[SFS - PbP Gameday VII] 1-99 The Scoured Stars Invasion - GM bigboom (Inactive)

Game Master bigboom

Hello everyone.

I hope everyone else is doing well.

I am in the middle of some very busy packing and cleaning in preparation for moving the last couple of days this month. Next weekend I will also be at a convention. I expect through it all that I will still manage to check in a couple of times each day but please feel free to bot me if needed. At least Sharmain has botting instructions though if there are any questions about them, please ask.

Wow, things were down for a long time. I wonder what happened? Bigboom, did you hear anything from Paizo about the outage?

No, I haven't heard what exactly was the problem. There's probably a thread on the forums somewhere with Paizo explaining what happened but I haven't had a chance to look around for it...

But yah, the site was down unusually long!

OK, just announced! Due to the website outage, the start of part 2 has been pushed back to Sept 2

Hey guys. Bad luck/news... I caught the stomach flu and am bedridden with stomach problems and a fever that won't go away. I'll probably be out of commission for at least a couple days. I've requested that a standby GM take over while I am recovering. Sorry for the inconvenience!

Oh, that is terrible for you. Please feel better soon.

I'll jump in here.

GM Aerondor, thank you so much for stepping in for Big Boom while he is unwell.

With the site going up and down so much, I've not had much to do.

Okay guys, I'm back! GM Aerondor, thank you VERY much for standing in while this virus had me knocked down!

Hey guys, as we're close to wrapping up this mission, I'd like to get your votes for the next recon mission - that way, I can roll right into at as quickly as possible. Once I have two votes for any mission, I'll lock that one in for the group!

I've moved the mission list to slide #2 for your review. Let me know!!

My pleasure.

If you could remove me as a player that would help keep my games tidy.

I'm guessing Starship Graveyard would be closest and sounds vaguely interesting. City of the Ancients sounds interesting too. Happy to go with something else if there is a strong preference.

Welcome back, boss. Glad you are feeling better.

Alrighty! Per Odo and Sharmain, Starship Graveyard will be next!

Hi guys, with the website outages, here is the new updated schedule:

• Part 2 will begin on September 04
  
• Part 3 will begin on September 10
  
• Part 4 will begin on September 16
  
• The Special will conclude at the end of the day on September 28th

You have an aid token!

It is boosted with Provide knowledge (Culture, Average) and Provide Spellcasting (Remove Affliction)

Depending on how quickly everyone posts over the next 12-24 hours, and the results of their rolls, we might be able to start one more recon mission before the Sept 4 cutoff. If so, which mission on slide 6 would the party like to start up next?

If the intent is to just go down the line, then the next one would be Bastiar-4, 'Lifeless Spaces.'

I still think Callion-2 City of the Ancients sounds interesting but I helped choose this current one so hopefully, someone else will speak up if they have a preference. I am also open to GM choice, which will be the most fun to run or most likely to complete?

Hey guys, we're now in part 2! This means that the party still have access to some recon missions but now evacuation missions are also starting to open up!

Basically, the recon missions that all tables have been engaging in have uncovered clues as to the whereabouts of currently still-living Starfinders. And now that we've moved into part 2, we're acting on the recon information discovered to go and rescue/evacuate those live Starfinders that we've been able to locate!

For example, you completed the dinosaur planet mission and located the beacon. Because a number of other tables have also completed that same mission, the corresponding evacuation mission to Agillae-1 'The Last Outpost' is now available.

Therefore, once you're done with the current Starship Graveyard mission (which looks like it will be complete soon...), you can pick from amongst the other three recon missions or the currently available Agillae-1 evacuation mission.

See slides 6 and 7 to see what missions are available to you.

There are no wrong answers or choices, just go with whatever sounds interesting to you. I do ask that everyone give me their top two preferences though because as other tables complete missions, your top choice may get closed down and become unavailable.

Presently, I see 1 vote from Sharmain for City of the Ancients! Please specify a secondary preference and of course you're free to change your mind, especially now that a couple evacuation missions has opened up!

City of the Ancients sounds interesting.

Well, we are off to the City of the Ancients. For our next mission, I am totally open. If people want to change up what we are facing then for some higher level combat we could try to rescue those on Agillae-1 or if we want to try our Starship skills we could investigate Bastiar-7. Of course, something else may open up before then.

Sorry I haven’t posted.

I just moved and started school (teaching) and they threw on 3 courses I haven’t taught yet. I may have bitten off more then I can chew by starting all these games during summer.

I should be good now and you can expect at least one post a day from me from now on.

Top two missions for me are:
1. The Third kinds
2. Last outpost

Totally understandable and good to have you back, Kato!!

And just to keep a running list of current preferences for the next missions:

Sharmain: Agillae-1 'The Last Outpost' ; Bastiar-7 'The Third Kind'
Kato: Bastiar-7 'The Third Kind' ; Agillae-1 'The Last Outpost'

And of course anyone is free to change their preferences anytime!

We're coming close to the end of the 'City of Ancients' mission. For the next mission, according to the votes so far, it looks like a toss up between The Last Outpost and The Third Kind.

So to randomly determine which one the party will move on to next...
Last Outpost or Third Kind?: 1d2 ⇒ 1

'The Last Outpost' it is! Which is kinda cool because I think most groups (you guys included) will like this one...

This is just a note to myself regarding everyone's current condition. Feel free to ignore.

If we are heading into combat, Sharmain is interested in utilizing the Equipment bonus to obtain a Shadowstaff, lesser. This is a L2 Two-Handed Basic Melee Weapon from Alien Archive.

