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Soryn waits for everyone's input... If the team isn't sure which way to go, he draws a high-end deck of cards from his backpack. "If we can't decide, then luck always can. High card gets the next visit."
Drawing King-high for Acquisitive, he smiles at Kadef, "Not sure if your lucky or not, but the cards agree with you. Let's do Kadef's least favorite first." Soryn puts the cards await and starts whistling a catchy tune as he starts off.
Pangea is happy to follow along to wherever... "But let's try to avoid kids and blue aliens!"
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"Since we have only one ring. This unit offers this idea. At the start of each mission one random person gets to wear it or pass it to whom ever they want to have it."
Seven of Eleven types out a simple numeric algorithm on his data pad.
After looking at the results
"So the Soryn Unit has control of the ring while we are on a mission for the Acquisitives and a new ring bearer will be picked when we go on a new faction mission. Does that work for eveyone?"
"Tis a precious idea!"
After some discussion about who to visit next, you finally decide on the Acquisitives. The head of the Acquisitives kept his Starfinder offices and the headquarters of his personal mercenary unit, the Obsidian Spiders, at the same location, in a luxurious neighborhood located under Absalom Station's transparent dome.
The plain white doors of the office slide open to reveal a stark, dimly lit room. The chamber is bleak and expressionless in its emptiness—no vanities line its smooth black walls, and no signs of use mar its smooth black furniture. The only occupants of the suite are a bug-eyed tadpole wriggling in a glowing blue aquarium and a reptilian vesk seated behind an onyx desk. The vesk gestures to a number of chairs in front of him, his features sharply illuminated by the light of his desk’s green holoscreen. “The new graduates,” he greets, in a low and pleasant voice. “Good day. I am Radaszam, though since you are here, I should hope you already knew."
“I trust you are aware of our Society’s traditions, so I will cut to the point. I have a minor situation that needs resolution. One of our members, a human named Laboni, had a rather public altercation with a junk scavenger from the Spike. You might be more familiar with the scavenger than I, actually; he is a ysoki who fancifully calls himself Ratrod. I am told he runs a popular racing competition that has, hmm, several hundreds of thousands of viewers on the station’s infosphere. For some reason, Laboni felt the need to tell him that any ‘real’ mechanic could easily beat the garbage that Ratrod and his associates slap together. Now that Ratrod has issued an infosphere-wide demand that she race him and prove it, Laboni doubts she can back that claim up."
“Embarrassing, isn’t it? Not really the sort of troublemaker that suits our Society. Perhaps she would be better suited to the bottom of a trash compactor... Well, we cannot afford to throw her out, not after so many Starfinders were lost in the Scoured Stars. Besides, we can’t let people think we are so weak that we can’t control our own members, or that we cannot stand up to a scrapyard junker. No, I would like you to assist Laboni in winning this race. Show our detractors that even the least of our Society is not someone to be trifled with.”
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Walking in, Kadef observes the spartan surroundings. His eyes linger on the aquarium. He sits as the gesture implies, and waits attentively while Radaszam speaks.
Cleanly functional habitat, but stylized. Polite, but marginally patronizing personality. Not what I expected from a vesk. Best to be direct, but deferential.
"Sir, we will do our best. When is the race, and what resources do we have available to help Laboni?"
When that's answered, Kadef follows up, "Is our aid to be merely technical support? Or should we take a more direct hand in determining the outcome?"
Kadef is fairly certain that the tadpole is the infant form of a Hibentian Wasp Frog. No one is quite sure why a frog would evolve fairy wings and a stinger, but in this infinite universe, some things are weirder than others.
"Straight to the point, eh? Good, because you don't have a lot of time. I was hoping you'd get here soon, because the race is in a couple of hours. It'll take you a half hour just to get to Botscrap at this time of day, so you'd best hurry. You'll figure out what to do when you get there. On the job training's the best sort there is!"
