Alright, feel free to dot here so this game gets added to your campaigns tab. I'll start the game itself once everyone's here and we've got a starship figured out.
Travel to Nakondis; Day 14
The monotony of another day in the Drift is broken by an abrupt notification from the Pantala's computer.
"Signal from the Nakondis Drift Beacon detected. Estimated time of arrival: 1.57 hours."
One might expect more warning to be given, but its hard to complain. 14 days is, all in all, pretty short for a trip through the Vast.
Female Halfling (Gutsy) Cleric 1 | HP 13/15| AC: 15 | Fort: +4; Ref: +6; Will: +9 | Per +7 | Spd 25 ft. | Keen Eyes |Hero Points: 1 | ◆ ↺ ◇ | Searching | Healing Font 0/4 | Class DC 17
Alorea had been idly tinkering with some mechanical parts in the cargo hold, but she immediately perks up when she hear's the computer's announcement. "We're here! We're here!" she shouts, her black-feathered wings flapping and lifting her off the floor. Laughing, she performs a few lazy loops before settling back down. "Well, almost, but close enough!"
The young strix skips to the bridge, white hair streaming behind her. Tall and slender, she wears only a few loose bits of cloth while on the ship. Her cybernetic eyes glow with a pale white light, and the twin antennae from her exocortex swivel slightly as they take in information from the environment.
She bounds up to the forward viewports, staring out at the swirling colors of the Drift. "I don't want to miss it! I want to see Nakondis as soon as we arrive!"
Alorea looks like this, except with white cyber-eyes and antennae over her ears like a vocaloid. :)
Acrobatics +9, Athletics +5, Culture +9, Engineering +9, Medicine +7, Piloting +9, Profession (cook) +10, Sense Motive +6, Slight of Hand +9, Stealth +11, Survival +11 (+15 to trick attack)
Captain collateral damage wrote:
"Signal from the Nakondis Drift Beacon detected. Estimated time of arrival: 1.57 hours."
At the announcement, Gyn perks up, beady eyes blinking off the sleep of a mid-afternoon nap from under the frayed edge of a wide-brimmed hat. Rolling out of a ysoki-sized hammock onto the corridor floor, he shakes himself before scurrying to the bridge, taking the stairs on all fours. "That's oddly specific, but none the matter!"
Weathered but spry, Gyn has off-white fur (or soiled white fur - hard to tell) under a serviceable suit of armor further layered with clothes better suited to a jungle than the depths of the Drift. Aside from his completely unnecessary hat, the ysoki's most prominent piece of gear is a compact pistol with a garishly-oversized knife mounted under the barrel, prominently displayed on an open-ended holster hanging on the front of the ysoki's thigh.
These past two weeks, Gyn has entertained himself by cooking meals for the crew, coming up with unique and flavorful dishes from the same drab starting rations. His compatriots likely enjoyed these meals (if Gyn takes 10 on Profession (cook) checks, he gets 20) as long as they didn't look at the ingredients too closely or notice Gyn walking barefoot on the gallery countertops while preparing food.
Bounding onto the bridge, Gyn hops up into the pilot's seat, a contraption originally built to support a centaur-shaped formian but since modified for the much smaller ysoki.
"Alright, Pantala, tell me - how are ya feelin' this fine day?" Gyn briefly scans over the ship's diagnostics. "Are we ready for the big show, girl?"
Gyn is something like a tiny Steve Irwin on a trickle feed of helium.
Male Lashunta (Korasha) Solarian 1 EAC 13 | KAC 14 | CMD 22 | SP 9 | HP 11 | F +4 | R +2 | W +2 | Perception +6 | Init +2
Greist looks up from a datapad as Alorea and Gyn enter the bridge, a smile forming. "Hello, you two. Exciting news, eh?" As he says this, the mote orbiting his head flares briefly. "I'm looking forward to seeing some trees, among other things." He leans against a bulkhead, smiling at Alorea's excitement.
Female Woioko (Floatborn) Xenoarcheologist Envoy 1 | SP 5/5 HP 10/10 RP 5/5 | EAC 14 KAC 15 | F -1 R +5 W +3 | Init +3 Perc +5 (Low-Light Vision) | Speed 30 feet Swim 30 feet
Coming onto the bridge, Ainsemseo leans on her cane as she looks around the room. Dressed in her normal black shirt and pants, she is currently going barefoot around the ship. Her smooth, purplish skin still shining slightly from the shower that she had taken a few hours earlier, the only other item she is carrying is her datapad. As she walks towards the captains chair, Cubbers scampers into the room behind her, quickly running over to vigorously greet everyone in the room.
Settling down into the Captains chair, which consists of a large, moth-eaten plush recliner (missing the leg rest, of course) that has been bolted to the ships deck, she gives everyone else a small wave as she leans her cane against the arm of the chair. Having been able to hear Greist's statements, she looks at him with a faint smile. "Yeah, trees will be nice to see after so long out here in the Drift. I still miss the oceans of Heicoron IV, however."
Trying to keep up that sense of this ship having had multiple owners with the description of the captains chair.
Question to the GM: how much do we know about Nakondis? Also, are the supplies we are delivering just basic supplies?
The Pantala's diagnostics indicate that all systems are functioning normally.
Nakondis Info:
Nakondis is the second planet in the Nakon system. It's slightly smaller than Castrovel, Verces, and other "standard" planets, but its gravity is roughly the same. The planet is covered mostly by deciduous temperate forests, with some mountain ranges and grasslands. There is a pervasive and nearly constant blanket of fog around the planet, which is known to carry a faint electric charge. While the charge is not normally dangerous, it occasionally builds in place where the fog is thick, resulting in electrical storms. There are some life forms on Nakondis, but none are sapient and they are mostly small, resembling birds, insects, and rodents. The colony numbers just over 100 people, and exists mostly to mine a especially conductive variant of tin.
Female Halfling (Gutsy) Cleric 1 | HP 13/15| AC: 15 | Fort: +4; Ref: +6; Will: +9 | Per +7 | Spd 25 ft. | Keen Eyes |Hero Points: 1 | ◆ ↺ ◇ | Searching | Healing Font 0/4 | Class DC 17
Alorea's eyes light up (literally) as Cubbers comes up to her. The strix kneels down to scratch the squox behind his ears. "Hi, Cubbers! Who's a good boy? You are! You are!"
