[PbP Gameday VII] (SFS 1-03) GM Valen's Yesteryear's Truth (Inactive)

Game Master Lysle

You have been summoned to the Lorespire Complex aboard Absalom Station for a briefing with Venture-Captain Arvin.

When you arrive, an assistant shepherds you into a briefing room, which is beset with a warm, bluish glow, which emanates from a hologram of a planet that appears to have been ravaged by some disaster; there is very little water and no obvious greenery.

Venture-Captain Arvin stands before the hologram to address you once you've all assembled.

“Greetings, Starfinders,” he says, without turning.

“You are looking at Elytrio." he continues. "It is a newly charted planet in the Vast. While you might dismiss it as a lifeless rock at first glance, it still has mysteries to plumb. The starship that discovered it was attacked by some kind of orbital defense system when it got too close; the vessel didn’t have the firepower to respond, so the crew made a prudent retreat. But we Starfinders don’t let these sorts of things go.” He pauses before continuing, allowing his words to take hold.

“I’d like you to take a starship, travel to Elytrio, and discover all
you can about it." he explains. " If you find any inhabitants on the planet, do everything in your power to make peaceful contact with them. If the place is deserted, try to locate information about who might have built those defenses. Once you’ve got something interesting, report back to me here at the Lorespire Complex."

He turns to look his fellow Starfinder agents in the eye and asks, "Any questions?”

The Venture-Captain will answer any questions posed in character.

Also, the PCs must choose among themselves which starship they will take: the Drake or the Pegasus.

Likewise, by the time the briefing concludes, please choose the boons that you will slot for this scenario.

Finally, there will be time following the briefing to make any purchases the PCs may wish to make.

Feel free to discuss starship choices, boon selection, and purchases in the Discussion thread. But, please list your final choices in Gameplay as I think that will be easier to keep track of.

Welcome, all! This is a great adventure and I hope you enjoy playing it as much as I did!

Glasz leans against the table and studies the hologram, trying very hard not to show his excitement. Play it cool, man, he reminds himself. You're a professional. No need to go jumping up and down like a kid with a new pet.

He stands up and crosses his arms - an impressive feat, considering the bulky plating of his heavily battered Golemforged plate armor. The plates are scuffed, and the once-vibrant forest green paint job has been worn down to the color of dull lichen seen through a dirty window. His bald head shines under the halogen lights as he leans back from the hologram, eyes half-lidded.

"So what do we know about this orbital defense system? Was there any warning, or did it just open fire? If it's the latter, it could be automated." He pauses. "Or just very unfriendly natives. Hopefully not that one."

"Reports indicate that a garbled transmission was received prior to the attack." Venture-Captain Arvin notes. "But the crew reported it was indecipherable and no copies were made. Therefore, the substance of the transmission, assuming there was any, remains unknown. As for whether the defense system is automated, that, too, remains unknown. But, then, your abilities to make the unknown more... well, knowable... is why you were chosen for this mission."

The young noble walks into the room
I apologize for my tardiness. WHat did I miss? he asks, trying to catch up to the coversations.

Ashtif glances over at Donavaan and says, "We're flying to a maybe dead planet with an orbital defense system." He bites his lip. "I've been wanting to get a crack at opening up one of the engines on a Pegasus, but honestly, the Drake's shields and hull can take a bit more of a beating, so might be a better choice." He looks tentatively around the group. "Anyone else here a pilot?"

Glasz snorts. "Fair point." He taps his lower lip thoughtfully as the mystic enters. Glasz offers a meaty hand to the newcomer. "Hey there. Roddy Glasz. Yes, same one from the vids." He flashes a toothy grin, white teeth practically blinding against his olive skin. "Pleasure."

He waits until Donavaan catches up on the info thus far (pitching in if need be) before asking, "Any thoughts? Seems like maybe the garbled transmission could have been a warning attempt. Maybe in a language the crew of the discovering ship wasn't familiar with?"

