[SFS-GM Skeemo] 1-34 Heart of the Foe (Inactive)

Game Master Christopher Wasko

Jim checks what Ivok is mentioning.

"Hmm yeah you make a pretty good point there, and I'll be sure to mention the lack of a demon thwacking line to the guys down at Bamford R&D, maybe a co-branded Big Jim limited edition line. The leg blade looks ok, but now you mention it that seismic mining pick sure looks like one quality power tool - demons might care about fire and bullets, but let's see how they go when I crack them one with pure thunder-in-a-stick"

Jim packs the massive power tool, a certain twinkle lighting up his eyes.

***

Come the morning, Buddy is excitedly taking his frog on a string for a walk, whilst buster uses his robotic arms to engineer Jim a coffee.

Jim stretches out and folds away the hammock hanging off the side of the Jims Jams tour truckster.

"Looks like dawn is coming, better get to Demon-slaying"

Ivok nods with agreement on Jim's appraisal of the weapon and turns his attention to the cold iron leg blade. "I'll take the blade then. I've had enough of these stabbed into me into the last few months, I think I have a pretty good idea how they work."

You rest through the night as comfortably as you can. Early the next day, Ekkerah unceremoniously wakes you. While the vesk complete their morning rituals, the others bring the truck out to an open-air location for easy pickup once the mission is complete. The pathway to the captured Starfinders is tight, so the truck is more a liability than an asset.

Ekkerah carries his rucksack ahead of you through a long-defunct sewage line. He gives you brief directions before taking a separate route. Eventually you emerge in what appears to have once been an arena of sorts, a spiral of stormclouds slowly orbiting overhead.

A multi-tiered platform of corrugated steel stands at the center of the arena, its metal panels stained with the blood of countless victims. Charred corpses peer out from the wood scraps burning in bonfires on each tier. Fragments of bone, chitin, and other trophies decorate the top tier, arranged to resemble a sacrificial altar. A cohort of screaming jinsuls rhythmically lift their flame rifles into the air, apparently conjuring a towering beast seemingly made of living smoke in the form of a jinsul with eyes and claws made of crackling lightning. With a peal of thunder, a mechanical platform at the base of the structure's highest point raises up four humans among a pile of sacrificial treasures. The jinsul chants become cries of confusion, however, as the humans suddenly display leg blades and flame rifles of their own! Ekkerah evidently followed through, and violence erupts!

Quick note about the map: Each tier of the structure stands 10 feet higher than the tier before it (scaling connecting stairs is difficult terrain). The bonfires look hot enough to harm adjacent creatures, and obviously stepping in the flames would hurt quite a bit. Those at 20-foot elevation can also make the Perception check below.

Zeyram engages his jet pack and rockets up along the area, jigging to make himself a more difficult target to hit.

Standard action to start the jetpack, fly up at 45 degree angle for 30+10=40 feet

Perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (5) + 7 = 12

HeeNee does the same as Zeyram, going another direction. HeeNee also has Sky Jockey.

Perception: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (7) + 12 = 19

"Watch out for the second tier platforms! They'll fall out from under you!"

"Good catch! I would have ran straight into them!" Ivok shouts encouragement as he leads the charge, pushing his party hard to get up the building with carrying both heavy armor and weapons. He takes advantage of the minor edge he has on the jinsuls with a powerful sonic blast from the screamer.

LFD Screamer Attack - Blast vs EAC - Yellow: 1d20 + 8 - 2 ⇒ (10) + 8 - 2 = 16
LFD Screamer Attack - Blast vs EAC - Green: 1d20 + 8 - 2 ⇒ (20) + 8 - 2 = 26
LFD Screamer Attack - Blast vs EAC - Red: 1d20 + 8 - 2 ⇒ (10) + 8 - 2 = 16
LFD Screamer Attack - Blast vs EAC - Orange: 1d20 + 8 - 2 ⇒ (4) + 8 - 2 = 10

LFD Screamer Damage - Sonic: 2d10 + 6 ⇒ (6, 10) + 6 = 22
Extra Crit Damage (vs Green) - Sonic: 2d10 + 6 ⇒ (6, 1) + 6 = 13

If green is crit, they will need to make a DC 14 Fort save or be deafened for 1d4 minutes

Move action: Move using Cardiac Accelerator to spend 1 RP to go 45 feet
Standard action: Fire the LFD Screamer at jinsuls

“All of the platform, or only certain areas?”

Clastorg may as well take the semi-auto pistol.

