Dead Suns AP by GM Cellion (Inactive)

Game Master GM Cellion

@Snow: Like Pathfinder, I'm pretty sure any time you have to round, you round down. So the DC for IDing the Akatas is 11. Let me see if I can find where that shows up in Starfinder...

OK, Page 243 of the CRB has it.

"Khome to me Sid, Besmara will definitely reward your ekhstreme rekhlessness with healing! I khan feel it!" Come guarded step toward Grix, that way at least you won't be flanked.

"Rest of you, fire won't workh well against these Akhatas! That's lasers too!

Grix fishes through his pouch for a Healing Serum as well, just in case.

Sydney will take a guarded step towards Grix. Is that two attacks of opportunity?

Following text cut/pasted directly from the spoiler box that I put for Solaria's go, if you want to see it prettied up, see the previous post.

With the sudden turn of events, Solaria is taken aback, and gasps audibly. This is her first real experience of fighting for her life, she hesitates waiting for someone to tell her what to do. Her mind frozen, then she thinks, Calm young lady, think your dealing with unruly guests, do what you do best. What do you know of the problem? She lets out a sigh and tries to remember if any of the simulations, visuo-reality programs or books she read about the great expanse of space contained any reference to creatures such as these, so she can relay the information to her companions.

Taking out her pistol she readies to shoot at the creature she can see, she attracts it's attention, by faking the shot at it's left flank, hoping to make its right easier to hit.

Life Science 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (9) + 6 = 15 to identify the creature.
Solaria's theme if applicable... THEME KNOWLEDGE (1ST) You are trained to seek out, identify, and interact with alien life-forms. Reduce the DC to identify a rare creature using Life Science by 5.

Move action
Takes out Pulsecaster Pistol

Standard action
Against Akata Solaria can see (one with purple hat). Bluff for Clever Feint 1d20 + 10 + 1d6 ⇒ (9) + 10 + (5) = 24
CLEVER FEINT As a standard action, you can fake out an enemy within 60 feet, making that enemy open to your attacks. Attempt a Bluff check with the same DC as a check to feint against that enemy (though this isn’t a standard check to feint, so Improved Feint and Greater Feint don’t apply). Even if you fail, that enemy is flat-footed against your attacks until the end of your next turn. If you succeed, the enemy is also flat-footed against your allies’ attacks until the end of your next turn. You can’t use clever feint against a creature that lacks an Intelligence score.
Extra d6 from Envoy skill expertise.

Nevermind, guarded step is actually a move action - not a free action (page 244 of Core Rulebook) and Sydney drew her weapon for her move. I'll just keep things how they are.

Sydney will take a guarded step towards Grix. Is that two attacks of opportunity?

From Starfinder Core Rulebook

Just to clarify you don't provoke AoO when using a guarded step.

Ted makes a flicking motion at the top spinning around his head and points at the nearest beast. The top begins spinning faster and faster as energy sparks around it.

Full Round action: magic missile (will fire next round)
3 missiles: 3d4 + 3 ⇒ (4, 2, 1) + 3 = 10

@Snow: Like Pathfinder, I'm pretty sure any time you have to round, you round down. So the DC for IDing the Akatas is 11. Let me see if I can find where that shows up in Starfinder...

OK, Page 243 of the CRB has it.

Lol. Fair. I've always been a jerk and rounded in whatever way was least advantageous to players. [-; Not intentionally, just... for some reason that made sense to me. Anyway... The proper DC for that life science check is 11, not 12.

PCs' Actions (So Far)
Isu: Longsword Attack (hit)
Ted: Magic Missile
Grix: Try to heal Syd
Solaria: Clever Feint
Spectre: Pending
Arcalinte: Pending

Isu's attack will drop the Purple Akata. I'll resolve other attacks against the other Akata as best I'm able. Also opens up some space for Sydney to maneuver if she wants.

