[GM School] Into the Unknown: Lawblight

Game Master Skorn

Ouch! That would have been decisive.

I believe we need Eleeta's shot to advance. She can still easily punch through the Lawblight's forward shield and cause another glitch, or worse.

Eleeta shoots the turret's missile launcher at the pirate ship.

attack: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (15) + 5 = 20
damage: 4d8 ⇒ (4, 6, 2, 4) = 16

While the laser shots go wide Eleeta manages a solid lock on and the crew is satisfied you watch the Lawblight's forward shield buckle and fail. Energy from the heavy torpedo dances over the hull of the enemy ship further damaging it.

system crit: 1d100 ⇒ 95 [ooc]But I think you successfully targeted it anway.

Round 4 Engineering and Helm Phase

Your ship's scanners show that the Lawblight's engines, malfunctioning for a moment after the torpedo strike, return to glitching. The enemy must have a competent engineer indeed. Their forward shield remains down, for the moment.

The enemy pilot is good; damn good. But Domak seems to finally have his measure and out-flies him this round in near perfect handling of the Odyssey. Your sensors once again pick up the tale tell sines of an active science scan of your ship's systems as the enemy ship moves away evasively.

Morvruul notes the ionic energy leaking from the power core and collect some readings on the energy for further study. He then tries to recalibrate the sensors to hone in on the energy.

Computers to Target Core: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (1) + 9 = 10

However, he overcompensates and loses the lock.

Looking up from his console, he utters aloud, "Oh dear, I lost the lock. But, then I am just a simple merchant and not much of a science officer."

Domak turns the ship to follow after the Lawblight. While he tries to keep their ship tucked into the aft of the enemy, he also tries to keep them from getting a target lock.

Piloting, Evasive Maneuvers 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (17) + 7 = 24

Piloting, Initiative 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (18) + 7 = 25

Round 4 Gunnery Phase

With a good shield facing the Odyssey the Lawblight is far from helpless as it attacks in its aft ark. The Gyrolaser brushes just past the shields of the Odyssey; a missed caused by your pilot's evasive flying. But the turret gunner is more patient and strikes true. 8 points to forward shields. I believe your forward shield is still down so those 8 points go to your hull

Aft Gyrolaser: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (6) + 8 = 141d8 ⇒ 1

Turret Coilgun: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (9) + 8 = 174d4 ⇒ (1, 2, 2, 3) = 8 Still must take the worst of two shots.
Turret Coilgun: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (9) + 8 = 174d4 ⇒ (4, 2, 1, 1) = 8

Last Round of Firing at Will

[i]"Drat! Speaking for mySelf, we needed that lock!"

Heavy Laser (Node, Fire at Will): 1d20 + 1 - 4 ⇒ (8) + 1 - 4 = 5
Damage: 4d8 ⇒ (8, 5, 3, 8) = 24
Coilgun (Node, Fire at Will): 1d20 + 1 - 4 ⇒ (7) + 1 - 4 = 4
Damage: 4d4 ⇒ (4, 3, 3, 4) = 14

Eleeta's usual excited grin turns rather feral as she sees how well her next shot of the turret's missile launcher is lined up.

attack, no inspire: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (20) + 3 = 23
Yay!
damage, critical: 8d8 ⇒ (1, 4, 2, 2, 8, 4, 6, 1) = 28
Wow, in addition to the critical for a critical hit, that's probably one or two more criticals for hull point loss!

Blibdoolpoolp's lack of gunnery experience shows again as both her (its?) shots miss. Eleeta however sees an opening and fires a heavy torpedo up the tailpipe of the Lawblight. The explosion is quite satisfying. It brings down the rear shield with ease and you count at least two additional ship system explosions.

Crit 1: 1d100 ⇒ 62 Engines

Crit 2: 1d100 ⇒ 78 Engines again!

Yep, you are right Eleeta. Damage threshold is 14 so 28 would do two extra crits, but that rear shield is at full.Too bad for the pirates that full is only 5 in the aft. Still that prevents one of the three crits this round.

Round 5 Engineering and Helm Phase

Your ship's scanners show that the Lawblight's engines after that last torpedo strike are now wrecked! They are dead in the water!. But as you watch some heroic action on the part of their engineer seems to bring their engines back on-line. The are malfunctioning but delivering energy to the rest of the ship's systems

Had the enemy pilot not been dealing with a malfunctioning engine this round he would have outflown the Odyssey, but only just barely. As it is he is lucky to get his ship to respond at all. Still he manages to fly evasively once again. He pulls along side an asteroid showing his enemy a new shield.

Move you ship and fire your guns.

I'm at work and can access, but not save information to google drive. Domak will move the ship forward 1 then turn west (toward the Lawblight) and go 4 more to face the Lawblight's port side. I realize we have movement left, but I want room to maneuver for next turn. I'll move the ship once I get home.