Running up onto the first level of the platform, Clastorg will fire his borrowed semi-auto pistol at one of the Jinsul he can most easily see. Green

Trick Attack (Acro): 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (20) + 16 = 36
Semi-Auto pistol vs KAC: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (6) + 8 = 14
Damage (Piercing): 2d6 + 2 ⇒ (6, 4) + 2 = 12
Trick Attack Damage: 3d8 ⇒ (4, 8, 3) = 15

Jim sets off, the seismic pick in hand - eyes fixed firmly on the demon. He fires his jumpjets to get up on the platform as he goes!

Buster opens up with a burst of laser fire at the Jinsul!

Vs Yellow
Corona laser rifle
Attack 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (19) + 7 = 26 vs EAC
Damage 2d6 + 6 ⇒ (2, 6) + 6 = 14 F

Bat Elf flies 50 feet (30 feet up, 40 feet over) and shoots at jinsuls. She concentrates fire. If Green is dead, she aims for the next jinsul that her team fires at. After all, she needs them clear so that she can start getting the hostages out.

♫ Na nana na nana Bat Elf! ♫
Bat Trick! (Sense Motive): 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (20) + 17 = 37
Borrowed Bat Bang! (Advanced Semi-automatic pistol): 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (5) + 10 = 15
Bat Bullet! (Cold Iron Kinetic piercing damage): 2d6 + 3 ⇒ (2, 4) + 3 = 9
Bat Trick Damage: 3d8 ⇒ (1, 1, 4) = 6

The Starfinders' initial strike is devastating: all four jinsuls fall to the ground, peppered by a flurry of attacks. The demon roars and conjures a dark stormcloud around itself, disappearing from view. Seeing the demon vanish into the fog, the released Starfinders look to you in concern. "What do we do?"

Round 1
Starfinders (delaying – awaiting orders)
Jinsuls
Round 2 (bold may post)
Bat Elf
Zeyram
Big Jim
HeeNee
Clastorg
Ivok
Kohkleim

Since HeeNee pointed them out, does Zeyram know where the trap doors are?

Zeyram flies over and down, expecting the trap door to give way as promised so that he has cover. Slightly below the edge, he waits for a target to return fire on.

Move, Ready to fire Pistol if the thing comes out of the fog or I can tell which square it fires lightning from.

Assuming that Zeyram doesn’t get a nasty surprise and slams into the boards...

“Get off the trap door you are on and run for safety! Avoid the other trap doors!” He points with his free hand towards the ladders down.

"What do we do?"

"Either grab a blade and follow me, or get into cover and watch out for enemies - but whatever you do, don't stand in the open"

Jim fires off the jets once more to get on to the top layer and to the edge of the fog cloud.

HeeNee flies in closer, with the sonic rifle drawn. She watches carefully for a sign of where the demon is.

Skeemo, could you mark where the trapdoors are on the map?

“Get off the trap door you are on and run for safety! Avoid the other trap doors!” He points with his free hand towards the ladders down.

"What he said! Your weapons aren't equipped to break through the demon's armor! Provide covering fire if you have to, but fall back to safety and avoid any of the traps! Jadnura has evac inbound to your location and we need to keep a landing site clear!"

Ivok gives a nice pat to the sonic cannon as he pushes himself to reach the second tier. He stops at the top to get a quick appraisal of the laid traps, to no avail, as well as looking toward the other Starfinders.

Perception: 1d20 ⇒ 14

[ooc]Move twice for movement. Spending 1 RP on first move to move a total of 65 ft around keeping 10 feet of distance from the flames.

The trapped areas are outlined in green.

The Starfinder captives nod at the command, rushing down the stairs away from the stormcloud. At his landing point, Zeyram triggers the trapdoor, but his jetpack keeps him aloft.

Botting Clastorg and Bat Elf: Clastorg acrobatically scales the altar and gets level with Jim, pointing his weapon toward the stormcloud from its edge. Bat Elf, true to her name, flies around to the other side and covers the demon's rear retreat.

The cloud churns and swirls with a fell rhythm, and you hear profane chanting in a voice like distant thunder from within.

Round 3 (bold may post)
Bat Elf
Zeyram
Big Jim
HeeNee
Clastorg
Ivok
Kohkleim
Starfinders

Whats the concealment level of the mist in melee - 20 or 50?

Whats the concealment level of the mist in melee - 20 or 50?

As fog cloud.

Ivok presses forward cannon in hand while he watches the looming storm. "I don't like this, it building up to something more than just some smoke."

Move x2: Move 50 feet.

Bat Elf shoots towards the sound in the mist, but the fog hampers her.

