To Rar'gul, for talking himself onto the bridge to take a selfie with Captain Rameem.
I concur. Nice job, Rar'gul, in getting up to the bridge! And I love the selfie angle.
That was a smart play, and huge fun.
A few notes on our timeline for the coming week:
I think we can play out everything that happens on The Chimera tomorrow (game time) over the next week or so. Maybe 10 days.
After that I think it will be time to step back, just for a day or two, and let all of you give your best version of what you think has happened aboard the Chimera. If you'd like, you can confront the person you think is responsible for Security Chief Algiada's disappearance.
Following that, we will play out the stunning conclusion of this affair, and we'll make decisions about continuing on to the second adventure of this series.
I thought you all would also want to know that I have exchanged a couple of emails with Jason Keeley, the writer of this adventure. I have always enjoyed listening to him being interviewed on podcasts, and I got to play in a Society adventure he wrote at Cosmic Crittercon a couple of months ago.
I know he took a look at our google slides and some of the posts, and was impressed with how all of you have embraced this adventure. This really is a great adventure for play by post.
He had a good laugh at the Pygosian Rending Geese (which are NOT part of the adventure as written--that, along with the vending machine, are the only major changes I have made).
Thanks for the update, GM Quirk. And thank you for bottle cap - I'm sure it will come in handy soon enough! And that's great to hear about Jason Keeley. I've also enjoyed listening to his interviews. What great feedback for your game!
Appreciate the kind words, everyone. You've all raised the bar - I'm just trying to keep up!
I thought you all would also want to know that I have exchanged a couple of emails with Jason Keeley, the writer of this adventure. I have always enjoyed listening to him being interviewed on podcasts, and I got to play in a Society adventure he wrote at Cosmic Crittercon a couple of months ago.
I know he took a look at our google slides and some of the posts, and was impressed with how all of you have embraced this adventure. This really is a great adventure for play by post.
He had a good laugh at the Pygosian Rending Geese (which are NOT part of the adventure as written--that, along with the vending machine, are the only major changes I have made).
That's really neat! Thanks for sharing, GM. I agree, this is an excellent adventure for PbP; I've never really had the opportunity to play anything like it.
Great job posting yesterday!
I had a busy evening yesterday, and a busy day at work today.
I will plan on getting some posts in later tonight. Please don't be shy if your character would like to question any of the crew or passengers.
I love the way Yariel is handling Grath.
GMQ, and everyone, thanks for this game. Definitely the current favorite of all the games I'm playing in.
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Well, I, the player, am completely stumped. The last thing I can think of is directly confronting the captain and saying ‘we found your blood on this ship model, but other than that, there are too many people lying and not enough ways to check their stories. It’s a good problem to have! I’m invested. Just. . . My player is a PI, I am not.
As I noted, in a week or so, all of you are going to be able to give your best guess as to what you think happened. You may do this here in discussion, or in character over in game play. This will happen before the climax of the adventure (wherein you will learn what has happened).
NONE of you are going to get it right, so don't get too wrapped up into being Hercule Poirot, Sherlock Holmes, or Columbo.
But it might be fun to see who is on the right track!
And yes, this has turned into an excellent example of PBP gaming. My early thoughts are we should be full speed ahead as far as going into the second book. Let's wait a week or two, and you can all give your thoughts on that. It might be something to start thinking about though.
Perhaps it's entirely innocuous - the captain cut himself on his model of the Idari and in a fit of rage decided to give the offending item a cremation. Only to have the model wedge itself on the door due to the force of his power dunk!
I'm thinking there was either another kasatha on board or a shapeshifting ooze has murdered the captain and assumed his identity :P
Or something like that...
I've also got no clue what's happening. That's why I'm trying to figure out a timeline of everyone's whereabouts last night. Maybe there's something in their movements.
Also, all our wild speculation has gotten to be a little much for John. So he's going to focus on the contract, more specifically find Algiada's body, if it's there to be found.
Vamp, what's the deal with the detector you bought?
The ooze residue definitely presents a wildcard that either doesn't fit or explains the whole thing. And I agree that we seem to be missing a Kasatha.
What if Algiada was really a Kasatha but under some sort of disguise spell? She is murdered by someone using an deadly ooze, which devours her body. She was obviously paranoid enough. Maybe she knew someone was coming after her. I don't know why you'd kill her with the model ship though if you have a devouring ooze at your disposal or why you'd need to dispose of the ship in the incinerator if you can just feed it to the ooze.
Or the residue isn't from an ooze, but evidence of a shapechanger. A shapechanger kills the really-Kasatha Algiada with the improvised ship, then escapes through the vent and tries to get rid of the murder weapon? I vote that it's the Captain who kills her because Algiada realizes that he's really not a Kasatha since she is, although she doesn't appear to be!
