I think in Starfinder you really need access to a control module to be able to hack anything (for computers the control module and the device itself are one and the same). If robots are centrally controlled then hacking the central control computer will allow you to control the robots. If robots are autonomous then you need to get physcial access to the control module within the robot itself, which this robot at least, won't really let you do without a fight.
The only way to overcome an air gap in Starfinder (that is gain remote access to a control module that is not on a network) seems to be the exocortex mechanic's remote hack class feature which comes in at level 5.
For the robot, it might be magic, it might be starmetals are super light. I dunno!
Apologoes for the clumsy last post. Wrote it late last night.
I'll be on vacation for the rest of the week, so I'm not sure if I'll be online every day. Please bot if required.
@vacation - have fun :-)
@crit+robot - they are actually vulnerable to those I think, going by the clues Leila got.
@remote hacking - Leila just need to load up a harpoon gun with fiber-optic cables ... :-P
Leia is right. Robots are vulnerable to crits. It's an interesting change they made to the sub type right in Pathfinder. Makes them feel different from magical constructs.
Congrats guys! Level up!
I think the way I'll play it is that you get all the new character resources you'd get from the level up (hp, sp,rp etc.) upon a ten minute rest but you won't regenerate what you lost.
We can continue exploring meanwhile until the new stuff matters and then we'll pause and give Prospero and hopefully Fi a chance to get back Monday.
Wooo level 3! Nice work everyone. That robot had some serious weaponry and it could have gone much worse.
Will level up tonight.
Astri is going to need to take a 10 minute rest to recover her stamina while we're checking out this room anyway.
Sounds like a plan, GM.
Yay!
Minor note: I slapped a +1 on Leila's computer skill since I'm 99% sure I'll pick that. If not - sorry in advance :P
Level 3:
+1 BAB
+1 fort
+6 hp
+6 stamina
Expertise talent:
Slick Customer (Ex; Diplomacy)
When you attempt a Diplomacy check, you can choose not
to roll your expertise die until later. After you determine
what the check’s result would be, you can choose to either
roll your expertise die and add it to the total or forgo the
expertise die and reroll the check (see page 243). At 9th
level, you can spend 1 Resolve Point to both reroll the check
and add the result of your expertise die.
Bonus Feat: Weapon Specialization (Basic Melee, Small arms)
9 skill points:
+1 Bluff
+1 Culture (New language: Vesk)
+1 Diplomacy
+2 Disguise
+1 Intimidate
+1 Perception
+1 Profession: Video Personality
+1 Sense Motive
---------------------
Probably not gonna gear up Astri's Bluff game until level 5, when I can get Skill Expertise in it, then level 7 get Talent: Convincing Liar (get to roll bluff twice), then level 8 get Improvisation: Hidden Agenda (make others roll their sense motive twice and take the worse result!)
I figure that as time goes on Astri will get more and more confident in her ability to bamboozle people/not be afraid of anything since her friends can shoot their way out of anything. Until then I'll rely on more diplomacy tactics and being "nice".
I didn't go with super bluff abilities right off the bat because at low level it's too easy to get caught in a lie and put everyone in deep s+@+. Though maybe with Envoy expertise and such it's meant so you can actually get away with that? I don't know, didn't want to risk everyone getting shot up because of a bad bluff roll.
Edit:
I forgot to choose a lvl 3 feat! I usually plan out my feat progress for characters at creation, but for some reason I didn't with Astri. I'll have to think about what I'm going to choose.
Veiled threat (essentially when Astri intimidates someone they don't become hostile later, but instead indifferent) is pretty baller. It essentially removes the negative aspect of using intimidate. But I also like having a high bluff and diplomacy...
List:
Top-
Veiled Threat
Skill Focus (Intimidate)
Skill focus (Sense Motive)
Skill focus (Profession: video personality)
Skill Synergy (Diplomacy + Bluff)
Skill Synergy (Sense Motive + Profession: Video personality)
Skill Synergy (Intimidate + any of the above)
Maybe-
Deadly Aim
Far Shot
Fleet
Kip up
Mobility
Quick Draw
Weapon Focus
Toughness
Great Fortitude
Interesting feat list! Remember though. Skill Focus and Synergy are insight bonuses, just like your expertise die! They won't stack.
Oh.
Oh no.
I did not know they changed skill focus to be an insight bonus in Starfinder.
I've been cheating this whole time and adding it to Diplomacy BEFORE my expertise rolls! I feel terrible D: Sorry.