Nah, I'll just keep my original post. If Sydney dies, she dies. You recruited extra people anyway. I'm not worried about it

Wait, is Sydney dead?! NO! She's too cool to die D:

nah, she hasn't even spent any RP yet. But you know what, this out of character conservation and out of order taking turns is really making the game really hard to understand. I'm guilty of it too. But can we move this to the discussion thread.

Link to Roll20 worked...thanks!

"These creatures are impervious to lasers?" Spectre asks skeptically. "If you say so..." he adds.

The droid stows his longarm and draws a battle staff.

"I have been programmed to utilize melee weapons, though I am afraid my combat matrix has not been fully optimized with this weapon."

Stow longarm and draw battle staff.

As much as Isu requested to minimize in thread confusion, I figure I better do this to keep Sydney safer:

Seeing Sydney stand her ground, Grix steps up towards her (guarded step) so that his healing back slap can land. He doesn't draw out the healing serum.

Arcalinte, seeing that Isu has the situation well in hand, turns his attention to the other monster, taking a swing at it.

Longsword: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (3) + 5 = 81d8 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 2 = 4

Photon Mode Attunement (2)

Isu steps up, swinging his longsword and finishes off one of the akatas. Ted casts a spell and peppers the other akata that had just savaged Sydney with a series of magic missiles, while Arcalinte steps up and swings a longsword to try to hit it around the corner, missing.

Imposing the hand of god here a little bit to accommodate for PbP...

With one of the akatas dispatched by Isu, Sydney takes a careful step back from the one that rent her leg. Grix is able to move up into the open space and heal Sydney while, in the back, Spectre swaps out his weapons.

Begin Round 2

Badly wounded and enraged by Ted's magical assault, the remaining akata skitters around the corner. It then lunges at Arcalinte but misses.

Bottom of Round 2, your turn!

Spectre begins to whirl his battle staff in large arcs as he moves forward.

"If these creatures prove impervious to blaster fire, hopefully they still die to blunt force trauma," he says.

battle staff: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (16) + 1 = 171d4 ⇒ 2

"This one shall end the threat."

Isu steps past Sydney to flank with Arc, and swings with his assault hammer (probably missing!).

assault hammer: 1d20 + 4 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 4 + 2 + 2 = 111d6 + 4 ⇒ (3) + 4 = 7 str+bab+flanking

technically magic missile was cast as full round so would go off this round instead of the first.
Ted goes over to check on Syd.
If her suit is leaking atmosphere he will cast mend on it.

With the tides turned against the akatas, Grix backs up (guarded step) and fires a quick shot of his pistol into the remaining akata. In an energized rasp he calls out "Okhay there Sydney? We khan't have you falling in battle after having just met. Plus we need you to pilot for us, kehehe!"

TSAP: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (14) + 3 = 17
TSAP damage: 1d6 ⇒ 1

Apparently he tickles it with his bullet.

Round 2:

"Rest of you, fire won't workh well against these Akhatas! That's lasers too!"

Assuming Sydney is still standing, Sydney shoves her hand down to her thigh to wrap her fingers around the static arc pistol nested in the holster. She pulls the gun up one-handed, aims for the remaining akata, and squeezes the trigger. The kickback raises the gun's mouth towards the ceiling as the shot goes off.

To hit (Arc Pistol, Static): 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (4) + 5 = 9

Damage (electric): 1d6 ⇒ 2

Maybe because of her injuries or because she's shooting one-handed; it's a messy shot. The shot fires wide, missing the action and sizzling into the ship's metal plating. The operative swears another oath and grimaces, tenderly touching her bitten leg with her other hand.

Round 2
Ranged Weapon 30ft, Pulsecaster Pistol:1d20 + 2 ⇒ (9) + 2 = 11 Damage(E): 1d4 ⇒ 4

Despite the difficulty, Solaria attempts to shoot the Ataka, hoping to stun the creature, thinking her feint attracted the creatures attention and weakened it's defences slightly. She watches her companions as they rain fire and brimstone down on the thing. "Keep up the good work", she encourages her companions.

