* Each time the PCs attempt a skill check to repair or reprogram a technological item during the adventure, one of you can gain a +3 bonus to the check. In addition, once during the adventure, each PC can roll an Engineering check twice and take the better result.
* You each get a mk 1 serum of healing for this adventure, as well as each getting your choice of a serum or grenade of level 4 or lower.
* At any point during this adventure - be it now, between missions, or right at the end - you can purchase any item or gear at a 10% discount.
* Once during the adventure, one of you can consume a fancy food pack to gain a +1 bonus to skill checks and saves for a number of minutes equal to their character level, while also healing as if you had taken a mk 2 serum of healing
* Once during the adventure, each of you can gain a +2 bonus to a Charisma-based skill check attempted when interacting with an individual who is not a Starfinder.
* At any point during the adventure, one of you can attempt to can attempt to influence a crowd with a Difficult Bluff, Diplomacy, or Intimidate check.
* Once during the adventure, the party can flip a boost switch to add a +4 to a single Piloting check during starship combat or a vehicle chase and also move one additional hex or zone.
Amairel's shot hits solidly, but much softer than his last one. The beast seems to ignore the electrical aspects of the cannon's discharge, and the remaining fire only singes it for a bit.
Staar's glowing gauntlets manage to do the trick quite well though. She feels a small bit of resistance pummeling the zuvak, but with the first punch still being enough to drop it, she's able to redirect the second swing to heavily bruise the last beast.
Initiative
Red zuvak Donovan blue zuvak
Raia
yellow zuvak
green zuvak 15 damage
Amariel
Staar 9/32 SP
CN Male Lashunta | Envoy 4 | SP 28/28 | HP 28/28 | RP 5/6 | EAC 18; KAC 18 | Fort +2; Ref +7; Will +4 | Init: +3 | Perc: +5, SM: +4+d6 | Speed 30ft | Darkvision | Active conditions: None.
“Ouch!! That hurt more than before Staat, right!?!!“ the Lashunta shouts.
~
Donovan tries to demoralize the last opponent!
Move action: Improved Intimidate demoralize vs. (10 + your opponent’s total Intimidate skill bonus, or 15 + 1-1/2 × the opponent’s CR, whichever is greater), only sense dependent :1d20 + 16 ⇒ (2) + 16 = 18
Demoralize: If you succeed, the target is shaken for 1 round. The duration increases by 1 round for every 5 by which the result of your check exceeds the DC.
GM: Donovan has Grim Trophies (Magic) so if they are shaken then they also get -2 to DAMAGE rolls.
* *
He then makes a quick movement to feint and makes a clever attack to hit with his knife!
Standard action: Clever Feint vs. red (10 + your opponent’s total Sense Motive skill bonus, or 15 + 1-1/2 × the opponent’s CR, whichever is greater), Sense-Dependent:1d20 + 13 ⇒ (2) + 13 = 15
Using:
Expertise talent - 3rd Level:
Convincing Liar (Ex; Bluff): When you attempt a Bluff check, you can choose not to roll your expertise die until later. After you determine what the check’s result would be, you can choose to either roll your expertise die and add the result to the total or forgo the expertise die and reroll the check.
Standard action: REROLL Clever Feint vs. red (10 + your opponent’s total Sense Motive skill bonus, or 15 + 1-1/2 × the opponent’s CR, whichever is greater), Sense-Dependent:1d20 + 13 ⇒ (16) + 13 = 29
Even if you fail, that enemy is flat-footed against your attacks until the end of your next turn. If you succeed, the enemy is also flat-footed against your allies’ attacks until the end of your next turn. You can’t use clever feint against a creature that lacks an Intelligence score.
Whoops: forgot to remove the Red one from the amp. Donovan would’ve needed to move to strike the remaining zuvak, so no Intimidate, but luckily:
Donovan moves over towards the final zuvak standing (though those legs have seen better days). With a strong thrust he is able to get his dagger to pierce through it’s hard hide, causing it to give a final grunt and snap before slumping over, dead.
COMBAT OVER!!!
