After Sydney slips back to reunite with her companions, she tells them about the locker labeled "Maw Serverek." "It looks like their leader's locker - or someone important. I can try to sneak past them again, but I might need backup if I get noticed."
"Do you all want me to try to sneak in there again?"
GM Cellion wrote:
On one side of the card, someone has scrawled 'Password is 'Nyara Lives'. DO NOT FORGET!'
"Is that the password to the terminal Ted tried to hack?"
Male Half-Elf Solarian 20 | SP 198/198 HP 146/146 RP 12/12 | EAC 35(37) KAC 36(38); DR 5/- Resist Fire 20 | F +16; R +15; W +16 | Speed 25 ft. | Init +6 | Perc +30
"It could be...or it could be a passphrase for the robots. Let's try sneaking in. I can join you. And if they ask us for a password, we know what to say."
Male Human Technomancer 12 Dataphiles | SP 84 HP 64 RP 10/11 | EAC 28 KAC 29 CMAC 37 CMD 29 CMB +9 | Kinetic DR 5/- | F+6 R+10 W+11 | Init+6 | Perc+3 | 1st 1/6 2nd 0/6 3rd 0/5 4th 0/4 Cache 0/1
"Spec, aren't robots known for their slipperiness?" Ted guffaws and prepares to throw his Greasey top when the robots move.
Readied action: Cast Grease; Reflex save DC 16; cast so that where the robots are is covered in grease, but allows Isu to get next to them without being in grease.
Grease:
GREASE T1
School conjuration (creation)
Casting Time 1 standard action
Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Area or Targets one 10-ft. square or one object
Duration 1 minute/level (D)
Saving Throw Reflex partial, see text; Spell Resistance no
You cover a solid surface with a layer of slippery grease. Any creature in the area when the spell is cast must succeed at a Reflex save or fall prone. A creature can walk within or through the area of grease at half normal speed with a successful DC 10 Acrobatics check. Failure means the creature can’t move that round and must then succeed at a Reflex save or fall prone, while failure by 5 or more means it falls prone (see the Acrobatics skill for details). A creature that doesn’t move on its turn doesn’t need to attempt this check and isn’t considered flat-footed. The spell can also be used to create a greasy coating on an item. Unattended material objects are always affected by this spell. If you attempt to affect an object in a creature’s possession, the creature can attempt a Reflex save to negate the effect. If the creature fails the initial saving throw, it immediately drops the item and must attempt a new save each round it attempts to pick up, hold, or use the item. A creature wearing greased armor or clothing gains a +5 circumstance bonus to Acrobatics checks to escape a grapple and a +2 circumstance bonus to its AC against grapple combat maneuvers.
Male Half-Elf Solarian 20 | SP 198/198 HP 146/146 RP 12/12 | EAC 35(37) KAC 36(38); DR 5/- Resist Fire 20 | F +16; R +15; W +16 | Speed 25 ft. | Init +6 | Perc +30
Arcalinte facepalms again.
When Sydney give the word, he follows after her as quietly as he can manage, the light of his armor shifting to a faint shimmer.
Just for to keep us moving forward since it seems everyone is on the same page:
With the group agreeing, Sydney heads into the room with Arc, this time with her lock-picking tools at the ready.
Syd's Stealth:1d20 + 16 ⇒ (16) + 16 = 32 Syd's Engineering:1d20 + 13 ⇒ (7) + 13 = 20Right on the dot :>
Both of them are incredibly stealthy in their movements and neither robot budges an inch as Sydney comes up to the secure locker. She picks the lock over the course of a tense minute, being extra careful to ensure that she's making the least possible noise with her tools. A faint scraping accompanies the lock coming loose. You open the door to the locker to reveal...
A pristine black and red suit of heavy armor, fitted with booster jets on its back! (A golemforged plating III with jump jets installed in one of its upgrade slots)
Male Half-Elf Solarian 20 | SP 198/198 HP 146/146 RP 12/12 | EAC 35(37) KAC 36(38); DR 5/- Resist Fire 20 | F +16; R +15; W +16 | Speed 25 ft. | Init +6 | Perc +30
Don't we need an Engineering check or two to refit the armors? Pretty sure Isu's new armor needs a second pair of sleeves and gauntlets unless Maw Serverek was a kasatha...
