GM Quirk's Threefold Conspiracy

Game Master Quirk, Private Eye

Please take a look at slide 3. Let me remind everyone that I will need that DC 20 acrobatics or athletics check to avoid being off-kilter. You may re-arrange your order along the ramp as you see fit. It's a tight squeeze for Rar'gul, but he'll fit just fine.

The ramp leads downward to the lower deck of the ship. To your right, you see a pair of doors ahead. This corridor, sloping downward, is quite dark. Small bits of debris float by you.

John chooses to walk on the outer wall while descending the ramp. He holds his pistol in front of him and peers into the area illuminated by his armor's light. Then he carelessly steps on an air duct grating that gives way beneath him and sends him spinning slowly into the air.

Acrobatics: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (7) + 12 = 19 Really!
Perception: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (4) + 10 = 14

I'd argue Rar'gul can't be off kilter because he's squeezing.

Acrobatics: 1d20 + 3 + 4 ⇒ (14) + 3 + 4 = 21

T'sorkel struggles with the lack of gravity, but with his magboots he able to maintain some mobility.

Oops sorry GM Q!

Athletics w/mag boots: 1d20 + 11 + 4 ⇒ (8) + 11 + 4 = 23

Rar'gul ambles down the ramp to the lower deck. It's a tight squeeze, but the trox navigates the curving corridor without too much difficulty.

Reaching the first door, he turns back to his companions and gestures toward it. "Shall we take a peek?," he rumbles over the comms,

Perception on door: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (4) + 9 = 13

Rar'gul will wait for the all-clear from his companions before kicking down the door.

”Shall we take a peek?”

Lilly smiles broadly and checks her pistol. “Let’s do it.”

Her voice drops to a husky sotto voce. “What mysteries to uncover? What treasures to find? For what is our kind but golden stars destined to soar the firmaments of possibility until our lights do die?”

Ah… I do love the old poets.

Acrobatics: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (12) + 12 = 24

Perception: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (8) + 14 = 22

Apologies for the delay. I thought that I posted this yesterday, but it was right as the Paizo site was busy going down so it apparently didn’t take.

I think I'll go ahead and give you a peak inside this first room.

Rar'gul pushes the first hallway door open, revealing another science lab of some sort. Exactly what the nature of this lab is, you don't know. It will take entering the room and further investigation.

Nodding, Rar'gul throws the door open and attempts to slip through...

Athletics w/boot clamps: 1d20 + 11 + 4 ⇒ (14) + 11 + 4 = 29

... and finds himself in some sort of lab.

"It's some sorrrt of lab," he advises over comms. "Let's see what we've got herre..."

Perception: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (1) + 9 = 10

"I've NEVER seen two science labs on a ship this size. Usually manufacturers combine the two into a sort of shared biotech lab. Saves space, people can share the mass spectrometer. This is . . . not design efficient. Not to mention they still have to have room for the anti-drift thingie. That probably takes up a fair chunk of space. Who would DESIGN a ship like this?"

Beauregard pulls out his scanning device and starts it up.

perception + High frequency scanning kit: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (9) + 12 = 21

T'sorkel enters the room behind Rar'gul. Oh, another lab. Good, perhaps some of this equipment will show us what they were working on. Unless he sees something else of note, he goes to one of the consoles to try and activate it.

“Another lab!” Lilly sounds wickedly gleeful over the comms as she moves in and gently propels herself across the room.

She lands next to a workstation. “Talk to me, my pretty. What do you do and what goodies might you contain?”

Not sure what you’ll want for exploring the workstation and searching the cabinetry, so here are some options:

d20 roll: 1d20 ⇒ 7 PLUS Engineering +12, Life Science +12, or Medicine +12 and expertise die

Perception: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (6) + 14 = 20

This lab seems to exist for the purpose of processing samples, be it blood, skin, hair, or other biologicals.

There is a computer here, sitting upon a tiny little gray-sized table.

Otherwise, there are larger machines that apparently are able receive these samples.

Beauregard's scans yield something interesting. Floating through the lab are several small packs--perhaps in little clear bags, that seem to have various samples in them.

