Well, I hope you did have a good time with Salvage, but now this is Lawblight. Lets roll!
Crewing the Odyssey the crew departs the planet Ulmarid. Asteroids fill the immediate space surrounding the desert world, making any sort of starship navigation exceptionally hazardous. So hazardous that I need a piloting check from your pilot. Others, like the captain and science officer might be able to assist with this check.
Morvruul rolls his eyes beneath his helmet at the seemingly naive half-orc. Still, her company is preferred to that of the sand creature we faced earlier. Fortunately, now we can head back to Absalom Station without delay or further incident and I can go about uploading the day I have recovered in peace
Nonbinary NEED TO FINALIZE WHEN LEVELING Barathu Biotechnician Mystic | SP 7/7, HP 12/12 | EAC 13, KAC 15 | Fort +2, Ref +0, Will +5 | Init +0 | Perc +7 | Sense Motive +7 | RP 1/4
"I'm afraid mySelf does not have much experience on ships. Is there a station that needs the help most?"
Asteroids obscure both sensors and vision. Small debris strike the shields of your ship and your pilot, perhaps aided by other crew at their stations works the controls to try to avoid the larger threats.
When ready I'll take actions from the captain, pilot, and science officer.
Female Shirren Xenoseeker Empath Mystic 1 Init +2 | Per +4 (darkvision 60') | KAC 14, EAC 13 | SP 2/7, HP 12/12, RP 4/4 | Fort +1, Ref +2, Will +5 | 1st: 2/3
"Just steer clear of the bigger asteroids and we will be fine. I trust you to get us out of here in one piece." Diplomacy (Inspire Domak):1d20 + 6 ⇒ (20) + 6 = 26
Domak sweats over the controls in frantic motion. He is doing well for a moment but nearly gives up in despair when two huge asteroids close on the Odyssey from opposite sides. All seems lost but Jchak-Chtal begins to encourage the pilot, professing faith in the Vesk's skills and Domak redoubles his efforts, narrowly avoiding a near certain death collision. Shields scrape and perhaps paint is lost but the ship squeaks through. Breathing a sigh of relief Domak crests the larger of the asteroids and moves into a sea of swirling ice and stone. There is simply too much to track. No pilot could manage to fly though this hailstorm unscathed without help. In a near panic he calls for aid from his science officer.
So the captain aided the pilot's roll but the skill check is still short. I am not sure who your science officer is but with a good enough computer skill check he can save the day...
Nonbinary NEED TO FINALIZE WHEN LEVELING Barathu Biotechnician Mystic | SP 7/7, HP 12/12 | EAC 13, KAC 15 | Fort +2, Ref +0, Will +5 | Init +0 | Perc +7 | Sense Motive +7 | RP 1/4
Morvruul skillfully manipulates his console calling up stored subroutines that must have been coded for just such situations and executes a command. Domak's control screen suddenly become more clear. Obstacles are color coded and grouped based on vector and speed and an optimum path is plotted through the swirling cloud that seems almost like child's play compared to his earlier efforts.
As Domak pilots the Odyssey out of the cloud in a sigh of collective relive klaxons begin to sound and the red lights of "Battle Stations" being to flash. Somehow, from somewhere, the Odyssey is being fired upon!
Piloting DC was 20. :) Good Teamwork. I'll post the surprise round of combat with an initial advantage gained for you from a clue later today.
As sensors re-calibrate the situation becomes more clear. the Odyssey is not completely out of the asteroid swarm and a number of large bodies float slowly around you in space. These are moving so slowly that they can be considered non-moving for the duration of the fight.
You find yourselves adjacent to one of these large asteroids and an adversary ship 18 hexes away has just come around the corner of another and fired weapons at you. It must have been laying in wait.
Two brilliant beams of energy lance from the enemy ship. The first seems to be right on target but your pilot manages an amazing last second evasion maneuver which causes the shot to miss. With the second shot the enemy has seemed to find their range and the Odyssey takes 11 points of damage to its rear shields.
Clue Lawblight Evasion is active. The Lawblight must roll twice to hit with its coilguns. I might not tell you this in a normal encounter but since this is a training run it makes sense for me to let you know more of what is going on.
Before you can even act passive science routines activate long term scanners and data about the enemy ship populates your data screens.
<< ENEMY VESSEL: LAWBLIGHT - MEDIUM CLASS TRANSPORT>> << MOST RECENT INFORMATION SHOWS THIS SHIP IN THE HANDS OF PIRATES>> << SPEED; SIX. MANEUVERABILITY: AVERAGE CREW COMPLEMENT SIX>> << DEFENSES: AC 13, TL 13, HULL 70 AND UNDAMAGED, SHIELDS 30 (15, 5, 5, 5) Power Core Arcus Heavy (130 PCU)>> << OFFENSE: (FOR) COILGUN (4d4), HEAVY TORPEDO LAUNCHER (5d8), (AFT) GYROLASER (1d8), (TURRET) COILGUN (4d4)>>
Clue Lawblight DATA is active. You start the fight with this information.
