GM Jhaeman's "Dawn of Flame, Chapter 3: Sun Divers" (Inactive)

Game Master Jhaeman

Having had a close look at the recyclers, Xylian is able to place a shot on one of them in an area that would not threaten the polyfluid reservoir.

Standard action to Overcharge and shoot blue I guess.
Ice Carbine vs KAC (Combat Tracking; reduces penalties due to range and AC bonuses from cover by 4: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (18) + 10 = 28
P + C Damage: 1d8 + 5 + 1d6 ⇒ (2) + 5 + (5) = 12

Zharis moves forward to get a better shot.

Double Move

Xylian lobs an icy projectile across the plaza to smash into one of the reclaimers just as Zharis sprints forward.

Xylian's attack hit Blue. Hani is up.

Hani moves forward, activating his energy shield as he does.

He is now sidled up next to Zharis.

As shown on map. I started my turn earlier today, but was distracted by my in person game tonight. 9 temp HP.

As the smaller robot thrashes to escape the gluey bonds that anchor in place, one of the reclaimers advances towards Hani and Zharis and lobs a thick glob of polyfluid at them! The other reclaimer charges forth at full speed, its terrifying grabber claw aiming for Zharis' midsection.

Yellow has moved and then fired entangling goo. Hani and Zharis, please roll a Reflex save. If you succeed, you take 3 B. If you fail, you take 6 B and are entangled for 4 rounds.

Blue has done a charge action (and thus will have a penalty to its AC for 1 round). Zharis, you are hit and take 12 S. In addition, you are grappled.

Jin, I believe this triggers your readied action to supercharge your weapon.

INITIATIVE (Round 1)

Xylian
Zharis (grappled; need save vs entangled)
Hani (need save vs entangled)
Reclaimers (Blue charged 1 round)
Jin (triggered readied action)
Tulgram

Bold should go!

@Zharis: I just noticed in your tagline the bit that creatures who touch you take 1d6 E. I'll roll that now. Blue takes 4 E.

Sorry, forgot to say the DC vs the entangling goo is 11.

Reflex Save: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (17) + 8 = 25

Engineering: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (8) + 14 = 22

Zharis, slowed by being entangled, tries to move around blue to get closer to the little bot that is clearly unarmed.

Half movement (just looked it up and starfinder rules apparently allow you to move half speed when entangled).

Then she shoots at yellow.

Attack (Thunderstrike): 1d20 + 7 - 2 ⇒ (16) + 7 - 2 = 21 (negative for being entangled)
Sonic Damage: 1d8 + 3 ⇒ (8) + 3 = 11

Tulgram calmly and intently walks forward, dropping the pistol and taking out his capture pole.

double move

Jin casts his supercharge weapon and moves towards the enemy.

Tulgram and Jin advance, ready for battle!

@Zharis: Sorry, it's not quite your turn yet (though it will be in a second!). I just needed you to make a saving throw vs the entangling goo, which you succeeded at. You are grappled, however, and that may affect your choices.

INITIATIVE (Round 2)

Xylian
Zharis (grappled)
Hani (need save vs entangled, DC 11 Reflex)
Reclaimers (Blue charged 1 round)
Jin
Tulgram

Bold should go!

"Do not encourage them to waste their polyfluid." Xylian instructs Hani and Zharis, advancing across the plaza and nailing the recycler again.

Standard action to Overcharge and shoot blue I guess.
Ice Carbine vs KAC (Combat Tracking; reduces penalties due to range and AC bonuses from cover by 4: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (16) + 10 = 26
P + C Damage: 1d8 + 5 + 1d6 ⇒ (6) + 5 + (2) = 13

Darn. Was looking at the wrong entangled rules, sorry. Thanks... and sorry for misunderstanding and going out of turn.

Zharis thinks for a split second about whether she should try to break free or just shoot it, and she decides to shoot (target: blue).