Are you going back to the ship right away to refit the armors? (See discussion on the DC for that check) Or are you going to continue for now? If so, where to next?
Male Half-Elf Solarian 20 | SP 198/198 HP 146/146 RP 12/12 | EAC 35(37) KAC 36(38); DR 5/- Resist Fire 20 | F +16; R +15; W +16 | Speed 25 ft. | Init +6 | Perc +30
"Isu, let Sydney and me take point. Sarenrae values wisdom in bringing light to the darkness."
Arcalinte demonstrates by sneaking ahead and keeping his eyes and ears open to dangers in the room Isu opened.
I'll take that as two votes to move forward - you'll have a chance to refit the armors later.
Isu and Arc head westward, Arc advancing just ahead of the less-than-stealthy kasatha. Arc pushes the westward curtain aside and finds another dorm room, this one sporting a trio of cultist corpses. Isu enters the same room from the door from the hallway.
While this room is filled with the same beds and dressers as the previous two dorm rooms, it also has what looks like graffiti strewn across its walls in red and violet ink. The strokes are sharp and wild, giving the whole thing the appearance of some sort of madness. It doesn't help that half the party (Arc, Ted and Spectre) is still seeing strange tiny horrors in every dark corner of the room. (Don't forget that your -4 debuff applies to all checks with the mental ability scores, including perception)
Ability to read abyssal; Or Culture DC20 to translate:
Although the graffiti is scrawled in different handwriting and is sometimes presented out of order, the writing essentially repeats the same phrase over and over: “The Entropy of Existence is known.”
Further west out of the dorm room, you see a utilitarian dining room with simple stamped metal tables and chairs. Further west of that lies another curtain.
As you head in that direction, Arc hears a loud and rapid clicking of computer keys. It seems to be coming from the west.
Male Half-Elf Solarian 20 | SP 198/198 HP 146/146 RP 12/12 | EAC 35(37) KAC 36(38); DR 5/- Resist Fire 20 | F +16; R +15; W +16 | Speed 25 ft. | Init +6 | Perc +30
Culture:1d20 + 9 - 4 ⇒ (17) + 9 - 4 = 22
"The Entropy of Existence is known...of course it is, entropy's a basic scientific and spiritual phenomenon, could these cultists be more childishly grim?!" Arcalinte mutters after translating the graffiti. Then he hears the computer.
"Computer keys!" He whispers to the others. "Someone else is here...someone alive!"
While Arc raises the warning, Isu searches the dorm room for any further interesting items. This time around, all he finds are the remains of long-term occupation - lost socks, snack wrappers, and forgotten articles of clothing. Nothing useful.
Arc holds at the ready and continues to hear the clicking of computer keys amidst Isu's rummaging.
I assume this is labor day weekend slowness - so I'll hold off on any updating until we have some consensus on approach. Hope to hear from more than Isu and Arc, but if its just your two votes we'll go with that :>
Male Half-Elf Solarian 20 | SP 198/198 HP 146/146 RP 12/12 | EAC 35(37) KAC 36(38); DR 5/- Resist Fire 20 | F +16; R +15; W +16 | Speed 25 ft. | Init +6 | Perc +30
That's certainly part of it, especially since Labor Day falls on my birthday this year (31 years old!), but also I'm dealing with an internet outage at home that's prevented me from even phone-posting outside of work where there's free wi-fi! My father said the guy fixing it should come today, but until then, I'll try to post on my lunch-break.
Male Half-Elf Solarian 20 | SP 198/198 HP 146/146 RP 12/12 | EAC 35(37) KAC 36(38); DR 5/- Resist Fire 20 | F +16; R +15; W +16 | Speed 25 ft. | Init +6 | Perc +30
"Let me and Sydney check first, could be a friendly," Arcalinte replies and starts sneaking towards the sound of the clacking keys.
While Spectre and Isu discuss, Arc leads the way somewhat stealthily into a well stocked but only faintly lit kitchen. The clacking of keys he heard earlier abruptly stops.
The kitchen has a single exit to the south into a completely dark room - one with even its emergency lights disabled.
