Bothan Scoundrel 7 | HP 68/68, Condition 0 | Fortitude 21, Reflex 24, Will 22 | Init +12, Perception +10 | Dark Side 1
Sorry for the absence, lots of factors to it. Hopefully I'll be more present from now on though.
Ralk nods and heads into the ship as well, fighting the urge to draw his blaster as he goes. The trouble's outside, not in. He glances down the hall to the engine room, considering checking on the kid, but there isn't time. As much as he hates having some guy he doesn't know work on his baby, the Bothan has had enough risky getaways to know when it's time to get things moving.
So instead, he heads to the cockpit and fires up the docking gun--he's rigged it to operate independently of the main power if necessary, for moments just like this. "Alright, sweetheart, I know some boy you don't know is poking around, but it'll be okay, he's getting you nice and fixed up and then we'll be out of here. And when we get to Coruscant I'm gonna get you a nice cleaning and maybe those thrusters I've been talking about..." Ralk's hands grip the gun controls as he speaks to his ship, swiveling to to keep an eye on the approaching dust cloud.
Kyra zooms in with the holosight of her rifle, narrowing in on the dust cloud. "Give me a second, I'll have eyes on them." Once she's zoomed in well enough that she has any chance of seeing something, she scours the dust cloud to see if she can't find whatever's causing it. She wants to think it's Mandalorians, but she's got a sinking feeling in her stomach. With the broken hyperdrive, she's not sure they don't have something worse to worry about.
'Worst of all, that damn Bothan is probably sweet-talking the ship.'
Kyra has electrobinoculars, but I realized she would probably have an imaging scope of some sort on her rifle. I may spend some cash to integrate it later, or just get a scope.
Acrobatics +11, Endurance +9, Initiative +11, Kn(Galactic Lore) +11, Perception +12, Persuasion +15, Pilot +15, Use Computer +11, Use the Force +15
Obi-Wan eyes the dust cloud, muttering to himself, "Nothing is ever so simple." He gives Kyra a moment before he asks, "Do you see anything?" Positioning himself at the top of the boarding ramp, he waits, relaxing his mind as he reaches out with the Force glean whatever information he can.
Use the Force:1d20 + 15 ⇒ (12) + 15 = 27Try and detect them whenever they get within range (pretty short as I recall.)
Looking down your scope, you can finally find the source of the dust cloud - 5 speeder bikes and 2 larger landspeeders. The landspeeders each have 6 Mandalorians in them. 4 of the speeder bikes are military issue bikes, each with a Mandalorian astride it. The fifth speeder bike seems to be designed in a U-shape, and astride it is a black-robed, hooded figure with red skin covered in black tattoos. You suspect he might be an Iridonian, but can't be sure since the hood prevents you from seeing his horns. Whoever he is, he is not dressed as a Mandalorian. As you watch, he makes a hand-motion, and the 4 speeder bikes pull ahead, coming straight for you.
Acrobatics +11, Endurance +9, Initiative +11, Kn(Galactic Lore) +11, Perception +12, Persuasion +15, Pilot +15, Use Computer +11, Use the Force +15
The sense of a dark void in the Force left a sickening dryness at the back of Obi-Wan's throat. Fear and disgust threaten to break his concentration, but he takes a deep breath and clears his mind of emotion in an intimately familiar exercise. As the captain dashes out, the Padawan replies, "No, but it isn't anything good. I'd suggest we get out of here... quickly." Turning to Gui-Gon, he asks, "Do you feel it too? What... what is that, master? It can't be... ?" He trails off and tears his eyes away from the dust cloud to look at his master.
Anyone else want to look at the dust cloud? Kyra, want to let the others in on what you saw?
His eyes fixed on the horizon, Qui-Gon says, "I do sense it, Obi-Wan. Whoever or whatever it is, we must be prepared." The Jedi Master draws out his lightsaber, though he has not yet ignited it.
I can just spend the cash now, if you want. I've got enough to spare, I believe. I just realized she'd definitely have some sort of targeting sight on her gun.
"Mandalorians, incoming. We've got... it looks like sixteen of them. Wait, we've got another. Black robe and a hood, red skin. He's definitely not Mandalorian, or at least he isn't dressed like them. I don't like this." Kyra raises her forearm to her mouth and activates the commlink. "Ralk! Be ready on that docking gun! We've got trouble, incoming!" Kyra braces the heavy rifle against her shoulder, readying to take a shot at the first of the speeder bikes to come in range of her blaster. "Get ready for a fight, boys and girls."
Acrobatics +11, Endurance +9, Initiative +11, Kn(Galactic Lore) +11, Perception +12, Persuasion +15, Pilot +15, Use Computer +11, Use the Force +15
Gui-gon's reaction does little to quell the anxiety that has begun to threaten Obi-wan's Jedi calm. Drawing his own lightsaber, he turns his eyes back to the dust cloud and waits as patiently as he can.
Panaka listens to Kyra's analysis before shouting, "Everyone, take defensive positions! Do not allow any of them to board the ship! Our priority is protecting the Queen." He suits action to words by drawing his blaster and taking cover next to one of the docking ramp's support struts.
Ralk powers up the docking gun, which whirs to life and begins scanning back and forth, looking for targets.
You can all hear the whine of the speeder bikes, now. You have mere seconds (2 rounds) before they arrive.
What's Anakin doing?:
Acrobatics:1d20 + 7 ⇒ (12) + 7 = 19
Opening the maintenance hatch, Anakin wriggles into the ductspace where the coupling is housed.
Bothan Scoundrel 7 | HP 68/68, Condition 0 | Fortitude 21, Reflex 24, Will 22 | Init +12, Perception +10 | Dark Side 1
Ralk breathes in and out only a little more heavily than usual, and he flexes his grip on the docking gun's controls. After a moment's thought, he reaches down and roots for a loose panel, behind which he quickly flips a small switch between some wires. There's a spark, and then the whine of the docking gun goes up a notch as more power is routed into the blaster. It's a simple trick that makes a small difference--but small differences add up to win fights.
Using my Personal Modifications talent as a standard action--for the remainder of the encounter, Ralk gains a +1 equipment bonus to attack rolls and a +2 equipment bonus to damage rolls with the docking gun. Other than that I don't think I have anything more to do, unless the bikes are in range to start Aiming at them.
HP: 79/79; Second Wind: 19; Fort 19 Reflex 24 Will 21; Perception +12; Initiative +11; Speed 8 Force Suite: 14/14 Force Grip, Surge, Rebuke, Move Object, Mind Trick, Battle Strike,Negate Energy, Cloak, Ionize, Drain Energy, Cryokinesis, Force Track, Inertia, Thought Bomb;
Jonjon observes the scene, and decides that he will need a better weapon in the future than just the few energy balls he had left. He'll let the 'jedi' deal with the red-skinned foe; it seemed that it wasn't his fight. Instead, he draws his Atlatl and loads it, readying to shoot at a speeder, not the trooper on it.
Initiative Order
Red-skinned Figure
Kyra<--
Anakin (already taken action this round)
Padme
Panaka
Ralk (already taken action this round)
Obi-Wan
Qui-Gon
Speeder
Sabe
Speeder Bikes
JonJon (already readied action to attack speeder bike when in range)
The party can post actions, since the Speeder and red-skinned figure have to close range. Don't worry about posting in order, just post as you are able to. If you have Improved Initiative and would like to reroll your result, you may do so.
Qui-Gon closes his eyes, gathering himself and clearing his mind before entering battle. Panaka shouts out, "Protect the queen! We must not allow any harm to come to her!"Uses his Born Leader ability, providing a +1 insight bonus on attack rolls.
Within the ship, Padme finishes adjusting her handmaiden's garb and assists Sabe into the more ornate dress worn by the Queen of Naboo.
Kyra aims to attack the largest group of the speeder bikes she can, despite the range. She lets loose a volley of automatic fire toward the speeder bikes knowing that it's unlikely they'll escape completely unscathed.
