Haven't heard back from Neil or hustonj. I really prefer not to make their saves for them, because they're potentially long term character-changing effects. But those saves are probably critical to how they would act in character.
I'll give them a few more days before stepping in.
Hey, folks...Tom and I touched base via PM. Apologies for the long absence. Life kind of beat me down a bit, and there's a lot going on at the home front. I'll see what I can do to jump in and move things along...
Rather than buying mass-produced, mass-marketed equipment, characters with the right skills can construct their own equipment. This takes time, and due to the economies of scale enjoyed by multisystem corporations and shops with dedicated construction machines and drones, it does not save you any money. However, it allows you to acquire exactly what you need, as long as you can meet the construction requirements.
A player character can create all the items presented in this chapter as long as he has the skills, materials, tools, and time needed to construct it. He must have a number of ranks in the appropriate skill equal to the item level of the item to be created. For weapons, armor, vehicles, and technological equipment, the appropriate skill is Engineering. For magic fusions and magic items, the appropriate skill is Mysticism. For hybrid items, you must have the required ranks in both Engineering and Mysticism. For drugs, medicinals, and poisons, the skill can be either Life Science or Physical Science. For any food or drink, the appropriate skill is Life Science. For computers, you can use either Computers or Engineering, and you can construct a computer with a tier equal to half your ranks in the skill. For items that are not considered any of these categories (such as most clothes, tents, and so on) either Engineering or Mysticism can be used. At a GM’s discretion, an appropriate Profession skill can be used for a narrower range of items. For example, a character with Profession (weaponsmith) might be able to make technological, hybrid, and magic weapons and weapon fusions, but no other items.
Crafting items requires you to have access to tools and a workshop or similar space. Most starships have an appropriate area set aside, and such space can be rented at the same price as lodgings in major cities (with the size of the lodging being equivalent to the size of the workshop, which limits the size of items that can be constructed and how many people can work on a single item at one time). Creating an item normally has a base time of 4 hours. If your number of ranks in the appropriate skill to craft an item exceeds that item’s level by 5 or more, you can craft that item in half the base time. If your ranks exceed the item level by 10 or more, you can create the item in onequarter the base time. Objects larger than a Medium creature take twice as long to craft for each size category larger.
To create an item, you must have UPBs with a total value equal to the price of the item to be created. At the GM’s discretion, you can scavenge similar items for parts, allowing 10% of the scavenged item’s value to count toward the UPBs needed. Even magic and hybrid items are created using UPBs, as the Mysticism skill is used to form the materials into runes and specific implements for rituals utilized in the creation of magic devices.
Custom-built equipment has a few advantages over massproduced items. If you have a skill that allows you to repair an item you crafted, you can do so in half the normal time. When determining the hardness, Hit Points, and saving throws of an item you have crafted, treat its item level as if it were 2 higher. (For more about calculating these values, see Breaking Objects on page 409.)
A tech workshop contains all the space and tools necessary to craft technological items (see page 235), though the crafter must still provide the necessary raw materials. Such a workshop reduces the crafting time by half.
Radiation Badge
Source Pact Worlds pg. 198
Level 1; Price 100
Usage See text
Hands —; Bulk L
Description
Because the invisible danger of radiation can lurk anywhere, dwarven mining consortiums often issue these small apparatuses to those exploring uncharted asteroids. When you are about to enter a square containing any level of radiation and you are wearing a radiation badge, the badge beeps audibly to warn you. A radiation badge is always on and functions for 7 days before it needs to be recharged (much like the environmental protections of a suit of armor with an item level of 1).
Radiation Buffer
Source Starfinder Core Rulebook pg. 205
Item Level 1; Price 200
Slots 1; Armor Type Any; Bulk L
This device grants a +2 bonus to your initial saving throw against radiation (see page 403) in addition to any bonuses from your armor’s environmental protection. This doesn’t provide any bonus to saves against the secondary effects of radiation.
