GM Quirk's Threefold Conspiracy

Game Master Quirk, Private Eye

Beauregard double moves and draws his hatchet.

At the sound of battle, John hurries to squeeze past Yariel and into the other room. He steps between the doctor and the robot, draws his pistol, and fires.

"Stand back, doc."

Relocated Yariel and John's starting positions based on posts before combat began. My route is shown in yellow. 40' move as shown. Then shoot.

Ranged arc pistol, static v EAC: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (15) + 6 = 21 ... damage: 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 2 = 7 critical Arc 2; Stun)

I don't know why you moved me back. Nothing you did seemed to require a reposition of Yariel. I put her back to where she stepped.

I found Yariel's token over by the Oma door, and John's was still in the Oma room. I knew that wasn't right.

T'sorkel and John both hit the robot with their weapons. John's electrical attack seems to particularly affect the robot negatively.

Bold may go. Round 2.

Not sure what was up with the tokens. I wonder if something got bumped or moved accidentally on the map. In any case, I think current locations appear to be right on or close to where everyone intended to be.

1. John Rawlins
2. Rar'gul
3. Dr. Flint-Bridge (-7)
4. Yariel
5. Security Robot RBBY (-21)
6. T'sorkel
7. Beauregard

Noticing the effectiveness of John's attack, and the robot not closing with them as he had anticipated, Rar'gul switches tactic.

"I'm going in ccloserrr," be rumbles, closing on their opponent. "Setting up forr my hammer."

Dropping his pistol, he reaches out with his now empty hand and tries to grab one of the robot's limbs.

Entropic strike (vs EAC): 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (3) + 7 = 10
A&B Damage: 1d4 + 7 ⇒ (3) + 7 = 10

Moved as shown on slides, 35 of 40 ft (see below). Figured he'd need to squeeze to pass through.

Tight Fit While you’re squeezing, you don’t gain the entangled condition and your speed is reduced by 5 feet instead of halved. You still can’t run or charge while squeezing.

"Right behind you."

John skips along the wall, shedding the sheath portion of his cane. He feints with a step toward the creature to draw its attack then rounds a table to shoot it from behind.

Move as shown. AC +4 against movement based attacks. John is not using uncanny mobility.

Trick attack bluff v DC 20+CR: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (7) + 14 = 21
Ranged arc pistol, static v EAC: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (14) + 6 = 20 ... damage: 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 2 = 3 critical Arc 2; Stun)
Trick attack damage: 1d8 ⇒ 2

If that all works robot is flat-fotted to everyone for this round.

Oh, that makes a lot more sense. I literally thought you just moved her back 5-ft to the entrance. Maps get buggered up sometimes, it happens. Good work getting us back into decent shape.

Yariel moves in, pulls her now trusty pistol and fires off a bullet at the bot, "Hit it with the electric stuff, it hurts it more. It can also self-heal a little bit with nanites and might be able to send its own arc of electricity through several of us, so be ready to dodge."

SA Pistol vs. KAC: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (19) + 5 = 24 for Piercing + W.S.: 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 2 = 7

Wisps of smoke trail from Lilly's head as she moves forward in the room and flips her rifle smoothly into position.

”I’m really starting to dislike this place.“

Caustolance Liquidator rifle
Ranged attack vs EAC: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (3) + 5 = 8 
If hit, acid damage for : 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 1 = 6

As she pulls the trigger, one side of her smoldering bangs grudgingly sprouts a few flames, fanned by the breeze of her movement.

”Dammitdamndamndammit,“ she spits, smacking the flames away.

LOL Dr. Flint-Bridge!

John and Yariel manage bring down this already damaged robot. It collapes into a heap of scrap where it stands.

It’s clear the broken machines and structures here were
attacked by something that dented and slashed them. A Large creature inflicted this damage with natural
weapons and brute strength. There's a pretty good chance it was the same creature from earlier rooms with similar damage.

Two dead grays lie amid the debris, one mostly buried.

The green splotches are slightly radioactive blood identical to what you found earlier.

"What went through here? Maybe it is responsible for the station going all wonky?"

Lilly slings her rifle and pinches out the last smoldering ember of hair. As she scans the room, the destruction seems familiar.

”Looks like the same kind of damage we saw earlier. Same with the Grays… something big took them down.“

She kneels near the green blood and quickly analyzes it. ”Same story here, too. Hope this thing isn’t still around… “

Engineering (t): 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (16) + 13 = 29 (-1 fizzy soda?, +4 disable traps with kit, +2 Microgoggles?)

”Oh look, The pedestals here slowly create robotic nanites, which augments the nanite repair ability of robots that already have it and provides that ability to robots and other technological constructs who lack it. The pedestals are an obvious feature of a machine installed in the whole floor of this chamber. Removing them while retaining functionality is impossible without a construction-scale effort.”

