[SFS, Campaign Mode] GM Blake's Against the Aeon Throne

Game Master Blake's Tiger

"Anyone know what we're going to find at these coordinates? At least, which part of space we're heading toward?" Haro asks.

"I'll put up an online poll."

"I'll tell you where you can shove your pole..." Rril mutters not quite to himself.

Speaking a little louder, he announces, [b]"The only way to see what's there to find is to get there!"

[b]"Wherever 'there' is..." Rril once again mutters somewhat quietly.

The prison moon of Gulta is within the bounds of the Azlanti Star Empire.

Aibretta smiles and says, "Well, she's almost ready. Give us a couple more hours and the engines will be fueled and primed. We've refurbished a bigger power core for you to use and added four more thrusters. Found you some escape pods--we hope you'll never need them."

The Hunter's Bounty appears to have also gained several layers of corrugated metal.

"We also installed a few bells and whistles with a system upgrade: holovid suite and a science lab," she adds. "Feel free to check her out while we get the power core and engines ready to fly."

Antenor sits back in the pilot seat. "It's been too long. Hope I remember how to fly...." his tone is juuuust the right mix of joking and worrying.

"The Dream's never looked better." notes Rril as he examines the upgrades to his ship.

"Still, I can't say I'm thrilled about the idea of flying towards a prison moon." he notes. "I've spent most of my time looking for a way in the opposite direction."

Haro laughs at Antenor's joke and also admires the ship. Taking the captain's chair, he reclines and puts his feet up.

"Prison moon or no, I'll get my quarry. I'm getting antsy--let's fire this baby up!"

While you familiarize yourself with the changes to your ship, Madelon's voice breaks over the comms, “My friends, I apologize for interrupting you, but I have some serious news. We’ve been able to get our communications array partially working again, and we’ve picked up some chatter that reveals a large Azlanti ship approaching orbit. It’s the vessel--I believe it’s called the Barazad--that destroyed our comm station and deposited the small army that kept us under their thumb until your timely intervention. Even with control of the garrison’s weapons, I’m afraid the ship will be able to destroy much of our settlement and kill dozens if allowed to get any closer. Please, hurry, in the name of the Lawgiver! Intercept the Barazad before it can rain death upon us!”

"Well, so much for priming the engines," Aibretta says. "For all our sake, I hope you don't explode on lift off." The engineer makes her way toward the rear hatch.

No rest for the weary (or the wicked).

Ship positions are fixed. You may adjust the facing of the Hunter's Bounty, if you wish. The Barazad's facing is fixed.

 »I hope you don’t explode at all, but you explode THEM! »
Says Del as he goes to leave with Aibretta.

"Battle stations!" Haro exclaims, a broad smile splitting his face.

"Let's do this thing!"

"Better not have messed with the sights. I just got those things calibrated..."

Rril sighs, then takes up a position and a firing station. Flipping a series of switches, he activates the link for the turret guns.

Steve yawns as his foot twitches in his sleep. Kicked back in his chair his toes nudge against a level, sending extra boosts of energy into the engines.

Divert Power to Engines.

Engineering: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (1) + 11 = 12 Fail.

Facing is fine. Do we have a link to our ship's current stats? Asking for a friend who wants to know what side to point at the bad guy.

The ship slides were at the bottom of the slide deck. I moved them closer to the top.

Someone might want to contrive a reason or extend an invitation for Del to stay on board. You'll be back down to the ground at the end of this battle--one way or another--but, you know, it's boring to do nothing.

Ship Combat!
Any Time
Captain

Engineering
Steve: Divert to Engines (failed)

Helm
Science Officer
Pilot Initiative (if 15 or less, do Pilot action, else wait)

Earlier

"Hey Del, looks like we've got a fight ahead of us, and you seem like you'd know your way around a scanner. Got another battle in you?"

Haro looks at his console.

"Open fire! Send them back to the bottom of the sea where they belong!"

diplomacy (to Encourage gunner): 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (4) + 7 = 11 If beats DC 10, Gunner gets +2 to hit.

There's nothing like a space combat to decide that someone should stay on!

Piloting: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (15) + 9 = 24

Enemy has moved. Pilot may act/move ship.

1d20 + 9 ⇒ (2) + 9 = 11

Rusty, Antenor tries some fancy flying, but only AFTER trying does he realize the upgrades are on the other side..... not a great start.