Bothan Scoundrel 7 | HP 68/68, Condition 0 | Fortitude 21, Reflex 24, Will 22 | Init +12, Perception +10 | Dark Side 1
Ralk keeps his hands on the controls for the blaster cannon, keeping them aimed at the speeder as it approaches. "A little closer," he mutters, his eyes locked on his target.
As mentioned, already acted, but to recap: standard to activate Personalized Modifications, then two swifts to Aim at the landspeeder.
Bothan Scoundrel 7 | HP 68/68, Condition 0 | Fortitude 21, Reflex 24, Will 22 | Init +12, Perception +10 | Dark Side 1
Ah, sorry, my bad. I guess this is what happens when Star Wars refers to everything as a speeder for short... in that case, Ralk will aim for the Red-Skinned Figure's Speeder Bike, since taking out the leader first has always served him well in the past. "Remove the Hutt's head" and all that.
Acrobatics +11, Endurance +9, Initiative +11, Kn(Galactic Lore) +11, Perception +12, Persuasion +15, Pilot +15, Use Computer +11, Use the Force +15
The roaring of engines precede the arrival of the speeders by an instant. Obi-Wan waits calmly watching the space where they emerge, and from the first his eyes gravitate to the red and black robed figure. Echoing his master, he breathes deeply and waits for the inevitable clash of violence.
Just holding until the shooting starts or they get close enough to after.
The speeders in the distance, along with the bike carrying the red-skinned person move closer, as Kyra opens up her blaster on one of the speeder bikes fast approaching. They seem to have difficulty maneuvering due to their speed, and so the speeder she targets is unable to take evasive maneuvers.
Because the speeder bike's take up a 2x2 area, which is the same as auto fire, you can only get one. The good news is that because they were using All-Out Movement, they have no Dex bonus to Reflex, which means that the speeder bike's Reflex defense is actually less than 11. The rider's wasn't, but you still hit him, too.
Panaka directs the group and Qui-Gon meditates. Obi-Wan mimics him as Ralk fine-tunes the docking gun and takes aim at another of the speeder bikes. Anakin continues his work on the engine while JonJon prepares to strike with his atlatl. Sabe and Padme finish dressing, then Padme says, "We should stay out of sight. It would not do for the queen to be seen fighting outside the ship in the sand." At this, she smiles, amused by her joke.
The Mandalorian speeder bikes move closer, although they seem to be taking evasive maneuvers instead of moving flat-out. Fighting Defensively
Anakin:
You've got the first Mechanics check done, and I rolled out the first Acrobatics Check. Next, it's another Acrobatics check, 2 more Mechanics checks (with a +2 bonus on the first one), and then a final Acrobatics check.
Bothan Scoundrel 7 | HP 68/68, Condition 0 | Fortitude 21, Reflex 24, Will 22 | Init +12, Perception +10 | Dark Side 1
Ralk locks in on his target, frowning slightly as they start to take evasive action, and pulls the trigger. An overclocked whine comes from the blaster cannon as a massive blast of energy flies from its muzzle, shooting directly at his target. Standard to attack; bonuses from Careful Shot, Deadeye, Point-Blank Shot (I believe), Personalized Modifications, and Panaka's Born Leader apply.
Anakin crawls his way into the ductspace, trying to pull himself forward with one hand while holding the coupling in the other. Finding leverage with his feet, he attempts to kick off, forcing himself in further. "Fragging enclosed ships." He mutters, thinking back to the joys of working on his swoop bike and podracer, and the ability to move around as he did so.
Acrobatics +11, Endurance +9, Initiative +11, Kn(Galactic Lore) +11, Perception +12, Persuasion +15, Pilot +15, Use Computer +11, Use the Force +15
Obi-Wan breathes deeply, feeling detached as he senses the Mandolorians closing quickly. Still too far for him to readily engage, he opens his eyes and shrugs free of his long, flowing robes to reveal the rough, simple clothing of a Jedi. Lightsaber in hand, still unactivated, he readies himself for the coming battle.
Waiting until someone is close enough for me to hawk-bat swoop or similarly dash up to. Alternatively, if they start shooting back, I'll ignite the lightsaber and start being more defensive.
Female Human HP: 83| Fort 18|Ref 23(Evasion)| Will 23| Deception +16| Perception +12} Stealth +11|
Weighed down by her regalia, Sabe sweeps from the room and to the top of the entrance ramp. "I trust that our fringer friend will have the ship repaired quickly. I'm confident that you can delay our adversaries for the them for the necessary time."
Inspire confidence gives you +1 bonus on attack rolls and skill checks until the end of the encounter.
No Point Blank Shot, Ralk - they're still at long range.
Kyra continues her barrage at the same speeder bike, and Ralk opens up with the docking gun adding the sound of the blaster cannon to the fight. Both see success in damaging their respective targets, but the bikes are still coming on, clearly still functional. Obi-Wan meditates as well, preparing for a fight. Sabe, now dressed as the Queen, inspires confidence in the others, exhorting them to further victories.
Meanwhile, Anakin attempts to climb through the ducts in order to get to where the power coupling sits. Unfortunately, it's a bit tricky, and he isn't able to make much progress.
The speeders continue their advance, and the speeder bikes fly forward, now opening up with their underslung laser cannons as they race across the dunes.
Rolls:
Targets:3d6 ⇒ (2, 5, 1) = 8 Panaka, Qui-Gon, and Kyra. Aren't you PCs lucky?
Speeder Bike 1 vs Panaka:1d20 + 7 ⇒ (17) + 7 = 24 Miss
Speeder Bike 2 vs Qui-Gon:1d20 + 7 ⇒ (1) + 7 = 8 Whoops
Speeder Bike 3 vs Kyra:1d20 + 7 ⇒ (20) + 7 = 27 Owie
Damage:8d10 ⇒ (6, 3, 2, 7, 4, 6, 5, 4) = 37
Panaka feels the heat of a laser cannon's shot barely miss him, and Qui-Gon, standing with his eyes closed, doesn't even notice the blast that went far wide. Kyra is not so fortunate, however, as the one firing at her is dead on target, slamming into her armor and knocking her back. Crit, 37 damage, -1 condition track Thankfully, that armor is what keeps the blast from cooking her where she stands.
The party is up. Speeder bikes are medium range for pistols, short range for heavy weapons. Speeders and red-skinned figure are now at the very edge of extreme range for heavy weapons.
Tracking:
Speeder Bike 1 25/40
Biker Mandalorian 1 48/64
Speeder Bike 2 36/40
Biker Mandalorian 2 45/64
Female Human HP: 83| Fort 18|Ref 23(Evasion)| Will 23| Deception +16| Perception +12} Stealth +11|
When it is Sabe's turn, she will Bolster Ally on Kyra. As a standard action, you can bolster an ally within line of sight, moving him +1 step along the condition track and giving him a number of bonus hit points equal to his character level if he’s at one half his maximum hit points or less. Damage is subtracted from the bonus hit points first, and any bonus hit points remaining at the end of the encounter go away. You can’t bolster the same ally more than once in a single encounter, and you can’t bolster yourself.
In her Queen voice, Sabe reaches out to Kyra,
"Kyra! Though we be but new allies, stand strong against our foes. Hold them off!"
Bothan Scoundrel 7 | HP 68/68, Condition 0 | Fortitude 21, Reflex 24, Will 22 | Init +12, Perception +10 | Dark Side 1
Hearing Sabe's voice echoing down the hall of the ship, Ralk grins and focuses his aim on the same target. 2 swift to Aim, standard to attack. Born Leader, Careful Shot, Deadeye, Inspire Confidence, and Personalized Modifications apply, as well as the Short Range penalty.
Finally finding good footing, Anakin pushes himself the rest of the way into the duct, moving until he is directly underneath where the power coupling needs to be replaced. Resting the new power coupling on his chest, he cracks his knuckles and reaches for the housing of the old one.
