Nosmo Valencourt |
Nosmo yet lacks the combat experience to formulate any strategy beyond squeezing the trigger again and releasing another burst.
Arc Pistol vs Orange w/ Combat Tracking: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (12) + 4 = 16
Electric Damage: 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3
GM Kevin O'Rourke |
Nosmo yet lacks the combat experience to formulate any strategy beyond squeezing the trigger again and releasing another burst but it has little effect.
Trosvod keeps firing, hoping to finally crack these Azlanti!
Logically, as committed as they are at this moment, no other course of action is possible - AXL continues shooting but hunkering down in their cover they are hard to land a blow on.
Elthaeron kept up the barrage, intent on bringing his target down. One shot at a time.
Trosvod collapses under a hail of fire and AXL takes a round to the shoulder. "Surrender now Pact World scum and we can save your friend."
Red Vs Trosvod: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (16) + 7 = 23
Damage: 1d8 + 3 ⇒ (3) + 3 = 6
Red Vs Trosvod: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (17) + 7 = 24
Damage: 1d8 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4
Orange Vs Trosvod: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (9) + 7 = 16
Orange Vs Trosvod: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (10) + 7 = 17
Yellow Vs Trosvod: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (17) + 7 = 24
Damage: 1d8 + 3 ⇒ (2) + 3 = 5
Yellow Vs AXL: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (19) + 7 = 26
Damage: 1d8 + 3 ⇒ (3) + 3 = 6
If your Hit Points reach 0, you are dying. You immediately fall unconscious and can take no actions. While dying, you lose 1 Resolve Point each round at the end of your turn. (If your Hit Points reached 0 during your turn, such as from an attack of opportunity you provoked, you do not lose a Resolve Point until the end of your next turn.) This continues until either you die or stabilize (see Stabilizing below).
There are several ways to stabilize a dying creature, including first aid, healing, and spending Resolve Points. Once stable, you are no longer dying and no longer lose Resolve Points, but you still have 0 Hit Points and are unconscious.
First Aid
You can stabilize a dying creature and keep it from losing any more Resolve Points with a successful DC 15 Medicine check.
Healing
You can stabilize a dying creature and keep it from losing any more Resolve Points with any sort of healing, such as the stabilize spell. Healing that raises a dying creature’s Hit Points to 1 or higher makes it conscious and fully functional again, just as if it had never been reduced to 0 HP.
Using Resolve Points
If you are dying and have enough Resolve Points, you can use them to stabilize. If you’re stable, you can use Resolve Points to regain consciousness and stay in the fight (see below).
Stabilize
If you are dying and you have enough Resolve Points, you can spend a number of Resolve Points equal to one-quarter your maximum (minimum 1 RP, maximum 3 RP) on your turn to immediately stabilize. This means you’re no longer dying, but you remain unconscious and at 0 HP. If you don’t have enough Resolve Points remaining, you cannot use this option and continue to lose Resolve Points as normal as per the dying rules.
Stay In The Fight
If you are stable and have enough Resolve Points, or if you were knocked unconscious from nonlethal damage (see page 252), you can spend 1 RP at the beginning of your turn to regain 1 HP. You are no longer dying, immediately become conscious, and can take the rest of your turn as normal. You can spend Resolve Points to regain Hit Points only if you are at 0 HP and stable, and you cannot regain more than 1 HP in this way. You can’t spend Resolve Points to stabilize and to stay in the fight in the same round.
Long-Term Stability
Nosmo
Trosvod
AXL
Elthaeron
Aeon Guard Orange -18, Red -41
GM Kevin O'Rourke |
Nosmo's shot hits the wall beside the Aeon guard.
Arc Pistol vs Orange w/ Combat Tracking: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (12) + 4 = 16
Trosvod crashes to the ground.
Elthaeron paused, looking at his fallen comrade. ”We’re not listening...right? Won’t they just kill us?” He said with some uncertainty.
AXL's shot goes a little wide as his target ducks behind cover.
Diasporan rifle, tactical on Red: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (11) + 6 = 17
The Aeon Guard shoot several rounds into AXL and Nosmo, AXL getting particularly badly hit. "We wont kill you mongrel, we've got a nice prison moon where they can torture you for exactly how you got the transponder... then you'll be punished. Most likely an execution. But do it the hard way, its the same amount of paperwork for us either way."
