GM SFS's 1-28: It Rests Beneath (Inactive)

Game Master Eric Collins - France

With regards to Drones and tiny:

https://paizo.com/starfinder/faq#v5748eaic9vwl

Re. Discord: I can give the link to some Path/Starfinder one if you wish to check them out

Someone already has, thank you.

Oh cool I dont have to pay double, thanks croaker.

@GM a mechanic has to spend an hour to change out weapons on a drone hardpoint and they cant be disarmed while installed.

With regards to all ideas, to wait and make a well thought through decision-based on evidence rather than beliefs. I will let GM respond, yet I have a feeling that the story requires to make the decision right away. Just like we decided to enter big Mina cowboy style, without any preparations, scouting etc. ;)

Agreed, they like forcing these choices... I am curious to see if and how they/Paizo use the report sheets to influence future modules though. Playing Big Mina 2: The Revengening would be fun.

Something awakens Big Mina and now we end up with a fleet battle...

I wish.

If Big Mina was saved: fleet battle vs. Now Even Bigger Mina
If Big Mina was slain: Big Mina's parent, Big Mora, appears, at least three times her size

Jaws theme playing...

The thing about a giant planet parasite are it's visual organs. Dead, soulless visual organs.

I think we're gunna need a bigger fleet.

Movie poster: Open space, Absolom Station dangling in space unaware, Big Mina rising beneath it, mouth-appendage open...

The beast is sated by throwing all the ice cream on Absalom Station at it!

Little MIna kills the beast to save the ice cream!

That would be something.
What if our characters or their descends come back
Like me with almost no memory and slightly new personality, being sort of a memory wiped android.

Zero help on those checks.

I can't wait for level 2 when I can invest into other skills ;)

At level 3, I think I'll have enough points to have a rank in EVERY skill, tbh :P

AC 11 I can make...not so much on the checks for a steady hand, unless they can be made untrained?

I know a certain someone that's using Fame for a Hireling... Life Sciences, Mysticism, Physical Sciences.
*DING* This guy.

I think it's either/or? Hit the AC or make the check?

Looks like either or to me, but you need to deal 20 damage at the same time, or at least some damage and a check until you get to 20 damage.

It is OR
So AC11 works, just like a DC12 check.
And Get 'Em works, yes!

I took it as "or" - Either 20 damage or successful roll to damage a section, and we need to damage two sections.

Ah, I thought it was an "make the check and and roll or damage to death"

I'll start rolling.

To hit the precise place, you need either the DC12s or an AC11 attack.

Then you deal your damage.

If no one else wants a shot, Korl can keep going to town. Don't want to take the opportunity away from others though.

Fists are free, bullets are expensive!

Put up some rolls to use if no one else is bashing. Paizo ate the first attempt, so hopefully that didn't impact the rolls.

The dice are starting to riot...sorry for all the punching around the thing we're aiming for :/

Korl punching at all the wrong things.

Accurate.

PRIMARY SUCCESS CONDITIONS
If the PCs learned that the Big Mina Plateau is actually a single alien organism and traveled to observe the creature’s brain, their mission is a success,--

YAY!

--regardless of their ultimate decision (if any) on the ultimate fate of the alien. Doing so earns each PC 1 Fame and Reputation for any faction associated with their currently slotted faction boon.

SECONDARY SUCCESS CONDITIONS
This adventure is an opportunity for the PCs to distinguish themselves through efficient fieldwork, resourcefulness, and initiative. The PCs succeed at their secondary success conditions if they fulfill three of the following five objectives:
• Properly set up all three towers and instruments
DONE 1/5
• Finish setting up the towers to perform the deep scan within 14 hours
• Finish setting up the towers to perform the deep scan within 36 hours
I DO NOT UNDERSTAND THIS... YOU 2 OBJECTIVES IF 14 HOURS AND 1 IF 36?
IF SO YOU GET 2/5
• Learn the final fate of Exu Jana Onorab (by finding her remains and playing her final recording)
DONE 3/5
• Recover an undamaged portion of the Exu Jana Onorab’s petrified brain
DONE 4/5

So you get Primary & Secondary
Meaning 2 Fame & Rep' for your slotted Faction

PLUS:
FACTION NOTES
If the PCs fulfilled four of the five secondary success conditions, they impress the Wayfinders faction leader. Each PC earns 1 additional Reputation with the Wayfinders faction, in addition to any other Reputation earned as a result of completing this scenario.