Miss Chance, High is Hit: 1d100 ⇒ 9

♫ Na nana na nana Bat Elf! ♫
Bat Trick! (Sense Motive): 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (7) + 17 = 24
Borrowed Bat Bang! (Advanced Semi-automatic pistol): 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (13) + 10 = 23
Bat Bullet! (Cold Iron Kinetic piercing damage): 2d6 + 3 ⇒ (5, 1) + 3 = 9
Bat Trick Damage: 3d8 ⇒ (8, 1, 2) = 11

There's a strange high-pitched noise as HeeNee uses her echolocation, and then everyone hears a sharp intake of water over their comm unit as HeeNee gasps. "There's two of them now! One of them is on the ground, and one is ten feet above! They're right in the middle of the cloud!"

She aims for the top one.

thunderstrike sonic rifle: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (11) + 9 = 20
overcharged ouch!: 1d10 + 6 + 1d6 ⇒ (5) + 6 + (5) = 16 sonic damage

Jim wades into the mist, set on hunting down the demon(s).

He grips the axe tightly, swinging with bad intentions "Working in an area with such poor visibility is not workplace health and safety compliant, accidents can happen!" he mutters at the demon.

Attacking the one on the ground
Attack 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (16) + 8 = 24 vs KAC
Miss? (1-20) 1d100 ⇒ 57
Damage 3d6 + 10 ⇒ (6, 5, 3) + 10 = 24

I wonder, no Jinsul audience but can it still be taunted?

Zeyram glances back to see how far the captives have made it,

“I’m sort of surprised that the creature is so terrified of us it has to hide in a mist like that. Was there a reason we couldn’t just take our friends and leave?”

Moving slightly to the side, Clastorg will attempt to fire in the direction of the demon hovering above the ground.

Miss Chance (1-50 miss): 1d100 ⇒ 79

Trick Attack (Acrobatics): 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (18) + 16 = 34
Semi-Auto Pistol vs KAC: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (3) + 8 = 11
Damage (P, Cold Iron): 2d6 + 2 ⇒ (6, 4) + 2 = 12
Trick Attack Damage (P): 3d8 ⇒ (6, 2, 2) = 10

@Zeyram: The starship can't make a landing and escape as long as the demons can keep shooting lightning at it. The fiends must be slain to afford an opportunity to escape.

The flying demon conjures a second storm cloud, engulfing Bat Elf and HeeNee, before closing the distance to the two flying Starfinders. Meanwhile, the other demon disappears into the cloud, then a powerful electrical discharge shoots out, catching Jim and Clastorg in its path!

@Jim and Clastorg: DC 17 Reflex save or take Electricity Damage: 10d6 ⇒ (4, 4, 6, 4, 4, 4, 2, 2, 4, 3) = 37 (save for half, all with evasion). Jim must additionally take 8 electricity damage as lightning fills the cloud (DC 17 Reflex to half).

@Zeyram: I'm not sure your post was a complete action. If not, you can complete that action as part of your post in this round.

Round 3 (bold may post)
Bat Elf
Zeyram
Big Jim (electricty damage pending)
HeeNee
Clastorg (electricity damage pending)
Ivok
Red Kohkleim (-16 HP)
Black Kohkleim (-19 HP)
Starfinders

"Part of me Zeryam wants to help this world a little bit. Cutting down a demon or two seems to be just the right way to finish this workout!"

With a breath Ivok again activates his augmentations to push his body beyond his limits to rush into the cloud drawing blade in favor of the sonic cannon. As soon as he sees the demon, he doesn't hesitate in striking it.

Attack vs KAC - Cold Iron Jinsul Leg Blade: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (6) + 11 = 17
Damage - Slashing Cold Iron: 1d8 + 13 ⇒ (3) + 13 = 16
Concealment 20+: 1d100 ⇒ 8
Blind Fight Concealment 20+: 1d100 ⇒ 32

Swift: Change grips, move screamer into one hand
Move: Move (+draw blade) 45 ft spending 1 RP with cardiac accelerator for increased speed.
Standard: Attack Black Kohkleim with jinsul leg blade

@Zeyram: I'm not sure your post was a complete action. If not, you can complete that action as part of your post in this round.

It was a move and a readied if I saw the demon. Sounds like I never saw it so readied never happened.

Zeyram flies up near where Clastorg and Bat Elf were, firing once he sees the demon.

Concealment: 1d100 ⇒ 32

Trick Attack, Acro: 1d20 + 18 ⇒ (11) + 18 = 29 Need 20 + CR
Tactical Rotating Pistol: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (11) + 10 = 21
Cold Iron Piercing Damage, Photon: 2d4 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (1, 1) + 2 + 1 = 5
Trick Attack: 1d8 ⇒ 3

Reflex Save: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (3) + 9 = 12

Reeling from the blast of Electricity, Clastorg still runs into the cloud after Ivok. Pulling out his knife as he goes, he attempts to stab it into the demon once he gets up next to it.