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Soryn walks up to the desk and taps lightly on the aquarium glass and gives the tadpole a little wave. Taking a slightly more formal stance, he nods to Radaszam, "Excellent then, teach Laboni some humility and self-control... Show Ratrod and the others in Botscap even a pip-off Starfinder isn't to be triffled with. I think sir, you'll find us remarkable skilled at both tasks." Soryn smirks and waits for confirmation (and any questions from the others), before leaving the office.
As he waits and walks, Soryn pulls some odds and ends out of his pack and mumbles to himself... Trying to recall what he can about the races, Ratrod, who's the best bookie to wager on the race, and anything else useful he can remember... He'll share what he knows (except maybe the bookie's name).
Pangea raises her shield in a salute: "Long live the Acquistives!"
And then gets ready to leave.
Soryn knows quite a bit about the races, having followed them for some time. The races are held in an area of the Spike known as Botscrap. Basically, the racers bring a pre-made chassis, and then are given several hours to scrounge around the scrap heaps and junk piles of Botscrap to improve their racers. Vehicles must be ground effect propulsion (no flying), and can have both armor and weapons. Weapons must be non-lethal and be fired at competitors' vehicles only - though "accidents" have been known to happen. Sometimes the vehicles are piloted remotely, which is allowed as long as a living driver remains seated and in control of the vehicle.
Soryn has seen the races twice, a riotous crowd surrounding a circuitous track some 3,000 feet long, and littered with junk pile obstacles. They are fast, furious, and more than a little crazy. Ratrod's Salvage Union gang runs both Botscrap and the races, and the ysoki is considered to be one of the top drivers.
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Kadef knows a dismissal when he hears it. He bows shortly from the waist. "Sir."
Kadef is quietly impressed by Soryn's wealth of knowledge. "Most interesting, almost a complete sub-culture. I had no idea anything like this was happening on the station."
"What exactly are the rules? Can we interfere with their attempts to 'scrounge' materials?"
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Once the party have left the Acquisitives HQ Sittnym
"It's hard to disagree with the notion that we can't let some loud mouthed low-ranking member affect the reputation of the Starfinders. Soryn, you clearly know a lot about these races - do you know the rules well? Can we come up with some kind of plan on the way? I'm not sure there's much I can offer in terms of improving the racer, but I may be able to help understand and negotiate with some of the denizens of the Spike we'll be dealing with."
Ratrod’s racing circuit is a hollowed-out section of a mountain of spare parts in Botscrap, the track specifically sanctioned by the ysoki-dominated Salvage Union mercenary gang that controls most of the yards. When you arrive at the competitors’ entrance, a small robot informs you of Laboni's pit location, and of the basic rules of the race:
Laboni wasn't hard to pick out at her pit station, as she was dressed in a bright white lab coat over paisley clothing. She was a human female in her late teens, and she looked at you a little sheepishly as you approached.
"My crew seems to have mistaken the date of the race. Can one of you lend a hand and grab this fairing while I try and stabilize it? Thanks."
"We were told you weren't "fairing" well, so we are now your crew! What must we do to win this race?"
"Oh, wow, thanks I really appreciate this. So, you really want to help? I don't suppose any of you are any good at remote piloting a junkracer? Or firing weapons? I'm a good mechanic, but despite my tongue speeding off faster than my brain can think, I'm not that great of a pilot. According to the rules, I can have a pilot and a couple of gunners helping me out. I'll also need some help scavenging around this place looking for weapons or parts to improve this junkracer. Any help you can give would be amazing."
Everyone can have up to 4 pre-race actions, each of which needs to be accompanied by an appropriate roll. You can try a single action multiple times, but try and be aware that if you have 4 people wanting to make engineering checks, don't use all of our actions on engineering. Spread them around a bit.
Please post no more than 2 rounds' actions at a time, as you might want to see what successes others have had before you move on. ALL actions will help here, so even the social or non-engineering/computers folks should be useful.
Improve Laboni's junkracer
You can spend an action to attempt a Computers, Engineering, Perception, or Physical Science check to find parts in the scrapyard and install them in Laboni’sracer; the foolwoing improvements can be made. These are cumulative bonuses, so the same improvement can be made multiple times.
