GM Nomadical's Great Grav-Train Robbery (Inactive)

Game Master Nomadical

Go right ahead. But in general, most of you know not to trust Royce, and LNA has special reason (in his pregen back-story) not to.

Barat comes over the comms, "Boss, you need me to come over there and tell that mustache where he can shove his offer?"

bluff: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (2) + 5 = 7 I accept your offer. with a secret motive to backstab him.

Barat rolls both sets of his eyes, muttering, "I am so retiring after this job ... I'm too old for this ..."

Almost every part of their colony laughs at the offer.

"Eh chum, thanks for the offer but we would rather not. Too many chefs in the kitchen mate. You get what I'm saying?"

”Riiiggghhht,” Royce says to the little SRO’s bald-faced lie. LNA might as well have crossed their fingers in front of Royce’s face before putting them behind their back. If they had fingers. Or a back.

He turns his attention back to Aramesh and smiles knowingly. ”I understand. No hard feelings, then,” Royce says as he heads back to the bar where he orders a refill of his bright blue liquor. Though as Aramesh considers it, it wasn’t clear who wasn’t supposed to have the hard feelings….

The blonde tells Barat what a single snifter of the Darkly Down that Royce is drinking costs, and it’s more than the ijtikri’s monthly rent.

Returning to the bar, Aramesh does notice that it seems Brom has let down his guard. The leader thinks the time is right, and signals the team to move in. See New Role ooc below

ROUND 4
Slide 6: Get the Pad!
Everyone may act

Aaramesh
Barat
LNA-464
Kevan

See Discussion for the rules of this encounter

New Role: Pickpocket. The pickpocket casually approaches the now-vulnerable Brom and tries to remove the datapad from his pocket. The pickpocket uses Sleight of Hand for their checks. (Given the skill and bonuses, this is probably supposed to be LNA-464.)

Assuming LNA takes Pickpocket this round, the rest of you do still need to do your checks in order to aid the Pickpocket.

Perception: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (5) + 13 = 18

Barat continues trying to keep his attention on possible threats to the mission, though his focus is a little disrupted by concern about how hard it has been to keep LNA on-task so far this job. Hope the bucket of bolts doesn't whiff this ...

Kevan sends a quick telepathic message to the rest of the team. I'm going to try to make the train shake a little bit. I'll give you a 3-count; be ready to act when I do it. The bear finds a convenient place to fiddle with the train's mechanisms.

Engineering check, Saboteur, including serum: 1d20 + 12 + 2 ⇒ (12) + 12 + 2 = 26

LNA will try to pickpocket sleight of hand: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (13) + 16 = 29

LNA-464 waits for Kevan’s countdown. When the VIP car begins to shudder, Brom grabs his comm and begins berating the person on the other end about the lack of stability and how the high-paying guests are very not happy. That’s the thief’s cue to slip a mechanical arm into the security chief’s pocket and gently lift the precious datapad out. Barat and Aramesh buy the SRO some time by keeping up their watch and conversation, before excusing themselves and departing.

SUCCESS!

You each independently make your way to cargo car 67C. The train is well marked, and no one gives you any trouble en route. Kevan and LNA work together to enter the access codes from the datapad into the door console which opens with a gentle whoosh.

Inside, the cargo car is crammed with crates and boxes of various shapes and sizes. Between two large crates against the left wall (Left is to the top of the slide) stands a machine the more technically inclined among you recognize: a grav-crane that uses a beam of concentrated gravitons to move large objects. According to Aramesh’s information, the artifact is stored inside a crate at the bottom of a stack of three at the far end of the car. It isn’t with a bit of irony that the stack has a big gray X to mark the spot.

The plan, of course, was to open the roof bay doors so Vonn can pick you up in her enercopter. The two tech heads again get to work to get the roof doors open and figure out the crane controls. At first, nothing happens. Suddenly, dozens of sharp mechanical clicks snap loudly as the magnetic locks on every container in the car disengage simultaneously. A signal light above the far door illuminates and spins rapidly, accompanied by an ear-piercing klaxon wail. A moment later, the din is compounded by a grinding noise followed by the massive bay doors in the roof sliding open.