She looks over the hatch, ”I wonder where this goes?”

T'sorkel searches through the wreckage as well as the bodies of the grays for anything interesting. It is interesting the brain bombs went off after they were killed. That would suggest it's not a conscious process or that they're being activated remotely as a fail-safe."

"What went through here? Maybe it is responsible for the station going all wonky?"

"I bet the structural damage, the collapsed roof and all, be from an explosion or something. That disrupted the systems and allowed some kind of murder beast to escape. Subsequent gray deaths and small scale equipment damage, I lay to the beast. With our luck it's waiting right by our exit."

Would her computer qualify as a 'technological construct' that she could give the ability to repair itself to?

As Lilly finishes looking at the green blood, the hatch in the floor catches her eye.

”What do you think, Yariel? Shall we open it and see where it goes?“

Perception to check the hatch for traps or other clues/information/plot complications
Perception: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (5) + 11 = 16

The Doctor apparently has the mental focus of a hyperactive squirrel right now.

Would her computer qualify as a 'technological construct' that she could give the ability to repair itself to?

No, this only seems to be applicable to robots and similar types of equipment.

By the way, sorry for not updating yesterday. I had my second vaccine shot, and I had some minor side effects. They're gone now. Glad I got Pfizered.

Let's talk about this hatch. It's going to take some engineering checks to get open

DC 29!? You're killing me!

Lilly peers at the hatch and watches Yariel do her thing, tossing out ideas as the Ysoki works.

Engineering to aid: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (11) + 8 = 19

"The hatch be clearly meant to stay closed. Maybe the robots' torture victims be below."

Despite the comment John kneels beside the hatch to help open it.

Engineering, aid: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (17) + 6 = 23

By the way, sorry for not updating yesterday. I had my second vaccine shot, and I had some minor side effects. They're gone now. Glad I got Pfizered.

Congrats on getting the second shot!

T'sorkel helps examine the hatch's mechanism. If we can get into the structure of the facility, perhaps we can understand more about what they're doing.

Engineering, aid: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (14) + 6 = 20

Rar'gul looks around, surveying the damage to the room. He helps shift the debris for Doc Flint-Bridge to get a closer look at the greys.

Did the search of the greys in the last room turn up anything?

"Something has definitely gone on a rrrampage thrrough this place," Rar'gul agrees with John. "Hopefully we kkkeep finding destrroyed rrrooms - that means it's still out ahead of us. It's when we find ourrrselves in an untouched rroom that will worrry me.."

He makes his way over to the hatch, and readies himself should something attack.

Yariel agrees with Doc, "That was my thought too. If a massive beast is tearing up everyone around me, I'd try to dive into a bolt-hole and hope it couldn't get through. Of course... maybe someone trapped the beast down there but... who knows?"

She starts working on the hatch with everyone's help.

Engineering (t) - Fizzy Soda + Aids: 1d20 + 13 - 1 + 6 ⇒ (4) + 13 - 1 + 6 = 22 (+2 Microgoggles?)

Sigh.

"Okay, I can get this thing open, but it'll take a while. Do we want to wait?"

If so, take 20 for 32.

Yariel -- If GMQ doesn't go for the "take 20", you can use my bottle cap for a re-roll if you'd like.

"I thought we had it." John sighs. "Try again."

Willing to wait.

On several occasions, Rar'gul moves as though to assist his friends but stops, knowing his bulk will only get in the way.

"This seems to fit the ccategorrry of 'An Unknown We Don't Want to Leave Behind Us'," the trox rumbles. "Let me know when it gets to the heavy lifting."

Lilly gives Yariel a sly smile and holds up her hands as if she just finished scrubbing before surgery.

”I'm ready to assist, Doctor Y... shall we begin the operation?“

And so we work and wait...

We can assume you guys eventually get it open. Read my spoiler above.

The hatch is open.

You reveal a cubic niche 5 feet on a
side. The bottom of the niche features an airlock-quality iris
door, which seems to be locked from the other side. A successful DC 35 Engineering check can unlock this airlock door.

Yariel inspects the airlock, ”Well damn, that’s gonna take a lot longer to get open. Maybe just try the hallway next?”

Lilly sighs, stands, and brushes her hands on her suit.

”It looked promising. At least we know what's not in there."

She looks to John and the others. "Down the corridor now?“

"Shoot, thought we had something. yeah, down the next corridor."

Still looking for traps with his scanner, +10 perception if you want to roll secretly GM

"The robot said it was the way out. Let's go."

Leaning over his companions, Rar'gul peers down into the now opened hatch. "That would be a bit of a squeeze..." he murmurs.

"Let's find out if we cccan trrust the worrd of that rrobot," the trox says, hefting his hammer to rest casually atop a shoulder.

Heading toward the corridor, Rar'gul will insist on leading the way, slightly in front of Beauregard and his scanning gear. On high alert, he carefully watches the area ahead for signs of trouble.