So, in total:
2 Fame & 2 Rep' for your slotted Faction
1 Rep' w. Wayfinders

Nice

I still think going
I don't think we can kill this thing
And then throws a rock at the brain, making it chip
Is my character's best moment here

LOL

Well mostly nailed it. Not bad for almost having been crushed by the Crest-eater and missing most of my hits against the nerve clusters.

I like the bonus Wayfinder faction rep though. That was fun, not bad for the character's first outing. His lack of skills are definitely going to be a problem until level up though

Hey, as long as somebody has skills, you’re good!

Yup

Korl's skill is bashing things!

Hello all!
So, I will try to get your Chronicle Sheets out a.s.a.p., hopefully by this week-end.
(I am travelling again today, and then DMing at our French convention on the week-end so have to prep).
In the meantime, if you want/need to join another game, please feel free.
We can wrap up here in RP, but the adventure is over.
Bravo for making it through, and getting all done!

Your characters will receive the following:

+1 XP ; +2 FAME ; +2 REP w. your slotted Faction ; +1 REP w. Wayfinders ; 725 Cr. + whatever Day Job money you might get

These two boons:

• In-the-Vehicle Training (Starship Boon): Hours of traversing Vabaimus’s uneven ground has given you valuable experience when maneuvering a vehicle in dangerous conditions. While operating a vehicle (but not a starship), you increase its EAC, KAC, and hardness by 1. When a vehicle you are operating would be wrecked, you can cross this boon off your Chronicle sheet and attempt a Piloting check; the vehicle is instead reduced to 1 Hit Point and remains operable for a number of rounds equal half the result of your Piloting check unless it is reduced to 0 Hit Points first.

▫ Souvenir Cestus (Slotless Boon; Limited Use): Vabaimus is home to numerous crest-eaters, and you departed with several of their horns as souvenirs. You can check the box that precedes this boon to use your Downtime to fashion an austere bone cestus (Starfinder Alien Archive 31) at a cost of 120 credits. This cestus has an effective resale value of 60 credits. If you use this boon when you are level 8 or higher, you instead fashion a measured bone cestus as a cost of 1,100 credits and whose effective resale value is 550 credits.

And access to the following item purchase list:

austere bone cestus (600; item level 2; Starfinder Alien Archive 31)
basic enercycle (700; item level 1)
exploration buggy (1,000; item level 1)
frost subduer (790; item level 2; Starfinder Armory 13)
jump jets (1,000; item level 2)
kasatha microcord I (460; item level 2)
ring of resistance mk 1 (735; item level 2)
spark polarity gauntlets (410; item level 1; Armory 12)
zero (500; item level 3; Armory 132)

So you can update your characters with all that if you want to move on right away.

Thanks a lot for being such a GREAT team!

On another note: I made a mistake by having you roll for boons.
This was actually only done during the Online Convention games.
So, you all will have the people in charge of Online Support roll for you, and, if you win a boon, they will send you your boon.
So, another chance for all to maybe win.
In the meantime, I will simply send you boons for having won them with my flawed method, anyhow.

1d4 ⇒ 21d4 ⇒ 4

THank you very much for the game I loved it! I played only a few SFS games but this was one of the best RP games so far. The team really talked to each other and it created cool synergy. Good Job Team and great GM'ing.

I liked how you run this scenario GM SFS, so thank you for that.

Overall I enjoyed every bit of this scenario!

From the scenario perspective, I found a few parts bit forced (like let us enter big Mina ;)). But it was nothing that I couldn't live with. If that would be a home run scenario I would go the route of all sort of claustrophobia problems, fears, etc.