There’s a ringing clang as the lid of the huge crate on the other side of the crane suddenly crashes to the floor. Clearly printed in large letters on the metal are the words: HANDLE WITH CARE: LIVE ANIMAL.

ROUND 1
Slide 7: Who let the Lizard out!
Aramesh may act

Aaramesh
Mountain Eel
LNA-464
Kevan
Barat

=========================================

Kevan emits a whuffling sort of chuckle at the sign. "This bear will have to be careful when he attacks."

"Oh boy... Get em crew!" Aramesh says as they dash behind the big cage immediately in front of them.

Using Get Em on the big beastie

The huge beast slithers from its crate. It clearly has trouble moving its bulk through the cramped cargo car, knocking over loose items and dislodging items mounted to the walls. It looks at Barat hungrily, but can’t quite reach him.

However, as Barat prepares to move forward to attack it, he looks at the strange compound eyes and tenses up for just a moment….

Barat and Kevan need to give me Fortitude Saves DC 14 or be paralyzed for 1 round. Kevan’s bulk blocks LNA from seeing it right now, and Aramesh is around the corner.

ROUND 1
Slide 7: Who let the Lizard out!
Everyone may act

Aaramesh
Mountain Eel (Get ‘Em)
LNA-464
Kevan
Barat

=========================================

As all of the locks begin releasing, Barat glares at LNA. "What did you do?"

Don't forget Life Science rolls to identify things about this.

Barat nods to Aaramesh, scuttling forward a bit and igniting his entropy shield. He waves his tentacles, trying to see if he can dominate the creature, to get it to back off. "Back!"

Survival: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (18) + 13 = 31

Move: Guarded step & generate entropy shield. Standard: Survival check to Handle an Animal.

DC 14 Fort save: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (11) + 4 = 15

Kevan shakes off the ocular neuropathy and extends his awareness out into the mathematics that undergird physical reality. Define items of class (ya_4) as single item of class (vel_3).... In response, various bits of garbage littering the car coalesce into a massive blade in one paw.

Casting junk sword.

Life Science check to identify creature: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (19) + 11 = 30

Max moves to where he can see it fort: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (11) + 3 = 14 phew not paralyzed trick attack: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (2) + 16 = 18 and fire at it hit: 1d20 + 8 + 1 ⇒ (11) + 8 + 1 = 20 vs KAC and if it hits dmg: 1d6 + 3 ⇒ (3) + 3 = 6 piercing.

@Barat: I need a Fort save from you before you can act.

Kevan gathers bits and pieces of technical and mechanical detritus from the cargo car floor where they were smashed up by the mountain eel.

LNA moves and fires at it. His shot hits, but the eel doesn't seem to have been fooled. Perhaps it's those freaky compound eyes that enable to track the little SRO's movements better.

Updated my post to include a Life Science check.

Fortitude: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (5) + 9 = 14

The eel’s strange eyes seem to sparkle in the light from Pan’s sun as it shines through the open rooftop. They’re so very mesmerizing, but the first three crooks entrepreneurs to engage it shake it off.

Barat tries to get it to back off, but the eel has been in the box for too long. It’s clearly hungry and quite pissed off, and it sees Barat as a little snack and certainly not a threat.
The DC for that check is actually outside your range even on a Nat 20.

Kevan takes a second to think about what he’s heard of mountain eels. Other than the fact that they’re really big, and they’ve got those crazy eyes that can paralyze you, he does recall a few things. They have very long necks, and they’re fairly susceptible to mental effects. They also hunt by trampling right over their prey which they would usually double back onto to devour.
Reach 10’, lowest save is Will, Trample

LNA scrambles between the bear’s legs and lines up a shot. The slug barely penetrates its tough green hide, and the eel has to shake its head to clear its thoughts.
You forgot to roll your Trick damage: 3d8 ⇒ (6, 3, 4) = 13

If Aramesh looks around the corner at it, I will need a Fort save.