Struggling with a combination tummy bug and head cold, so bear with me here.

Isu and Solaria's attacks go wide in the chaos of the fight, while Grix and Spectre land glancing blows. Arcalinte, however, lands another solid strike with his longsword yet it's not quite enough to drop the akata.

Ted finds Sydney's suit has triggered enough environmental protections to keep her from losing oxygen, though the injuries were severe.

Round 3 begins
The akata, enraged by Ted's and Arcalinte's attacks, lunges at the half-elf again, though Arcalinte is able to avoid the worst of it. Arc takes 4 points damage.

Your turn!

Though Spectre's last blow hit, the quick creature is too fast for his next, and he swipes at the air.

battle staff: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 1 = 91d4 ⇒ 3

Solaria, seeing her shot go high and wide, and the fight continuing, calls loudly to the beast once more, attracting it's attention. She twirls her pistol in the air, before switching it to her other hand.

Round 3 - Standard action
Against Akata . Bluff for Clever Feint 1d20 + 10 + 1d6 ⇒ (11) + 10 + (1) = 22

Round 3:

Sydney tries to wave off Ted as he examines her body in the firing stance position. "Hey! Stop looking at my tush and attack those things!" Sydney uses a much more explicit word than "tush" while addressing Ted. A pained look crosses Sydney's face as she aims her static arc pistol at the akata. Sydney appears severely injured but isn't unconscious unless the omniscient player guiding the operative's actions missed an attack of opportunity post.

Even though that party has only known Sydney for a short while, it's clear she fights tooth and nail. She fires her static arc pistol one-handed. The recoil of the gun lifts the tip of the barrel upwards as the shot is fired.

To hit (Arc Pistol, Static): 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (17) + 5 = 22

Damage (electric): 1d6 ⇒ 4

As it turns out...

Distracted by Solaria's clever feint, Isu's attack actually did manage to hit the akata, finishing it off before it could injure Arcalinte.

All that is left of the combat is the sounds of your breathing through your comm channel. Blue blood slowly pools on the deck plating while the Acreon's dim lighting continues to flicker.

"Grix, Besmara's given you spells that can patch Syd up, right?"

He nurses his own injury from the akata with a grimace.

"Nice bladework there, Isu. One swordsman to another. Don't feel so well now, though. I think that thing's bite is toxic or something.
At least now we know what happened to the Acreon's crew now."

Sydney took a total of 25 points of damage total in this fight, bringing her SP to 0/12 and HP to 3/16. Then Grix healed her back 10 HP, so she should now be at HP 13/16 and therefore minimally injured. I mention this because it provides context for the following comment.

Grix lowers his pistol, then starts rolling his shoulders and otherwise shaking out his limbs. He seems to be taking the time to loosen up after that sudden bout of action.

"Very vicious, those Akhatas. But we took them down khuikhly! This team is definitely khombat ready!" He turns his antennae to survey Sydney "And you are lookhing better than I ekhspekhted. Besmara seems to likhe you, giving you all that healing juice! Of khourse, the Pirate Queen is always happy when people fight hard."

He nods at Arc's comment "If you're not feeling good, let me takhe a lookh at you."

Grix takes a claw and carefully holds Arc's face still while he shines a light from his armor into the solarian's eyes. His antennae sniff at the wound he took. Casting Detect Affliction.

Detect Affliction poison/disease wisdom check: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (14) + 4 = 18
Detect Affliction poison/disease Medicine check: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (10) + 5 = 15 Dang, looks like I don't succeed at ID-ing it. Snow, what would you say is the time limit before Grix can retry?

"That battle was poorly done. All of you had shoddy aim, and the pilot behaved in a risky manner. This one cannot have failure, not again. This one realizes that he is perhaps taking a leadership position where it was not granted. In matters of war, this one would like group consensus that he allowed to give tactical orders and that you would pledge to listen."

