Bullets, Lies, and Open Skies

Game Master Eben al'Jol

"Sonofapilotbornlandside," Gilly growls as things go into a crash spiral. She darts her eyes left to right, snatches up one of her volatile compounds, and chucks it dead at the female trullkin. (This will provoke an attack from Brunyig, if he threatens with unarmed strike or the butt of the gun or anything like that.)

"Snack THIS!"

Throwing bomb, Point Blank Shot, Throw Anything: 1d20 + 6 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (20) + 6 + 1 + 1 = 28

Throwing bomb, confirm?: 1d20 + 6 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (15) + 6 + 1 + 1 = 23

Critical Damage to female Trullkin: 2d6 + 3 + 3 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (4, 2) + 3 + 3 + 1 + 1 = 14

(Bombs crit kind of weirdly, and splash damage is also funky. If I'm understanding it right, the splash damage of a bomb is always equal to the minimum damage of the bomb, and on the crit with Point Blank Shot, that would be 10, so Starns, next to the trullkin lady, has a DC 14 reflex save to make. If he makes it, 5 damage; the full 10 if he fails.

It's a beautiful shot, dead on target. Fire erupts all over the trullkin and washes over the human next to her. Gilly grins like a small, feral child of some sort, and hurriedly races for the eastern door.

Moved as shown on map. Will... provoke a second time, if Brunyig threatens with a melee attack and happens to have combat reflexes.

Fort Save: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (14) + 5 = 19

Zeke grunts and steels himself, grinning as the female trullkin bursts into flames. He backs up to give himself some room, and fires his pistol.

If the bomb dropped the trullkin he will shoot the humie next to her. If not, he will fire at the female trullkin. My roll20 isn't working perfect, so I cant see any names of the enemies. but it did let me move Zedd.

"You fire that at me, you'd best make sure I ain't still standin'!"

5-ft move

Move Action: Favored Target

Pistol Shot (favored target, pbs): 1d20 + 5 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (16) + 5 + 1 + 1 = 23

Dmg: 2d6 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (3, 4) + 1 + 1 = 9

I'm working on an update post (with the actions taken so far), but just a few reminders.

Strain vs Injury: Strain isn't actual lasting damage ... more like using up of your luck, toughness, or resiliency. So none of those initial successful attacks (all Strain damage) actually punctured flesh in any meaningful way.

Freebie Feats: remember that you have a few feats as freebies if you qualify ... namely Power Attack and Combat Expertise if you want to make use of them. (I only mention it because Rowena qualifies and didn't make use of it. Let me know if you want to modify that, Ambrose. Whether that is a good or bad idea based on the attack roll ... well, that's your call to make.)

Bomb crits: From my understanding (and a little bit of quick Rules sub-forum searches) the base damage and Int rider for the bomb itself is increased for the crit. Any bonus dice on the direct hit is not multiplied. Nor is the splash damage critiplied. I’m going to go with that for now. If anyone can find a solid ruling or argument that indicates the opposite, let me know and we can revisit this.

Quick clarification: Gizmo, do you mean to be heading towards the stairs? Or towards the location I spoilered to you. If the latter, have Gizmo head towards the southern end of that hallway, instead. It’s hard to see (because i had to use black blocks to mask off the area, which obscured the door indicators), but there are two doors in that hallway across from the room you started in. one right at the intersection near the stairs, and one down near the southern wall. The one I mentioned in your spoiler was the southern one. Let me know if you’re sticking with your stated move towards the stairs or changing it based off of this clarification.

The big window shatters inwards as an erratic barrage of what could only be ship-to-ship rounds and tracers spray all around the stalky, unarmed trullkin. The window, couches, and walls all around him are shredded, kicking up tiny explosions of glass, wood, and upholstery. Somehow the trullkin remains unharmed as he cowers instinctively.

Zedd puts a round solidly into the female trullkin’s torso. The impact rocks her back on her heels, causing her to drop her shotgun, but between her armor and some innate toughness, she seems otherwise fine … only to catch a face-ful of alchemical BOOM. Starns, shielded from the blast by the trullkin’s bulk, gets a nice alchemical singe.