Trick Attack (Acrobatics): 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (2) + 16 = 18 Fail
Survival Knife vs KAC: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (1) + 8 = 9 Miss

"Sharkscat, it's coming right at me!" HeeNee flies backward (provoking an AoO from the flying one). She takes aim again with the borrowed rifle.

thunderstrike sonic rifle: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (12) + 9 = 21
overcharged ouch!: 1d10 + 6 + 1d6 ⇒ (2) + 6 + (2) = 10 sonic damage

sp 22/48 | hp 42/42

Reflex 1 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (14) + 8 = 22 = 18
Reflex 2 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (3) + 8 = 11 = 8

Jim winces a bit, but the vesk will not be denied.

He swings again, putting his back into it...

Attack 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (13) + 8 = 21 vs KAC
Miss? (1-20) 1d100 ⇒ 75
Damage 3d6 + 10 ⇒ (4, 3, 5) + 10 = 22

Botting Bat Elf: Trick attack from position (no AoO since it was previously taken).
Miss Chance, High is Hit: 1d100 ⇒ 28
Bat Trick! (Sense Motive): 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (9) + 17 = 26
Borrowed Bat Bang! (Advanced Semi-automatic pistol): 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (1) + 10 = 11
Bat Bullet! (Cold Iron Kinetic piercing damage): 2d6 + 3 ⇒ (4, 6) + 3 = 13
Bat Trick Damage: 3d8 ⇒ (3, 6, 8) = 17

Ivok Attack vs KAC - Cold Iron Jinsul Leg Blade: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (1) + 11 = 12
Ivok Damage - Slashing Cold Iron: 1d8 + 13 ⇒ (5) + 13 = 18
Concealment 20+: 1d100 ⇒ 99
Blind Fight Concealment 20+: 1d100 ⇒ 18
Jim Attack vs. KAC: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (10) + 8 = 18
Miss? (1-20): 1d100 ⇒ 52
Damage: 3d6 + 10 ⇒ (1, 5, 1) + 10 = 17

The demon lunges out at Zeyram as he fires, clearly able to see him through the fog and having long reach with its claws (@Zeyram: if you have electricity resistance that I'm forgetting or a way to shoot without provoking, let me know; the attack would instead be directed to HeeNee in that case). It strikes a powerful blow, knocking the wind out of him. The demons then each slink into the clouds, the grounded one provoking unsuccessful attacks from Jim and Ivok. They then each fire out additional bolts of lightning, catching everyone in the stormclouds in their respective bolts. Zeyram spins in flight and avoids the crackling lightning, but everyone else feels the burn of ozone. Bat Elf and HeeNee still have eyes on the flying demon.

Black Electricity Damage: 10d6 ⇒ (6, 5, 3, 2, 1, 5, 3, 3, 1, 6) = 35
Ivok Reflex (electrostatic shield): 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (4) + 5 = 9
Ivok Reflex (electrostatic shield): 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (10) + 5 = 15
Jim Reflex: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (4) + 8 = 12
Jim Reflex: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (2) + 8 = 10

Red Electricity Damage: 10d6 ⇒ (5, 3, 1, 5, 5, 6, 6, 6, 6, 2) = 45
Zeyram (evasion): 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (15) + 8 = 23
Zeyram (evasion): 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (12) + 8 = 20
Bat Elf evasion, electrostatic shield): 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (3) + 11 = 14
Bat Elf evasion, electrostatic shield): 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (16) + 11 = 27

Round 4 (bold may post)
Bat Elf (0/10 FF, -30 SP)
Zeyram
Big Jim (-48 SP, -21 HP)
HeeNee
Clastorg (-37 SP)
Ivok (-34 SP)
Red Kohkleim (-34 HP)
Black Kohkleim (-36 HP)
Starfinders

I do not have anything that prevents electrical damage other than the noted evasion.

Zeyram flies out of the cloud, avoiding getting too close to the demons again.

Seeing they are both at the edge of the cloud, he takes a pot shot at Red.
Trick Attack, Acro: 1d20 + 18 ⇒ (11) + 18 = 29 Need 20 + CR
Tactical Rotating Pistol: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (11) + 10 = 21
Cold Iron Piercing Damage, Photon: 2d4 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (4, 2) + 2 + 1 = 9
Trick Attack: 1d8 ⇒ 8

Concealment: 1d100 ⇒ 53

Clastorg will move in and attempt to cut at the demon again.