Ashtif glances over at Donavaan and says, "We're flying to a maybe dead planet with an orbital defense system." He bites his lip. "I've been wanting to get a crack at opening up one of the engines on a Pegasus, but honestly, the Drake's shields and hull can take a bit more of a beating, so might be a better choice." He looks tentatively around the group. "Anyone else here a pilot? Mind if I take the helm?"

A tall lashunta walks in. He looks familiar, though it's hard to place his face. "Forgive my lateness. I was filming commentary on the vid network. I'm Dr. Taeon Dolma, renown surgeon and psychologist."

"Now, peaceful first contact is a specialty of mine, so if we do encounter any natives, please leave it to me. But piloting, I'll leave to you." He nods at Ashtif.

"Yes, if we know we're going to face defenses, perhaps we should take the more armored ship."

Ashtif salutes in response to Dolma's entrance. "Sounds like a plan, Doc." He turns back to Arvin. "Do we know anything about this planet? Did the ship get close enough for even a scan? Atmosphere? Normal gravity? Anything?"

"We don't know much about the planet, I’m afraid." Arvin responds. "Initial scans were too brief to get too many details. The other Starfinders did report trace amounts of radiation in the atmosphere, so there is a distinct possibility the planet’s current appearance is not entirely natural.”

Flexer-5, a brash completely undiplomatic android chimes in on the discussions.

"Sorry doc, but peaceful first contact already took a hike this time. These guys shot first, and we gotta make sure if the shooting starts again that they don't get the last shot too! So lets bring the Drake if we already know we're gonna take fire just for showing up. Then maybe we can live long enough for an everybody-lives second contact."

About crew roles, FLexer-5 claims flexibility. "I can fly a ship, shoot the guns, work the computers, make the engines purr, or even tell you meatbags what to do if you want!"
He actually is NOT a good captain; engineering and computers are both at +10

Flexer-5, a brash completely undiplomatic android chimes in on the discussions.

"Sorry doc, but peaceful first contact already took a hike this time. These guys shot first, and we gotta make sure if the shooting starts again that they don't get the last shot too! So lets bring the Drake if we already know we're gonna take fire just for showing up. Then maybe we can live long enough for an everybody-lives second contact."

Arvin raises an eyebrow at the comment by Flexer-5. “Defend yourselves, of course," he cautions, "but let’s not start a war here. If you find that you can’t make peaceful contact with the natives, then return to Absalom Station and we’ll assess our options from there."

Looks like the party is leaning towards the Drake (3 votes).

Any other questions for Arvin? I will wait for a post from Dora before moving on. In the meantime, please post any boon selections or purchases whenever you are ready.

Glasz frowns at Flexer-5. "I'm with the venture-captain. A random ship shows up on your doorstep with no way to communicate? Easy enough for shots to be fired. Could have been an honest mixup. We should let Dr. Dolma try to speak to them first, if we can." He shrugs. "It's not like we have to lower our shields to do it." A beat. "Uh... do we? I don't... I don't really know how ships work." He clears his throat uncomfortably.

I also vote for the Drake.

"Oh I'm not saying don't let the doc talk to them, just sayin contact's already been made and it wasn't peaceful so let's keep a sharp eye out and a sharp stick ready."

"Did I ever tell you guys about the time I shot a giant space shark? Hopefully that's not the way our first contact goes this time!"

Flexer will also pick up a set up jump jets for his feet.

Ashtif shakes his head. "No, we don't have to drop shields. We'll walk you through how the guns work while we're in route, though. Seems like a good idea. I'm guessing the space shark slayer over here can keep power to the shields for us meatbags, hopefully." Absently, he says, "You know, that aft gyrolaser on the Drake is kind of weak. I've got a salvaged mining laser that would be a bit of an upgrade, if we could swap it out real quick. It's short range, but it can burrow through shields and take a good bite out of a hull."

