Welcome to AGAINST THE AEON THRONE. This is a three-volume adventure path, and we are going to work hard to get through all three books (which is a noble and admirable goal in play by post gaming).
Due to the fact that most or all of the characters are second level, and at least two of you have played (or are currently playing) this first volume, you should expect minor changes in many of the encounters to make them appropriately challenging, or in some cases just a little different.
The story, setting, and major NPC's will essentially be the same.
Our first goal is sorting out how each of you have gotten to know personally a female android named Cedona. She has recently been a resident of the Gallery, though she did leave several months ago to assist with a new AbadarCorp colony out in the vast.
Knowing that all of you are ambitious, she has arranged for you to pilot a ship the planet Nakondis with much needed supplies for the small colony. You'll be paid well. She has also worked with you to acquire the ship you'll use.
I will keep playing Yoromishtali. Originally, I wanted him to be Absalom Station focused, but I think there is some fun roleplaying potential to be explored when his expectation of a quick vacation/job to a colony is not going to happen. Plus he’ll be eager to see how the Azlanti’s martial arts match up to the Vesk’s. I'll work out the details of how he knows Cedona.
Possibly, he is going to be fairly useless in starship combat. I think the only role he can do is gunner. Both ships are good. Since the premise of the adventure's start is that we are bringing in supplies so having many weapons to deter and defeat pirates would be a good thing. That gives an edge to the Gray Hawk. However, I do like the utility of the Subtle Knife. Hmm. I’m leaning towards the Subtle Knife. Yeah, Subtle Knife gets my vote.
Porting over the two versions of Light Freighters I created:
Version 1: Subtle Knife (features: Sensors, Medical Bay, Tech Bay, Computer, Armor)
Version 2: Gray Hawk (features: gun turret, coil guns port and starboard, basically lots of guns)
My comments: The Subtle Knife is the ship Starfinder wants us to build. It has all the crap that flesh out a ship but in reality have almost no significant impact on combat, like Sensors, Computer, and Armor. It does have a Medical Bay, which is really nice.
The Gray Hawk is the ship that makes practical sense according to how starship combat actually works. It gets my vote.
Now come on, Yoro, you're the perfect fit for that turret gun on the Hawk.
I.. am torn. Goldenarms can entirely get away for a bit, no doubt they've banked up vacation time that the family can do without for a while. And while a Medical Bay is undoubtedly handy, Goldenarms would not mind trading it for improved crew quarters. Luxury is something that they've become accustomed to, and if they have to treat a large group of individuals... Something went horribly wrong.
However, as there was a mention of a pilot needed, I was looking at a Quartermaster Dwarf Mystic(Free Trader) with the Trailblazer Connection coming with the ship as a pilot. No stranger to the gray areas of commerce, but definitely one that can get what is needed where it needs to go. Just... can she have a Shotgun, please?
I'm a fan of the Subtle Knife as well. Just because the amenities make it more colorful.
You will find a link to slides at the top.
Please feel free to make slides for your own use. Things like notes on NPC's, tasks that you have in front of you. lists, etc.
Yes Me'mori.
Should you choose this dwarf mystic she may have a shotgun.
Niiice..
Yoro, Chialese, thoughts? *looks around for the others*
A Mystic Pilot? Sure, why not.
Me'mori, sent you a PM with a couple of thoughts on your character.
Slight spoiler with some thoughts on your starship choice:
I’ve been thinking about Yoro’s history with Cedona for the past few days; trying to come up with a story that makes sense. Leaning towards she helped him adjust to life on Absalom Station when he moved from the Veskarium.
I think Yoro would definitely want the Gray Hawk. I, as the player, prefer Subtle Knife.
A Mystic pilot is just as valid as any other class piloting. :-)
Thank you, GM Quirk, for being so open with your opinions concerning starship combat.
It would help me a great deal to know Cedona's history in brief; what did she do in the Gallery, and what would motivate an Android retire?
Cedona may have actually been retired for a much longer time. She rarely seemed to have pressing engagements when she lived in the Gallery. She did have a Squax for a pet--perhaps some of you fed it for her when she would occasionally been away.
She was elusive when it came to what she did before retirement.
There came a point in time where she felt certain about being part of this new colony out in the Vast.
Just messaged Thak. I bet he'll be along soon. I should also check in on Anton. Doesn't look like he has checked in yet.
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I'm back! Had a great (and computer-less) few days in Cincinnati and even got to play a (gasp!) face-to-face Starfinder game.
We made a last-minute stop on the way home to visit The National Voice of America Museum of Broadcasting which was an incredible wrap to the trip. (But I'm also a bit of a broadcast radio nerd, so there's that.)
I'll probably bring Thak on this run. He's a L2 Brenneri envoy, for those of you that haven't met him. A little neurotic, but fun at parties.