ROUND 2
Slide 7: Who let the Lizard out!
Aaramesh may act

Aaramesh
Mountain Eel (Flat footed, -19)
LNA-464
Kevan
Barat

=========================================

Figured it was a long shot, but there was a chance the creature might count as "unfriendly" before we attacked it, so though I might have a chance of making it.

Barat is clearly offended to be so casually dismissed by the creature. "So ... that's how it is, is it?"

I think Aramesh is going to delay his action until he sees an opportunity. Am I seeing that looking at the creature causes a Fortitude Save? No matter if, I am going to delay until the situation becomes clearer

@Aramesh, Good timing. I was just about to bot you.

Yes, looking at it triggers a Fort save. Note that Spathinae get a +2 versus paralysis effects. Also note that once you’ve saved, you’re immune for 24 hours.

Aramesh waits safely in the shadow of the container to see how things go.

The eel sees a tasty calamari snack right in front of it.

Bite: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (7) + 16 = 23
Damage, P: 1d8 + 11 ⇒ (5) + 11 = 16

Several of the long thin teeth puncture Barat’s arm. The eel seems to like the flavor, though it could use some wasabi.

ROUND 2 & 3
Slide 7: Who let the Lizard out!
Everyone may act

Aaramesh
Mountain Eel (-19)
LNA-464
Kevan
Barat (-16)

=========================================

Barat moves to block the blow with his entropy shield, but is just the barest sliver too slow. He grunts as the creature bites into one of Barat's tentacles.

GM: Does my boundary ability "Once per combat encounter, when an attack misses you or hits but fails to damage you, or you succeed at a saving throw that negates an effect, you can gain 1 Entropy Point without taking any additional action." trigger on that Fortitude save? If so, and if that counts as during the combat encounter, could I have gotten 1 EP from making that save?

Either way, I gain 1 EP at my first action during combat. Gain 1 EP from taking 12+ damage.

Barat steps up and swings, oscillating purple energy lashing out at the eel.

I believe Aaramesh's Get 'Em is not active now, right?

Entropic Strike attack vs. Eel's EAC: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (8) + 9 = 17
Entropic Strike damage(acid/bludgeoning): 2d6 + 10 ⇒ (5, 1) + 10 = 16

I am now threatening the Eel, and not providing any cover, so my Coordinated Shot feat gives a +1 to ranged attacks.

Kevan draws his pistol and fires on the eel.

Advanced skipshot pistol, incl. Coordinated Shot: 1d20 + 6 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 6 + 1 = 14

LNA tries another trick attack sleight of hand: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (3) + 16 = 19 nope
and fires his gun hit: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (13) + 8 = 21 vs KAC but probably does hit for dmg: 1d6 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4

@Aramesh, based on your discussion post, I’m going to bot your Round 2 to move things along. Go ahead and take Round 3 when you post.

”Get back in there, Barat. If that’s all it can dish out, then you’ve got this.” His words revive the ijtiki’s spirits Inspiring Boost, 16 SP to Barat

Barat’s swing barely misses, Kevan’s shot goes wide, and LNA fails to trick the big critter. At least the SROs shot hit it. Just barely.

The eel seems to have developed a taste for calamari.

Bite: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (1) + 16 = 17

Too bad the snack is proving difficult to eat. And it’s fighting back, too. How rude!

ROUND 3 & 4
Slide 7: Who let the Lizard out!
Everyone may act

Aaramesh
Mountain Eel (-23)
LNA-464
Kevan
Barat (IB’d)

=========================================

"I think we need to draw this thing where we can surround it. You got this Barat my man!"

Inspiring Boost for 16 Stamina to Barat

Kevan stashes his pistol and again accesses the math behind the material. Create 3 items of class(ya_4) with momentum vector p(x_i,y_j,z_k), taking my computer as the origin. Shards of electronic junk flash into being at his invocation, streaking across the car at the eel. Then he steps back to make room for the retreat.

