tt's Skitter Shot (Inactive)

Game Master therealthom

Trying to regain a smidgen of personal space, Locke presses his head back deeper into his pillow. "Locke Linler. Thanks for your help and nice to meet you. The ship's wired with sensors throughout. No doubt M2 knows where your captain is. But I don't think M2 will want to talk to you, after we tried to reprogram her and cut her power. She's gone crazy, and has subverted the other ship's systems. "

"Maybe we should check out what M2 wants to show us. Sounds like it could be fun! To the viewing gallery?" She looks around at her nufriends and oldfriends before adding, "To the viewing gallery! ...where is the viewing gallery?"

"Take a right out the door. Go through the door at the end of the hallway," Voryna replies.

"Look, before you go, can you get us to your ship? We really don't feel safe here."

Clutch is not designed for 13 additional passengers. Also, none of the passengers appears to have a space suit.

"Friend Locke, where do you think Meet You would keep guests, like our captain? I’m sure this is all a big misunderstanding, but we really should find him quickly!”

Towards Voryna “I’m so sorry! Since our last trip to Castrovel the captain has forbidden us to bring any lifeforms aboard the Clutch! After we find him we will ask for permission, though. And if he doesn’t let us take you, we will bring you any foodstuffs we find on this ship!”

Locke heavily props himself up on an elbow. "If M2 has him there's not a lot of places on the ship to hold a prisoner. The airlocks, if you locked out the controls. Maybe a passenger's cabin. M2 has a security bot. That's what did in me. All those are on the lower deck."

"Thank you nufriend Locke. Do you know what upset M2? Oh, where can we access M2 or the security bot to de-activate them? I'm not certain it wants to be a nufriend yet, but don't worry once M2 sees how helpful we are it will surely want to help too." Dak looks thoughtful for a moment, "Is this all of the passengers? What was this ships compliment with crew and passengers. We should keep an eye open in case other nufriends need help too."

"It looks like we are going to have to look... everywhere! Ship tour!"

Gazigaz starts moving towards the corridor, upper arms in the air.

"Yay!" Quonx throws her arms up in joy and follow Gazigaz to the corridor.

"Ooo… Ooo… And before we go nufriend Locke, can you tell us how to get around the ship? Like a map maybe? That'd be help us be so much more helpful!" Dak beams as he asks his questions and finishes giving any last first aid to the passengers.

"Ship tour!" Nako says, following Quonx and Gaz.

"Thank you nufriend Locke. Do you know what upset M2? Oh, where can we access M2 or the security bot to de-activate them? I'm not certain it wants to be a nufriend yet, but don't worry once M2 sees how helpful we are it will surely want to help too." Dak looks thoughtful for a moment, "Is this all of the passengers? What was this ships compliment with crew and passengers. We should keep an eye open in case other nufriends need help too."

Locke collapses back onto the cot. With some effort he rock back up onto his elbow. "We had no idea what went wrong. We didn't know anything was wrong until we didn't make our first port of call and found ourselves out here instead. M2 said it would be more relaxing out here alone, whatever that means.

"When we tried to shut down M2, Alazea and I went to Engineering. Kenjaro went to the bridge. We thought we could either decouple her power or lock her out of the controls. The security 'bot in Engineering killed Alazea, and nearly got me. I don't know what happened to Kenjaro. Nobody's seen him since."

Varyna interjects, "All the passengers are here."

"Ooo… Ooo… And before we go nufriend Locke, can you tell us how to get around the ship? Like a map maybe? That'd be help us be so much more helpful!" Dak beams as he asks his questions and finishes giving any last first aid to the passengers.

Locke has you haul him to a chair at a table, where he sags in the seat while he draws a crude map on a cocktail napkin. While he works he explains that the door to Engineering is hidden in the wall at the end of the lower deck corridor. Twist pine cone ornament at the base of the left wall sconce open it.

He hands the map too you with a hoarsely whispered, [b]"Good luck."

[ooc] I've removed the covers from the ship's map and added a key.

Quonx heads back to the injured Locke as he is drawing the map, "Nufriend, don't take this the wrong way, but you aren't very good at drawing. But I think I can make something to help you, if you want." After looking over the crude map, she adds, "I think we need to go check the bridge first, then maybe to engineering to shut off M2."

"Spa?! This is a very good ship! But let's see if the captain started playing games and forgot to come back!"

Gazigaz moves to the door number 3.

Perception to listen: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (2) + 5 = 7

Deep in the bowels of the ship a generator or pump kicks on. Otherwise Gaz hears nothing at the door.

"I don't hear the captain, but he might be asleep in there! What does a computer sound like when it's sleeping? Anyway, let's take a peek..."

Gazigaz tests the door, to see if it's locked.