Starns Reflex DC 14: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (15) + 2 = 17; 2 Strain.
Female trullkin takes 3 Strain from Zedd, then 14 INJURY (booyah!) from the critical bomb.

Smoke rises from the seared-and-now-hairless flesh of her head, face, neck, and upper torso. She shakes her head and—while clearly barely standing—her eyes refocus on the crew … full of murder.

”TAU LUB ME IB!” she screams hoarsely, ”TAU NWS!”

Gizmo makes a quick and effective getaway (thanks to no wielded melee weapons by Mors).

A few feet away, Ambrose lashes out with his net, which Mors deftly dodges … only to step right into Rowena’s toothy maw. ”Sh!t!,” he cries out in fear. Clearly he heard what happened down at Shiver’s Place. (3 strain on the bite, though I’ll update this if Ambrose decides it was a power attack, instead.)

Round 1 Initiative:
3 human guards, female trullkin, Doc, Zedd, Callum, Gizmo, Rowena, Ambrose, Giernig, Stalky Trullkin

Callum, you're the only actions un-taken. Make it count!

My roll20 isn't working perfect, so I cant see any names of the enemies. but it did let me move Zedd.

I'm not sure how to add viewable labels in Roll20 ... someone know how to do that?

I'm not sure how to add viewable labels in Roll20 ... someone know how to do that?

Set nameplates to visible.

     ≠≠≠≠≠

  Cursing as hot lead fills the air, Callum hesitates - his ego driving him toward Giernig to unleash a beating that would leave the man's face a puddle of fleshy goo.

       The crew.

Cursing again, he instead leaps to the side. Hoping Giernig's people will try to avoid hitting each other, he tries to maneuver around the nearest thug. As his hand brushes the buckle of his gun belt, he pulls. That strange yet familiar power floods his senses, raising the hairs on his neck more than the flying bullets had.

5' step up and right
Cast: Shield

is that a typo, or does the trull have crazy armor on? my 9 dmg shot only did 3? :(

Careful Gilly, I think you singed her beard.

Ambrose swings his net around, eying the burning she-trull.

AoO Net entangle attempt (reach) vs touch AC if the Trull provokes from movement: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (9) + 5 = 14

I can't remember if you want us to preroll our AoOs or not. Just disregard this if I'm not supposed to roll it yet. Re: Power Attack--I just straight up forgot she had it, and it's my fault because it's right there on her sheet. I would have used it, but I don't want to retroactively apply it after a good roll, so I'll just remember to use it next time.

No typo. She seems to be enjoying some additional resiliency beyond her breastplate’s standard effect. Welcome to fighting trullkins. >:D

Also, nameplates should be visible now. let me know if they’re not.

Eery whispers and otherworldly chitterings create an uncomfortable undertone to the cacophony of combat as the captain calls on the daemons bound to his belt. Brunyig’s eyes widen as decades of horror stories seem to come to life not five feet from him.

”DAEMONS!”

Unlike the gunshots. Unlike the glass exploding inwards. Unlike molotov cocktails exploding in his house … that cry stops Giernig in his tracks. He turns, dark eyes narrowing on the captain before they swing to the shattered window.

”TAKE THE CAPTAIN, NOW!” he barks with sudden intensity. Then he hurries through the door, slamming it shut behind him.

Between the stream of heavy gunfire through the long window, the fiery explosion, and shouts of Daemonism, only some of Giernig’s men seem to have the discipline to obey. The stalky trullkin—looking to get clear of the aership fire—lumbers into a head-covering sprint which turns into a flat-out charge at Ambrose, who takes the lunging strike with an elbow-block.

Mors dives out the nearest door. Brunyig has similar instincts … combining an attempt to flee with an attack on Callum. The result is a headlong bull-rush towards the northern wall. They hit with a grunt. The thin wall responds with an alarming creak. The female trullkin is only seconds behind … grabbing her shotgun as she dives towards the eastern wall to escape the firing arc of the aership outside. It leaves her momentarily open to Zedd’s reprisal. Starns is only moments behind her, but with nowhere to go, he simply roars as he crashes into Zedd with enough force to crack a few ribs. The room swims in Zedd’s view as unconsciousness threatens to overwhelm him.

