Character Advancement
Your character grows through experience, reflection, and the consequences of their choices. Advancement in Star Trek Adventures is driven by milestones — meaningful events where your character re-examines themselves and changes in response.
Personal Log
To track your character's growth, maintain a personal log. At the end of each adventure, write a brief entry:
- What happened — one or two sentences about the mission.
- Which Values you used — note V1, V2, etc., with + (used positively), – (used negatively), or ! (challenged).
- Whether you received a milestone — mark it in the log entry.
If you challenged a Value, rewrite it at the end of the mission to reflect how your character has changed.
Milestones
A milestone is a meaningful event in your character's life — a point where they re-examine themselves and change. You earn milestones by calling back to previous experiences.
Earning a Milestone
- During a mission, use one of your Values.
- Call back to a previous adventure in your log where you used the same Value.
- Describe how that previous experience influences what's happening now.
- Gain 1 Determination (still limited to the normal maximum of 3).
- Mark that log entry as used — each entry can only be used once.
- At the end of the adventure, you receive a milestone.
What You Can Change
After earning a milestone, choose one of the following:
| Change | Limits |
|---|---|
| Increase an Attribute by 1 | Max 11; each attribute only once per milestone |
| Increase a Department by 1 | Max 4; each department only once per milestone |
| Gain a Focus | One additional focus |
| Gain a Talent | One additional talent |
| Help a Supporting Character | Increase one of their attributes, departments, focuses, or talents |
| Adjust Ship Systems | Reduce one system by 1, increase another by 1 (max 11, min 6) |
| Adjust Ship Departments | Reduce one department by 1, increase another by 1 (max 4, min 1) |
| Swap a Ship Talent | Replace one ship talent with another |
Minor Adjustments
When you use a Value during an adventure (positively, negatively, or challenged), you may also make one minor adjustment:
- Reduce one Attribute by 1, increase another by 1 (max 11, min 7)
- Reduce one Department by 1, increase another by 1 (max 4, min 1)
- Replace one Focus with a different Focus
- Replace one Talent with a different Talent (you must meet prerequisites)
Character Arcs
Character arcs represent longer-term growth across multiple adventures. When you call back to a previous adventure that was itself a milestone, you create a character arc.
Completing a Character Arc
A character arc spans at least 3 adventures (initial adventure → milestone → arc completion). Each subsequent arc requires one additional adventure.
When you complete a character arc, you may choose one of these enhanced rewards instead of a normal milestone:
| Change | Limits |
|---|---|
| Increase an Attribute by 1 | Max 12 (higher than normal milestone) |
| Increase a Department by 1 | Max 5 (higher than normal milestone) |
| Gain an additional Value | A third Value for your character |
| Increase a Ship System by 1 | Each system may only be increased once per character |
| Increase a Ship Department by 1 | Max 5 |
| Gain a Ship Talent | May ignore normal maximum |
Reputation
Your reputation reflects how your peers and superiors regard you. It begins at 3 and ranges from 0 to 5.
Reputation Ratings
| Rating | Starfleet Standing |
|---|---|
| 0 | Barely fit for service |
| 1 | Poor record, future in question |
| 2 | Uncertain, questionable performance |
| 3 | Solid, satisfactory (default) |
| 4 | Fine record, commendations for exceptional work |
| 5 | Exemplary, the finest Starfleet has to offer |
Using Reputation
When interacting with someone who knows you by reputation alone, you may use your Reputation rating instead of a department rating to create your target number. This represents your deeds and renown speaking for you.
The Reputation Roll
At the end of each mission, the GM asks a series of questions to determine positive and negative influences on your Reputation.
Positive influences include:
- Mission was successful
- Prevented or de-escalated combat
- Established peaceful cooperation with others
- Saved lives of innocents or crew
- Rendered aid to those in distress
Negative influences include:
- Mission failed
- Disobeyed orders
- Employed lethal force
- Took unnecessary risks
- Caused or allowed innocent lives to be lost
Making the roll:
- Target number = 7 + your Reputation
- Difficulty = number of negative influences
- Roll d20s equal to positive influences (no maximum)
- Each d20 ≤ target number = 1 success. Each d20 ≤ Reputation = 2 successes
- If successes ≥ Difficulty, you've acted properly. Each extra success becomes Acclaim.
- If successes < Difficulty, you suffer Reprimands equal to the shortfall.
Acclaim
Acclaim is spent immediately (not saved) on benefits:
| Spend | Cost | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Promotion | 3 | Advance one rank (CO must approve) |
| Increase Reputation | Equal to new rating | Raise Reputation by 1 |
| Purchase an Award | 2–5 | Gain a special medal with a potent benefit |
| Gain Favor | 1+ | Obtain a favor from an NPC you encountered |
| Status | 3 | Create a beneficial trait or remove a detrimental one |
| Commend Another | 1 | As CO, grant +1 positive influence to another character |
Reprimands
Reprimands are spent on penalties:
| Spend | Cost | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Demotion | 3 | Reduce rank by one step |
| Detention | 2 | Cannot use this character next mission |
| Reduce Reputation | Equal to old rating | Lower Reputation by 1 |
| Gain Antipathy | Variable | An allied NPC regards you poorly |
| Court Martial | 5 | You are arrested and put on trial |
| Status | 3 | Create a detrimental trait or remove a beneficial one |
Awards
Awards provide limited but potent benefits. Each has a cost in Acclaim and conditions that must be met:
| Award | Cost | Benefit |
|---|---|---|
| Christopher Pike Medal of Valor | 4 | Once/mission, treat Direct task d20 as a 1 |
| Cochrane Medal of Excellence | 3 | Once/mission, gain two Determination benefits instead of one for a specific focus |
| Grankite Order of Tactics | 3 | Once/mission, auto-add Potency when creating a tactical trait |
| Karagite Order of Heroism | 3 | Once/mission, avoid an Injury for free |
| Legion of Honor | 4 | Once/mission, gain 2 bonus Momentum or ignore a complication |
| Star Cross | 3 | Once/mission, double your focus range for one task |
| Starfleet Medal of Honor | 5 | Once/mission, gain 2 bonus Momentum |
Tips for Players
- Keep your log updated. It's your roadmap to advancement — without it, you can't call back to previous adventures.
- Use your Values. Advancement is driven by Values. If you're not using them, you're not growing.
- Think long-term. Character arcs span multiple missions. Plan which Values you want to develop.
- Spend Acclaim immediately. It doesn't carry over — use it or lose it.
- Reputation matters. A high Reputation gives you social leverage. A low one creates obstacles.