Acrobatics +11, Endurance +9, Initiative +11, Kn(Galactic Lore) +11, Perception +12, Persuasion +15, Pilot +15, Use Computer +11, Use the Force +15
Obi-Wan's lightsaber snaps to life with an ominous hiss as he watches helplessly from too far to intervene as the blaster bolt scorches Kyra's armor. He dashes forward, dropping into a defensive stance in front of his allies. Breathing deeply, he clears his mind of worry and anxiety and embraces the Force. His lightsaber, as if of its own accord, begins to weave, ready to catch any blaster bolts intended for his allies.
Use Circle of Shelter as a standard. Just moving next to two people who are outside and they (and Obi-Wan) get a +1/+2/+5 deflection bonus to Reflex Defense this turn.
Use the Force with Inspire Confidence:1d20 + 15 + 1 ⇒ (9) + 15 + 1 = 25
I'll give the protection to Kyra and Panaka, since Ralk is in the ship and Sabe and Padme are at the top of the boarding ramp, and thus not noticeable by the Mandalorians yet. Kyra, you're up.
Kyra stumbles back from the blaster shot, but the Echani woman doesn't seem to be too worse for wear. "Oh, you're going to pay for that." She adjusts her grip on the repeating rifle in her hands, then narrows in her aim on the speeder bike. Instead of the wide spray she was firing before, this is focused in to blow the speeder she'd be shooting to pieces. "You better hope this kills you."
Kyra narrows her aim on the speeder bike, then unleashes a burst from the repeating rifle. Her blasts connect, and the speeder begins billowing smoke. It still moves forward though, and it keeps coming.
Ralk focuses his aim on the same speeder bike, and fires. The blaster cannon whines as it pumps another blast out, engulfing the speeder bike and leaving nothing but debris in its wake.
Obi-Wan moves to a defensive position to protect Kyra and Panaka from further fire, as Panaka takes aim and looses a blaster bolt at the one Kyra shot at, hitting the armor but failing to destroy it.
JonJon lets loose with an energy ball as the speeder bikes come into range, but is unable to hit the fast-moving objects.
Sabe speaks words of encouragement, and Kyra feels her strength firm up and shakes off the pain of the previous hit.
Meanwhile, Anakin has finally gotten into position to begin extracting the damaged power converter and replacing it.
Qui-Gon's lightsaber ignites as he continues standing eyes closed in the desert. Padme draws out a blaster pistol and prepares to open fire on any Mandalorians that pass in front of the ship.
The Speeder bikes swoop into close range, blaster cannons spitting fire. One misses JonJon, while the other is on target but Obi-Wan's spinning blue blade deflects the bolts away from him.
Though still distant, the land speeders are within range of heavy weapons, and they open fire with the blaster cannons mounted on them, aiming for the Intrigue! Fortunately, their shots burst harmlessly against the ship's armor, causing only minor scoring. They missed the flat-footed reflex defense, since it's sitting on the ground, but only because it has +15 armor.
You notice, suddenly, that the red-skinned figure has disappeared.
The party is up. Speeder bikes are now point blank for heavy weapons, short range for pistols, and medium range for thrown weapons. Speeders are long range for heavy weapons, and provide their occupants with partial cover.
Kyra gives the padawan a grin when he deflects the blaster bolt away from her. "Thanks, kid. Keep that up, if you can." Kyra again aims a focused burst for the now seriously damage speeder bike, hoping the last barrage will disable it so she can continue to fire on other targets. "Where'd the red guy gp? Anyone got eyes on him?" She looks around for a moment, but can't take too much time to search given that they're in the middle of a firefight. "Keep your eyes open, don't want him coming up for an ambush.
When the blaster shots ricochet off the Intrigue's hull, Kyra looks momentarily worried. [b]<<"Ralk, any chance you can get the shields up? The new parts won't do us a lot of good if they blow a hole in the ship.">>
Including the previous +2 bonus on Mechanics. Mechanics (DC 20):1d20 + 10 + 2 ⇒ (15) + 10 + 2 = 27
Anakin easily pops out the old power converter, giving it a quick glance as he does so. "Corroded. Badly, too." He frowns, thinking of what he'd seen from the ship so far and heard from the woman, Kyra, about how she treated it. Didn't seem like something she'd miss, or that would have happened so suddenly. With a brief shrug, he places it down next to him and takes the new one off his chest. "Lucky for her she found me." He grins to himself.
GM:
Not sure what I have left for checks. I still need one Mechanics check to install the new converter (DC 20) and one Acrobatics check (DC 18) to get back out. In this post you also mentioned a Mechanics DC 25 check to make sure it's properly housed but didn't mention it in this one so I figured I'd ask!
Do I feel a shake or anything from the ship getting hit or are the blaster shots pretty negligible?
You do still need the DC 25 Mechanics check to make sure it's properly installed. I forgot to post it in the second post.
You'll also have a +2 on the next Mechanics check, since you beat the DC by more than 5.
Since the shots were technically misses, they were pretty negligible. If they'd hit, on the other hand...
Ralk, Kyra:
You both know that firing up the deflector shields would require at least a partial startup of the engines, meaning a chance you could fry the kid if he's still working on the coupling - and if the coupling is out of the circuit entirely, it could result in something even worse.
Bothan Scoundrel 7 | HP 68/68, Condition 0 | Fortitude 21, Reflex 24, Will 22 | Init +12, Perception +10 | Dark Side 1
With the comms still open, Anakin and Kyra are able to hear Ralk's tirade as the Intrigue takes fire. "You karking Hutt-spawn! I just got her polished!" The Bothan swears a moment longer as he swivels the cannon's controls, aiming at one of the speeders. "Kid, how's the repairs coming? You tell me the second you get that coupling in. I'm gonna kill these... these... nerf herders!"Two swifts to aim, standard to shoot at one of the speeders. Same benefits as last time apply, with Long range penalties instead of short.
Acrobatics +11, Endurance +9, Initiative +11, Kn(Galactic Lore) +11, Perception +12, Persuasion +15, Pilot +15, Use Computer +11, Use the Force +15
The ominous hum of the Obi-wan's lightsaber continues unabated, broken only by the sharp crack when it meets and deflects a blaster bolt. He acknowledges Krya's thanks with a grunt, but the disappearance of their red-skinned foe prompts him to say, "I don't see him. Master, do you feel him?" Even as he continues to spin his lightsaber in a whirring arc, he opens himself to the Force, looking for the dark presence that he was sure was his foe.
Swift action to Use the Force to detect surroundings looking for the guy. Standard to continue defending. 10/12 Force Powers left.
Use the Force (detect surroundings):1d20 + 15 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 15 + 1 = 24 Use the Force (circle of shelter):1d20 + 15 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 15 + 1 = 21
HP: 79/79; Second Wind: 19; Fort 19 Reflex 24 Will 21; Perception +12; Initiative +11; Speed 8 Force Suite: 14/14 Force Grip, Surge, Rebuke, Move Object, Mind Trick, Battle Strike,Negate Energy, Cloak, Ionize, Drain Energy, Cryokinesis, Force Track, Inertia, Thought Bomb;
Uhm... Hmm.
Jonjon runs forward And leaps, landing in the path of the oncoming speeders. He raises a hand, focusing. With an expression of concentration, he throws up his hand.
Use the Force: Move Object:1d20 + 15 ⇒ (5) + 15 = 20
He (tries to)hauls up a wall of sand into the path of the speeding Mandaloroans!
Kyra gives the padawan a grin when he deflects the blaster bolt away from her. "Thanks, kid. Keep that up, if you can." Kyra again aims a focused burst for the now seriously damage speeder bike, hoping the last barrage will disable it so she can continue to fire on other targets. "Where'd the red guy gp? Anyone got eyes on him?" She looks around for a moment, but can't take too much time to search given that they're in the middle of a firefight. "Keep your eyes open, don't want him coming up for an ambush."
