Like many rpg games, this game starts off by customizing your character. In this case, you are customizing your command crew: the crew that will make a difference in a crisis. Start off with the following:
Captain
Science Officer
Chief Engineer
Tactical Officer
You start off with 20 character points. You can evenly distribute the points if you wish, or use a unique system, but remember that for every character that gets extra points, another loses them.
Here are the ways that the four characters contribute to victory:
Captain- A strong captain helps everyone. Sufficient points for the captain can add points to your 1d6 roll.
Science Officer- In combat, a science officer with sufficient points can help you to target ships when sensors are disabled.
Chief Engineer- The chief engineer gets more out of your ship. Sufficient points help the engineer to repair damaged systems more efficiently and channel more warp power to phasers.
Tactical Officer- A tactical officer with sufficient points can increase the damage done to enemy systems in combat.
Here are the specifics. Remember that these are just the combat advantages. There is much more to Fantasy Trek.
Captain: 7 rating adds 1 to dice total. 9 rating adds 2 to dice total.
Science: 7 and above rating adds to chance to detect without sensors (7 rating adds 1, 8 adds 2, etc) ##this will be explained later##
Engineer: 7 rating adds to total phaser damage (8 rating adds 2, 9 adds 3, etc) 7 rating repairs systems with 1 point instead of 2. ##this will be explained later##
Tactical: 7 rating adds to damage total (7 rating adds 1, 8 rating adds 2, etc)
Explanations:
Sensors: When sensors are destroyed, an enemy ship that has moved is almost impossible to hit. In order to simulate that 'shot in the dark', you must roll a 1 on a 1d6 roll. Once your science officer has a 7 rating, 1 and 2 gets you a hit. An 8 rating means 1-3 gets you a hit, and etc.
System Repair: It normally takes 2 points from your roll to restore 1 point to a damaged system or shield. An engineer with a 7 rating can get that repair done with just 1 point.
One experience Point (in the medium combat game) is awarded every time you defeat a ship of equal points. Two are awarded for defeating a ship with 3 to 5 points more than you. Three are awarded for defeating a ship with 6 to 8 points more than you. Four are awarded for defeating a ship with 9 to 10 points more than you.
This should pretty much cover player setup and how the points work. Think of how you would set up characters in any other rpg game. That's what I'm trying to do here. If you have any questions or suggestions, please let me know. The next section will detail the ship and its shields and internals, and how they work in combat.