[SFS] GM kuey's The First Mandate (#1-05) (Inactive)

Game Master kuey

Kai takes a running jump onto the stage and tries to disable another of the bombs.

engineering: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (16) + 8 = 24

I take it the engineering kit for disabling traps does not apply here?

Theshe rushes out the door, following the assassin and swings at her. She ducks and he smashes his first into the wall instead. (Theshe, I've moved your token to follow her.)

On hearing Hellih, Kai first opens the window (I presume you do that first. It's a free action) and leaps out, shocking quite a number of guests. Diving under the stage, he manages to disable the one Hellih spotted. Meanwhile, Stewart and Nicknick gives up the search for the remaining explosives and runs out to corner the assassin.

She hears them coming from behind. She makes to reach inside her vest but is confronted by the hulking vesk in front. Instead, she slashes at him, leaving a deep gash, and pulls back, glaring at Stewart and Nicknick as she rounds the corner.
(Again, uncanny mobility so no AoO.)

(Nicknick, please roll for the magic missiles. In the future, you can roll all the rolls needed for ready action to speed things up.)

Azara, she is outside the room. You can't see her to shoot. To save time, I'll continue to next round, but go ahead and post two rounds of actions.

combat map
Bold may act
-------
Round 5:
~~~
red assassin (-26)
Azara (2 rounds of actions)
-------
Round 6:
~~~
Stewart
Kai (standard action only)
Theshe (SP:0/16; HP:16/20)
Nicknick (+ ready magic missiles)
Hellih

The android walks out through the open Window and looks around to see if there are more charges that he could locate. Seeing the pattern he looks for it in the remaining corner of the stage.

Perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (16) + 4 = 20

While looking at the corner of the stage the distorted voice speaks:

"... my master ... I see that you have it covered ... I would put one more explosive ... in the pulpit ..."

With regular voice, Hellih responds "Thanks HK will check it next."

puuuunch: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (19) + 6 = 25
damage: 1d4 + 6 ⇒ (1) + 6 = 7

Breathing hard as the pain eats into their nerves Theshe charges around the corner and smashes the assassin again.

"You will stop. You will die. I will eat YOUR HEART! Die die die."

Sorry. I thought she was still in the doorway and that I had line of sight on her.

Azara follows the chase, continuing to hold his photonic charge and looking for an opportunity to use it. In the meantime, he takes a couple of potshots at the woman.

Azimuth Laser Pistol: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (4) + 3 = 7
Fire Damage: 1d4 ⇒ 3

Azimuth Laser Pistol: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (5) + 3 = 8
Fire Damage: 1d4 ⇒ 3

Stewart moved next to Nicknick to block the hallway and fired his pistol but missed the agile assassin.

Trick Attack: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (2) + 14 = 16
Trick Damage: 1d4 ⇒ 1

Static Arc Pistol: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (6) + 5 = 11
Electric Damage: 1d6 ⇒ 6

Readied Magic missiles: 2d4 + 2 ⇒ (4, 2) + 2 = 8

Then, if she's still on her feet, Twisted Nicknick uses Spell Cache to cast new Magic Missiles.

Magic Missiles: 2d4 + 2 ⇒ (3, 1) + 2 = 6

Then he moves back.

Hellih leaps out the window to join Kai under the stage. Almost immediately, he spots another one of the explosives, this one on the SW corner of the stage.

Nicknick's missiles fly unerringly, slamming hard against the assassin's body. She looks unsteady on her feet only for Theshe roundhouse punch into her face to knock her unconscious. As soon as she hits the ground, her form morphs into a scaled reptilian humanoid. The joy of taking out the assassin is slightly marred when Theshe spots something blinking from within her vest.

By now, the guests have gotten an inkling of what's happening. A number of pushed their way out into the hallway, only to get a good view of the fight, and how your team took down the would-be assassin. Others stay in the ballroom, confident in the Starfinders to fix the problem, although they do collectively move further away from the stage.

combat map
Bold may act
-------
Round 6:
Azara
Stewart
Kai
Theshe (SP:0/16; HP:16/20)
Nicknick
Hellih

Was waiting to see if anyone could spot the next bomb last round. I'll use that standard action from last round to move to it. Map *not* updated

Kai moves to disable the last bomb.

engineering: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (8) + 8 = 16

Stewart called over the comms, "It's a dead man's switch! I'll try to delay it. There were 5 explosives in total. Make sure you find them all. Theshe, Azara, you should help search. Nicknick, stay close in case I need help keeping this thing from going off."

Engineering: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (2) + 10 = 12 To ID
Engineering: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (7) + 10 = 17 To Delay

"But.... she isn't dead yet.... her heart is probably still beating...."

Theshe stares at the body, kicking it a little to see if it moves.

Scowling at Stewart and then at the body Theshe moves into the ball room to help search.

perception: 1d20 ⇒ 16

I count 5. 4 on the stage. 1 on the body.

I don't think the body counts as an explosive, only the detonator.

"Turn off the sun, pull the stars from the sky," Azara comments as he rushes past the assassin and Stewart.