Just dumping my thoughts here. Once again thank you and I hope that we will meet again!

Thanks )))

Yes, SFS is a bit more railroading than home games...

I did set up a server for casual games, still new, so it still has little use.

Thanks for running and the pseudo-Chronicle information. I finally get my first mechanic trick.

What are you taking?

I'm looking at Distracting Hack so that I can have an action in combat while controlling my drone.

Other potential choices are Hack Directory, Portable Power, Quick Patch, Re-calibrate Engine, Repair Drone, or Tech Tinkerer. Hack Directory is niche, but when you get to use it, I think it'll really pay off. Quick Patch looks good because I really like starship combat and want to be good at the engineer role. Re-calibrate engine because I kind of want to buy a buggy of this chronicle sheet and then be able to make it a little better. Repair Drone because, well, I have a drone. Finally, Tech Tinkerer because it just seems really fitting for Gogglez to just take one item and engineer it to do something completely different.

Thanks for running! I'm probably going to take a break from SFS for a bit (I have like 2 PFS characters I want to get rolling and one that I thought was going to take a break but the band stuck together and now she's illusion magicking her way through a horde of demons-- no complaints there, though!

re. Engineer: I find that mechanics mainly succeed at Divert etc. every round in spaceship combat (and can double as good Science Officers) which gives a good thing to do... a bit niche too, but Quick Patch can sure come in handy if things go bad.

And Hack Directory will not be used much, but, as you say, when it kicks in it can help save part of a scenario.

re. Distracting Hack... I think it is no good for you.
Because Feint (under Bluff, which is the reference, even if you use Computers in this case) says "enabling you to treat your opponent as flat-footed for your next attack against it before the end of your next turn"
And since you do not attack (as written, it does not even let you use it for the drone)

Recalibrate Engine works maybe more often in Space Combat.
Note: you can buy a motorcycle (enercycle) which might be better than a buggy, since it is only 1 sq. wide, so you can take it on vessels and such.
But the buggy gives cover...
I love vehicles, and hope they will be used more.

You could get Overcharge, to do two move actions and Overcharge two weapons (like two guns on your drone for 2 x overcharges).

Not sure how much Tech Tinkerer would be used in SFS, but it is great!

I didn't even think about Re-calibrate Engine on a spaceship. I thought it only worked on land vehicles. Distracting Hack only working on my attack is disappointing and makes it pretty unusable for me, but at least that's one less trick to select from.

I might buy the enercycle and the buggy for that size thing. I'd be able to take the enercycle nearly anywhere and the buggy whenever I'm able to.

I'm not a big fan of overcharge because I don't like that it increases ammo consumption for such a small increase in damage.

Yeah, that was a blast. I'm looking forward to getting another game going as this is my only way to SFS right now. Small town and forever the GM.

Super appropriate you running this for us all.

I'm not a big fan of overcharge because I don't like that it increases ammo consumption for such a small increase in damage.
It works best with Melee weapons, since that's per minute.
Also, it works well with weapons with Boost, since you cannot Full Attack w. Overcharge, so you do your damage + Overcharge + Boost.
And an added 1d6 of damage in the first levels is not a small increase. It is often more than the base damage of the weapon.
But no problem at all if you do not like it.

@Korl: I might set off another game, I'll see.

On a more philosophical note, I like the hard questions they gave us, but I'm disappointed in the easy way out option that is the most "optimal". Why not let us make the tough choice rather than giving the easy answer? Oh well, its society play after all.

One weird thing is that they go to great lengths re. how to see what to target to cripple the alien w/o killing it (and you can fail the check and not know what to target, or, worse, target the wrong things).
And then they talk about when you apply damage to the crystal and not to what you aim.
BUT... but they never saw how much damage does what!
So, by the rules you can miss 100 times and not do anything.

So I just tried to make it look a little scary...

But I chipped it
With a rock
After I said we may not be able to kill it