The Azlanti Accords- An Evil Starfinder Campaign

Game Master GM-Gathrix

" All right team. There is your ship. What do you think? "

Decide on a ship together. Nothing bigger than a medium frame for now. This is just to get you to and around the pact worlds. Other opportunities for transport will present themselves.

Dot, place holder

Medium transport
Speed 8; Maneuverability average (turn 2); Drift 1
AC 12; TL 12
HP 70; DT —; CT 14
Shields light 50 (forward 15, port 10, starboard 10, aft 15) Attack (Forward) coilgun (4d4)
Attack (Aft) gyrolaser (1d8)
Attack (Turret) high explosive missile launcher (4d8)
Power Core Arcus Heavy (130 PCU); Drift Engine Signal Basic;
Systems budget medium-range sensors, crew quarters (good), mk 1 trinode computer, mk 2 armor, mk 2 defenses; Expansion Bays cargo hold, escape pods
; Complement 4–7

These are Pathfinder Tier 2 ships

Medium explorer
Speed 10; Maneuverability good (turn 1); Drift 1
AC 12; TL 12
HP 55; DT —; CT 11
Shields basic 40 (forward 10, port 10, starboard 10, aft 10) Attack (Forward) light laser cannon (2d4)
Attack (Port) light laser cannon (2d4)
Attack (Starboard) light laser cannon (2d4)
Attack (Turret) coilgun (4d4)
Power Core Pulse Green (150 PCU); Drift Engine Signal Basic;
Systems basic medium-range sensors, crew quarters (good), mk 1 duonode computer, mk 2 armor, mk 2 defenses; Expansion Bays cargo hold, escape pods, science lab,
tech workshop
, +2 Computers, +1 Piloting; Complement 4–7

These are sample Tier 1 ships

Medium explorer
Speed 6; Maneuverability good (turn 1); Drift 1
AC 14; TL 12
HP 55; DT —; CT 11
Shields basic 20 (forward 5, port 5, starboard 5, aft 5) Attack (Forward) light laser cannon (2d4)
Attack (Turret) high explosive missile launcher (4d8)
Power Core Pulse Gray (100 PCU); Drift Engine Signal Basic;
Systems basic computer, budget mid-range sensors, crew quarters (common), mk 3 armor, mk 1 defenses; Expansion Bays cargo holds (3), physical science lab
Modifiers +2 Piloting; Complement

Small light freighter
Speed 8; Maneuverability good (turn 1); Drift 1
AC14;TL13
HP40;DT—;CT8
Shields basic 10 (forward 3, port 2, starboard 2, aft 3) Attack (Forward) linked gyrolasers (2d8)
Attack (Port) light torpedo launcher (2d8)
Attack (Starboard) light torpedo launcher (2d8)
Power Core Pulse Brown (90 PCU); Drift Engine Signal Basic;
Systems budget mid-range sensors, crew quarters (basic), mk 2 armor, mk 1 defenses, mk 1 mononode computer; Expansion Bays cargo holds (2), escape pods
, +1 Piloting; Complement 6

I'm in favor of the Transport, just because they say that the one thing that you can't just upgrade is the base frame. The Transport gives us room to grow into. =)

The explorer seems a good choice as well. It has more potential expansions and it's also more durable.

Soo... 3 things

1)

" All right team. There is your ship. What do you think? "

This is just to get you to and around the pact worlds. Other opportunities for transport will present themselves.

2) All aspects of ships do get upgraded

3) If we are infiltrating, keeping the same ship throughout would likely be ill advised.

Some more other other things:

1) GM, please open up Gameplay for dotting purposes.

2) Right, all aspects of the ship can be upgraded, except the type, like, Transport, Explorer, etc.

3) Alright, that's a fair point. So don't get too attached. =)

4) While I tend to prefer the Transport for the 5 expansion bays, I can see that the Explorer might be the better choice in this instance. I'd say we should go stronger and take the 1st Explorer with shields 40.

The only thing I would council is that we drop the Science lab and tech workshop and decrease the crew quarters from Good to Common, so we can spend 4 BP to upgrade the turret to a Heavy mount and install a Heavy Laser (4d8). (At close range, I think it's good to have a heavy hitter able to fire in any direction.)

If the loss of a Long range weapon is unacceptable, we can drop one level of armor (1 point of AC is only a 5% reduction of protection, put it won't be an issue with good shields) and put a coilgun in the front mount. (At long range, it's not hard to keep them the target in your front arc. =)

How's that sound?

I like it but, hear me out, what better legitimizing tool than needing rescue?

Okay, alright, I'm following....

...wait, nope, I don't follow. How does shaving down the tech and science expansions increase our Needing Rescue Plan?

