SFS Signal of Screams—Campaign Mode (Inactive)

Game Master KingTreyIII

Boron salutes: "As we were, aye captain."

Um... GM? Not to be a stickler but... I keep noticing you do really kinda lethal things with our non-lethal attacks? I mean, blowing someone's hand off is pretty solidly in the "Could kill them" category. Or having their eye gouged out by the needler, ect. The rules say that "Nonlethal damage represents harm that can knock you out instead of killing you" and I feel like the fluff your including is a little at odds with our characters actions. After all, it's gonna be a little hard for the inspector to go "I'm sorry, I was just trying to knock you out so that I didn't have to really hurt you" when the result is to blow someone's hand completely off.

Starfinder, as far as I can find, also doesn't have the rule about nonlethal stacking up into lethal damage, just in case that was the reason for the fluff change.

You make a very excellent point—and I do indeed hear it—to which I rebut with this: isn’t this the kind of concern you should be having in-character rather than out-of-character. Xagyg’s gun was set to stun, so why did it blow off a guy’s or agender android’s hand? Jacob’s Needler was merciful, so why did it gouge out someone’s eye? I understand your concern, but I would like to say one thing: Volcklon is the only one who actually explicitly stated that he checked that his gun was on stun or that his merciful fusion was turned on. :)

Sadistic fearmongering aside, I...honestly forgot XD I’m not that used to PCs dealing so much Nonlethal damage and I’m enjoying myself a bit TOO much with how I flavor crits. The above was more of a way to not have to do some serious retcons on my part, but it is an excellent idea wrings hands maliciously

That said, I will try to be better on that front, and I apologize for the dissonance in character actions and GM flavor, but I’m a strict adherent of the ideology of “what’s said is said, so let’s just move on.” May not be the best of philosophies, but I’d rather not contradict myself retroactively unless we’re talking about potential PC death.

Again, though, that’s 100% my bad. Probably shouldn’t post when I’m tired...

But I’m going to be responsible for my actions: Xagyg didn’t blow off Lomer’s hand and Boron didn’t lodge his pickaxe in Virlae’s shoulder. Jacob shooting Cthesa in the eye is going to stay, though, and I’m going to attribute it to “Jacob thought he was shooting nonlethally because he was hallucinating,” because I actually kinda have plans for that one. It’s largely going to be a non-issue (as you’ll soon see), but I hope we all are on the same page and that you’ll forgive your GM for being a sleep-deprived knucklehead who makes mistakes; but considering all of the stuff I have to keep track of, I think I’m justified in making a flavor mistake every now and then.

Thank you for bringing that to my attention nonetheless, Jacob. I really need to stop rambling.

And I also tend to take things a bit TOO personally but that’s my problem, not your guys’, so please excuse me for defending myself very...fervently. I’m kind of a—and this is the technical term—hot mess.

EDIT: And someone please shut me up before I dig myself any deeper into this pessimistic hole of “I feel personally attacked (even though I logically know that that wasn’t the intent)” that I’ve dug myself...

Please don't take mistakes personally.
The thing is that GMs make mistakes ALL the time (I'm including myself at the top of the list). But on tabletop it often flows past since things go fast and such (I find out about all the things I forgot or messed up afterwards all the time).
In PbP everything pops up because we have so much time between each action that we all (GM, players) spot every little thing.
So it's not about you at all, I think, it's more about PbP and its scrutiny.
For example: yesterday I forgot that unwieldy weapons cannot be used to make AoOs (which is like SFS 101) and so on...
Besides, all the fluff is sure fun! And you are running, in my eyes at least, a super enjoyable adventure! For which I thank you.
And a rather creepy, scary one...
So don't think you're in any hole, and the rules stuff we'll all work out (as we all mess up just like you - like my forgetting Boron's Theme thing is visual etc.).

I agree, no personal attack meant, and I totally am fine with the idea that Jacob's attempt at dealing non-lethal damage while under the affects of a hallucination where not as non-lethal as he wanted it to be.

Your an awesome GM Xavier, truly one of the best I've had the pleasure of playing for, and I appreciate that your trying to keep track of as much as you are. :) Things like your awesome flavor in attacks are exactly the kind of thing I like... just wanted to make sure we where communicating effectively on things.

As someone who is, to use the medical term, also a "Hot mess", I totally understand where your coming from, so no worries!