When the blaster shots ricochet off the Intrigue's hull, Kyra looks momentarily worried. <<"Ralk, any chance you can get the shields up? The new parts won't do us a lot of good if they blow a hole in the ship.">>
Kyra's blast peppers the speeder bike and the Mandalorian with blaster bolts, finally damaging the bike enough that it begins careening out of control. Exactly enough damage to take out the bike.
With the comms still open, Anakin and Kyra are able to hear Ralk's tirade as the Intrigue takes fire. "You karking Hutt-spawn! I just got her polished!"[b] The Bothan swears a moment longer as he swivels the cannon's controls, aiming at one of the speeders. [b]"Kid, how's the repairs coming? You tell me the second you get that coupling in. I'm gonna kill these... these... nerf herders!"
Aiming, Ralk fires the docking gun at one of the speeders, but due to the distance, the energy blast isn't quite as effective as it otherwise would have been.
The ominous hum of the Obi-wan's lightsaber continues unabated, broken only by the sharp crack when it meets and deflects a blaster bolt. He acknowledges Krya's thanks with a grunt, but the disappearance of their red-skinned foe prompts him to say, "I don't see him. Master, do you feel him?" Even as he continues to spin his lightsaber in a whirring arc, he opens himself to the Force, looking for the dark presence that he was sure was his foe.
Obi-Wan:
You detect him moving quickly somewhere to the left. You suspect your master knows his location just as well.
Anakin easily pops out the old power converter, giving it a quick glance as he does so. "Corroded. Badly, too." He frowns, thinking of what he'd seen from the ship so far and heard from the woman, Kyra, about how she treated it. Didn't seem like something she'd miss, or that would have happened so suddenly. With a brief shrug, he places it down next to him and takes the new one off his chest. "Lucky for her she found me." He grins to himself.
Jonjon runs forward And leaps, landing in the path of the oncoming speeders. He raises a hand, focusing. With an expression of concentration, he throws up his hand.He hauls up a wall of sand into the path of the speeding Mandaloroans!
Very creative use of Move Object. Take a temporary force point, to be used before the end of the encounter. The speeders are too far away to be affect (range of 12 squares), but there is one speeder bike left to effect. Move Object Damage:4d6 ⇒ (6, 1, 4, 2) = 13
Sabe draws out her blaster along with Padme, both waiting for targets to present themselves.
Qui-Gon suddenly turns and leaps off in one direction as the whine of a speeder can be heard from a flanking position. The other speeder with the red-skinned figure comes into view, leaping from his bike, his own lightsaber igniting with a snap-hiss as the crimson red blade meets Qui-Gon's green one and the two begin what looks more like a dance than a lightsaber duel, blades whirling as they face each other. With the red-skinned figure closer, you can see his skin is covered in intricate black tattoos, and are able to identify him as a Zabrak.
Panaka aims and fires another shot at the final speeder bike, hitting the bike and damaging the metal.
Rolls:
Qui-Gon and red-skinned figure are a cinematic fight, so not worrying about them.
The final speeder bike attempts to loose a barrage of laser fire at Obi-Wan, Panaka, and Kyra, but due to JonJon's sand wall, the laser cannon flares and he has to activate the cleaning process. The now-destroyed speeder bike careens into the sand with an explosion as the pilot fails to leap clear.
The speeders again fire on the Intrigue, but again the ship's armor holds.
The party is up. Final speeder bike is point blank for all, speeders still long-range.
Bothan Scoundrel 7 | HP 68/68, Condition 0 | Fortitude 21, Reflex 24, Will 22 | Init +12, Perception +10 | Dark Side 1
My apologies on the range penalty, I forgot all about Medium. Sorry, Medium Range!
The swearing continues over the comms as Ralk's shot isn't very effective, and he swivels the gun, tracking his target. "If you put a hole my ship..." he mutters, pulling the trigger once more. Two swifts to aim, standard to shoot at the same speeder. Same rolls as last time.
Anakin is yanked from his daydreams by Ralk shouting over the comms. Wincing as the sound rattles around in his head, he pauses for a moment to reply. "Yeah, almost got it! Just need a few more seconds." The new power converter slides in easily, perfectly crafted for the slot where the old one was removed. Anakin moves to secure it into position, wondering what exactly is going on outside of the ship.
Anakin just needs a DC 25 Mechanics check (with a +2) to make sure the thing is installed properly, and then a DC 18 Acrobatics check to get the hell out of there.
That avatar works fine! I have, in the past, found off-site images and created links to them in my header.
I prefer stat lines where the "Female Human Scout/Noble". I like to have HP, Force/Destiny points, Defenses, and the skill check modifiers most relevant to your character (Use the Force for Jedi, Stealth for sneaky types, etc.). Feel free to put anything else up there that you like.
Male Human Commoner 2/ Philosopher 2/ Gamer 5/ Writer 5
Hi, honored to be accepted. I know I haven't posted in Recruitment much and the character doesn't have much in the way of backstory--life's been crazy the past few days/week--so I'm pleasantly surprised to be here. I'll get an alias together for Ralk ASAP.
Besides, I'm familiar with some of your other stuff, Loup, so I felt pretty good about it.
Gameplay thread is created for dotting. I'm actually going to be traveling the next couple of days, so I don't think I'll have time to get the ball really rolling until Thursday for you guys.
Feel free to ask any questions or clarify anything you need to in the meantime though!
Here she is, I'll get her sheet on the alias, but for now she's getting a dot in Gameplay.
Loup, I know we originally intended for Kyra to currently be on your character's ship as a co-pilot, that still something you'd be interested in? If so, we should figure out how we met and stuff like that, and I'll probably do the same as you and tie my Destiny to the ship. Also, I'll take Bothan as one of my languages so we have a secret code.
Bothan Scoundrel 7 | HP 68/68, Condition 0 | Fortitude 21, Reflex 24, Will 22 | Init +12, Perception +10 | Dark Side 1
Ralk is good to go--I adjusted the ability scores as needed, so now he's got a +4 in three of them. I also swapped a couple feats (Weapon Focus and Rapid Shot for Careful Aim and Deadeye--aiming is more his style in the end, I think), and switched a talent as well (Spacehound for Seize Object, since Spacehound actually doesn't do him a ton with Vehicular Combat as he's much more a pilot than a gunner, and being able to nab somebody's blaster when combat starts is useful if you're a smuggler). Hopefully that's fine, as he's still very much the same character as I originally presented.
Kyra Dovan wrote:
Loup, I know we originally intended for Kyra to currently be on your character's ship as a co-pilot, that still something you'd be interested in? If so, we should figure out how we met and stuff like that, and I'll probably do the same as you and tie my Destiny to the ship. Also, I'll take Bothan as one of my languages so we have a secret code.
Absolutely, man. We're like a reverse Chewie and Han, where the small guy/pilot is the furry one. I also was at a loss for a final language so I took "Smuggler's Signs"--no idea if you're okay with that being a thing, GM, but I'd imagine it as a mix of simple hand signals as well as something like Hobo Signs, a useful way for smugglers to communicate in secret with one another.
Sabe wrote:
I look forward to butting heads on how best to protect the Queen, Quarsh Panaka.
Hey, don't forget about my suggestions! I know a great little place out near Nal Hutta, and I know what you're thinking, but I swear on my life, it's perfectly safe...
Female Human HP: 83| Fort 18|Ref 23(Evasion)| Will 23| Deception +16| Perception +12} Stealth +11|
For languages, I took the ones that were listed for the official write up of Amidala. The Wookipedia entry says that Sabe should have Hutttese, Twi'leki, and Shryrriwook. I don't have any of those, but do have Mon Cal, Gran, and Rodese. I just want her to have languages that fit the campaign. Thoughts?
Acrobatics +11, Endurance +9, Initiative +11, Kn(Galactic Lore) +11, Perception +12, Persuasion +15, Pilot +15, Use Computer +11, Use the Force +15
Super excited by this game. I appreciate the selection, GM Wasted! :) Congrats to everyone else as well. I had to pick an alias with a title, but I might be able to snag an actual Obi-Wan alias depending what The Chess does. I'll link my character sheet and that includes a better portrait for the Obi-Wan of the prequels. This hooded version isn't terrible, but if anyone else can think of a better one, let me know and I can switch it up. :)
I also appreciate any feedback on my build (especially given I'm relatively inexperienced with SW Saga edition.