Sry, I'm totes new to SF and things that might be obvious could be lost on me. ^_^

They dont go together. Just a tangential thought that got thrust in the wrong spot.

I can put gameplay up if you want to Dot, but game wont be up until this weekend probably. Keep working out which ship you want and give it a name ect

So, this is my proposal. I use both of my suggestions:

Medium explorer
Speed 10; Maneuverability good (turn 1); Drift 1
AC 12; TL 12
HP 55; DT —; CT 11
Shields basic 40 (forward 10, port 10, starboard 10, aft 10)
Attack (Forward) Coilgun (6 pts)(4d4. Long)
Attack (Port) <empty>
Attack (Starboard) <empty>
Attack (Turret) heavy laser canon (4d8) (medium)
Power Core Pulse Green (150 PCU); Drift Engine Signal Basic;
Systems basic medium-range sensors, crew quarters (common), mk 1 duonode computer, mk 1 armor, mk 2 defenses; Expansion Bays cargo hold, escape pods,
, +2 Computers, +1 Piloting; Complement 4–7

Maths:
Science Lab(1 pt) + Tech workshop(1 pt) + crew quarters good --> common (+2pts) = heavy mount to turret(4pts).
Coilgun (6 pts) + light laser cannon(Starboard) (2pt) = Heavy Laser (8pts)
light laser cannon(Port) (2pt) + light laser cannon(Front) (2pt) + Mk 2 armor --> Mk 1 armor(+3pts) = coilgun (Front)(6pts)

Alright. That gives us 1 pt left over and makes us a threat at any range. The idea is to give us enough firepower to destroy an enemy before he can get past our shields. =)

As far as a name, I've always liked the Sweet Doomed Angel.

But that's just me. =)

Also, Ashmerain? Could you please post some stats to your profile and fill out your action bar?

(I don't have access to google docs at work, so I have no idea who your are or what you can do right now. =p)

Also, Ashmerain? Could you please post some stats to your profile and fill out your action bar?

Please I need to be able to go over everyone's character one last time before you start posting. A background is also very important as you can tell this is going to be very much a character driven sandbox so if you don't have a direction or personal goal, you will be wondering around the pact worlds aimlessly.

Fair enough. I've updated with an actual backstory (though I've always liked that other story and thought I'd keep it as a sample of his personality. =)

Alright, stats and action bar are up.

Thanks Ashmerain. You didn't need to add more background Borak, but that's fine.

Uzur, reporting for duty. :) I'll add in the action/status bar at some point later today.

This game is what you make it to be.

I'd just like to speak a quick word to this.

I love sand box games. It's take a LOT of bravery for a GM to throw open any and all possibilities to a group of strangers and hope everything goes well. =)

With that said, I've seen sandbox games get sunk simply because either the players went too far off the rails, or the players simply didn't stick to the GM's suggestions, and the GM's material for their excursions was weak, and activity floundered due to lack of energy on both sides.

Hence, in time, I've become fond of "More rails rather than less". While I don't do AL because the rails -are- too constrictive, I've found that so long as a modicum of choice exists, some rails are preferable, because it keeps the GM on familiar territory, and the players don't devolve in to Calvinball. =)

Hence, I shall council my fellow evil overlords to stick to one of the choice presented, and only fling a hail mary if there is some deep reasoning behind it. =)

(srsly, once I was in game that the guy said he spent over TEN YEARS PLANNING!! Every place we went to all they said was "Well, we don't need anything done right here, but if you go over there they will REALLY have some neat stuff for you to do" and then we'd go there, and the cycle repeated itself until finally I was just screaming "WILL JUST GIVE US A FETCH QUEST PLEASE!!!?!?".
He didn't, and the game died when, in an effort to impress the PCs, an NPC killed a PC in cold blood. Idle hands are the devil's workshop....)

IMHO. YMMV. =)

Praetor Akorian wrote:

This game is what you make it to be.

I'd just like to speak a quick word to this.

I love sand box games. It's take a LOT of bravery for a GM to throw open any and all possibilities to a group of strangers and hope everything goes well. =)

With that said, I've seen sandbox games get sunk simply because either the players went too far off the rails, or the players simply didn't stick to the GM's suggestions, and the GM's material for their excursions was weak, and activity floundered due to lack of energy on both sides.

