Sins of Youth

[ghosty]

Okay its been a while since i posted a story idea.

This one is a semi-comedic episode.

I remember one episode of TNG when the some of the senior staff were reverted to childhood. I'd put the title up but I'm too lazy to get the TNG Compendium off the shelf...

I was thinking of something a little more difficult. Instead of the senior staff, what if the whole crew reverted to childhood.... No of course this kind of adventure is not fun without a little danger, well the engines have blown and the ship is drifting towards a black hole.

Constructive criticism please.

[C5]

Nice! A ghosty idea

Well one question to start : in the TNG episode (Rascals, IIRC), the childhood regression was physical only (their mind was unchanged).
Do you have in mind this very same type of regression, or also a mental regression of the crew as well (to some extent of course : for instance, the memories would be kept intact, but the general behaviour would be reverted to childhood as well) ?

[Dan Gurden]

Originally posted by ghosty
Constructive criticism please.

I know the episode you are referring too. It was called Rascals.

Thing is while their bodies had reverted to childhood they were still the same people, with the same experiences and knowledge... So having a tech problem wouldn't cause too many problems unless they reverted mentally instead/too...

The problem there is the impetus to return to adulthood is gone... After all no child wants to grow up, until the terrible teens at least. So any threat would need to be from a source that a childs boby would cause the difficulty... Such as a normally weaker foe returning and using their now greater strength to enforce the poistion, or the computer not recognising verbal commands, that sort of thing...

[ghosty]

Actually the idea is the command crew remains unchanged but the rest of the crew reverts to childhood physcially and mentally ...try baby sitting 1,000 screaming kids as you drift towards a black hole....I know I'm evil.

[Dan Gurden]

Originally posted by ghosty
Actually the idea is the command crew remains unchanged but the rest of the crew reverts to childhood physcially and mentally ...try baby sitting 1,000 screaming kids as you drift towards a black hole....I know I'm evil.

You may not be evil for long...

A black hole vs 1000 screaming kids is an easy decision.

Black Hole every time...

[C5]

Originally posted by ghosty
Actually the idea is the command crew remains unchanged but the rest of the crew reverts to childhood physcially and mentally ...try baby sitting 1,000 screaming kids as you drift towards a black hole....I know I'm evil.

Nice

One suggestion, then : the ship could be rather old, having been refitted among the years. Now, some phenomenon would have caused everything aboard to rejuvenate, including the ship herself (as for the command crew, they could have been away in a shuttle exploring some strange planet as command crew usually do)! Now the Crew is aboard a shining new ship... only it's complitely outdated.
If I may then suggest a malicious wormhole instead of a black hole, wich would send the ship, say, in the middle of Romulan space, or something like that.
How do you like it ?

[Lancer]

Originally posted by ghosty
Actually the idea is the command crew remains unchanged but the rest of the crew reverts to childhood physcially and mentally ...try baby sitting 1,000 screaming kids as you drift towards a black hole....I know I'm evil.

Take care to disable the internal security systems. Babysitting becomes too easy when you can just flood the whole ship with Anesthezine gas (which is what I would do to get around the childcare problem ).

[Captain Zymmer]

Far too many Black Holes of late I think.

Over all a good idea, but you have to answer why the rest of the crew is affected but not the PCs I think C5's idea of having them return from something and finding the ship like this would be best.

Remember the deevolution episode?

Overall the threat of a wormhole isn't as terrifying as a black hole, which means death, death, death anyway you slice it...

Is this an effect of being caught in the event horizon? Perhaps the players have an added clock of slowly regressing themselves as well....Every now and then youc ould hand them notes that say things like "You are now 15...and so-in-so is cute". Etc...

[C5]

Well, when I suggested a wormhole, the idea was that the ship did fell through it and was indeed somewhere unpleasant. Since ghosty said he thought of a semi-comedic episode, I thought having a ship full of teens in the middle of the Romulan Empire would be a bit less dramatic than on the event horizon of a blackhole.

Though regressing the PCs as well is neat... this could offer some very interesting roleplaying opportunities : if the regression let them keep their memories, but make them act according to their age, they may say things they usually think, but avoid to tell... you're much more direct when you're 10 than 30 or 40...

[Robbert Raets]

Originally posted by Captain Zymmer
Perhaps the players have an added clock of slowly regressing themselves as well....Every now and then youc ould hand them notes that say things like "You are now 15...and so-in-so is cute". Etc...

Nasty! This de-aging stuff reminds me of Insurrection.... Metaphasic radiation, anyone?

Maybe their ship is exploring the Briar Patch.

[Michael Barratt]

Originally posted by Robbert Raets


Nasty! This de-aging stuff reminds me of Insurrection.... Metaphasic radiation, anyone?

Maybe their ship is exploring the Briar Patch.

THeir ship could be testing new metaphasics-based medical practices, and be in a "clean room" when the 'stuff' escapes, rapidly de-aging the rest of the crew before losing most of its effectiveness. When they come out of the clean room, they'll start to be affected, but much slower than the other kiddies...

The Doc