The computer is not currently powered, owing to the condition of this ship (which has no power). A proper engineering check to provide power (and it will require a battery), followed by computer checks may give you information.

"Hold on, scanner's detecting something. Looks like . . . sample bags? Lessie if I can grab them."

Beauregard will slowly try to gather them up.

“Gods, what I could do with these in a proper med lab. This gear looks powerful. Speaking of…”

Lilly automatically tethers herself to the panel’s base. Dad would be proud… “Tie yourself to your work and we never have to salvage you.”

Acrobatics: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (5) + 12 = 17

She pulls out a spare battery, and starts opening panels. “Gotta be a… yeah, there you are.” She continues carefully working for a few moments, then rights herself in front of the console.

“Let’s see if some power makes you friendlier.”

Engineering: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (3) + 12 = 15 Connecting the power
Computers: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (1) + 10 = 11 Probing the systems

Assuming those rolls fail…

Lilly frowns at the still-dark console.

“John, can you spare me a hand here? Or maybe I take a turn helping you? I can’t get this bleedin’ panel system to fire up.”

Dear Paizo Dice Randomizer, you need to stop hanging out with Roll20. You're learning bad habits. Signed, me.

As Beauregard and Dr. Flint-Bridge examine each sample floating about, they note that each baggie has some sort of small code on the label. If only that computer could be powered up...

I'd swear I posted a reply aiding Doc FB. Oh well, maybe that was when I found out Paizo had logged me out.

John pushes off the wall and drifts over by the Doctor. He looks inside the open access panel. No threat, so take 10 for 22 on the acrobatics check.

"Hmmm. Maybe yellow wires be ground in the grey system. That box looks like a power converter. "

Engineering, aid : 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (2) + 8 = 10

”Hmmm. Maybe yellow wires be ground in the grey system. That box looks like a power converter. ”

“Huh… I didn’t see that one. I thought it was the one farther up, but that one makes more sense."

She switches a couple of wires in the battery pack and gently turns around so she can reach what she assumes is the panel’s main power switch.

“ Let’s give this another try…”

Engineering: 1d20 + 12 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 12 + 2 = 22 Connecting the power, with support from John

Acrobatics: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (8) + 12 = 20 To stay under movement control, plus she tethered herself to the console for easy recovery

Assuming we got the power back on…
Computers: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (9) + 10 = 19 Probing the systems

The computer, at least temporarily, gains power.

You'll need to expend a spare battery to give this work station several minutes of power.

It appears that each of the half dozen or so samples Beauregard was able to grab each have some sort of code on them. The work station has a scanner that seems to be designed to read these codes.

Scanning each sample yields the following:

These samples are from various crew members and passengers from the Voidcrier. Among the samples you have found, you see Esra, a kasatha--one of the mercenaries. Also present are Sparkles and Torg, two other members of the mercenary company. There are also samples belonging to John and one of T'sorkel's twins. A sixth sample belongs to Shez.

Scanning each sample connects to pictures of the "donor" on a gurney, likely from up in lab on the upper deck on this ship. It also includes a wide variety of medical observations and DNA information. Most of this information seems routine. Some of Shez's records appear to be incomplete.

At this point, the computer loses power.

T'sorkel's eyes widen as they scan the samples, but when he sees the picture of T'regen appear on the screen, the Shirren gives a small shout. This is proof they abducted us during the lost time! I can't believe they took the twins too! What were they wanting us for?!

He stands, clearly angry and yet confused. Why would they do this? Even after our escape, they continued to come after us and then widened their target grouping! We have to find out who's responsible for this!

In the brief look we got, did it seem like John's sample was taken at the same time as the mercenaries? Seems like they would have had other times to get that data, though I suppose that data could have been destroyed on the Station.

”Looks like they wanted DNA references. I’m thinkin’ they just wanted a look-see at what made us tick. Question is, why wait until now to do it? And why go to all this trouble? They have stealth technology. They could just go to Absolom station and get all this data from space-Wikipedia. And why not do it back when we were on their simulation ship? Maybe they did and they lost their information in the explosion. Damn, for every answer we get two more questions.”m

Lilly quickly reads the information as they scan the samples. This is… oh gods…

Her hushed tone continues until the battery craps out.

