GM Valen's SFS Quests - Into the Unknown (PbP) (Inactive)

Game Master Lysle

It looks like from the map that we're still out of line-of-sight. Is that accurate?

It looks like from the map that we're still out of line-of-sight. Is that accurate?

Correct. The Odyssey has not moved yet this turn, but it looks unlikely that the PCs can obtain line of sight this round.

Ninja'd - Looks like PC ship has moved, but still no LoS.

Piloting initiative: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (18) + 9 = 27

Piloting evade : 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (4) + 9 = 13

"Let us get them guys!!! Full speed in their direction!"

Looks like they're 11 hexes away, so not even within range of our sensors.

Ozei double-checks the firing array as she waits for the target to come in view.

Gunnery check for active missile vs. Aft: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (12) + 4 = 16
High Explosive Missile Damage: 4d8 ⇒ (1, 5, 7, 1) = 14

With the Lawblight out of sight, Vchk watches as the missile curves around the asteroid and vanishes. Not waiting to ponder its fate, the shirren quickly queues up another tracking shot and fires off into the inky void, hoping to force the pirates out from their cowardly position.

Attack with High Explosive Missile Launcher vs. Aft (+ mk 1 computer): 1d20 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 4 + 1 = 11
High Explosive Missile Damage: 4d8 ⇒ (3, 2, 8, 6) = 19
1/5 missiles remaining.

If I'm counting hexes correctly, both the missile fired in round 7 and the missile fired in round 8 can reach the Lawblight, if ever so barely.

Looks like they're 11 hexes away, so not even within range of our sensors.

One of those odd things about Starfinder - sensors actually detect objects with a distance of double the listed sensor range (so 20 hexes for the Odyssey). It's only science officer actions that are actually ranged to 10 hexes.

Round Seven-ish
Watdems restores some much needed power to the aft shields.

Vchk lets loose a high-explosive rocket!

Starship Status After Round 7
Odyssey –0 HP Shields basic 48 (forward 17, port 15, starboard 15, aft 8)

Round Eight Summary
Amazingly, the pirates manage to move just a little quicker than the Starfinders.

Engineering Phase
Aboard the Lawblight, N. Jen Arr, has a break down in the engine room. Drunken tears sizzle on exposed power cables.

Aboard the Odyssey, Watdems continues to pump power to the aft shields.

Helm Phase
The Lawblightremains in its protective position behind an asteroid while repairs are made to the ship’s power core.

Harqen pilots the Odyssey evasively, as it approaches the pirate ship.

Gunnery Phase
Vchk fires another missile, while the first one fired slams into the aft shields of the Lawblight and then further into its hull!
By my count, the missile fired this round is still one hex away, but will keep the rolls for Round 9.

Neon steps away from the science station and checks out the comfort of one of the gunners chairs.

Starship Status After Round 8
Odyssey –0 HP Shields basic 48 (forward 17, port 15, starboard 15, aft 15)

Round Nine Begins!

PCs win Initiative!

Aboard the Lawblight, N. Jen Arr, is busy working on a new resume and his hasty work fails to restore any power to the shields.

The pirate helmsman, believing that the ship is less likely to be hit while its moving, moves the ship forward, evasively skirting the asteroid. The pirate science officer rebalances the shields.

Map is updated with movement and position of missile

PCs may go!

"All right, V, show those missiles how to show them how it's done," Zapp mutters. He seems to have fallen asleep in his comfy chair. Suddenly, the man snaps awake. "Get those bees away from me! Oh, never mind."

Encourage Vchk: 1d20 + 1d6 + 7 ⇒ (1) + (3) + 7 = 11

This stupor-driven speech doesn't have much effect, at least of the positive variety.

Engineering (Weapons) DC 11: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (4) + 6 = 10

Watdems finds a snack and forgets about switching the energy back into the weapons.

Piloting initiative: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (7) + 9 = 16

Piloting evade : 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (13) + 9 = 22

"Full speed in their direction!"

Gunnery check for active missile vs. Aft: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (9) + 4 = 13
1/5 missiles remaining.

As the Odyssey attempts to pin the pirate ship against the asteroid, Vchk's missile streaks around from behind, tracking on the Lawblight's thermal exhaust.

The shirren is more focused on lining up his current shot, however. Swinging the turret around to sight the Lawblight, he fires off the coilgun.

Attack with Turret Coilgun vs. Forward (+ mk 1 computer): 1d20 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 4 + 1 = 7
Coilgun Damage: 4d4 ⇒ (1, 4, 2, 2) = 9

Seeing her target slide to the side, out of sighting range, Ozei pulls up the missile turret and fires the last missile at point-blank range.

