GM Crunch Goes Into the Unknown (Inactive)

Game Master Saving Cap'n Crunch

Hello, everyone! If you've come this far, here's hoping you're up for a game. I'd say we're starting sometime around or after the 4th of July weekend.

Hey there, before I fully commit, will we try to finish this game before pbp gameday?

Oda clomps in. She has a new power gauntlet on her left hand. It is shiny.

Gameday starts August 26th, right? I doubt it'll take that long.

*FR10R-W4R walks into a bar.....you would think he would have seen it.*

Hello all, Looking forward to another AWESOME GM Crunch adventure.

26th yes. Awesome news.

Still need to finalise my character but it will be ready by the 4th

Q-10, Android soldier is ready to go.

I have a bit of a newb question. I have a primary character and a secondary character. With my primary character (Idomyll) I have earned 3 Chronicles from play. With my secondary character (FR10R-W4R) I have earned 1 chronicle from play.

I want to purchase the best weapon I can at the moment for FR10R-W4R.

Do I have access to everything on all my chronicles, or does FR10R-W4R only have access to weapons on chronicles he has earned himself?

FR10R-W4R has only what is on chronicles earned by him. There is also a list of "always available" gear.

ALWAYS AVAILABLE ITEMS
You may always purchase the following items or equipment as long as you’re in an appropriate settlement (see above).
• All equipment listed in the Starfinder Core Rulebook with an item level equal to your character level + 1.
• All equipment listed in sanctioned Starfinder content with an item level equal to your character.
• Any equipment listed on your character’s Chronicle sheets with an item level equal to your character level + 2.
• All items and services purchased with Fame.

Yeah, that!

Perfect, thank you.

@GM Crunch, I have updated my sheet, it is the same as last game with the only addition being I purchased a Hunting Rifle and 56 rounds of ammo. I are no longer powerless.............HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA ALL BOW BEFORE YOUR ROBOT-ISH OVERLORDS.....er yeah.

Well, there probably won't be many ghosts in this adventure. I was curious why you didn't have any weapons last time, I thought you had the credits.

I specifically did not build a combat character focusing instead on skills but this left me with a lousy +2 on my attack rolls. Buying a weapon seemed like a waste until I gain a few levels. I was hoping to run through a few missions and stock up a pile of credits so I can afford the stuff I really want like the augmentation and eventually power armor.

My opinion is that it is fine to build non-combat focus character. But whether you like it or not in SFS games you will spend let's say 50% of your time in fights. So you should plan on what do you do during that time.

I would also recommend having 1 melee weapon as well.

Yeah, murderhobos have persisted even to the stars. Most characters have weapons even if they aren't great with any. Overall, I think envoys and mystics are the best for such things. They can have options to avoid combat or, if it comes down to that, help without firing a shot. But if you have a plan for FR10R, good on you.

Yeah, I always build my characters around a theme or concept rather then for mechanics. Idomyll is a spiritual port of my Shadowrun rigger.Feros Myrr is a self proclaimed paladin of the sun as a solar disciple, solarian, divine champion and FR10R W4R is a transhumanist. Android cyber born exocortex mechanic Augmented.

He woke up on Aballon and spent years learning from those who become, he is a member of the church of Triune and believes that flesh is weak and everyone should aspire to the perfection of the machine. I made him as a loose cross of Iron Man, the Borg and HK-47 (although not as killy)

I like to play wierd things :)

Hey guys, sorry for the delay, was out of town. This is gonna be my first PbP game as well as my first SF game though I've played PF, so I'm sorry in advance for the mistakes I'll likely make :P Making my Mystic as we speak, should be ready tonight if all goes well!

You'll be fine CaptainBacon. If you have any questions just ask. Oda wont answer you, but she'll gesture at you or maybe write you a note.

Here you go, decided to play as an Envoy as I don't really want to deal with spellcasting on my first game. If anything is wrong with my character sheet please tell me, otherwise I'm ready to roll!

