Thanks, Cross is very pragmatically paranoid about things. The way he sees it, K-Van is safest where he can keep an eye out for him as he is currently the only one he absolutely knows has a handle on the kid's situation and his best interests at heart... or heart analogous mechanism.
So we're back to a crossroads - we were starting to gel around going to the bio research station, but now we are talking about cargo hauling on our way to Cyrune. So, to help leinathan (and us) out, I see the following choices:
A) Bio lab
B) Cargo haul
C) Pick up cargo but stop at the bio lab on the way out
Can we all agree on option C and move to the next adventure =)
sounds good to me, i think we just need to convince Amaryst IC
You don't need to convince her. You just need to outvote her.
Cargo hauling doesn't rule out any of the other options, but when we leave the Tau Ceti system, it just makes sense to try to pay the bills on the next leg of our journey.
Hey guys,
I'm adding mechfinder to our list of resource links. Maybe sometime we'll get mechs to pilot in addition to starships.
Wow cross, I can’t tell if that is a sarcastic jab or a legitimate statement.
As for cargo, I’m thinking it’s better to carry goods ins instead ople. So either the guns or the food. Whichever
Which part? I wasn't trying to be particularly sarcastic if that helps.
Also voting no passengers, that is just asking for the sort of trouble Cross is bad at handling.
I like the big payoff. We're already fraternizing with contraband. We need to make a low profile jump and the big job would require a low profile. We'll just try not to think about what the guns are for.
Sounds like whatever we do, Amaryst is going to want a bigger gun. I want to do some shopping before we leave. I've got to work it out, but provisionally:
light reaction cannon , 250
20 heavy rounds, 90.
Checked. And if she doesn't carry the food or some other sundries, she can carry it unencumbered.
That leaves her 160 credits.
Zen would agree to carrying the cargo of illicit items. While it brings the largest potential danger to everyone on board, it also brings the most potential reward to the crew as a whole. As it is within their capabilities to take on this job, they should take it.
the part about us being "the principled sort, should be empathetic to the plight of us miserable cores" lol
Oh that, I thought you meant my most recent post. All I can say is that you should consider Cross’s reactions to attempts at empathy thus far.
Also Cross has exactly zero qualms about smuggling guns.
Great! Sounds like its pickup guns -> head to asteroid belt to deal with pirates.
I was just doing some late-night checking of the boards. I'll post that update tomorrow.
You got it on the purchases, Amaryst.
Just so we know, what KIND of guns are they?
Hey I have a suggestion. Do you guys mind if I buy the stuff for a signal jammer with some party money?
For 900 creds we could throw the pirates communications completely offline, which could help with a plan I had for dealing with them.
I’d be fine with that
Also, Cross is going to take K-Van out to buy some essentials. It’s just clothing, toiletries and the like, I’ll compose a list when I’m off work.
Go for that signal jammer.
Yeah, it seems like a good purchase.
Emily doesn't have any particular concerns on the cargo, though the family trying to escape would seem more important than delivering weapons. It wouldn't take much convincing to sway her, though.
Don’t have to be meek about it, the party can be a little too pragmatic sometimes.
If you think we should save the family then make your case, you might win some bleeding hearts over :)
Zen would not disagree with helping out the family, especially seeing as how we could potentially take on both jobs. Zen is at heart a kind person, after all. There are two main issues that they would bring up, however:
1 (less important): There are only four rooms on the spaceship. Currently, that is divided between eight people (with Cross not taking a room), with two people to a room. Add four more to that, and we would be either putting three people to a room, squishing the entire family into a single room, or splitting the party between two room of four people each. This could quickly cause problems, as too many people staying in the same room for extended periods isn't good for any of them.
2 (more important): Cross would likely not appreciate having an extra four people around him in an already small ship. As the dominant pilot, he could likely just refuse to fly for us if he disagrees to heavily. If he could be convinced to not leave the cockpit except when absolutely necessary (which, to be fair, is what is more-or-less doing now), this could be less of an issue than the previous point.
Cross is more concerned over potential security leaks. He can manage himself and his discomfort just fine, but we've got three people on board that might accidentally reveal they are wanted fugitives or that they are not exactly normal.
Also, shopping list for K-Van:
-5 sets of everyday clothing (5 credits)
-1 Space suit (25 credits)
-1 Hygiene Kit (3 Credits)
Like Emily, Maldor would pick saving people as his first choice, but would defer to the vote of the group. As a rescued person himself (and due to his religious connection), he feels compelled to help others despite any personal discomforts. However, he also recognizes that his tactical training at the Institute argues against having non-combatants aboard a ship potentially going into harm's way and the overcrowding issue.
=)
So, let's do some gun-running and pirate-busting!
Just so we know, what KIND of guns are they?
I dunno, they're in sealed crates.
Campaign info should be updated.
leinathan, should Korvan be on the NPC ally list? If you're tracking party resources, then I won't.
Speaking of party resources -- Maldor should probably carry the medkit and at least one healing serum. That leaves 3 healing serums. Does everyone in the party have one? If not, claim one.
You're right, I keep forgetting about him.
Speaking of party resources -- Maldor should probably carry the medkit and at least one healing serum.
Maldor already has a basic medkit. He wanted to buy a spare.
I am assuming that their are some generic (for a spaceship) parts and extra lengths of cabling in the engineering room. Nothing super flashy, just basic things that would make sense for allowing fixes to be done on the ship. Is this fine?
We could lay in a store of UPBs.
Yeah, there's basic supplies. UBPs are good for if you want to make something, but I don't plan to lock "oh, your ship broke and you have to repair it" behind "oh, you forgot to spend credits on that?"
