote outpost, an old overworked starship in line for decommission… They graduate with the responsibilites and respect or a commissioned officer.

Starfleet Academy Degree

A cadet's third and forth year is spent working toward their chosen degree. Starfleet Academy offers Engineering and Bachelor of Arts or Science degrees. Graduates of Starfleet Medical Academy receive a Medical Doctorate.

Extracurricular Activities

There are many extracurricular activities for cadets to enjoy when they're not studying: sports, interest groups, socializing, etc. Most cadets join a few clubs/organizations while they're at the Academy.

First Departmental Certification

During a cadet's final year, they receive certification to perform a specific function within Starfleet. Each Department–Command, Counseling, Engineering, Medical, Operators, Science, and Security–train and test officers for the certifications they offer. Command certifications are not issued to Academy Graduates; they are obtained on the job after a minimum of six months active duty within another department.

Cadets will graduate as Ensigns with an Ensign-level certification. Some may graduate with an "Expert" or "Specialist" rating. An exception are Starfleet Medical Academy graduates; they graduate with a rank of Lt JG and an Intern Physician or Intern Surgeon LtJG-level certification.

Starfleet Academy (SFA) Graduate

The Academy program typically lasted four years... (TNG: "The First Duty", "Conundrum"; TOS: "Bread and Circuses")

Starfleet officers are capable, disciplined, and well regarded by Federation society. A Starfleet Officer template accounts for these effects. This template, which includes a Starfleet Academy Degree lens, and Ensign-level Department Certification, and two to four Extracurricular Activities, represent a typical Starfleet Academy graduate.

All tech skills are tech level 11, except for First Aid which is tech level 9. Note the Survival skill requires you to choose a specialty.

* This advantage's cost is 0 for native humans. Nonhumans get their own species' Cultural Familiarity and Language for free and must pay for the Human versions.

Download the GCS file: StarfleetOfficer8.gct Last modified: 2024 January 16 13:14.

Starfleer Medical Academy

Graduates of Starfleet Medical Academy graduate as M.D.'s with rank Lieutenant Junior Grade. They should change their rank from O1: Ensign to O2: Lt JG. (The Administration and Leadership skill minimums required of Lt JG officers is also waived. However, Medical officers must meet the same requirements as anyone else to be promotion to full Lieutenant and beyond.) You must take the Code of Honor (Professional) disadvantage. You do not need to choose a Starfleet Academy Degree package. Instead of an Ensign-level certification, you must take one of these two Lieutenant Junion Grade-level certifications: Intern Physician or Intern Surgeon. You need only choose one ECA package; put 3 points into it. These changes will increase the cost of this template by about 7 points.

Customization

To modify this template for officers of higher rank, access the "Officer Ranks" tab below.

Starfleet Officer Ranks

A typical officer spent approximately three years at the rank of ensign. (TNG: "Datalore")–"Starfleet ranks", Memory Alpha

Rank Requirements

For ease of reference, the requirements common to all departments are presented in the table below. The specifics for promotion within each department, like the many certifications offered, can be found in each department's section of the library computer.

* Starfleet Medical Academy graduates begin at rank Lt JG, but otherwise use the O1: Ensign row.

† Shiphandling is required for bridge officers only.

• Officer GradeUsed to determine equivalencies between various services within the United Federation of Planets
• TitleThe Starfleet Rank's formal title
• GURPS Rank (pts)The GURPS Rank (and advantage's character points cost)
• Administrationminimum Administration skill level
• Leadershipminimum Leaderships skill level
• Politicsminimum Politics skill level
• Shiphandingminimum Shiphandling skill level for Command officers
• Medalsminimum number of character points spent on your Starfleet reputation(s), represented in game by awards, commendations, and medals bestowed on you by your commanding officers (i.e. the GM) for excellence in the line of duty
• Years Service the years of service typical of an officer new to that rank; not a requirement for promotion
• CPsthe character points typical of an officer new to that rank; not a requirement for promotion.

Example: Promotion from Ensign to Lieutenant Junior Grade

Ensign and Lieutenant Junior Grade are both considered GURPS Rank 3, so that promotion would not increase the cost of your Rank advantage. You will need to add a Lieutenant Junior Grade level certification from your department. You may need to spend character points to increase your Administration and Leadership (and Shiphandling, if you're a Command officer) skills to meet the listed minimum values. You need have at least one point in a Starfleet Reputation, represented by a medal or commendation.