Perception DC23 if you stop and listen:
You hear the faint sound of shuffling to the south, as though multiple sets of feet are quietly and stealthily moving around. As you listen, the shuffling stops... Or at least you can no longer hear it.
Sydney doesn't notice anything more than what Arc did, her armor's flashlight failing to pierce too far into the total darkness of the southern room.
Barring any further actions, I'll push us forth tomorrow with Arc and Sydney leading the way southward. If you have any light sources better than a flashlight, please point it out.
OK moving us ahead. I've moved people's positions forward on the map.
Sydney and Arc start moving in towards the southern room, their flashlights at the ready to illuminate the darkness. Neither of them anticipate a sudden attack the moment they step through the doorway!
-----
Arc swings his flashlight to his right just as an armored, skeletal figure reaches forth from that direction with an icy claw! He's caught by surprise and the claw jabs into his chest, delivering a surge of deathly chill. (Dealing 6 points of cold damage) Before he can recover from the unexpected attack, he feels another blast of ice strike his leg (Dealing 4 points of cold damage). He swings his light around and spots a second skeletal figure retreating out of his line of sight to the southwest.
The two skeletal figures seen thus far have been tall bony figures in armored space suits, one arm augmented by a metallic claw that hums faintly with energy, while their other hand grips a pistol.
From somewhere beyond Arc's line of sight a pair of force bolts streak inward and thump into his legs (Dealing 6 points of force damage total) From the direction of the force bolts, a dry voice rattles... "Judging by your atatattire, you're not with the cult. Ah. I see now who you are. Early, aren't we?"
(So, mechanically: Your flashlights raise light by one level within 15ft of yourself. This means Arc can see yellow, but not blue or red. Note that the darkness of the room means that even in your flashlight's area, the enemies still have 20% concealment. Sydney and Isu are both also limited to flashlights right now it seems. Anyone who has darkvision can see in the southern room just fine.)
----
|||| INIT |||| Spectre
Isu
Ted
Skele-pal Yellow
Skele-pal Red
Skele-pal Blue
Sydney
Solaria
Arc (16 dmg)
Bold are up
One week no post from Ted, One and a half, none from Solaria. I'm hoping this combat brings them out. :>
MYSTIC STRIKE (COMBAT)
Your magical power flows into your weapons.
Prerequisites: Ability to cast Spells.
Benefit: Your melee and ranged attacks count as magic for the purposes of bypassing damage reduction and other situations, such as attacking incorporeal creatures.
"No, we aren't with the cult, so why do you attack us? Who are you?" Isu demands this as he strides forward and tries to smack down the skeleton that attacked Arc.
Male Half-Elf Solarian 20 | SP 198/198 HP 146/146 RP 12/12 | EAC 35(37) KAC 36(38); DR 5/- Resist Fire 20 | F +16; R +15; W +16 | Speed 25 ft. | Init +6 | Perc +30
I've got darkvision installed in my armor! :)
Arcalinte screams as he's wounded from the ambush and the monsters swimming in his peripheral vision seem to get bigger.
A shot from Ted and a swing from Isu fly well away from their intended targets. But Spectre's frosty rifle delivers an accurate beam at the closest skeletal soldier (yellow) despite the various obstacles in the way. It frosts up the enemy, but the skeletal creature doesn't seem to care - the beam only causes some cosmetic damage to the thing's armor.
The rasping voice calls out from the darkness in response to Isu "Just th-the cleanup crew, breathers." Those of you with darkvision see the skeletal figure furthest away invoke some kind of violet magical aura, and then direct it into its adjacent ally's icy claw.
Yellow slices inward with his technologically enhanced claw. Arc parries the first lunge, but the arm's joints dislocate and the arm snakes around for a second jab that shallowly pierces his chest armor. (Dealing 1 point piercing after DR, 6 points cold)
The blue skeletal soldier ducks down and rushes Arc, claw glowing with violet light. Arc twists back just in time for the swipe to miss him. The momentum carries the skeleton hard enough that he touches the floor with his claw, discharging a powerful blast of icy energy into the ground rather than its intended target.