Red Vs AXL: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (1) + 7 = 8
Red Vs AXL: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (20) + 7 = 27
Damage: 2d8 + 6 ⇒ (8, 5) + 6 = 19
Yellow Vs AXL: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (16) + 7 = 23
Damage: 1d8 + 3 ⇒ (5) + 3 = 8
Yellow Vs AXL: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (19) + 7 = 26
Damage: 1d8 + 3 ⇒ (2) + 3 = 5
Orange Vs Nosmo: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (19) + 7 = 26
Damage: 1d8 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4
Orange Vs Nosmo: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (3) + 7 = 10
Nosmo
Trosvod
AXL
Elthaeron
Aeon Guard Orange -18, Red -41
Elthaeron |
”So I can die now...or be tortured, imprisoned and then killed later? I had no idea the tyrants had sent their career diplomats to board our ship. I’ll think about it....or maybe I should just blow up the ship? Take you with us, at least.”
Bluff: 1d20 ⇒ 8
Can I still attack? Assuming not but never hurts to ask
Nosmo Valencourt |
Energy Shield: 3/7 Temp HP
Arc Pistol vs Orange: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (6) + 4 = 10
A flood of adrenaline deafens Nosmo to the Azlantis' ultimatum. The surge feels like a panic attack, but he rides it like a wave. He rises from the ground and squeezes off another shot. He might be yelling a shrill war cry, but he's not sure.
Unfortunately, he remains but a bioengineer - not an action vid hero - and the futile shot strikes the bulkhead.
GM Kevin O'Rourke |
"You don't have the morale fortitude Pact Worlder. Whatever your ploy is it is doomed to failure. Our ship and the prison are alerted to your foolhardy attempt. If you're lucky you'll serve a sentence of hard labour or just get sold into slavery."
As Nosmo's shot hits the bulkhead the figure calls out "I'm trying to be reasonable here but if he shoots again I'm breaking out the grenades. Sooner or later your worlds will be added to the Star Empire, think of it as getting a head start over your peers." There's a chuckle from the other two Aeon Guard.
Nosmo Valencourt |
Just as quickly as it came, the adrenaline fades from Nosmo's system. He feels physically sick as his body struggles to reconcile all the stressful stimuli. It comes as a relief when he lays down his arc pistol and slowly raises his hands.
"Don't shoot. I'm sorry. Don't shoot," he repeats, numb with fear.
Nosmo Valencourt |
"Of course we're surrendering," Nosmo yells, his voice cracking. His eyes dart to his weapon on the ground, along with AXL's weapon, and Trosvod's whole body. "Who isn't surrendering? This is totally a surrender!" he rambles fearfully.
GM Kevin O'Rourke |
The next few moments are a blur as you are roughly handled and restrained before being dragged back to the Aeon Guard patrol vessel. Your weapons, tools and armour are all removed.
A new guard looks down at you. "State your identities for processing."
In the distance you can hear members of your crew struggling against the Aeon Guard in vain.
Nosmo Valencourt |
"N...Nos...Nosmo. Nosmo Val...Valencourt," he stammers, to the guards' increasing annoyance.
"I studied biological engineering and sciences at the Lunar Institute on Absalom Station, and I worked at a nearby diner as a short-order cook to earn credits for digital texts and holovid subscriptions," he begins to babble - offering, in sharp contrast to Elthaeron, far more information than the Aeon Guards wanted.
"...my cornbread recipe actually became pretty famous around the Eye on the station," he says on a tangent, still talking several minutes later. "The trick wasn't about avoiding non-synth ingredients but rather carefully tracking the distance and time of exposure to the heating coil."
When Nosmo is interrogated, I am imagining the scene from the Goonies when the Fratellis tell Chunk to spill his guts and tell them "everything."
GM Kevin O'Rourke |
The last bits of gear are being removed one of the guards stops "An android! We've got a special place for you slave." A prison guard comes onto the Aeon Guard vessel. Trosvod begins to come around to his senses.
The prison guards aren't equipped as well as the Aeon Guard, closer to the gear of the cadets you faced before however given they are encountering unarmed prisoners it's not too bad.
An image of a black star with a red core decorates the smooth surface of this landing pad. An airlock door leads into the prison complex to the south, though several large domes can be seen to the west and northwest. The airless surface of the moon stretches out in all other directions.
"Lets get them processed." The male Azlanti prison guard simply holds his hand up to a panel by the door and it opens, no code. There must be something about him or his equipment that allows him to open the door. His nametag says Iovinus.
You enter a stark, empty corridor from the door to the south. An airlock door stands opposite that entrance, and another door at the western end of the hallway leads into the cell block proper. There are two security cameras here—one in the southwest corner of the hall and one in the southeast corner of the hall. A female prison guard Aetia is stationed here.