He bursts out onto the ballroom floor, all attempts at subtlety abandoned as he looks for the last bomb. The podium does seem the most likely place given where the rest of the bombs were hidden.

Perception: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (9) + 1 = 10

Hellih seeing Kai approaching the bomb that he found looks a bit nervous for the last bomb. Given the HK clue, he focuses on the panel.

Perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (6) + 4 = 10
Perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (6) + 4 = 10

Oh come on, two 6's

Apparently, the stress impacts his ability to spot the bomb. He looks around a bit nervous which might not be visible to anyone who does not know Hellih well.

Sorry a quick post as I'm running out. Stewart is correct. The assassin doesn't have an explosive on herself. It is just the trigger. She's not suicidal. :)

Stewart manages to trick the system into delaying the explosion. Kai finds the bomb circuitory too complex to disarm. Meanwhile, Theshe spots the final bomb right under the centre of the stage.

Twisted Nickcnick returns in the main room to disable the bombs.

Engineering: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (4) + 10 = 14

Hellih, as Theshe found the last explosive before your post, you could have attempted to disarm. So go ahead and make that attempt together with this round's actions.

Nicknick runs back to the stage, but in his haste, fails to disarm it and in fact almost sets off the explosive.

For those without engineering, recall Royo's advice of an alternative way to disarm the explosives (2nd last para).

combat map
Bold may act
-------
Round 7: 2 rounds before explosion
Azara
Stewart
Kai
Theshe (SP:0/16; HP:16/20)
Nicknick
Hellih (+ engineering attempt to disarm in prev round)

Stewart continues trying to buy time on the detonator while the others work on disarming the explosives. Unfortunately the same trick fails to fool the sensors a second time. "Uh guys, you might want to hurry, the timer is counting down."

Engineering: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (4) + 10 = 14

Theshe crosses over to the stage.

"Explosives are like assassins, you just need to smash them really hard and they stop working. Like this."

punch the explosive damage: 1d4 + 6 ⇒ (4) + 6 = 10

Kai continues to work on the explosive by him, sweat dripping from his brow.

engineering: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (13) + 8 = 21

Hellih is trying to disarm the explosives

engineering: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (16) + 12 = 28

If there is other explosive still intact he try to work on it as well, between the punches

engineering: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (19) + 12 = 31

After that he stands up
"That should do it"

Nice! I would think so. I believe the day is saved gentle beings.

Stewart continues working on the dead man switch but the perspiration down his face mars his concentration and his fingers slips. Meanwhile in the ballroom, the rest of the Pathfinders crowd around the remaining explosives. Theshe starts punching one, to the alarm of some of the onlookers. It does not explode, but neither did it seem enough to disarm it. Kai and Hellih leaps to the rescue, and in quick succession, rips out the right wires, putting the two remaining explosives out of commission!

Success!

It was nonetheless a tense moment as the last remaining 10 seconds count down. Stewart hears the telltale sound of the switch triggering, but the attendants of the gala seem to hold their breath collectively and the room is completely filled with silence, still tense for further attacks. And thus when Luwazi starts walking towards the stage, her footsteps ring soundingly throughout the ballroom as all eyes fall on her.

Without the need to raise the voice, she turns to face the team of Starfinders. "I would say that this team of Starfinders deserve a round of applause, wouldn't you?" She starts clapping and soon the rest of the ballroom follows uproariously along. Eventually, she raises her hands to quieten the crowd, holding their rapt attention as she delivers her address.

"I had planned for this evening’s announcement to be an exciting one, but I’ll admit this is not quite what I had in mind. And I guess this is as good a time as any," the First Seeker begins, her smile wry but determined. "Now I find my resolve only further galvanized."

"As many of you know, the First Seeker has the privilege and the responsibility for choosing the direction of the Starfinder Society’s research efforts. I have refrained from setting such a direction while we regroup and rebuild — an undertaking which all of you here have made possible. Also, the fact that Guidance has not yet chosen to formalize my election is another matter, but not one the Society can risk dwelling on. Now that the Society is again in a position to reach for the stars, I am pleased to formally announce the focus of our efforts during my tenure. Thanks to the tireless research of my associate Royo, we have identified a lead on understanding the Scoured Stars incident. And so, the Starfinder Society will continue researching the Scoured Stars, in the hopes of reuniting with our lost colleagues and better understanding this phenomenon."

The First Seeker then turns back to your team and meets your eyes in the crowd, adding, "And I already have highly qualified agents in mind to undertake the first mission!" There is a moment of surprised quiet over the room, and then the guests, starting with Ykris, begin to applaud in force. Iteration-177 regards the elected First Seeker with an indiscernible expression, slowly joining in on the applause. Royo nods enthusiastically, taking in some of the fanfare for his role in the announcement. Naiaj frantically appends work orders, noticeably perturbed by some news she has just received. Zo! actively backs away from the assembled group, still enthusiastically clapping but also making desperate calls to acquire televised rights to all Scoured Stars related endeavors.

And of course, a crowd of the movers and shakers start gathering around the team of Starfinders offering their congratulations...

The End...