----
|||| INIT ||||
Sydney
Solaria
Arc (23 dmg)
Spectre
Isu
Ted
Skele-pal Yellow
Skele-pal Red
Skele-pal Blue
I have this fusion seal on my weapon: Disruptive fusion seal level 3. The disruptive fusion imbues a weapon with powerful positive energy designed to disrupt the magical forces that allow undead to exist. The weapon ignores any DR and energy resistance of undead creatures. Only weapons that deal bludgeoning damage can benefit from this fusion.
For clarity: Spectre's first shot hit, it just didn't deal any damage. Also, thanks for the heads up on the disruptive fusion seal Isu!
Isu smashes a heavy blow against the flanked skeletal soldier, his weapon flashing with a white light upon impact. The creature practically tumbles into Arc as its knocked away, but it manages to right itself and keep fighting. Unfortunately, Spectre's shot does little more than scorch the doorway.
The spellcasting figure in the back responds to Isu's question with a clatter of bone - a sound that reminds you of laughter. "You, and the Starfinder Society, are too close to our business. Just like this pathetic cult was."
|||| INIT ||||
Sydney
Solaria
Arc (23 dmg)
Spectre
Isu
Ted
Skele-pal Yellow (19 dmg)
Skele-pal Red
Skele-pal Blue
Male Half-Elf Solarian 20 | SP 198/198 HP 146/146 RP 12/12 | EAC 35(37) KAC 36(38); DR 5/- Resist Fire 20 | F +16; R +15; W +16 | Speed 25 ft. | Init +6 | Perc +30
Arcalinte breathes heavy and ragged and raises his sword, anger starting to form in his face as the enemy taunts them.
"Too close, too close, ALWAYS too close but never clear! How can the game be played when you cannot see the board? I am TIRED of being shot at and thrown around by tentacled monsters, and dunked in acid and NOT KNOWING WHY! I WILL HAVE THE TRUTH FROM YOU IF I HAVE TO BEAT IT OUT OF YOU! FOR THE SUN AND THE FURY!"
He swings furiously making a full attack at the skeleton between him and Isu.
MYSTIC STRIKE (COMBAT)
Your magical power flows into your weapons.
Prerequisites: Ability to cast Spells.
Benefit: Your melee and ranged attacks count as magic for the purposes of bypassing damage reduction and other situations, such as attacking incorporeal creatures.
Botting Syd:
Sydney rolls to the side to get some distance from the skeletal soldiers, then brings her new laser pistol up for a quick bolt against yellow.
To hit (Laser pistol, corona):1d20 + 8 ⇒ (4) + 8 = 12 Trick Attack (Acrobatics):1d20 + 17 ⇒ (7) + 17 = 24 Damage (Arc pistol, corona):2d4 + 2 ⇒ (2, 1) + 2 = 5 Trick Attack Bonus Damage:3d8 ⇒ (4, 3, 1) = 8
Unfortunately, her attack merely scorches the wall.
----
The first of Arc's enraged swings connects with the yellow skeleton, thanks to Isu splitting the creature's attention. He finds his curve blade less effective against it than he expected - its armor or maybe its skeletal form seem to leave it less vulnerable against the edged blade.
Ted's Miss Chance:1d100 ⇒ 6Let me know if you have some form of darkvision I missed
Ted aims a shot from his pistol right at the creature's skull, but finds he misjudged the position of its head in the dim illumination of the flashlights. The bullet ricochets off the ceiling and embeds itself somewhere in the south end of the room.
Seeing a new threat in Isu, both the yellow and blue skeletal soldiers make guarded steps to flank him. They unleash swings of their claws, but only yellow connects. (Dealing only 1 point of cold damage after DR and Resist Cold) The mere chilling that Isu suffers after a fearsome swing causes both skeletons to hesitate, reevaluating the fight.