@Jacob: if I get it right, to ID a thing is free in SFS, like PFS. You just see it and remember what you know.
The BioHacker can use its scanner to do so, but that's an action. Which is not weird, since you are using some contraption to analyze and then read the analysis.
It's more powerful since you only need two skills to cover everything, so that's what you pay for it.

As for injecting allies, as I said before, it should be that, I think , that if you stick the injection itself (the needle) in an adjacent (or within reach if you have reach) willing ally, you don't need to roll to touch.
You do need to roll to touch when you are shooting (at range).

Ah, that makes much more sense.

Yeah, originally I thought I could still do it as a free action and meant to just walk over to Boron and stick him, but now that I know it's a move I'd rather hang back and test my luck. Thankfully it worked out, cause even with my +10 total to hit your still tough. But yeah, definitely would prefer to stand next to and stick if I can help it.

Also, I can only imagine boron getting more and more annoyed with Jacob using him has a weaponized guinea pig.

You get a +1 (Insight I think, or just flat +1) to use your injection weapons (did you count that?) and when you shoot at an ally the target is considered flat footed (meaning -2 ac), but still, it is tough.
My feeling is that this will change when the BioHacker comes out, since it seems that was a very common problem: a 3/4 BAB having to shoot the front liner with its high AC (since it is often the front liner that needs boosting) and thus losing a fair % of your injections...

Just because you asked, I agree with Boron not rolling to get rid of the acid.
For sure, since he is confused and hurting himself he's not going to try to reduce this hurting himself!
"Bad Dwarf! Burn!"

...not that it matters right now, but Boron? Is there a reason you aren't using the Lashunta Ringwear III and Illuminating Merciful Wrack Devastation Blade that we were given (and which were earmarked for you)? Both are substantially better than your existing equipment...

As I said when it was given, Boron has no reason to wear some sportsman's old armor or tote around his sword.
Especially in a holiday resort.
So I am waiting for something to happen that would warrant him using them.
Like this fight!

It was all written in detail in the spoiler above: @ 0 SP 0 HP 5/6 RP and stabilized
Not conscious
He does not struggle at all to do anything.

He got healed for 14 HP before he got full-attacked by the worms again; Boron was briefly conscious before he wasn’t again. Jacob just healed Boron again so Boron is conscious (but can’t take an action this round because he was unconscious when his turn came around.

It is a full round action to use a serum on an unconscious or helpless person, so I am missing how he produces the serum (move) and uses it as a full action.

@Jacob:
• you took "Field Dressing" as one of your theorems.
As a standard action, you can use your custom scanner to quickly render medical aid to an adjacent, willing creature.
Meaning you could have used that on Boron without rolling to attack (as a standard action) - plus (but that's my personal feeling, could be totally wrong, it might be better to employ daily uses you have, rather than expend consumables).
It heals the 1d6+Key Ability and use it Key Ability times/day
You noted 1d6+3 --- but you noted you could use it 4 times/day (does not compute)
I think it is either 1d6+4, 4 times/day ; or 1d6+3, 3 times/day
but... since you put your Wisdom down as 20, it seems it should be 1d6+5, 5 times/day
(it might be a good idea to check your character sheet and your class, and go over things to double check what you have, and make sure your figures are correct, easier to do once you have all down)

• where have you installed your Custom Scanner?
My feeling, but this is personal, is that putting it somewhere where you can use it without spending an action to get it (like in one of your eyes etc.) is not bad. But probably other good choices.
Remember: an augmentation in your brain, your eyes, or an arm (which does not occupy a system in your body) (the same if you put it in an upgrade slot, it doesn't occupy it, it is double up w. whatever is there.
Also, remember it counts a basic medkit and a chemalyzer (and is used for the Life Science etc. scanning you've been doing - so, if you have it in eye, or hand or whatever, you can simply scan as a Move action, w/o having to spend another move to get the scanner out).

• re. IDing
What you asked before: you don't need to spend a move action to ID things.
Like everybody else you can use your knowledge to ID.
So you can use Life Science to ID things that are ID-able by Life Science (free action).
Where your BioHacker thingie is powerful, is that you can use your scanner (move action) to ID things w. Life Science etc. that you normally cannot (ie. something normally needing Mysticism, but living, use your Life Science and not Mysticism).
Also: you ID vs. rarity (only). Meaning your DC is Rarity and not Rarity + 1,5xDC.
Basically you are "only" rolling vs. 5, 10 or 15 (which at our levels is really good, since the DCs get higher).