How's that for convoluted? But we're still missing her body if she was a real Kasatha.
Amazing? I don't know. That might not be the right word.
These are not directly related to this game, but they are Starfinder related. I figured they might be of interest here.
#1, one week from Monday marks the first time since February that I will be playing with my IRL group. We are smack-dab in the middle of the Signal of Screams AP. Hopefully I can post a good recap for everyone, since it's been so long. AP's like this only work if you are invested in the NPC's and the plot. That certainly was the case last year.
We should wrap up the second book by the end of August if we can get three sessions in.
Our LGS is setting up larger tables so we can have a little more distance in between us. We're also encouraging masks.
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This is something new I am planning on recruiting for soon, perhaps within a couple of weeks.
The AP that we are playing here has been an incredibly nice change of pace from Society play. Overall, I enjoy Starfinder Society, but some of the adventures are hit and miss.
In any case, this group has some priority in my gaming world. I'm enjoying all of you immensely.
There's something missing though.
I want to do something ORIGINAL. That's where Gateway to Absalom comes in. The setting will be familiar--The Gateway district is on Absalom Station on one of the "arms". It's dominated by a spaceport and a Deep Space 9-style promenade with a wide range of businesses.
This will be a PBP mini-campaign. I would hope I could take 5-6 players and have them play up to level 4 mainly within this neighborhood on Absalom.
This has been rolling around in my head for quite some time. I had a couple of pages of notes, and tonight I have added to it.
One radical thing I have been considering is recruiting upwards to TEN players. A sandbox style of adventuring might lend itself to more players. I do need to give that idea some thought though.
You all will be welcome to submit a character.
I think I'll be fine with time and bandwidth to do this. The games I'm playing currently are winding down, and I don't plan on joining anymore for the time being.
(Just to be clear, I anticipate keeping this game going into book two WHILE I am also getting this new campaign off the ground. I will be letting go of playing in more than one online Society game at a time.)
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Yes, I know I need to make a post about what's going on with Trostinek and Grath. I promise to do that tomorrow (Saturday).
I think we'll have a chance to make a lot of good posts between then and into next week. You all might not see it yet, but things are coming to a head.....
Oh, one more thing:
This is a GREAT time to hit Captain Rameem's Vend-o-matic.
As always, please let me know if I didn't respond to any queries or interactions you had. Hopefully my posts tonight will get a good week of play under way.
Glad to hear your real life group is getting back together. And Gateway to Absalom sounds like huge fun. I keep toying with the idea of a homebrew Starfinder adventure. I'm nearly convinced that I'd have to do it episodically. I don't believe that I could simultaneously run and write adventures. It would just be too much time.
Anyway, I'll definitely pitch a character for Gateway.
New crazy idea. Iom is invisibly lurking around the ship, waiting for the mutineers to show their hand.
New crazy idea. Iom is invisibly lurking around the ship, waiting for the mutineers to show their hand.
So much better. She just pops back up and says, "I'm right here, you idiots."
Gateway to Absalom sounds interesting! I'm not sure if I have the bandwidth for another game right now (I am also spooling my home game back up), but if I do you can be sure that I'll submit somethin'.
Whoever redid the connection web deserves kudos. It looks great.
Gateway to Absolom sounds like fun. However, unless you're not starting until at least next month, I'll have to refrain from it.
From this week to the end of the month, my posting will be less frequent/irregular. We're preparing to move and until we get to our new place, it'll be hard to stay consistent. I do plan to post when I can, but please don't be surprised I'm absent for a few days at a time.
Moving far?
Across the pond to merry old London.
Whoever redid the connection web deserves kudos. It looks great.
Wow! I hadn't looked for a while. That is real sweet!
Across the pond to merry old London.
That's quite some move. Our last relocation was 30 mins away and that was difficult enough! All the best with the preps and moving.
Yes. Best wishes on your move. I hope everything goes smoothly.
I am at least a week away from posting recruitment for Gateway to Absalom. If I leave two weeks for recruitment, and a week between the end of the recruitment and the beginning of the game, well, that's a month right there.
Bottomline, if you are interested in this game, I would say it's HIGHLY likely I will find a spot for you.
I'll have some updates incoming a bit later tonight.
Hey, if no one wants the grenade scrambler that Kiiv gave us, John will take it. The bot fight would have been an obvious use, but I'll bet goblins like grenades.
Hey, if no one wants the grenade scrambler that Kiiv gave us, John will take it. The bot fight would have been an obvious use, but I'll bet goblins like grenades.