"Oh, okay! Yes, no one's better with a spanner than me!"
Del rushes on board, and starts checking all the nuts and bolts...

Please let me know what Piloting maneuver you're trying when you roll, since some of them have penalties for failure. I'm going to assume that was Evasive Maneuvers, although it doesn't look like the ship moved.

The Barazad opens fire as your own gunners take aim and fire.

Ship Combat! Gunnery Phase (and any pending Sci Officer actions)
Any Time
Rril: Encourage Lors @ gunnery

Engineering
Steve: Divert to Engines (failed)

Helm
Science Officer
Antenor: Evasive Maneuvers (failed) (move?)

Gunnery

Rril: Encourage Lors @ gunnery

Haro did the encouraging. Rril plans on shooting.

"After you, my lady!" offers Rril to the shobhad. "I'll mop up."

Allowing Lors to take her pick of weapons, Rril fires the remaining forward firing (or turreted) weapons.

Lors likes the big guns ;-)

Lors winces as the system is slow to boot up all the tracking information, lagging behind by crucial microseconds. I'll just have to take my best guess at leading this thing to adjust...

Gunnery (Encourage, CPU): 1d20 + 5 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 5 + 2 + 1 = 16
Damage: 4d8 ⇒ (2, 2, 3, 5) = 12

Apologies, I did move the ship, but I failed to take evasive maneuvers.

That was indeed Haro that encouraged earlier, so I've already acted.

Not sure who is up.

The Barazad and the Hunter's Bounty trade ineffectual light laser fire while Lors fires the heavy laser right through the Azlanti vessel's forward shields. A moment later, the Bounty's proximity alerts blare giving you a split second to brace before a torpedo explodes over your nose, depleting your own forward shields and scratching the new paint.

Ship Combat! Round 2.
Ship Status on Slide.

Engineering Phase

Pilot: Initiative. If you score < 19, move ship and everyone can act. Else wait.

Haro smirks at the exchange of fire. "You can do better than that, gunners! If you want to be as famous as I am, you'll need some more kills!"

diplomacy (to Encourage gunner): 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (20) + 7 = 27 If beats DC 10, Gunner gets +2 to hit.

Pilot: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (1) + 9 = 10 What a time to have cursed dice. Sigh.

Antenor gives an expletive laden string of frustration as he misses an opening. He tries to keep things on the hero's side though with a bit of fancy flying.

Pilot: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (10) + 9 = 19 This time he manages to flip, spin, and slide a bit to make for a harder target. Evasive maneuvers

If it's in the front arc

Lors cursed under her breath as Antenor bobbed and jinked, trying to compensate for the extra movement before unleashing another ravening bolt of energy into the void.

Heavy Cannon: 1d20 + 5 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (14) + 5 + 2 + 1 = 22 Encourage goes to Rril's turret if out of arc though.
Damage: 4d8 ⇒ (5, 6, 8, 8) = 27

If not

"Damnit! Antenor, keep that thing in front of us!"

The Barazad passes across your port.

Ship Combat! Round 2.
Ship Status on Slide.

Engineering Phase

Pilot
Antenor: Evasive Maneuvers (success)

Science Officer

Gunnery (Turret Only)

"I see you like the big guns." notes Rril after Lots fires her shot. He curses as the enemy ship move around. "Stay still so I can hit you better."

He fires the linked turret.

Gunnery w/computer: 1d20 + 6 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 6 + 1 = 8
Damage: 4d4 ⇒ (1, 2, 2, 3) = 8

"Easy there, hot shot," Haro says too Antenor. "Rril, it's coming back on starboard--watch for it!"

diplomacy (to Encourage gunner): 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (15) + 7 = 22 If beats DC 10, Gunner gets +2 to hit.

Steve's foot kicks the lever all the way forward as he twitches in his sleep from his stomach rumbling with hunger.

Divert Power to Engines.

Engineering: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (19) + 11 = 30

Del stops screwing around with the bolts and nuts and puts his spanner away, to go check out the scanner.
He fiddles around with it, trying to get a clear picture of who they are up against.
"So, you're the one that attacked my community!"