HEML, Trinode bonus: 1d20 + 3 + 1 ⇒ (16) + 3 + 1 = 20 Damage: 4d8 ⇒ (3, 7, 1, 8) = 19

HEML turret missiles 0/5

Botting Neon Punk

Round Nine Summary

Engineering Phase
Watdems enjoys another snack.

N. Jen Arr begins to wonder if he’s had his last one.

Helm Phase
Aboard the Lawblight, Sense Arr rebalance the shields while the helmsman evades his way around an asteroid.

Harqen approaches the pirate vessel in an evasive manner.

Gunnery Phase
Captain Huttington tries to inspire his demoralized crew, “Fi-arr the t-arr-ett h-arr-d to st-arr-b-arr-d!”
Captain to encourage gunner (DC 10): 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (6) + 8 = 14

”Aye, aye, Captain!” Gunn Arr responds.
Gunner (turreted coilgun) with wrecked core and with encouragement (shot 1): 1d20 + 8 - 4 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 8 - 4 + 2 = 10
Gunner (turreted coilgun) with wrecked core and with encouragement (shot 1): 1d20 + 8 - 4 + 2 ⇒ (18) + 8 - 4 + 2 = 24
Lawblight Evasion - must roll twice for each gunnery check with coilguns and take the worse result

”And don’t ye be f-arr-getting’ the las-arr!” Captain Huttington cries to Tarr Pedo.

”Aye, aye, Captain!” Gunn Arr responds from the aft cannon station.
Gunner (gyrolaser) with wrecked core and adjacent arc: 1d20 + 8 - 4 - 2 ⇒ (8) + 8 - 4 - 2 = 10

Yet, despite their eagerness to comply with the captain's commands, the pirates fail to hit their mark.

Aboard the Odyssey, the Nameless man is as effective as a speechless man. Vchk fires the coilgun, but his shot misses as does the missile fired earlier.

But, Ozei, seeing an opportunity launches the Starfinders’ final missile at point-blank range. The effect is devastating to the pirate vessel.
Crit damage: 1d100 ⇒ 6
Life-support aboard the Lawblight begins to falter!

Neon Punk lines up the perfect shot—for his vid-program.

Starship Status After Round 9
Odyssey –0 HP Shields basic 48 (forward 17, port 15, starboard 15, aft 15)

Pirate Pilot, Initiative with wrecked core: 1d20 + 9 - 4 ⇒ (10) + 9 - 4 = 15

PCs win Initiative!

Round Eleven Begins!

N. Jen Arr tries to coax some power out of the shields.
Pirate, Engineering with wrecked core: 1d20 + 8 - 4 ⇒ (11) + 8 - 4 = 15

Methodically, the crew of the Lawblight turn the ship in place and attempt to target the Starfinders' power core.
Pirate, Computers with wrecked core: 1d20 + 8 - 4 ⇒ (17) + 8 - 4 = 21

With its aft to the asteroid, the Lawblight prepares for what may be the final showdown!

Map update. PCs are go!

Engineering (Weapons) DC 11: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (2) + 6 = 8

Watdems opens a bag of snacks, getting space Cheetos dust all over her clothes and the console. The ship jerks from a near hit and she spills half the bag all over the floor, frowning as an orange coated lip protrudes out with a tear forming.

Piloting initiative: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (2) + 9 = 11

Piloting evade : 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (14) + 9 = 23

"Evasive maneuvers! Why don't they just break apart!!!????"

They must be holding together with saliva and string. Let's finish them off!

Forward Coilgun, Trinode: 1d20 + 3 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 3 + 1 = 5 Damage: 4d4 ⇒ (1, 3, 1, 4) = 9

Ozei finds that her trigger is fouled with some sort of orange dust, causing a malfunction in the firing mechanism.

Now, where did that come from?

Vhck spins the turret around, trying to get a shot off while the Odyssey careens through space.

{"Harqen! If you can, try to bring the ship around so we can fire the forward guns - we need to finish 'em off!"}

Attack with Turret Coilgun vs. Forward (+ mk 1 computer): 1d20 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (11) + 4 + 1 = 16
Coilgun Damage: 4d4 ⇒ (2, 4, 3, 3) = 12

"No! Watdems, you can't give up now," Zapp suddenly cuts in. "When they're looking over candidates for First Seeker, they won't accept the one who bailed on those Space-Cheetos. If you want your engineering know-how to lead us into the future, make a machine capable of cleaning them off!"

Demand Wat, DC 19: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (10) + 7 = 17

Maybe he doesn't inspire the gnome to power up the weapons, but that wasn't what he was going for. Hopefully he helps her fix what's really important.

Not much to be done this round. Diverting to weapons wouldn't even change V's shot.

Final Round Summary (Bad Poetry Edition!)