Survival Specialties [B224]

Land-dwelling Species choose from:

Arctic, Desert, Island/Beach, Jungle, Mountain, Plains, Swampland, Woodlands

Aquatic Species choose from:

Bank, Deep Ocean Vent, Fresh-Water Lake, Open Ocean, Reef, River/Stream, Salt-Water Sea, Tropical Lagoon

Tech Skill Specialties

The skills below require you to choose a specialty; each specialty is treated as a different skill.

The proper GURPS skill for the design, repair, and/or use of Federation equipment and technology is not always obvious. The listing below (and the TECH SKILL TRIADS table) shows exactly what equipment and technology is contained within the scope of various GURPS skills and their specialties.

ARMOURY/TL11 (a repair skill)

Force Shields [B178]

Deflector Shields

Navigational Deflector

i.e. high energy/gravic-based screens external to the ship

Heavy Weapons [B178]

Drones/Missiles

Phasers (shipboard)

Photon Torpedoes

Tractor Beams

Small Arms [B178]

Phasers (personal)

Vehicular Armor [B178]

Hull and Superstructure of Shuttles (including Fighters) and Starships

ARTILLERY/TL11 (a use skill)

Guided Missiles [B178]

Drones/Missiles

BEAM WEAPONS/TL11 (a use skill)

Pistol [B179]

Hand Phasers--type I and type II (includes familiarity with Klingon disruptor pistol if learned at the Academy)

Projector [B179]

Hand Phasers in wide beam mode--a useful stun and heat setting

Rifle [B179]

Hand Phasers--type III aka phasor rifle (includes familiarity with Klingon disruptor rifle if learned at the Academy)

ELECTRONICS OPERATION/TL11 (a use skill)

Communications [B189]

Electronic Warfare [B189]

cloaks (SS1:13 & house rules)

defensive ECM (SS1:14)

tactical ECCM (SS1:15)

Force Shields [B189]

deflector shields

navigational deflector

Matter Transmitter [B189]

transporters and replicators

Medical [B189]

Scientific [B189]

Tricorders

Security [B189]

Force Fields, i.e. low energy/gravitic-based technology internal to the ship (manipulating artificial gravity, inertial dampers, and the structural integrity field, but not Force Shields)

Life Support (altering environmental controls)

Security Systems (tracking major shipboard activities, diverting and prioritizing power)

Sensors [B189]

long range, lateral, and navigational shipboard sensors

Surveillance [B189]

ELECTRONICS REPAIR/TL11 (a repair skill)

Communications [B190]

Computers [B190]

Electronic Warfare [B190]

cloaks (SS1:13 & house rules)

defensive ECM (SS1:14)

tactical ECCM (SS1:15)

Matter Transmitter [B190]

transporters

replicators

Medical [B190]

Scientific [B190]

Tricorders

Security [B190]

Force Fields, i.e. low energy/gravitic-based technology internal to the ship (includes artificial gravity, inertial damper, and the structural integrity field, but not Shields)

Life Support (environmental controls)

Security Systems (tracking major shipboard activities, diverting and prioritizing power)

Sensors [B190]

long range, lateral, and navigational shipboard sensors

Surveillance [B189]

ENGINEER/TL11 (a design skill)

Artillery [B190]

Drones/Missiles

Photon Torpedoes

Electrical [B190]

Batteries

Electro-Plasma Systems

Shipboard Phasers

Electronics [B190]

Communications equipment

Computers

Electronic Warfare systems

Medical equipment

Scientific equipment, e.g. tricorders

Security systems

Sensor suites

Surveillance systems

Gravitic [new specialty]

Force Fields (includes artificial gravity, inertial dampers, structural integrity fields)

Anti-Grav (used in anti-grav sleds, hovercars, shuttlecraft, and starships)

Shields (deflector shields, navigational deflector)

Tractor Beams

Matter Energy [new specialty]

Transporters

Replicators

Nuclear [new specialty]

Antimatter Reactors aka Warp Cores

Fusion Reactors aka Impulse Reactors

Small Arms [B190]

Hand Phasers (includes familiarity with Klingon disruptors if learned at the Academy)

Starships [B191]

Hull & Superstructure

Life Support (environmental controls)

Thrusters

Warp Drives aka Stardrives, e.g. Stardrive Engine [GURPS Spaceships, p. 25]

and integrating all of the above, and many other systems, e.g. Electrical, Gravitic, Nuclear, etc., into a functioning Shuttlecraft, Shuttlecraft, or Fighter