WELL
That kind of torpedoes my idea of getting all ludicrously high scoial skills. But It does narrow down the feat list! Besides, with Slick Customer Astri's Skill Expertise in Diplomacy can still do good work.
If I use Slick Customer and forgo the expertise die to reroll a diplomacy check, the skill focus now counts for a +3, making up for the lack of skill expertise! Yay?
There's also this nugget in the Envoy rules: Beginning at 9th level, you have even greater expertise with skills to which you can add your expertise die that you have also selected with the Skill Focus feat. For each such skill, once per day when rolling your expertise die to add to that skill, you may roll the expertise die twice and take the better of the two results.
In any case:
Hmm what do you guys think- Veiled Threat or Skill Focus: Intimidate? Leaning towards Veiled Threat, because usually if Diplomacy doesn't work I switch to Mean Astri, and not having as bad of consequences if THAT fails too would be nice.
Oh.
Oh no.
I did not know they changed skill focus to be an insight bonus in Starfinder.
I know right? Terrible and tragic!
---
On a side-note: I'm currently down with a cold and such I'm not feeling too good about updating Leila. I'll try to patch together her next level by monday but I'm not sure I'll get everything done. Sorry in advance!
That's alright Leila. I was feeling down on Friday as well. We might need a bit of a longer pause anyway for Prospero and Fi to get ready for this encounter.
All right, back in business!
Yay, level 3!!!
So, P-4 will be getting Overload and weapon specialization - pretty straight forward. For feat choice I'll need to give some thought (or just pick weapon focus).
Edit: According to GM's Mechanic house rules, Prospero would be gaining another +1 for his Bypass ability, right?
Yup, +3 BAB for Prospero-4.
Oh yeah and you do get a bump to your Computers and Engineering as well from Bypass. Again, these are all insight bonuses.
Phone is having some issues, so I won't be able to post from work until I figure it out.
Decided to go with Veiled Threat, because using social skills is Astri's thing!
GM: Do you want posts now, or we waiting for everyone to be set?
Well we're not in combat yet so there's no reason not to post until that happens. Plus maybe some knowledge checks and the like if you want.
Oh minor note before I go to bed - I updated Leila recently.
Just put another point in the skills she already had, gained weapon specialization, +2 Mi movement and upgraded operatives edge to +2. Was inspired by Astri's list so I picked Kip Up. Might come in handy in shootouts!
Kip Up is great, especially if I have Astrianna takes THIS:
Watch Out (Ex)
As a reaction, when an enemy makes a ranged attack against an ally within 60 feet of you, you can warn that ally of the danger. You must spend your reaction when the enemy declares the attack but before it makes the attack roll. Your ally can spend a reaction to gain a +4 to AC against the triggering attack. Once the triggering attack is resolved, the ally falls prone. At 8th level, you can spend 1 Resolve Point to prevent your ally from falling prone after the attack.
Of course, I don't know how that will work in PbP... we might have to modify it a bit? Maybe make the attacker re-roll against the higher AC? Not sure.
Also - does it work on someone already prone? They just flop around a bit on the ground?
I'd allow flopping like a fish out of water because that sounds fun. Also going down matrix style in zero g.
@Astrianna For Watch Out maybe the best way to handle it would be on your turn you declare a simple trigger like "If Prospero gets attacked Astrainna will use Watch Out on him." Or "Astrianna will use Watch Out on the first person who gets targeted by the giant laser cannon". That way I can resolve it during my turn if it acutally triggers.
Prospero is otherwise leveled up, but I'm still undecided about the feat...
I think I'll leave the skill-monkeying to you guys (since I already have insight bonus on the skills P-4 is supposed to be good at.)
So perhaps some combat focus.
Always usable no-brainers:
Weapon Focus (longarm)
Improved initiative
Situational, but could be very useful:
Nimble moves
Opening up some interesting feat chains:
Mobility
What to take..?
Looks a bit like those things they find at the Falcon when they hide on that asteroid (small ones, not the giant worm).
Also! That extra +2 from Alien Archive doesn't help does it ... :P? Worth asking at least ^^
Sorry you needed to hit a 22. It's rare.
Whoa that is uh... that is a thing.
Gonna try to talk to it first, maybe it can be reasoned with to not eat our gallbaldders or whatever! We have a lottt of questions. Well, that and I want to try out Slick Customer.
I really doubt this will work so you better take those combat feats fast Prospero! Tough choice on Weapon focus vs improved Initiative, I'd have a hard time choosing myself. You'd use both in every fight. Might have to flip a coin, and take the other at lvl 5.