Staar 9/32 SP
(and more importantly, no one diseased)
That surprise bit of excitement done with, Raia takes several samples from the zuvak’s bodies while the rest of you can examine the pantry space. It’s been torn apart, with the quartet of burst black casings in the ceiling apparently some sort of nest or chrysalis.
At least the roaming likely source of the murkblight infestation has been halted by your efforts here. Hopefully with all the data and tissues samples form both the carriers and causes Dr. Monsylkis and other researchers might be able to get a cure to the station.
Whipping up an insta-cure is a bit outside your medically-mediocre party’s league at the moment, but your thorough investigation has made this mission a great Success! Now just need to deliver your data back to the Society and see what they can do with it.
So I’m seeing for your next mission one vote for Castrovel for the next mission, and one to head back to the Sun. Staar: deciding ballot (for now) is up to you
You're able to return back to Absalom Station in only a few days. When she receives your research, Dr Monsylkis can barely contain their excitement. "These are remarkable. Excellent works Starfinders. And you were able to find the cause of the outbreak too?"
She continues chatting but turns away from you as her focus quickly moves to various scanners and equipment as she flits around her lab. "Murkblight is not exactly a common ailment. there are treatment methods that can markedly improve patient outlooks, but with the size of the infection on that station already there would likely still be many casualties. I will see if I can come up with a better medicine for this particular strain. What you brought back luckily should give us an excellent head start."
"Oh," the doctor adds. I suspect we may now know why AbadarCorp has been so slow to respond here. Infosphere programs have begun to pick up news of Laelund Station's outbreak. At the moment its a minor story, but public blame seems to being leveled at Executive Archdirector Iseki-Okaibo. I have a feeling Datch may have done something to delay the response and cover up the initial outbreak until it spread too much to be easily controlled just to provide new evidence to support removing Iseki-Okaibo. Treating lives as just pawns in a corporate power play..." Monsylkis grows visibly enraged, so much that she can't even continue speaking and instead turns to feverishly begin her work.
Corporate Culture
Now back at the station and looking for where next to help, you four are quickly flagged down by Zigvigix. The Exo-Guardian enthusiastically briefs you at a table in the corner of the Lorespire Complex's grand hall. There’s a lot of moving parts involved in this operation, and I’m thrilled to assign you to this particular mission! Zigvigix beams at the assembled agents before continuing.
Cloudview Resort’s famous corporate retreat is taking place right now on Castrovel. Corporations from all over the Pact Worlds send executives there for networking and — Zigvigix sighs reverently— team building. Several AbadarCorp board members are attending the retreat. If you join them, I’m sure you’ll have plenty of opportunities to make friends with the executives. Hopefully, you can persuade them to support Iseki-Okaibo and not Datch. Zigvigix pauses for a moment before adding happily, The team-building exercises may be useful for us, too, so enjoy yourselves and learn all you can!
The shirren pulls out four pieces of paper and hands them out to you. I've already had four tickets procured for the retreat. The actual tickets are electronic of course - they're being sent to your datapads now. But these can be souvineer symbolic tickets.
There is at least a strange bit of foil on the tickets.
When you are ready to head out, the journey to Castrovel takes 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2 days. While your shuttle can easily find a berth at the bustling Qabarat spaceport, the trek to the resort itself requires a 3-mile hike up Yaro River and through the coastal jungle. The humid air is alive with the calls of birds and insects, and the path is partially overgrown, but you're able to make your way without being accosted by one of Castrovel's predators.
Survival DC 13:
You notice the ruggedness of the trail is a bit too perfectly rugged: there's overgrowth and uneven terrain, but never quite in a way to significantly obstruct your journey. It likely takes a significant amount of effort and landscaping to maintain this precise level of having the path look wild but not actually be difficult to traverse.
Due to the jungle's trees visitors are almost right upon Cloudview Resort before you catch a glimpse of it. The resort is a beautiful and sprawling complex built atop a riverside cliff. Impressive lofty terra-cotta buildings with thatched roofs are spread out and separated by spacious courtyards. The hiking trail leads straight to Cloudview's visitor’s center, where an android concierge smiles and greets you.
"Greetings, and welcome to the Cloudview Resort: where the sky isn't just the view, it's the limit! Are you here for today's workshop?"