Reminder that the Captain can act any time and the Science officer acts during the Help (Piloting) phase, either before or after the pilot
Your ship's com system comes live as a cracking voice speaks out. Ahoy! This be captain Longreach of the pirate ship Lawblight. You be plunder! Iffin you don't idle your ship and prepare for boarding I'll take three weeks to kill each of you and working hard at it the whole time!
Intimidate:1d20 + 8 ⇒ (17) + 8 = 251d4 ⇒ 3
You have been taunted. Each of you will take -2 to your actions during the helm phase for 3 rounds.
Piloting:1d20 + 8 + 1 ⇒ (18) + 8 + 1 = 27
Your ship's computer passively informs you that your ship is being actively scanned.
Science Scan:1d20 + 8 ⇒ (7) + 8 = 15
Please make all Helm phase rolls but do not yet move your ship.
Female Shirren Xenoseeker Empath Mystic 1 Init +2 | Per +4 (darkvision 60') | KAC 14, EAC 13 | SP 2/7, HP 12/12, RP 4/4 | Fort +1, Ref +2, Will +5 | 1st: 2/3
Jchak cuts off the communications with the Lawblight and calls down to the gunnery station. "These are pirates that rely on sneak attacks from behind asteroids. Now that they've revealed themselves, they've lost their only advantage. Open fire." Diplomacy (Inspire Eleeta):1d20 + 6 - 2 ⇒ (15) + 6 - 2 = 19+2 to Gunnery
Hmmm, in retrospect, I probably should have suggested that the engineer boost weapons and have the science officer fire since we already have the info a scan would provide (and likelihood of crit is low since enemy ship hasn't taken any damage yet so targeting is not likely to be effective this round). Do we have a full crew of six?
If we have a crew of six:
Morvruul targets the enemy's core.
If we have a crew of five:
Morvruul would move to one of the gunnery positions.
I am good with the party doing that Morvruul. Mostly trying to move things along as ship combats are notorious at dragging out. I believe you have a crew of 5. To me it makes more sense to repair shields (science) and skip engineering this phase, but of course its your call. I will move the turn forward after 2 central time tomorrow, botting as necessary. And I'd like to ask that the pilot be responsible for moving the Odyssey. When multiple people start moving the ship chaos can result.
half orc technomancer 1| SP 5/5, HP 11/11, RP 4/4 | EAC 13, KAC 14 | F+0, R+2, W+4 | Perc +2 | Init +6
Morvruuul, why don't you for now take either engineering or science officer, whichever you think is better, and Eleeta and Blibdilpoolp can be gunners? We have 5 players, so one spot has to be left empty.
Sorry, if I am holding things up. While I think we gain more benefit from a successful Engineering roll on shields, I am more likely to hit the DC on a Science roll, so...
The witchwyrd's hands reach out to the interface at the Science console and try to rebalance the remaining shields of the Odyssey across all four quadrants.
Computers to balance shields:1d20 + 9 ⇒ (7) + 9 = 16 Success (barely)
I believe Odyssey's shields are now: 59 (forward 15, port 15, starboard 15, aft 14)
Morvruul, due to the success of the enemy captain, all rolls in the Helm phase are at -2. I don't think you considered that. Engineering would be before helm phase and not subject to that intimidation penalty. So if your roll of 7 will make the engineering DC I am fine with you doing that instead.
It seems the pirate advantage continues as their pilot out-flies Domak, at least for this round.
BUT the clue Lawblight Assault kicks in gaining you a position advantage. BEFORE Domak moves the ship He may reposition it up to 4 hexes in any direction AND choose the facing he likes. So go ahead and reposition and re-face as you think best and then fly (move) the ship on the map. And this is why I wanted to be a little more meticulous on phase order this turn. After movement and the gunnery phase we can move to faster turns where we can roll engineering and helm at the same time. So the turn will go: Engineering/Hemm, movement, Gunnery. Still three steps but I am not sure how to speed it up from there. Its not reasonable to me to ask gunners to pick and fire weapon systems if they do not yet know facings and distances.
Morvruul, due to the successful of the enemy captain, all rolls in the Helm phase are at -2. I don't think you considered that. Engineering would be before helm phase and not subject to that intimidation penalty So if your roll of 7 will make the engineering DC I am fine with you doing that instead.
You are correct. I did not consider the penalty. Under the circumstances, however, Morvruul's action would not have changed since the total modifier to balance shields would still greater than his modifier to divert power. The Intimidation penalty, unfortunately, does mean that Morvruul's balance action failed and the shield points remain unaltered following the attack.
Vesk Spacefarer Operative (explorer)/Soldier 4/1 | SP 46/46 HP 37/37 RP 6/6| EAC 22 KAC 22 | Fo +6 Re +8 Wi +7; +2 v Fear, Evasion | Init +10 | Percep +10; Low-Light Vision, Darkvision 60' |
Domak opts for a game of hide and seek with the Lawblight, hoping to gain the advantage as they maneuver through the asteroid field.
Red line is re-positioning. Blue line is movement.
As the Odyssey moves around the large asteroids gaining cover and concealment the crew is nearly sure that their enemy has moved in pursuit but the sensors of the Odyssey are blocked for the moment. You have lost the exact location of the Lawblight.