Going through to the next area a few rows of uncomfortable-looking chairs line some of the cold metal walls of this oddly shaped room. A large steel desk blocks the door in the northwest section. A simple door exits to the south, and a more imposing door leads east. A prison guard here looks over your group. Ludilus is his name, he looks at your group disdainfully. "The bad news is there is since you weren't schedualed there wont be enough space in the comfortable standard cells for all of you. The good news is we've got more than one android including your new friend. Behave yourself and some day you might be able to be a subject of the Star Empire."
He leans in towards AXL "Not you though, we know how to keep your kind in their place. But serve well and your life can have meaning in thrall to your master."
The Aeon Guard figures dump the bags with your gear onto the ground. "They're your problem now, process them and sign so we can get off this rock."
Ludilus looks dryly at his peers "You didn't subjugate them in good condition then? There no high priority associated with them and they're in rough shape so no interrogations just yet. I doubt they know much of value."
Ludilus starts handing out small simple computer slates for you to fill out some forms on. "What possessed you to try to sneak in here?"
Nosmo Valencourt |
"Just some dumb Pact Worlders, I guess," Nosmo muses morosely. His sense of adventure has been crushed by the weight of reality - or perhaps the less figurative weight of Azlanti boots. "Where even are we?"
Trosvod "The Wyrm" |
Trosvod groans and blearily opens his eyes, then looks around.
He looks down at himself as he sits up.
"Frack.", he mutters as he realises that not only has he been stripped of weapons and armour, but he does not a single cigar on him.
"We're in the joint, is where we are. Damn. Anyone know how to fiddle with Azlanti locks?"
The Vesk stands up, looking about him for any hint of advantage.
Perception: 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (8) + 0 = 8
Survival: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (15) + 4 = 19
Culture (Pirate Bands): 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (1) + 0 = 1
Elthaeron |
Elthaeron remained silent, feeling naked without a mask or helmet to cover his face. Knowing that he did not have a silver tongue, he decided to let the others try and talk their way out of this...meanwhile he studied his surroundings, looking for anything that might be useful to know should they make an escape attempt in the future.
SM: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (11) + 10 = 21
GM Kevin O'Rourke |
"Most likely beyond your primitive comprehension Vesk. Likely your base avarice wished to steal our superior technology. This is the Prison on Gulta and I can honestly say it's the most hospitable place on Gulta."
Before long ye are dragged down a long corridor into a central location. Three guards monitor this location. You see doors marked as Maintenance, Infirmary, Reactors and Cafeteria as you travel..
"Another android? You'll have to put him in with the general population." Ludilus is about to object when they put up the guard puts up their hand. "Warden's orders, there's no wiggle room."
Six transparent cylinders line the northern and southwestern arcs of this dome, their exteriors humming with some mystical force. A raised, windowed room to the east looks out over the rest of the chamber, and a lone door exits to the southeast.
You can see several of the other prisoners aleady kept in this area. Three guards monitor this area.
A large, carnivorous, caterpillar-like being has tendrils that resemble the leaves of a sundew sticking out from all over his back.
A sluglike creature composed of slime.
A sickly looking emaciated female vesk. Her scales are dull and falling off in places.
An iridescent blue female shirren missing a foot and two vestigial arms.
A red scaled lizard creature called an Ikeshti, you know they are a race from the pact worlds. But she is bigger and larger than you have seen from their kind before.
Nosmo Valencourt |
Life Science: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (12) + 9 = 21
A spark of life returns to Nosmo's eyes as curiosity overtakes him. Besides the vesk and shirren, he looks around at species he's never seen even on Absalom Station.
He nudges Elthaeron and whispers.
"That Ikeshti - judging from her size, she may be a rivener. They're especially aggressive."
Nosmo shares the information both in case it could aid their situation and to serve as a warning.
GM Kevin O'Rourke |
Each of you is manacled by the feet to a pipe. Not expecting prisoners it seems the guards are just having to make do restraining you without actual cells. The locks are simple but functional... if you could get some kind of rudimentary tools you might be able to pick them.
Once you are all secure most of the prison guards leave, with only three remaining to supervise the area. They largely seem to be occupied with various tasks and are rarely focusing on observing you or the other prisoners, at best keeping an eye on you with peripheral vision. At first they try to keep you under close observation since you are outside proper confinement but their regular duties inevitably drag your focus away.
Elthaeron |
Elthaeron sat down, getting as comfortable as he could. All in all things could have gone worse, he supposed. It did seem like everything was going too well. How were they supposed to pull all of this off? It was inconceivable. The fact that they were all alive was a small miracle.