Computers vs. DC of 5 + 1.5 × tier of enemy starship + bonus from countermeasures: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (7) + 10 = 17

Del's initial scan reveals:

|Crew: 6 | Medium Explorer | Speed 8 (Good) |
|AC 14 | TL 14 | HP: 48/55 | Shields: 5 x 4 Quadrants | PCU 130 |

The Barazad passes out of Lors' view. Rril turns the turret and fires across its bow. Laser cannons on the Barazad's port fire back, absorbed by the shields, and another torpedo collides with the port shields, depleting them.

Ship Combat! Round 3

Captain (any phase)

Engineering

Pilot (Initiative): If you roll < 26, move ship and all other phases may act as well.

Steve shudders awake. "Attack!? What attack?" His arm spins the power control right into the weapons systems.

Divert Power to Weapons.

Engineering: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (11) + 11 = 22

Pilot: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (13) + 9 = 22 Dammit! He's better than me. I can't get the
wind in my sails!" I'm on mobile until tomorrow, will try to update map.

Antenor tries some fancy flying:
Evade: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (5) + 9 = 14 Fail

Suspecting that the Barazad will evade her arc again, Lors nevertheless readies the big guns.

Lasers: 1d20 + 5 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 5 + 1 = 12
Damage: 4d8 ⇒ (8, 7, 7, 8) = 30

"Come on, guys! You're freaking me out! Blast that thing!" Haro calls out.

diplomacy (to Encourage gunner): 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (7) + 7 = 14 If beats DC 10, Gunner gets +2 to hit.

I assume Haro's encouragement always goes to the "big gun".

Rril attempts to line up a shot with the linked turret.

"I said, 'STAY STILL'!" cries the gunner as he triggers the cannons.

Gunnery w/computer: 1d20 + 6 + 1 ⇒ (11) + 6 + 1 = 18
Damage: 4d4 ⇒ (1, 3, 4, 3) = 11
I believe the diverted power makes that 1 a 2, so 12 damage.

"Maybe now, you'll listen to me." he smirks as the beams strike the enemy vessel.

The Barazad circles around to come at your--at least, previously and possibly still--unshielded bow. This allows both vessels to bring their most powerful weapons to bear, but this may be much worse for the unshielded Bounty than the Azlanti vessel.

I'll give Del some time to act, in case he wants to hop over and help in Engineering.

Note to self: PC's 1s are 2s

My scan was not this round? (I thought I had acted this round)
If I can do Engineering...

"You've diverted to guns, Steve?!
Who wants what?--"

Del is ready to give extra speed to the ship.

Engineering DC 10 + 1.5 x tier: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (6) + 10 = 16

The Barazad's gambit did not pay off as well as it hoped as the Bounty's forward laser, with Haro's encouragement dispelling Lors' hesitation, and turret fire tear through its forward shields and blast plating from across the ship.

Need 4d100 from Lors OR Rril

The Azlanti's coilgun tears into the Bounty's bow and damages your sensors (-2 to Science Officer tasks). A torpedo flies toward the cockpit but can't get a lock, flying past. A moment later a torpedo reappears in front of the Bounty and flies toward the cockpit again, but it once again fails to get a lock and heads off into space.

Ship Combat! Round 4

Captain (any phase)

Engineering

Pilot Initiative (less than 22, move ship and act first)

Need 4d100 from Lors OR Rril

Coming up: 4d100 ⇒ (80, 44, 16, 67) = 207

"Are we there already?" Steve's stomach gurgles loudly as it begins to eat him from the inside out. He leaves the full brunt of the power systems humming into the weapons. "Anyone have anything to eat?"

Divert Power to Weapons.

Engineering: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (5) + 11 = 16

Del also tries to divert power to make the ship go faster--
Engineering DC10+ 1,5 x tier: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (3) + 10 = 13

Pilot Initiative: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (3) + 9 = 12 Killing me! Even with their malfunctioning engines I'm coming up short. Despite the amazing shooting, Antenor struggles to one-up the enemy. He does his best:

Pilot Initiative: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (1) + 9 = 10 Seriously!

The Akitonian does his best to keep the ship in his sights.

"Come on, time to get serious!"

diplomacy (to Encourage gunner): 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (14) + 7 = 21 If beats DC 10, Gunner gets +2 to hit.

"That's right, that's right. Straight ahead, duel us. You know you want to prove yourself..."

Big GUNS (Encouraged if in arc): 1d20 + 5 + 1 + 2 ⇒ (14) + 5 + 1 + 2 = 22
Damage: 4d8 ⇒ (7, 4, 3, 7) = 21