She looks up at the others. "We don't really have trees or oceans on Verces. Just lots of big buildings. It will be cool to see all this nature stuff you keep talking about! And to see Cedona again!"
Female Woioko (Floatborn) Xenoarcheologist Envoy 1 | SP 5/5 HP 10/10 RP 5/5 | EAC 14 KAC 15 | F -1 R +5 W +3 | Init +3 Perc +5 (Low-Light Vision) | Speed 30 feet Swim 30 feet
"Yeah, it will be nice to see Cedona again. I wonder how she will react to seeing all of us seemingly appear out of nowhere to greet her." Ainsemseo smiles at the though of that meeting, which should be occurring sometime in the coming hours.
Meanwhile, Cubber's is thoroughly enjoying the ear rubs, eyes closing in pleasure. He then flops around on his back in front of Alorea, begging for his stomach to be rubbed.
Alorea:
Since you had spent some time playing with Cubbers before, you would know that this is a favorite trick of his. He convinces you to rub his stomach, and when someone does lean down to do so, he jumps up and scampers up their arm to sit on their shoulder.
Female Halfling (Gutsy) Cleric 1 | HP 13/15| AC: 15 | Fort: +4; Ref: +6; Will: +9 | Per +7 | Spd 25 ft. | Keen Eyes |Hero Points: 1 | ◆ ↺ ◇ | Searching | Healing Font 0/4 | Class DC 17
Alorea is wise to Cubbers's ways, but she still reaches down to rub his tummy. She laughs and pretends to be surprised when the squox jumps up and runs up her arm. "Eek! Sneaky sneak!"
Cubbers perches on her shoulder, bushy tail wagging and tickling her neck.
Acrobatics +9, Athletics +5, Culture +9, Engineering +9, Medicine +7, Piloting +9, Profession (cook) +10, Sense Motive +6, Slight of Hand +9, Stealth +11, Survival +11 (+15 to trick attack)
Gyn chuckles as he watches the squonx and the strix cavort. "Ay! No fun on the bridge!" The ysoki betrays his mock severity with a laugh, adding, "It'll be good to see Cedona again, alright. She's said some mighty fine things about Nakondis - if it's as good as she makes it out to be, you might not be able to pry me away!"
Male Lashunta (Korasha) Solarian 1 EAC 13 | KAC 14 | CMD 22 | SP 9 | HP 11 | F +4 | R +2 | W +2 | Perception +6 | Init +2
Greist smiles as he watches Cubbers and Alorea. "Indeed, it will be nice to see her and catch up a bit. It's been some time." He looks at his datapad again. "If this is correct... it says there's a fog on parts of the planet that can carry a mild electrical charge. Interesting."
The scientist is late to the party and apologizes to the rest of the crew by raising his hand, a gesture that fails to distract curious eyes from lashing on to the dark circles around his eyes. The creases in his bodysuit center around his chest and shoulders, betraing the fact he's been lying in bed, propped up against the wall, most likely reading or using a tablet computer of sorts. Someone has been staying up late. "
My apologies, I've been up all night reading about this natural phenomenon you're currently discussing. Ha, current. Having done my masters in, okay, I won't bore you with, but suffice to say, the notion of a fog being able to carry electricity - oh wow! Think about the transmission efficiency gains one could get if you can somehow distill it into a pure liquid form."
Luckily, the half-elf is drawn to a nearby console from where he can check the scanners and so, is caught up in his own reality once again.
Alright, moving us along...
Roughly hour and a half later, the Pantala drops out of the Drift in orbit of Nakondis. The planet is indeed shrouded in fog, making viewing the planet's surface difficult. The sensors are easily able to find the colony's location, however. Unexpectedly, the sensors also detect two small vessels of unknown make or origin, rapidly approaching form either side of the Pantala.
Edit: Ship Picture
Female Halfling (Gutsy) Cleric 1 | HP 13/15| AC: 15 | Fort: +4; Ref: +6; Will: +9 | Per +7 | Spd 25 ft. | Keen Eyes |Hero Points: 1 | ◆ ↺ ◇ | Searching | Healing Font 0/4 | Class DC 17
"Uh-oh," Alorea says. She sets Cubbers down and hustles to the weapon control console. Her rig interfaces with the console, and her eyes glow as targeting data plays across them. Just in case.
The designs of the ships roughly match the designs rumored to belong to the Azlanti Star Empire, an agressive and expansionist empire in the Vast that claims to have descended from a pre-Gap civilization from Golarion.
Female Woioko (Floatborn) Xenoarcheologist Envoy 1 | SP 5/5 HP 10/10 RP 5/5 | EAC 14 KAC 15 | F -1 R +5 W +3 | Init +3 Perc +5 (Low-Light Vision) | Speed 30 feet Swim 30 feet
Culture:1d20 + 8 ⇒ (5) + 8 = 13
Sitting forward in her seat, Ainsemseo brings up the display installed in the arm of the captains chair. Looking at the image of the approaching ship, she absentmindedly pets Cubbers when he jumps up on the chair next to her. "I'm not sure, but I don't think these are colony defense ships. Does anyone recognize them?"
Acrobatics +9, Athletics +5, Culture +9, Engineering +9, Medicine +7, Piloting +9, Profession (cook) +10, Sense Motive +6, Slight of Hand +9, Stealth +11, Survival +11 (+15 to trick attack)
Culture check:1d20 + 9 ⇒ (7) + 9 = 16
Gyn frowns. "Colony defense ships? I didn't think the colony was big enough to afford a defense fleet." Gyn disables the autopilot and gives the flight controls a test wiggle. "Something about this smells funny."
Yamah frowns. "Honesty compels me to admit I've never quite seen ships like these before. We best man the guns, just in case, because they could and probably should have hailed us by now, no?"
The half-elf's fingers dance over the interface, hoovering mere millimeters above the actual buttons and keys. He's ready to scan those two enigmatic ships the moment they come within range of the Pantala's sensors.
Our short-range sensors have a range of 5 hexes. I take it the two unknown's aren't within that range yet, right?