“Nooo, dammit... I think there’s more we can get out of this. Gimme a second.”

She swaps batteries and restarts the console. I hope the Voidcrier has a battery charing station…

GM Q: Don’t know if I need an engineering check for swapping batteries since the hard work was already done. Thoughts?

You can get it going so long as you have access to a spare, fully-powered battery (no additional skill check needed). What additional information were you looking for? You should at least be able to transfer information on the six samples to your own device if you can power it up again.

Lilly plugs the new battery into the console and hurriedly transfers everything she can from the six samples into her datapad.

After finishing the transfer, she spends the last moments of the battery’s life looking for records of other samples. They’re weird little buggers but they seem pretty organized. Maybe they linked our samples to others on the ship…

“I copied everything about these samples, but the console is going to die again soon. It drains batteries fast. Is there anything else we want to look for in here?”

T'sorkel shakes his head. Let's keep going. We need to find out why they were doing this. Maybe one of them is still alive even. He clenches his fist and you realize he's now less a timid explorer and more of a father who is looking for who violated his children.

"Navigation history? If it be linked to ship command and control
"

"Navigation history? If it be linked to ship command and control

"

This computer does not seem to be connected to other starship systems, though the problem may be that none of the systems seem to currently have power.

Viewing the pictures of the 'donors' brings back Rar'gul's own jumbled memories - or were they visions? - of a gurney ride along a corridor.

Pushing down his sense of unease, the trox places a meaty fist on T'sorkel's shoulder, gently squeezing in support. "I don't know," he rumbles, shaking his head. "But we will find them." And from the tone of his voice, it will not be a pleasant meeting.

Hefting his hammer, he strides back to the door leading to the corridor, ready to continue the exploration of the grey vessel when his friends' have concluded their investigation of the systems.

When it's time to continue on, Rar'gul will attempt to make his way to the next door along, checking it as best he can...

Athletics w/boot clamps: 1d20 + 11 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 11 + 4 = 19
Perception: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (11) + 11 = 22

Oops! Just noticed that my Perception should have been +11, not +9!

Lilly’s voice hardly registers on the comms as she works at the panel.

“Fresh battery, check. Annnd we’re on. Okay, c’mon and talk to me, work with me, baby…”

Her fingers dance and gesture through the Gray interface. “Damn. Not there. Ummm… maybe through… no. Okay, what about… dammit. There has to be… “

Between her occasionally wild gestures and serious expression, she looks like a cross between a programmer lost in her work and a picnicker annoyed by flying insects.

With a curse, she slams both fists on the console as the screen goes blank again.

“Dammit, that's two. Okay, I found some possible leads, but with the ship’s power down I can’t reach any of the connected systems. Everything’s off. Time to move on, I suppose. I mean, if we could power everything then we could get more answers but that’s not…” She shrugs and sighs.

She turns vertically in place, unhooks her tether from the console base, and rights herself to see where the group wants to go next.

A quick smile flashes across her face. Guess I could’ve just stayed upside down and talked to everyone like we did on the homeship, but people would probably freak out… and this place is weird enough as it is.

While in the hallway, everyone may make a perception check.

Rar'gul begins opening the next door. Pushing the sliding door open, he sees what appears to be some sort of office, or perhaps personal quarters. There is an upright sleep chamber similar to ones you encountered back at the gray outpost. There is also a small desk with a computer (which is actually floating near the ceiling), and a locker. Both the sleep chamber and the locker seem to be firmly attached to the floor.

Having opened the next door, Rar'gul glances back to check all his companions were accounted for.

Once the head check was completed (and allowing time for someone to stop him should they notice anything he missed), Rar'gul ambles into the room.

Perception, inside room: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (9) + 11 = 20

Taking in the contents of the small room (should he not detect any threats) , the trox approaches the locker and attempts to open it.

perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (11) + 8 = 19
DC 23 if my scanning kit applies.

Perception: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (10) + 12 = 22

T'sorkel looks into the room as Rar'gul enters. He glances around and them back out into the hallway. Looks like personal quarters. What have you found there?