Whatever works best for you is good by me! I'm not looking very hard as it's late, but I didn't see what skill you had expertise in (besides Sense Motive). Otherwise, everything looks good.

We're only waiting on Anxa, but I can put up introductory posts soon either way. No need to responds fast, it is the weekend (of the 4th no less).

Thanks for the PM GM Crunch, I'm back home and will have my character sheet up in the next day or two.

One surly Dwarven Mechanic/Exocortex incoming...

Before the first starship combat breaks out, could everyone discuss what roles they'll be manning here?

Also, is this the first starship fight for anyone here? Zahvos, I know it's yours, so I assume you've read up on the rules. The DCs are different from what's down in the book; I'll put a list of combat actions and updated DCs in my header soon. Again, feel free to ask questions.

Oh yeah, I also reported the game early, having just remembered this post. Try not to die, then I'll have to edit things!

Before the first starship combat breaks out, could everyone discuss what roles they'll be manning here?

Also, is this the first starship fight for anyone here? Zahvos, I know it's yours, so I assume you've read up on the rules. The DCs are different from what's down in the book; I'll put a list of combat actions and updated DCs in my header soon. Again, feel free to ask questions.

Yep it's my first, I've read the rules a few times over though I'll likely need a hand. Thinking Captain might be the ideal role for Zahvos due to his high Charisma? (Though it doesn't make much sense as he's never left Absalom Station) Otherwise I don't have much of a preference.

I've done starship combat before.

Don't have the skills to Pilot, BAB for gunnery, and captain is right out. So... Pátrat is good with Science Officer and/or Engineer.

I've done some starship combat before as well.

Spider can be
Captain (Diplomacy +7, Bluff +10)
Pilot +7 (Piloting +7)
Science Officer (Computers +5)
Gunner +2

I can be a Pilot if no one wants to. If someone does want to Pilot I can be any other of the above.

A question about starship combat. Would we be posting in order of the spaceship combat phases? Or we post all at once and then we 'assemble a round'?

Q-10 has a +7 piloting.

So he can be gunner or pilot.

Captain: I am -1 to both dip and bluff.
Pilot: I am +6 to pilot
Science: I am +12 to computers
Engineering: I am +9
Gunner: I am at +2

Don't care what spot I take though I assume it will be either Science or Engineering.

Completely forgot to post yesterday. I sped things up a tiny bit. The mercenary would've ran on his turn, and Exegara would surrender if they were all dead or gone. Would've taken a bit considering she went before he did.

But good job so far! These combats are a little harder than usual, I assume because you top off between each part, they're each like little boss fights.

Before we take flight... Are these the starship roles we're looking at:

Captain - Zahvos (+7+d6 Diplo, +7 Bluff, +3 Intimidate)
Pilot - Q-10 or Spider (+7 Pilot)
Science - FR10R (+12 Computer)
Engineer - Rat (+9 Engineering)
Gunners (if we have the weapons) - Oda (+2), Q-10 (+2) or Spider (+2)

Q-10 and Spider, preference for Piloting?

FR10R can bounce to Engineering depending on combat results, since there can be multiple. I'm only +9 on Computer but can do Science if you're not feeling it FR10R.

For the gunners vs pilot I am fine with either.

From what I saw Q-10 has +4 to gunnery (which is the best that we have) and Spider, in the end, has (+3 - I forgot about replacing BAB with piloting ranks for that). So it is not that big of a difference.

I will leave the choice to Q-10, I will enjoy either of those positions.

@GM Crunch can we use Boons for this fight? I have an upgrade to a laser to give it +1 to damage.

Oh, I thought I had forgotten to ask for slotted boons! But no, now I remember why. As this is a quest series, mostly meant for new players, we don't slot boons even if anyone has them.

Got it, thanks!

Sorry For the no post the last couple days. I think that makes sense spider. You can take piloting. Q-10 would rather be on the guns anyways.

No worries, it was the weekend ;) I assumed you have no strong preference.