Ambrose: you took 3 strain from the stalky trullkin.
Callum: you got bull rushed up into the corner.
Zedd: You have an AoO on the she-trullkin as she dove for cover, then you got superman-punched into the wall for 8 Injury. You’re Staggered, with a combined Strain and Injury equal to your total Health. (Treat yourself as you would a character at 0 in normal Pathfinder rules.)

Ambrose: I’ll go ahead and include the Power Attack damage for last round (as it would have been a hit). Also, do you want to re-direct that AoO given how this round actually shook out?

Round 2 Initiative:
3 human guards, female trullkin, Doc, Zedd, Callum, Gizmo, Rowena, Ambrose, Giernig, Stalky Trullkin

And yes, Gilly was trying to move towards the place you mentioned in the spoilered text. Sorry, misread where that was on the map. Feel free to move her.

Ambrose snares the trullkin, then pulls his shotgun out of his holster and levels it at the ugly thing's face.

Think you can free yourself before I blow your head off? Rowena, attack he says, nodding towards Brunyig.

Move action draw shotgun, move action aim at the stalky dude.

Rowena darts in and attacks relentlessly.

Attack, PA: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (16) + 6 = 22

Damage: 1d4 + 1 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 1 + 2 = 4

Bouncing briefly on her toes, Gilly gauges the remaining distance to the door. She briefly freezes when things get... weird..... around Callum, but her racing mind tells her deal with it later.

Again the halfling snatches a flask from her belt, rotates it with motions almost too fast to see to get the volatile compounds mixing, and lobs it forward.

Bomb vs Mors, excluding Callum from the blast radius: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (16) + 9 = 25

Another very-satisfying-for-Gilly KABOOM!

Fire Damage: 1d6 + 3 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 3 + 1 = 5

(I don't know if there's a wall giving Brunyig cover from the bomb or not, can't tell re the map. If the wall doesn't block it, then Brunyig has a DC 14 Reflex save, 4 damage/2 damage.

She's unaware that Zedd is down, so continues with her original plan. She steps back, and opens the door. If she can kill the lights in here or otherwise throw a big ol' wrench into the plans of the man that owns the house, maybe everyone has a chance to get on out.

heres my attack of opportunity with my dagger-pistol. as to my turn, is there a medic in the house? otherwise im gonna drop. lol

Dagger, Power Attack: 1d20 + 5 - 1 ⇒ (15) + 5 - 1 = 19

dmg: 1d4 + 3 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 3 + 2 = 6

The trullkin pays little attention as Rowena savages its leg.

Out in the hall, the bomb catches Mors square, and he wavers, clearly not able to take anymore punishment. He's promptly forgotten, though, when the mini mechanic looks into the room.

With this much cabling, it's like a damn engine room. Well, more like an auxiliary power relay station aboard one of the newer aercruisers on the front. Enough to make a girl feel down-right homesick.

There's definitely enough power running through this room to have a little fun, though no actual generators. More like this room is used as the hub for power regulation and distribution from some military-grade Aerum generators somewhere else. You could likely knock the power out of the house with a well-placed bomb or two. If you have bigger plans, though, you'll have to let me know, so I can determine what it'll take. :)

Round 2 Initiative:
3 human guards, female trullkin, Doc, Zedd, Callum, Gizmo, Rowena, Ambrose, Giernig, Stalky Trullkin

Zedd's attack (of opportunity, which resolved before he was Staggered, so Zedd still has an action he can take for this round) catches the female trullkin unawares, and he drives it deep. He can feel it slip by ribs and slice muscle and sinew. Instead of rolling up in combat readiness, she slaps unconsciously against the wall.

She-trullkin is DOWN!
You still have your action, Zedd.

Minor note--Rowena attacked Brunyig, not the Trullkin. Doc, light somebody up!

Doc lets the gatling gun speak a second time, this time aiming for the stalky trullkin.