Acrobatics: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (5) + 12 = 17

Lilly carefully floats into the next room. She comes to a stop standing on the ceiling, looking down. I always enjoyed this view.

Perception: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (6) + 14 = 20

Perception,hall: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (14) + 10 = 24

Take 10 acrobatics.

John waits in the hall, it's less crowded. After a few seconds he continues past the quarters to the next room. He motions for Galatea to join him.

John waits in the hall, it's less crowded. After a few seconds he continues past the quarters to the next room. He motions for Galatea to join him.

Galatea is back on the Voidcrier. Haven't heard from that player in quite some time, so that character is now in the background. That said, I did creep your token forward. John sees something...Also, Dr. Flint-Bridge, I did move your token into the next room. Beauregard, if it was your intention to move forward, you may do so before the following happens...

While Rar'gul, Dr. Flint-Bridge, and T'sorkel are investigating the crew quarters, John creeps forward. There is a flash as a firearm is discharged.

to hit vs. KAC: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (18) + 8 = 26
damage: 1d4 + 4 ⇒ (3) + 4 = 7

John has been hit by some sort of small projectile. There is a single gray up ahead in the corridor.

That was a surprise round. This gray had an amazing perception roll above. John, please make a fortitude save. You're looking for a 17 on this roll.

Bold may go. Round 1

1. John (-7, need Fort save)
2. Rar'gul
3. Red Gray
4. Dr. Flint-Bridge
5. T'sorkel
6. Beauregard

Fort Save: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (17) + 2 = 19 +4 bonus to Fortitude saving throws to avoid taking damage from hot or cold environments, to withstand the harmful effects of thick and thin atmospheres, to avoid choking when breathing in heavy smoke, and to avoid fatigue caused by sleep deprivation. (Not that I think it will apply.)

"There's a -- unngh!."

[dice= Fort Save] 1d20+2 +4 bonus to Fortitude saving throws to avoid taking damage from hot or cold environments, to withstand the harmful effects of thick and thin atmospheres, to avoid choking when breathing in heavy smoke, and to avoid fatigue caused by sleep deprivation. (Not that I think it will apply.)

"There's a -- unngh!."

John feels like the long needle-like round he was just hit with might have had poison on it. He seems to be resisting it.

John and Rar'gul may take their normal turns. Map includes the position of the gray who shot at John.

Rar'gul's examination of the locker is interrupted by John's grunt of pain.

"What is it, John?" he asks, attempting to make his way back to the corridor.

Athletics w/boot clamps DC20: 1d20 + 11 + 4 ⇒ (9) + 11 + 4 = 24

Movement is half speed, correct?

Side on in the narrow space, the trox pushes off the wall and after John, catching sight of the Gray.

"Hey! Wait!" he calls in Aklo. "We just want to know what's going on!" he continues to call in the language as he tries to propel himself toward the Gray.

Athletics w/boot clamps DC20: 1d20 + 11 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 11 + 4 = 16

"Grays!"

John raises his pistol and fires at the grey before opening the door to his right and stepping into the room.

Ranged arc pistol v gray EAC: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (4) + 7 = 11 ... damage: 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 2 = 4 critical Arc 2; Stun)

Move as shown.

The gray steps forward, its bulbous, almond-shaped black eyes staring deeply into Rar'gul.

Rar'gul, you are being attacked by a spell-like ability--mind thrust! Take: 2d10 ⇒ (1, 3) = 4 points of damage, DC 16 will save for half.

Bold may go. Round 1

1. John (-7, need Fort save)
2. Rar'gul
3. Red Gray
4. Dr. Flint-Bridge
5. T'sorkel
6. Beauregard

Beauregard will move up, but not seeing any way to get past the massive squeezing bulk of his companions, he doesn't have much to contribute right now.

Sorry guys, not much I can do right now and I'm low on spells.

"Grays!"

John raises his pistol and fires at the grey before opening the door to his right and stepping into the room.

[dice= Ranged arc pistol v gray EAC] 1d20 +7 ... [dice= damage] 1d6+2 critical Arc 2; Stun)

Move as shown.