I might tweak his stats as we get started. I like the way he plays, but he has some weaknesses I want to shore up.
More news to come!
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@Goldenarms -- The mystic pilot shotgunner sounds like a great addition to me. I'm curious to meet them.
Thak update -- I'm deep into fiddling with his setup now. Stats are shifting around, and I might multiclass him into either solarian or witchwarper to see what else he can do with his charisma. He's something of an experiment already, so we'll see what happens.
It seems like we have a solid mix of skills in the crew. This should be a good time.
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Ah! Apologies. Things got...busy over here at Der Kastle von VeisEngel (still are, kinda) but, yes, I am here.
Re: ship, I'm not really a fan of 'aesthetics that help round out a ship but have no function' as I've often seen such things have vehement discussion when they're getting put in, but then never mentioned later, even by their most ardent supporters. And then in combat we don't have enough guns to go around and that makes things awkward.
Mind you, if the GM himself is for the Subtle knife then we must have it!
PS: What does a MEd lab do? Everyone seems to agree that it's good but I can't find it in the rules. (Which isn't really surprising. I'm not that bright. ^_^)
A medical bay functions as a medical lab, which is a level 7 item.
From Archives of Nethys:
A full medical lab contains beds, diagnostic equipment, sensors, and tools, and even a small surgical theater. A medical lab is not generally portable unless installed in a starship or vehicle of Huge or larger size. It allows you to treat up to three patients at once, and you can use the treat deadly wounds task of the Medicine skill twice per day on each patient. It otherwise functions as an advanced medical kit.
I suppose the question may be if you have someone with a decent medicine skill to make use of this.
I'm your huckleberry.
To break any pending ties, I'll bend to pressure and switch my vote. Subtle Knife it is. I might regret it if I'm stuck at the Science post during combat.
Here's a 3rd option for our ship: Fomalhaut.
She's an Explorer, so Medium size which means more HP (good), and a turret included in the build (great). I had to lose the armor but honestly HP is better than a small bonus to AC, and the Laser Net on the turret should make us virtually invulnerable to tracking weapons, if the right crew member is on it. We also trade out the Flak throwers for Coilguns - big upgrade.
Best of all, we keep the Medical Bay and Tech Workshop and also get a Trivid Den Rec Suite!
Okay everyone, I have given you all a nudge on how you might know Cedona. As a reminder, you don't need to use these prompts at all. They -might- be useful to mine for information regarding this mysterious android who was once your neighbor. Use as you see fit.
Intro completed.
Any thoughts on the Fomalhaut? It's the superior ship build, IMO.
I like the late entry to the starship contenders. Good mix of weapons and med bay. Fomalhaut gets my vote. I think I’m about 50% done (editing always takes the most time) with the Cedona post. I should have it up tomorrow.
Character is set, just have to get it crunched. I'll likely be the last entry into the posts.
I suspect this third ship is a winner.
We'll be looking to get things started very soon. Since Me'mori has a brand new character, we'll wait for him to make at least a short introductory post before we do.
Anton and Me'mori may make their "how I know Cedona" post at any time within the next several days. No need for it to be before we begin, though that is preferred.
I suspect this third ship is a winner.
Yay!
I suspect this third ship is a winner.
Let me say that I greatly appreciate the ship-building– thank you soooo much! I seem to just... balk when it comes to that.
Thank you! I would happily build ships all day - I think of it like a fun puzzle with more than one good solution. But I'm glad we have one that ticks most of the right boxes.
Nah, don't feel bad. I had half of an intro and lost it. I'll have something up tonight.
I'm contemplating the thought of building for the character vs. Building for effect... Considering the character's story, their spells would reflect that, but that raises the question of combat effectiveness-- I mean, they're ostensibly "just the pilot", but still.
I'll be looking into assist actions and support tools to be effective, I'm thinking.
I hope you don't mind the touch of mysteriousness for my character. You all will be meeting them soon, though.
We shall begin in earnest tomorrow. Great job on your introductions, though there are some mysteries! Please feel free to send me a PM if there is anything I may need to know about as far as your relationship with Cedona.
By the way, this is the suggested link for Anton's theme. I won't post it in gameplay yet, as Anton may feel moved to embellish this when he has a moment (it could be a flashback scene).
You attended a short series of lectures a few years ago about the business of artificial intelligence by an AbadarCorp representative, but you found the presenter’s conclusions ill-founded and lacking in intellectual rigor and proper testing. You met another attendee—an android named Cedona—and struck up a friendship while complaining about the lectures. Cedona was primarily interested in learning about AbadarCorp colonies; she hoped to join one of those colonies once she retired from her current job, although she didn’t mention what that job was. When she was approved to join AbadarCorp’s colony on Nakondis, Cedona asked you to come visit her when you could, to see a successful AbadarCorp operation in the field.
scanner, video camera for 275 cr
Two items that I thought Yoromishtali would buy before leaving Absalom Station. Better armor and a new camera for making his videos. I don’t see a hands-free option on the Archives of Nethys. He’d get that if he could; a camera mounted to his chest or helmet/head band.