Isu is angling to be the group's sergeant or perhaps tactical coordinator, but it would be for RP purposes. I as a player would not be telling you how to play your character. Except for saying things like retreat like in the case of Sydney where she really should have backed off after two crits in a row....instead of shooting her gun and provoking an attack of opportunity, which thankfully for her did not happen.

Grix calls for Besmara's blessing and is able to see that Arcalinte is most definitely infected with... something. Fortunately, whatever else happened to her, Sydney appears to have avoided the infection.

Ted raises his hands and smiles at Syd, "When you want examined, just let me know."

He turns to the others, "Picking a leader will do this lot little good." He guffaws and waits for someone to lead.

"Besmara seems to likhe you, giving you all that healing juice! Of khourse, the Pirate Queen is always happy when people fight hard."

Sydney eyes Grix suspiciously, "Never heard of her but I'm not the religious type." Sydney rubs the back of her neck, recalling Grix's words during the fight: Besmara will definitely reward your ekhstreme rekhlessness with healing! I khan feel it! "Does she... like to live dangerously? You know, stick it to the man. Don't live by society's rules?" Sydney's last sentence has a slight Akitonian accent.

"That battle was poorly done. All of you had shoddy aim, and the pilot behaved in a risky manner."

"Hey, man, you try shooting straight with one of those things leeched onto ya." Sydney pitches a thumb at her chest, "it's not like I wanted to be squid food." Sydney starts crushing individual tentacles with her boot heel. Take that! And that! And one of these! I am separate from my character, and yes Sid is headstrong sometimes, lol.

Sydney turns to Arc, "Arc, back me up. Those things had a hankering for human flesh." Sydney's eyes widen, "hey, man, you don't look so great."

Medicine (diagnose Arc): 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (11) + 8 = 19

He turns to the others, "Picking a leader will do this lot little good." He guffaws and waits for someone to lead.

Sydney crosses her arms and falls silent. That's the exact the type of role I try and avoid. She looks over at lashunta envoy.

Isu addresses Sydney. "This one does not blame your lack of aim in the situation. That is everyone else's fault. This one thinks that perhaps you panicked and fired, while you should have run. You should have run immediately. Tactical retreat is the better part of valor."

"Forgive him who wronged you; join him who cut you off; do good to him who does evil to you; speak the truth even if it goes against you," Arcalinte says while Grix examines him. "While I'm sure you mean well, Isu, jumping right in with tactical criticisms will just make you look like an @ss here. We were ambushed and panicky, so of course our aim was going to be off. We're only just beginning to coordinate as a team. Give us time to get used to each others' fighting styles and we'll become a lot more cohesive. If you expect perfection from yourself and others from the beginning, you'll only set yourself up for disappointment. Failure is the inevitable result of striving, but what matters is that you learn from the failure and continue to strive and become better each time. Thank you, Grix."

When Sydney gives her take he nods. "Pretty much. She's the goddess of strife and piracy. She was formerly a minor goddess before the Gap, until she mugged another deity for their power. A fitting patron for an ex-pirate like Grix, or a daredevil like yourself," he says with a smile.

Once the group is done collecting themselves, Arcalinte moves to the front of the group again.

"I'll take point again. Please, stay close in case there's another akata ambush lying in wait."

He continues down the hallway straight ahead, where he'd intended to go before the attack started.

Stealth: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (10) + 7 = 17

"Very well. This one can see that you style yourself as leader and are threatened by my offer. This one will remain in the back as rear guard as you lead the party in your own style."

Call this one an ass, will you?

"Very well. This one can see that you style yourself as leader and are threatened by my offer. This one will remain in the back as rear guard as you lead the party in your own style."

Call this one an ass, will you?

Arcalinte turns back and blinks.

"No, that's not what I meant, Isu. I'm saying that insulting people right after their first fight isn't a good leadership style. I don't need to be the leader, but I do want to help you lead."

