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This is the gameplay thread for Starfinder Bounty 2 - Test Flight (author table) as part of PaizoCon 2022. If you're part of the game, please feel free to "dot and delete" while we wait to get underway!
* One note about the in-game soundtrack: an apparently recent change in Dropbox has them setting the volume to max when you hit play. I recommend keeping an eye on that so you don't blast your eardrums off! Some of the tracks for this are custom edits or else I'd just use -tube links and the like.
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The ikeshti eyes up the newcomers, then mutters, "Quite a spread."
Raising his voice more audibly, he says, I'm called T'Krunch. Lived on Akiton until I struck out on my own a few years ago. I thought joining the Starfinder Society might give me a taste of what the Pact Worlds have to offer."
"Which reminds me, would you mind if I took a few samples from each of you?" T'Krunch inquires of the party, pulling out a small, handheld device, which includes an extendable wand tipped with a sampling nozzle. Attached to the device is a series of small, empty vials. "Don't need more than a pinch of each of you."
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"The samples are mostly for attunement of my customary microlab," T'Krunch explains. "All it takes is a slight dash or pinch, really, which I then pair with other ingredients to create the perfect infusion. With most Starfinders, I find my coating, seasoning, and glazing compounds to be the most compatible. Some provide for more texture on the skin, while others simply add a little zest to one's grip or stride."
"Often, I will save my marinades, tenderizers, and emulsifiers for more hostile creatures as those are often more acidic in nature," he continues. "But, as they say, 'To ceviche his own!'"
"You may decline providing a sample, if you wish, but know that many of our fellow Starfinders that have been treated with my delectable infusions in the past turned out to be well-seasoned agents." He licks his lips again, then adds, "If I am to be a brood-minder some day, then I ought to be prepared, don't you think?"
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Kalhoun will offer a drop of blood to the biohacker. "Maximum team efficiency is to be desired on any mission."
He then turns to the gnome. "I have completed the advanced starship strategy program at the Academy. I am able to guide and inspire crews to optimize combat capability. I am also fully capable of piloting any model of ship and operating a wide variety of onboard weaponry. Should a boarding action occur, I am a proficient marksman and have the ability to manipulate electrical forces telekinetically."
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Stirred to seek out adventure in the universe, you have all left behind the safety of your homeworlds to travel the stars. You wear armor instead of comfortable clothing and consume R2E rations instead of the familiar foods of your home cultures. Your journeys on majestic spacecraft to exotic worlds may be early, but they are undoubtedly set to be grand ones! Today, these grand travels lead you to...
The reception area of United Interfaith Engineering, where you wait for an hours-long background check to be completed.
Sometime in the past day or two, each of you discovered a posting on the Absalom Station infosphere seeking test crews to fly a prototype starship.
Given that you are the only ones here, aside from the receptionist, you have plenty of time to introduce yourselves to each other!
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"I generally don't find that to be the case," the lounging android says in a flat affect that never the less came off with a faint whiff of snark. "The name is Iseph. I may have adventured with some of you before; I am frequently employed by the Starfinder Society. I am looking forward to another success today."
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The receptionist's phone rings. They stand up and smile, inviting you to come along with them, leading you through office corridors lined with artistic renderings of countless deities worshiped in the Pact Worlds, until you reach an office.
This office is a picture of chaos. Three different computer desks set at slightly differing heights have been pushed together to support four keyboards, seven holo‑monitors, and no less than nine data ports. A mosaic of coffee stains covers the desktops’ surfaces. A chair that would look more at home in a vid-gamer’s den sits behind this haphazard workstation, while the opposite side hosts a retro velvet-cushioned recliner chair, a vinyl loveseat that has seen far better days, and a plush sofa that converts into a bed. Stacks of datapads and tech manuals cover almost every free bit of floor space. By contrast, a window at the back of the office looks out into a stark white cleanroom where engineers are carefully assembling a sensor array.
The office’s sole occupant is a host shirren wearing a wrinkled suit and a colorful bowtie. The shirren’s antennae quiver with excitement as they introduce themselves telepathically.
“Please come in! My speech-name is J’scib, and I’m the lead engineer for the Grimshaw. Can I offer you some Randblaz?” The shirren holds out an open bag of candy. “Each candy is visually indistinguishable but has fruit flavor profiles from dozens of worlds. Every bite is a surprise! The lime ones are my favorite!” J’scib hands out sweets while continuing.
“We here at UIE want to bring an affordable starship to market that can handle the rigors of system exploration while still defending its crew and looking sleek in the process. As such, we’d like you to take our new prototype on a preprogrammed course to Liavara. Put the ship through its paces and test out as many systems as you can on the way. When you get there, transmit your flight records to our data relay station on one of the moons, then come back. The space lane you’re taking is regularly patrolled by Stewards law-enforcement ships, so the whole trip should be nice and safe. Come, let’s head to the hangar!”