A few questions as I'm working on stuff:
Am I correct in understanding that I should have 7 destiny points? E.g. 1 per level?
I had chosen Basic, Binary (understood only), Mando'a, and Nelvaanese. I was basing this from the Wookiepedia (and my reading of his background), but if something seems more fitting I'd appreciate hearing about it.
In order to add more custom abilities to Obi-Wan's lightsaber (for example a pressure grip), I'd need to have a feat?
I'd suggest asking him to edit the name of the alias so that you can use the name instead. After all, I doubt he'll use that alias for another game under the current title (how many games can you have a character named Obi-Wan Kenobi, anyway?) so I doubt it'd be an issue. As for Kyra, I've put all her stats on the alias and will get her header set up soon.
You are correct re: Destiny Points. I think I'm a game like Saga it's useful to have Basic, then a "party language" (one you can communicate in privately if you wish) and spread the rest out amongst the group to cover bases.
Adding more abilities to the lightsaber does not require a feat, though it depends on what you want to do. Your weapon can be modified using the Tech Specialist feat or upgraded via the rules in Scum and Villainy. There's also stuff in the JATM for the lightsaber.
If you do not have a feat or skill to modify your equipment, you may still modify it but at twice the listed cost; you're finding someone to do the work for you. I
Loup- Republic Sign Code is a thing, so if you want to skin it to be Smuggler Sign that's fine by me.
Stupid alias was taken. I'll try to have this thing filled out today, though I guess there's less pressure on me since I'm not starting with the rest of you as it is. Still, really excited to be here!
As far as dotting, the Gameplay thread looks completely blank to me? It seemed to let me post a dot fine so it shows up in my campaigns, but I can't see any posts there - including the one I made. It just looks like this - Anyone else see similar?
And the alias is set up. Again, profile pictures just aren't great options, but what can you do?
Well! I actually made a Google Chrome extension that I've used for a variety of games which I'll gladly use for this as well. If anyone has a better avatar they want to send me, I can incorporate them into it.
I've used it for 4(?) Star Wars games in the past (including one that I'm running now) and it works pretty nicely. There's a screenshot available that shows more-or-less what it does. Here if you want to use it.
I'll post an update to it in a few days to include my Anakin and anything that anyone else sends over.
Acrobatics +11, Endurance +9, Initiative +11, Kn(Galactic Lore) +11, Perception +12, Persuasion +15, Pilot +15, Use Computer +11, Use the Force +15
Looks like The Chess only had "Obi-Wan" and not the full name, so I took a leaf out of Yoricks' book and just added a period. I'd be game to do the Avatar replacement for this character, Yoricks. I need to run to a meeting, but the picture I'm using is linked in my character sheet if you want to pick it up from there. :) I can also link it later if you need.
HP: 79/79; Second Wind: 19; Fort 19 Reflex 24 Will 21; Perception +12; Initiative +11; Speed 8 Force Suite: 14/14 Force Grip, Surge, Rebuke, Move Object, Mind Trick, Battle Strike,Negate Energy, Cloak, Ionize, Drain Energy, Cryokinesis, Force Track, Inertia, Thought Bomb;
Hello!
No, I will not use the terribad accent unless everyone thinks it will add something to the game.
I AM a bit confused about how many powers force-training would give me, since there was some discussion about it on the recruitment thread. What was the ultimate result of that? I will have to change the number of powers in my suite (read. ADD powers) if its different from the core book.
Also, I need to redo my sheet into one that can fit on a profile alias!
I'll make sure to put in my level 4 stat increases in it too.
I have an image of him I found online. I liked this one and it's linked on my profile.
Bothan Scoundrel 7 | HP 68/68, Condition 0 | Fortitude 21, Reflex 24, Will 22 | Init +12, Perception +10 | Dark Side 1
Strange with the Gameplay thread, yeah. I wasn't sure what's up with it, but it did add the campaign to my tracking, so I think it kind of works?
Also, important question: since Ralk has a Destiny related to his Ship, I kind of... er... need the ship. How do you want to go about that process? I've got about 35,000 credits saved from our starting funds, but I don't know that that's enough to actually purchase a fine vessel that would hold our group (nor outfit it with all the fun smuggler/ace pilot accoutrements). I also don't want to make other people pitch money in since that's their stuff. Would you allow me a ship (within reason) as part of the Destiny if I make it a Hunk of Junk?
So, I am actually *exceedingly* generous when it comes to ships. I love ships in Saga, and like to give players fun toys to play with.
You don't have to apply the Hunk of Junk template.
Pitch me a ship you want. This will be the party ship. But since it'll be tied to your Destiny, I'd like you and I to come up with a bit of a story for it; did you win it in a sabaac game? Did you help design and build it only for a corrupt Senator to claim it as theirs? Did you steal it as part of a daring escape from the spice mines of Kessel? That'll provide me with plenty of ammo to craft story.
My suggestion would be to take the YT-2400 and mod it. I'll allow you to just *have* that ship (pursuant to story) and the party can contribute credits to the mods and tech specialist upgrades.
But if you have something else in mind, pitch it to me.
No, I will not use the terribad accent unless everyone thinks it will add something to the game.
I AM a bit confused about how many powers force-training would give me, since there was some discussion about it on the recruitment thread. What was the ultimate result of that? I will have to change the number of powers in my suite (read. ADD powers) if its different from the core book.
Also, I need to redo my sheet into one that can fit on a profile alias!
I'll make sure to put in my level 4 stat increases in it too.
I have an image of him I found online. I liked this one and it's linked on my profile.
It is different from the core book!
Every time you take the Force Training feat, you gain 1/2 your level (at the level you took the feat) plus your WIS modifier in Force powers. You only ever need take a Force Power ONE TIME.
The total number of Force Powers you know (if you have learned ten, for instance) make up your FORCE POWER SUITE. That means that PER ENCOUNTER, you may use 10 FORCE POWERS. You may use any power you know, any number of times, as long as you do not exceed 10 uses.
Increasing your Wisdom modifier results in more Force powers as per normal.
Also, I'm gearing to actually start as soon as Loup and I work out ship details (though others, please feel free to contribute thoughts. I will lean more towards Loup in this, as the ship is his character's Destiny, but your input is valuable). So once we hammer that out I'll get a gameplay post up. I might have to move the game to another thread; seems like the Gameplay page is not really functioning at the moment.
HP: 79/79; Second Wind: 19; Fort 19 Reflex 24 Will 21; Perception +12; Initiative +11; Speed 8 Force Suite: 14/14 Force Grip, Surge, Rebuke, Move Object, Mind Trick, Battle Strike,Negate Energy, Cloak, Ionize, Drain Energy, Cryokinesis, Force Track, Inertia, Thought Bomb;
GM Wasted wrote:
JonJon Banks wrote:
Hello!
No, I will not use the terribad accent unless everyone thinks it will add something to the game.
I AM a bit confused about how many powers force-training would give me, since there was some discussion about it on the recruitment thread. What was the ultimate result of that? I will have to change the number of powers in my suite (read. ADD powers) if its different from the core book.
Also, I need to redo my sheet into one that can fit on a profile alias!
I'll make sure to put in my level 4 stat increases in it too.
I have an image of him I found online. I liked this one and it's linked on my profile.
It is different from the core book!
Every time you take the Force Training feat, you gain 1/2 your level (at the level you took the feat) plus your WIS modifier in Force powers. You only ever need take a Force Power ONE TIME.
The total number of Force Powers you know (if you have learned ten, for instance) make up your FORCE POWER SUITE. That means that PER ENCOUNTER, you may use 10 FORCE POWERS. You may use any power you know, any number of times, as long as you do not exceed 10 uses.
