[SFS/Shifty] Frozen Ambitions Arc (C) (Inactive)

Game Master Nik B.

Got it, just wanted to check on that. Thanks!

I'm going to agree with Joe, the what now decision lies with those who would lose the most if we fight. (Squizzer would prefer to fight, but I'm not going to push for that with other characters under threat)

I'm out of tricks. I mean, there's a chance I could get lucky on the readied attack, either with the guard rolling a nat 1 or missing on concealment, but at this point it's practically a guaranteed thing for us to lose this fight anyway. I think Szama is just going to take the L on this one.

I surrender

In fairness you have just killed the major player BBEG, and have got all the dirt on the puppetmaster. So in the grand scheme, you've won.

The scenario pretty much has the guards swap targets once Ainveln drops to destroy the tree and leave, which is heaps easier normally as the tree is usually in a pretty damaged state from the ritual, except you stopped that early and then also healed the tree. In a roundabout way you've kept them engaged in the fight longer than the scenario anticipated. Now it has turned all Tarantino.

Yeah, I was hoping that a detailed look at the scenario would say that they bomb the tree, but nothing about what happens afterwards, in which case they would be done and could leave. If it actually says they kill the tree, that won't work.

The main motivation was to avoid damaging the tree to keep the ritual going, but then the ritual was stopped which cancelled that out.

Once Ainveln goes down it gets murky, it directly states they bomb the tree to try and destroy it. What happens after that seems like it would default to their individual tactics box which is to keep slicing up the party, in which case Szama would have just been stabbed, and Ayoka would have been chopped at instead of the tree, but that just seemed even more harsh.

Thanks all for the long journey and getting the series completed - 11 months! 23 Aug 20 - 17 Jul 21. I found it to be a good series overall, and it was a pretty solid team.

Chronicles

Thank you. Next on this PCs agenda is Skitter Home. She needs a vacation.

dayjob: 1d20 + 12 + 5 ⇒ (3) + 12 + 5 = 20 Prof: Vidgamer

Ahhh Skitterhome - the only one in the series that I haven't run.

I threw all my toys out of the pram when they retrospectively made all the Skitter series one table credit instead of two (and didn't announce the change), just as I was about to schedule it. I was really grumpy about losing 8 table credits.

I haven't run Skitter Crash either. Maybe I should and credit it to Ayoka. She needs the credits.

I guess I missed when they did that.

It really got my goat as I was on 90 something table credits and was already planning my '4 Nova party' and then found myself missing a pile of credits. I got super cranky.

Ouch. Yeah ... I see what you mean. Still, it could have been worse. You could have been on say 102 table credits then having eight drop would have cost you a Nova. I'm up to 88 at the moment

That would have been the pits :P

Oh well if you run the Skitter games I think there's a few skitters here who probably could continue on!

Excellent! Thanks for running us through this series, Shifty! I also managed to finish running 3-03 myself too, so Szama will have the full series under her belt as well, even though she wasn't in the group at the start.

I'm pretty stoked about that shimmerstone staff on the chronicle too! Could make for some fun shenanigans with mind-affecting spells along the way!

Been great gaming with all of you! Looking forward to doing it again sometime soon!

Thank you, everyone, that was a lot of fun, despite the disappointing end.

I agree about getting angry occasionally at the rules changing. I'm still angry that they changed Into the Unknown to not count as a special for 5 novas, despite the fact it was announced that it would be back when I ran it.

Good game...and yeah...disappointing...but I feel that with 2 peeps down we would have not been able to drop the gnome and the 2 guards if we had focused on the guards first. Shifty was right in that we should focus on the gnome....doing it otherwise would have likely been a MUCH longer fight...and all of us have been killed.

I just started to prep this yesterday...and yea....wow....that last fight's CR was a CR 8....with Ainveln being a CR 6 himself. EVEN if we were 100% healed and ready for it....I doubt it would have mattered much

Effectively we were hitting WAY ABOVE our means....Even if we were all 6....I think it would have been the same.

Well...people in Season 1-2+ were saying the fights were too easy.....guess they super-saiyaned them. The only way I think we would have had a chance is if we had Mujina and at least 2 of us (probably Buddy and a spellcaster) was 4th level.

