Star Trek Division 12: The XII Files (November Start!)
When science fails to explain, Division 12 investigates. Confront the unknown. Solve what can be solved. Bury what cannot.
$20.00
/ Session
Details
6 players following this game
Bi-weekly / Saturday - 12:00 AM UTC
Session Duration / 3–3.5 hours
4 / 5 Seats Filled
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Meet your party members
4/5
About the adventure
Throughout the Federation's history, ships have vanished without explanation. Colonies have reported impossible phenomena. Ancient signals have been detected from civilizations that should not exist. Encounters have been recorded, classified, and quietly forgotten. Most Starfleet officers never hear about these incidents. Division 12 investigates them. As members of Starfleet's most secretive investigative branch, you will be assigned to the Federation's strangest and most unsettling mysteries. Explore haunted stations, investigate temporal anomalies, uncover forgotten civilizations, examine impossible artifacts, and confront phenomena that challenge everything Starfleet believes it knows about the universe. Explain the explainable, contain the rest. And document everything. >>Why Join This Game?<< 🛸 Star Trek meets The X-Files! Investigation, mystery, strange phenomena, and hidden truths take center stage. 🔍 Solve the impossible! Gather clues, analyze evidence, interview witnesses, and uncover what is really happening behind the mystery. 🌌 Explore the unknown! Travel to forgotten worlds, abandoned facilities, ancient ruins, and places that challenge the limits of science. 🖖 Play as Starfleet investigators! You are the experts called when ordinary explanations fail. 🎭 Meaningful roleplay and difficult choices! Many mysteries have no perfect solution. What should Starfleet do with dangerous knowledge once it is discovered? ⚖️ More than combat! Science, diplomacy, investigation, and creative problem-solving are often your most valuable tools. 📺 Designed to feel like a Star Trek television series! Inspired by the mystery and wonder of classic Trek, combined with the paranormal investigative atmosphere of series like The X-Files and Fringe. 🌍 An inclusive environment! All players are welcome regardless of nationality, race, sex, gender, religion, experience level, or background. We embrace the Vulcan philosophy of IDIC: Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations. --- >>How We'll Play<< 🎙️ Zoom for voice communication (microphone required, webcam encouraged) 🎲 Roll20 for character sheets, dice rolling, maps, and handouts 🧠 Theater of the Mind for most scenes, allowing us to focus on story, character, and imagination 💬 Discord for scheduling, announcements, and between-session communication --- >>Campaign Structure<< This campaign is designed as a television-style season. Each session features a new mystery to investigate while clues relate to a larger story unfolding behind the scenes. Some cases will be solved but some questions will remain unanswered. And some discoveries may be better left buried. When the unexplained threatens the Federation, Division 12 is called. Are you ready to uncover the truth out there in the final frontier?
Game style
Roleplay Heavy
Rule of Cool (RoC)
Theater of the Mind
Game themes
Meet the Game Master
Less than a year on StartPlaying
27 games hosted
Highly rated for: Storytelling, Creativity, Knows the Rules
About me
My journey with roleplaying games began in the mid-90s when a friend invited me to play D&D 2e with her group. I had only ever heard the name Dungeons and Dragons so it was exciting to see what it was all about. The liberation of playing a game constrained only by the limits of imagination was exhilarating and I fell in love immediately. Not long after that, another friend invited me to try the d6 Star Wars roleplaying game. Playing in the world of my favorite movie series solidified my love for TTRPGs and I couldn't get enough. I wanted to play more than my friend was able to host, so I had to take matters into my own hand: I bought the rulebook and learned how to be a Game Master. While I was a little disappointed that I couldn't play at first, I soon discovered that being a GM fit well with my innate love of storytelling. The pandemic led me to run some games online for friends around the globe to help them deal with those stressful days. It also introduced me to Star Trek Adventures, which became my favorite system of all time. My love for STA compelled me to start a YouTube channel to hype it and that eventually led to me being hired by Modiphius as a contributing writer for Star Trek Adventures. So now not only do I get to keep running the game I love, I also get to create content for it to be used by players around the world. It's a great feeling and keeps me motivated to constantly improve my craft. NOTE: I live in Japan, which puts me in an awkward time zone for people in the Americas and Europe. I will respond to any messages as quickly as possible but please be aware that I may be sleeping during your normal daylight hours.
