OMB's Scoured Stars Invasion!

Game Master James Martin

Viper 6: You approach the bikers and they nod in recognition, but as soon as you start talking bikes, they seem to waver slightly, like they're not sure where they are, and if they should be here. I'll need a Diplomacy/Bluff/Intimidate check to break them fully out of their simulation roles and remind them who they really are!

Dr. Kuong: As soon as you sit down with the scholars the bar seems to blur and change into a library, complete with rows and rows of books and a bar, incongruously set in the wall. The scholars smile at your attempts to steer the conversation and keep on arguing. You can try a Culture, Mysticism, or Physical Science check or a Diplomacy/Bluff/Intimidation check. You'll need two successes to break them out of their routine.

Joven: Six Starfinders—a dwarf, two kasathas, two humans, and a shirren—enjoy a picnic in the park. They wear fashionable clothes. The group marvels at the beauty of the natural world, saying things like “Ain’t it great to be outdoors, smell the flowers, feel the wind and sun on your face?” When you start pointing out that this isn't the natural world, but rather a bar, they start to look confused. Knocking on the "ground" to produce a dull metallic thud, they suddenly shake their heads and look at you directly, with eyes that seem older and sadder. The dwarf leans towards you and murmurs, "This place... it's not real, is it? It's a simulation. I think the bartender is the warden here. Don't make any sudden moves, but I think I can help you." He murmurs to you in a low voice and explains how reality is mutable here. You gain the ability to grow wings, gaining a 30' fly speed! The picnickers are now freed from the simulation!

"Hmmm...intriguing. Dear colleagues, I feel that it is important to think on what is going on and compare it to what has happened. Don't you realize that a high quality simulation is almost as good as the real thing, but if you note the passage of time and of your bodies that a simulation will eventually be seen as nothing but a very well designed program."
Culture: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (18) + 11 = 29
Physical Science: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (9) + 10 = 19

Joven will try to stay out of eye-shot of the "warden/bartender" and test out these "wings".

When able he will get to his companions, pass along the other patrons being the trapped people we are looking for, as well as the "bartender" and his role in this.

Checking for any of my gear/weapons/etc, what do I have if we have to encounter the warden or something else?

Viper 6 takes on a menacing tone as she leans over the table "Hey, what's going on here - these rides are all for show. You guys aren't bikers, more like a bunch of frustrated accountants from Absalom stuck in a dream - WAKE UP TO YOURSELVES"

Intimidate 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (17) + 4 = 21

Dakka, sidling up to the Bikers also tries to talk Shop about the finely tuned machines. As they start to get a bit confused, Dakka's brow furrows as a low growl escapes her throat. "If you fellas don't belong here, perhaps it's about time that you gone on those bikes and Left..."
Intimidate: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (18) + 9 = 27

Dr Kuong: One of the group, an android, suddenly seems to blink hard and look at you like he's only seeing you for the first time. Then his face shifts to an angry look. "Damn this sim! I am Historia-6, and I need you to get my fellow agents out of this thing, agent. Work quickly and work well. Our lives depend on it." He leans over and whispers a technique for manipulating the sim that will allow you to know your opponent's DR, resistances, and current HP as a free action. The scholars are now free!

Viper-6: You startle the bikers, who blink sleepily and stare at you. A vesk biker leans toward you. "Thank you. We who were asleep are awake. You have done well and we do not forget." He whispers a technique to you that allows you swap the type of damage your weapon does as if using a weapon fusion of corrosive, flaming, frost, or shock. The bikers are free!

Suddenly the bartender notices the change in the room. He leans over the bar and points toward you. "I TOLD YOU NOT TO DISTURB THE PATRONS!" He seems to swell and shift as he becomes immediately large and demonic!

SLIDE 15! Assume there are not walls on the map for the purposes of this combat!

Round 1:
Viper-6, Dr. Kuong, Joven, Mobius
Bartendemon
Dakka, OAS-1

Viper-6, Dr. Kuong, Joven, Mobius are up first!

Hearing Viper's conversation with the bikers, Mobius joins her. As he witnesses the wavering of the bikers he tries to assist Viper in helping them snap out of their trance. "And here we are thinking to ourselves that we can learn from experts. You're all better than this. Snap out of it!"

Intimidate, Aid: 1d20 ⇒ 6

Safe to assume we have all of our equipment/abilities in this sim?

Can we all use the abilities we have "learned" about in the sim or only the one who "unlocked" it?

I would switch my Static Arc pistol to whichever damage type has the potential to do the most damage, move 30 feet to the west, and take a shot.

"Spread out! Let's get him!"

ArcPistol: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (9) + 6 = 15
ArcPistolDamage: 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 2 = 4

Just got home...will do best to do something quick and go pass out.