Increasing your Wisdom modifier results in more Force powers as per normal.
All clear?
Okay, so I took Force Training twice, at 3 and 6. That means I get 1+4 powers at 3, and 3+4 powers at 6. Do I round up or down? It only means 1 more power so I defaulted to rounding down.
Female Human HP: 83| Fort 18|Ref 23(Evasion)| Will 23| Deception +16| Perception +12} Stealth +11|
I have lots of credits left over, and I'm not starting with gear anyway, so I'd be willing to pitch in on the ship upgrades. Long term, I would like to have a fighter, but that is probably more of a character growth thing than something to start out with. I'm a decent but not talented pilot, and I managed to squeeze in Heavy Weapons so I could function as a gunner.
Is there any background or history that we need to clarify? Details about Naboo? Panaka and Sabe's relationship? I assume we don't know anyone else since they are mostly off worlders and part of Bank's hook is being an outcast.
I'm not opposed to knowing JonJon in advance if that makes sense.
Hi, I'm JDPhipps's girlfriend. He's in the hospital right now and has no access to a computer, but he wanted me to let you all know that he will be out sometime tomorrow and can post then.
Bothan Scoundrel 7 | HP 68/68, Condition 0 | Fortitude 21, Reflex 24, Will 22 | Init +12, Perception +10 | Dark Side 1
Alright, I've written up the ship's stats as it stands and a backstory type deal that explains a bit of Ralk's history with the ship and some flashes of his life up to now. It doesn't itself actually fully explain what happened to it, and at the moment I'm not sure Ralk himself knows--he had to spend a long time tracking it down after it went missing, and it may well have changed hands during that time. Any of his stories might be partially true--in fact, they all have a grain of honesty in them--but of course they're embellished to the point of falsehood.
I'll also be adding all this to his profile, but I'll post it here too. GM Wasted, let me know what you think of the story. (I included Kyra in a couple of flashes since JDPhipps and I were planning to have her as my copilot.) For others concerned, if people are willing to put forward credits toward the ship that would of course be much appreciated--it's solid as it stands, but the next few upgrades I'm looking at would be geared toward increasing combat survivability, so it would be helpful to the whole team. As of now, Kyra and I can more than cover the costs.
The Intrigue:
The Intrigue
Colossal* space transport
Init +6**; Senses Perception +10
- - - - -
Defenses Reflex 20 (flat-footed 15), Fort 26; +15 armor
hp 120; DR 15; SR 30; Threshold 76
- - - - -
Speed fly 12 squares (max. velocity 800 km/h), fly 3 squares (starship scale)
Ranged ion cannon +9 (5d10x2 ion, pilot) OR
Ranged proton torpedo +9 (9d10x2, pilot) OR
Ranged docking gun (blaster cannon) +9 (3d12, pilot)
Ranged laser cannons +8 (5d10x2, gunner) OR
Ranged docking gun (heavy repeating blaster) +8 (3d10, gunner)
Fighting Space 12x12 or 1 square (starship scale); Cover total
Base Atk +6; Grp +43
- - - - -
Abilities Str 42, Dex 18, Con --, Int 14
Skills Initiative +6, Mechanics +12, Perception +10, Pilot +11, Use Computer +14
- - - - -
Crew 2 (PCs); Passengers 6
Cargo 140 tons (1 ton smuggler's compartment); Consumables 2 months; Carried Craft none
Payload 6 proton torpedoes
Hyperdrive x2 (backup x12), navicomputer
Availability Unique; Cost not for sale
*This ship is treated as a Gargantuan starfighter for the purposes of being targeted by capital ship weapons, dogfighting, and using starship maneuvers **Typically rolled using Pilot instead Statistics calculated with Ralk as pilot and Kyra as gunner
"How I got that beauty?" The Bothan grins as he takes another peek at his hand, the sabacc cards barely leaving the table. "Actually, I won her in a game a lot like this one. The Sullustan I lifted her from had some choice words and tried to go back on the stakes, but I convinced him it'd be smarter to keep his word." He looks back up and leans back in his chair. "Call me a risk-taker, but I've got a feeling staking her against you could pan out. Maybe get some new thrusters installed. What do you say? I'm sure you'll keep to fair bets and promises."
- - - - -
Eshka Dall'rey looked up from the circuits as he heard his son's call. The Bothan engineer had been wrapping up the day's work in any case, having finally fixed the bug causing two converters to read as incompatible, and the shout of [b]"Father!" was a welcome excuse finish his work. He nodded to the nearest other worker, who waved in return, and set his tools down--they marked the spot he'd return to the next day. He stood, his knees only giving slight resistance, and turned to see his son, almost an adolescent.
"Ralk. What brings you to the shipyard?" Eshka wasn't concerned at his son's presence--the ship they were working on was technically a prototype, a secret project, but only the head engineers knew that, and to maintain the secrecy they'd decided to construct in an open factory environment. To the Bothans, information are everything, and secrets are just a mystery to solve; the best place to hide was in plain sight.
"I wanted to see you at work. Did you fix the converter bug?" Ralk clapped his hands in excitement. "It was the circuit switch they installed, right? The nonstandard coupling workaround didn't do the job right?"
Eshka heard the low whistle that accompanied his partner's footsteps. Trem Ages'ek was himself a respected mechanic, although a little gray around the edges. He was mainly serving as a supervisor and consultant for this job, but he knew as much about the fundamentals of ship construction as anyone. Now, he appraised Ralk with a nod and a smile. "You've got a clever boy here, Eshka. I wasn't talking shop like that 'til I was at least fifteen. What's your name, son?"
Ralk was positively beaming at Trem--any Bothawui native who loved ships and mechanics as much as Ralk considered the man a celebrity. Eshka chuckled and clapped a hand around his son's shoulders. "This is Ralk, and you're right. He's very smart, very interested in the industry. I've got a feeling one day he'll take both our jobs--not that we'll mind when it comes." He laughed again, and Ralk beamed at his father. "Well, son, you ready to head home?"
"Just let me see where you left off!" Ralk slipped under Eshka's arm and crouched down by the toolbox, as he'd done whenever he had the chance to visit his father's workplace. It was a good way to learn hands-on, Eshka figured, and it gave him a practical look at the kind of work a mechanic did. It wasn't always glamorous, and some days the progress looked almost minimal to an untrained eye, but Ralk certainly seemed to like it. Besides, Eshka knew more or less how much his son really knew about starship design, and the real complexities of this ship were probably beyond him--
"Dad?" The questioning tone, clearly a repetition, drew Eshka from his thoughts, and he saw Ralk looking up at him. "Did you hear me? This wiring here, did you double-back on the patch you said they made a week ago? 'Cause if they're still using the substitute, it might cancel the charge once it reaches these."
It was Eshka's turn to stare in surprise, his jaw half-open. [i]Did we fix those? I told them to replace, but... He hadn't even considered that possibility, it had completely slipped his mind as he put in the wiring today. He turned to Trem, who was laughing. "Like I said: clever boy."
- - - - -
It had taken the bounty hunters nearly two standard months, but they finally had him captured. Ralk Dall'rey might have been in the cockpit, but the team was standing in his only path out, and they'd already disabled his thrusters. Ralk wasn't going anywhere, not in the ship that Grolla the Hutt had paid them to steal back. The only thing that bothered them was how smug the Bothan looked, leaned back in the pilot's seat, and how smug he sounded when he responded to their commlink order to hand over the ship.
"Alright, I admit it, you got me. Ripping out my ion drive's wiring, well, it's a little brute-force overkill for my taste, but it gets the job done." How he knew they'd ripped them out specifically, the hunters weren't sure, but it didn't matter. "It'd take too long to fix, too. That's the recurring story of this ship, though, I suppose. Even how I got her. Bought her from a pirate if you can believe it. He was in the business of jacking ships, not fixing them, and it broke down too often for him to use it. It took a lot of work to get her in good order, but the price was practically theft, and look where she is today."
