GM Debug's PbP Gameday 6: SFS 1-01 The Commencement (Inactive)

Game Master DebugAMP

”Not to interfere in the conversation between you warm blooded vertebrates, but may I ask that you describe the creature? Dimensions? Appendages? Teeth? Temperature? Skin type and coloration? Scales? Feathers?”

"It didn't eat the children, so that's a good sign," Mordin says with a chuckle. "We'll go catch your alien for you, but you've got to go back to your parents. I'm sure they're worried."

Reynold shrugs incredulously at Da'at and Padme. Tinker says all humans raise their kids to be reckless, yet I'M the racist?! Whatever. He starts looking around the corridor for signs of the alien.
Perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (14) + 4 = 18

"Just because it failed to eat the human children doesn't mean it is harmless. That is a fallacious argument. Perhaps it's tastes are more along the line of dwarves or kasatha? Maybe it was simply fully sated at the time, and thus it did not need to eat the children? I propose that we approach this creature with care, and be prepared to defend ourselves should it become necessary." Tinker pulls his pistol and baton as he completed this last sentence. He checks the charge level in the pistol. "Ready," he pronounces.

The children panic when Tinker pulls out his weaponry. "No! Don't hurt him! He's friendly we promise!"

"She's small, with little eyes and a really big mouth!"

"And he's kinda fuzzy..."

"Don't hurt her!"

Reynold begins to look into the hallway when he notices something peculiar. The fire suppression system appears to be active, which is no surprise given that it's on the emergency circuit. What is a surprise is that it seems to be always in a 'warning' state, as though the sensitivity to warmth has been increased to maximum. Even a single person walking into the area could trigger the system.

"Don't worry, wee ones," Mordin tries to calm the children. "We won't hurt it if it's friendly."

"Well, I do still have this zero rifle. Maybe I could coat the sensors with cold and it'll stop the system from triggering?"

If there are no objections, that's what Portia will do. I'll give the others time to chime in about it though.

Disabling the thermal sensors definitely is the simplest way to handle the issue, however a Zero rifle likely isn't precise enough. It would however, give you a lot of room for error if the sensors being worked on are detecting Zero rifle fire.

The rigged fire suppression system counts as a technological trap and can be disabled with an Engineering check. I'll give you a +2 bonus on this for using the Zero Rifle.

Beyond the doorway is an area which consists of two adjoining chambers. Four large containment capsules fill the fore room, three of which hold stasis-locked objects, including a tablet, a strange curved sword, and an odd spiral of bioluminescent coral. A crack leaks fluid from the fourth capsule, which displays a foot-wide breach near the bottom.

Tinker looks at the system and attempts to aid Portia in her efforts by identifying where she should aim the rifle...

Aid Engineering: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (2) + 7 = 9

...however, his efforts prove fruitless.

Padme' sulks a bit at being rebuffed by the children. After a moment she works up the courage to ask the children for a more comprehensive description of their alien friend.diplomacy: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (2) + 6 = 8 She talks to the children while, the others work on the fire suppression system.
If the children are forthcoming, about a description she tries to identify the alien life science: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (4) + 5 = 9

The creature doesn't match any description that you have heard of. Their descriptions are a bit rough and don't include the sort of detail that you'd usually use for identifying a species. Nevertheless, the basic description certainly doesn't match any lifeforms common around Absalom Station.

Da'at puts his topmost left hand up to placate the children. "Alright, alright. I promise I won't hurt your friend and I'll try to stop my friends from doing something totally stupid if they see him. Her. It. Help me out here kids" he offers, as Portia tries to disable to fire suppression system with blasts of the zero rifle.

"That sounds like a goblin," Mordin says in response to the children's description of the alien. "No wonder things are going haywire."

He moves over to the overcharged fire suppression system and examines the situation.

Engineering: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (3) + 4 = 7 So un-dwarf-ish

"Hmm. That should help."

Edited out due to idiot GM.

Hey, what is your time cut off for botting/skipping people? It hadn't been 24 hours since I posted last but I didn't get a chance to help with her Engineering skill.