Casting junk shard.

Junk shard P/S damage; DC 17 Reflex save for half damage: 3d6 ⇒ (2, 4, 3) = 9

Aramesh takes a deep breath.

"Alright everyone, get em." They then duck from their cover and...

Fortitude Save: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (18) + 2 = 20

[Occ] Assuming that succeeds[/ooc]

Takes a shot with their laser pistol

Ranged Attack: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (7) + 6 = 132d4 + 3 ⇒ (3, 1) + 3 = 7

14 all together with Get em

Aramesh: 15, because of the +1 from Coordinated Shot. Probably still a miss.

Barat swings his tentacles, the entropic energy pulsating rapidly as he lashes out with them, the streams of energy slashing like whips at the mountain eel.

Move Action: Spending 2 EP to boost damage. Standard action:
Entropic strike attack, get 'em, vs. EAC: 1d20 + 9 + 1 ⇒ (12) + 9 + 1 = 22
Entropic strike damage(acid/bludgeoning): 2d6 + 10 + 2d4 ⇒ (2, 6) + 10 + (1, 2) = 21

LNA tries another trick attack sleight of hand: trick attack: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (1) + 16 = 17
and fires his gun hit: hit: 1d20 + 8 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 8 + 1 = 10 vs KAC hit for dmg dmg: 1d6 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4 nope, nope.

Kevan gestures like he’s holding a tactile interface while mumbling incomprehensible words of power. Bits of local debris mix with pieces of tech conjured from afar and together they fly across the car toward the eel.
Reflex: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (14) + 10 = 24
In spite of its size, it twists and writhes out of the way of some of the shards.

Aramesh encourages his teammates, but when he peeks out from cover he gets a little spooked by the sheer size of the thing and his shot goes wide.

Barat focuses on the entropy and chaos around him and smacks the eel in its toothy maw, breaking off a couple of those needle sharp teeth.

Even with Barat’s engagement of the eel and Aramesh’s encouragement, LNA doesn’t even get close to hitting it.

That squid still looks to be the most tasty thing on the menu.
Bite: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (11) + 16 = 27
Damage: 1d8 + 11 ⇒ (5) + 11 = 16

As the train rounds a small mesa, an enerocopter pops out of hiding to hover right over the front of the car you’re fighting in. Ropes drop from its open side doors and four humanoids rapid-rappel down the lines with military level skill. Looking closely at the remaining two crew members, you spot one priming the copter-mounted artillery laser. The other one is piloting the copter, and him you recognize. It’s Royce! They’re here to steal your score!

ROUND 4 & 5
Slide 7: Who let the Lizard out!
Everyone may act

Aaramesh
Mountain Eel (-48, Get 'em, coord shot)
Royce’s cronies
LNA-464
Kevan
Barat (IB’d, -16)

=========================================

Do we know which crate has the actual target? Is it closer to us, or to them?

+1 EP from the >12 damage

Barat's voice comes over the comms, "LNA, you have the best maneuverability. Secure the package. If anyone has a way that we can send this thing rampaging toward Royce's team, that would be great ... I'm going to try to make myself a touch less tasty to it, and maybe it'll turn its attention to them."

Standard action: Activating my purple force field. Move action: Activating force matrix vs. Eel, granting DR 3/-, 10% fortification, and dropping fast healing down to 1 for one round.

From what I'm seeing on our sheets, our best area control option is a strategic grease spell.

I will trick attack the red guy all the way back there and then fire trick attack sleight of hand: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (12) + 16 = 28 if successful he is flat footed hit: 1d20 + 8 - 2 ⇒ (17) + 8 - 2 = 23 KAC Includes range penalty, does not include cover, cause I'm not sure what kind of cover you want to give him.

dmg: 1d6 + 3 ⇒ (3) + 3 = 6 piercing
trick dmg: 3d8 ⇒ (3, 7, 1) = 11

LNA: You have a climb speed, so for your move as part of trick attack you could probably move up the side of the walls or something to try to see over the eel ... though I'm not sure there is any "over the eel" space to work from.