Excellent move Domak, and thanks for the clear lines of movement. :)
Round 1 Gunnery Phase
Since neither ship can lock on (no line of sight or line of effect) I believe firing is pointless. Unless you disagree lets move on to...
Pulling up the engineering schematics on his console, Mrovruul attempts to divert power to the shields.
Engineering to divert power (DC 16):1d20 + 6 ⇒ (3) + 6 = 9
Luck remains with the pirates and the Odyssey must move first.
Domak, you can move the Odessey right after you Piloting roll if your roll is lower. That should help the game flow a little. Please go ahead and move your ship.
Female Shirren Xenoseeker Empath Mystic 1 Init +2 | Per +4 (darkvision 60') | KAC 14, EAC 13 | SP 2/7, HP 12/12, RP 4/4 | Fort +1, Ref +2, Will +5 | 1st: 2/3
"There they are. These pirates chose the wrong ship to attack. Eleeta, show them the error of their ways." Diplomacy (Inspire Eleeta):1d20 + 6 - 2 ⇒ (15) + 6 - 2 = 19
As the odyssey moves around one side of an asteroid their ship's sensors re-lock onto the Lawblight. The ship has close considerably closer. Current range is 8
Round 2 Gunnery Phase
Brilliant energy lances out from the the Lawblight's forward coilgun but does not find a target. But a heavy torpedo flashes from the a forward firing tube and closes too fast to avoid. It smashes into your forward shield taking it down exactly.
Nonbinary NEED TO FINALIZE WHEN LEVELING Barathu Biotechnician Mystic | SP 7/7, HP 12/12 | EAC 13, KAC 15 | Fort +2, Ref +0, Will +5 | Init +0 | Perc +7 | Sense Motive +7 | RP 1/4
Blibdoolpoolp, knowing that her expertise has essentially nothing to do with dispensing voiddeath, elects to fill that section of space with as much firepower as she can muster!
Nonbinary NEED TO FINALIZE WHEN LEVELING Barathu Biotechnician Mystic | SP 7/7, HP 12/12 | EAC 13, KAC 15 | Fort +2, Ref +0, Will +5 | Init +0 | Perc +7 | Sense Motive +7 | RP 1/4
We still have a Heavy Missile Launcher up there for some 4d8 loveliness if you'd rather shoot that, Eleeta :)
Also, it wasn't really explicitly called out, but I did use one of the Nodes for the Laser Cannon. I'm planning on Firing at Will for the next couple rounds, so I'll use two Nodes next round if you're planning on single firing.
Nice Shooting guys. and awesome damage rolls Blibdoolpoolp. Eleeta you hit and caused a glitch. Consider your option of firing the torpedo launcher next time as it can do double the damage. And within a range of 14 strikes the same round as fired.
Blibdoolpoolp shows unexpected expertise on the forward arc weapons. Her first shot nearly rips down the considerable front shield of your attackers. Her second shot tears through the remaining energy of the shield like paper and does considerable hull damage.
Eleeta is able to capitalize on the down ship pumping coil gun damage into the unprotected hull. As the energy permeates into the Lawblight a brihg flash can be seen initiating from the interior of the ship. Perhaps the pirates have underestimated their prey.
Glitch:1d100 ⇒ 82Power Core
Round 2 Engineering and Helm Phase
Engineering Phase:
engineering, Divert Power to shields:1d20 + 8 - 2 ⇒ (18) + 8 - 2 = 24
Helm Phase:
Captain:1d20 + 8 ⇒ (11) + 8 = 19
Pilot:1d20 + 8 + 1 ⇒ (15) + 8 + 1 = 24
Lawblight Status:
Shields - Forward repaired to 6
Hull Point Damage: 20
Glitching - Egnines
Seeing the results on the scanner screen before him, the eyes of the "merchant" light up. "It seems that that shot likely hit the power core." he notes as his fingers interface with the science console. "With it sufficiently disabled, we could defeat them quickly."
And perhaps even salvage as much of their weapons and technology as possible, the witchwyrd ponders gleefully.
Computers to target power core:1d20 + 9 ⇒ (17) + 9 = 26
Moving the Odyssey like I think it should have been moved. Also I am not using piloting initiative but am happy to use your nat 20 for the next piloting roll.
The Lawblight moves forward 3 and in a display of piloting skill manages to turn 180 degrees to bring forward weapons to bear.
Round 3 Gunnery Phase
Brilliant energy lances out again from the the Lawblight's forward coilgun but does not find a target. But a heavy torpedo flashes from the a forward firing tube and closes collides with the rear shields but fails to bring them down completely. That was come crap damage.
Nonbinary NEED TO FINALIZE WHEN LEVELING Barathu Biotechnician Mystic | SP 7/7, HP 12/12 | EAC 13, KAC 15 | Fort +2, Ref +0, Will +5 | Init +0 | Perc +7 | Sense Motive +7 | RP 1/4
"Agreed!
Unfortunately, Blibdoolpoolp's enthusiasm isn't matched by her accuracy...