Engineering Phase
The tearing of a new bag of Cheetos finishes. Then, a Starfinder’s spill.
The tearing of an old bag over Cheetos begins. Then, a Starfinder’s spiel.
Watdems fails her check. Zapp encourages.

N. Jen Arr tries to coax power out of Lawblight’s shields
But finds he can get no more.
He thinks that he could have; he certainly would have,
But for the loss from the wrecked power core.
Having updated his resume, earlier this very day,
He realizes he has more to do still.
For seeing the gun sites about to put out his own lights,
He recalls he’s forgotten to update his will.

Helm Phase
With internal decks burning, the Lawblight starts turning,
Hoping the Starfinders find targeted guns quite persuasive.
But to such silent words, pilot Harqen, chooses not to harken.
And responds, instead, by flying all evasive.

Gunnery Phase
Though their ship would seem done, the pirates each still man a gun,
Still each seems happy and annoyed.
While I’d be a gittin’, for them it is written:
“The pirates fight tenaciously until their ship is destroyed.”
So, while staring ‘cross death’s bord-ar, the Captain gives the ord-ar
And it be fi-ar at will!
The gyrolas-ar ignites, coil guns join the fight,
For these pi-ar-ates, all know the drill.
Captain to encourage gunner with glitching life support and wrecked power core(DC 10): 1d20 + 8 - 2 - 4 ⇒ (4) + 8 - 2 - 4 = 6
Gunner, Fire-at-Will (turreted coilgun) glitching aft and port weapons arrays, and wrecked power core: 1d20 + 8 - 4 - 2 - 2 - 4 ⇒ (16) + 8 - 4 - 2 - 2 - 4 = 12
Gunner, Fire-at-Will (turreted coilgun) glitching aft and port weapons arrays, and wrecked power core: 1d20 + 8 - 4 - 2 - 2 - 4 ⇒ (1) + 8 - 4 - 2 - 2 - 4 = -3
Gunner, Fire-at-Will (turreted coilgun) glitching aft and port weapons arrays, and wrecked power core (second shot): 1d20 + 8 - 4 - 2 - 2 - 4 ⇒ (3) + 8 - 4 - 2 - 2 - 4 = -1
Gunner, Fire-at-Will (turreted coilgun) glitching aft and port weapons arrays, and wrecked power core (second shot): 1d20 + 8 - 4 - 2 - 2 - 4 ⇒ (5) + 8 - 4 - 2 - 2 - 4 = 1
Gunner (gyrolaser) with glitching aft arrays, wrecked power core, and adjacent arc: 1d20 + 8 - 2 - 4 - 2 ⇒ (4) + 8 - 2 - 4 - 2 = 4
Yet, even with the w-ar-d fi-ar, the captain could not inspi-ar.
And not one single shot ev-ar hits its m-ar-k.
When the fi-ar-ing stops, the captain’s jaw drops.
Then, all for the pirates goes d-ar-k.
For the aboard the St-ar-find-ar ship, the crew gave a tip,
To bring the forw-ar-d guns to b-arr.
But in the right ar-c they w-ar not, Ozei has no shot,
Because the ship had not gotten th-arr.
Yet, that's no deterrent, as Vchk takes the turret,
And the coilgun ‘round he hastily swings,
Then fi-ar-s a shot, does damage (a lot);
And for the pirates t’is as if Watdems sings!

As the Lawblight explodes, Neon Punk uploads,
A pick of Vchk's well-placed, final shot.
With the pixels now sended, the pirate's threat ended,
Those who cried, "Arr!", now Arr Not!

COMBAT OVER

Final Round Summary (Bad Poetry Edition!)

It's beautiful. So beautiful. I have no words.

"Oh that was so overdue! Guys, that was a clear win ... you are awesome!" Harqen says with sweat on his forehead.

"I could not have imagined a better team to teach me space combat. Thanks a lot guys!!!" Harqen says smiling.

Watdem's reaches out her hand as a glimmer of hope reaches her sparkling, sleep encrusted eye. "Yes....long overdue." She strains worse than a toddler learning to poop. Beads of sweat for on her matted short cropped, greasy hair.

Cast Token Spell.

Slowly a stray Cheeto rises from behind the dusty console where it rolled. The cheesy goodness reaches her hand, secured by the sandpaper-like dust from the rest of the family-size bag. She blows the dust from the delicious spear and crunches it into her mouth.

Seeing everyone looking at her in disgust she looks shocked. "WAT!? Did you want that?" Her shoulders slump. "Can we go back now? I'm tired."

Final Round Summary (Bad Poetry Edition!)

That was beautiful in a horrific, terrible way. Bravo!

Ozei wipes the sweat off her brow and shuts down the weapon console.

Well done, everyone. That was a tough one.