The bot fight was an obvious use. Too obvious?? I need a tinfoil hat.
To be honest, I was so focused on the "deeper" mystery of what Aligada was up to that I've completely forgotten that we're supposed to be investigating her disappearance.
It is still the night you ate the geese, although the night is winding down. When you are through with the questioning of Trostinek, Lozu, and Grath, you may turn in for the night....or not!
I've no more questions for Trosty. I would like to get the party tpgether. And visit the vend-o-matic.
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Seems to me the best place to set up a watch would be with the doors open to the galley and generally looking down the hallway. That way you can keep an eye on all the passenger compartments and the back stairs, so anyone going up or down would have to pass by you. That doesn't catch the side stairs but hopefully with the doors to the galley all open you could hear people walking down the side stairs. Especially if I leave out my kit that gives you +4 to perception checks while actively searching.
Guys, I'll be on vacation with very limited or no web access for 10-11 days.
GM Q, botting John:
Priorities
1. Survive
2. Party survives.
3. Algaida's fate.
4. other mysterious stuff
Combat,
Ranged preferred [new static arc pistol v EAC] 1d20+4 [damage] 1d6 crit arc 2
but if someobody needs a flank buddy or is in trouble
[Melee sword cane v KAC] 1d20 +4 [damage] 1d4+1 , critical Bleed 1d3;
Trick attack : Bluff 1d20+11 +4 damage 1d4
Blindfight, and mobility feats
Enjoy the vacation!
We'll take (hopefully, good) care of John. ;)
I hope everyone is enjoying their weekend!
Here is a LINK to my new "Gateway to Absalom" recruitment thread.
By the way, did you spot my Easter Egg in my last post in game play?
Ha! Now I can't help but imagine the Captain providing his own PFFT sound effects as he opens the door!
Saw recruitment thread. It sounds very interesting! I'd been mulling ideas over since you initially mentioned it, and had been thinking of trying out someone a little shady, but see that's off the table. XD
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Shape-shifting body-snatcher oozes!! I love this game. Will re-read posts before posting myself.
Here is a LINK to my new "Gateway to Absalom" recruitment thread.
I am in on this! I had cooked up no fewer than four character concepts over the past week or two, but the business angle means that I *need* to go with my Abadaran junk-trader.
Welcome back John and T'sorkel!
I'll try to get a post in tomorrow before lunch if anyone else wants to interact with the captain. Probably have a few other crew members stick their head out of their doors as well.
We've come to the point in this adventure where you as PC's have gone out and learned lots of information through interviews and investigations. It appears to me that at least Beauregard has a working theory on what happened to Algiada.
What I would like each of you to do is make a post here in discussion giving your best guess on what's going on on the Chimera. Please do it as a spoiler, and don't look at anyone else's until all six are posted.
You may do this in character, or out of character. You may assume that everyone, including the captain, is together in the dining hall.
Later this week, perhaps Monday night or Tuesday, things will resume back in game play. We'll see how this all plays out.
Oh, the one I judge the best theory will receive a bottle cap. You're going to need those bottle caps for the wham-bang ending of this adventure.
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As for the stopped ship, I have only conjecture. Perhaps the shapeshifter wants to hand the ship over to some third party, and so they stranded us in space long enough for some them to find us (drift travel being notoriously unreliable in terms of time.) This would explain the payments and the coded messages if they were planning to sell the ship to looters, and the payment could have been a bribe to the first officer. Like I said, that's just conjecture, and I have very little evidence for it. I have no idea how the heywire robot fits into it all.
She has now taken on the image/shape of the Captain himself, and is planning on releasing the crew once we make port so she can have the ship all to herself. The failure of the ship was something done by the real Captain as a way to undermine 'Algiada's' plan, holding the ship itself hostage, but he didn't expect her to just kill him.
Doc believes that there is not one, not two, but three shadowy conspiracies at play!
Conspiracy 1: Oh, Captain Rameem. Your polite and chummy demeanor is such a useful cover for your sketchy business dealings! You've learned too much, and now some spooky information broker in Maro wants to dissect your gray matter. Unfortunately for you, your security chief is as amoral as she is ambitious, and she's more than willing to trade your life for your stuff. She's brought her vesk merc buddy and his nonlethal hugbot along to facilitate the job.
Conspiracy 2: Ah, but wait! The information broker from Maro is playing fifth-dimension chess with another unseen player who's willing to go to extreme lengths just to prevent Conspiracy 1 from coming to fruition. This shadowy player has at least one (but possibly two) shapechanging agents aboard the Chimera, of which at least one is an ooze. Their goal? prevent Conspiracy 1 from happening, whatever the cost. Algiada knew (or suspected) something about this, which is why she (1) tried to convince Trostinek to change their plan, and (2) insinuated that she "knew what Jincheroga was up to".