Meanwhile, the spellcaster responds to Arc with "Die along with the tu-tu-truth you crave." before sending a pair of magic missiles at the solarian! The bolts strike him hard. (Dealing 9 points of force damage) Even as Arc endures the blows, the skeletal caster rushes towards the southern exit of the room and slips around the corner.
|||| INIT ||||
Sydney
Solaria
Arc (32 dmg)
Spectre
Isu (1 dmg)
Ted
Skele-pal Yellow (25 dmg)
Skele-pal Red
Skele-pal Blue
Male Half-Elf Solarian 20 | SP 198/198 HP 146/146 RP 12/12 | EAC 35(37) KAC 36(38); DR 5/- Resist Fire 20 | F +16; R +15; W +16 | Speed 25 ft. | Init +6 | Perc +30
"THE CASTER'S GETTING AWAY!" Arcalinte cries as his scanners allow him to see the retreating figure. This armor insert was a REAL serious good investment, wow! :)
But knowing they needed to finish off these two first, Arcalinte instead turns his attention to the skeleton Isu has cornered by the wall, wreathing his curve blade in solar fire!
PLASMA SHEATH! All weapon damage converted to fire damage (plus half fire-half holy on first attack)! Plus, since I'm in Photon Mode, all my attacks do +1 extra damage that I realize I've been forgetting the ENTIRE CAMPAIGN...
Not sure if I've mentioned it before Arc, but Plasma Sheath takes a move action to activate, so no full attack this round. Also, using a revelation doesn't set you back on your attunement rounds: you should be Photon 2 this round.
The spellcasting figure in the back responds to Isu's question with a clatter of bone - a sound that reminds you of laughter. "You, and the Starfinder Society, are too close to our business. Just like this pathetic cult was."
Sydney barrel rolls and shoots at the magic user. She calls out: "You aren't working with the cultists?!" Perhaps her surprise catches her off her game.
Male Half-Elf Solarian 20 | SP 198/198 HP 146/146 RP 12/12 | EAC 35(37) KAC 36(38); DR 5/- Resist Fire 20 | F +16; R +15; W +16 | Speed 25 ft. | Init +6 | Perc +30
GM Cellion wrote:
Not sure if I've mentioned it before Arc, but Plasma Sheath takes a move action to activate, so no full attack this round. Also, using a revelation doesn't set you back on your attunement rounds: you should be Photon 2 this round.
Gosh, those are some unlucky rolls! Syd, the magic user went into the southern room - both out of sight of any flashlights (unless you have darkvision I've missed) and around a corner. I've instead directed your attack to one of the two remaining skeletons, though with that roll it doesn't matter too much, unfortunately.
Isu makes a huge swing of his hammer, trying to strike both of the skeletal soldiers, but the swinging light from him flashlight leaves him unable to get a good aim at either of them. Ted however delivers a hail of force bolts at the yellow one, further injuring it!
Arc envelops his curve blade in solar flame, but the attack that follows is too direct and the yellow skeleton parries it with his icy claw. Syd tries to get a shot off at the blue skeleton. The yellow one seizes upon this opportunity to get a quick swing off at her, and while she manages to duck underneath it, the distraction causes her to miss her shot.
Spectre just barely sees the skeletal caster around the corner. The crackling red beam he unleashes from this rifle briefly illuminates the cavernous room - but does little more than blacken the room's southern wall.
Not having any luck against Isu's prodigious defenses, the yellow skeleton calls something out in a clattering tongue (Eoxian - I don't think anyone understands it). He turns and swings his claw twice at Sydney, unfortunately connecting both times. The piercing tips of the claw radiate the icy cold of the void into her body (Dealing a total of 12 points piercing and 12 points cold damage).
The blue skeletal soldier guarded steps over to attack Spectre, lunging in with his claw. The spiked metal tips jab into the flexible connecting strips and deliver a surge of icy cold to Spectre's servos. (Dealing 5 points piercing, 5 points cold)
From the south, you hear the sounds of the spellcasting skeleton invoking some kind of magic. Spectre notices that he suddenly vanishes. His disappearance is immediately followed by the sound of metal scraping against metal.
|||| INIT ||||
Sydney (24 dmg)
Solaria
Arc (32 dmg)
Spectre (10 dmg)
Isu (1 dmg)
Ted
Skele-pal Yellow (33 dmg)
Skele-pal Red
Skele-pal Blue
Male Half-Elf Solarian 20 | SP 198/198 HP 146/146 RP 12/12 | EAC 35(37) KAC 36(38); DR 5/- Resist Fire 20 | F +16; R +15; W +16 | Speed 25 ft. | Init +6 | Perc +30
Thanks to Arcalinte's ranks in Culture that he got from his INT increase, he understands Eoxian.