Focusing on the female vesk, he projected his voice into her mind.
”Act normal. Don’t let the guards notice. I am the elf, the one who came with the other Vesk. I don’t want to die here and I doubt you do either. How long have you been here and how well do you know this place? Focus on me and think your reply.”
GM Kevin O'Rourke |
The vesks eyes widen slightly. "I am Mothkala. My allies include shirren named Tseekchik, and Letrimakinetamal the slivara. We were past archaeologists. We smuggled things off Azlanti sites that once belonged to Azlanti aliens, and gave them back to the people who were supposed to own them. One day they picked up something powerful the Azlanti wanted, so the Azlanti went and picked us up. I have seen little of this place except here and the interogation room."
Elthaeron |
Elthaeron closed his eyes and leaned his head against the wall, trying to look like he was just resting. ”Mothkala, thank you. I will talk to them as well. Together we will find a way to escape. If you can think of anything of import, such as how many guards there are, their schedules, what they are armed with, please tell me. Any detail might prove crucial in our escape.”
GM, I’d rather not hog all the screen time talking to each individually. Can Elthaeron ask Tseekchik and Letrimakinetamal the same questions? Only name dropping Mothkala so that he doesn’t come across as a *complete* stranger?
Nosmo Valencourt |
Nosmo idly kicks his leg, testing the grasp of the shackles upon his ankle.
"I haven't felt so useless since my academy days," he bemoans, sliding down to sit at the foot of the pipe to which he is bound. He allows himself a moment to wallow in self pity before pounding his fist upon the floor plating, rediscovering his sense of adventure - or perhaps it is merely desperation.
With a dawning smile, he remembers something they could not take from him, and Nosmo instructs his exocortex AI to lock on to nearby guards in sequence to size them up for vulnerabilities or exploitable quirks. Meanwhile, he surveys the pipes, manacles, and other hardware nearby to assess their structural integrity.
Engineering, assess the stability of structures and machinery: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (9) + 11 = 20
GM Kevin O'Rourke |
Trosvod still needs more time to pick up any patterns.
Letrimakinetamal is in a bad state, it's shell is drying out and wont be able to do much until water is poured on it's shell.
Tseekchik is eager to escape, but she has trouble standing on her own. She has the staggered condition due to her injuries. They relay that the ikeshti is not doing well mentally but if released Tseekchik thinks they'll focus on the guards and not harm anyone else.
As AXL looks around there's little that has been left near them... but then he considers Trosvod's scales are a bit large but is rigid enough to be useful at picking a lock if filled down.
It's clear to Nosmo that the manacles are the weak point. It would be difficult but if some of the bolts could be removed a nearby pipe could be removed that would function as a crude weapon.
Elthaeron |
Elthaeron kept his eyes closed, and one by one linked himself to his comrades.
”This is difficult. Please *think* your words clearly. If everyone does this at once it will be overwhelming, so don’t do that. Now listen...” He telepathically communicated what he had learned to the group, so that they could start forming their plan to escape. And so that the others could, through him, communicate with their fellow prisoners.
Nosmo Valencourt |
"Trosvod, if you can give me one of your scales, I might be able to pick these locks or unbolt the pipe," Nosmo's mind speaks, perhaps a bit too loudly in his allies' minds.
Nosmo fiddles with small rocks and bits of metal upon the deck plating, trying to look inconspicuous but in truth looking for something that could be used as a whetstone to file down a vesk scale.
GM Kevin O'Rourke |
After two hours the guards provide a meal... it is unpleasant and far too meager...
Trosvod can see the guards aren't all that focused on your group. Likely you could rest for a time before beginning any clandestine activities.
Nosmo finds an out of the way spot hidden by one of the pipes he could use as a whetstone where it wouldn't be noticed.
Nosmo can I get an engineering check to see how good of a 'tool' you create. Then an engineering check to see how much progress you can make on the locks.
AXL23 a.k.a. Axel |
His main avenue of action already taken up by Nosmo, AXL eats his food in silence, but refrains from drinking more than one or two sips of water.
With his container in hand, he approaches Letrimakinetamal with an upraised hand in sign of peace, and motions to pour the water over his scales.
GM Kevin O'Rourke |
AXL isn't able to get even close to Letrimakinetamal's cell restrained as he is.
The night passes uneventfully though your sleep is broken as the guards make little effort to avoid rousing you. In the 'morning' no meal is brought to any of the prisoners.
You've all rested so can heal up as per normal.