• on another note, you took the theorem "Friendly Fire" which gives you a +3 insight bonus to attack rolls to deliver an injection to one of your allies (including healing serums, medicinals, counteragents, restoratives, your breakthrough formulas, or any of your injections).
So you should add that to your attack rolls
BAB 5 + DEX 1 + INJECTION EXPERT (untyped) +1 FRIENDLY FIRE (insight) +3 = +10
Of course your Natural 1 is the crit' fail you guys called for... xD, so it's a miss in this case (meaning the healing serum is lost)

Sorry to butt in like this, wanted to wait till after the fight to ask you if you'd forgotten these things, but since it came up...

@Born

Right, so my Str 10 Dex 12 Con 12 Wis 20 Int 12 Cha 10 stats in the sidebar include my MK1 booster, which I used to boost my wis from 18 to 20.

So if I'm understanding you correctly, my field dressing ability should be 1d6+5, 5 times/day

But yeah, looking at your numbers it definitely looks like I did something wrong during character creation. @GM, would you mind checking over Boron's info and making sure we're not missing something? Cause that definitely looks like I screwed up.

For my scanner, I thought it'd be fun to have it my hand so that I can do the doctor thing of "Checking a patient's pulse" to administer health.

And your definitely right on my shots should be a +10 not a +7, or even a +11 if your review of my stats is correct... Ugh, I'm so much worse at starfinder than pathfinder for some reason. >.<

Okay GM,

so apparently I don't need to make a roll, I just have to have the appropriate ranks for what I'm making, BUT I also don't get them any cheaper, though we can attempt to recycle things we find into 10% of their cost in UPB, which basically acts as crafting only gold.

So, with most of my gold used on the new MK upgrade, I'll go ahead and make 2 replacement MK2 serums, and that should take up most of the time (4 hours per item, 2 if I have 5 more ranks than necessary which I do for MK1 serums).

So I'll keep better track of my down time since that's actually useful for me.

re. Crafting items, it normally requires you to have access to tools and a workshop or similar space, so make sure that that aspect is covered.

I think, Assuming I'm reading things right, that my own gear should do the trick since I'm just mixing up formulas, though it's very vague as to what the requirements are. :/

I can't shake the feeling that every single named NPC is going to die by the end of this...

Thanks for the game, guys - I think this is about the most fun I have had in an AP, especially with such minimal front-loaded combat :-)

*cough*

Obviously, though, I would have wished we weren't TPK'ed by a bunch of vermin, but that's the luck of the dice :-P

Xagyg, trust me here, don't call it quits quite yet.

@Vocklon: May I ask what the "-2 RP from damage" is? (and why -2 RP to stabilize?)

@Xagyg: the thing is that you stopped doing anything on round 3.
That round you said: Xagyg, trapped between a wall and a monster, with no way to escape, goes total defense.
Since you have Uncanny Defense you do not provoke from the worm when moving (when trick attacking or not).
So you either:
• use your +19 Acrobatics to hit the 20 + 1,5xCR you need to move through the worm, which means you have a 50% chance, at the least, of moving right through it (w/o provoking anyhow), and then shooting (your Trick Attack auto succeeds) - and you can move far enough to not provoke while shooting
• use your Jump Jets to see if you can jump/move over the worm in which case you do not need to roll Acrobatics at all since you don't provoke
So you were the one that had the least "no escape" of all of us.
• if you think you're dying, use up your daily things like Communalism to try and make sure you hit
etc.

So, unless I am missing something, you just chose to give up on purpose, which is not the luck of the dice.
That is fine since you are doing it for some RP reason (because it makes zero tactical sense seeing how you were not trapped at all).
The only thing is that choosing to let us fight at 3 instead of 4 and taking you the damage dealer out of the fray is not very meta-gaming cool if it means bringing the others to die.

(and coup de grace is against helpless... debatable for Xagyg! xD)

@Vocklon: May I ask what the "-2 RP from damage" is? (and why -2 RP to stabilize?)

My resolve total is 11.

1/2 character level = +3
Cha Modifier = +6
Extra resolve Feat= +2

So using 1/4 of that rounded down to stabilize would use 2.