Female Halfling (Gutsy) Cleric 1 | HP 13/15| AC: 15 | Fort: +4; Ref: +6; Will: +9 | Per +7 | Spd 25 ft. | Keen Eyes |Hero Points: 1 | ◆ ↺ ◇ | Searching | Healing Font 0/4 | Class DC 17
"On them, Yamah!" Alorea calls. She swivels the gyrolasers to calibrate them and primes the torpedo launcher. "My first space battle! This is going to be so cool! As long as we don't get exploded."
As the ships speed toward the Pantala, their weapons begin to glow blue. They move at least twice as fast as your ship, and seem to be on a collision course before they abruptly come to a stop outside the Pantala. They maneuver quickly and easily, taking evasive action.
Piloting for turn order: Gyn, Enemy:1d20 + 11 ⇒ (17) + 11 = 281d20 + 10 ⇒ (2) + 10 = 12
I've put the Pantala's stats and the combat map up at the top. I'll try to find a bigger map to allow you some more room to maneuver in a bit.
It doesn't seem like anyone's in the engineer role at the moment, so I'll move ahead to the helm phase, meaning Gyn and Yamah are up. The captain can act during any phase.
Acrobatics +9, Athletics +5, Culture +9, Engineering +9, Medicine +7, Piloting +9, Profession (cook) +10, Sense Motive +6, Slight of Hand +9, Stealth +11, Survival +11 (+15 to trick attack)
Upon noticing the glowing weapons, Gyn sounds the alarm. "Not friendly! Not friendly! Hold on to somethin'!" With a quick yank of the throttle, Gyn sends the Pantala rocketing backwards, leaving the hostile ships pointing at each other.
Yamah tries to lock the Pantala's sensors onto one of the enemy ships, but the combination of its speed and the fact they just got ambushed, messes up the half-elf's attempt. "Can't lock the sensors onto their engines, will try again. Gosh, they're fast!"
Action: Target System (Engines) on the ship to the left. Target System (Engines):1d20 + 12 ⇒ (1) + 12 = 13 When your first roll is a 1, you know it's gonna get good!
Female Halfling (Gutsy) Cleric 1 | HP 13/15| AC: 15 | Fort: +4; Ref: +6; Will: +9 | Per +7 | Spd 25 ft. | Keen Eyes |Hero Points: 1 | ◆ ↺ ◇ | Searching | Healing Font 0/4 | Class DC 17
”Greist, let’s focus fire! The one to port first!” Alorea makes room at the weapons console for the lashunta. She tracks the enemy ship with the missile launcher and opens fire! Unfortunately, her shot goes wide.
Male Lashunta (Korasha) Solarian 1 EAC 13 | KAC 14 | CMD 22 | SP 9 | HP 11 | F +4 | R +2 | W +2 | Perception +6 | Init +2
"Right... let's see what we can do." Greist sits down, taking control of the lasers. He flips a switch, adjusting a dial as he moves the control stick. "I think that should do it..." He squeezes the trigger, and you hear the ships lasers fire.
Oh, and I am happy to fill any role I can, but I thought in discussion we'd mentioned having someone else on guns since Greist's bonus isn't all that great? Either way, I am good.
Female Woioko (Floatborn) Xenoarcheologist Envoy 1 | SP 5/5 HP 10/10 RP 5/5 | EAC 14 KAC 15 | F -1 R +5 W +3 | Init +3 Perc +5 (Low-Light Vision) | Speed 30 feet Swim 30 feet
I think that essentially everyone except Yamah will be shuffling around in the positions. I believe that Gyn may wish to take over from you in a little bit, at which point you will likely be able to take over the Captain role.
Opening the communication system, Ainsemseo will broadcast in the direction of the enemy ship. "Unknown ship, you have made aggressive maneuvers towards our ship. These are completely unprovoked, and we shall respond accordingly. Pantala out."
Attempting to Taunt the enemy ship on our port side (DC = 15 + 1.5*(their tier)) Intimidate:1d20 + 8 ⇒ (9) + 8 = 17
If success, they will take a -2 penalty (-4 on push checks) on all Gunnery phase checks for the next:1d4 ⇒ 2rounds (counting this one).
Gyn quickly reverses the ship, escaping the arc of the enemies' weapons. While Alorea's shot goes wide, Griest's gyrolasers strike the enemy vessel head-on, scorching the vessel and causing the hull to buckle in one place. The ship does not respond to Ainsemseo's message.
Piloting: Gyn, Enemies:1d20 + 11 ⇒ (13) + 11 = 241d20 + 10 ⇒ (20) + 10 = 30 Alright, that's round 1! I've put the ships back into the center of themap with the same positions relative to each other, so there's more room to move around in any direction.
Acrobatics +9, Athletics +5, Culture +9, Engineering +9, Medicine +7, Piloting +9, Profession (cook) +10, Sense Motive +6, Slight of Hand +9, Stealth +11, Survival +11 (+15 to trick attack)
Slamming the Pantala back into forward thrust, Gyn puts the ship through a series of semi-random corkscrews, trying to keep both enemy fighters on the same side of the light freighter.
"Yamah! Can you tell what in the blazes these things are?"
Success, I think - that grants +2 to the Pantala's AC and TL for the round. The Pantala moves forward 1 hex, turns left, moves forward 1 hex, turns left, moves forward 3 hexes, turns right, and moves forward 1 more hex.
Yamah's words gush out of his mouth. The man is starting to feel the stress and his priorities are at getting the blasted sensors to lock on to the enemy's ship. "No, sir, negative. Trying to lock on to the damaged ship's engines, hoping that makes it easier to take it out."
Again, Target System action on the damaged ship's engines. If successful, weapon's crit range goes up to 19-20. Target System (Engines) on the ship that *is* damaged:1d20 + 12 ⇒ (7) + 12 = 19
Female Halfling (Gutsy) Cleric 1 | HP 13/15| AC: 15 | Fort: +4; Ref: +6; Will: +9 | Per +7 | Spd 25 ft. | Keen Eyes |Hero Points: 1 | ◆ ↺ ◇ | Searching | Healing Font 0/4 | Class DC 17
Alorea swivels the turret, Yamah's targeting data filtering through her cybernetic eyes. Her exocortex helps calculate a new firing solution as she launches a missile at the damaged ship. But once more, her shot goes wide.