While locking on would be much preferable, Dr. Kuong agrees that spreading out would likely be safer. He pulls his rifle from his back as he moves to the side, and quickly takes a shot.

Acid Dart Rifle: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (4) + 5 = 9
Acid and Piercing Damage: 1d8 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 4 = 8

Darn certain that was a miss Dr. Kuong mutters that moving always misaligns the sights on this thing...he should get a new one ASAP.

Viper 6 grins wickedly and scoots for the corner of the bar as though diving for cover then at the last minute, shoots her pistol across the bar at the Bartendemon!

Trick Shot.
Stealth 1d20 + 12 + 4 ⇒ (6) + 12 + 4 = 22 (unlikely!)
Attack 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (10) + 7 = 17 vs KAC
Damage 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4

Sorry, should have added: You have all your abilities. Anything you expend in here is not expended outside. HOWEVER any HP or stamina or RP that are spent are spent outside as well.

Joven's arc pistol hits the demon barkeep and it screams more in anger than pain. Dr. Kuong's dart rifle pops, but the demon's angry flailings make it a difficult target and the dart goes wide. Viper 6 is unable to fool it with her tricksome ways, but she does hit it, mainly due to its flat-footedness!

It roars in anger and stumps forward, raising a clawed hand to swipe at Dakka!

Claw vs Dakka KAC!: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (6) + 15 = 21 for 1d6 + 10 ⇒ (1) + 10 = 11 slashing damage!

"I TOLD YOU NOT TO DISTURB THE PATRONS! NOW YOU GET BOUNCED!"

Dakka and OAS-1 are up for Round 1! Viper-6, Dr. Kuong, Joven, Mobius are on deck for Round 2!

Not sure that the Arc Pistol did any damage, Joven thinks...

Can I/We do the "technique for manipulating the sim that will allow you to know your opponent's DR, resistances, and current HP as a free action" thing. Perhaps give us a better idea what to do next.

I would love to do that thing that Joven just said! On my turn even!
Additionally, if Fire Damage is something that they don't take, What kind of action is it to switch it to something else?

As you wish! DR 5/good, immunity to electricity and poison, Resist 5 vs fire, cold, acid; HP 70. Swift action to change fusion types on weapons.

Good bye friends, was nice knowing you! ;)

Viper 6 moves and dives beind a table - the sharp report of the autopistol cracking as she goes!

Trick Shot.
Stealth 1d20 + 12 + 4 ⇒ (14) + 12 + 4 = 30
Attack 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (16) + 7 = 23 vs Flat Footed KAC
Damage 1d6 + 1 + 1d8 ⇒ (6) + 1 + (6) = 13

After hearing of the wardern's resistances, Dr. Kuong thinks that his rifle is likely as useful as a rubber-band gun.....
He moves back, thinking that a lock-on is not going to help...and mobility might be the only option.

"Did Historia-7 or Exposition-14 say ANYTHING about a scram button or disconnect? We have done our job in here...our colleagues are free....Why fight this if they told us there is a way out!"

Well...I would change the acid damage to something ELSE...but it is either immune (electrical), or as resistant (cold/fire/acid) to all the "fusions" that the biker boon gave us....so not worth it...

Acid Dart Rifle: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (2) + 5 = 7
Acid and Piercing Damage: 1d8 + 4 ⇒ (7) + 4 = 11

"Our weapons are no match against this thug. I say we escape. M.I.C.H., track whatever that thing is and don't let it out of our sight." Mobius aims his rifle at the monster but makes a step towards the exit. Activating Combat Tracking on the demon.

OAS-1 and Dakka are still up for Round 1!

OAS-1 and Dakka delay!

ROUND 2:
Viper-6 hits hard, tricking the beast into lowering its guard! Dr Kuong's shot goes wide, while Mobius moves! JOVEN is up!

You can back out of this encounter, but the Starfinder agents cannot leave until the Bartendemon is defeated!

Joven pulls a fountain pen from his breast pocket, clicks the top three times quickly, and two bolts of energy fly out from it and strike the bartendemon!

Glamered(fusion) Shock Grenade II, with Spellthrower(fusion), and a single use of Magic missile spellgem loaded.

Magic Missile1 Damage: 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4
Magic Missile2 Damage: 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5

Seeing magic not doing much damage Joven says...
"I'm out of ideas guys! I don't think we can damage this thing! We may need to jack out of the sim, and inform command."