A very human-looking android woman enters. You are pretty sure that if she was human, she would be out of breath from hurrying. A little drone hovers behind her.

"I am Dora, expert in technology, non-expert with people. I'll be glad to journey with you."

pilot +9, computers +10, engineering +10. Just don't let Dora talk to anyone...

Ashtif heads toward a door. [b]"Meet you guys at the ship. I've just gotta grab my stuff, and run past the shop for some supplies. Anybody need anything?" He runs past a nearby store to buy a Radiation Badge before setting out.

I realized my sheet was a bit off on equipment and credits, so updated it. In addition to buying the Radiation Badge for 100 credits, I'd purchased a couple of Mk 1 healing serums that weren't there earlier.

"I trust that you, as capable and trained Starfinder agents, can make your own decisions when out in the field." Venture-Captain Arvin acknowledges. "As you have selected the Drake, I will ensure that the ship is fueled and ready for your departure. You will have to acquire those items of personal equipment and supplies that you believe you may need for this mission. When you are ready, head to Docking Bay 27. The Drake will be programed with the proper coordinated and awaiting you arrival there."

Once everyone has posted boon selection and any purchases, we will move on.

"Right. See you all at the ship." Glasz flashes another smile at Dora and offers to fill her in as they go.

Fresh noob, no money left for purchases. Only one slotted boon. I believe the only useful starship skill Roddy has is Engineering +4. Hopefully he's not completely useless on the guns. He's more the up-close-and-personal type. :S

"They defenses could have been automated. Trust me, if we meet hostiles, I'll let you shoot them. And if one of you gets hurt, I'll play combat medic." Taeon holds up his medkit.

Just need a boon list from Donavaan.

Let me take a look at what I have, I am not sure what boons he has.

Moving on...

As you depart from the briefing, a small, robotic drone intercepts your path. Floating before you, the drone begins to project a holoscreen in front of it.

On the holoscreen appears the image of a confused looking ysoki child, whose head is quickly pushed out of the screen by an older ysoki woman. “Fitch from the Wayfinders here.” the woman chirps quickly. “Sorry about Kirkath popping on the screen; kids always like the holoprojectors.”

She shakes her head, then continues, “Anyways, long and short, I hear you’ve been assigned to explore Elytrio. First contact is important. Need to make a good impression. Wayfinders specialize in this sort of thing, so I wanted to offer some help!”

“The drone has a translation module strapped on its back. It’s not as reliable as some magical solutions you might have, but if you’re in a pinch for communicating, it might help!” The transmission from the Master of Stars, the Wayfinders’ flagship, which is currently undergoing repairs amidst the Armada outside Absalom Station, breaks suddenly.

Ashtif grabs the device from the back of the drone. "Nice, I've always wanted one of these." To the drone, even though it is not transmitting, he says, "Thanks Fitch!" He begins looking at the buttons, trying to figure out how it works, as he walks toward the ship.

"Yup nice stuff; leave it up to a machines to solve yet another organic inefficiency!"

It appears that purchases are complete; I will allow for any additional purchases or slotting of boons up until I first roll Initiative.

With the party's preparations complete, the crew finds the Drake waiting for them in Docking Bay 27 as Arvin had promised.

Travel through the Drift can often be time-consuming and rather isolating at times. The first week of travel is relatively uneventful. However, nine days into the journey, scans identify another vessel passing nearby.

Apparently having picked up the Drake on its sensors, the passing ship sends out an audio transmission. "Hey! Hey! Dis is da Cluttah Collectah!" squawks a high-pitched voice. "Anybuddy out dair?"

Roddy makes a face at the audio. "Huh. Is that normal? Meeting other vessels out in the drift? I always thought it was... I dunno... really big." He clearly doesn't travel the Drift much.