"Kree!" she curses in her native tongue. "Stop moving around so much, bad guys!"
Female Woioko (Floatborn) Xenoarcheologist Envoy 1 | SP 5/5 HP 10/10 RP 5/5 | EAC 14 KAC 15 | F -1 R +5 W +3 | Init +3 Perc +5 (Low-Light Vision) | Speed 30 feet Swim 30 feet
Shifting the broadcast direction toward the other opponent ship, Ainsemseo will quickly hail them as well. "Unknown ship, I will tell you what I have already told your sister ship. You have made unprovoked, aggressive maneuverings towards this ship, and we shall respond according. Pantala out."
Attempting to Taunt the enemy ship that I didn't last time (DC = 15 + 1.5*(their tier)) Intimidate:1d20 + 8 ⇒ (1) + 8 = 9 Pretty sure that is a failure.
Male Lashunta (Korasha) Solarian 1 EAC 13 | KAC 14 | CMD 22 | SP 9 | HP 11 | F +4 | R +2 | W +2 | Perception +6 | Init +2
Greist takes a deep slow breath. Expression calm, he focuses on the HUD for the laser system as he tries to line up another shot. "Almost... there." He squeezes the triggers again, sending another burst of scarlet energy towards their pursuers.
Gyrolasers:1d20 + 3 ⇒ (9) + 3 = 12 Guessing that's a miss, but in case it isn't... Damage:2d8 ⇒ (3, 7) = 10
Piloting: Gyn, Enemies:1d20 + 11 ⇒ (8) + 11 = 191d20 + 10 ⇒ (7) + 10 = 17
Now able to get a clear shot, the enemy ships pepper the Pantala with laser fire, depleting the aft shields and lightly damaging the hull.
They then flip around and turn back, then turn once more to face the Pantala.
The rear shields are depleted, and the hull take 3 points of damage. I've marked on the ship's sheet. I've put a colored border around the ships on the map, the red one is the one that is damaged.
Acrobatics +9, Athletics +5, Culture +9, Engineering +9, Medicine +7, Piloting +9, Profession (cook) +10, Sense Motive +6, Slight of Hand +9, Stealth +11, Survival +11 (+15 to trick attack)
Feeling the impacts to the hull, Gyn pulls the Pantala in a tight arc, trying to hide the sundered shields from the hostile weapons.
Piloting check to Stunt (Evade):1d20 + 9 + 2 ⇒ (20) + 9 + 2 = 31 Yup, that's +2 to AC and TL.
The Pantala turns left as tightly as possible, moving a total of 4 hexes and ending with a heading opposite to where is started. Once the movement is completed, we should be exactly 5 hexes from both enemy ships, if I can count correctly.
Female Halfling (Gutsy) Cleric 1 | HP 13/15| AC: 15 | Fort: +4; Ref: +6; Will: +9 | Per +7 | Spd 25 ft. | Keen Eyes |Hero Points: 1 | ◆ ↺ ◇ | Searching | Healing Font 0/4 | Class DC 17
Alorea forces herself to concentrate, taking a few deep breaths. She lets the computer assist her in obtaining a clear line of fire, then pulls the trigger, sending a missile streaking into the damaged enemy ship. "Ha! Got him!"
Male Lashunta (Korasha) Solarian 1 EAC 13 | KAC 14 | CMD 22 | SP 9 | HP 11 | F +4 | R +2 | W +2 | Perception +6 | Init +2
Gyrolasers:1d20 + 3 ⇒ (5) + 3 = 8
Greist checks the HUD, making a quick adjustment as he lines up a shot. Squeezing the trigger, he lets out a breath, only to swear as the shot goes wide, the enemy ships sliding out of the way before he can compensate.
You can scan a starship with your sensors to learn information about it. This action requires your starship to have sensors (see page 300). You must attempt a Computers check, applying any modifiers from the starship’s sensors. You can attempt this check untrained. The DC for this check is equal to 10 + the tier of the starship being scanned + its bonus from defensive countermeasures (see page 298). If you succeed at this check, you learn the first unknown piece of information on the following list. For every 5 by which you exceed the check, you learn another unknown piece of information. Subsequent checks reveal new pieces of information, continuing down this list.
1. Basic Information: Living crew complement and ship
classification, size, speed, and maneuverability.
2. Defenses: AC, TL, total and current Hull Points, total and
current Shield Points in each quadrant, and core PCU value.
3. Weapon: Information about one weapon, including its firing
arc and the damage it deals, starting with the weapon that
uses the most PCU. Repeat this entry until all the starship’s
weapons are revealed.
4. Load: Information about how the starship’s expansion bays
are allocated and any cargo the starship might be carrying.
5. Other: Any remaining ship statistics.
Azlanti Orbital Drone: No crew, tiny size, speed 12, perfect maneuverability.
Defenses:
AC 15; TL 15; hp 20; no shields; 50 PCU
Weapon:
light laser cannon: 2d4 damage; forward arc.
GM Rolls:
1d20 + 5 ⇒ (1) + 5 = 62d4 ⇒ (4, 2) = 6
Alorea sends a torpedo flying into the damaged vessel, sending it spinning, and he light from its thrusters and weapons fades. After a brief moment of flying unguided through space, the vessel tears itself apart, sending debris flying into the other ship, disrupting its line of fire.
Piloting: Gyn, Enemy:1d20 + 11 ⇒ (11) + 11 = 221d20 + 10 ⇒ (9) + 10 = 19
The remaining enemy ship moves to the starboard side the Pantala, looming close.
Acrobatics +9, Athletics +5, Culture +9, Engineering +9, Medicine +7, Piloting +9, Profession (cook) +10, Sense Motive +6, Slight of Hand +9, Stealth +11, Survival +11 (+15 to trick attack)
Captain collateral damage wrote:
After a brief moment of flying unguided through space, the vessel tears itself apart, sending debris flying into the other ship, disrupting its line of fire.
"Who-HOO!" Gyn yelps like a banshee swinging his hat around with one hand. "That's some nice shootin'! Let's see if the other one pops quite so nicely!"