Really out of ideas. Can someone hack into the sim, via an access port of something and change it's stats, or just select it's code and press 'delete'? hehe

"Weapons are hitting fine" Viper replies as she admires the bullet hole in the Bartendemon "And I got plenty of ammo"

If you don't have a weapon that can punch through, other things you might consider are 'covering fire' to help someone avoid getting hammered, or 'harrying fire' to help the next person shoot it. Take a shot, and keep moving around - make it hard for it to come hit you and we can pick it apart.
A bit easier to do at a table as it can be coordinated better, but still works in PbP

Covering fire

Harrying Fire

Joven's magic missiles hit the bartendemon, who bellows in anger and changes. Suddenly the demonic features shift to strangely robotic ones as one arm melts into a cannon of some sort. It points this at Viper 6 and fires!

Cannon vs Viper 6 EAC: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (12) + 15 = 27 for 1d6 + 5 ⇒ (1) + 5 = 6 sonic damage! This done, it stalks toward Viper 6 looking murderous.

Dakka, OAS-1 are up for Round 2!

Did any of it's DR, resistances, and current HP, etc... change when it changed?

Dakka can tell you that it seems to have changed. HP is now 53, it now has construct immunities and vulnerability to electricity.

Dakka and OAS-1 delay yet again!

ROUND 3:

Viper-6, Dr. Kuong, Joven, Mobius are GO!

5 SP damage

Not liking where this creature is heading, Viper tries snaking her way back out...

Trick Shot.
Stealth 1d20 + 12 + 4 ⇒ (2) + 12 + 4 = 18 (Fail)
Attack 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (12) + 7 = 19
Damage 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2

Mobius nods at Viper's instructions and tries to distract the demon. "Hey! Over here!"

Harrying shot, combat tracking: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (12) + 7 = 19

He then moves back to get as far away from the demon as possible while maintaining line of sight. "Interesting. M.I.C.H., tell me if that thing's going to be susceptible to my laser."Can't access the maps right now, but could someone move my token away from the demon yet with line of sight? Thanks.

Dr. Kuong hears from Dakka that it doesn't seem to be resistant to acid anymore, so he has his exocortex lock on, and lines up a shot.

Acid Dart Rifle: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (16) + 6 = 22
Acid and Piercing Damage: 1d8 + 4 ⇒ (2) + 4 = 6 damage. 3 acid and 3 piercing

Vulnerable to electricity, that’s more like it. Full attack, with static arc pistol.
attack1: 1d20 + 6 - 4 ⇒ (16) + 6 - 4 = 18
damage1: 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 2 = 3
attack2: 1d20 + 6 - 4 ⇒ (7) + 6 - 4 = 9
damage2: 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 2 = 8

A loud shriek of audio feedback erupts from all communication devices across the Starfinder Society fleet and deployed teams. The feedback precedes an alert of a new threat: dozens of unknown starships are entering the Scoured Stars through the Drift!

Data screens across the fleet begin displaying a live feed of a chitinous, six-legged creature with a large mouth full of sharp teeth. Rings of glowing, unblinking eyes cover the upper and lower sides of the creature’s body, looking in every direction at once. The creature’s three-clawed forelimbs hold what looks like an alien plasma cannon, while its second set of limbs terminate in cybernetic augmentations resembling long sabers.

When the creature starts speaking, its words sound like a chaotic jumble of consonants, but soon the syllables turn into a sinister-sounding, digitalized voice speaking in the Common tongue: “We are jinsuls, and you are not welcome in our space. This is our ancestral home. You do not belong here. You will be removed.”

As soon as the ominous message ends, First Seeker Luwazi Elsebo speaks to the Society through the comm system: “According to our sensors, these creatures—jinsuls—are entering the Scoured Stars through a location near Bastiar-7. I need a group of volunteers, our best starship crews, to scout the area and keep these aggressors occupied. Meanwhile, I want everyone else to continue evacuating the survivors. Time is a luxury we don’t have, so make haste and be ready to be extracted at a moment’s notice!”

Table GM’s- You are now set to start Part 3, but remember Part 2 Evacuation Missions that are still open can still be accomplished. All Part 1 Recon Missions are now closed.

"Let's get this guy smacked full of lead so we can get on to the ships"

Your attacks hit and deal damage, but the Bartendemon screams in rage and changes again! Suddenly the form looks wild, fey, as it takes the form of a large Fox-creature! It springs forward and bites at Joven!

Bite vs Joven KAC!: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (6) + 15 = 21 for 1d6 + 10 ⇒ (2) + 10 = 12 piercing damage!

Round 3:
Viper-6, Dr. Kuong, Joven, Mobius
Bartendemon
Dakka, OAS-1

Dakka and OAS-1 are up! Current HP 36, DR 5/cold iron.

Dr. Kuong thinks this will work, and mentally shifts his weapon from doing acid and piercing to acid and cold, mentally constructing his darts into a shard of sub-zero ice holding a cryo-acid.