Unfortunately, Kevan's range on grease is 40', and he's 80' from the quartet.

Kevan advances back up and draws his pistol again, shooting at the eel.

Skipshot pistol, incl. get 'em: 1d20 + 6 + 1 ⇒ (16) + 6 + 1 = 23
Skipshot pistol damage, if applicable: 2d4 + 3 ⇒ (2, 1) + 3 = 6

"Ahh crap. I have a feeling they migh be responsible for this lizard being free. Grrr." Aramesh yells on impulse. This is bad.

Get'em! as he points at the lizard and fires. At least that is what it looks like...

Gonna use Get'Em with One RP to get all the enemies with it. Then using Clever Feint against the lizard.

Clever Feint: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (14) + 13 = 27

I am pretty sure the creature has an intelligence modifier, even if negative is intelligent. So that is a success and it is flat-footed against everyone until the end of my next turn.

I posted earlier that the target was the box at the far end of the car and was marked by an X, but I guess that was too vague. It’s the box at the far end, where the bad guys are standing, marked by a new yellow X.

Normally standing 5 feet in diameter and stretching nearly 60 feet from end to end, the huge mountain eel is now coiled up and totally blocks your line of sight to the team at the other end of the car. LNA realizes that without getting up onto the crates there’s no way to target the interlopers, nor to even see what they’re doing down there.

LNA may redo their action

Kevan plinks a round into the eel’s hide, while Aramesh fakes it out making it easier to hit.

The eel is now flat-footed to everyone. As a reminder, a flat-footed creature can’t take reactions.

I’ll pause to let LNA retcon their action.

Kevan glances back at the controls he’d just been studying and something occurs to him.

The occupied squares still count as difficult terrain, even if the eel's flat-footed, right?

Can I not see the enemies behind the thing? Cause I'm willing to take whatever cover penalty they have from there, I'll climb though if that is the only way to see him. If I can even see even part of the guy, that is where I am with a 28 sleight of hand hopefully makes him FF and a 23 to hit Flat footed KAC and does not include whatever cover you give him. If he is concealed, I'll roll a flat check. If I have to climb, he does climb up the side of the wall to make sure I do target him.
flat check in case you need it: 1d20 ⇒ 17
athletics climb: 1d20 + 19 ⇒ (2) + 19 = 21 in case you need that too. and with a climb speed of 20

"This bear has an idea...."

LNA can barely make out what’s happening at the far other end of the car, and the mooks seem to be totally focused on whatever it is they’re doing. The SRO fires blindly into the group and appears to have hit one of them.

@Kevan, it’ll take an Engineering check to do what you’re thinking. Sorry, I should have included that in the spoiler.

Oooh, purple glowy squid. The eel wonders briefly if that’ll taste any different.
Bite: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (6) + 16 = 22
Damage: 1d8 + 11 ⇒ (7) + 11 = 18
But it’s disappointed to not yet find out as its jaws slip off Barat’s armor.

”I hope that eel-thing isn’t too big for you, Aramesh,” Royce taunts you over the open comms channel from his seat in the copter. His guys seem to be doing something near the crate, but the bulk of the eel and the angles around crate B prevent you from telling exactly what it is. The gunner opens fire on 1: Kevan 2: LNA: 1d2 ⇒ 2, the little SRO having been the one to attack his buddies.

Artillery laser: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (7) + 8 = 15
Damage, F: 2d8 ⇒ (2, 6) = 8

But his aim is thrown off as Royce jiggles the stick inadvertently while giggling at your dire predicament.

ROUND 5 & 6
Slide 7: Who let the Lizard out!
Everyone may act

Aaramesh
Mountain Eel (-54, Get ‘em, FF, coord shot)
Royce’s cronies
LNA-464
Kevan
Barat (IB’d, -16)

=========================================

"You want a taste of me? Come this way ..." He scrambles across the eel, drawing it in the direction of the intruders.