Gyn takes the Pantala forward 3 hexes before banking right 3 hexes, pulling a J-shaped maneuver that leaves the Pantala facing the opposite heading it started with and sitting solidly within the remaining fighter's starboard arc.
Female Halfling (Gutsy) Cleric 1 | HP 13/15| AC: 15 | Fort: +4; Ref: +6; Will: +9 | Per +7 | Spd 25 ft. | Keen Eyes |Hero Points: 1 | ◆ ↺ ◇ | Searching | Healing Font 0/4 | Class DC 17
Alorea cheers and flaps her wings, lifting herself up off the floor briefly before settling back down. She feels a bit of relief knowing that the enemy ships are just drones and she's not actually huring anybody. "Alright, one more to go!"
Utilizing the ship's computer again, she sends a missile streaking at the remaining ship.
Yamah is redirecting the ship's power to ensure that one more shot to the Pantala's rear won't be the last shot it ever takes. "Redirecting shield power from port side to the rear. Trying to create a buffer, just in case the thing gets behind us."
Action: Balance Shields (some from port to rear) Computer vs DC 11:1d20 + 12 ⇒ (14) + 12 = 26
Balance action:
You can balance the shields, redirecting power from one quadrant to protect another. With a successful Computers check (DC = 10 + 1.5 your starship’s tier), you can shift Shield Points (SP) from the shield in one quadrant to the shield in another quadrant, including to depleted shields (after rebalancing, every shield must have at least 10% of the total current SP). Alternatively, you can add up the SP from all the remaining shields and evenly distribute them to all four quadrants, putting any excess SP in the forward quadrant.
Hello and welcome to the game!
I'll put the gameplay thread up in a bit so you can dot and add this to your campaigns tab.
The story so far is that your group has been contracted by AbadarCorp to deliver a shipment supplies to the colony world of Nakondis in the Vast, where your friend Cedona lives. You are to be paid 4000 credits by the colony's leader, Madelon Kesi. If you'd like to work out connections between your characters, feel free to do so, as the adventure doesn't really come with any existing ties between the party.
Your group also begins with a ship, so get crew roles figured out, and you may build the ship yourself. (Tier 1, so 55 Build points). If people would prefer to start the AP quicker, however, we can use a Kevolari Venture or other Tier 1 sample starship.
Thanks for applying and I look forward to playing! :)
Good evening! I'll get onto making a proper profile ASAP and, of course, thank you for having me. This should be a blast. Will be diving into the subtleties and nuances of the rules the coming week as well :)
Female Woioko (Floatborn) Xenoarcheologist Envoy 1 | SP 5/5 HP 10/10 RP 5/5 | EAC 14 KAC 15 | F -1 R +5 W +3 | Init +3 Perc +5 (Low-Light Vision) | Speed 30 feet Swim 30 feet
Hello, and thank you for the selection! I will work on filling out my tagline. Is there any particular format that you request for that, or are you leaving that entirely up to us?
For the character connections, I could see Ainsemseo potentially knowing Alorea. This is mostly due to Ainsemseo having spent ~6 months living on Verces as the neighbor of Cedona. At some point, our characters could have met. What do you think?
Addressing the starship, I would be fine with either building our own shop or using a sample ship. However, if we did go with either the Kevolari Venture or the Starhive Drone mk 3 (the two sample tier 1 starships), would you (Captain) be willing to allow us to alter them slightly?
If you could put AC, hp, saves, init, and perception somewhere in the race, class, and gender parts of the profile, that would be great. I don't particularly care about the exact format.
And yeah, you could definitely take an existing starship and alter it.
Based on these, it looks like Ainsemsio makes the best captain. Alorea can serve as engineer. Greist is best suited to be a gunner. Gyn makes the best pilot. Yamah makes the best science officer.
Of course, most of our numbers are within one or two of each other, so we can switch things around if we want. :)
Acrobatics +9, Athletics +5, Culture +9, Engineering +9, Medicine +7, Piloting +9, Profession (cook) +10, Sense Motive +6, Slight of Hand +9, Stealth +11, Survival +11 (+15 to trick attack)
Wohoo! Looking forward to playing with all of you. I'm currently heading back home after a short road trip, so I'll get my stat line up and join the conversation tonight!
Female Woioko (Floatborn) Xenoarcheologist Envoy 1 | SP 5/5 HP 10/10 RP 5/5 | EAC 14 KAC 15 | F -1 R +5 W +3 | Init +3 Perc +5 (Low-Light Vision) | Speed 30 feet Swim 30 feet
So, does anyone in the group wish to design a starship from scratch, or would you guys prefer to simply go with a (potentially mofified) Kevolari Venture or Starhive Drone mk 3?
I would be ok with working up a ship it the party wishes for a unique one, and if so would try to incorporate what everyone wanted. As for the two sample ships, the Kevolari Venture is a bit tankier on shields, but runs out of heavy firepower after it shoots its last missile. The Starhive Drone,on the other hand, has more offensive armanents, is faster, and has a slightly higher TL, at the expense of its shields and hull points.
Female Halfling (Gutsy) Cleric 1 | HP 13/15| AC: 15 | Fort: +4; Ref: +6; Will: +9 | Per +7 | Spd 25 ft. | Keen Eyes |Hero Points: 1 | ◆ ↺ ◇ | Searching | Healing Font 0/4 | Class DC 17
In my experience, it's better to have a lot of offensive options rather than stock up on defense. Otherwise, starship combats tend to drag. If we pick a stock ship, my vote would be for the Starhive Drone.
I simply know too little to pass judgment on whether or not to go for a stock option or a customized one. I'll simply vote for whatever is most popular *grins*
Been reading up on combat today and it seems that, outside of covering fire and hail of fire (?), it isn't all that different from Pathfinder. I'll try to make a start on the specifics of space combat later tonight. I browsed through the basics, but it seems to have a completely different flow than regular combat :)
Female Woioko (Floatborn) Xenoarcheologist Envoy 1 | SP 5/5 HP 10/10 RP 5/5 | EAC 14 KAC 15 | F -1 R +5 W +3 | Init +3 Perc +5 (Low-Light Vision) | Speed 30 feet Swim 30 feet
The stock options are built from the same system as player designed ship, so they should be roughly comparable to any player-built ship. However, they sometimes have peculiarities that may not suit a particular party, which was why I asked Captain if we could alter a pre-designed if we wanted to.
