Timeline Milestones are events and repercussions in the established timeline that affect your crew. This often is an improvement or other change that affects your game during specific periods of time (or other timelines or alternate realities your campaign may end up in). You can grant it alongside other Milestone awards.
TIMELINE MILESTONE: OFFICER EXCHANGE PROGRAM (2360s onward)
This Timeline Milestone is Officer Exchange Program. Starting in the 2360s, Starfleet began trading officers with their allies, in an attempt to improve relations. Ships may volunteer to be part of the program, and may send officers to other ships, or host officers from a different culture.
We see this happen occasionally on the TNG series, with Mendon and Riker (“A Matter of Honor“), Worf’s brother Kurn (“Sins of the Father“), and J’Dan (“The Drumhead“).
Of course, the Officer Exchange Programs could simply be done through roleplaying and GM storylines instead of a Timeline Milestone. But, here are some possible ways of using Timeline Milestone: Officer Exchange Program.
The Captain has to sign up the ship for the Officer Exchange Program, which becomes a Ship Trait (see below). Although it’s ultimately up to the captain, it may be good to have the players discuss if they wish to activate this Timeline Milestone. It is in place indefinitely unless the captain submits an official withdrawal notice, but there are some periods of time when it may be inconvenient to have the program active, such as in the midst of the Dominion War, or if the ship is in a part of space where it wouldn’t make sense to have exchanges (like the Delta Quadrant). Political situations (such as the Klingons withdrawing from the Khitomer Accords) may also make certain exchanges impossible at that time. The usefulness of this Timeline Milestone remains the GM’s decision.
EFFECTS
A) Ship Trait: Participation in the Officer Exchange Program
This Ship Trait Participation in the Officer Exchange Program indicates that the ship is currently part of the program, and there may be exchanges happening in the background. This Ship Trait may not come into play often, but it is a gateway Trait to the other abilities. This Trait will allow the GM to arbitrarily add exchange officers as the plot demands.
B) Officer Exchange Event
Once the Ship Trait Participation in the Officer Exchange Program is in place, each player receives a one-time-only Officer Exchange Event.
At the beginning of any mission when Directives are issued, unless the GM rules otherwise, one player may elect to use his Officer Exchange Event for that mission. This has the following effects:
- The player will not use his regular Main Character for the entirety of the adventure, who is away on an Officer Exchange. The player may suggest what species of Exchange Officer is participating in the exchange.
- Captains likely will not go on such an Officer Exchange, but players whose Main Characters are Captains may instead select a Supporting Character for their one-time-only Officer Exchange Event.
- The GM may run a mini-adventure or B-plot for Main Characters who were away on the Officer Exchange.
- The player may suggest the species of Exchange Officer is participating in the exchange. It does not have to be the same species as the Main Character’s exchange assignment. If the suggestion doesn’t make sense for the GM’s campaign’s era/political situation, assign one that makes sense.
- The player will play the officer on exchange, and use Creation In Play (page 131 of the Core Rulebook). The character does not have to be in the same Department or hold the same rank as the Main Character on exchange.
- It’s recommended, but ultimately up to the GM and player, that this character be played in the majority of Scenes in the adventure.
- If the Exchange Officer isn’t killed, and would earn a Normal Milestone as per regular rules, when the Main Character returns, the player may add a Trait to their Main Character: Officer Exchange Experience (X), where X is the culture they served with. The Exchange Officer leaves, becoming a NPC under the GM’s control.