With his roll, I noted that no amount of aiding could salvage it so I moved forward... although I did just realize that I was looking at the wrong DC like a moron. Give your aid, and make your own check as well if you want. Your aid wont turn his fail into a pass, but it can prevent him from tripping it. Also I added +2 to his check for the Zero Rifle fire.

Thanks for clearing that up GM.

Portia does her best to help the others disable the trap.

Engineering aid 1: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (16) + 4 = 20
Engineering aid 2: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 4 = 8

Reflex save if necessary: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (20) + 4 = 24

Regardless of whether or not the trap goes off, Portia tries to follow the alien through the holes in the wall.

Acrobatics: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (18) + 8 = 26

Da'at looks for a blood trail.

Survival: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 1 = 8

To get us moving forward and to keep everyone in sync despite my errant post, I'll roll Mordin's second attempt. +2 for zero rifle, +2 for Portia's aid.
Disable?: 1d20 + 4 + 4 ⇒ (18) + 4 + 4 = 26

Portia keeps the fire suppression system swamped with the cold beam from the Zero rifle while Mordin and Tinker go at the sensors. Unfortunately Mordin puts his hand directly on the sensor, causing it to pick up more localized heat than the zero rifle can swamp out short of shooting him in the hand. A red light flashes and Mordin, Tinker, and Portia are caught right under the nozzles as the system engages. With quick thinking, Portia simply blasts the sensors as Mordin jerks his hand away, then rips the cables out before it can recover.

Having disarmed the trap the room ahead is accessible. Around the corner you can see into the aft room, which contains several desks, each hosting a deactivated computer terminal. The room is full of water vapour, obstructing your vision. There are no other exits from this room, however given the damage it is a good guess that the alien is still within. There are some jagged holes in the walls, and with the description the children gave you, it is possible it is hiding within.

Moving deeper into the room it appears that the vapour is steam. It is uncomfortably warm and getting a good look into the holes proves difficult.

To track down the creature you can attempt to follow it into the holes in the walls with an Acrobatics check, you can make an Engineering check to assess the damage from the outside, or you can make a Survival check to look for tracks, traces of blood, hair, etc. Everyone can attempt 1 check.

Portia begins to carefully navigate the holes in the walls. She finds several chewed sections, but without some additional guidance this maytake a long time. Da'at looks for a trail but comes up short. One success so far.

Tinker looks to determine how much damage has been caused by the verminous creature...

Engineering: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (7) + 7 = 14

Mordin activates the environmental protections on his second skin, the air around his head briefly flickering as the force field engages. He moves into the muggy room to search for signs of the creature's path.

Survival: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (3) + 8 = 11

Padme' looks to the others anxiously and shrugs her shoulders, I guess there's no help for it? she says rather meekly. Padme' drops to all fours and tries to wiggle her thin frame in to one of the holes. acrobatics: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (19) + 6 = 25

Padme wriggles into the same hole and takes a different path through the damaged ducts. With some careful coordination, Padme and Portia are able to pinpoint the route the creature took. Behind one of the electrical panels they are able to spot the creature, however it is obscured by the billowing steam and you can really only make out an outline of the creature. It emits a strange tonal growl as the pair close in on it.

Tinker stands ready to blast the thing, should it be necessary.

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 4 + 1d6 ⇒ (1) + 4 + (2) = 7

Reynold trains his pistol on the creature, trying unsuccessfully to get a read on the strange being. ”Anybody here speak Escaped Nuisance? We’re suffering from a language barrier here.”

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4

"Not me. Buuuuut... I know that crowding it is just going to piss it off more. Maybe it's hungry. It played with kids, so I'm not convinced it's that dangerous if we don't push it. Someone bring a sandwich?"

Tinker: Sense Motive can be attempted untrained

Sense Motive: 1d20 ⇒ 19

question: are Padme and Portia , still in the ducts with this thing? If so how are the others able to see it? Padme' tries to get a good look at the creature despite her cramped and steamy environment. perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (18) + 4 = 22 . With what she can view of the creature Padme' thinks ......? life science: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (3) + 5 = 8(-5 DC to tell what it is if it's rare) She hears its growling and backs off a little 5ft step back she tries to sense it's intentions while drawing her pistol slowly Sense motive+expertise: 1d20 + 1d6 - 2 ⇒ (15) + (6) - 2 = 19 GM if you'd position me according to my post ( I assume I approached within 10-15ft of it; so now I've backed off an additional 5ft)

The others can hear it growling, it is actually just on the other side of the wall. You can't actually get a good look at it due to the steam, but you can all sure hear it.