I agree that it is better to focus on offensiveness, and would cast my vote in to go with the Drone if we are going to go that way. Depending on my schedule, I will try to come up with a couple of alternate versions of it to present to the rest of you.
As a note to the GM, I have made a few additional purchases. They are mostly small items, but they are just to round out the character. Ainsemseo got a Datapad with some upgrades, an Engineering Toolkit, a flashlight, and a Zipstick.
Covering fire and harrying fire (I think that's what you mean by hail of fire) are basically aid another used to increase AC or attack rolls, but against AC 15 rather than 10.
Acrobatics +9, Athletics +5, Culture +9, Engineering +9, Medicine +7, Piloting +9, Profession (cook) +10, Sense Motive +6, Slight of Hand +9, Stealth +11, Survival +11 (+15 to trick attack)
I've dabbled with starship combat a view times on both sides of the screen, and I would prefer if we put together something tailored to our skills (reposting this handy list for convenience):
Alorea wrote:
Looking at starship roles, here are everybody's relevant skill modifiers:
Based on these, it looks like Ainsemsio makes the best captain. Alorea can serve as engineer. Greist is best suited to be a gunner. Gyn makes the best pilot. Yamah makes the best science officer.
Our weakest point, I think, is having just one gunner with only a +3. At low tiers, many of the enemy ships are nimble ships with low HP but very high AC, making the gunnery check the hardest check of the round (and the gunner almost always has the lowest modifier). We can address this by swapping roles around to put Alorea and/or Gyn in the gunner's chair, investing in a mk 2 (or even 3) mononode computer, and/or sticking to long-range weapons like the coilgun or the light torpedo launcher (aka, the torpedo launcher with infinite torpedoes).
Couple that with a decently nimble frame (either the light freighter or the explorer, I think?) and one of our good pilots and we should be able to not die.
Ainsemseo, if you've got time, I would love to see what you come up with. If not, I can throw something together tomorrow afternoon.
Female Halfling (Gutsy) Cleric 1 | HP 13/15| AC: 15 | Fort: +4; Ref: +6; Will: +9 | Per +7 | Spd 25 ft. | Keen Eyes |Hero Points: 1 | ◆ ↺ ◇ | Searching | Healing Font 0/4 | Class DC 17
Sounds good, Gyn. Alorea would be happy to fire the lasers! Ainsemseo could switch between engineer and captain each round, and Yamah could switch between engineer and science officer, depending on where their skills would be of most benefit.
Acrobatics +9, Athletics +5, Culture +9, Engineering +9, Medicine +7, Piloting +9, Profession (cook) +10, Sense Motive +6, Slight of Hand +9, Stealth +11, Survival +11 (+15 to trick attack)
Alright, a couple ships for y'all. First up, the Kevolari Venture:
Kevolari Venture:
KEVOLARI VENTURE (TIER 1)
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; range 5)
Attack (Turret) high explosive missile launcher (4d8; range 20, speed 12, limited fire 5)
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
Next up, the Starhive Drone Mk III:
Starhive Drone Mk III:
STARHIVE DRONE MK III (TIER 1)
Small light freighter
Speed 8; Maneuverability good (turn 1); Drift 1
AC 14; TL 13
HP 40; DT —; CT 8
Shields basic 10 (forward 3, port 2, starboard 2, aft 3)
Attack (Forward) linked gyrolasers (2d8; range 5, broad arc)
Attack (Port) light torpedo launcher (2d8; range 20, speed 16)
Attack (Starboard) light torpedo launcher (2d8; range 20, speed 16)
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
Modifiers +1 any one check per round, +1 Piloting
Here's a compromise ship. I took the Starhive Drone, traded some speed and armor for additional shields, improved the computer, and swapped the port/starboard torpedoes for a single one on a turret mount (note that this launcher builds torpedoes as fast as it fires them). It doesn't have as many HP as an Explorer frame vessel (like the Venture), but the double forward weapon mounts allow for more firepower to be brought against a single target in the forward, port, or starboard arcs.
Gyn's Proposed Ship:
CONCEPT ALPHA (TIER 1)
Small light freighter
Speed 6; Maneuverability good (turn 1); Drift 1
AC 13; TL 13
HP 40; DT n/a; CT 8
Shields Basic 20 (forward 5, port 5, starboard 5, aft 5)
Attack (Forward) linked gyrolasers (2d8; range 5, broad arc)
Attack (Turret) light torpedo launcher (2d8; range 20, speed 16)
Power Core Pulse Brown (90 PCU); Drift Engine Signal Basic; Systems budget short-range sensors, crew quarters (common), mk 1 armor, mk 1 defences, mk 2 mononode computer; Expansion Bays cargo hold (3)
Modifiers +2 any one check per round, +2 Piloting
If you wanna muck about with this design, you can go to this online ship builder and copy/paste the following JSON code into the box.