Gatling HIT: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (12) + 2 = 14
Gatling DAM: 4d10 ⇒ (1, 10, 8, 1) = 20

Now, that's just cheating. Who brings gunships to a gunfight? ;-)

The heavy gatling spray continues through the window, and the stalky trullkin's luck runs out. The northern wall is dusted with thick trullkin blood as the four-inch rounds shred through its shoulder and chest. The force throws it and it's entangling net a few feet north, where it lays bleeding out. In just heartbeats, the tables have begun turning.

Round 2 Initiative:
3 human guards, female trullkin, Doc, Zedd, Callum, Gizmo, Rowena, Ambrose, Giernig, Stalky Trullkin

Minor note--Rowena attacked Brunyig, not the Trullkin. Doc, light somebody up!

Gotcha. Thats what I get for trying to update from my phone at night. That last Health/Conditions update should reflect the correct damage recipient.

Which brings us to Callum and Zedd, the old war pals ... let's finish this round out strong!

"You should have left well enough alone!"

Callum's words reverberate with an odd undertone - almost like a second, deeper voice, synced with his own. In a flash, his rapier is out of it's sheath and arcing toward Mors.
 
 
Swift: Tap Arcane Pool 1/4
Move: Draw rapier
Rapier, Arcane Pool: 1d20 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 4 + 1 = 12
Damage: 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3

Callum’s strike goes wide.

Callum, I think you're shorting yourself 1 point of damage (+1 str, +1 enhancement).
Zedd, it’s all you.

Am I Staggered or Disabled? You said staggered, but I feel like you meant disabled, because I haven't taken any non-lethal dmg. Unless that is how the strain/injury is supposed to work. At any rate, either way Zedd will take a move action to change his favored target to the guy next to him that punched him.

Yep, sorry, disabled is correct. Good clarification. So Studying Starns?

With the fight quickly going south, the three human guards turn desperate. Mors, on his last leg, bolts woozily for the stairs. The sounds of his bumping recedes down the stairwell, but the sounds go from steps to a loud whump. Then a muted trullkin voice comes from that same direction, "Mors?" It's the voice is that of the trullkin from the pad.

Meanwhile, Grunyig's firearm hits the floor as he draws the longknife at his belt. His attempt to cut his way through Callum to freedom is wildly inaccurate. Starns tries to finish what he started, slamming his fist one more time into Zedd's face. The world goes black for Tiny.

"You let us outta here," Starns says as he levels his rifle at the unconscious Zedd. "Or I put him down for good."

Zedd takes 4 Strain, but—since it was nonlethal damage—his Health remains at 0, and he's unconscious.

Round 3 Initiative:
3 human guards, female trullkin, Doc, Zedd (unconscious), Callum, Gizmo, Rowena, Ambrose, Giernig, Stalky Trullkin

Back to you guys.

does he have imp. unarmed strike? cause if not, that should provoke from me, right? last round I couldn't cause I AoO the trull, but just makin sure...

He does. There's a reason he's got regular guard duty here in the Lope.

well, fiddlesticks. avennnnnnge meeeeeeee!

"You let us outta here," Starns says as he levels his rifle at the unconscious Zedd. "Or I put him down for good."

Blade poised to thrust at the ugly thug on his right, Callum

"You've got it backwards there, friend. You're the ones that were trying to prevent us from leaving." Callum responds in that strange otherworldly tone. "Drop your weapons, and take your wounded - we didn't start this trouble. But if you threaten my crew again, we WILL finish it. I'll take off your head, and suck your soul from your bones. You'll be wishing I'd let you taste the abyss."

Bluff: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (8) + 7 = 15   —  To convince him that sort of thing is possible. Who knows if he knows anything about Daemonists.

Intimidate: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (9) + 5 = 14   —  To hopefully scare him into booking it. He seems to want that, anyway.

You heard the captain, Ambrose says to Starns, stepping next to the unconscious form of the trullkin. He points his shotgun at the man's face, pulling back the hammer. Your move--hell, you drop them guns and I'll even call off Rowena while you still have your peckers intact.