I might start rolling both initiatives myself next round, so you don't need to wait on me if you win. I don't think we'll go into the Gameday, but these starship fights can feel quite long.

Not a problem @GM Crunch. After all, I will be RP'ing around the rolls so I don't mind in whose post they show up.

@GM Crunch, question here. What does happen when we lose the fight? As it looks that way. I am strongly considering running away.

Leaving for a LARP today, so posting will be tough for me until Sunday. Feel free to bot me as needed.

Well, I'm still thinking about that. If your ship hits 0 HP, it is immobile and defenseless. The Eoxians probably wouldn't blow it up. More likely they'd come over and try to kill you,, which is the inverse of what you're trying and could accomplish the same thing.

I'm not sure to what extent I'm allowed to change things, but that might make for an interesting switch. A TPK in this encounter would be mostly the fault of them winning initiative. Besides, you're not allowed to use boons in this adventure, so you can't get someone to pick you up.

Alternatively, you have the escape pods. I don't think they go well in the Drift, but I could give that a pass. It might lead to a reduced reward or something worse, not sure.

Running away isn't a bad idea, I just need to figure out the specifics should you choose to do so.

There is one more thing that I realized while reviewing the scenario. The Endless Threnody has a speed of 6 and average maneuverability (can turn every 2 moves). Which means that it can turn 3 times in their round (of a total 120 deg).

That basically means that if we stop behind them they are unable to turn to face us with their front arc.

A comment on the above, Endless Threnody can always turn in place making sure that they put their front arc at us. The only downside is that they can't do evade then.

Overall I feel like this starship combat is not really well designed as the front weapon is considerably more powerful than anything that our ship has (it deals 4d8 on +7 to hit, while we do 4d4+2d4 on two shots +4 and +2). So this combat resolves entirely at winning initiative, as if you do that, then you can position behind the enemy or on their sides where weapons do way less damage (2d4). And the bonuses that the Endless Threnody has are rather high (+7 to hit).

With regards to fleeing there seems to be no rules for that, which I find weird. I can't seem to find any rules on how long does it take to jump into the drift. I will leave it to the GM.

With regards to rewards (assuming that we survive the disengage) I would go with the approach that we didn't complete this mission. So the best that we do is complete 4 out of 5 missions.

If things went really well, you could outrange their guns. The idea of turning in place, though, that's monstrous. That never came to my mind, and it doesn't seem like a tactic mentioned or thought of in the scenario.

I still don't know why Starfinder's enemy to-hits are so high. I haven't messed around with creating my own encounters or creatures, it's become a running joke. At least it's mitigated well in normal combat and some in starship fights.

I was going to ask around on the Station about what I should do, but my most likely plan was to take off the reward for one mission. It's too bad, but happens sometimes.

Same as last week; I'm going to a LARP starting tomorrow, but this time I'm going on a small vacation afterwards, coming back on the 16th. I do not know how often I will be able to post (and if I even will have access to an internet connection), and although I will try to do so as often as possible I am sorry for the inconvenience. Please bot me as needed!

FR10R, how'd you get your Computers so high? I'm feeling too lazy to hash out the math at the moment. Quite the specialist!

Also, I'm no longer 100% certain we'll finish before Gameday. There's one normal combat and one starship fight left, and the last one of those took a bit. Spider (and anyone else), are you using your character for a game, or just looking to free up bandwidth? Hypothetically we could skip the quest, but we've already kind of done that once, reducing rewards.

Another idea I just had, we could stop after the normal fight, then reconvene after Gameday and do the last one.

I signed up in a GD game with Zahvos myself, though I wouldn't mind rolling another character at all if we're not over. About replaying the quest later, that sounds like a good idea, but I thought this was forbidden if you played another scenario between the quests?

I'm not using this character in Gameday, and if it's just combat I'm good with finishing out the adventure.

Hopefully DiceBot will be with us!

Oh wait, that's true. Didn't think about the idea too hard, I just had it.