Quonx is a little uneasy with a rampaging computer on the loose, so she grabs her rifle and a frag grenade. Best to be prepared.

Perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (12) + 5 = 17

Dakoyo follows, "Gree, we should at least do a quick check the rest of this deck. In case the captain is here and needs help." He grips his staff and needle gun, keeping them ready. "Let's go! Allsix, for the captain!"

The door slides open when you get close enough to touch it. Inside the room wooden panels line the walls, and an emerald green carpet covers the floor. Two wooden tables, each adorned with a deck of shiny playing cards, are surrounded with comfortable chairs. Two digital dart boards hang on the forward wall in the other corner. A holo-billiards table, its holographic balls glowing serenely, occupies one of the aft corners. A closed cabinet stands in the final corner of the room.

"If I was hiding myself, that cabinet would be a great place to do so! I just would need to find a reason to hide myself!"

"Let's open it! I don't like closed things. Who knows what could be in there!"

"Gree. Let's look around quick, make sure the captain isn't here." Dak also tries getting the captain on the comm unit. "Be careful though, that security bot is here too. It doesn't sound like it wants to be a nufriend."

Perception/Searching: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (7) + 9 = 16

"Security bot?!?! Where?!?!" Nako says, drawing her weapons. After looking around frantically at Dakoyo's warning, she calms down. Nako starts looking around.

Perception: 1d20 ⇒ 7

After not finding anything, Nako turns to the cabinet. "I agree. We should open that cabinet!"

Gazigaz opens the cabinet!

The cabinet contains augmented reality goggles and gloves that function with the dart boards, allowing players to throw all manner of digital projectiles; half a dozen holocues for the billiards table; and a jantz set (jantz is a chess-like board game played with elaborate glass pieces).

Tucked into a corner behind the digital paraphenalia, Quonx spots a single small throwing dart.

Otherwise this room is empty.

Quonx sticks her head into the cabinet after Gazigaz opens it. The sparkly dart draws her attention, "Hey. Lookey what I found. I call it!" She grabs the dart and spins it in one of her hands before slipping it into her belt. "Onward!"

Engineering; to identify: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (9) + 12 = 21

"Alright, now I'm sure we'll find something important!" Gazigaz moves to the door at the end of the corridor, and waits for everyone else to join before opening it.

Once again, when you get close enough to touch the door, it opens automatically. Inside, it's very dark. Light from your corridor spills into the space only a short distance before being swallowed up in inky blackness.

"Well someone forgot to keep the lights on! Everybody, protect your toes against corners, we might have to go search in the dark!"

Gazigaz turns on the light on his armor built in comm unit and tries to see a little more.

Perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (7) + 5 = 12

While he stands in the doorway, Gaz's flashlight beam penetrates no further than the light from the hallway. There's more going on here than the lights merely being out.

At Gaz's suggestion, Nako nods and salutes. She brings her feet together, beginning to hop down the hallway in the front of the group.

She stops at the edge of the light and leans close, inspecting it. "This is really drift. Not in a drift, 'Woah, cool!' way, but drift as in 'creepy and scary and pointy things'."

As Nako hops forward into the observation deck, the darkness retreats before her.

In plain text. Normal light extends only 10' into the darkness. It's going to be too difficult to model illumination, so as you visit each part of the room, I'll roll back the shadow permanently, but I'm counting on you to remember that each of you only illuminate a 10' radius. Should someone be separated by 25' from the others, they'll be lost from view.

Quonx steps on to the observation deck, next to Nako. "This is dark! But it doesn't seem natural. If I have to guess, I think this drift phenomena is some kind connection to another plane. I'm going to go check it out." She then heads into the center of the room.

Physical Science: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (19) + 9 = 28

"This is kinda fun! Captain! Are you here?" Gazigaz moves into the room, going to the "north".

Dak moves along with the team, he begins examining the darkness carefully.

Mysticism/DC 13: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (20) + 12 = 32

"By the stars... Gree, this darkness isn't regular darkness. It's darknessier… Can't tell what's causing it though." Dak moves the an opposite edge to help the team press the darkness back. He calls out as he moves, "Captain, we're coming to help."

Nako continues to hop into the room, swinging her doshko as if to bat away the darkness. "WE'RE COMING, CAPTAIN!"

Stepping forward you see that this circular chamber contains two rows
of reclining seats curving around a central space. The ceiling appears to be made from a dome of transparent aluminum, but panels covering the outside of the dome block the view. Four pedestals, each topped with a large chunk of onyx, are evenly spaced around the outside of the room. Doors lead forward and aft.

After just a few steps, you reach a point where some of the darkness at least doesn't give way. Above you in the room's center is a jagged swirl of darkness that simply absorbs light. Below the swirl, the floor writhes organically, then something dark and smoky stretches out toward you. Then another and another....