Trick Attack (Acrobatics): 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (5) + 16 = 21 Fail most likely
Survival Knife vs KAC: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (19) + 8 = 27

Miss Chance (high hits): 1d100 ⇒ 51

Damage (S): 1d4 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 2 = 5
Trick Attack Damage (P): 3d8 ⇒ (6, 8, 5) = 19

Pained by the demonic lightning Ivok grits his fangs and pushes toward the demon before it can unleash another blast of lightning.

Attack vs KAC - Cold Iron Jinsul Leg Blade: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (3) + 11 = 14
Damage - Slashing Cold Iron: 1d8 + 13 ⇒ (8) + 13 = 21
Concealment 20+: 1d100 ⇒ 50
Blind Fight Concealment 20+: 1d100 ⇒ 33

Move: Ivok will move up, likely provoking from the demon.
Standard: Attack Black Kohkleim

Miss Chance (High is Hit): 1d100 ⇒ 58
Bat Trick! (Sense Motive): 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (18) + 17 = 35
Borrowed Bat Bang! (Advanced Semi-automatic pistol): 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (19) + 10 = 29
Bat Bullet! (Cold Iron Kinetic piercing damage): 2d6 + 3 ⇒ (1, 6) + 3 = 10
Bat Trick Damage: 3d8 ⇒ (1, 7, 6) = 14

Bat Elf shoots at the Red demon.

Just remembered that she has true seeing. Does this make any difference in this combat at all?

HeeNee flies over for a clear shot.

thunderstrike sonic rifle: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (10) + 9 = 19
overcharged ouch!: 1d10 + 6 + 1d6 ⇒ (7) + 6 + (3) = 16 sonic damage

Jim moves around to flank the creature in!

Bat Elf's shot is partially disrupted by a devastating slash from the demon's claw that nearly knocks her out of the sky, but she and Zeyram collectively lay the demon low, their attacks disintegrating it into an explosion of dark cloudstuff. HeeNee redirects her attack to the second demon, which is struck ineffectively by Clastorg's knife. The demon begins conjuring a new magical effect, but it never gets a chance to manifest: Big Jim buries his axe into its shifting form and dissolves it too!

Combat over!

A mob of jinsuls begins its approach toward the altar, but with the demons' death the skies open, and the blinding floodlights of Jadnura's gunboat descend from above. You quickly usher the Starfinders to safety, grabbing some sacrificial treasures on the way. The First Seeker loops back around to get Jim's truck, and with that you leave the jinsuls' forsaken planet in the rearview mirror!

With the Starfinders successfully evacuated, you relay what you've learned about the jinsuls to the joint First Seekers. Luwazi and Jadnura document everything you tell them about the jinsuls, the Tear they received from the Scoured Stars, and the “deathless leaders” who broke it open to steal the divine energies inside. The First Seekers take particular interest in your reports about Kadrical’s herald, Dhurus, who Jadnura realizes was responsible for organizing the jinsul military and whipping the jinsuls into their fervor over returning to the Scoured Stars. The Starfinder Society inadvertently opened the route for the jinsuls to reclaim their lost world, and now Luwazi fears that Dhurus is planning to forcibly relocate the other Scoured Stars natives back to their ancestral homelands...

That's it folks! I'll have Chronicles up after the long weekend. Happy Memorial Day!

Surprise! Chronicles are HERE! Let me know if you see any booboos and I'll fix them on Tuesday. Otherwise, I'll take everything down in a week or when I get the nod from everybody, whichever comes first. Enjoy your long weekend!

It seems to be a link to just Ivok’s chronicle rather than the drive folder that I’m guessing you put them in.

Oops, seems I need to view down lower. You have them all in a single file.

Terrfic fun! Thanks guys! Thanks GM!

Thank you for everything!

A thank you to the GM and everyone else as from me as well.

Thanks for running!

Back on the ship heading back to Absalom station Ivok tries to give a bit of cheer and encouragement to the rescued Starfinders and gives a hearty thanks to Jandura for the aid.

"I'm glad we were all able to get out of there. I must admit, I was picturing that this would have meant the end to my workout series. This was still a great accomplishment and a shot in the arm. I don't want this happening to any others."

HeeNee seems a little shell-shocked as the crew departs. "Did we...did we really live?"

Chuckling, Zeyram replies to HeeNee “We did. Hopefully that weather demon didn’t.”

On the way back, Zeyram takes some time going over the collected flight data from his own trip down and that of the other pilots. He makes notes on what he could do better next time he flies through that sort of atmosphere. He also takes his time going through the sensor readings, marking things the Science Officer could look for.