Grix answers Sydney's questions with gusto "You haven't heard of the Pirate Queen!? That's terrible! She's the goddess of free traders, privateers, and anyone who needs a little protekhtion against the fikhle dangers of the Drift. She rules over space monsters and sails her planar starship Starwraith through the universe in search of the choicest of plunder and the wildest of battles! Danger is her middle name, most likhely!!!"

Grix catches himself as he's just about to launch into a story from his old crew. "I guess now's not the time for tales about Besmara's adventures though."

"As for you Isu, kheep on kheeping us safe from our own lakh of takhtikhs and 'shoddy aim'. We're khounting on you!" He gives Isu a thumbs up and turns to follow after Arc.

Did you move your token on the map Arc? I'm not sure which way you're leading us.

Also, I'd recommend we take 10 mins for people to regain stamina before we land in another fight. Furthermore, if people can adjust their status bar under their name to match their current status, I'll better know if anyone needs HP healing.

Isu saying nothing to Arc, still upset at being called as ass so publically, which to the traditional Kasatha was a great insult to his dignity. This one will then attempt to lead by example, if words will not suffice. He still has both weapons drawn and a grenade at the ready.

The Starfinder Society is certainly a motley mix of individuals. It has yet to be shown if a disparate collection of people and skills can equal the might of a Kasathan battleguard. Though this supposes it is a moot point; this one is banned from ever joining such a battleguard again.

Yes, I think taking 10 minutes to spend a resolve and regain stamina is a good idea. No need to RP it out, though. We can just say it happens as long as nobody objects. If you don't need to recover the stamina, no need to spend the resolve. Just 10 minutes spent cooling your heels.

I'm going to assume that by "straight ahead", Arc, you mean based on the airlock through which you entered.

At the port side of the vessel, Arcalinte finds the other airlock has both doors locked in the open position and the readouts indicate, as they did on the starboard side, that commands have been locked out from the bridge. There is a closed door on the aft bulkhead. A rusty plaque reads, in Common: "Port Cargo".

Sydney glances from Isu to Arc, those two are too serious. She focuses on the shirren who she just learned… is a pirate?!

Grix answers Sydney's questions with gusto "You haven't heard of the Pirate Queen!? That's terrible! She's the goddess of free traders, privateers, and anyone who needs a little protekhtion against the fikhle dangers of the Drift. She rules over space monsters and sails her planar starship Starwraith through the universe in search of the choicest of plunder and the wildest of battles! Danger is her middle name, most likhely!!!"

“Space monsters?” Sid glances down at the three corpses littering the spaceship floor. “So you are – were – a pirate, Grix? What did you steal and who did you steal from?” Sydney sticks her hands into the pockets of her jacket and leans against the ship’s wall with one booted floor flush with the wall’s.

Sydney will spend a resolve point and take 10 minutes to regain her stamina.

At the port side of the vessel, Arcalinte finds the other airlock has both doors locked in the open position and the readouts indicate, as they did on the starboard side, that commands have been locked out from the bridge. There is a closed door on the aft bulkhead. A rusty plaque reads, in Common: "Port Cargo".

“I vote we try to access the ship’s mainframe in the bridge. There might be surveillance tapes of what happened here – besides the obvious.” Sydney motions to the corpses again. “I’m not eager to start opening doors until we know the ship’s layout anyways.” With the port and starboard doors locked open, anything could have crawled in and nested there. Sydney looks over at the lashunta envoy again.

Solaria her heart still beating fast, is flustered by the conflict. She looks at Sydney, her eyes open wide, concerned and impressed at the same time by the damage she received and the nonchalant way Sydney seems to brush off the encounter. Solaria is about to help and look at her wounds, but Grix is the first there, using his connection to the universe to bring life back to Sydney. The lashunta watches on, impressed by the Shirren's power.

Hearing Isu's comments regarding the fight, Solaria reflects "I'm sure that in all things fighting wise you would make a good tactician, but not everyone has your abilities with weapons. I believe your advice will be welcome in preparations and during the fight, but others must be allowed to act as situations develop. You are a great fighter Isu, we might need you in front many times during skirmishes and fights." She looks at the Kasatha soldier, realising that they must make might warriors, though their manner be abrupt.