Closer, they resolve into cat-sized centipedes, but still shadowy and indistinct. They swarm around and through the group, biting at you.

Two chomp on Nako's legs. One bites into Dakoyo. Another tries to sink its pincers into Gazigaz, but he jumps back to avoid them.

Status:

Them

Quonx
Nako (8 damage)
Gazigaz
Dakoyo (3 damage)

You're all up. These things are officially tiny size.

"Yikes! Quonx tosses her held grenade beyond the swirling darkness, hoping that it will take out the majority of these things.

Blast radius shown on map.

Toss frag grenade I: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 1 = 7
P damage: 1d6 ⇒ 6

She then moves across the room to get away from the weird things.

Roll to id...anything?

"Don't worry, Nako, those were just bug bites!" Gazigaz uses Inspiring Boost on Nako, giving her back 8 stamina points, and then takes a guarded step back out of the room.

I always forget the ID roll.

"SQUASH THE BUG THINGS!" Nako shouts, as she attacks them with her doshko.

Doshko: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (11) + 7 = 18, 1d8 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 4 = 5

How big do the onxy look? Could I TK Projectile them?

Quonx's grenade vaporizes four of the creepers. It has no effect on the planar eddy.

Nako wheels and smashes the centipede attacking Dakoyo. Even though she pins it to the floor, when she lifts her doshko, it wraps around the weapon's shaft and wriggles weakly toward her hand.

Gazigaz encourages Nako.

Each onyx would just fill two hands cupped together.

Status:
Them
Quonx
Nako (0 damage)
Gazigaz
Dakoyo (3 damage)

Dakoyo to go. Gaz may redo his move action.

Thank you! Do we get OOP for the creatures attacking us, since they moved into our squares?

Dak calls out, [/b]"The creatures are bound here, by the onyx I think. We need to severe the connect by an act of will."[/b] Spoilers open

Dak then dashes to the nearest pillar with a cry of "ALLSIX!" and tries to disrupt the connection.

Mysticism: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (12) + 12 = 24

Dakoyo stares at the onyx, concentrates on the mystic connection between it and the small shadow rift, and inserts a bit of his own will into the flow of power. It snaps with a metaphysical crack. The purple skittermander feels a few sticky psychic filaments wrap around his will.

The planar eddy lurches to port slightly. The shadow creepers raise half the length of their bodies and their head snap toward Dakoyo.

Quonx and Nako see 4 more creepers drip out of the rift like streams of dark molasses and drop to the floor. They roll, recover, raise themselves to look in the direction of Dakoyo.

OK. Thanks to the Ragi for the rules posting. Because they went before you in round one, you're technically still flat-footed and won't get an AoO for them entering your squares. For the rest of the combat you will, also you may take an AoO for them leaving your squares, or exiting a threatened square. Still subject to the limit of 1 reaction per turn.

The creepers do not threaten adjacent squares. You may move freely around them, however, if you exit a shared square, they will get an AoO.

The long shadow bugs ululate across the floor, under chairs, and over chairs and swarm over Dakoyo. Mandible pincers worry at his armor, seeking the flesh beneath.

Nako gets an AoO against the one he hit (1), or the one that originally attacked Gaz (2). Gaz will get an AoO v bug 2 as it crosses in front of him. Dakoyo will get an AoO as they swarm him.

Status:

Bug 1 : 5 damage
Bug 2 :
Bug 7 :
Bug 8 :
Bug 9 :
Bug 10 :

Quonx
Nako (0 damage)
Gazigaz
Dakoyo (3 or 5 damage, depending on AoO results)

"I don't know what you are doing, Dak, but keep at it! They are really angry!" Gazigaz moves into the room and draws his static arc pistol.

Gazigaz didn't have a melee weapon drawn, so he can't take his AoO

"ACK! So drooly and bitey. Not nufriends, not drift!" Dak bats and pushes at the swarm. "Stand near a pillar, focus on it. WILL it to be Drift. You all can do it! Ibra's power is in us all."

Dak takes a defensive stance and swing his staff at one of the creatures.

Fight defensively, then Guarded step. AC 15E/16K

Attack Bug 1/KAC: 1d20 + 1 - 4 ⇒ (7) + 1 - 4 = 4

Actually, only Dakoyo has Mysticism of all the pregens. You are special!

"You can do it! I'll just squash the stupid bug things!" she says, before smashing one she just saw pop up.

Doshko AoO: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (13) + 7 = 20, 1d8 + 4 ⇒ (5) + 4 = 9

She swings again.
Doshko, normal attack (IDK if I'm up yet, but here's my attack): 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (1) + 7 = 8, 1d8 + 4 ⇒ (8) + 4 = 12