JSON code:
{"version":"1.0.1","hasCrew":false,"isSetDefaultCrewSkillValues":0,"isUseSt rictRules":1,"shipName":"Starhive Drone Mk III","shipConcept":"As befits their name, Drones are extremely common and used as freight, personnel transport, light colonial defense, and more. Despite the ships’ mass production, Starhive takes a natural shirren pride in making sure each ship’s iridescent paint job is unique.","tierId":"1","frameId":"light-freighter","powerCoreIds":["pulse-brown"],"thruster sId":"s6","armourId":"mk-1","computerId":"mk-2-mononode","crewQuartersId":" common","defensiveCountermeasuresId":"mk-1","driftEngineId":"signal-basic", "expansionBayIds":["cargo-hold","cargo-hold","cargo-hold"],"antiHackingSystemsId":"none","antiPersonnelWeaponId":"n one","hasBiometricLocks":0,"computerCountermeasures":{"alarm":false,"fakeSh ell":false,"feedback":false,"firewall":false,"lockout":false,"shockGridId": "none","wipe":false},"hasSelfDestructSystem":0,"hasDataNet":0,"hasHiveJoini ng":0,"sensorsId":"budget-short-range","shieldsId":"basic-20","weaponMounts ":{"forward":[{"weaponId":"gyrolaser","weight":"light","templateWeight":"light","isFromTemplate":true,"canBeLinked":true,"isLinked":true},{"weaponId":"gyrolaser","weight":"light","templateWeight":"light","isFromTemplate":true,"canBeLinked":false,"isLinked":false}],"aft":[],"port":[{"weaponId":"none","weight":"light","templateWeight":"light","isFromTemplate":true,"canBeLinked":false,"isLinked":false}],"starboard":[{"weaponId":"none","weight":"light","templateWeight":"light","isFromTemplate":true,"canBeLinked":false,"isLinked":false}],"turret":[{"weaponId":"light-torpedo-launcher","weight":"light","isFromTemplate":false,"canBeLinked":false,"isLinked":false}]},"crewSkills":{"captain ":{"count":1,"countOfficers":0,"hasRole":1,"skills":{"bluff":{"modifier":0, "ranks":0},"computers":{"modifier":4,"ranks":1},"diplomacy":{"modifier":4," ranks":1},"engineering":{"modifier":4,"ranks":1},"gunnery":{"modifier":5}," intimidate":{"modifier":0,"ranks":0},"piloting":{"modifier":0,"ranks":0}}}, "engineer":{"hasRole":1,"skills":{"engineering":{"modifier":9,"ranks":1}}," countOfficers":1,"countOfficerCrew":0},"gunner":{"skills":{"gunnery":{"modi fier":5}},"hasRole":1,"countOfficers":2,"countOfficerCrew":0},"pilot":{"ski lls":{"computers":{"modifier":0,"ranks":0},"gunnery":{"modifier":0},"piloti ng":{"modifier":4,"ranks":1}},"hasRole":1,"countOfficers":1,"countOfficerCr ew":0},"scienceOfficer":{"skills":{"computers":{"modifier":4,"ranks":1}},"h asRole":1,"countOfficers":1,"countOfficerCrew":0}},"shieldsByPosition":{"fo rward":5,"aft":5,"port":5,"starboard":5}}
Female Halfling (Gutsy) Cleric 1 | HP 13/15| AC: 15 | Fort: +4; Ref: +6; Will: +9 | Per +7 | Spd 25 ft. | Keen Eyes |Hero Points: 1 | ◆ ↺ ◇ | Searching | Healing Font 0/4 | Class DC 17
I like the proposed ship, Gyn. We can put that +2 on any check each round to good use with the gunnery checks to increase our chances of hitting each round.
Male Lashunta (Korasha) Solarian 1 EAC 13 | KAC 14 | CMD 22 | SP 9 | HP 11 | F +4 | R +2 | W +2 | Perception +6 | Init +2
So, this is my second SF game, and the last one mostly stayed planetside. That said, if there are any changes I can make to help out more on the ship side, I am open to suggestions.
Female Woioko (Floatborn) Xenoarcheologist Envoy 1 | SP 5/5 HP 10/10 RP 5/5 | EAC 14 KAC 15 | F -1 R +5 W +3 | Init +3 Perc +5 (Low-Light Vision) | Speed 30 feet Swim 30 feet
Oh, poot. I just spent the last ~3-4 hours working up multiple ships, and forgot to check this thread. Oh well, no worries.
I also approve of this proposed ship. The main difference between this and one of the ship that I worked up (working off a modified Drone, like you) was that it lacked the linked gyrolasers on the front, instead having higher armor (mk 2), a much higher speed (10), and longer range sensors. However, thinking about it, I do like the idea of having a second weapon over those other benefits.
As for ship roles, Ainsemseo would be happy to take the Engineers position if Alorea is needing to shoot some weapons. Griest has a very good diplomacy bonus as well, so should make a good Captain.
Acrobatics +9, Athletics +5, Culture +9, Engineering +9, Medicine +7, Piloting +9, Profession (cook) +10, Sense Motive +6, Slight of Hand +9, Stealth +11, Survival +11 (+15 to trick attack)
Sorry, Ainsemseo! Didn't mean to undercut ya like that. Speed, armor, and improved sensors are definitely things we'll want to add as we gain more build points, but the linked gyrolasers seemed just too useful to give up.
A question for everybody - what do we name this ship? And what does our "light freighter" look like?
Wow, Gyn, thanks for putting in all that effort. I'm currently browsing through the spaceship section and going by what little I understand of it, I dig the modified ship you posted. The combination of improved shields and a floating +2 bonus to any one check is pretty neat. That, and it just has something extra to fly something that is 'ours' :)
Female Woioko (Floatborn) Xenoarcheologist Envoy 1 | SP 5/5 HP 10/10 RP 5/5 | EAC 14 KAC 15 | F -1 R +5 W +3 | Init +3 Perc +5 (Low-Light Vision) | Speed 30 feet Swim 30 feet
For the name of the ship, here are some suggestions:
1) Scimitar/Kukri
2) Iridescent Thorn
3) Hornet/Wasp
4) Distant Horizons
5) Starwing
...and, mostly joking with this one...
6) Cubber's Personal Ship
As for what it looks like, since it is mostly based around the Starhive Drone, we could have it look (somewhat) like that ship. Personally, I really like the look of that ship, with it's distinct forward and rear sections, as well as the two wings to each side. Since (from this picture) it appears to me as if the upper section is where the engines and cargo holds would be, we could have that section be replaced with a different section, with fewer intakes on the outside.
Acrobatics +9, Athletics +5, Culture +9, Engineering +9, Medicine +7, Piloting +9, Profession (cook) +10, Sense Motive +6, Slight of Hand +9, Stealth +11, Survival +11 (+15 to trick attack)
I like Iridescent Thorn and Distant Horizons, but if there's room on the list I'd like to add Pantala, which is a genus of dragonfly that holds the record for longest seasonal migration of an insect. Kinda appropriate for a light freighter heading to the Vast, I think.
GM - does the adventure specify how we've obtained this ship, or is that bit of story up to us?