Female N Lashunta (Korasha) Death-touched Solarian 6 | SP 54/54 HP 46/46 | RP 6/6 | EAC 15; KAC 16; Cold resistance 1 | Fort +6; Ref +3; Will +5 | Init: +1 | Perc: +5, SM: -2 | Speed 40 ft.; Fly 30 ft. | Supernova (7d6 F, Reflex DC 16 half), Stellar Rush, Gravity Grappler, Dark Interaction, Mental Silence (1/day) | Effortless Aerobatics feat
Survival:1d20 + 2 ⇒ (10) + 2 = 12
"Perhaps. We are here for the team-building and networking - we were told there was a corporate retreat taking place here. Is the workshop part of it?"
The android’s smile widens ”Ah yes, the annual Cloudview retreat is currently in session.” They type rapidly into the computer before them, and shortly each of you hear a faint *ping of confirmation from your own datapads. ”And I see you are correct Mister Anatiel and already registered. Excellent! Today’s workshop on inter-departmental collaboration and conflict resolution is being held in the Ketephys Preserve. Take the Corel trail down there for a ways and then a left onto the Formian Path should bring you right there.” The concierge gestures to point out a nearby path. [b]”The workshop began a few hours ago, but multiple sessions are schedule throughout the day.” They look you over. [b]”I would recommend wearing something heat-appropriate: you can work up quite a sweat in these workshops!”Luckily your environmental protections should keep out the worst of any jungle heat :)
Following the concierge’s instructions is not difficult as the Resort’s paths are quite clearly marked. When you finally reach the nature preserve however the sight is enough to make you momentarily re-check your directions. The pristine jungle lining most of the outskirts of the resort seems to have resemble nothing less than an active war zone!
Guerilla soldiers dressed in khaki fatigues are attacking each other in the brush and among the trees indiscriminately, some organized into small squads while others fight alone. Cracks of gunfire and the sizzles of laser shots ring through the hazy air as individuals of all species battle all around you. Here and there along the jungle floor you can spot bodies lying still on the ground. Strangely, no one seems to be shooting at you right now.
Medicine DC 12:
The fallen aren’t the ground aren’t seriously injured: many sport large bruises and there are a few scratches here and there, but none are badly hurt.
Amid the chaos, a humanoid wearing goggles and a ghillie suit pops up from a trench. Seeing you he frantically waves at you to come over, hissing ”Get down! What department are you lot in anyway?”
"Facilities, huh?" the man says as you move towards and hunker down near him. "Thought they had you guys coming in in the afternoon. Well, guess that's my gain, right? Yalus. Archdirector of Advertising at AbadarCorp." He extends a firm hand in greeting, though looks a bit surprised at Amariel's surprise.
"I guess you lot weren't here for last year's retreat were you. They try to get a bit of aggression out early on: clear the head in a non-lethal battle royale. New age maangement theory: don't quick get the logic myself, but I'll be damned if I get knocked out of here before Suzi."
Hearing Donovan's seemingly very earnest offers to help, Yalus smiles. "You look fresh. If you're willing to help me out I've got a target we need to take down. Suzi's the archdirector of accounting and I've had 3 straight quarters of her arguing to slash our budget. Says the Corp could be steering into a bear market - can you believe the gall to say that to me with a straight face?"
"Hear she's already taken out half of R&D, fortified herself further in the preserve. But Facilities must be good at taking out trash, right? If you can drop her for me, I promise I can scratch your back if you even need some upgrades."
"She's an absolute animal in these things. Real comfortable in nature. Apparantly she's fortified up some old ruin and heard she's even laid a few traps around it. But it's been a while since the last batch of coworkers came out that were dropped by her: Suzi could be laying low and hibernating for the moment while the rest of us pick each other off. Which is why it's a chance for you to strike while she's not expecting it!"
Yalus will direct you towards the section of the preserve Suzi seems to be holed up in. New Map Slide up Approaching the spot you see a deep ravine pierces the southeastern part of a clearing, providing natural shelter. The clearing is bowl-shaped and guarded by steep slopes to the north. At the center, a cluster of stone ruins are reinforced with deadwood and crude sheets of corrugated metal. Thick, viny undergrowth carpets the entire clearing.