Anyway, looking forward to this game.
I'll be nudging this forward tomorrow night. Meanwhile, if anyone wants to make post (or, as Yoro did, make last minute purchases), please do.
I'm digging the Stelifera. In fact, I LIKE this group.
I am glad you do. It will be interesting to see how this character develops when influenced by the AP.
Reading the races entry, I do have a couple of interesting notes, though.
• The race's flavor entry mentions limited telepathy, yet the race does not have it like the Lashunta and Shirren do, which I found odd— there's no mention of it in the errata I could find, either. The race does get the spell Telepathic Message at will, so that speaks to an interesting development in their racial history.
• Given that the race can pull water from the air to construct the hydrobody, does that mean that drinkable water is not an issue? Granted, with a battery and 50 credits, a portable condenser could pull 10 quarts out of the air, but still... neat.
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@Yoromishtali -- Check out the Easy Access Kit. It takes one upgrade slot in your armor, but it'll let you mount the camera and control it with a free hand.
I flavored the Easy Access Kit as a shoulder-mounted swiveling mechanical arm so my Ysoki envoy can shoot B-roll for his vidcast and also get awesome combat shots.
For straight-up attachment, you could use the Gear Clamp, but it doesn't have the control option... it just holds the camera in place, like a helmet mount for a GoPro.
There's also the Uniclamp. It's designed to connect something (like your camera or a light) to a long arm or heavy weapon that has mounting rails AND let you control the camera/light as part of wielding the weapon.
Looking forward to "meeting" you on the ship! :)
(Open question: Should it worry us that GMQ "likes" our party? I mean, when someone "likes" ice cream, they eat it all until it's gone...*grin*)
@Thak This is great! Thank you. I’ll probably get the gear clamp. It’s a reminder I need to peruse the equipment list better.
Haha. I either never knew that or forgot. In that case, Chiaiese can get on the missiles next round.
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@Yoromishtali -- I have a secret superpower: a 17yo son who reads the rule books in depth.
@Chiaiese -- Starship combat seems like it should be easy but turns weirdly complicated sometimes. Drives me nuts. For gunnery, it's ranks (not total skill) plus dex, so your original math still holds. You're best in the Captain role here; Thak can take a gun with a +3.
Changing the subject, I really like the way y'all put your stats in the character information. I reformatted mine this morning and discovered a couple of errors in my math from when I rebuilt Thak between games. Apparently adding small integers is hard.
Getting back on a new post.
Thursdays can be tough, as it's my one late night each week at work. I came home and settled into my chair and that was it for me.
Going to try to get an updated post in. We'll need to move ships, looks like you guys will need to go first or second.
GM, we're obviously all getting our feet wet with how you run space combat. If I may make a suggestion, it would be helpful if you roll initiative for the players. It wasn't clear to me who won initiative this round, which is probably why Osmari hadn't moved the ship. Unfortunately, initiative is probably the most important factor in space combat. I assume we lost init because the enemy both moved and fired. Now it's our turn.
When it comes to moving the ship, I learned a valuable lesson 30 years ago at Gen-Con, when it was still in Milwaukee. I was playing in the Star Fleet Battles World Championship, and I thought I was pretty great as I had never lost a game in all my years of playing against friends and family.
I knew nothing. At Gen-Con, I played against the guy who literally wrote the book on Klingon tactics. I played several opponents of that caliber. I did not win a single game, amassing an incredible record of 0-11. But what I learned is that every one of those opponents used speed to win. There was not a turn I can recall where my opponent did not move his ship near maximum speed.
In my limited experience with space combat in Starfinder I have seen how the same tactic is successful. On every turn, we should move full speed and end our movement as far away as possible from the enemy with one of our coil guns in arc. They can't hit us if their guns are out of range. Easier said then done, obviously, but that's the idea. We also have a battery of missiles which they can either try to outrun or get blown up by. Our tactical advantage is to fire missiles first turn, then run for the edge of the map and try to keep them out of short range.
Why don't we slow down a bit. If Neap would like to move one way or another here on turn one it's a fairly easy retcon for me. I know how far my drones moves, and I can adjust as needed. We can keep other dice rolls for now, though there may be adjustments should you move out of the range of my lasers.
30 years ago? Nice to know we are of similar, uhh, vintage Chiaiese!
Hey, anyone going to Gencon this year? I'm not certain yet, but there is a pretty good chance I will be there for at least one day. I'm only two hours away.