[SFS_Aerondor] 01-28 It Rests Beneath (1-4) (Inactive)

Game Master Aerondor

Two diagonals is 15 feet, not 10, but no point in retconning now.

Chrysanthemum heaves a sigh and pulls out her rarely used laser pistol.

shooty: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (5) + 3 = 8
fire: 1d4 ⇒ 3

There is a reason she doesn't use it very often.

Two diagonals is 15 feet, not 10, but no point in retconning now.

Usually, but not always.

If your reach is 10 feet, you threaten the second square of a diagonal (this is an exception to the normal rule for calculating distance along a diagonal; see Diagonals on page 256 for more information).

Khubelu feints the creature, then fires her pistol.

Bluff: 1d20 + 8 + 1d6 ⇒ (19) + 8 + (1) = 28

If it is CR 12 or less and has a Sense Motive modifier less than +18, it is flat-footed to all allies until my next turn. Otherwise, it is flat footed just to me.

Static Arc Pistol: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (5) + 4 = 9 vs. EAC - 2
Electricity Damage: 1d6 ⇒ 3

I just realized my last attack was a Natural 20

Nonlethal Electricity Damage: 1d4 ⇒ 2

@norbert, it is not an acid as such, rather a venom, so acid resistance doesn't help sorry. I was being lose in my use of language.

Norbert pales as he feels his bones being eaten away by the venom. Venom or not, his own shot is right on target. Which is more than can be said for Dirk.

Talltree, seeing the creatures impressive defences summons magical claws to flay at it. Chrysanthemum, inspired, tries a tricky attack, but loses their footing. Alas Khubelu's shot is no more on target.

The crest-easter is not looking too healthy now.

Norbert, your sneak damage gets doubled too, I've taken that into account.

Someone want to suggest an action for Tania?

Status: Bold may post
Tania
Crest-eater 40 damage - immobile for 2 rounds.
Norbert 5 damage ; 2 CON damage;
Dirk 4 damage
Talltree
Chrysanthemum 7/22SP; 14/20hp + DC13 fort
Khebelu

No worries about venom versus acid. I was just making sure

Tania has been Trick attacking with Bluff. There are a couple of examples on the previous page. I would copy one of those unless she has different botting instructions.

I was going to suggest the trick attack. I can't imagine her getting any closer.

RE: reach, I thought the diagonals only threatened for purposes of AoOs. It shut down the way to get through the threatened area of a creature with 10 foot reach without provoking.

I'm not aware of any reason that the second diagonal would not be in reach. If you threaten it you can attack it. The reason they did that may well be the 5' step trick, but then having a special case that had you able to attack someone there who used a missile weapon or cast a spell, but not attack them if they didn't would be pretty odd.

trick vs 20+CR: 1d20 + 11 + 4 ⇒ (5) + 11 + 4 = 20
atk vs EAC: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (19) + 5 = 24
damage: 1d6 ⇒ 3
trick: 1d4 ⇒ 2

Tania is right on target, but the Cresteaster is onto her tricky ways.

It spits again at Tania this time
ranged attak: 1d20 ⇒ 16

Status: Bold may post
Tania -FORT dc 13 vs 1 CON damage;
Norbert 5 damage ; 2 CON damage;
Dirk 4 damage
Talltree
Chrysanthemum 7/22SP; 14/20hp + DC13 fort
Khebelu
Crest-eater 43 damage - immobile for 1 rounds.

Norbert looks for some cover behind the lip of a small crater.

Bluff to Trick Attack, CR: 1d20 + 9 + 4 - 20 ⇒ (12) + 9 + 4 - 20 = 5
Attack roll on Crest Eater with Pulsecaster, versus EAC: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (10) + 4 = 14
Nonlethal Electricity Damage: 1d4 ⇒ 4
Nonlethal Electricity Trick Attack Damage: 1d4 ⇒ 4

This thing can't last much longer.

Dirk tries to hit the creature. But he misses yet again!

damn pistol

attack laser pistol: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (9) + 1 = 10

damage: 1d4 ⇒ 1

Khubelu keeps doing what she's doing.

Bluff: 1d20 + 8 + 1d6 ⇒ (11) + 8 + (5) = 24

If it is CR 6 or less and has a Sense Motive modifier less than +14, it is flat-footed to all allies until my next turn. Otherwise, it is flat footed just to me.

Static Arc Pistol: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 4 = 5 vs. EAC - 2
Electricity Damage: 1d6 ⇒ 6

Too much trickery, not enough aim.