Laboni's junkracer currently has the following stats:
Speed 40 ft., full 400 ft.
EAC 10; KAC 12
Attack energy weapon (–4 to Piloting)
Modifiers +2 Piloting, –3 attack
Investigating the competition
You can scout out your opponents with Sense Motive checks, or scope out their vehicles with an Engineering check. On a successful check, you gain one useful bit of information about the opponent or their vehicle.
Sabotage
You can attempt to sabotage an opponent's vehicle, but you must dodge the eyes of everyone in the stadium and the pilot in question. This requires a Stealth check, followed by an Engineering check to successfully sabotage the vehicle. There are penalties for being caught.
Socialization
You can take the time to chat up the other pilots. This might prove beneficial in the long term. Use whatever social skill you feel appropriate.
"Oh, by the way, I just got the final list of racers for this run. in addition to me and Ratrod, there is a gnome named Lemgem, a fairly famous ryphorian former soldier named Nyizin, a damaya lushunta called Orsis, and Velocity, a cold as nails android. That last one has a nasty habit of installing heavy weaponry and spending the entire race shooing at the other pilots, winning be damned!"
Pangea nods to Laboni, and starts looking around the junk pile, trying to locate something interesting.
Finding a nice set of rubber tubing, she brings it back: "Use this where the fuel intake doubles back, and you should gain speed."
Pangea saunters over towards the famed Ryphorian soldier: "Hey, Nyizin, how are things? Go Triaxus! I'm all for you! Yay! A Diaspora gal' myself... Oh, wow, look at that RACER! What's this? You changed things? What is new? Ha... you must have some strategy?!"
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"Does it state in the rules if teams can or can not attack other teams during salvage operations? If it is aloud we need to collect salvage in groups, my weapons only do lethal damage. which is against the rules."
Seven of Eleven looks around for parts that will help with the EAC
"These magnetic cuplers and diffusers should create a barrier to help deflect energy strikes."
Then he looks for something to help with the KAC
"I was able to find some Duranium plates that will help block projectiles and is still light weight.
A strong defense is the best offense, this unit has been told."
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Soryn takes a moment to introduce himself to Laboni before becoming more serious, "We are here to help, and we will. Help you learn how to handle yourself. If your going to run with the big time, you need to act big time..." Soryn scans the crowd around and continues, "You need to watch the trash talk, that's to ramp up the odds not anger. You pip off to the wrong racer and you won't worry about winning or losing. They'll make sure it's the last accident you have." Soryn puts his hand on Laboni's shoulder, "Plus, you're a Starfinder and better than that. So, this is what your going to do... Sincerely apologize to Ratrod. So that everyone can see Starfinders are the better person,to get inside his head and throw him off his game, and to hope that any accidents can be averted." As he finishes, he gives Laboni a nudge with the hand on her shoulder.
"Hey, I think this railgun is still working..."
Soryn reaches out telepathically to the other Lashunta. "Hey, nice ride. Since you've got first place with that machine, think you can give some pointers on how to hold onto second?" Soryn extends his hand in a friendly greeting.
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Sittnym will use her Empath powers to try and gain insights into the competition -- any concerns/anxieties they may have, any trick cards they intend to play, etc.
She begins by observing Ratrod, she's suspicious of the race's organiser also being a participant. To her mind that power seems ripe for abuse and so she watches him for a while as he goes about his preparations.
Next she moves closer to the Gnome Lemgem and observing them in their preparations, she doesn't know much about Gnomes but what she does know (that they are tinkerers) makes her think this one will have an edge.
Pangea managed to scrounge some boosts to Laboni's junkracer's speed, which would be good in the long run, assuming that the woman could stay on the thing. Then she went out to chat up the ryphorian, Nyizin. She could see that the woman was confident, but also a bit angry. A quick word with one of the woman's crew told her why. Nyizin's dragonkin partner was killed in an altercation about a month ago, and the woman has been mourning ever since. She is determined to win at any cost to honor her fallen companion. Her junkracer has a one-shot mod on it that can boost her speed. Of course, it might destroy the racer while it was at it.