All in all...good storyline...and unlike the Into the Vast...all parts actually felt like they were really tied together. I loved the Into the Vast series...just was not as well tied together as this multi-scenario set.

Can't wait for the next chapter of the Skitterforce!

On Skitter shot being changed...it did hurt me like 6 or so credits...but oh well...sucked.

Squizzer, I never heard Into the Unknown was being looked at as a Nova possiblity. And considering the others (Fleeting Truth 3... Cornered Rat...wowzers!) it would have looked like a weak link in comparison. That is probably why they decided not to do that (At least that is my guess)

BTW...I do have 2-3 open slots For Fleeting TruthL The Everchanging Revelation....once we find at least 1 more person I can attempt to find a time to run it on Discord/Roll20. I Already have The Dire GM, Northern Dreamer and Cassi (our invading Australian) that want to play. Level 11 to 14....

I'm talking about what they told us even before it was released.

FT: The Everchanging Revelation? I'd be in for that but I'm wanting to play FT: Hollow Lies first.

Anyway I'm putting up a table of Skitter Crash. Any of the Skitterforce interested?

(our invading Australian)

Well you've just had an invading Australian GM for 11 months so it makes sense :)

And yeah prior to release, 1:00 counted. It looks weak in retrospect, but it was one of the first scenarios dropped for a super new game system. GMs running it were struggling to learn Starfinder AND get a 4th level game going. I think sometimes the powers that be completely ignore the specific challenges involved for GMs to run some content - eg the Free RPG games, yes they are easy to run, but you often get the scenario as late as the night before and have to prep the contents to 'stand out quality' standard that showcases the game system to new players (and keeps the shop happy that you cared). Last 'Free RPG' day cost me $100 just to get the scenario. I was a little unhappy.

Seriously? How did that happen?

Last Free RPG day very few retailers actually participated in Sydney and so the stuff was super hard to get a hold of. There was one retailer that was letting people pick what they wanted, but ONLY if they bought a qualifying amount of good at the shop.

I wanted the PF and SF content, and as a result I got them 'free', after purchasing a heap of content.

Now given we were in the middle of a covid outbreak there was no 'in store' gaming, but we couldn't run it online either, so it all just got super stupid.

We've been asking for ages for advance copies so we can prep these games properly, but that's a no go as well. We get the content the same time as everyone else AND try run a quality game on the day.

I'm not participating anymore and trying to jump through the hoops - without the extra table point the juice just isn't worth the squeeze.

Day job, drummer: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (2) + 12 = 14

Hey Shifty - first and foremost. Thanks for running the series! I actually loved it! The series is well done plot wise, there were parts that I liked less (individual scenarios) but it was definitely worth playing them as a whole. Playing it at random order on the span of two years would make me enjoy it less. Slow clap to you Shifty for doing this. Bloody well done! May drop bears never get you!

@Fellow skitters - thank you for playing this with me. I really liked our team, a bit quirky at times, and a bit skitter ;) (for lack of a better word). Given the circumstances, I liked the outcome, We didn't risk the life of our nufriends just to get a 'better' chronicle. I think it was skitter of us!(for lack of better word ;)).

I enjoyed playing with the same characters, but I also enjoyed the skitters that were with us for few parts: Taneka, Mujina, Garcon. Good team, good players!

Anywho, I would love to play skitter crash but I played already every skitter scenario :(

I would love to play For Fleeting Truth, but I don't have PC in range, unless I can borrow 3 other skitters and do the long coat 24 arm alien of lvl 12 ;)

I think that we are at a crossroad and everyone wishes to go their own way, but if you would like to stick around and play together some more I could GM some repeatable (I would like to GM SF S01-25 - The Beacon Code Dilemma - as I never GM'ed or played it). We could take the remaining 4 skitters and recruit 2 others, maybe get Blinky the koala and make it all absurdly furry ;)

Anyhow, stay safe and all the best to you and your families

I also enjoyed the 'campaign play' feel of it. I ran 'The Vast Experiment' series locally and that was pretty cool.