Acrobatics +9, Athletics +5, Culture +9, Engineering +9, Medicine +7, Piloting +9, Profession (cook) +10, Sense Motive +6, Slight of Hand +9, Stealth +11, Survival +11 (+15 to trick attack)
I like Ainsemseo's idea to style our ship like a Starhive Drone, with its bug-like appearance. The Pantala could even be a Starhive Drone that was originally purchased as part of a shirren or formian defense force before going to military surplus, bouncing around a few owners, collecting a few modifications, and finally landing in our laps like a well-worn but still-running insectile Humvee.
Gyn- There's no adventure specifications or requirements for how you got the ship, the above background definitely works.
It looks like most of the stuff for the ship has been figured out, I'll get an introductory gameplay post up, and put the Pantala's stats in the campaign info.
Acrobatics +9, Athletics +5, Culture +9, Engineering +9, Medicine +7, Piloting +9, Profession (cook) +10, Sense Motive +6, Slight of Hand +9, Stealth +11, Survival +11 (+15 to trick attack)
Gunners, don't forget that the Pantala has a mk 2 mononode computer, giving any one check in a round a +2 bonus. We bought that shiny computer just for you!
GM, could we gt some sort of marker to delineate the two enemy ships? Since the gunners are trying to concentrate fire on one of the ships, I would like to focus my maneuvers on that target whenever possible.
Female Halfling (Gutsy) Cleric 1 | HP 13/15| AC: 15 | Fort: +4; Ref: +6; Will: +9 | Per +7 | Spd 25 ft. | Keen Eyes |Hero Points: 1 | ◆ ↺ ◇ | Searching | Healing Font 0/4 | Class DC 17
Ack, thanks for the reminder! GM, please add +2 to my roll--not that I think it will make much difference this round. Maybe with a boost of inspiration from our captain? :)
Acrobatics +9, Athletics +5, Culture +9, Engineering +9, Medicine +7, Piloting +9, Profession (cook) +10, Sense Motive +6, Slight of Hand +9, Stealth +11, Survival +11 (+15 to trick attack)
...just like that! Fire away!
For future reference, the missile launcher is mounted on a turret, so it can fire into any arc. The linked gyrolasers are mounted in the forward arc, so they can nominally fire only at targets in front of the Pantalla; however, gyrolasers have the 'broad arc' special property, which allows them to fire into an adjacent arc instead (in this case, port or starboard) by taking a -2 penalty to the attack.
Are the DCs of various crew actions in Starship Combat correct?:
No. Use the following DC calculations instead of the calculations presented in the Starfinder Core Rulebook. If an action isn't listed, the stated DC remains the same.
Stunts
For the back off stunt, the DC of the Piloting check equals 10 + 1-1/2 times your starship's tier.
For the barrel roll stunt, the DC of the Piloting check equals 10 + 1-1/2 times your starship's tier.
For the evade stunt, the DC of the Piloting check equals 10 + 1-1/2 times your starship's tier.
For the flip and burn stunt, the DC of the Piloting check equals 15 + 1-1/2 times your starship's tier.
For the flyby stunt, the DC of the Piloting check equals 15 + 1-1/2 times your starship's tier.
For the slide stunt, the DC of the Piloting check equals 10 + 1-1/2 times your starship's tier.
Restoring Shields and Repairing Damage
The DC of the Engineering check to double the recharge rate for your shields equals 15 + 1-1/2 times your starship's tier.
The DC of the Engineering check to halve the cost or time for repairing damage your starship's hill equals 15 + 1-1/2 times your starship's tier.
Crew Actions
If an action isn't listed, the stated DC remains the same.
Captain Actions
For the demand action, the DC of the Intimidate check equals 15 + 1-1/2 times your starship's tier.
For the encourage action, the DC of the Diplomacy check is 15; the DC for checks using other skills remains 10.
For the taunt action, the DC of the Bluff or Intimidate check equals 15 + 1-1/2 times the enemy starship's tier.
For the orders action, the DC of the check equals 15 + 1-1/2 times your starship's tier.
For the moving speech action, the DC of the Diplomacy check equals 20 + 1-1/2 times your starship's tier.
Engineer Actions
For the divert action, the DC of the Engineering check equals 10 + 1-1/2 times your starship's tier.
For the hold it together action, the DC of the Engineering check equals 15 + 1-1/2 times your starship's tier.
For the patch action, the DCs of the Engineering check equal 10 + 1-1/2 times your starship's tier to patch the glitching critical damage condition, 15 + 1-1/2 times your starship's tier to patch the malfunctioning critical damage condition, and 20 + 1-1/2 times your starship's tier to patch the wrecked critical damage condition.
For the overpower action, the DC of the Engineering check equals 15 + 1-1/2 times your starship's tier.
For the quick fix action, the DC of the Engineering check equals 20 + 1-1/2 times your starship's tier.
Pilot Actions
For the maneuver action, the DC of the Piloting check equals 15 + 1-1/2 times your starship's tier.
For the audacious gambit action, the DC of the Piloting check equals 20 + 1-1/2 times your starship's tier.
Science Officer Actions
For the balance action, the DC of the Computers check equals 10 + 1-1/2 times your starship's tier.
For the scan action, the DC of the Computers check equals 5 + 1-1/2 times the tier of the starship being scanned + its bonus from defensive countermeasures.
For the target system action, the DC of the Computers check equals 5 + 1-1/2 times the tier of the enemy starship + its bonus from defensive countermeasures.
For the lock on action, the DC of the Computers check equals 5 + 1-1/2 times the tier of the target starship + its bonus from defensive countermeasures.
For the improve countermeasures action, the DC of the Computers check equals 5 + 1-1/2 times the tier of the target starship + its bonus from defensive countermeasures.
Male Lashunta (Korasha) Solarian 1 EAC 13 | KAC 14 | CMD 22 | SP 9 | HP 11 | F +4 | R +2 | W +2 | Perception +6 | Init +2
Just FYI, I will be out of pocket for just over 24 hours, at a Cub Scout campout. Feel free to use me for whatever nefarious purposes come to mind. I'll be back to posting tomorrow.
Go for it. Yamah can only use pistols (I read somewhere that *everyone* should take rifle proficiency, but what do I know?) so he has no use for them :)
I take it the armor isn't useful for us light-armor wearers?