They can see him lean forward in the seat and rest his hand on a control joystick, but they figure it's pointless--until they see a panel shift open under the cockpit and hear the whirr of weapon coming on. Surely he wasn't foolish enough to fire starship cannons in here? "Of course, that was before I added the docking gun," Ralk says, and the bounty hunters have just enough time to raise their guns before the blaster cannon fires its first shot.
- - - - -
Ralk arrived at the shipyard as soon as he could, having narrowly avoided three major collisions on his speeder bike along the way. He was still too late--security was already crawling, legal officers and paramedics everywhere. He slipped through the perimeter and ran inside, looking for his father. The inside of the factory was chaos: fires still burning, heaps of twisted metal and scorch marks everywhere. As soon as he'd seen the news of the attack he'd made for the factory. He needed to see his father, make sure he was okay.
He reached the door to the hangar and stood in shock for a moment. The inside of the hangar was cleaner than the rest of the facility, as though there hadn't been as much widespread fighting here--they must have had a clean getaway by the time they reached it. The bodies were already cleaned up, but it was easy to see where they'd probably been from scorch marks and splashes of blood here and there. Most obviously, though, the ship was gone. The starship his father had been working on for the past six years, the ship that had been his pride and joy, the ship that would likely serve as his legacy for the Dall family, perhaps the entire Rey clan or even the whole of Bothawui--gone. The hangar's ceiling doors were open to the sky above. Whoever took it must have simply flown it away from the facility.
As Ralk stared up at the sky he heard a weak voice call his name, and he turned to see his father sitting in the back of a medical speeder. He ran over, and quickly explained to the attending doctor that he was family in order to get by. Eshka Dall'rey was leaning against the side of the speeder, his eyes barely open and his arms folded beneath a blanket. "Ralk, my son." His voice was weary, harsh. "They took it. The Intrigue. She was... she was finished."
Ralk blinked. His father hadn't mentioned just how close the ship was to completion, nor that it had been named. "Who took it?" He crouched beside Eshka, but when he reached out to grasp his father's arms, the older man groaned and leaned back, falling faint. Ralk turned to the nearest paramedic in surprise and fear. "What's wrong with him?"
The medic glanced at Eshka and shook his head sadly. "We think he was working with one of the computers when they came in." He pointed at a space in the hangar where smoldering piles of slagged material lay on a few tables. "Either they threw a grenade or they had some powerful weapons, but whatever it was, it blew the whole bank. He's stable, but only because his limbs took the worst of it." The medic paused and frowned, then looked Ralk in the eye. "Son, I'm sorry to say this, but your father lost both his arms from the elbow down. He'll live, and he can get prosthetics, but..."
Ralk fought back the tears and turned to regard his father's unconscious form. He knew the way that sentence ended: cybernetic prostheses were getting better all the time, but they took years to master controlling, and they almost never matched the fine motor function of the original hand. Eshka Dall'rey might survive, but his career--his life--was over.
- - - - -
"At first I thought it might be Mandalorians," Ralk was saying. He was three drinks deep in Corellian absinthe, and of all the stories the bartender had heard about how the Bothan had found his ship, this was the first one that sounded at all true, even if it was mostly slurred. "Y'know, they were causing trouble at that point, everyone was talking about them. I figured, hey, it's a super special ship, why wouldn't they want it?" He looked at the bartender a second too long for it to seem rhetorical, but then kept talking before he got an answer. "But it was dead ends. Turns out, when a ship goes missing, it actually usually ain't them. More about the whole mercenary and conquest thing, as it turns out."
Ralk got quiet again, and the bartender thought it was over. As he turned back to the stock, though, he heard another voice--the Echani woman who was sitting a couple seats down. "So, who did steal it?"
The bartender turned back in time to see the customary smile cross Ralk's face, and then the Bothan turned to look at the Echani. "Would you believe," he said, now in a tone that was too honest-sounding to be anything but, "that it was an interstellar gang of Jawas?"
- - - - -
Ralk glanced around and nodded, mostly to himself. As far as Hutt crime dens went, it was a decent one. At least it was lit well enough for him to see. The whole dark and brooding aesthetic had never really captured his taste, and it had a lot of drawbacks to accompany the fashion aspect. After all, what was the point of looking good if nobody could see you? And it made it hard to shoot anything.
The prod of a blaster pistol in his back brought Ralk back to the current situation, and reminded him he was here for more than interior decoration. Grolla the Hutt had his ship, at the moment, and Ralk had spent the better part of the last four months tracking it down. The Hutt was a relatively minor crime lord in the big picture, but his resources were still enough to make things difficult for a lone smuggler trying to recoup his losses. [i]You get impounded planetside one time and they act like the Galaxy's coming to an end. Now he'd gotten himself captured and brought right to Grolla's... pseudopod, and he hoped it wasn't all in vain.
"So, let me see if I understand you correctly." The Hutt's speech was almost lethargic, and of course in its own language. "You take a job from me and fail. You lose almost a full ton of precious spice to Republic dogs, and think I won't retaliate? Then when I take what now belongs to me, you spend how long looking, and then turn yourself in?" The Hutt eyed him for a moment, then began to chuckle. "What did you think, Ralk? That I would let you walk away with my ship?"
Ralk grinned and shook his head. "Not exactly. I figured I'd come in here, we'd go through this back and forth poodoo for a bit, and then I'd shoot my way out and fly away with my ship."
There was a tense moment of silence, and then Grolla started laughging, so the rest of his court did as well. Even Ralk let out a chuckle and a nod as he hung his head, breathing deeply to prepare for what came next. It'd be a lot easier with some backup. Maybe it's time I looked for a copilot."It's a lot to go through to get back a ship, isn't it?"
Grolla's question didn't really need an answer, but Ralk shrugged. "You don't know what I went through to win it in the first place." In the same moment he finished the last word, he spun and snatched the blaster from the guard behind him, threw himself across the floor into some cover, and then the shooting started.
- - - - -
"Remind me again how getting this ship was half as much trouble as holding onto it?" Kyra's voice crackles over the comms from the gunner's seat, and Ralk grins as he pushes the throttle ever further. The woman is nothing but a boon: she's handy with tools, she's good in a fight, and she's a very capable copilot. He's glad she has his back, especially in situations like a dogfight with hyperspace pirates.
"Oh, that all started with a pazaak game. You believe people still play that? Ready for a roll." Ralk dips the controls and ramps the ship into a rolling spin that avoids several laser blasts and gives Kyra an opening to peg the nearest of the starfighters. "Stakes go up and up and up, and when we max out it ends in a tie. Usually house wins, but since the whole thing was underground, what do we do, right?" He pauses to slow the Intrigue just long enough for another starfighter to fly past, and he hits them with a blast from his ion cannon, leaving the ship dead in space for him to blaze past. "So from there we settle on a swoop race. Mister Duros is pretty sure of himself, but then, he hadn't met me before, and most Bothans are more known for their inquisitive minds than their handiwork with an engine. Learn new things every day, and that day he learned a little about letting stereotypes run away with you."
Ralk checks the sensors to see Kyra blast the last of the real pursuers, and then diverts weapon power to kickstart the hyperdrive to full speed. "Of course, it always helps if you sabotage the other guy's bike before the race. Let's just say this isn't the first time I've flown this ship away from angry pirates with blasters."
- - - - -
Ralk was sitting in a Coruscant cantina when the Republic agent came with the deal. He knew even as it was offered that he didn't really need to take it. For all the man's bluster, they couldn't really pin half the crimes he listed on Ralk--and a few of them were jobs he hadn't even pulled, which he wasn't about to correct. Still, he hadn't actually had work lately, and although the Intrigue had all the necessities, there were always more things to put in. If he could afford the process, he could modify some cargo space to hold extra sensor suites, or even route in some more maneuvering thrusters, or better shields...