The entire area is difficult terrain. If you want to climbe one of the stone walls/ruins, they are 30 feet tall and require a DC 25 Athletics to climb.
From within the makeshift shelter you see a looming figure moving about...
Donovan advances through the undergrowth,, and along the way does notice a few makeshift land mines made out of what seem to be compressed gas canisters strewn about. Some marked on map He is not however as quiet as he’d like. When the lashunta nears the fortification a roar echoes out as he sees a…an armored bear with glasses loom up from her cover.
YES! MORE BODIES FOR THE LEDGER! ILL BRING US MORE INTO THE BLACK: BLACK-AND-BLUE!
BECAUSE YOU WILL BE BLACK AND BLUE FROM THE BRUISES WHEN I TAKE YOU DOWN IS WHAT I AM SAYING.
She hefts a grenade out towards the envoy, which explores in a flash of light as the rest of you see her then drawing out a rifle.
Grenade toss:1d20 + 14 ⇒ (12) + 14 = 26
Donovan: need a DC 14 Fort Save or Blinded for 1d4 ⇒ 2 rounds
Initiative
Donovan, need Fort save
Suzi from Accounting Amariel
Staar
Raia
Nonlethal attacks can be made with any weapon, though attacking nonlethally with a weapon not designed for it imposes a -4 penalty on the attack roll.
Weapons with the ‘stub’ property can be toggled from lethal-mode to nonlethal-mode with a move action. Certain other things may also allow nonlethal attacks without penalty (Merciful fusion, some feats/class abilities, etc)
Female N Lashunta (Korasha) Death-touched Solarian 6 | SP 54/54 HP 46/46 | RP 6/6 | EAC 15; KAC 16; Cold resistance 1 | Fort +6; Ref +3; Will +5 | Init: +1 | Perc: +5, SM: -2 | Speed 40 ft.; Fly 30 ft. | Supernova (7d6 F, Reflex DC 16 half), Stellar Rush, Gravity Grappler, Dark Interaction, Mental Silence (1/day) | Effortless Aerobatics feat
Staar attunes photon and double-jump jets across the jungle towards Suzi, forming her solar gauntlet and extending her bone blade - it protrudes from her left wrist, the same size of her entire forearm. A dark liquid oozes from the entrance gap of the weapon for a moment, before it closes up.
| Speed 25ft | Active Conditions: None Booker Kar | HP 5/38 | AC 20 | F +8 R +10 W +7 | Perc +7 | Default Exploration (????)
Raia advances through the thick terrain, calling out ”My magic could lift one of you upwards to get a clearer shot if you need, though balancing’s a bit unstable.” Can cast level 2 Flight to Levitate someone.
As Staar leaps with technological enchancement through the jungle with ease, Suzi roars back FUNNY, I DIDNT REALIZE THEY WERE RECRUITING FROGS TO BRING ME DOWN. WHAT A WASTEFUL LINE ITEM.
Donovan advances despite his temporary vision problems. Seeing him caught flat-footed by the grenade, Suzi calls out to the lashunta. YOU’RE CERTAINLY BOLD. I HOPE THE OTHERS PROPERLY DEPRECIATE YOU!
Her large rifle expels out two loud *throom*s in quick succession as bursts of soundwaves launch out to buffet poor Donovan
Male Elf Mercenary Mechanic 12 | SP 108/108 HP 76/76 | RP 12/12 | EAC 28; KAC 30 | Fort +11; Ref +12; Will +6 | Init: +4 (Win ties, 1/day reroll) | Perc: +21, SM: +9 | Speed 30ft | Comprehend Languanges 1/1 | Active conditions: none
With a smirk, Amariel calibrates his big ol' weapon on Suzi. "This is for taking my lunch out of the fridge," he mutters, thinking about every bad co-worker he's had.
| Speed 25ft | Active Conditions: None Booker Kar | HP 5/38 | AC 20 | F +8 R +10 W +7 | Perc +7 | Default Exploration (????)
Raia moves along, following carefully in Amariel's footsteps to avoid any potential traps, and sends two evoked translucent bees right at the archdirector.