Culture: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (1) + 5 = 6

Ashtif is thrilled to get in the Drake, scurrying up to the Pilot's station. "This is great!" As the crew gets into position, he mumbles as he begins the start-up sequence, "This thing's got a bit more juice under it's hood than a hoverbike, but, hey, I've read all about them, right." If anyone is nervous, though, it's too late. He hits play, blaring Strawberry Machine Cake over the speakers as he takes off.

Piloting: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (3) + 11 = 14

He tries a couple of hotshot maneuvers while leaving the orbit of Absalom Station, but then backs off from them a bit, when he gets a warning beep from a patrol beacon. He chuckles. "Heh, just getting used to the old girl. Or, you know, new girl, I guess. Okay, into the Drift we go."

... 9 days later ...

He's sitting in the pilot chair, humming along to Strawberry Machine Cake - thankfully playing over his headphones - when the audio comes in. He yanks the headphones off to listen to the incoming transmission.

Culture: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (8) + 7 = 15

He says to Roddy, "It's big, but ... not big. I mean, that's kind of the point. It's smaller than regular space, right?"

He points at the console. "Anyway, I know this ship. Clutter Collector is a salvage vessel. Captain's a ysoki named Winks. Want to respond, Taeon? Seems like you've got your chance at peaceful contact."

The site has been acting up for me yesterday into today, I am trying to catch up

"Not exactly the type of first contact I was thinking of. Salvage ship doesn't mean pirate, right?" Taeon frowns, but activates the communications channel.

"Clutter Collector, this is the the Drake. We hear you." He looks like he wants to say more, but decides against it.

Sense Motive on any response, improvisation: 1d20 + 4 + 1d6 ⇒ (20) + 4 + (1) = 25

"Da Drake, eh?" the voice responds. "I'd betz youze guyz're all Starfindahs! Am I right? I gotta cuzzin whooze a Starfindah. Met 'im once. He's a ysoki, like me. About yay tall? Anywayz, watcha doin' way out here in da Drift?"

Please choose starship roles. They will be needed...imminently.

Taeon relaxes some, hearing the plea for some simple conversation. "I think they're just bored."

He flips the ship-to-ship comm back on. "Yeah, I thought all you ysoki were cousins, right? I know a couple, and even they're not sure if it's true or not. Where you headed, Collector? Out for salvage? We're doing some exploration."

"Yah, we're salvagin'. You'd be suhprized by summadah stuff dat people just leave out floatin' in da Drift." the voice continues. "D'ere was one time when we found a whole case a' Eoxian jam--just floatin' d'ere in space, all by itzelf!"

The voice pauses for a moment, then seems to want to correct itself, "Akchilly, maybe it ain't all dat surprisin' after all- now dat I'm comin' ta t'ink of it. Do ya have any idear wuttz in Eoxian jam?"

Then, in an apparent effort to rapidly change the subject, the voice asks, "So yer 'splorin', eh? Wuttya lookin' to 'splore?"

Roddy looks back and forth between the comm and Taeon. Eoxian jam? He shudders briefly. That's just... ew.

He glances meaningfully at Taeon at the ysoki's question. He's not entirely sure what they should be telling strangers about their mission, but since this is his first as a Starfinder, he decides to let the others take the lead.

My Dex isn't great, but seeing as the other positions are probably filled, I guess Roddy will take the gunner position.

What position do you need him to fill?

Though only a pilot and not the captain, Ashtif hops on the comms, speaking up, after what seems like an eternal silence, "We're on course for the planet in the Vast, so just passing through the Drift. If we find any salvage opportunities for you, though, we'll drop word your way. Any threats around here for us to keep our eyes open for?"

Not sure if this is needed, but I'll roll it just in case
Diplomacy: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (17) + 2 = 19

He clicks off the comm and glances over at the science station. "Taeon, might be a good idea to do a scan of the area." He keeps one hand on the controls, glancing out his viewscreen cautiously.

Perception: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (14) + 9 = 23

Valen: We aren't actually anywhere near Elytrio yet, are we? Just out in the Drift on our way? Also, with my roll earlier, do I know anything about Winks' reputation?