Chrysanthemum shoots at it twice, hoping to take it out before she gets hit again.

shooty: 1d20 + 3 - 4 ⇒ (1) + 3 - 4 = 0
fire: 1d4 ⇒ 4

shooty: 1d20 + 3 - 4 ⇒ (19) + 3 - 4 = 18
fire: 1d4 ⇒ 4

Khubelu tricks the immobolised crest-eater while Chrys and Norbert land solid shots on it. Finally the massive beast drops to the ground, dead.

With the immediate threat over, you can try and assemble the tower Engineering and then calibrate the equipment computers

In the valley it is starting to darken...

Tania fort: 1d20 ⇒ 12

Status:
Tania
Norbert 5 damage ; 2 CON damage;
Dirk 4 damage
Talltree
Chrysanthemum 7/22SP; 14/20hp + DC13 fort
Khebelu

"Good job, everyone! And best of all, no one is dead!" Talltree sets to work on the tower.

Engineering check: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (3) + 10 = 13

"The terrain here is not very good. It's hard to stake down the guy wires."

Khubelu tries to help Talltree build the tower.

Engineering, Aid: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (9) + 4 = 13

With the aid of Khubelu, Talltree manages to get the tower erected. Now it just needs to have the equipment calibrated...

Computers check.

I can help with the computers

Computers to Aid: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (1) + 5 = 6

Sigh

Chrysanthemum takes a breather, sitting on a rock.

-1 RP, max SP

"Thanks, Kubelu!" With the tower emplaced, Talltree works to get the equipment calibrated.

Computers check: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (11) + 9 = 20

"I'm not really a help with computers! Missed that class when I was practicing my sword!"

Are we able to communicate with the base?

Talltree manages to get the uplink working just as the sun starts to set.

It's been a long day and difficult day. There is still light, but you are all pretty tired. You will be effectively using rules for a forced march if you want to continue to take actions today.

What are your plans? Set up a camp here? Head back to the base (likely another couple of hours, but with hot showers!).

Expedition status: at tower three. All towers assembled.
Time elapsed 10 hours; Time to sunset 4 hours
buggy damage: 7
cycle damage: 1

Status:
Tania
Norbert 5 damage ; 2 CON damage;
Dirk 4 damage
Talltree
Chrysanthemum 14/20hp; 4/5 RP
Khebelu

If we can get back to base before dark, I would prefer that. But I have no desire to drive in the dark.

Officially abstaining since I have run the scenario.

Go or stay, I don't care, but I need some rest either way

Talltree looks over their notes for anything Dr. Montressi might have mentioned about nighttime perils, then clacks their claws together in surprise. "Of course! The crest eater is a kasathan animal, and there was an old kasathan starship crashed here. I'll bet it had a few of them on board, and with their diets they probably love it here--spread all over the place. They can just eat bits of the plateau! If there are many of them, though, we'd better get back to the base. One was almost too much for us!"

In that case... lets have some pilot checks from your drivers and navigator.

Piloting: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (17) + 7 = 24

Norbert tries to get the buggy back to the base.

Piloting : 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (3) + 9 = 12

Probably damaging it along the way.

Chrys is happy to be sitting down whether it's in a buggy or in a camp.

Tania proves a more than capable navigator and the group gets back to the base camp just as darkness falls without any major mishaps. Mara is highly excited to see you. You are ushered into the control room where the three scanning towers begin to construct an image of the Big Mina Plateau on the screen. Forsaken Canyon, the cliffside, and the dry riverbed all come into focus, along with many other terrain features over many square miles. But the image also goes down into the ground, and as temperature, seismic activity, and other geological readings begin to light up on the screen, Mora’s voice becomes more and more excited.

“This is wonderful. You’ve saved us years of work! I can’t believe some of these readings. Wait... is that right? That doesn’t make sense. These tunnels look like some kind of... respiration network? And the composition of the plateau... that mineral doesn’t appear naturally on this planet. Is this whole area some kind of... transplant?”

Mara consults with several puzzled scientists. The scan concludes, showing deep below the surface of the planet where a network of narrow tunnels come together to form a large chamber filled with a crystalline object.

“According to these readings, that crystal is giving off an incredible amount of heat. And all the tunnels we’ve found—like the one at the dry riverbed where you put up one of the towers—converge at that spot. Starfinders, I can’t believe I’m staying this, but I think this entire plateau is one enormous, living creature that migrated here from another world. Big Mina is alive!”

"Tomorrow, I'd like you to head back down into those tunnels, reach the central crystal and do additional scans. That will help confirm the theory about the plateau being a single alien organism of immense size. "

“We don’t know how or when it got here, how it grows, or if it poses any danger to the rest of the planet’s inhabitants,” she says. “And we can’t answer those questions if we have to scan through a mile of rock. If that crystal object is what I think it is—some kind of brain—I need you to get down there and find some answers. Can you do that?”