UBPs are good to have on-hand though.
Hey, I'd like to officially implement the "Torching" houserule.
In our game, it will be:
If you are out of spells/day, you may "Torch" in order to continue using your powers. Each round that you do so, roll a d10. On a roll of 1-3, take 1 point of Constitution drain. On a roll of 4-6, take 1 point of Charisma drain. On a roll of 7-10, you manage to avoid permanent harm. This drain can only be healed by spending a week without using any psychic powers at all, during which time 1 point of drain is healed.
leinathan, can we track the pirates through the drift?
I agree with Cross that the pirate refinery is probably 'local'.
I also kind of agree with Rollo that it would be good to know if these pirates are part of a larger operation. It wouldn't do to put these guys down and collect our reward only to have the pirates wreak aspiration fluidy revenge after we're gone.
Unsaid is that we've got a cargo in the hold. leinathan, is that on a schedule?
leinathan, can we track the pirates through the drift?
Yes and no. When a ship enters the drift you can make a Scanner check (if the ship is within scanning range) to determine where it's going.
Diesel has done this, and can tell you the pirates' target system. However, if that system was merely a stop, you won't be able to track them farther than that.
Unsaid is that we've got a cargo in the hold. leinathan, is that on a schedule?
None that is likely to matter for the scope of this game. If you disappear for months with the weapons, they'll assume you stole them, but a few days taking care of other business won't do any harm.
Sorry - was on a business trip and the hotel computer had Paizo site blocked!! =\
Did you at least get a good meal on the company dime?
Upon further reflection, I've decided to remove the nerf to healing effects. Natural healing will still remain stunted, but I just don't see the point in the nerf I set anymore.
New questions: ship system prices are intentionally left vague, but what kind of ship weapons could we buy with our payment from running guns?
Or, how would you guys feel about opening those crates and seeing what's inside? It might help us out.
Here is what Cross is about to propose. Pack him into a hollowed out chunk of ore and sneak him on to the shipment. When the ship docks, he slips out and transmits the location to the others and then sets about sabotaging the ships and taking out whatever systems he can on the station while remaining mostly hidden until his reinforcements arrive.
IF we go with this plan, for the sake of everyone's patience, I'd like to do it as a series of d20 rolls first to make the solo excursion as quick as possible.
I'll write up a post explaining his plan in character once I'm off from work this evening.
New questions: ship system prices are intentionally left vague, but what kind of ship weapons could we buy with our payment from running guns?
Or, how would you guys feel about opening those crates and seeing what's inside? It might help us out.
I was actually working on doing a BP -> credits exchange. I don't like that it's so vague (and in Stars Without Number, the game that I am drawing a lot from for this game, ship prices are given explicitly. They go up to like, 75 million for the upper-range ships).
I'm looking at something like 10,000 credits for every 1 Build Point (though I might tune that in either direction. I have to take a more comprehensive look at equipment prices). That would mean something like a gyrolaser (3 BP) costs 30,000 credits. However, shipboard weapons also have to be attached to a power source. Luckily, the Argintum has plenty of excess power (over 100 PCU, I believe) so it can easily power that... if you have enough cabling.
Did you at least get a good meal on the company dime?
Well, I was in Newport, RI...so yeah =) Lobster one night and a really super wood-grilled sea bass and asparagus another night!
Gunnery Check = 1d20
+ the gunner’s base attack bonus or the gunner’s ranks in the Piloting skill
+ the gunner’s Dexterity modifier
+ bonuses from computer systems
+ bonuses from the captain and science officers
+ range penalty
Ignoring the last three, Amaryst sits at +4 for dex and BAB. If we split up along Maldor's lines, does anyone fancy gunning for Cross? Cross can pilot and fire, but there's a -2 penalty.
We've got Rollo on hand.
Korvan as well. Korvan has +4 gunnery check and Rollo has +6 gunnery check.
If the cores life support systems are small enough to fit in a chassis the size of Cross, then if they were mining some heavy elements like lead we could probably rig their life support with some low-tech EMP shielding by fabbing them a shell to wrap around their life support system, couldn’t we?
Googling it, aluminum would work as well for a faraday cage to create some low-tech EMP shielding. It’s not feasible for the entire ship but we could protect the Cores themselves easily enough
That's a good idea. They probably have the equipment to make something like that, as long as someone volunteers to go rescue them if their ship gets EMP'd.
You have enough time to make those for three cores.
Huzzah! A real MacGyver moment =)
It looks like you have a pretty solid plan so far.
1. Spend a few days' downtime building EMP-proof nets to wrap the cores' life support in.
2. Hide Maldor, MLE, Cross, and Jin on the cores' next ore shipment, and hide the Argintum somewhere else nearby. That leaves Amaryst, Rollo, Korvan, Zenvisk, and K-Van on board the Argintum.
3. Once the PCs are aboard the pirate transport, they are to kill the pirates aboard it and hijack it.
4. At that point, with the tides turned, the group is to do battle with the remaining pirate ship.
Is that right? Any last adjustments to make/are you ready to execute the plan?
I have no other adjustments, though Cross makes a point to make good on his promise to K-Van and shows the boy the inside of a core mining operation, under a careful eye. It is also a good opportunity to teach him to control his panic responses a little.
Korvan might want to offer to trade spots with Jin, or else come along as well, given his protectiveness of Maldor
If he takes Jin's place or stays tho, that leaves someone free to Science Officer while Zen does the Engineering
So, you want Korvan to go with the assault team? That leaves Zenvisk, Rollo, and Amaryst who can take ship spots (K-Van, as an untrained child, can't yet).