2 move actions to move speed. +1 EP, maxing me out at 4 EP.

As he stops near Royce's team, he waves a tentacle. "Hey there ... Help you boys with anything?" He takes position where he has easy access to attack the team, but hopefully has some cover from Royce's fire from outside the car.

Max this time fires at the eel trick attack sleight of hand: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (17) + 16 = 33 and will make him FF hit: 1d20 + 8 + 1 ⇒ (20) + 8 + 1 = 29 vs KAC includes get emdmg: 1d6 + 3 ⇒ (4) + 3 = 7 looks like I trick attacked so dmg: 3d8 ⇒ (7, 1, 1) = 9
oh, I crit extra crit damage: 1d6 + 3d8 ⇒ (6) + (6, 6, 4) = 22

Whuffling and chuckling, the bear lumbers over to the grav-crane controls.

Engineering check to activate, including serum: 1d20 + 12 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 12 + 2 = 22

I'll show you heavy you space rat...

Aramesh starts to fly up towards the top of the cage he is in front of.

"Royce I'll get you and your crew too!" he yells before he opens fire at the cronie closest to him. A feint of course

Aramesh flies upwards 10ft. Then he is going to fire on the cronie right beside Barat. Clever Feint

Clever Feint plus Expertise: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (4) + 13 = 171d6 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2

That is a miss. Bleh

Tip from someone whose main character is an Envoy: With Convincing Liar, you can roll the Bluff check without the expertise die, then decide if you'd prefer to re-roll it (which you probably would on a 4) instead of rolling and adding the expertise die. Probably wouldn't have made much difference here.

Also, don't forget this bit from the Clever Feint improvisation: At 6th level, you can spend 1 Resolve Point to treat a failed Bluff check for clever feint as if it were a success.

I thought I had something like that but I couldn't find it when I was looking. Because that is exactly what I will do. Use an RP to turn that into a success. I need have 5 RP remaining. Thanks for the tip.

LNA fires at the eel, easily hitting the huge mass of roiling flesh that’s right in front of him.

Kevan steps back towards the controls. He easily remembers the layout and calls up the grav beam intensity settings while grabbing the 3D axis handle.

The eel is looking pretty bloody as Barat scrambles across and around its coils and squirts out on the other side of it. He casually wanders up to the thugs who look at him in surprise for a split second before Aramesh pops up into view. The leader fakes out the thug standing right next to Barat. A timely choice, as the eel is wondering where its appetizer got off to.

Its huge head swivels around and catches sight of Barat excitedly waving a tentacle. Then it spots the rest of the thugs and moves as quickly as it can to the new buffet layout.

Barat 1, Green 2, Red 3: 1d3 ⇒ 2
Bite: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (6) + 16 = 22
Damage: 1d8 + 11 ⇒ (5) + 11 = 16
Its jaws grab the nearest of Royce’s cronies and nearly tear the man’s arm off. Blood spurts from the wound as the eel begins feeding in earnest, happy to have gotten a good bite.
”AAARRGH, get it off me!” the man calls into his comms to the gunner in the copter.

Artillery laser: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (16) + 8 = 24
Damage, F: 2d8 ⇒ (4, 2) = 6
The gunner does exactly that, putting a laser round straight into the top of the eel’s cranium and it collapses at Barat’s feet.

The bitten thug carefully steps back away from Barat and brings a pistol up to shoot the vanguard in the face.
Semi-auto pistol: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (11) + 8 = 19
Damage, P: 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3

Red holds his ground and draws a wicked looking sword, slashing at Barat while the other two continue what they were doing. Which Barat can now tell is hooking up sling-load cables from the belly of the copter to the stack of crates.

Sword: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (16) + 5 = 21
Damage, S: 1d8 + 3 ⇒ (7) + 3 = 10

But they both miss the well-armored warrior.

ROUND 6 & 7
Slide 7: Who let the Lizard out!
Everyone may act

Aaramesh
Royce’s cronies
LNA-464
Kevan
Barat (IB’d, -16)

=========================================