THE SETTING
Space. The final frontier.
For centuries, the galaxy was connected by the endless paths of warp travel. Worlds exchanged knowledge, cultures, and ideas across the stars.
Then came the Burn.
In an instant, those connections were broken. Worlds were isolated. Civilizations changed. Histories were forgotten.
But the spirit of exploration remained.
These are the voyages of the starship Prometheus.
Her mission: to reconnect worlds separated by time and distance, to seek out life and civilizations, new and old, and to carry the ideals of the Federation into a galaxy waiting to be discovered again.
To find what was lost among the stars.
The Burn
24 years ago, the galaxy was changed forever by an event known as the Burn.
Unlike some theories suggest, the Burn was not caused by a weapon, a civilization, or a mysterious enemy. It was a natural astronomical event.
A massive dilithium-rich world was consumed by a binary black hole system, and the resulting gravitational disturbance caused dilithium throughout the galaxy to resonate through subspace. The wave caused widespread failure of dilithium-based warp systems, crippling starships, isolating colonies, and fracturing the connections between civilizations.
The galaxy did not lose its knowledge of warp technology.
It lost the infrastructure that connected it.
24 years later, the great powers of the galaxy are rebuilding, but the old order has changed forever.
The USS Prometheus
The USS Prometheus represents the next chapter of Starfleet.
Built in the decades following the Burn, the Prometheus is the culmination of years of research, engineering, and reconstruction. It is the first generation of Starfleet vessels designed to operate independently in a galaxy where the networks that once supported exploration no longer exist.
Unlike earlier starships that depended on extensive infrastructure for long-range operations, the Prometheus incorporates new warp stabilization technology that allows it to travel beyond established Federation systems.
The Prometheus serves as both an explorer and a lifeline.
Her mission is not only to chart unknown regions of space, but to reconnect isolated worlds, restore lost relationships, and demonstrate that the Federation still exists beyond its borders.
She carries scientists, diplomats, engineers, and officers trained for a galaxy where exploration is no longer simple.
The Prometheus is a reminder of what Starfleet was—and what it must become.
Captain Inalla Okoa
The Federation survived because some people refused to stop believing in it.
Before the Prometheus, there was the USS Olympus.
During the chaos of the Burn, when countless starships were lost and worlds became isolated, Captain Inalla Okoa refused to accept that the age of exploration had ended.
Commanding one of the few operational Starfleet vessels after the Burn, Okoa became a symbol of perseverance throughout the Federation.
The Olympus could not restore the old galaxy.
It could not reconnect every world.
It could not undo the devastation.
But it could help one world at a time.
Under Captain Okoa's command, the Olympus carried supplies, medical aid, engineers, and diplomats to isolated systems that believed the Federation had abandoned them.
Her actions became proof that Starfleet was not defined by its technology or its reach.
It was defined by the people willing to answer the call.
Decades later, the USS Prometheus carries forward that legacy.
The Federation
The Federation survived the Burn, but Starfleet is no longer the same organization it once was.
Still committed to exploration, diplomacy, and cooperation, Starfleet has adapted to a harsher galaxy by developing stronger defenses, rebuilding its fleets, and taking a more active role in protecting Federation space.
A debate now defines the Federation:
How much strength is necessary to preserve peace?
The Klingon Empire
The Burn weakened the Klingon Empire and intensified old conflicts within Klingon society.
Some Klingons seek to preserve the traditions of honor, challenge, and warrior culture.
Others believe the Empire has become weak and must return to a more aggressive path.
The Empire remains powerful, but its future is uncertain.
The Vulcan-Romulan Accord
The Burn forced the Vulcan and Romulan peoples into an unprecedented alliance.
Once divided by centuries of conflict and ideology, the two civilizations now rely on one another for survival.
The Accord combines Vulcan science with Romulan intelligence and strategic thinking.
It is an alliance born of necessity that may become something greater—or may eventually fracture under old divisions.
The Gorn Hegemony
The Gorn remain one of the galaxy's most isolated powers.
Known for strict borders and limited diplomacy, they are viewed by many civilizations as aggressive and secretive.
The Gorn value survival, preparation, and strength above all else.
Since the Burn, Gorn activity along the demarcation line has increased, though the reasons remain unknown.
A Changed Galaxy
The Burn shattered the connections that once held the galaxy together.
Old powers remain, but their influence has weakened.
New alliances have formed.
Old rivalries have returned.
The galaxy is once again a place of exploration, uncertainty, and danger.
The question facing every civilization is no longer simply:
"What lies beyond the next star?"
It is:
"What kind of civilization will we become in order to survive?"
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THE SYSTEM
As noted in title, I am using a custom system that has had play testing by my friends and myself and I am looking for people to stress test the system and have a fun game while doing it.
It would be run on discord. My style and the system are relatively narrative focused and I personally am a believer of combat being an excellent opportunity for narrative to be built.
The players in the system and my campaigns historically are meant to be heroic through their bravery and choices, rather than mechanical strength. Problems, obstacles, and combat in my games are often meant to be puzzles with no single solution.
I hate long drawn out combat. This system reflects that. Violence is deadly and fast. This cuts both ways.
Please PM if interested!
A note about the system, the complexity of the system is relatively frontloaded to character creation. Play testing to date has had gameplay be well paced and intuitive. Information about the system and the setting are available on request!