Seven of Eleven, true to his nature, is completely focused on upgrading the junkracer's hardware. His eye for mechanical things aids him as he finds some equipment to bolster the racer's armor against both kinetic and energy strikes. And, looking about the field, there are plenty of both weapons to be seen.
Soryn gave Laboni a tongue thrashing - and not the good kind - and then found and mounted a railgun to her racer. It had a swivel mount, giving it a 30-degree arc of fire to both the fore and aft quadrants. That done, he sought out Orsis to talk with a fellow lashunta. The unfairly good-looking Orsis was clad in black and gold, his outfit matching his racer, and he looked more like a professional driver than someone competing at an ad hoc facility like this. The lashunta looked at Soryn disdainfully for a moment, then smiled. After a few moments of talking, Orsis clapped Soryn on the back and started explaining the process of remote-piloting a junkracer, complete with swooping hand gestures and a discussion of relative orientation as the racer would be at various angles to the remote pilot throughout the course.
Sittnym didn't get to spend much time with Ratrod, as the ysoki was wary of anyone from Laboni's team. He obviously took offense at Laboni's challenge to his supremacy, and is planning on doing what it takes to knock her out of the race. His ego is fragile, apparently, and could be his weak point. Lemgem was a gnome who was all about speed. From the moment Sittnym started talking to her, the blue-haired gnome was going on about how she had tweaked the engines of her junkracer to get the most out of them, and how she was debating using a tibanna-gas pump that she found to give it an extra boost. The only reason she hadn't done it yet was that she wasn't sure the pump's containment unit would handle the overpressure.
Go ahead and make your free skill checks, if you got one, and then your Round 3-4 actions.
Nurn and Kadef can make all 4 actions now, if they choose, or post them 2 at a time and wait for the results.
Pangea remembers about these dragonkin, some holovid watched during a long Drift trip... and she talks about that, and bonding, and the sadness of death, trying to endear herself to Nyizin.
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Sittnym is aware that she's not very intimidating and extremely wary of offending the Ysoki when their mission could be put at risk, so she'll concede defeat and not press Ratrod.
Does she happen to know whether Lemgem's racer is remote piloted? Sittnym won't encourage her to overclock it if there's a risk to someone piloting/riding the vehicle.
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After speaking with Orsis, Soryn returns to the pit to see how the modifications are progressing. He turns to Laboni, "How'd the apology go?" If Laboni hasn't apologized, Soryn glares sternly at her and again, in his best fatherly and reproachful voice, asks her to do so. He also takes a moment to talk to (on the comm if needed) each team member to see what they've learned.
Soryn looks over the control systems, and asks Seven "Hey, if we enhance the response time for the controls and transfer that power to the fuel system ... Wouldn't that increase the speed?"
Soryn wanders away talking about needing to relieve himself. He makes his way to the crowd to a secluded spot. He takes out some items from his pack and from the junk piles around him, putting together a quick disguise.
Once Soryn is comfortable that he won't be recognized, he makes his way to Ratrod's pit area. Soryn uses his knowledge of the races to pass himself off as a longtime viewed and better then, with the information Sittnym gathered, he works the Ysoki's buttons to frustrate and irate him to the point he makes mistakes in the race.
Once he's sure Ratrod is worked up enough to lose focus, Soryn fades back into the crowds. Finds a quiet spot to remove his disguise, and goes back to the group complaining about the lines to rest facilities.
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Kadef watches the others spread out. Noting their directions, he walks off toward the other teams' pits, finding himself in the android's, Velocity's, pit. He engages the pit crew in conversation about the upcoming race.
Finally he spies the android itself. "Velocity, how do you feel about the field today? Looks like a good chance that you could win."
Velocity looked at Kadef and responded. "Please go away. I am busy preparing for this race. I have not come in first place in 154 attempts, but eventually I shall succeed."