View Profile →Character creation
Creating your character
Please use the online character generator at: https://sta.bcholmes.org/ to create your character. Characters will be built using Second Edition rules, so please select those options on the Character Generator. The ranks and roles of all player characters need to be decided before anyone creates a character. This can be done together during Session 0 or done on your own, but please confirm details with me for final approval. More importantly, the characters should be built with some Focuses and Talents dedicated to investigating the unexplained phenomena in the galaxy. They are out to encounter, engage, and try to prove or disprove that which seems supernatural. All the while you will be filling the standard roles on your own starship assigned by Division 12 Generally, most character ideas will be permitted but I try to keep the game feeling close to Star Trek canon. But this campaign also allows for many opportunities to break away from the norm. So please share your ideas with me before committing to them. Guidance will be provided for those who are unfamiliar with Star Trek. Pregenerated characters will be provided upon request.
Setting and details will be finalized at Session 0.
What to expect
Preparing for the session
You will need a Discord and Roll20 account created before game time and you should download the Discord client to your device. We will use Zoom but an account isn't strictly necessary. You will need good quality headphones and microphone. Please don't use speakers as it usually creates an audio feedback loop. A good webcam will be needed for those who are comfortable sharing video. Those not using a webcam should prepare a character image to be used as their Zoom portrait. *If you are comfortable using a webcam, feel free to cosplay as your character. I will always be in uniform so feel free to join me! Characters must be created and approved before the first session. A character image should also be provided for visual reference. I will provide resources on how to find or create a character during Session 0. During character creation, please put thought into your character's Values as they are a key component in both roleplaying and advancement. Please also prepare a small notebook or notepad to use as a character log, which is a key component of STA2e's advancement system. I will explain further during Session 0. Official PDF logs by Modiphius are available on their website as well as on our Discord server. I will prepare consent forms about sensitive content. Please complete the forms and return them to me before the first session. Lastly, bring your enthusiasm! Visualize yourself as a character in a Star Trek TV show and run with it!
What Bill - The Final Frontiersmen brings to the table
As the Game Master, I bring 30 years of experience in running roleplaying games. I have a deep knowledge of Star Trek lore which I use to create an immersive experience for the group. I can also support players who are not familiar with Star Trek lore, so don't let that dissuade you from playing. I will provide a Discord server with dedicated channels to this campaign where all players can meet, discuss, roleplay, and chat freely. It will also be used for passing private messages during game sessions. Visual assets relating to the episode will be used to help with immersion. Necessary handouts and reference sheets will be available for everyone on Roll20 and/or the Discord server. I keep a very flexible approach to the rules to ensure that they support what players want to accomplish without getting in the way. I like to provide opportunities for players to create their own scenes of roleplay to showcase their characters in ways that might not be possible during the natural course of an adventure. You will have a chance to create your own character moments or personal subplots to let your ideas shine.
Homebrew rules
Some rules may be adapted to better serve the narrative. For example, we might run a combat encounter as an extended task rather than with standard combat rules if it was more appropriate for the scene. I'm more interested in having a good story told than following every rule to the letter.
Equipment needed to play
Internet
Computer
Microphone
Headphones
Pen & Paper
Platforms used
Safety
How Bill - The Final Frontiersmen creates a safe table
We will have a Session 0 to create our crew and set expectations as well as to go over some basic rules. Those joining the campaign late will be provided session 0 information. A consent checklist will be sent to each player to fill out before the first session. An Open Door policy is kept at all times so players do not feel trapped or overwhelmed if they feel triggered. We will take at least one 10-minute break around the midpoint of the session. Additional breaks may be had if needed and depending on circumstances. Stars and Wishes will be used for players to provide feedback of what is and isn't working for them in the campaign.
Content warnings
Safety tools used