GUNNER/TL11 (a use skill)

Beams [B198]

Shipboard Phasers

Tractor Beams

Cannon [B198]

Photon Torpedoes

MECHANIC/TL11 (a repair skill)

Antimatter Reactor (aka Warp Core) [B207 as per power plant type]

Aerospace [B207 as per vehicle type]

as listed below, but only for ordinary problems endemic to Shuttlecraft including Fighters

Anti-grav systems

Antimatter Reactors aka Warp Cores

Force Fields (includes artificial gravity, inertial including, structural integrity fields, but not shields)

Hull and Superstructure

Impulse Drives aka Fusion Engines, e.g. Super Fusion Torch [GURPS Spaceships, p. 23]

Life Support (environmental controls)

Thrusters

Fusion Engine (aka Impulse Drive) [SS1:23]

Fusion Reactor (aka Impulse Reactor) [B207 as per power plant type]

High-Performance Spacecraft [B207 as per vehicle type]

as listed below, but only for ordinary problems endemic to interstellar starships

Antimatter Reactors aka Warp Cores

Force Fields (includes artificial gravity, inertial damper, structural integrity field, but not shields)

Fusion Reactors aka Impulse Reactors

Hull and Superstructure

Impulse Drives aka Fusion Engines, e.g. Super Fusion Torch [GURPS Spaceships, p. 23]

Life Support (environmental controls)

Thrusters

Warp Drives aka Stardrives, e.g. Stardrive Engine [GURPS Spaceships, p. 25]

Stardrive (aka Warp Drive) [SS1:25]

PILOTING (a use skill)

Aerospace [B214]

Shuttlecraft including Fighters, surface to orbit

Contragravity [B214]

Shuttlecraft including Fighters, when maneuvering near populated areas

High-Performance Spacecraft [B214]

Starships, outside of gravity wells

PROFESSION SKILL/TL11 (a use skill)

Reactor Operator [new specialty]

Antimatter Reactors aka Warp Cores used in starships

Fusion Reactors aka Impulse Reactors

Impulse Drives aka Fusion Engines, e.g. Super Fusion Torch [GURPS Spaceships, p. 23]

Warp Drives aka Stardrives, e.g. Stardrive Engine [GURPS Spaceships, p. 25]

Tech Skill Triads

Technical skills govern three distinct classes of activity: design, repair, and use. DESIGN includes inventing, redesigning, and reverse engineering. REPAIR includes troubleshooting, repairing, overhauling, upgrading, installing, and customizing. USE includes operating and maintaining. E.g. To fire a hand phaser, use Beam Weapons (Pistol); to modify it to increase the amount of energy discharged per shot, use Armory (Small Arms); to build a phaser from parts found in an alien planet’s high-energy research lab, use Engineer (Small Arms). [paraphrase from B190] (This table was inspired by GURPS: Prime Directive, 3rd. ed. pp. 112-113.)

The following technologies have design-repair-use skill triads. After each technology the appropriate GURPS skills with their correct specialization (if required) are given. Use this table and the TECH SKILL SPECIALIZATIONS listings to help you choose the specializations you want for your technical skills. A technology level of 11 is assumed. The following abbreviations are used: A Armoury, ART Artillery, BW Beam Weapons, ENG Engineer, EO Electronics Operation, ER Electronics Repair, G Gunner, M Mechanic, PS Professional Skill

Extracurricular Activities

You did more than study at Starfleet Academy.

These Extracurricular Activity [ECA hereafter] lenses flesh out your colorful Academy experience. You will have spent 8 points in two to four ECA lenses during your time at the Academy; exempted are Starfleet Medical Adacemy graduates who need only choose one ECA lens (for 3 pts). Spend 2 to 4 points on the options within each ECA lens you choose. An exception is Academics, which cost whatever it costs.

Characters with the Laziness disadvantage [B142] may only choose one lens that is not Cultural, Partying, nor Underworld, and may not choose an Academic option in any case. Characters with the Workaholic disadvantage [B162] must take an Academic lens–either a minor or a double major. This assumes you went into Starfeleet Academy with one of these disadvantages, most likely due to your Personal Background lens. Disadvantages acquired after graduation, e.g. as part of a Department lens, do not restrict your ECA lens choices.

Many of these skills are also options in other templates and lenses. Remember to always add character points to an existing skill, don't have two of the same skill on your character sheet.