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"Wouldn't it be something special to win today Lemgem? Especially when all eyes are on Ratrod and the Starfinder who challenged him. How strong do you think your chances are? Does the extra boost improve those chances?"
Whatever happens with Lemgem, Sittnym next turns her attention to the Android Velocity.
She attempts to be discrete as she investigates Velocity, standing with any observers (or crew members) and engaging them in light conversation. She'll be expressing interested ignorance in the race and its participants as she focuses her antennae on Velocity and reaches out to read their mood
Culture: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (20) + 4 = 24
Pangea remembers about these dragonkin, some holovid watched during a long Drift trip... and she talks about that, and bonding, and the sadness of death, trying to endear herself to Nyizin.
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"Soryn, yes this unit does agree that would increase the velocity of the junker, expecially with this flux capacitor. It will allow the 1.21 gigawatts to get to the drive unit when the wheel revolutions reach 88."
"The Laboni unit stated that she in in need of a pilot and gunners. Are any of you skilled in such acts? Those of you with the appropriate skills what do you want done to the junkracer? We have one rail gun, armor and have made it go faster."
WIth Seven of Eleven's knowledge of the criminal underworld, what sneaky tactics are normal from the other racers.
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Back at our pits:
"Soryn, yes this unit does agree that would increase the velocity of the junker, expecially with this flux capacitor. It will allow the 1.21 gigawatts to get to the drive unit when the wheel revolutions reach 88."
"The Laboni unit stated that she in in need of a pilot and gunners. Are any of you skilled in such acts? Those of you with the appropriate skills what do you want done to the junkracer? We have one rail gun, armor and have made it go faster."
[dice=PHYSICAL SCIENCE to increase speed]1d20+11
WIth Seven of Eleven's knowledge of the criminal underworld, what sneaky tactics are normal from the other racers.
[dice=CULTURE] 1d20+8
"I am not much of a shot, but I have flown a wide variety of atmospheric and space craft. I will of course defer to anyone with greater skill or experience with terrestrial craft."
Pangaea recites a traditional ryphorian poem for the dead, and Nyizin stares at her for a moment before smiling and wiping a single tear from her eye. "Thank you. That was...that was perfect. Ricordan would have liked you, I think. Do you know anything about burst mods? Here, let me show you. It's a one time trick, but..."
Lemgem thinks on Suttnym's words for a moment, then excitedly bursts out, "Fine, I'll do it! You're right. Even a chance at showing up Ratrod on his big day is worth it!" She grabs the tibanna-gas pump and starts attaching the various hoses to one of her engines.
Sittnym chats with Velocity for a moment, realizing that the android is a terrific pilot, but a mediocre mechanic. Perhaps if someone on your team can help the android improve his racer, he will ally himself with you.
Kadef chatted with Ratrod and Orsis for a bit before returning to the pit to see how things were going with the junkracer. Ratrod was still intimidated by Soryn's actions, and he spat out trash talk to one of Laboni's crew. He said flat out that he was going to turn all his weapons on the loudmouthed Starfinder, and wouldn't stop until she was out of the race. Orsis still had a good impression of Laboni's crew, thanks to Soryn's befriending him. He is a good pilot and gunner, but will probably not fire on Laboni unless he is fired on by her.
Seven of Eleven implemented Soryn's plan, making a few tweaks of his own, increasing Laboni's speed even more. The woman looked a little nervous as she realized how much faster the junkracer was about to be. He tried to think about sneaky tactics from the other racers, but realized the possibilities were far too many unless he wanted to take the time to investigate each racer more thoroughly.
Laboni's junkracer, currently:
Speed 55 ft., full 550ft.
EAC 11; KAC 13
Attack energy weapon (–4 to Piloting)
Attack kinetic weapon (–4 to Piloting)
Modifiers +4 Piloting, –3 attack
Burst mod: double speed for one round, with a 50% chance of permanently halving your speed after
Information learned, actions influenced:
Still need Round 3 actions from Pangea
Still need Round 4 actions from Seven of Eleven, Sittnym, and Pangea
You have pretty much socialized the HELL out of all the opponents, but you can still improve Laboni's racer with a Computers, Engineering, Perception, or Physical Science check.