Conspiracy 3: Did we forget about Professor Brodynt Benjam and his hidden Maltese falcon? Of course not! He's concerned someone wants to steal his precious artifact, and he's right. It's probably the same shapechangers running Conspiracy 2, since they have demonstrated they have the desire to keep the Chimera stranded in the Drift. Why stay stranded? So another ship can reach them, murder everyone on board and fly away with the goods.
Who killed Algiada Iom? Um, a shapechanging ooze working for the Illuminati? I've got some spare tinfoil hats, if anyone wants one.
Chain of Events:
Algiada hears a knock on her door. It's her pal Lozu. Surprise! It's a murderous ooze! Algiada is dead. The trap is rigged to draw attention to her disappearance, hopefully distracting from other events.
Captain is murdered to ensure that the shapechangers have total control over the situation.
Okay, so, there are holes in this story, but it's the best I got.
This is awesome work by the three of you. Hoping we'll see some thoughts from Rar'gul, John, and Yariel.
Quick public service announcement: You will all want to get the vending machine matter printer going if there is anything you need.
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It isn't like I don't 'want' things, but she doesn't exactly have a lot of money for the things she could use.
Yariel hops on top of the table and cracks open a slurm, taking a deep draught before explaining the mystery.
"Listen, this is easy. The big bad mastermind here is obviously the professor. " After gasps from the assembled onlookers and crew, she continues, "See it's simple, he needed to take out Algaida cause she might figure out his secret. He's smuggling not an artifact as he claims, but a creature. A completely new species of slime that is both sentient and capable of duplicating any being perfectly. That means... ANY ONE OF YOU COULD BE A DOPPLEGANGER!!!"
She doesn't waste effort trying to pick out who it might be, they are obviously too good at their reactions to feign the right emotion, plus she knows who the doppleganger is right now. Instead, the diminutive ysoki simply continues, "It's obvious that Algaida recognized the professor and got worried he was coming for her like her brother. So she sets a trap in her room when she sleeps but she didn't know the slime could just slip right through her vents. It slips in, suffocates her in her sleep and dissolves the body into tasty goo it slurps right up. We found evidence of slime near the vents to prove this."
She takes another big gulp, "So there are a bunch of missing links to worry about, but I'll wrap them up easily. The professor starts to get paranoid about who Algaida might have told so he puts into effect his delaying plan then starts picking off targets. First, shut down the ship so we are stuck in one place and make it look like Kiiv did it to put anything he says under suspicion. Then kill off Trostinek in an 'accident' with his bot. The Captain suspects something now, so he confronts the professor who has to immediately act. The slime sneaks up behind and violently kills the captain, we found the murder weapon hastily tossed into the incinerator with Kasathan blood on it. But now, the professor and his slime lover start freaking out. So to buy time the slime pretends to be the Captain while the professor figures out their escape. That escape is the last part of the plan, which would have been to blow up the entire ship, leaving in a pod to be picked up as the lone survivors. A devious plan, but I saw right through it!"
She looks around at each crew, passenger and villain in the room, "Now obviously you want to know who is the doppelganger. Why simply, it is the Captain. I chased them upstairs, they zipped into the vent and into the bridge, coming out and pretending to have heard us outside. And we obviously know the captain was killed already."
Can T'sorkel recycle the ice carbine? I forget if we get half price for selling in Starfinder. Even then, he might not have enough to buy anything.
Maybe someone can remind me (John is the one who found this), but there was a significant credstick found in the cargo hold after the battle with the robot. I believe he ended up sharing the sum that was on there, and was it 750 each? No, not enough for most level three items, but there are plenty of level 2 items (arc pistols, armor upgrades, etc.) that it should get you.
Yep. Just double checked game play posts from late May. 4,500 credits total--that's 750 each. There was also 50 each from the Professor as an advance.
T'sorkel--yes, you may recycle the ice carbine in the vending machine. Sadly, it's only 10% in Starfinder that you get back. It's a 510 credit item, so you would get 51 back. There is also a standard 20-charge battery in it. I'll even let you keep that and still get the 51 back.
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Starfinder purchase/sell stuff is brutal imo. You only get 10% back on resale so it is literally a waste of time to do it. I'd only sell something if I wasn't even able to keep carrying it. It also makes you be super careful about buying the wrong item or buying stuff that will be quickly upgraded.
But yet, you have to keep buying things to keep up with enemies that scale up. Even with the 750, I do not believe Yariel has anything useful she can purchase. It is likely her plan to save the money for a bigger purchase down the line, even if she won't have access to stuff for a level or two.