Domak continues to try and evade as he closes in on the wounded craft. He chooses to come at a side rather than the weakened rear in the hopes that the Lawblight's gun arcs prevent it from firing back at them.

Piloting, Evade 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (4) + 7 = 11

Piloting, Initiative 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (16) + 7 = 23

Morvruul tries to re-recalibrate the targeting scanners to hone in on the engines of the pirate vessel.
Computers to Target Engines: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (14) + 9 = 23

I've moved the ship

Round 5 Gunnery Phase

The lawblight only has one gun in arc to bring to bear. Her turret mounted coilgun fires lazer energy through your down forward shield. Energy plays havoc with your ship's systems and the structure audibly groans from its loss of integrity.

Turret Coilgun: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (10) + 8 = 184d4 ⇒ (2, 3, 3, 3) = 11
Turret Coilgun: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (17) + 8 = 254d4 ⇒ (4, 3, 2, 2) = 11

Their gunner must have waited for just such a maneuver as you made and catches you dead on. This brings your total hull damage to 19 and you earn yourselves a glitch.

Glitch: 1d100 ⇒ 70 Engines: A glitching system isn’t operating at peak performance. Crew actions involving the system (except the hold it together and patch engineer actions; see page 323) take a –2 penalty.

botting captain action to help Eleeta, since that was chosen action previous turns

inspire: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (3) + 6 = 9

Eleeta continues to shoot missiles at the pirate ship.
attack: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (16) + 3 = 19
damage: 4d8 ⇒ (8, 8, 1, 2) = 19

A final torpedo strikes the full side shield of the Lawblight, bringing down the shield and glitching another system. Little structural integrity remains with the ship. Perhaps Blibdoolpoolp can finish her.

Crit: 1d100 ⇒ 12 Sesors!

Morvruul tries to re-recalibrate the targeting scanners to hone in on the engines of the pirate vessel.

[dice=Computers to Target Engines]1d20+9

Sensors? But we targeted the engines.

And so you did. My bad. I was recalling the previous round where the targeting failed. Engines it is!

Blibdoolpoolp carefully sights in on the engines again, but the quick moving ship may be too fast for her!

Heavy Laser Cannon (Node): 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (11) + 1 = 12
Damage: 4d8 ⇒ (4, 6, 4, 7) = 21

Round 6 Engineering and Helm Phase

You are sure that you took out the enemy ship's engins but their engineer is a miracle worker and your sensors show the engines coming back on line. They seem to be malfunctioning though.

The Lawblight limps away, lucky to still be in one piece. Over the Com the enemy captain stammers Ya've spunk, ya have. And ya've earned your right ta be travelin through the space we patrol. We release ya from the command to stand down. Be about your business, an don't ya be worryin none about the nuclear space mine we carry fer self defense.

Your turn to move your ship.

"Captain?" Domak will differ to his captain, but he thinks that pirates are cowardly and there's no way on this plane or any other that they will self destruct before being captured.

Piloting 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (6) + 7 = 13

Piloting 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (3) + 7 = 10

"Please let me shoot it again, Captain! It's a pirate ship that attacked us!"

"Should we defeat these cads, do you think we'd be able to tow the entire pirate vessel back to Absalom Station?" Morvruul inquires aloud as he does not decides he doesn't want the pirates running away.

Computers to Target engines: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (20) + 9 = 29

Still need Domak to move the Odyssey. As it stands you do not have a clear shot to the enemy ship.

I was trying to give the captain time to chime in, but my crewmates seem to want to blow up the pirates, so I'll oblige.

BTW those poor piloting rolls are to Evade and Initiative respectively.

Sorry, it’s been a busy couple of days.
Jchak sighs. "It seems these pirates would not surrender. Domak, bring us into firing position."

OK, looks like Eleeta's spoilered attack will be able to happen.

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (10) + 7 = 17

Would pirates really scupper their own ship? They're bluffing, right?

Blibdoolpoolp has heard a good bluff before, and this one is good, but she sees through it. But she must be thinking too much about the enemy captain as her shot allows too much lead and passes over the enemy bow. But Eleeta's sensor lock is a good one and her second to last torpedo leaves its tube on target. The strike is true. The kinetic strike is nearly enough to pierce the gossamer like shield that is left the Lawblight and the explosion causes a cacophony of smaller blasts and vents. The lawblight is disabled and dead in the water.

Its routine textbook work to capture the wreck and the enemy crew has no where to go as the Lawblight carried no escape pods. The Odyssey has earned a few battle scars but is hardly worse for the wear. Your engineering skill should have it mostly repaired by the time you get back to Absalom Station.

Well fought Starfinders!