As for the damage:

1. This (link) crit knocked my health down to nearly dying.

2. Followed by This (link) attack dropped me below zero beginning the dying process. No resolve lost yet.

3. Already Dying and not yet my turn the worm takes two bites out of me here. (Link) So the first bite automatically takes 1 resolve as I am dying and took damage.

4. The second bite, while normally not taking an additional resolve did ass it dealt more than half of my total HP in a single attack. It was actually close to my total so i could have insta-died.

Taking Damage While Dying or Stable

While you are dying, if you have any Stamina Points, any damage you take still reduces those first. The first time each round you take Hit Point damage (whether from an attack or from continuous damage, such as from a bleed effect), you lose 1 Resolve Point. At any point after that in the round, if a single source (such as one attack) deals Hit Point damage greater than half your maximum Hit Points but less than your maximum Hit Points, you lose 1 additional RP. As mentioned earlier, if you would lose Resolve Points but have no Resolve Points remaining, you die instantly. If you take damage equal to or greater than your maximum Hit Points from a single attack, you also die instantly.

If you take damage while unconscious but stable, you are once again dying and no longer stable.

Thanks Volcklon!
SFS is like math' flow charts sometimes )))

For some reason (since the beginning) I always think the RP is 1/4 your level, bleh.

And especially thanks re. the damage while dying/stable, forgot about that one.

So, if you have two or more continuous damage effects, and you are stable, at the beginning of the round, the first one moves you from stable to dying, and then the second one removes one RP - and then you need to spend 1/4 your total RP at the end of your round to stabilize?

Jacob isn't giving up yet! I've got healing serums to throw around... I should have done it last round, but I thought maybe a shot with the winnis poison could turn the tide with a bit of luck, poor decision on my part, but 3d8 of healing is nothing to sneer at, plus some of the boosts, so maybe I can still fix things.

@Jacob: From my understanding I don’t think you can combine shots like that. I’m pretty sure the intent was that you could only shoot one thing at a time. I.e. you could hit Volcklon with either a serum or an Injection (Biohacker class feature), not both in the same shot.

Follow up: sorry again for making this fight harder than it should’ve been—especially to Xagyg. My philosophy as a GM is to challenge my players and make them feel like they’ve earned their victories—but doing that is a careful balance of making the combat challenging while not just making it unfair. This one was bordering on unfair and I needed to rectify that. I know that not everyone likes to have the GM hold their hands through the adventure, I know I’m like that, but I’m also the kind of person who doesn’t like being “challenged” by having really BS fights thrown at them. I hope you all will forgive me for my sudden ad hoc change to my already last minute addition. (Plus, if I’m being honest, my anxiety is kinda spiking because I haven’t heard from Xagyg in two days and he’s usually the most consistent poster—it’s probably me overanalyzing and overreacting, but it’s still a concern.)

@GM: rereading it, I think your right, I got thrown by the phrasing on "Attack action" and thought it was suppose to be combined with an attack.

Obviously in this case i'll just use the healing.

And hey, totally understand. I love riding that edge of "We're GONNA DIE!" and "VICTORY FOR THE HEROES!". It happens... you made an error, and you tried to rectify it. We'll give Xagyg a bit, he's probably just busy with something. If not, we'll cross that bridge when we get to it?

Jacob, I'm on the train and on my phone again, but you should have a BioHacker thingie that lets you mix two of your injections once a day.
You load both at the same time and fire both and both effects stack (even vs. enemies, it's an exception to the rule).

Having been there a little while back, Boron could tell you that at the end of each round you are burning or corroding, you should be able to attempt a Reflex saving throw to remove this condition.

@Jacob I thought Boron was worse off and took HP damage
Just look at the bar beside the avatar. SP HP etc. is posted there.
SP was also added at the bottom of my posts as part of my status.

Does having cover prevent AoOs in Starfinder?
Yes, cover prevents AoOs in Starfinder.
And it does not specify which type of cover, so any type of cover should work.

@Xagyg/GM: It is also flat-footed against this attack, and until the start of my next turn.
This flat-footed until the start of Xagyg's next turn, is it a general flat footed (that gives -2 AC to all) and not just flat-footed for Xagyg?
Because, if so, that would prevent reactions, thus AoOs, anyhow (right?).