Also, if you help the android, Velocity will ally with you.
Pangea thanks Nyizin warmly.
Pangea spends her time kicking around the junk pile, picking things out that can boost the racer's speed.
She comes back and tries out all the stuff she collected.
"Maybe this?"
"Or that?!"
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"Greetings unit known as Velocity. My desanation is Seven of Eleven and this unit is part of the Laboni's team. You spoke with one of our team members, unit Sittnym, who requested that I offer my assistance with your racer if you will accept."
"Here is your issue, you are using too small of a fuel lines and your bearings on the turbo fan are warn out. That broken hydro pump over there uses the same bearing and are higher quality due to the fluid temperatures. Both are easily replaced let me show you.
Seven of Eleven with modify the junker as the team decides (for his round four action).
Sittnum told the others of Velocity's mood, and the possible benefits of helping the android. Then, she and Pangea wen to poring through junkpiles looking for anything of interest. Unfortunately, neither of them really knew what to look for, and the flegershaft that they brought to Laboni was badly bent...in the wrong direction...and had something welded to the end that looked embarrassingly like a banana.
At Sittnym's advice, Seven of Elevn goes over to Velocity and trikes up a conversation with his fellow android about engine upgrades. the two managed to eke out a little more speed from the Vertron 800s that Velocity had installed, but Seven of Eleven knew that the old beasts couldn't safely take much more power. Velocity was grateful, and promised to fire on anyone ahead of Laboni's racer, and to even take second place if the human was in the lead!
And then, it seemed as if time had flown by because a small robot showed up at the pit to tell Laboni it was time for the race. She wheeled her custom racer away, and gave you a thumbs up. Hopefully all your hard work would pay off!
Check the Roll20 game and you will see a new map! We will be running counterclockwise around the track, and each division is 25 feet, so 3000 feet in all. This will be a long encounter, so hang on tight!
Do you guys have your roles in place? We need a pilot and two gunners. If you aren't acting as one of these roles, you can use Aid Other actions to boost. Gunnery tends to need the most help, as the remote rig has hefty penalties for shooting.
Laboni's junkracer, currently:
Speed 55 ft., full 550ft.
EAC 11; KAC 13
Attack energy weapon (–4 to Piloting)
Attack kinetic weapon (–4 to Piloting)
Modifiers +4 Piloting, –3 attack
Burst mod: double speed for one round, with a 50% chance of permanently halving your speed after
THE RACE
Each turn of the race includes two phases: First, all the competitors fire their weapons at their chosen targets. Second, all the pilots attempt Piloting checks to determine their positions in the race. Any number of players can each control a single weapon during the firing phase, whereas only one player can act during the piloting phase. You can use the Aid Other action to help any single player during any phase, but you may only aid a single player per turn. Actions during each of the race phases occur simultaneously, so there is no need to determine an order or initiative.
Phase 1: All racers may fire their weapons by rolling a ranged attack roll against their target competitor’s vehicle EAC (for energy weapons) or KAC (for kinetic weapons), with a bonus or penalty equal to the vehicle’s attack modifier. Each weapon can be fired only once per round. Successful weapon attacks impose Piloting penalties (usually – 4, unless the weapon was upgraded using one of the PCs’ prerace actions) that last for the rest of the turn.
Phase 2: Once all the weapons have been fired and the relevant Piloting penalties have been applied to each driver, each racer must attempt a DC 16 Piloting check, modified by the vehicle’s Piloting bonus. Success means the vehicle moves at its full speed along the track (for the purposes of this race, assume a junkracer’s full speed is equal to the vehicle’s speed × 10). Failure causes the vehicle to crash into piles of junk on the sidelines, forcing it to move at half speed (the vehicle’s speed × 5) on the circuit; failure by more than 10 points causes the vehicle to get stuck and not move at all for that round.