5 ft step

Move: Aim at Starns

Standard: Ready action to blast Starns if he does anything other than drop his gun and leave: 1d20 + 3 + 1 + 2 ⇒ (10) + 3 + 1 + 2 = 16

Military shot ammo damage, also could knock prone/stagger: 3d6 ⇒ (2, 6, 4) = 12

Rowena continues to snap at Brunyig, biting ferociously.

Attack, PA: 1d20 + 7 - 1 ⇒ (9) + 7 - 1 = 15

Damage: 1d4 + 1 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 1 + 2 = 7

Since I'm not in communication with the team and I'm not sure what I can see, I'm going to be a little vague here. Feel free to resolve the action as needed.
With the Trullkin down, Doc looks for targets of opportunity, particularly the bastard hosting this party, and lets loose a stream of lead.

Gatling HIT: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (12) + 2 = 14
Gatling DAM: 4d10 ⇒ (6, 6, 7, 8) = 27

Callum, heads up, the only use of Intimidate you can make in a combat round is the Demoralize option, which would make him Shaken (but sadly not stirred) if successful. The more general use (of trying to make him temporarily treat you as friendly and acquiese to your requests) requires 1 minute. Are you wanting that check to be a Demoralize? Or are you basically Delaying while kind of unofficially kicking off your first of ten rounds required to use the more general application of Intimidate?

Let me know.

Gizmo, you have your round 3 actions.

Demoralize is fine, then. I doubt Zedd has 9 rounds to wait.

Gilly can't see Zedd down, or the other things going on, but she can hear. The captain says... mostly what she would've said, all that about 'hey, we WANTED to leave, you guys made us stay,' except with a lot more... demons and abyss and stuff.

Hooooh, there's gonna be a talk if thy get outta here.

"Run the hell outta here, then!" she spits from her position down the hall. Killing the lights no longer seems like a great plan-- it was better when they were outnumbered, maybe, but now it would just make it hard for them to get out themselves, as Gilly sees it. The roar of the gat gun and of the window glass shattering clues her in that Doc's got their ride, so Gilly trots back into the main room, eyes sweeping over the area, and Zedd down. She winces-- she's got a tonic in her belt, but it only works on her.

Double move

The continued sounds of the gatling rounds tearing through glass, wood, and metal dominate the scene. Grunyig and Starns don’t even have to exchange glances before they book it, clumsily waving their weapons at those behind them in a flimsy show of a tactical retreat.

From out in the hall, you hear raised voices … Starns, Grunyig, and the same deep trullkin voice. You don’t catch all of it, but the trullkin is clearly unhappy and the two humans give him a quick debrief as they exit. There seems to be some indecision as to whether they want to obey the brute’s inclination to keep after you.

The thick, dark blood of the two trulkin continues pooling on the carpet.

Pretty much everyone conscious has AoO's on one or both humans as they flee, especially as they have to go through Callum's square to do so. Let me know if you're taking those or not.

Everyone (except Zedd) is up. I’m leaving it in combat rounds for now, which could change based on your actions. What’s the plan?

Ambrose follows the fleeing men with his eyes, calling to Rowena.

Heel, girl. Fetch me my net, he says pointing in the direction of the downed Trullkin as he approaches the prone form of Zedd. He pulls a small vial from his pouch and snaps it open under Zedd's nose.

Get up, Tiny. Doc'll get crass if we keep him waiting.

Free: Handle Rowena. Move next to Zedd (can't get on Roll20 now), draw smelling salts as I go (lemme know if this isn't allowed). Standard to wake him up.

My understanding is that the "draw while moving" only applied to weapons, so you'd be short one action. Let me know if anyone has better/different info on that.

Could I draw them and toss them to Gizmo?

Sure. Just don't let her throw it. She'll weaponize that bad boy. O.o

Fair point! ;-)

Ok, just got on Roll20 and saw that Gilly is right next to me, so retconning...

Ambrose follows the men's retreat calling to Rowena.

Heel, girl. Fetch me my net, he says pointing in the direction of the downed Trullkin as he pulls a vial from his pouch and hands it to Gilly. Here Gizmo, open this under Tiny's nose and he'll wake up. Doc'll get crass if we keep him waiting.