J'scib stands up and leads you out toward an elevator. "Feel free to ask me any questions you'd like as we walk!" They check their data pad for a moment. "Also, T'Krunch - what are your parents' names?"
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“Also, T'Krunch - what are your parents' names?"
"Parents?" T'Krunch replies, clearly somewhat confused by the question. "Oh, do you mean the direct sources of my genetic material?"
More confident that he is aware of the subject at hand, the ikeshti continues, "Well, I ain't the offspring of no rivener, that's for sure!"
"I was raised by a 'brood-minder'. It never occurred to me to call him anything else," T'Krunch pauses for a moment. "Never thought, actually, to inquire if he had any another name."
"He would have been the closest thing to what you might call a 'parent', if you will. I don't have any actual memory of my 'mother', as I suppose you might call her. After mating and obviously having laid and fertilized the clutch of eggs that contained me and the rest of my brood, my 'parents' would undoubtedly have fought each other to the death. Clearly, 'brood-minder' was victorious"
"With my 'mother' likely reduced to little more than food stuff, that is when 'brood-minder' would have become, well, a brood-minder. Fortunately, the strong urges of his biology following his victory drove hime to manage a brood of young ikeshtis, which included me."
"Showing no instinctive preference for his own young and seeking to add newborn ikeshtis to his brood, he would occasionally kill off some of my weaker broodmates to open up space for candidates who showed more promise. Believe me, Etskil had it coming and no one was sorry when that little punk got offed."
"Perhaps, that is more than you wanted to know, J'scib. But, it is not often that I get to reminisce about the old days," T'Krunch notes wistfully.
"As for me, if all goes as well as it can, I'll end up as a brood-minder myself someday, responsible for the feeding and caring--though, mostly feeding, really--of a vast brood of hungry, growing, and hungry little mouths."
"Left to their own devices, that voracious little brood will try to ingest whatever organic matter they can get their claws and teeth around. Some broods of my kind have been known to operate as garbage disposals for large settlements," he explains. "But, I always figured that if I--and later, my brood--are going to eat, then why not eat the best the galaxy has to offer?"
"That is where my membership in the Starfinder Society comes in, offering opportunities to explore new worlds, new cultures, new species, and--naturally, new tastes!" The ikeshti gives a toothy grin. "So, I have set out to sample whatever I can find for my own nutritional and education value, but also for the future of the ikeshti population as whole!"
"Say, J'scib," he says holding out a syringe. "Would you mind if I took a small sample from you to add to my collection?"
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Soundtrack #3: Office - The Last Starfighter OST: Planet of Rylos
J'scib blinks a few times at T'Krunch's response...it looks like they were going to try and wave their hands to stop the ikeshti from revealing too much, but they end up just standing there, enraptured by the tale.
As to the biohacker's question, "As much as I'd love to help further research, corporate policy forbids any form of donations, which probably extends to genetic material."
"I was going to try and stop you from answering. My questions was a bit of a joke! Nobody should ever give out that kind of information or else you could get hacked!"
Regardless, J’scib then gives you a shared user password necessary to operate the starship for the duration of the trial flight. J’scib notes the password will expire shortly after your scheduled return date, or immediately if you stray too far from the appointed route. This is a security measure meant to prevent theft. J’scib also asks you not to share the password or details of the starship with anyone outside of UIE, until such time as the starship’s marketing campaign begins.
In response to the other questions, “The overall design comes from the best explorer in all the known universe: the fly, which exists on many planets that support life. More specifically, it’s design is inspired by a species called grimshawii. The name was a bit hard for non-telepaths, so my assistant Drosxan shortened it to the more stylish-sounding Grimshaw! We'll get you the exact specs in the hangar!”
“By having different crews test the Grimshaw, we can obtain a robust data set regarding its performance before it goes to the production line, not to mention the potential for word-of-mouth advertising! You’re going to be the first to fly it now that our test-pilots ensured it was safe.”
Entering the hangar, J’scib proudly introduces the Grimshaw, gushing about the vessel’s scientific components, which can be customized during assembly and are kept in the “thorax” section of the craft. They get extremely excited while talking about the wings, which can be configured to act as solar panels, solar sails, or vectored to generate lift during atmospheric flight.
Onboard, J’scib activates the Grimshaw’s automated navigation system and data recorder before leaving you to start your pre-flight checklist.