Talltree freezes in surprise. Good thing it didn't wake up and take exception to us being there...we're less than fleas to something that big. "That's amazing! Do you have any records of anything else like this?"

"This is totally unique. That is why we want you to go back. As soon as possible." While the rest of the team looks like they would be more than happy to send you back right away, Mara is enough of a leader to recognise that a nights sleep would do you all a world of good.

"I would like to stay at here until tomorrow morning. I am definitely a little worse for wear."

<There must be water in my ears. You are asking us to go down into tunnels that may be part of an enormous living creature?>

Exploration is what we do, but a good night's rest will help us ensure we can get back from such an adventure. Besdies, it has been there since anyone can remember, so I doubt anything will change overnight.

Norbert starts looking for a bunk.

"I would like to stay at here until tomorrow morning. I am definitely a little worse for wear."

"Yes me too!"

The team is ushered into one of the bunk rooms where you can rest for the night before heading back to the plateau on the morrow.

Anything in particular you want to be doing?

Norbert is definitely trying to rest enough to recover some of my ability damage.

Also, does the base have any climbing gear we can borrow or purchase? We have had some issues climbing, and the mission obviously involves descending toward this crystal.

Just recovering for Chrysanthemum. She's happy to help other folks with stuff, but doesn't need to do anything herself.

Since Talltree is unwounded, they'll take some time to read up on crest eaters, and also look up the mineral that Mora mentioned (particularly where it's found naturally).

The base is sadly lacking in climbing gear. Your vehicles however do have titanium cables and grapplers which would make a descent reasonably easy.

The mineral in question is reasonably common in a dozen worlds in the vast.

Overnight you can recover your level in hp, and one point of your ability damage. Rested and somewhat recovered you head back to the entrance to the cave complex

Dirk draws his sword.

"Can anyone see in the darkness?"

Talltree casts a cantrip that conjures a few floating balls of light.

You head into the tunnel, the way lit by Talltrees lights.

The tunnel quickly becomes steep, and soon almost vertical.

What order are you descending in, and what precautions(if any) are you taking? Please provide an athletics check to go with your descend.

You head into the tunnel, the way lit by Talltrees lights.

The tunnel quickly becomes steep, and soon almost vertical.

What order are you descending in, and what precautions(if any) are you taking? Please provide an athletics check to go with your descend.

Status: Climbing down
Tania
Norbert 4 damage ; 1 CON damage;
Dirk 3 damage
Talltree
Chrysanthemum 15/20hp;
Khebelu

@GM Aerondor, would we have included a 10 minute rest in the overnight and recovered all of our Stamina?

Norbert will tie off the cable lines we have to assist in his descent, and the descent of others.

Athletics check: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (16) + 1 = 17

Khubelu has little she can to except grip the cable tightly as she descends, ideally in the middle of the pack.

Athletics: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (10) + 4 = 14

Chrysanthemum climbs gracefully down the cables...

Athletics: 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (2) + 0 = 2

Until she loses her grip completely.

Tania starts to climb down near the front of the group so she can keep an eye on anything dangerous.

Athletics: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (10) + 6 = 16

Perception: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (6) + 9 = 15

If she fails the Athletics check and would fall she'll use her Divine Blessing (Desna) feat, 1/day I can reroll any one failed skill check with a +6. If she makes the Athletics but fails Perception to notice a danger to the group she'll use the feat to reroll that at +9. Feel free to roll those for me to save time if you'd like GM. Ty!

Forgot to mention order. Chrysanthemum is happy to go first, since she's a front line type person.

@Norbert Yes, you are all back on full stam, sorry messed up your line on the status thinking it was hp damage for some reason.

Khubelu loses their grip on the line going down...

But can try a DC14 reflex save to catch themselves

The team finds itself in a small chamber that then continues along into the tunnel network.

Tania looks around, thinking she is missing something...
perception reroll: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (17) + 9 = 26

Just... there... is the shape of one of the stone-gulls. It is almost as if the creature has been... absorbed into the odd mineral substance somehow... kind of like the fly-trap pods back near the second tower. Similar, but different. There are some small holes in the area, as if a substance could be sprayed out of them.

But first, lets see about Talltree and Chys and their trip down.

Status: Climbing down
Talltree
Chrysanthemum 15/20hp; down- reflex save vs falling
Tania - down
Norbert 1 CON damage; down
Dirk 3 damage
Khebelu - down