Solaria nods at Sydney's wish to go to the control room, "Agreed, controlling the ship from the bridge should make any other exploration and retrieving our cargo easier."

Isu nods at the diplomatic Solaria, appreciating the tone of her words.

"This one agrees the bridge is the best eventual destination, but first, should we not head aft and shut the back hatches? Restarting life support means little if the ship is still ventiliating to the vacuum of space."

With that, Isu activates the controls to shut the hatch on the port side of the ship.

Arcalinte nods at Solaria's words.

"That's what I was trying to say. Isu, if I insulted you, then I apologize, my words were ill-chosen."

Then he nods at Solaria.

"Thank you."

When they arrive at the hatches, Arcalinte listens to Sydney and Isu and nods again

"Good point, Isu. Besides, if there ARE more of those akata things, it's not gonna make much difference if the hatches are open or not. I mean, that may be how they got in. Grix said they could breathe in space, didn't you Grix? Sydney's right that we don't want to open any doors without knowing where they lead, but closing doors should be fine."

Isu tries to activate the controls for the airlock hatches but they fail to cycle. Without atmosphere to transmit the sound to his armor's external microphone, he cannot hear the audible alert but he does see a flashing red panel that says controls have been locked out from the bridge.

"Well, that settles our course for us. Though we better be careful...someone could have set this up to force us towards the bridge and funnel us towards a trap."

"Restarting life support means little if the ship is still ventiliating to the vacuum of space."

Sydney looks stupidly down at her suit, remembering their predicament. "Oh. That's right." Good thing someone was thinking. I don't wanna be freeze-dried space food.

"Well, that settles our course for us. Though we better be careful...someone could have set this up to force us towards the bridge and funnel us towards a trap."

"Are you saying those space squids weren't the trap?" Sydney crosses her arms over her chest. "You got a military background or something? 'Cuz you sound like you've dealt with stuff like this before."

Sydney will defer to whatever door her companions wish to open, while providing her dexterous skills when applicable.

"Nah, Akiton background. Raiders were a regular problem in the little company town I lived in with my cousin, so if you left on a caravan run to the big city, you had to watch out for ambushes and scams in the badlands. You're absolutely right though, there's no reason not to suspect the akatas were left as a 'welcoming party' to keep people from investigating the Acreon too closely."

"Lead on Isu, by now anything will be expecting us with the noise of that last fight, even if it was 15 minutes ago." says Solaria, concerned that the group have the best protection at the front as they make their way forward to the bridge.

Isu walks toward the front of the ship, where the bridge would normally be. On the way he encounters another intersection. He pauses, expecting another possible ambush. He peers carefully around the corners.

Once you've had a moment to rest and collect yourselves, Isu begins to head towards the bow of the vessel and, presumably, the bridge.

Ahead of the kasatha lays a hatch that probably provides access to the bridge. It is closed but appears operable. Glancing around the corners to the cross-corridor, he sees no sign of danger. To the port, one of the bulkheads gives way to a room and, from this angle, he sees some metal counters and cabinetry. Perhaps a galley?

While he explores, Arcalinte is beginning to find himself feeling quite ill.

Just went over the disease rules again and, wow, have they been amped from Pathfinder. So, here we go... This particular disease is on the physical track and has no latent state. As a result, Arcalinte is immediately Sickened AND Fatigued. This should have happened as soon as he was bitten but... whatever. Saves will continue to be needed once per day.

Sydney seems to like what Arc said, "Akiton? I was born on that planet! Didn't stay for long. I was moved off world when I was-" Sydney gives Arc a look over. "Hey, man, you eat some bad chili or something?" Sydney has no way of knowing, but I assume something looks off. Sydney leans away from Arc, not wanting to catch whatever "stomach bug" he may have.

She takes a few steps away from Arc to approach Isu, watching the soldier's actions.