GRIMSHAW TIER 2
Medium explorer
Speed 10; Maneuverability good (turn 1)
AC 13; TL 14
HP 55; DT —; CT 11
Shields Basic 40 (forward 10, port 10, starboard 10, aft 10)
Attack (Port) light laser cannon (2d4; 5 hexes)
Attack (Starboard) light laser cannon (2d4; 5 hexes)
Attack (Turret) force projector SOM (1d10; 5 hexes; force field 15)
Power Core Arcus Heavy (130 PCU); Drift Engine none;
Systems mk 1 mononode computer, basic medium-range sensors (10 hexes), crew quarters (common), mk 3 armor, mk 4 defenses;
Expansion Bays escape pods, life science lab, physical science lab, surveying sensors SOM
Modifiers +1 any one check per round, +2 Computers, +1 Piloting; Complement 6 (minimum 1, maximum 6)
(These stats are also re-posted on the slides)
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A bright green skittermander scampers onto the bridge, hurriedly shoving various bits and bobs into their bags.
"Hi! Sorry for any hold up! I'm Kizilonoz! This is the new ship I'm supposed to help break-er, test, right? Anyways, unless you've got some instructions for me, Cpt." they oscillate wildly between those on the bridge until given a clear indication of who's acting as captain, "I'd best be talking to the other engineering sorts. 'fraid they weren't quite clear if I'm here as an engineer or a scientist for this ship!"
Anyone who tries can easily track them through the ship as they hunt down the "other engineering sorts" by the continuous, mostly nonsensical chatter.
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Departing Absalom Station, you can finally stretch your proverbial wings. Because the prototype’s Drift engine won’t be installed until next Secondday, the route takes 1d6+2 days of travel along the ecliptic plane of the Pact Worlds system to Liavara. The vessel automatically handles primary astrogation for the trip.
Over the course of your flight, you now have time to give the ship a proper shakedown. Each PC should attempt two different tests (and can freely change or keep the same crew roles during these tests as you wish).
Prior to rolling these checks, you decide how rigorously you want to push the ship's systems, declaring one of the three following options. You are aware that the ship's data recorder can obtain much more useful information the harder you push your starship's systems:
- Easy “standards verification” tests
- Average “stress amplitude” tests
- Hard “rupture strength” tests
Below the spoiler (and posted to the slides) are example tests and their applicable skills, but you can also devise your own!
- Chief Mates (Acrobatics, Athletics) can test the starship’s structural integrity via its manual override systems, or can conduct safety checks through organizing timed evacuation drills to the starship’s escape pods.
- Engineers (Engineering) can test the vessel’s damage control procedures through simulations, or by conducting emergency power core scram / shutdown drills.
- Gunners (gunnery check) can test the state-of-the‑art weapon system by firing at passing asteroids, or through pinpoint targeting of space debris launched out of an airlock.
- Magic Officers (Mysticism) can test how well the starship’s layout aids scrying by reaching out their senses, or can meditate on if the vessel’s aesthetics help it connect to galactic leylines.
- Pilots (Piloting) can push the engines to conduct speed trials, or can perform fancy aerobatic maneuvers around passing asteroids.
- Science Officers (Computers) can calibrate the starship’s complex surveying sensors, or can test how fast the computer recovers from a simulated electronic warfare attack.
You can also devise tests using Life Science or Physical Science, gaining the +2 circumstance bonuses provided by the Grimshaw’s robust scientific expansion bays.
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Volitare settles down in the command chair.
Um .... we better run a few drills and see how this ship behaves in a combat situation ... as long as you all don't mind that is. I .. found a few simulations that should help
Going hard
They also reaches out with their mysticism to check the ship over.
Hard again
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Kalhoun arranges some surprise drills for the crew.
Then he programs some drones to perform evasive maneuvers and shoots them all down.
Unsatisfied with the performance of the weapons systems, he makes some manual adjustments, changes the drones' evasive patterns and runs another test.
And then ponders what it will be like to be busted back to ensign junior grade.
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T'Krunch takes over a science station.
First, he calibrates the starship’s complex surveying sensors, first directing the scans outside tbe ship and then training them inward to analyze the nutritional content of those onboard.
He then tries to use the scientific expansion bays to try a variety of culinary pairings.
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Kizilonoz eagerly assumes control of Engineering, continuing to chatter on comms to anyone listening (and to anyone not listening).
Hearing the go ahead, they start inputting various simulations for damage control. Those on the bridge likely notice several readings start going a bit haywire for a few minutes before Kizilonoz comms up.
"Er, currently testing damage control procedures. Apologies for any confusion. I'll try to provide warning as continue down the list."
Once done with the damage control procedures—and assured they won't accidentally kill any crew members—Kizilonoz proceeds to begin testing powercore shutdown drills.
"All crew please be advised that emergency drills will be commencing immediately! All systems are functioning as normally so no need to be alarmed!
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Soundtrack #4: Test Flight - Tron Legacy OST: Solar Sailer
Volitare didn't quite find success with the intercom systems, but the mystic aspects of the ship record very well (1x hard success, 1x fail).