Zapp doesn't seem to notice the pirates' fiery death and accompanying musical number.

"Good work, team! We have left the foe honorably defeated. Now, let us return to Absalom station."

{"Hey, uh, someone should compose a message to send off to HQ. I'm sure the Venture-Captain would like to know what happened. In case some food particles get in the wiring and blow us all to smithereens between here and Absalom."}

The shirren winces as he flexes an injured leg. {"Not a high chance of that happening, though. The engineering bay on this ship is like a clean room. Absolutely... pristine."}

As the Odyssey docks at Absalom Station, you can see Venture-Captain Arvin out of the viewport, pacing frantically. Once the ship is docked, Arvin begins inspecting the outer hull as if looking for any scratches or dents. Venture-Captain Arvin greets you with a warm smile as you first disembark.

{I don’t believe it! The Odyssey has returned! And it is all in one piece!} Arvin says telepathically to Vchk. {Wait a minute. What is that smell?}

Arvin appears as though he is about to speak aloud, but the smile on his face smile melts away quickly as the Nameless Man and Watdems become visible through the open portal. He sighs visibly.

The...ummm...interior may need a good cleaning, Ozei admits sheepishly.

But the mission was a success!

"Good Venture-Captain, a pleasure to see you!" Zapp recognizes the lashunta, if not his surprised and annoyed demeanor.

"Indeed, all went well. Now, about my promotion...."

Harqen looks at the venture captain and has only a big smile on his face.

”You will be pleased to hear that we really blew a couple of holes into our enemies’ ships. But please be assured that no innocents were harmed. But we nonetheless created a hole. A big hole. Well, I did not shoot but the rest of the crew are such hotshots that I did not need to do anything. And you know that I usually do not praise anybody. That idiot Darqen that I had to throw out of this mission should be proof enough of my bad temper. But the people on this mission really deserve their promotion. Me included of course!“ Harqen says in a proud pose and then looks at the whole team with a acknowledging smile!

Watdems rolls forward. "Can we see Jewel in the Downlow now?" She raps her cane on the Venture Captain's desk.

”Thank you, Harqen, for giving me the, uh… hole report.” Venture-Captain Arvin responds to the ysoki pilot. "Glad to hear the mission was a success." Arvin now nods to Ozei."But, what do you mean by the 'interior may need a good cleaning'? I specifically assigned that vessel due to its stain-resistant technologies.” He begins to make his way toward the docked ship.

If he had planned a response to Zapp's comments, it is never uttered as suddenly an avalanche of shoes falls between the Venture-Captain and the Nameless Man. A green alien, the source of the avalanche lies on the floor, moaning, having apparently tripped and fallen on the deck plating.

Silently stepping over the alien, Arvin heads up the ramp to the open door of Odyssey. Before entering the ship, he turns toward the Starfinders.

“You can undergo the tedium of a complete debrief later." he says, adding silently in his mind,That should give you plenty of time to have bathed. He continues aloud, "First, I’ve arranged for you all to enjoy a few days’ downtime in Kemanis, at the high-end clubs, theaters, and VR parlors. You’ve earned it." Some of you, anyways, he qualifies by silent addendum.

"But,” he warns, with a sly twinkle in his eye, “after that, it’ll be time to put you back to work.”

Just, hopefully not all here.

Arvin gives the Starfinders a half-hearted wave, then folds his hands behind his back and approaches the open door of the Odyssey. Peering into the vessel, the Venture-Captain sees what, to his eyes, appear like something out of a crime scene. Stains permeate the ship’s fabrics and form across floor panels and console controls in the semblance of splat patterns.

Spotting a small smattering of powder on the floor, he dips his finger tip in it. Then, brings the finger to his mouth to sample the trace residue. ”Cheetos.” he mutters.

As he turns to exit the ship, his nose is assaulted by a horrific odor. He quickly casts token spell, but it seems to have no effect; the smell has either somehow resisted the power of the spell or else it is so deeply seared into his nostrils and mind that he can smell it even when it is no longer there. His eyes spot a console chair—with its chair back turned away from him. What could be sitting there?! The Venture-Captain wonders.

It is then that he spots the drip of thick, greenish liquid slowly its way down the chair. A single word comes to his mind.

”Chundma!”

Sometime later...

Watdems rolls forward. "Can we see Jewel in the Downlow now?" She raps her cane on the Venture Captain's desk.

Arvin's assistant stands in the doorway of the Venture-Captain's office, apparently trying to keep her distance. "I've already told you. Venture-Captain Arvin is not in today. But, I am...um, sure, that he will be in touch if he has another... um, mission for you. Really, I'm sure that you are... um, near the top of his list of choice operatives."

The assistant pauses for a moment as a voice telepathically enters her mind.

{Is she gone yet?}