Please use the roll above. It is targeting a different bot, but it already had the -2 applied.

Also, I believe my armor will deal it an additional 1d6 every round it is holding me. Not that it will save me from dying... I just like thinking that it will also suffer. :)

reflex save vs. goo: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (4) + 5 = 9

Hani is covered in the stuff! What a mess!

Tugging at his bonds, he still manages to step forward and slug the attacking robot.

to hit vs. EAC with penalty: 1d20 + 6 - 2 ⇒ (20) + 6 - 2 = 24
damage, E: 1d6 + 7 ⇒ (6) + 7 = 13

MOHR crit damage, E: 1d6 + 7 ⇒ (2) + 7 = 9

He is +1 AC vs. the inevitable attack of opportunity.

Just as one of the reclaimers tries to pull Zharis into its terrible grinders, she and Xylian blast it simultaneously! It shatters into shrapnel.

Xylian and Zharis both hit Blue, and that's enough to destroy it.

Hani, with Blue destroyed, I'm happy to assume you instead attack Yellow with a ranged weapon since you can't reach it in melee as you're entangled (and you can keep the crit!). Would you please roll me double damage with a ranged weapon of your choice?

crit damage, arc pistol: 2d6 + 4 ⇒ (1, 6) + 4 = 11

Trapped in the goo, Hani manages to blast the remaining reclaimer, but it continues on implacably! Before he can escape, the telia is once again grabbed by robotic pincers!

Hani, you get hit and take 11 S. In addition, you now have the grappled condition (in addition to your entangled condition).

INITIATIVE (Round 2)

Xylian
Zharis
Hani (grappled & entangled)
Reclaimer
Jin
Tulgram

Bold should go!

Tulgram fits and...

Merciful Capture Pole: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (6) + 10 = 161d8 + 12 ⇒ (3) + 12 = 15 (piercing vs KAC; lethal dmg)

...and everything is as usual.

Jin moves closer and tosses his supercharged singing disk:

Sopranino singing disk vs. EAC: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (15) + 11 = 26
Sonic damage: 1d4 + 12 + 4d6 ⇒ (1) + 12 + (5, 3, 6, 1) = 28

Rushing to Hani's aid, Tulgram uses his capture pole to keep the reclaimer steady so that Jin can shatter it into scrap with a singing disk!

Nearby, the small robot emits chirps, whirs, and trills in a melodic tone.

Nice! You folks brought the mustard that time. Yellow is destroyed. We are off Initiative.

Zharis runs over to the small robot and starts to clean it off so it can move again.

She isn't sure if they can communicate, but she starts up the Tetrad Certified Translator that she picked up, to see if it can interpret the sounds.

While it is working, she tries the languages she knows on it (Common, Pahtra, Vesk, Ignan, Shirren), asking if it is okay.

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 14 + 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (19) + 14 + (6) + 1 = 40

If that works, it should count for one of my role-specific bonus tasks, but not sure if it will with a bot, since we might not share any language.

Once the translator has compiled some language information (takes 10 minutes), if she hasn't found a way to talk to it already, she attempts some simple messages through it:

Are you okay?
How can we help?

Hani takes a good look at this seemingly friendly little 'bot. What could it be?

engineering to identify: 1d20 + 18 ⇒ (5) + 18 = 23

Tulgram looks intently at this robot.

Take 20 to identify this creature, as usual. 37 total

Zharis' hand-held device and the robot exchange beeps, whoops, seemingly random snatches of Common, bursts of static, and other odd sounds. The minutes tick by, until suddenly, in surprisingly good Common, the little robot speaks: "“I am Speaker SOL-653. I must not be reclaimed. I have data for the Core!”

Jin approaches the group, not ready to trust any robot in this sun-island.

Okay, now we're getting somewhere. Where is the core? Can we come with you? Are there people there, or just bots?

Can you give us a little bit of information about this planet? What is it called? Why were the reclaimers chasing you? Don't they know you need to get to the core?

