The Orions: Book of Common Knowledge and Book of Deep Knowledge

by Peter Rogan

The Orions supplement for Star The Role Playing Game consists of two * The Book of Common Knowledge contains information that is known to Federation, Klingon, and Romulan characters. Inside are the Orions' spocial structure, a racial history dating back hundreds of thousands of years, descriptions of trade on Rigel IV (where alien races have traded for millennia), details on Orion slavery, and numerous planetary descriptions. * The Book of Deep Knowledge provides that information known only to the gamemaster and Orion characters. It fills the gaps of Orion history, presents the Orion character generation system, describes Orion families, corporations, and governments, and sets the record straight on Orion pirates.

Genres: Star Trek

Paperback

First published September 1, 1988

Reviews

[Marika · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you can get your hands on these two books, written for the Star Trek RPG, grab them! (They're often available on eBay for less than what Amazon charges.) If you're a fan of the Orion/Orion Syndicate characters in the series, these two books fill out a glorious history and culture of the race. I wish Star Trek would use Orion characters as more than "look - nearly naked green women!" or "look - space pirates!" Peter Rogan developed one of the backstories of a race I've ever read. For those who want to write science fiction and get ideas of how to develop species, worlds, and technologies - look to the Star Trek RPG books.

[Matthew J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

So all I actually read was the Book of Common Knowledge. I didn't realize it was a set. Got just the one at a used book store. Fingers crossed I'll be able to find part two at some point and not break the bank to do it. This is a super-useful and content packed book. If you're thinking about running a FASA Star Trek game (or use their background with a better system as I plan to do) set around the Neutral Zone, this would be a great book. The Orions bring a lot of interesting stuff into the game. I get the feeling the folks writing the Ferengi drew on this stuff. There are definitely a lot of parallels.
This book has a fairly deep history, lots of info to spawn story ideas, and a huge list of worlds, each with its own issues. You could easily have enough stuff here to run a campaign around the Orions. I'm severely tempted to put together some kind of merchant-type game. Play outside of the Federation, on the boarder of legality. Mix it up with Feds, Klingons and the Orions. Tons of story potential there.