Hence, in time, I've become fond of "More rails rather than less". While I don't do AL because the rails -are- too constrictive, I've found that so long as a modicum of choice exists, some rails are preferable, because it keeps the GM on familiar territory, and the players don't devolve in to Calvinball. =)

Hence, I shall council my fellow evil overlords to stick to one of the choice presented, and only fling a hail mary if there is some deep reasoning behind it. =)

(srsly, once I was in game that the guy said he spent over TEN YEARS PLANNING!! Every place we went to all they said was "Well, we don't need anything done right here, but if you go over there they will REALLY have some neat stuff for you to do" and then we'd go there, and the cycle repeated itself until finally I was just screaming "WILL JUST GIVE US A FETCH QUEST PLEASE!!!?!?".
He didn't, and the game died when, in an effort to impress the PCs, an NPC killed a PC in cold blood. Idle hands are the devil's workshop....)

IMHO. YMMV. =)

A bit late to say you don't like sandbox games

So full disclosure - I've GMed and played a couple of Starfinder sessions, but have somehow, against all odds, avoided Starship rules and combat so far. It looks like the ship is pretty well talked over - what are we thinking about spaceship roles? I put the ranks in Piloting to be at least a little useful, but I wasn't sure what other people had planned for their characters role when hostilities inevitably burst out.

I, ah, have made a study of starship combat, and though I've never actually been in one, I think I have a few ideas.

Ideally, the fighter-class should be the first gunner, since they have the best to-hit.
I can play the captain, as I have Intimidate very high, and I can Demand, to give any one PC a +4 on whatever the hell they're doing.

In theory, this could counter-balance the penalty for Fire at Will (where a Gunner can fire -two- weapons.)

So full disclosure - I've GMed and played a couple of Starfinder sessions, but have somehow, against all odds, avoided Starship rules and combat so far. It looks like the ship is pretty well talked over - what are we thinking about spaceship roles? I put the ranks in Piloting to be at least a little useful, but I wasn't sure what other people had planned for their characters role when hostilities inevitably burst out.

I just did some space combat in my Dead Suns home game and I think the format will be very good for PbP. I will probably just post it as rounds and recap it under specific phases so that people can post out of sequence. It should be just as easy to do as regular combat.

I, ah, have made a study of starship combat, and though I've never actually been in one, I think I have a few ideas.

Ideally, the fighter-class should be the first gunner, since they have the best to-hit.
I can play the captain, as I have Intimidate very high, and I can Demand, to give any one PC a +4 on whatever the hell they're doing.

In theory, this could counter-balance the penalty for Fire at Will (where a Gunner can fire -two- weapons.)

So, an individual can use their ranks in piloting in place of their BAB when firing a gun. I suggest everyone invest ranks in piloting just for this cause so that we can have multiple gunners if the opportunity presents itself. (Admittedly I did not at lvl 1 but will at lvl 2)

For positions, I can be either or both the engineer and science officer.

Also, as a house rule to make ship combat more interesting my group declared that the Evade action allows for only half of ship speed instead of full ship speed. We decided this because, if not, Evade would be the action every pilot always chooses, thus making tactics boring.

Open question: The games gives a rather slow recharge rate for the shields. But, in theory, if you wanted to go from one fight, and then go to another fight quickly, say, 5 minutes, could you just have your Engineer "Divert" a couple times to get your shields to 100% in some time frame not measure in hours?

Also, as a house rule to make ship combat more interesting my group declared that the Evade action allows for only half of ship speed instead of full ship speed. We decided this because, if not, Evade would be the action every pilot always chooses, thus making tactics boring.

Sorry to disagree with you, but never even had a pilot try to evade in the combats I have run so far. Its important to note that you need to get your ship into a firing solution if you are going to be capable in combat. Unless you have powerful guns covering 360 degrees of your ship with very good range, the pilot is likely going to try to put the gunner into position unless you are very outmatched.

With access to full movement, you can maneuver the ship to arcs plenty (unless you are piloting a clunker [maneuver turn 2+]). Plus, the difficulty of the check is only 10 + 2 x Tier (making anyone that has a 16+ dex, full ranks in piloting, and piloting as a class skill very easy to achieve). With attack bonuses being lower than that of PF, a higher AC is more significant. I think all of these point to Evade being the mechanically strongest pilot action.

That you have never had a pilot use that action is very surprising to me. I mean no disrespect either with my disagreement. Far be it for me, as a player, to be overly enthusiastic about nerfing options. Just thought I'd share my SF experience.

With access to full movement, you can maneuver the ship to arcs plenty (unless you are piloting a clunker [maneuver turn 2+]). Plus, the difficulty of the check is only 10 + 2 x Tier (making anyone that has a 16+ dex, full ranks in piloting, and piloting as a class skill very easy to achieve). With attack bonuses being lower than that of PF, a higher AC is more significant. I think all of these point to Evade being the mechanically strongest pilot action.