She has been interested before but does not yet qualify to buy one and this may be a good opportunity to try one out.

Sure thing! You've got a lesser shadowstaff for the next mission!

Out of curiousity, has anyone in this party not played a PFS special before? Is this the first special for anyone here?

Not for me, this is 5th special that I play

I have played a face to face PFS special but this is my first PbP one.
Richard/Zac has not. This is his third SFS or OP of any flavour game. I dragged him to a face to face SFS game then we both played our first PbP (also SFS) shortly before this.

OK, just wondering because, in my opinion, although it's pretty cool that specials involve multiple tables working towards a common goal and the story underlying specials are pretty epic and grand, there are some disadvantages.

One is that we have a time constraint but also a lot of content to cover, so things can feel a bit rushed. And second, because we try to keep a brisk pace, the RP side of things get a bit compressed and we tend to have more action 'set pieces.' As a result, I think things may end up feeling quite railroad-y.

I myself have played only two specials previously. For those who have played specials before, I figure you already know what to expect. But for those who haven't, I'm just pointing this out in case you were thinking the same.

Regardless of the downsides, I hope everyone is enjoying the special thus far!

And on a different note, if you wish, please go ahead and update your preferences for the next mission!

Ive played and gm multiple specials before so I know the drill :)

I am actually finding this a little less rushed and chaotic than the ones I have played face to face. I was thinking to myself that you were doing a remarkable job of keeping us moving yet encouraging RP and interaction. Thank you.

What is IB'd?

That's just my notation for having been inspiring boosted because once an envoy has IB'd a character, that envoy cannot do so again for the same character until the character rests and spends a resolve.

Ah, thank you.

This is my first special and I'm new to Starfinder. This is my 3rd PBP scenario.

That was also when I came back to RPG's from a 7 year hiatus. I'm trying to string a local group together or if that fails a Fantasy Ground game from the people I used to play with.

I started listening to the glass cannon podcast in June and that gave me the rpg bug, which I'm trying to scratch with PBP.

Kato is my first and only SFS character.

Well hey, welcome to Starfinder, Kato!

If you find this special to be a bit railroad-y then I apologize for that. However, I would say give a few other Starfinder scenarios a try. Of the ones I've played so far, these are my favorites - just my 2 cents:
1-03 Yesteryear's Truth
1-07 The Solar Sortie
1-09 Live Exploration Extreme!

Good luck with getting a local group and/or a FG game together! If you didn't already know, there is a lightly active community of SFS players on the FG forums. And there is a more active community of SFS players who use roll20. I can PM you details on where to look if you don't already know and are interested!

So, where is local, Kato? I've actually been wondering where everyone is based.

Also, welcome to Starfinder.

Welcome Kato.

I don't mind the railroadyness. It keeps the PBP moving more quickly.

I live around Niagara Falls, on the Canadian Side.

I played 1-09 Live exploration extreme. It was my first actually with GM Aeondor (I might have spelled that wrong.)

Haven't played the others but they sound fun.

I'm planning on running Into the Unknown if I can wrangle a group together. But so far PBP is working out and allowing me to figure out the rules a bit.

As announced by Tyranius, we have entered part 4 and a hostile race of aliens have entered the system!

The recon missions are now closed and no longer available but all evacuation missions have opened up and are available.

In addition to the five evacuation missions, a sixth starship mission to go recon the jinsul at Bastiar-7 has become available! Needless to say, it is a starship combat mission. I've manually written it into the evacuation mission listings slide for easy reference.

If you can give me your top two preferences for your next mission, that would be great!

The GMs do, however, recommend The Last Outpost (which you're currently doing) and Cracked Mirror. And just a reminder, Cracked Mirror is the follow-up mission to Starship Graveyard where you fought the nanite mind-controlled Starfinders, then subsequently found a ton of Starfinders placed in suspended animation.

Part 4 or part 3?

I am good with Cracked Mirror next, makes story sense. Otherwise, totally open to what the rest of the team want.

Hey Team! Do we want to use the prep bonus that allows us to increase initiative? Have we previously identified these plants? I know we now have a name for them.

Also - I am unconscious so really can't act until healed? At worst I have a serum of healing someone could pour down my throat. Then I could heal Aldane some at least.

I'm in for cracked mirror then I want to go after those aliens.

Kato just gave you your serum then also one of his own if you only had 1.

Part 4 or part 3?

Have we previously identified these plants?

I stand corrected. Part 3!

Nope, the party has not yet identified the plants. It'd be a life science roll.

Yes Cracked Mirror after this one is good!

I'm in for cracked mirror then I want to go after those aliens.

Kato just gave you your serum then also one of his own if you only had 1.

Thank you, Kato. The extra healing was much appreciated.

Cracked Mirror sounds good.

Alrighty, Cracked Mirror next and followed by some starship action in First Line of Defense, time allowing of course.

Good news everyone!!

I've received the con's player boon details! Like with day jobs, I like to get these rolls done at the beginning so that I don't forget when the scenario ends.

Everyone (including GMs) roll a d20. If you roll either a 19 or 20, then you win a boon! To determine which boon you win, roll a d2.

Now it's your turn everyone. Go ahead and roll for your boons and good luck!

For the con boon rolls, it looks like everyone has rolled except Sharmain and Zac. Can you both drop me a d20 roll here in the discussion thread please?

boon roll: 1d20 ⇒ 2

Sorry I missed this earlier.