@phaeton_nz...if you find 2-3 others for Fleeting Truth: Hollow Lies, I can run it via Discord/roll20. I have it already prepped. So if you are interested look me up on Discord Janos Saber#8345.....or you can just find me in the Bloomington PFS/SFS Discord if you happen to be there.

Also...unless I want to play it for no credit I will have to pass on Skitter Crash...awesome scenario (I think honestly as good as Skitter shot...and better than Skitter Home). Hope you have a good Skitter run.

@Buddy Jabo....I could be up to a game of S01-25 The Beacon Code Dilemma with Joe Bones.... I would also be up to about any other level 1-4 repeatable or 3-6 repeatable.....

@Shifty, Yeah The campaign feel was good....Frozen Ambitions did an awesome job there. And all but the last scenario of The Vast I felt had a good feel on campaign...the last I felt got side tracked for a major plot hook....but it was still a good game...just didn't hit the same 'part of a 4 part scenario' that Frozen Ambition did.

@phaeton_nz...if you find 2-3 others for Fleeting Truth: Hollow Lies, I can run it via Discord/roll20. I have it already prepped. So if you are interested look me up on Discord Janos Saber#8345.....or you can just find me in the Bloomington PFS/SFS Discord if you happen to be there.

Also...unless I want to play it for no credit I will have to pass on Skitter Crash...awesome scenario (I think honestly as good as Skitter shot...and better than Skitter Home). Hope you have a good Skitter run.

@Buddy Jabo....I could be up to a game of S01-25 The Beacon Code Dilemma with Joe Bones.... I would also be up to about any other level 1-4 repeatable or 3-6 repeatable.....

@Shifty, Yeah The campaign feel was good....Frozen Ambitions did an awesome job there. And all but the last scenario of The Vast I felt had a good feel on campaign...the last I felt got side tracked for a major plot hook....but it was still a good game...just didn't hit the same 'part of a multi-part scenario' that Frozen Ambition did.

I could pull Blinky out for Bacon code.

You don't have to tell me this twice:

Boom - like a drift engine with Gap as a bonus:

Discussion thread for Beacon Code Dilema

I will let 24 h for other skitters to get a chance to jump in, and then recruit the rest of the team. I will start with something cheesy like only races with full-body fur or something.

Glad it isn't just my group that calls it 'Bacon Code'....

I just submitted Skitter Crash for Gameday X

Is the idea for 1-25 an attempt to get the entire Skitterforce involved?

I brought it as an idea. if you want to carry on with skitters that would be great.

We got 'sort of yeah' from Jim (it is far from US: I would love that! but I will take it)

'I could pull out Blinky for it' from Shifty. It is hard to expect enthusiasm from Koala if you don't have plenty of eucalyptus ;)

I guess if we get sufficient skitters onboard then it will be another skitter force thing. Otherwise, it will fall through the cracks.

There are no other campaigns in this level range. Vast Experiment is effectively lvl 6-7.

Anyhow I will most likely run 1-25, it should not be difficult to find folks for repeatable, and it still may be completed before gameday.

btw. I think now we can apply the skitter boon to get +2 to any skill below 16 right?

Signing up Blinky!

And yes, sort of.

Three new species are now considered always available for character creation! Players may now build copaxi, ijtikri, and skittermander characters without requiring a boon. Any Admittance boon for these species can now retroactively apply a +2 bonus to any one ability score, as long as this wouldn’t have resulted in an ability score above 18 at character creation. These species’ respective racial languages are also always available for any PC to learn whenever they would learn a new language.

I better check both my Skitters then to see if that +2 has been added.

And sure, Ayoka will be in if other skitters sign up.

And yeah, Joe is in for 1-25. I will sign up later today (when I get a bit of down time to update Joe).

Awesome.

I will give others roughly 36 hours to make a decision, I would prefer to hear something from Szama and Squizzer (even if it's no)

Ah heck! How can I pass up further adventures with the skitter crew? I'm in for 1-25!

I think I've already played it, unfortunately. If the team continues afterwards, please ping me, and if it's something I can play, I'll rejoin you. :)

Ok closing this thread off in the next 24, everyone has checked in etc :)