The pilot adjusts his grip on the shotgun and looks about for any further sign of Giernig's men.

Free: Handle Rowena. Move to draw smelling salts. Standard to hand to Gilly. Free to re-grip shotgun.

Gilly nods and snatches the little bottle, then trots the rest of the over to Tiny with a whistle for the sign of how banged up he is. "C'mon, big guy, time to get you movin'," she says. "We gotta leave vape trails outta here."

Move over to Zedd, pop salts beneath his nose!

If the team is lacking a good route to the ship, Doc will use his action to blow a nice escape route through the wall or whatnot. IF there is a good escape route, Doc will train the gun on the walls/windows where majority of baddies escaped to and try to blow chunks through the house in those spots and hopefully frag anyone in those rooms.

Doc considers his choice and adjusts the attitude of the gatling gun a bit, and then lay down a sheet of lead, blowing fist sized holes into the structure. He glances at the dogs sharing the bridge with him, unsure whether they would understand or obey his commands, "Go to the ramp and guard, your pack leader will be coming back soon."

Gatling HIT: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (15) + 2 = 17
Gatling DAM: 4d10 ⇒ (5, 6, 9, 10) = 30

Animal Handling (Untrained) 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (12) + 4 = 16

I’m gonna say the smelling salts bring Zedd back to consciousness, but to the condition he was before getting knocked out. So Zedd is Disabled.

Doc coaxes the Kestrel’s nose gently down and to the right, keeping the trigger depressed and the lead flying. In short order, the few feet of wall below the long window—which was certainly never built with the intent of withstanding aership fire—is shredded. A few shards of long glass, straggling studs and external boarding hang drunkenly in the newly improvised exit. The night beyond is dark, but the twin moons easily cast enough light for a welcome sight. The Kestrel hangs a couple hundred feet out in the night, her ugly mug smiling down on this house that she’s just made her b!tch.

Inside the cockpit, the dogs both perk up at Doc’s authoritative voice. Hester looks back blankly, tongue lolling out of her mouth. Elsie sits up on her haunches, clearly understanding the intent of the command if not the details. (I think “go guard the ramp” might be a bit beyond her reasoning skills (I’m assuming dogs don’t know the difference between the parts of the ship by name), though if you could point to it, it’d work. Again, if someone has reason that this is incorrect, just let me know.)

The spiky scent of smelling salts stabs into Tiny’s brain, and his eyes flutter open. Gizmo’s greasy mug dominates his view.

As for leaving through the “exit” Doc just provided, it’d basically just take someone using their standard action to kick the remaining pieces of the wall out at this point. It’s about a fifteen foot drop to the ground below, but you don’t see anyone in the immediate area … either in the walled-in yard or in the near streets or houses. The distinct sounds of sustained aership auto canon fire can do that. :D

_____________

_____________

Zedd, Callum, round 4 actions?

Grimacing at the thought of leaving Giernig with a still-beating heart, Callum pitches a bullet-ridden sofa against the doorway to the hall. "Ambrose, get Tiny outta here. Cover him, Giz. I'm right behind you."

Move actions to barricade the door - hoping to buy us some time to retreat.

It'll eat up your full round of actions to do that, but it's done easily enough.

The couch groans as Callum grinds it across the wooden floor. Then—with a grunt and a heave—he upends it into the doorway, eliciting a wrenching sound from the door frame as he shoulders it in there for good measure.

Zedd!

since im still disabled, and I think its a move action to stand up from prone, that's all Zedd can really do or risk passing out again. That, and as a free action grumble about that guy getting in a lucky shot, lol.

Move action: Stand up from prone

Doc swings the Kestrel a little closer, debating his choice of landing spots while hammering a large hole in the wall. There are three choices, all with amusing pros and cons. He flips on the landing lights, and ramp illumination but leaves the pilot's cabin dark.

Pilot (Aership) DC:10 1d20 + 7 - 6 + 3 ⇒ (10) + 7 - 6 + 3 = 14 w/Bestow Insight bonus