What Astrianna basically achieved
We're getting really close to rolling initiative here. The thing could really have just attacked as soon as you entered.
Feels bad but.. I think I'm going to have to faux level up Fianh and just start.
I as hoping to buy us some time at least.
I don't think Fi will mind you leveling her up and starting. Hopefully she'll be back by the time we get our hands on that starship!
Have you had contact? Didn't respond to a PM I sent. Pick a feat for her and we'll move on soon.
OK, I picked Improved initiative. P-4 should be fully leveled up now.
Edit: And regarding Fi... She did say the promotion might cause problems for being able to post. So maybe we should add the level-up bonuses for her and continue. Like Astrianna, I don't think she'll mind.
And I hope she'll be back.
Edit Edit: Improved init. for Fi as well? Like I said, it's always useful. She can pick whatever she'll like once she's back.
I agree with picking up improved Init for her. Han Solo is well known user of Improved Initiative (screw the remasters), why shouldn't we shoot first too?
Unfortunately, you guys rolled *terrible* so the improved initiative from both prospero and Fianh didn't help :(.
This is the statline I'm going to be using for Fi:
Female Human Daredevil Operative (Ace Pilot) 3 I HP 22 I Stamina 21 I Resolve 5 I EAC 15 I KAC 16 I Fort +2 I Ref +7 I Will +3 I Init +9 I Perception +7, Darkvision 12 metrons
In addition she's faster due to operative quick movement, her skills are 2 higher (operative's edge bumped up plus rank), which should make it easier to land a trick attack which is now +1d8. Plus of course all you guys got weapon specilization so your attacks have a flat +3 added.
Final boss time really no point holding back right now..
Hrhrmrm. I feel that I should point out that small arms and operative weapons (aka trick attack things) only get half of weapon specialization. Even if it had been nice to have Fi blast the critter really hard!
Whoops, thanks for pointing that out....
Good luck with the fight!
Sigh, no matter what the bonuses are, if I roll bad...
BTW, was anyone else involved in Starfinder Society? I noticed this AP is sanctioned for SFS, and I would very happily get the chronicles from it...
No idea how Society GMing works though I do play. :) If you do know how such Chronicles get created and how it works then let me know.
We're running under house rules though and I don't know if that disqualifies the game from being society reported.
How far above us is Mr. Wormyhead flying?
About two to three metrons.
Merp I guess Leila's shooting spree had to end eventually :P
Also, in other news, pathfinder 2.0. Thoughts : )?
Early for thoughts. On one hand from a game perspective it makes perfect sense for them to move on from PF1.0. It's been nine years and the system is showing its age and is just crazy bloated. On the other, man, how many players will they lose? And they're doing it while they have another brand new system to support? Gutsy.
Same here. I'm sort of thrilled on getting a fresh system and getting rid of all the bloat. But I suppose there is no way to support all the stuff they've published so far - so I suppose many players will want to stick with the old. Like playing with just CRB after being used to those zillions of splatbooks will feel restrictive.
But I guess all the new versions of D&D have sold pretty well in the end. Then again, all the people who didn't like change started playing Pathfinder :D
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Based on the house rule I foisted on you guys, I really hope they get rid of ability scores and just keep modifiers. It irritates the programmer in me.
WHY STORE TWO NUMBERS WHEN ONE WILL DO? WHYYYYYY!
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Because having Str 13 is important for Power Attack :P
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
The number of triggers you packed into one sentence is truly amazing Leila!
No idea how Society GMing works though I do play. :) If you do know how such Chronicles get created and how it works then let me know.
We're running under house rules though and I don't know if that disqualifies the game from being society reported.
I think house rules don't matter, when playing in campaign mode. Would need to check the guide in detail if SFS works the same way as PFS.
The short technical how-to:
-Go to "Organized Play" -> "My Organized Play"
-In GM/Event Coordinator, create a new event (name it as you wish, e.g. GM Stargin's PBP)
-In the created event, "Report" a session - the AP should be selectable as a scenario
-Finally, fill up the chronicle sheets
so yes, a little bit of work needed :)
Hell why not. Will do it when I have time. So in campaign mode the chronicle sheet you get is generic and you can apply it to any Society character?
By the way. You're up Prospero.
Wild guess: this thing might have a tiny bit of DR and is probably using something vampire-touchy. That means it probably have a bit less then 80hp - but our attacks aren't 100% effective
1 RP to stabilize is correct Liea. You guys got *really* *really* close to ending it one round ago.