That...is...correct. Completely glossed over that. Thanks, Boron! And yes, it applies to everyone, not just Xagyg.

@Boron: You can't make an Acrobatics check as part of a 'Trick Shot', since you aren't actually taking a 'move' action; you are moving as part of full action, instead, which is an important distinction.

I suppose I could take a move action, and roll Acrobatics against both, but then the damage output goes *way* down, so there probably isn't much point.

I could Trick-Shot, and only provoke from one... but then I might be blind before I shoot, which would defeat the purpose of doing so...?

Also, no, I am not trying to leave the game - I am just playing Xagyg as fatalistic, cracking under the pressure of all of the insanity, and pain/trauma that he has seen - after all, he has seen senseless violence, self-mutilation, and the (gory desecration) of someone he was becoming fond of. That does terrible things to the mental stability of a young Shirren... Xagyg is, after all, 'only' a private eye - not an emotionless, robotic 'super-soldier'...

TO BE CLEAR: I am really enjoying this game :-)

Um...If you provoke from both while shooting then their AoOs would resolve before the attack roll, IIRC.

Correct, but then there is only a 50% miss chance, as opposed to not being able to make the attack at all (since I can't target a specific distant square whilst blind); blindness *really* neuters ranged attackers...

Hmmm... That said, because my targeted ooze is flat-footed, and can't take reactions, I think I only provoke once...?

I see, sorry, your ofc right re. Tumble.

Just so I understand, in general:
• when it says "When you use your standard action to move," for Uncanny Mobility, that means you cannot use it w. your Move action, but only as move taken with your Standard action, correct? (I mean the outside of Trick Attack part)
• and the "When you hit an enemy with a trick attack, you can make the creature flat-footed or off-target until the beginning of your next turn." for Debilitating Trick, that does mean it is truly flat-footed (-2 AC & cannot take reactions, thus no AoOs) for 1 round, even vs. others is that it?

Hmmm... That said, because my targeted ooze is flat-footed, and can't take reactions, I think I only provoke once...?

I am quite sure that is correct for you.
And if I understand it correctly as written, it is flat-footed for all (until your next round).
Thus no reactions, thus no AoOs.

Thus shooting from where you are should provoke only from the non-target one.

Boron can jinx it w. a nat' 1.

A blind private eye! (((

And I of course forgot that I had turned my Force Field on (just went back up the posts to check)
18 for 12 HP to 0 & dying should've been -10, so leaving Boron at 4 HP, and thus able to attack 1 more round before going down, silly Dwarf.

Bah! Tried to calculate the odds but it's been ages since I've actually had to do probability math.

So it sounds like because Xagyg's target is flat-footed against his attack then they don't take reactions? So only Red would take an AoO.

Is that what you want to do, Xagyg?

I see, sorry, your ofc right re. Tumble.

Just so I understand, in general:
• when it says "When you use your standard action to move," for Uncanny Mobility, that means you cannot use it w. your Move action, but only as move taken with your Standard action, correct? (I mean the outside of Trick Attack part)

Correct.

• and the "When you hit an enemy with a trick attack, you can make the creature flat-footed or off-target until the beginning of your next turn." for Debilitating Trick, that does mean it is truly flat-footed (-2 AC & cannot take reactions, thus no AoOs) for 1 round, even vs. others is that it?

Correct - it is flat-footed for *everyone* :-)

Bah! Tried to calculate the odds but it's been ages since I've actually had to do probability math.

So it sounds like because Xagyg's target is flat-footed against his attack then they don't take reactions? So only Red would take an AoO.

Is that what you want to do, Xagyg?

Yes - that seems like my best bet. We need to focus-fire, and take them down, fast; otherwise, they will keep healing / spawning more of themselves :-/

I just wanted to check in with everyone to see how things are going. I feel more than a little frustration from some of you and I wanted to see if anyone was unhappy for one reason or another with how things are going. I know you guys are kinda grasping at straws in this combat (because holy crap the adventure assumes that you guys can take 4 APL+X combats without resting?!) but if you guys have any grievances, concerns, etc. then please voice them now.

I'm fine.
I imagined Boron was most probably a goner when following Xagyg w/o resting, so I crossed that bridge already and am fine with that.

On the bright side, if we manage to survive this fight, it looks like we have found somewhere secure to rest...