Zharis tries to put things together and figure out what this place is all about.

Culture: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (14) + 15 = 29

In response to Zharis' first question, the little robot turns in place several times. "We are currently 7 comma 6. I have no information about that. I have no information about that. This is Noma, the all-city. Here we learn the best ways by trying all ways. Perhaps your like is represented here! Citizen speakers submit to reclamation. Reclaimers mistake me for one such, because the invaders damaged my transponder. I am an observer. I have life data to contribute to the Core. I must be assimilated there.”

Seven comma six? Are those coordinates? ... Can we take a look and maybe repair your transponder?

She looks over at the team.

Probably need a safe spot first in case more of those reclaimers come by. Lets get the tanks of (what is it called again, Xylian? Polyfluid?) from these reclaimers, and then move out. Jin, can you find us a defensible spot where we can take a look to see if we can fix this little guy?

When they are ready to move on, she muses

It seems strange that a society of bots would have monuments like that... could these be what is left over after the creators died, or are the creators here somewhere, or ... have the bots developed a sense of artistry?

When they get to a new place, she asks the little bot where it is, wondering if it will still be 7,6 or if it will have changed to something new.

"We are 7 comma 6. The Core is the start. We are very far. Repairs would be welcome."

Finding a building near the plaza, it doesn't take long to fix the speaker's damaged transponder identification antenna--that may be enough to keep the reclaimers from focussing on it.

As you explore the nearby area, you see many more constructs on the streets and in buildings--reclaimers and speakers like you've already encountered, along with units that look like heavy labourers. Their activities are often inexplicable, such as one set of labourers demolishing a building only for a second set to come in right after them and rebuild it!

Okay, now for something new: hexploration! If you're not familiar with hexploration, it's an old-school method of "wilderness" exploration that proceeds by PCs visiting different hexes on a map to learn what's there. Each hex on the map on Slide # 2 represents several blocks (for lack of a better term) of urban Noma. Everything you've seen so far (the manufactory, the plaza, etc.) is in the same hex (marked by the "A"--you're on the edge of the city), while the hexes available to you on foot are marked by the different-colored suns. Other hexes are marked by the yellow dashes.

Okay, so do we want to just explore everything, or do we want to head straight for the core? I'm guessing we will have to do a little of exploring anyway to figure out where the core is, but "the start" on a grid I would think would be 0,0, likely the middle? Obviously not sure, since it hasn't used any negative values, so it could just be a different corner or something. I guess the question is, if we get it figured out, do we go straight there? Short or long... get it done, or wander around looking at stuff? Honestly, I am all for exploration, but I don't want to bore anyone.

When Zharis sees one group demolishing and the other building the same thing, Zharis asks the little bot why.

I really like everything that is happening. So exciting! Thanks GM Jhaeman )

I think the answer is that they are trying all the methods, as our new ally told us. I wouldn't be surprised if this is some kind of grandiose social experiment. Hmm... I suggest moving towards the city center. It is unlikely that the Core is on the edge.

Speaker Sol-653 replies to Zharis' question. "Hundreds of active experiments, very small to very large.” The construct seems pleased, almost proud, as it rattles off the statement.

@Tulgram: Glad you're enjoying it! It's always good for a GM to hear what's working for the players.

Why are you experimenting? What is the goal of the experiments?

okay, so that looks like Tulgram is voting to go straight for the bot's goal, and my vote was explore more. Anyone else want to break the tie?

If no one else votes, we can at least compromise on moving to the white sun hex next. Then if someone breaks the tie we'll either go inward, or around the edge.

"Why would the reclaimers try to recycle you if your transponder is damaged? Who or what decides what is to be recycled and what is to be kept?"

We should at least head vaguely in the direction we think the core is so we don't end up in a situation where we're overtaxed and struggling to continue on before we reach our goal.