Taeon chuckles. "I'll pass on any Eoxian jam. In fact, I'll pass on any Eoxian delicacies."

"Like the pilot says, we're headed out to the Vast. Got a contract to explore an old rock. Probably dangerous."

with my roll earlier, do I know anything about Winks' reputation?[/ooc]

No more than already provided by the initial spoiler. Since Winks is referenced in a future scenario, I am a little reluctant to add to make up too much--though I think I am safe of running afoul of canon even though I gave her a vocal dislike for Eoxian jam ; )

Winks continues to chat for another hour (or less depending upon the party's willingness to listen), before having to end the link an as her ship moves out of range. She relays that she hasn't seen much for weeks before running across your vessel, but that she is always looking for opportunities to help. She is so pleased to have found other sentients to engage with that she promises to pass anything that she suspects may be interest she may come across in the future to the Society--"fer a reasonable 'findah's fee', of course!"

The rest of your trip through the Drift is uneventful.

A few days later, you re-enter normal space. Navigation coordinates suggest that you are just a few hours travel from your destination.

As you approach Elytrio, the ship's comms suddenly squawk to life, filled with a crackling robotic voice in an alien language.

Simultaneously, a hemispheric vessel—an orbital drone platform—comes into view from behind one of the planet’s moons. Though its approach your starship reveals no visible weapons, it does emit a ring of red light from the edges of its flat bottom hull.

Culture: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (3) + 7 = 10

Taeon watches the craft come closer and listens to the gibberish over the comm. "What is that thing?"

culture: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (19) + 5 = 24

"Guys, I think they're trying to warn us of something."

Culture: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (17) + 5 = 22

Roddy frowns at the incoming ship, hands at the ready to conrol the ship's weapons. "I don't like the look of that thing."

"Let's fire up that translator, I think it takes 10 minutes but it could be helpful if we can stall this warning thing, or run into the same language again after we're through with it."

Culture: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (10) + 7 = 17

Ashtif nods. "I'm pretty sure that's a warning, but yeah, it'll begin absorbing the language, hopefully." He activates the translator as he begins readying the ship for maneuvers, either defensive or offensive based on what presents itself.

I assume a piloting check will be needed, so I'll go ahead and do that now. Not going to use the +1, in case we need it for maneuvers. Do we have a map? How many hexes away are we?

Piloting: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (15) + 11 = 26

As the party activates the translator, subsequent recurrences of the message stutter and distort like a corrupted audio file, eventually cutting off with a loud burst of static. Although the Starfinder is heading towards the nearest planet, it and the approaching vessel are presently well-beyond the gravity well of Elytrio and its moons.

Map revealed!

Shortly afterward, apertures open on the platform’s bottom hull as the vessel enters a combat posture.

Vessel Piloting, Initiative: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (19) + 10 = 29

Starship combat begins, PCs' ship goes first.

Starship Combat Round One

PCs acting in phases indicated in bold may act

Engineering Approaching vessel takes no action in Engineering phase
Helm
Gunnery

Taeon pulls up the sensors and tries to scan the approaching vessel. You hear him grumble something about being a doctor and not a computer technician.

Computers: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (14) + 6 = 20

Analyzing his scans, Taeon obtains the following information:

Medium starship drone platform
Speed 6; Maneuverability average (turn 2)
AC 14; TL 13
HP 70
Shields basic 40 (forward 10, port 10, starboard 10, aft 10)
Power Core Pulse Gray (100 PCU)
Crew complement N/A (unmanned drone)

REVISION:

Starship Combat Round One

PCs acting in phases indicated in bold now may act

Engineering Approaching vessel takes no action in Engineering phase
Helm
Gunnery

Starship combat is always tricky via PbP. However, in the interest of time and as it is not likely to make much difference, for this round at least, I will allow the gunners to now post too and I will adjust the ranges/facing, etc. of any successful shots in my Round One Summary.