Kalhoun doesn't settle in to any of the ship's systems very well. (fail x2 unfortunately)
T'Krunch also finds his tests somewhat too complex for the data recorder. (fail x2)
Kizilonoz has great initial success at the engineering station, but finds the scram-drills don't record quite as easily. (1x hard success, 1x fail)
Iseph, settling into the pilot's chair, puts the Grimshaw through several maneuvers, each one increasing in difficulty, but finding the ship's data recorders stay with them through all of it! (1x normal success, 1x hard success)
With solid working knowledge of the ship in-hand, you finish data collection as you arive near S-413, one of Liavara's smallest shepherd moons, where you begin to transmit all you've collected to an unmanned UIE data relay.
Before the flight records finish uploading, the ship’s sensors alert you to two approaching contacts! Two adolescent voraijas are approacing, their powerful electromagnetic starsongs disabling the relay’s comm-link.
Test Flight Scenery and Maps Updated!
Each of you can attempt a Culture or Life Science check to recall knowledge.
The Grimshaw’s sensors indicate these two carnivorous creatures are lost, hungry, and apparently interpret the organic shape of the ship to mean that it’s edible! To avoid becoming devoured in a grim case of mistaken identity, you must decide what you're going to do!
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"These creatures are whale-like voraijas," notes T'Krunch. "Highly caloric. They made recent news vids, having been spotted in Liavara’s upper atmosphere. Many tourist ships skim Liavara’s orbit hoping for a rare glimpse of the creatures feeding or giving birth.
[B]"If we want to process one or both, we would need to harpoon them quickly,"[/ suggests the ikeshti. [B]"They are likely carefully monitored by the Xenowardens organization. The last thing we want is them showing up an blubbering about how we are the threat to some starship-sized creatures now looking to eat us. Our encounter with them must just be some fluke, but if we don't do something quickly to save ourselves then we may need to man the life pods! I hear these things can really blow whole ships away!"
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"These creatures are whale-like voraijas," notes T'Krunch. "Highly caloric. They made recent news vids, having been spotted in Liavara’s upper atmosphere. Many tourist ships skim Liavara’s orbit hoping for a rare glimpse of the creatures feeding or giving birth."
"If we want to process one or both, we would need to harpoon them quickly,"suggests the ikeshti. "They are likely carefully monitored by the Xenowardens organization. The last thing we want is them showing up an blubbering about how we are the threat to some starship-sized creatures now looking to eat us. Our encounter with them must just be some fluke, but if we don't do something quickly to save ourselves then we may need to man the life pods! I hear these things can really blow whole ships away!"
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Looking at the available data, you think you have a few options here.
T'Krunch and Voltaire remember that Pact World conservation laws prohibit the hunting of voraijas, but since they are carnivorous, ships are allowed to fight against them in self-defense. T'Krunch thinks that you could voluntarily de-power your weapons to make them "nonlethal" - effectively taking a penalty to attack rolls in order to ensure that the creatures won't be killed.
Alternatively, you could try to herd them back to Liavara's orbit through some creative technomagical programming of your ship's force weapon.
What are you going to do? (Once we have a few votes for one of the options, I'll move us forward!)
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"We are less likely to run afoul of conservation laws if we just herd 'em, I suppose," concedes T'Krunch. "And, I could voluntarily de-power the weapons so as just to sting the beasts rather than harpoon 'em."
The ikeshti thinks for a moment, involuntarily licking his lips, then adds, "All right, we herd 'em. But somebody's gonna owe me a week's worth of meals after this."
"Although, if we could maybe just slice off a small sample of meat...," he suggests with a hopeful look in his reptilian eyes.
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After some debate, you decide to herd the voraijas back to Liavara and away from where you need to park your vessel!
We are now entering a special version of Starship Combat, but with a special goal in mind: One PC can (magically or technologically) "program" a vector/direction into your Force Projector weapon during either the Engineering or Helm Phase with a Physical Science, Mysticism, or Piloting check. While thusly encoded, successfully hitting a voraija with this weapon will cause it to disengage from combat and head in that direction!
Soundtrack #6: Space Whales - Stellaris (Leviathans) DLC: Dragon Breath
STARSHIP COMBAT!
ROUND 1 - Starfield is updated!
Grimshaw - 0 Damage
Pink Voraija - 0 Damage
White Voraija - 0 Damage
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"Kizilonoz, might I suggest diverting power to the engines, in case we need to make a run for it?" urges T'Krunch. "I'll see if I can't 'program' a vector/direction into our Force Projector weapon to hopefully cause these voraijas to disengage from trying to bash us and head in that direction."
Phase: Helm
Role: Science
Action: What he just said, encoding the Force Projector so that successfully hitting a voraija with this weapon will cause it to disengage from combat and head in that direction!