Perpection: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (2) + 8 = 10

Lilly switches back to her rifle, carefully listening and watching for anything might spell trouble (in whatever strange graphical alphabet they use around here, that is).

Perception: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (8) + 11 = 19

John falls in line behind Rar'gul and Beau. His hand rests on the butt of his holstered pistol. His cane, the sheath portion again covering the blade, taps on the floor and occasionally the wall.

Perception: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (6) + 9 = 15

I have added another map (slide 3). You can see lab Oma and lab Kyokor in the southern portion of the map. Please position your tokens within the red box.

The corridor you step into is dimly lit. There are small piles of rubble every so often along the corridor, as well as several sparking fixtures. Several doors are along the corridor.

T'sorkel flinches at a spark and then peers down the hallway. Well, it does appear that whatever rampaged through went this way. Let's follow the trail.

Yariel frowns, "Right or left? Ugh. Of course it had to be difficult. Couldn't just be a straight shot out of here. And heck, for all we know the robot just knows that things 'leave' this way, not that they actually escape anything."

"Let's stay on the straight and narrow>"

Dropped Beau on the map too, just so you wouldn't have to go to slide 2 and copy him and come back to slide 3. So tedious.

”Might as well keep testing every door” Beau says as he points to the door that is in the corridor off to the right.

Assuming the group agrees he will follow Rar’Gul over there while scanning for traps with his +11

”Sounds like a good plan to me,“ Lilly says from a few feet back in the group.

”And if you hear a sucking noise around one of them, leave it alone.“

Tell you all what: why don't you move up to your speed (if you would like). A perception check would also be great. There's an interesting noise coming out of one of the rooms up ahead, and Rar'gul can barely see though the dim lighting that a door up ahead has been ripped out...

Perception: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (15) + 10 = 25

T'sorkel moves up to look down the right corridor and then back up ahead.

Any more description on the "interesting" sound? Scraping metal, someone hurt, beeping, etc?

Rar'gul steps carefully along the corridor. Reaching the intersection, he pauses to check first to the right, then straight ahead.

"Hey, lookks likke something's rrripped off that doorrr just up ahead," he says, pointing a finger ahead.

Perception (in case your want another roll: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (12) + 8 = 20

T'sorkel, you hear a soft beeping sound. It's incessant, rhythmic, and seems to be coming from the first door on the left up ahead.

Rar'gul, up ahead you see the following:

This metal door has been cut open in several places,
crumpled, and partially melted. The door frame is also
severely damaged. Smears of dark liquids run on the floor
from the room beyond and into the hallway, lessening and
then disappearing as they go.

Rar'gul, I did move your token as you noted in your post.
I am going to begin the following encounter, though if any of the rest of you would like to make a move at up to your speed BEFORE this encounter, please do (if you haven't already).

There is a crackle in the air. a purple glow flashes down the east corridor. A loud popping sound ushers in three creatures, who suddenly appear out of nowhere. They are reminiscent of some of the Castrovelian wildlife you have read about--long necks, triangular head, and some sort of sensory organs growing out of their back and ankle area.

They hiss aggressively and lunge at you!

The first creature moves tentatively down the corridor.

Bold may go. Round 1.

1. Red dino-buddy
2. John Rawlins
3. T'sorkel
4. green dino-buddy
5. Beauregard
6. blue dino-buddy
7. Dr. Flint-Bridge
8. Rar'gul
9. Yariel

Moved Yariel up so she could get a view down both corridors. Now just waiting to act and slaughter hug these cute cuddly critters!

T'sorkel react in alarm as he sees the creatures moving towards him. They just came out of nowhere!

He steps back and reaches into the Akashic Record, pulling out a memory of a caustic gas leak from an industrial accident. Suddenly the corridor fills with the same caustic gas, enveloping the lead creature and separating the group from the other creatures.

Casting Acidic Mist. Note that it is transparent, though they can see that the mist is there.

Acidic Mist (Fort DC15 for half): 2d6 ⇒ (4, 1) = 5

Also moved John up to just behind Rar'gul on the straight path.

"Rar'gul! The side passage!"

John pulls Lozu's grenade from his belt and tosses it down the corridor.

Incendiary grenade at black spot, 3rd range: 1d20 + 4 - 4 ⇒ (5) + 4 - 4 = 5 ... damage: 1d6 + 1d4 ⇒ (2) + (3) = 5 Range 5'. DC 14 save for half damage

Burning 1d4 : At the end of each round you are burning, you can attempt a Reflex saving throw to remove this condition. The DC of this saving throw is equal to 10 + the amount of fire damage you took this round from the burning condition. If you succeed at this saving throw, you lose the burning condition. You can attempt a new saving throw each round you have this condition, and you receive a +2 bonus for each previous saving throw you’ve attempted in consecutive rounds.