Sub-zero Acid Dart Rifle: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (17) + 5 = 22
Acid and (hopefully) Cold Damage: 1d8 + 4 ⇒ (6) + 4 = 10
So if that worked, it would be 5 cold and 5 acid

Round 4: Go ahead and act, Viper-6, Dr. Kuong, Joven, Mobius!

sorry I have been absent from the PbP boards. We had a local con this weekend and I was GMing 3 different Starfinder scenarios. between prep last week and participating at the con spare time was hard to come by. I’ll read through the posts after work today and be back in the swing of things.

Mobius tries to see if his attacks will work this time.

Laser rifle: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (15) + 7 = 22
Fire Damage: 1d8 + 3 ⇒ (2) + 3 = 5

Both Mobius and Dr Kuong's shots land and seem to hurt!

OAS-1, Dakka, Viper 6, Joven are up!

Woof. Finally got Decent access to internet back. Let's give a few shots a shot!
Dakka takes a guarded step backward Out of reach of the Big Beastie and squeezes the trigger of her Artillery Laser!

Giant Laser (EAC): 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (10) + 11 = 21 Fire Damage: 1d10 + 4 ⇒ (10) + 4 = 14
Additionally, it is an Armor Penetrating weapon. If this form has Hardness, the shot bypasses 1 of it!

Dakka's big cannon barks and the fey fox whimpers with pain!

7 HP! Let's finish this!

Guarded step and another shot

“This is better net us some hazard pay!”

static arc pistol: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (6) + 6 = 12
damage: 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 2 = 4

Viper pulls her stunts once more - this time getting the creature more off-guard.

Trick Shot.
Stealth 1d20 + 12 + 4 ⇒ (18) + 12 + 4 = 34
Attack 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (9) + 7 = 16 vs FF KAC
Damage 1d6 + 1 + 1d8 ⇒ (2) + 1 + (3) = 6 Yuk

Viper catches the fox off guard, and wings it, but it wavers on its last leg! Joven fires, but the fox is already twitchy and he missed!

OAS 1, finish it!

Joven looks over to OAS-1, they appear glass-eyed, un-moving, like they've been jacked outta the sim.

"Snap out of it OAS!"

OAS seems distant, like they're not really here. Perhaps the simulation has eaten them?

The bartendemon changes again, this time becoming angelic! DR 5/evil, resistance 5 to acid, cold, electricity and fire! 1 HP remaining!

It raises a now heavenly sword and steps forward to slash at Joven! Sword vs Joven KAC: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (9) + 15 = 24 for 1d6 + 10 ⇒ (4) + 10 = 14 slashing damage!

Dakka and OAS for round 7, Viper-6, Dr. Kuong, Joven, Mobius for Round 8!

Looking down the Barrel of the Cannon again, Dakka pulls the trigger twice, watching as the Battery Readout quickly ticks down. Two Shots, hopefully one of them will do the Trick!

Giant Laser (EAC): 1d20 + 11 - 4 ⇒ (18) + 11 - 4 = 25 Fire Damage: 1d10 + 4 ⇒ (2) + 4 = 6
Giant Laser (EAC): 1d20 + 11 - 4 ⇒ (10) + 11 - 4 = 17 Fire Damage: 1d10 + 4 ⇒ (9) + 4 = 13
Additionally, it is an Armor Penetrating weapon. If this form has Hardness, the shot bypasses 1 of it!

Staying mobile and continuing to shift around in case it comes for her again, Viper-6...

Trick Shot.
Stealth 1d20 + 12 + 4 ⇒ (5) + 12 + 4 = 21
Attack 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (5) + 7 = 12
Damage 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 1 = 6

...gets confused by the shape-changing and momentarily loses her OWN concentration.

Dakka puts the final shot in the angeltender! Suddenly the resolution of the world around you fades away into black. Time passes and you awaken to the simulator pods being opened and the stranded Starfinders being led away by techs.

SUCCESS!

Evacuation Mission #1: Agillae-1 (The Last Outpost)
Evacuation Mission #2: Agillae-5 (Cracked Mirror)
Evacuation Mission #3: Bastiar-8 (God's Home)
Evacuation Mission #4: Bastiar-2 (Lava River Rescue)
Evacuation Mission #5: Callion-1 (Sands of Oblivion)
First Line of Defense Mission

Choose your next mission!

Your comm device vibrates as Luwazi Elsebo echoes another reply. ”The Society has released a group of Starfinders whose minds were trapped in a virtual world, which released their bodies from stasis on Agillae-5. One of the survivors is Historia-6 of the Dataphiles!”

The lost Dataphiles leader disseminates information about the Scoured Stars to all teams across the fleet. Until the end of the ongoing mission, you can roll twice and take the better result each time you attempt a skill check to identify a creature or to recall information.

"Let's get over to Callion 1"