Padme begins to approach, and its growl shifts in tone. She backs off carefully, and it takes a moment, but a startling revelation takes hold. Those tonal growls aren't animal growls... this thing, whatever it is is intelligent!

The way that the ducts work around the room, with some time is easy enough to spot a panel that can be removed, gaining access to the compartment where it is hiding... although doing so without startling it may prove difficult. Could possibly lure it back the way it came, although it's path seemed somewhat destructive.

You may all attempt survival rolls or diplomacy checks to keep it calm as you go about doing whatever you wish to do.

Reynold holds out one hand while holstering his pistol, trying to keep the alien calm.
Diplomacy: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (12) + 7 = 19

Padme' try's to make comforting "cooing" sounds to try and coax the creature out while holstering her weapon again. put away your weapons... Padme' let's her voice reverberate throughout the ducts. I believe it's intelligent and more than a little frightened.diplomacy and expertise: 1d20 + 6 + 1d6 ⇒ (12) + 6 + (6) = 24

Tinker puts away his pistol but states, "simply because it is intelligent, is no reason to assume it is friendly."

He pulls out a small bar of processed food and attempts to coax the creature out from its hidey hole...

Diplomacy: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (12) - 1 = 11

"You do have it cornered in a cramped space, though," Mordin warns. "That tends to make the best of us cranky. Let's try to let it out."

The dwarf tries to keep the alien calm while he dismantles the paneling.

Survival: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (16) + 8 = 24

"Just calm down little fella, we just don't want to fight." Portia says soothingly as she tries to help Padme's attempt at diplomacy.

Diplomacy aid: 1d20 ⇒ 7

The party manages to keep the creature from panicking... whatever it is... and Mordin takes the currently discharged electrical panel off of the wall, and then unbolts the plate behind it revealing some chewed through cabling. After what seems like a long bout of silence, the creature slowly moves out of the vent and into the middle of the room. It looks about at all of you with confusion. Finally it's eyes settle on Padme, who it just glares at. It makes a series of chirps and pitches that fairly clearly sound like an attempt to communicate, and then just sits down. While it's difficult to make out distinct details with all of the steam, the creature appears to be an oversized mouth walking on 2 legs, with eyes above it. It appears as though it inadvertently chewed through the climate control panel on it's quest to get out of here.

"Well? Somebody grab the silly thing!"

"Uhh... How about I ask it to follow us?" states Da'at as he cocks his head at the creature. "Yo! Wanna follow us? Guarantee you it's better up... down... whatever there than it is over here."

It continues to look at Da'at with a confused expression. It has no idea what you're trying to say.

Da'at sighs and start pantomiming his question. Badly.

Mordin pulls out his lantern and, after turning it on, begins to swing it back and forth slowly to get the creature's attention. "Come?"

Padme' looks around to her companions questioningly, Is anyone here good with languages? Padme' attempts to identify the creature now that she has a clear look at it. life science: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (16) + 5 = 21(-5 DC to identify if it's rare)

Tinker shrugs, "don't look at me."

It looks a bit confused by Mordin still, then looks back at Da'at. It slowly approaches Mordin and just stands behind him.

Padme... you don't know what the creature is... and that's kinda a big deal.

"Well, it had a rapport with the kids, but I'd hate to put them in danger. I mean, I can grab it, but it's probably just going to attack then." Portia offers, obviously brainstorming about options with the lack of a good one.

"Okay, I guess Mordin should slowly walk out and keep telling it to come?"

The creature looks around at all of you and begins following Mordin around the room, looking rather impatient.

"Okay, let's get it out of here." Portia says gesturing to the way out.

As you walk into the other room, the kids look extremely happy. "Toothy! He's ok!"

"Her name's not toothy! It's Nibbler!"

"Nuh uh..."

The bickering continues as they, and the strange little creature follow you all the way out of the damaged deck.

”Can I just shoot it? Or them? Or myself? How do you deal with the little annoyances?”