Clothing, Environmental
Source Starfinder Core Rulebook pg. 230
Category Personal Items (Clothing)
Level 1;Price 10; Bulk L
Description
Each environmental outfit is designed with a specific climate in mind, and wearing such an outfit in an extreme environmental condition it is tailored for grants a benefit as follows: cold climates (+2 circumstance bonus to Fortitude saves against environmental cold dangers), dust storms (reduce damage from dust storms with windstorm-magnitude winds by 1), extreme gravity (reduce damage from extreme gravity environments by 1), heat climates (+2 circumstance bonus to Fortitude saves against environmental heat dangers), radiation (+1 circumstance bonus to saving throws against radiation effects), and zero gravity (+2 circumstance bonus to Acrobatics or Athletics checks to stop movement or climb along handholds in zero-g). See Chapter 11 for more information on environmental dangers.
I will take this moment to say that there are very real risks to returning to the storage complex. Three of you are somewhat impaired already.
You've got the obelisk, main mission accomplished. The only reason to go back is to figure out what happened here, and to try to gather more information.
So your conundrum, are you more committed to the mission and rescue of the Starfinders trapped in the Scoured Stars, or to the Starfinder ethos of discovery?
Zephyr is asleep...He has already checked out for all intents and purposes, but he would wake up to fly us out of here...
In-Game: Jaeric is more committed to the rescue of the trapped Starfinders. If he winds up suffering permanent damage from the alien radiation, I guess that's the sacrifice he'll have to make to keep that commitment. And that's how he'll rationalize it just based on his personal ethos.
Meta-Game: Before we just head back to Absalom Station, Jaeric would like an overnight evaluation on whether or not the symptoms increase, decrease, or stay the same. Otherwise, if things get worse, we're simply nerfing our characters in some pretty serious ways (it seems) before heading into the remainder of the campaign. In that case, he'd be more in favor of staying to search the rest of the facility to determine what's causing this radiation, how to block it, and how to reverse the damage it's done...not simply for our sakes, but for the possibility that these obelisk artifacts and unknown alien 'gods' might have similar tech that we need to understand and guard against when we breach the Scoured Stars to save our colleagues.
Sorry, work and home life are pressing. Might be Thursday before I can post.
Things are ludicrously busy right now. May I propose a break until July 17th?
Sure. Do we want to use that time moving characters to a higher level?
I'll check and let you know.
Let's level up to 7. It will give you something to do while I catch up.
The conference was more work than anticipated because this is my first year on the organizing committee, and I just had no idea. So I'm two weeks behind on work, and buried.
I've purchased the module and started reading it and started putting together a slides presentation. Look for something Friday.
I apologize for the delay.
Leveled up. Jaeric picked up a new epiphany in the faith of Desna, granting him a mystic flare that'll replace his trusty pistol going forward. And a new 2nd level spell (soul surge).
Zephyr upgraded his Personal Upgrades and bought a Null-Space Module to put his powered armor in when he isn't using it. He used a feat to pick up Stealth and Perception as class skills, and he got a gear boost to be even more accurate with his laser.
I considered getting him flying powered armor, but it is very expensive, large-sized, and eats batteries like candy. Maybe next level.
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Tonight!
So. I should have asked this earlier. We haven't heard from hustonj in a long time.
Do you want to press on with three and see if he turns up. Or would you like to add a fourth?
Do you want to press on with three and see if he turns up. Or would you like to add a fourth?
I can't imagine any scenario would run well with just three PCs under Starfinder rules (particularly with Jaeric nerfed a bit by multiclassing). Wouldn't we be at a bigger disadvantage if we go without him? And, maybe if you're loathe to recruit for a replacement, could you simply NPC him the rest of the way? Or will that be impractical?
I think we need a fourth--either as an NPC or a new player. Might be a good time for recruitment.
Sorry about the name slip, Neil. Do you remember Jeorik? He was a PC from our first game together. I noticed the similarity when you created Jaeric.
We're probably lucky I've gone this long without the gaffe.
If we're recruiting, my first choice would be to ask someone we know. Can you guys think of anyone you'd like to play with?
I am in another Starfinder game that is pretty fun. Consider this Dawn of Flame campaign and read a bit if you like, inviting whomever appeals to you.
Sorry about the name slip, Neil. Do you remember Jeorik? He was a PC from our first game together. I noticed the similarity when you created Jaeric. We're probably lucky I've gone this long without the gaffe.