"I have no information about that. I have no information about that. Reclaimers salvage the broken and the finished. The reclaimed become polyfluid. We reshape polyfluid into the unbroken and the new. I have been broken, true, but I must not be reclaimed.” The little robot's voice takes on an adamant tone.

Zharis realizes that the little bot's information is limited.

She asks What life data do you have?, hoping to prompt it to tell them what it does know.

The repairs complete, they pack up and start moving towards the center, hoping that is where the "core" is.

White Sun.

Jin doesn't trust the little robot's bizarre story.

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (18) + 1 = 19

Hani looks the little robot over.

Is there any obvious data ports that might allow for some sort of download or upload.

Hani agrees that the most obvious route would be toward the center of this city.

White Sun +

"I have data for the Core," the little robot replies to Zharis' question. It stays close by, but not underfoot, as the group decide to continue exploring.

Heading away from the plaza and toward the interior of the mysterious bubble-city, an hour's walk is punctuated by arrival at a huge, flat, low building that sprawls across tens--hundreds?--of thousands of square feet. Archways periodically punctuate every side of the building. In the bright, steady sunlight that must also penetrate through skylights in the roof, it seems like hundreds of robots similar to Speaker Sol-653 are doing something with metallic gray cubes about half their size on the floor.

This is hex "B" on the map. You can imagine this building like a super-sized Amazon warehouse or sprawling Pentagon-like structure.

Can you tell us about these cubes?

If there is an unattended cube nearby, Zharis retrieves it.

"This place is the sorting place," explains Speaker Sol-653, as Zharis retrieves an unattended metallic gray cube.

Initially, the activity in the massive warehouse seems structured: some speakers push cubes in particular directions, others wander the floor like overseers, and reclaimers circle the perimeter to devour any robots that cease functioning. But watching carefully, you realise that the seeming order is contextualised in wider chaos: Each construct wanders in a random direction until it encounters another robot, an obstacle, or a cube. Each robot has different criteria for what to do next, whether it’s stopping for a specific time, turning in a new direction, dropping a cube if it’s holding one, picking up a cube if it has none, and so forth. Given sufficient time, most metallic cubes might make their way into a single organized pile. Hours later, they might be scattered across the warehouse in a seemingly random arrangement.

Zharis examines the cube to see if there is anything interesting about it. Like, what is it made of... is it actually different than any of the others in any way? Are they doing some kind of sorting, really, or just mindlessly moving things around?

What criteria are they using to sort things? Zharis asks the bot.

Zharis wonders if they are mimicking sentient beings, without understanding what they are doing.

"I have no information about that."

The cube looks exactly the same as the other cube. As for what it's made of, a Physical Science check would be needed. I suggest asking the expedition's Lead Physicist :)

"It is chaos. The machines have run defective after such a long time of isolation." Jin concludes, annoyed at the waste of resources.

Hani quietly texts his fellow expedition members. "This little robot has a port on its side that may allow a memory device to be popped out. If it comes down to it, we may need to grab the memory unit, particularly if another one of those reclaimer bots comes calling for us."

Isolation from what? Are you assuming there used to be living beings in charge here? That is what I was wondering myself, but every time I ask botboy (oh, sorry, Speaker Sol-653) about it, he clams up.

She again looks at the cube to see if she can figure out what it is made of...

Physical Science: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (15) + 7 = 22

...although it likely doesn't really matter. She puts it in her backpack as a sample to take back to the DCI.

Are we still 7 comma 6?

Moving on? Doesn't seem to be any underlying meaning to discover here.

Is the map just the sectors with the yellow dashes, or is it the whole map and the yellow dashes mean something different? I thought it was the whole thing, but just now I looked at it and I was wondering.

The little robot turns around several times and announces. "We are 6 comma 6. The Core is the start. We are very far."

@Zharis: Only the hexes with letters, stars, or the dashes are part of the city. Apologies for the confusion--the official map is *much* prettier, but very spoilerly. I've added a laughable border to indicate Noma.