That you have never had a pilot use that action is very surprising to me. I mean no disrespect either with my disagreement. Far be it for me, as a player, to be overly enthusiastic about nerfing options. Just thought I'd share my SF experience.

Perhaps a better house rule is that when you evade you actually evade and not maneuver to line up a shot, since that is not what evading is.

It's a good thing I built Uzur to be the muscle of the group because it looks like he's going to have to spend a lot of time holding Borak and Shess physically apart from each other.

Are we agreed to a ship? That seems like a thing we should get hammered down.

I've read some about starship combat, and I'm more set on the changes I proposed. Apparently starship combat can take a loooong time, if you're not doing much damage output.
Hence, having a big gun in front (for long and medium distances, and if we're in the kill position) and a bigger gun in the turret (so we can -always- shoot it) would be a good thing, just so our combats don't last 9 weeks. =)

I'm in! Sounds good.

Sounds good to me as well

Quips aside, I am very excited to work with this group. Should any feel that my character's comments go to far please let me know and I will dial it back.

Ditto. =)

(srsly, just ask Jelloarm, I've been "playing" Lord Borak the Despoiler as a Big Bad Evil in games and backgrounds of character for yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeears now, so I've got his personality kinda down. But I can see that it might come off as caustic. So if it gets to be a little too much, please, do the right thing, and just go along with it. Erm! AH! I mean, ah, speak up and we'll work something out. XD)

It will be a struggle to remember which PbP I'm supposed to kill Borak, and which PbP I'm supposed to work with him.

"Oh no, I accidentally killed all my allies?? Shit, wrong game!"

Uzur's got nothing to say and no further prep - ready to tear down the Pact whenever everyone else is!

Won't be an update from me tomorrow because I am doing something at my local store. Finalize anything you need to do with the ship or initial plan, assign starship combat roles ect.

GM: Can I shift one point from Disguise to Pilot so that we can cover our glaring flaw right now? =3

Or...we did have one more person declare interest. A 5th party member would let us have a dedicated pilot. Maybe an Operative? Jus' sayin'. =)

GM: Can I shift one point from Disguise to Pilot so that we can cover our glaring flaw right now? =3

Or...we did have one more person declare interest. A 5th party member would let us have a dedicated pilot. Maybe an Operative? Jus' sayin'. =)

I gave ample time for everyone to go over their characters, strengths and weaknesses. You don't get to adjust your character every encounter, if you fail at something play at failing. Not going to be good at everything.

As for another character, well I can lead a horse to water...but can't make them post in discussion.

Just trying to get my head around spaceship combat: So I got the higher piloting roll, so we go second in the movement phase - I still have the option of trying to pull a stunt to improve our situation further, but and then our gunnery phase, right?

Yes, you are correct. Also during this second phase, the science officer (no one right now) would act as well.

During the third phase, gunnery phase, all ships/creatures roll up their actions and damage is resolved at the same time. (So if someone destroys someone else during the gunnery phase, the someone else's damage still goes through.)

Lord Borak the Despoiler wrote:

GM: Can I shift one point from Disguise to Pilot so that we can cover our glaring flaw right now? =3

Or...we did have one more person declare interest. A 5th party member would let us have a dedicated pilot. Maybe an Operative? Jus' sayin'. =)

I gave ample time for everyone to go over their characters, strengths and weaknesses. You don't get to adjust your character every encounter, if you fail at something play at failing. Not going to be good at everything.

As for another character, well I can lead a horse to water...but can't make them post in discussion.

There are 4 of us, we can make due. Though, this first little bit may be rough...and we might want to avoid starship combat for now. (i.e. "RUN AWAY!!)

"Brave Lord Borak ran away, bravely ran away, away..."

Finally site maintenance is done! Ok will get an update late tonight early tomorrow, sorry that maintenance was right at my prime posting time.

Ditto - really killed my 'slacking at work' productivity!

"Brave Lord Borak ran away, bravely ran away, away..."

Actually Shess seems to have run away better than I....

Also. Ah! That seems to have gone well. =)

Seeing as how we lack hitting power, Imma take my next level in Soldier, unless someone talks me out of it, but Ashe seems to be just about as good a talker as I, so I don't think we're missing out.

LvL 2!!

+Soldier 1:

Fighting Style: Blitz
1st level: Rapid Response: +4 Init. and +10 move
+1 BAB
+2 Fort
+2 Will
+7 HP
+7 SP

I should get a Doshko and a longarm as soon as I can.

Man these site outages are rough...

Uzur updated to level 2 Soldier!

Feat: Versatile Focus
+1 BAB
+1 Fort
+1 Will
+7 HP
+8 SP

You can try to take Uzur's doshko and longarm from him... :)