That had to have been quite awhile ago. I definitely don't recall it. :)
BG, I'll lurk on the game, but if you've anyone in particular in mind please ask them yourself. It will be better than an invitation from a random stanger.
Neil, it was a while back. Crimson Throne. I think your PC was Istas.
Therenger, sorry, trying to pull the game together and didn't mean to ignore your question from Monday.
This module is the Scoured Stars invasion, the capstone to the 'Rescue the Trapped Starfinders' arc. It flows naturally into another arc following the repercussions of this module. Offhand I think that arc is 3 more 'normal' modules and another capstone.
I would probably make the first offer to the DM, as he is doing a great job but I don’t know if he gets to play much. There are several good and regular posters, and the others are good when they do post, but are a bit sporadic. Let me know if one of them stands out as a great potential and I will make the contact.
Sorry for my absence. Work and home are leaving me short on posting time.
I am a great fan of giving DMs playing opportunities. Cellion is top notch; he's run an SFS game or two for me. Please invite him. If he declines, any of your players seem solid.
Hi all! Guiness reached out to me about joining in on this game. I'd be happy to jump in and do some more SFS scenarios, especially since it looks like this isn't for credit, so I don't need to have a character in the right bracket.
I *have* however played the Scoured Stars Invasion before (though not any of its followups), so I'll leave it up to you Thom on whether that's a dealbreaker. If not, let me know what rules I need to follow for a character build.
Cellion! That's not a deal breaker for me. I'd be pleased to have you aboard. I greatly enjoyed playing at least one scenario you ran on line.
I think the creation rules were standard SFS. The party's at 7th level now. I think we're at 16000 units of wealth. Does that sound right to you guys?
All, work is crushing me again. Actually its the combination of work and a new committee post for the Coordinate Metrology Society, and trying to get my deck stained. I hope that things open up next week.
Sounds good. I'll put a character together over the next few days then. Looks like the party could use either another melee or someone solid at INT skills.
Are boon-restricted species OK?
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@thom: 16k sounds a little low for 7th, but I can make it work.
@everyone else: I'm leaning toward Technomancer. Does that sound OK for you all?
I think we've been without one for our entire run so far. I had recommended we add one awhile back when a new player joined us, but they opted for something else. If you do go with a technomancer, I'd recommend ensuring they pack a punch in terms of spellpower. I've been carrying that torch for awhile now, but my PC is multiclassed as an envoy/mystic, so I'm not as well-suited for that role, quite frankly. It would be great for someone else to handle it.
Packing a punch in spellpower is exactly what I was thinking. It's been a while since I got to play a technomancer and there's been quite the assortment of fun blasty options printed since. On top of some great utility spells.
Some details left to go, but Harlan should more or less be set for adventuring!
Hi, guys. Sorry for my absence. Had a big last minute project at work before vacation.
I'm away on vacation until Tuesday the 22nd. I'd been hoping to get some posting in, but it looks unlikely until I return. See you the 23rd.
Back! Harlan looks great so far, Cellion. We've got a little time for you to sort the details out while we ease back into the game.
Venture-Captain Naiaj, the no-nonsense bleachling gnome, approaches you with a datapad in hand. "Harlan, no time to be skulking about. There's a work crew on the hangar deck that's short a hand. Get down there and lend them both of yours."
You know from past experience that Naiaj's bite is less ferocious than her bark, but that she's always serious.
Back to chores in the game thread.
Excellent. Harlan's ready to go!
Good. Good pep talk. :-)
I'll be traveling for work until Wednesday next week. May be able to get a couple posts in in that time, but if I don't feel free to bot me.
Thanks for the update, Cellion!
I thought I replied affirmative to all access queries that Google passed along. And I've tried to set the page to anyone with link can edit three times now. I'll try again when I get home.
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Hopefully that's got it! Apologies for what I assume is awful user error on my part.
Cellion, usually the high perch would be a good idea, but this thing is tall. It can fly. And when I saw it was packing a machine gun I was determined that it would fire on full auto at some point. Harlan and Jaeric were just the 2 PCs positioned such that I could get them in the cone.