Hello readers!

Creation-in-Play is another method of creating a character in Star Trek Adventures, and differs from the more conventional Character-Lifepath option. Creation-in-Play is ideal for players who want to let missions shape and reveal, over time, who their characters are and what they can do.

In this article, I will go through the Creation-in-Play process using the example of a canon character from Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, about whom we are still learning. That character is the newest Klingon to be introduced in canon: Cadet Jay-Den Kraag.

Cadet Kraag illustrates an important aspect of Star Trek: Its shows and media continue to build and expand on the lore that was introduced in The Original Series (TOS). In the case of the Klingons, we have moved from the concept in TOS that they are all relentless warriors to seeing their civilization with a broader lens. This started with characters like Worf and B’Elanna Torres, who both struggled with the different ways their identities were caught between the Federation and the telegraphed ideals of Klingon Empire. Through their storylines, we learn that Klingons and their culture are fallible, diverse, and full of nuance.

Since then, we have seen a spectrum of Klingons appear in shows like The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Discovery, and Lower Decks who are outside the Warrior class, such as scientists, monks, lawyers, spies, and farmers. And now, in Starfleet Academy, we have Jay-Den Kraag, a young Klingon whose nurturing personality, romantic relationships, fashion, and interest in medicine further demonstrates that every civilization is made of a variety of different individuals, and that there are many ways to live your life with honor.

BUILDING CADET JAY-DEN KRAAG

Because Jay-Den is a cadet, I will be using two sources: The Star Trek Adventures Second Edition Rulebook Creation-in-Play option outlined on pages 142-143, and the guidelines for cadet character creation from pages 197-199 of the Star Trek Adventures Player’s Guide, using its recently released updates for Second Edition.

From this point forward, there will be spoilers for Season One of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy. Assuming that episodes from the first season are missions, information for Jay-Den’s character sheet is filled in as the season progresses.

STEP ONE: CHOOSING JAY-DEN’S ROLE

Normally in this process, this is where you choose your character’s role on the ship or station on which they will be serving, positions such as Chief Engineer, Science Officer, and First Officer. However, the Core Rulebook does not give specific guidelines for creating cadet characters using the Creation-in-Play method. For that, we look to the Player’s Guide‘s section on creating Cadet characters, which does not allow for cadets to choose a role. Therefore, Jay-Den will not be assigned a role at this time.

STEP TWO: ASSIGNING CADET KRAAG’S ATTRIBUTES

This step provides us with a starting array of attribute points [10, 10, 9, 9, 8 and 7] and instructs us to assign them. Let’s walk through each Attribute and place them using examples from Jay-Den’s experiences in Starfleet Academy:

CONTROL: 10 – Replicating an eyeball using a DNA sample in programmable matter requires a high level of focus and discipline, as does Jay-Den’s ability to calm his anxiety and face his fears.

DARING: 8 – Cadet Kraag is brave, but also cautious. He adheres to a strict code of honor and conduct, and pauses to think things through before acting.

FITNESS: 7 – Although he grew up in a hunter-gatherer community in the wilderness on Krios Prime, Jay-Den demonstrates in flashbacks that he would tire while on hunts with his older brother, Thar, and require breaks. When compared to other species, his strength and endurance are not in question. Compared to other Klingons, however, he has room to grow in his fitness.

INSIGHT: 9 – In flashbacks to his childhood, we get to see that Jay-Den is a dreamer. At the Academy, he is thoughtful with his friends and willing to do the difficult internal work to understand how to both incorporate his cultural heritage and also forge his own path.

PRESENCE: 9 – While initially unsure of his voice, with the help of friends like Cadet Reymi and the mentorship of Chancellor Ake and Cadet Master Lura Thok, we see Jay-Den grow more confident in his opinions and perspectives. His growth is most evident in the eloquent and impactful speech he gave at Cadet Reymi’s joining ceremony.

REASON: 10 – Cadet Kraag is thriving in the intellectually challenging Sciences division, able to process and apply complex scientific knowledge to high-pressure situations. Furthermore, when he created a culturally sensitive plan to help Klingon refugees accept the Federation’s help in finding a new home world, he demonstrated a high level of adaptability and cunning.

STEP THREE: CHOOSE JAY-DEN’S SPECIES

Jay-Den is a Klingon from the house of Kraag, son of L’Vanna, Drekol, and Enok. As a Klingon, he is granted the Species Ability “Brak’Lul” (Core 2e Rulebook, p. 108).

STEP FOUR: CHOOSE JAY-DEN’S DEPARTMENTS

The Creation-in-play rules allow a player to select two Departments, one of which matches their Division, and assign them either an array of [5 and 3], or [4 and 4]. The Core Rulebook prohibits Novice characters such as Cadets from having a Department score above 4 at character creation, so we will choose the [4, 4] array option.

As Kraag is in the Sciences division, one of the 4s gets assigned to the Sciences Department. Because our Klingon cadet has expressed interest in healing others, let’s assign that other 4 to Medicine.

STEP FIVE: CHOOSE A VALUE

Creation-in-Play rules instruct players to choose a single Value at this stage of character creation. At his core, Jay-Den is a nurturer. He cares about his friends, honors life and life forms, and works to improve the health and well-being of those around him. Let’s go with this quote from the episode “Kids These Days” that best represents his core worldview:

“My mother taught me to see the beauty in things.”

STEP SIX: BEGIN PLAY!

By this final stage, we have a good sense of Jay-Den’s potential, skills, and what motivates him. The Creation-in-Play rules inform us that a character’s remaining Values, Department Stats, Focuses, Talents, and Pastime can be chosen as a player participates in missions. If we look at the rest of Jay-Den’s first year at the Academy, in both the television series and print media like IDW graphic novels, we can discern a bit more about him.

For example, this final step dictates that a player must choose from the [3, 2, 2, 1] array for the remaining four unassigned departments when they are ready to assign them in play. For his Engineering score, we can look to his frustration that he does not know how to fix a Starfleet transmitter that was meaningful to him on Krios Prime, allowing us to guess that it is most likely rated as a “1.” An argument can also be made that his ability to face his fears about public speaking during debate class to then later deliver an effective “best man’s” speech in a subsequent episode warrants the assignment of that “3” to Command… leaving the remaining 2s left in the array for Security and Conn.

Speaking of that speech, the work we have seen him put into expressing himself and overcoming his inherent shyness suggests one of his Focuses could be Rhetoric. We also know from his student file that his academic curriculum is centered in the areas of Molecular Biology and Regenerative Therapies. These could be two more of his Focuses.

Finally, for his Pastime, I would give him “Bird Watching,” since that was a core component of his childhood on Krios Prime.

FUTURE DEVELOPMENT

Since this an exercise in creation-in-play, I want to leave some room on his character sheet for reveals about Jay-Den in the upcoming Season Two of Starfleet Academy, as well as his future appearances in print media. Given that he’s a cadet, he is eligible for the Untapped Potential Talent, but the rest of his three Talent slots are currently up for grabs. That also applies to the remainder of his Focuses and Values, though for the latter, we have had a few of his quotes that could be contenders:

“A warrior does not let a friend face danger alone.”

“Battle is the language we use to honor each other.”

“It is my honor to be present for the people I care about.”

And, this moment from the graphic novel “Star Trek Celebrations” (2026)…

“Flirting is a Human invention. A ritual of hesitation. Klingons do not hesitate. Klingons do not flirt.”

That’s all for now. If there are any other characters you would like to see me walk through this process, please let me know in the comments below.

Qapla’!