Forgot to note that John missed. Dr. Flint-Bridge and T'sorkel may go.

Enraged by the violation to his children, T'sorkel moves forward to see the object of his anger. He throws his psychic force at the gray and effortlessly slips into Akashic realm. The Gray's memories are like vast filing cabinets, and the father takes out his anger on them. He tears open the cabinets, flinging their contents around, jumbling them, and ripping the gray's memories to shreds.

Mind Thrust (Will DC17): 4d10 ⇒ (9, 6, 7, 1) = 23

Acrobatics: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (7) + 12 = 19

The commotion in the hallway draws Lilly’s attention. A live gray?! Maybe we can get some answers.

She glides along the craft’s ceiling into the hallway, stopping above T’sorkel. Her needler pistol appears in her hand, loaded with a specialty inhibitor.

Biohack shot at red: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (5) + 7 = 12

The shot goes wide, bursting harmlessly against the wall.

Dammit. Out of practice in my inverted zero-g shooting skills… need to work on that.

I forgot to include my Entropy Points last post. +1 at start of first action, potentially another (please see Discussion tab).

Misjudging the angle required to redirect his movement toward the gray, Rar'gul's momentum comes to a stop in the corridor, leaving him open for the gray's mental attack.

Will DC16: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (19) + 2 = 21

Feeling the touch of something... other upon his mind, the trox steels himself and tries to push it away.

I forgot the acrobatics roll needed to move

Acrobatics (boots): 1d20 + 3 + 4 ⇒ (12) + 3 + 4 = 19

AS did I.

Acrobatics, boots: 1d20 + 12 + 4 ⇒ (14) + 12 + 4 = 30

THE BATTLE IS JOINED.

Another gray appears, seemingly out of nowhere, behind Beauregard. It fires a pistol at him.

to hit: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (16) + 8 = 24
damage: 1d4 + 4 ⇒ (3) + 4 = 7
Beauregard, I will need a fortitude save from you, DC is 17

will save, red gray: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (19) + 9 = 28
That's their best save, but he still has a massive migraine...

Bold may go. Round 2.

1. Blue gray
2. John (-7)
3. Rar'gul
4. Red Gray (-11)
5. Dr. Flint-Bridge
6. T'sorkel
7. Beauregard (-7, need FORT save)

Seeing the cluster of companions in front of him, Rargul rights himself and turns, redirecting stored energies to boost his efforts as he pushes off to help Beauregard.

-1 EP for +10 ft movement, now 45 ft (50-5 for squeezing). EP: 0/5

Athletics w/clamps DC20: 1d20 + 11 + 4 ⇒ (17) + 11 + 4 = 32

The trox bellows something in accented Aklo.

Closing on the Gray, he reaches out a hand, attempting to pull crushing energy from within the creature's chest cavity.

Entropic strike: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (13) + 9 = 22
Bludgeoning damage (Force): 1d6 + 10 ⇒ (4) + 10 = 14

Move at half speed. Attack.

Acrobatics, boots: 1d20 + 12 + 4 ⇒ (18) + 12 + 4 = 34

John lunges forward with his cane raised, but doesn't even clear the doorway before stopping short and firing at the grey ahead of him.

Trick attack v CR+20: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (1) + 16 = 17 If successful, it's flat-footed until the end of my next turn.

Shock pistol v red's EAC: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (13) + 7 = 20 ... damage: 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 2 = 8 critical Arc 2; Stun
Trick attack damage if applicable: 1d8 ⇒ 1

Rar'gul focuses much of his energy, putting the gray near Beauregard back on its heels.

John is also accurate, hitting the first gray.

The gray near John seems to stare toward him for a moment. His large, jet-black, almond shaped eyes are disconcerting.

Instead of attacking, he steps THROUGH the wall toward the center of the ship.

So, he steps through the wall into room one.

Bold may go. Round 2.

1. Blue gray (-14)
2. John (-7)
3. Rar'gul
4. Red Gray (-19)
5. Dr. Flint-Bridge
6. T'sorkel
7. Beauregard (-7, need FORT save)