He was already aware of the situation, at least in broad strokes. Most people were, especially on Coruscant, and especially if their jobs revolved around dealing with blockades and other trade issues. He'd already been approached by two other potential employers, offering jobs that were much less legal. One even paid better. But Ralk hadn't made his reputation or his credits by taking the simple option, or the expected option, or even the option that paid best right away. You had to think long-term, had to play the competition and make the move they don't expect. You had to take risks and hope you'd rigged the odds enough that it came out in your favor.
So when the agent finished her speech, he simply nodded and said yes. She blinked a few times and gave a thin smile that looked almost annoyed. "Just yes? That's it? No protests, no claims of innocence, no negotiating payment?"
"Oh, I'm sure there'll be negotiation." Ralk winked. "But that's for later. For now, what say you buy us a round to celebrate?"
The agent stared at him and then snorted. "They said you were an odd one. Here I had a whole speech on doing the right thing lined up."
"I'm glad I didn't have to sit through it. You started with that, I would've said no."
"That doesn't surprise me." She sighed and raised a finger to get a waiter's attention. "So what's your deal, Dall'rey? You and your ship. It's gotta be custom. Where'd you even get it?"
Even as he ordered his drink, the Bothan's eyes were lit up. When the waiter turned away, he grinned at the agent and leaned forward. "Where I got the Intrigue? I'll tell you. It all starts with a chance cube, see..."
Stats look good, Ralk, I'll check out the backstory soon! Since we're hitting the weekend I will probably not be able to get a game post up before Sunday night but if I have the energy I'll do it after work tonight
Acrobatics +11, Endurance +9, Initiative +11, Kn(Galactic Lore) +11, Perception +12, Persuasion +15, Pilot +15, Use Computer +11, Use the Force +15
JDPhipps wrote:
Hi, I'm JDPhipps's girlfriend. He's in the hospital right now and has no access to a computer, but he wanted me to let you all know that he will be out sometime tomorrow and can post then.
Yikes. Hope he's doing ok. We'll be around when he's feeling better.
@Ralk: I dig the backstory! I don't know enough about starship mechanics to comment on that, but the backstory had a lot of flavor. I also really liked the look into Ralk's background. If you do need additional credits, I probably have about 35,000 credits I can contribute (not sure what else, if anything, I may need in terms of equipment so I kept about 4,000 credits).
Edit: Hrm. I'm also having some difficulty posting in the gameplay thread. When I try, it shows a preview but hitting the submit button never actually submits. It just stays in preview. Any ideas what's going on?
@Sabe: I read through your background a bit. I think we need to iron out some details about our alternate history Naboo before working out Panaka and Sabe's relationship. For instance, is the position of ruler of Naboo now hereditary, and is Padme now older than 14? We also need to determine if cloning the future ruler of Naboo is standard procedure, or if someone was extra paranoid regarding Padme.
@Ralk: Like the ship. I don't know that there's much we can contribute to further modify it, though, without sacrificing more cargo space. You've used up all of the EP already :). It is quite limited in passenger space. I'm guessing this time we aren't taking a dozen pilots and Queen Amidala's entire retinue and bodyguard corps.
@Obi-Wan: I've seen that happen a few times, typically as a malfunction of the Paizo website. It should clear up.
Bothan Scoundrel 7 | HP 68/68, Condition 0 | Fortitude 21, Reflex 24, Will 22 | Init +12, Perception +10 | Dark Side 1
Hey, I'm okay with stripping more cargo space to put in new stuff. It only takes 5 tons to gain a new EP, so we can easily lose more space to put in new systems and stuff. As far as the passenger space, most of the transports under frigate size can only hold 10-12 people at most (this one presumably can hold 9, since the original crew is 3), and with the GM's suggestion and the game premise, I figured we'd rather have something a little smaller and more maneuverable than a big beast of a ship that's easier to catch. Besides, she'll have PCs watching over her, what does she need other people for? They'll just have to trust she's in good hands, and she does have her two most trusted guards.
Bothan Scoundrel 7 | HP 68/68, Condition 0 | Fortitude 21, Reflex 24, Will 22 | Init +12, Perception +10 | Dark Side 1
Same here. It's sort of based on the stat blocks in the books, mixed a bit with what I do for Pathfinder--templates I've typed up myself and saved in notepad documents to fill in as necessary.
Female Human HP: 83| Fort 18|Ref 23(Evasion)| Will 23| Deception +16| Perception +12} Stealth +11|
Quarsh Panaka wrote:
@Sabe: I read through your background a bit. I think we need to iron out some details about our alternate history Naboo before working out Panaka and Sabe's relationship. For instance, is the position of ruler of Naboo now hereditary, and is Padme now older than 14? We also need to determine if cloning the future ruler of Naboo is standard procedure, or if someone was extra paranoid regarding Padme.
Agreed. I'm not attached to any of those ideas, and not sure what GMWasted has in mind. I'm especially not sure about the clone aspect. I'm fine with it being gene therapy, reconstructive surgery, or whatever. I just think she should look like Padme for a reason other than coincidence. I don't even care if Sabe knows why, really. The main reason I like the idea of her being a clone is the interesting nature of playing a person who was literally created for her purpose, and how that shakes out down the road. Plus the whole Clone Wars thing. When I was a kid we thought that meant there were lots of clones running around.
I think regardless, it probably makes sense for Panaka and Sabe to have a Mentor/Mentee relationship. The question, I guess how convivial that relationship is is up for discussion.
Ideas I like:
Padme and Sabe are 19, and both are surprised to find Padme already Queen. The death of the previous Monarch was unexpected.
The Monarchy is hereditary.
Palpatine was secretly responsible for the death of Padme's father or mother or whoever was Monarch before her. He wanted a young, maleable Queen in place. Not sure if the death is thought to be natural/accidental or known to be assassination. Not sure which of those offers more drama.
Them both being 19 works for me. Despite our Anakin being ~15, I'm playing him closer to ~17/18 with him having had a pretty garbage life and having been on his own for quite a while. Lots of experience, most of it not great. He's been forced to grow up early.
I really dig the idea of her as a clone with the Clone War implications, but I'm okay with whatever you guys go with.
And yeah, I think you and I had the same idea as to what the Clone Wars entailed. I assumed as a kid that it was Jedi vs Mandalorians and the Mandalorians had a lot of clones. Or that it was like a "Civil War" kind of thing where they were fighting over the legal/moral implications of cloning. (Any of which is more interesting than what we actually got.)
I also never thought that Palpatine was behind any of it, but more that he "was in the right position at the right time" to sort of seize power under the guise of "uniting the galaxy" after the war (which he technically did do - from a certain point of view).
Bothan Scoundrel 7 | HP 68/68, Condition 0 | Fortitude 21, Reflex 24, Will 22 | Init +12, Perception +10 | Dark Side 1
By the by, do we want to discuss prior to game start who brought Ralk into the mission and how others might feel about it? I can imagine a relatively more by-the-books Panaka might not like the idea of a known smuggler taking part in things, and Sabe might have some concerns on that as well.
Also, GM--you might want to deactivate whichever campaign doesn't have the working Gameplay thread. I'm not sure if anyone else is seeing it, but I've got two separate campaigns on my profile, and the update to Discussion is showing up for both of them. Not the end of the world, but with the number of games I'm in I like to keep the page clean where I can :)
Panaka's Legends backstory includes the name of the previous monarch (King Ars Venura), as well as the fact he was assassinated. That assassination led to Panaka's predecessor resigning, and Panaka reacted by creating the handmaiden decoy plan.
We should stick with King Ars Veruna being assassinated, and add the Amidala surname to him. The monarchy should be hereditary, as well.
I like having Sabe be a clone of Padme. I think Panaka should have found that out only after he became Captain of the Naboo Royal Security Force. He knew she was going to be Padme's bodyguard, and spent some time training her, but he isn't sure how he feels about finding out she's a clone.
IIRC, Palpatine was behind King Ars Veruna's assassination. So we can keep that for the campaign. We can say it's because Palpatine can more easily manipulate Padme.
