Character Creation: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Roleplaying Game

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (DS9) portrayed a different galaxy than the one presented in the original Star Trek, and the DS9 Roleplaying Game is a different sort of game than Star Trek. Instead of square-jawed Human captains and Vulcan scientists, players are expected to create Ferengi merchants, Klingon warriors, and Cardassian spies.

DS9 uses the same Icon system rules as Star Trek, and the process of creating a character is essentially the same, so I'll gloss over some things more than I did previously.

For this character, I want to design a Ferengi merchant named Grash. Grash is young and ambitious, the son of a Liquidator looking to make a name for himself.

I start with the racial template. Ferengi choose specializations for the Bargain skill and the Merchant skill, and I will go with Bribery and Trade Routes, respectively. I jot down the rest of my information (Ferengi get quite a few advantages and disadvantages). One interesting thing to note is that Ferengi cannot have any points in the Psi attribute. Moving on.

Next up is the overlay. Remember that this is akin to a character class in other systems. Following my concept, I choose the Merchant overlay. A few more choices here. A specialization in Athletics (Running), another specialization for Bargain (Marketplace Haggling), one for Computer (Research), another for Merchant (Dilithium Markets), and one for Personal Equipment (Tricorder).

Now on to Background. I first choose Early Life, and I take the Wealthy Upbringing package. I choose Charm with a specialization of Influence, and I get the Wealth advantage at +2. For my Advanced Training, I take Mercantile Apprentice/Assitant. This gives me yet another specialization for both Bargain (Dilithium Crystals) and Merchant (Spican Flame Gem Markets), and Administration with a specialization (Bureaucratic Manipulation). Finally, I get a Professional Career package. I take the Trader package. Yet another specialization for Bargain (Spican Flame Gems), two(!) more for Merchant (Shipping and Retail), and one more for Shipboard Systems (Transporter).

I could go back and take disadvantages and use those points to buy advantages, skills, or attribute levels, but I see Grash as a very young character with little in the way of backstory. I'll let him stand as he is. That went a lot faster than my last Icon system character.

Grash

Attributes
Fitness 1

Strength -1
Vitality +1

Coordination 2
Intellect 2

Logic +1
Perception +1

Presence 2

Empathy -1
Willpower -1

Psi 0

Skills
Administration (Bureaucratic Manipulation) 1 (2)
Athletics (Running) 1 (2)
Bargain (Bribery) 2 (3) and (Marketplace Haggling) (3) and (Dilithium Crystals) (3) and (Spican Flame Gems) (3)
Charm (Influence) 1 (2)
Computer (Research) 1 (2)
Culture (Ferengi) 2 (3)
Fast Talk 1
History (Ferengi) 1 (2)
Language: Federation Standard 1
Language: Ferengi 2
Language: Klingon 1
Law (Trade Regulations) 2 (3)
Merchant (Dilithium Markets) (3) and (Retail) (3) and (Shipping) (3) and (Spican Flame Gem Markets) (3) and (Trade Routes) 2 (3)
Personal Equipment (Tricorder) 1 (2)
Shipboard Systems (Flight Control) 1 (2) and (Transporter) (2)
World Knowledge (Ferenginar) 1 (2)

Advantages/Disadvantages
Excellent Hearing +2
Greedy -1
Mathematical Ability +3
Telepathic Resistance +4
Wealth +2

Courage: 3

Renown: 1
Skill 1