The accounting bear's fortifications provide her ample cover, but Amariel just manages to squeeze a shot through to strike his taget. Suzi roars, as much in surprise as pain. She also yells in surprise as Staar's boots take her right to the top of the ruin's walls.
WELL, GOOD TO SEE YOU. BUT BE CAREFUL. YOU MAY HAVE THAT NICE FOOTWEAR, BUT ITS HARD TO KEEP THE BOOTS BALANCED.
ALL'S FAIR IN BUSINESS AND WAR. ITS ACCRUAL WORLD OUT THERE!
Still, Suzi's roar seems a bit quieter as she yells back at Donovan. And her single shot up at the perched Staar is a bit off as the bear fires once, drops the rifle, and draws out a large doshko.
Moved you up a bit Donovan but then you encounter the edge of her fortifications. Athletics to climb, Acrobatics to potentially squeeze through the gaps.
"I'LL ADMIT, YOU ARE STARTING TO CAUSE MY INTEREST TO GROW ABOVE RATE"
Donovan manages for his part to squeeze through the fortifying cover. She's already Initmidated for at least another round from the first excellent check, so if you would like to have taken another standard action instead you may. You can also go through past the 'wall': difficult terrain to squeeze through that space but the other side is clear and normal ground.
Male Elf Mercenary Mechanic 12 | SP 108/108 HP 76/76 | RP 12/12 | EAC 28; KAC 30 | Fort +11; Ref +12; Will +6 | Init: +4 (Win ties, 1/day reroll) | Perc: +21, SM: +9 | Speed 30ft | Comprehend Languanges 1/1 | Active conditions: none
Amariel continues moving around the fortification, hoping to get a better angle. "This'll teach you for 'reply all'ing when you didn't need to!" he mutters again.
| Speed 25ft | Active Conditions: None Booker Kar | HP 5/38 | AC 20 | F +8 R +10 W +7 | Perc +7 | Default Exploration (????)
Staar wrote:
Can Raia try to grease the doshko off Suzi's paws? With the shaken condition, the odds are in our favor - and that might help us negotiate a surrender, or at least Staar will get beaten up less
"Good idea Staar" Raia yells as she hurries towards Suzi and the rest of you. "...Oh, sorry: I may have been reading your mind a bit with telepathy there. That was a bad breach of boundaries. Sorry!"
Getting just close enough, the techmage concentrates and a slick sheen spreads out across Suzi's doshko.
Amariel moves up but his second shot isn't nearly as succssful as his first. Meanwhile Suzi manages to keep her grip on her weapon and brings it down into Staar.
A WIDE SWING AND SOME WATER? IS THAT AUDIT YOU GOT?
A voice message comes onto your comm unit. ”A brave and compassionate team of Starfinders visited a space station in dire need of assistance. They gathered important scientific data and determined the source of the distress. Dr Monsylkis’s team is already developing a solution.”
Table GMs, covert mission three is now closed and action mission three is now available for selection.
Donovan draws out his survival knife and, taking advantage of how the heavy doshko seems to be throwing off Suzi's ability to quickly react, moves into flank with Staar and attempts to further throw off the accountant with a clever feint.
Unfortunately Suzi seem to be as little bothered by this new grease as she was the last set. Starr's punch seems to be taking a lot of the fight out of her though.
THAT POPCORN SUPPORTS THE LOCAL TR-
And then Amareils shot connects directly with her skull, causing her to drop her weapon and stagger about for a moment.
Don't sell your weapons short: that Yellow-Star Conquerer also has the Wound Crit condition: whihc in this case (the above rolls) she's stunned for a round.
Stunned and flat-footed from the strikes, Staar lands two solid blows on the bear. Suzi staggers for a moment, and you hear in your heads ALL RIGHT, MIGHT BE WINTER TIME THEN...
and then the accountant falls to the ground, KO'd.
COMBAT OVER!!!
As you assess your own conditions, you see Yalus carefully creeping behind you to cautiously observe the situation. Once he's confident Suzi's actually down and it's not just a trick, he smiles and approaches you four with open arms.
"Fan-%$^%-Tastic! Oh, she'll take a while to live down getting dropped by the Facilities team. Well done! You need anything, just give me a ring. I'm good for that favor anytime for this."
