Zoomba's Preluria Connection (Inactive)

Game Master Zoomba

George 09-23 examination of the bodies leads to some interesting conclusions.

Medicine: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (14) + 9 = 23

"Interesting. It seems that they both died of heart-attacks and not from their wounds. Most likely they were test subjects or subjects of the experimental drug. That would explain their increased strength and aggression."

George himself is unscathed yet he notices that some on of his teammates are battered from the recent combat.

"I recommend that we take a breather. Perhaps in one of the rooms here. I will have a look at the Nalotrunos' wounds as we rest."

If we take a short rest I can use my character's healing touch to cure 5 hit points of damage. :)

"Yeah, I could use a breather." Twila-5 agrees. She grabs the batteries out of the static arc pistols, pocketing one full one and offering the rest to the group. Then she goes to sit down for a bit and listen to the message on the comm. Huh. Her head's too fuzzy to work it out right now.

Spending 1 RP to regain SP

"I can use a short rest too."

And that healing touch, with thanks! Will spend an RP to regain SP.

The vesk kneels beside the dead shobhad, claps his hands, and focuses on the floor in front of him.

You can take a 10-minute stamina rest if you'd like

As you rest, you glance into the two rooms the shobad's emerged from.

The first room you opened remains a chaoitc mess of smashed computers and servers.

The room the second shobad emerged from seems to be a sort of workshop. Benches line this workshop’s eastern and southern walls, with racks of spare parts located to the north. A metal crate near the center of the room is filled with fire - the fuel appearing to be burning/burnt documents.
[ooc]Perception in this room may possible notice more[ooc]

"Might explain the mixed message of people smashing up the place calling us intruders," says Chip, as he sets to work repairing Checker. "Not that it's wrong, exactly, but it didn't feel right coming from them. Though I'm kind of glad to hear it. I know we had limited options, but I'm not a fan of shooting people when we're the ones breaking in."

Spend 1 Resolve.

Perception first room: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (14) + 6 = 20

Perception second room: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (16) + 6 = 22

George 09-23 applies his healing touch to the vesk as he rests (5 hit points of damage is healed). He then turns his attention to examining the two rooms.

Perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (11) + 7 = 18

The android picks up and tries to examine an intact hard drive.

@GM Zoomba - Do you need a computers or engineering roll to examine the contents of the hard drive?

Not roll to examine the hard drive's contents, so long as you have any ranks in Computers or Engineering. However...
Geoorge-023 and Chip look about the computer room and notice one hard drive that slipped through the destructive frenzy. However, as the android goes to retrieve it, he gets a face full of sparks from a damged and unstable terminal next to it whose dangers neither he nor Chip had fully noticed

George takes Electricity damage: 4d6 ⇒ (1, 4, 1, 5) = 11, thoguh a DC 13 Reflex save could halve that.

Once he extracts himself and the drive to safety, George has little trouble looking through what's on it. The bad news is that even though it isn't smashed up, its violent extraction from the computer terminal partially corrupted the data and damaged the drive’s housing. The good news is that there is a portable data module still intact on it, and pulling it up George can see its contents are a short advertisement video.

The vid stars a female lashunta in a fitted business suit standing in front of a screen and smiling a bright, white smile. She speaks with a confident voice: “With our new performance-enhancing combat drug, shimmersheen, all your security assets can fight with enhanced stamina and strength!” The screen displays “shimmersheen” in a bold, slick font alongside scrolling data figures. “Rest assured that this super serum is easy to administer and has no addictive properties. Increased aggression caused by shimmersheen is perfectly safe and controllable, allowing combatants to focus on fighting rather than unpleasant distractions like pain or fear. Our studies show that enhanced subjects perform up to 82% better than non-enhanced control subjects, guaranteeing a lower casualty rate and greater chance of victory for your organization!”
As she speaks, fine print flashes across the screen: “Side effects include arrythmia, respiratory distress, exhaustion, and ruptured blood vessels. Consult your doctor before using shimmersheen with other drugs.”

--

In the other workshop, Chip sees that the metal crate is filled with charred ash of papers recently burned beyond recognition. More papers are scattered across the floor — mostly useless scraps including takeout receipts, mundane internal memos, and a drawing of a stick figure shobhad in a lab coat with a devil’s tail, horns, and a swear balloon.

The halfling notices two curious papers in the mess. These handouts added to the Slides. There is also some equipment still left on a set of racks in the room's corner. 2 high-capacity batteries, a cartridge with 20 darts, and an engineering specialty toolkit.

After reading the papers, Twila-5 wonders aloud: "So was Firiz looking into this because the Xystrian Brotherhood wants to undermine this business, or because it is the Xystrian Brotherhood's business?" The former fits better with the public image of the Brotherhood, but plenty of rot happens underneath the surface of squeaky-clean images all over the galaxy. Who knows?

George 09-23 tries to dodge away from the arc of electricity. While he does avoid most of the damage his circuits do get a little singed.

Reflex save: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (12) + 2 = 14

"Ouch! Next time I will let someone else look!"

George 09-23 eyes light up at the engineering toolkit. He examines it to see how it differs from the tool kits that he already has.

@GM Zoomba - Which speciality is the engineering toolkit for?

sorry was swamped over the weekend

"Hope you're OK George? That looks nasty!" Vomatian turns to the rest of the party. "Should we look into the Xystrian Brotherhood?"

Good question: a catalyst rig toolkit.

As you discuss the implications of your findings, one of you opens the door opposite the workshop.

Past those double doors is hot and humid laboratory. Workbenches line the northern wall facing a tubular greenhouse protected by transparent aluminum plates.

One of the workbenches is covered in a fine crystalline dust spilling out of a broken container

A tub filled with a clear liquid takes up a large portion of the lab floor to the south.

"It hurt but it is not the first electrical booby trap that I set off. Somehow I am always around for these types of explosions."

George looks around but is careful not to get as close as before.

Life Science: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (15) + 11 = 26

Physical Science: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (8) + 11 = 19

Perception: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (20) + 7 = 27

"Interesting they are using these plants as filters. Be careful not to touch the dust. It is shimmerstone."

"Someone moved something heavy lately. Check out those marks!"

The android points to the scuff marks.

"Can you tell what the secret ingredient is? Shimmerstone keeps the weak who are prone to despair from sliding into the pit of their own minds. The unknown ingredient is the dangerous one."

Nalo connects some dots based on the ijtikri's story and a faulty understanding of bio-chemistry.

Hmm... Twila-5 looks around for a way to take back some samples of each of the shimmerstone and a sap-filled stem with a leaf attached. Information is power. And leverage. (Any test tubes or other lab-type paraphernalia here that she can nab?)

Once finished, she suggests: "Let's track down those shipments." She begins scanning the floor for more of those scuff marks, hoping they'll lead to a loading bay that may have more information.

1d20 ⇒ 10
+9 for Perception or +2 for Survival, whichever applies best

With that check, George-023 actually can ID the purple substance in the plants. It is kinwood sap, a fluid harvested from sentient kinwood trees on Ghorus Prime.

There are several beakers and other scientific containers strewn about the lab that Twila-5 can pilfer. There is also some noise the android can hear echoing through the hallways. Following it, down towards the stairwell the hall extends to the right before terminating at another set of metal doors. Noises are coming from the other side of it, the sounds of an idling engine, and the faint echo of heavy items banging against metal. Unfortunately, the access terminal is blinking red and seems not only locked, but damaged.

It would be an Engineering check to repair the door terminal, then a Computers check to hack it open. Alternately you could try brute strength, though that might take a bit longer.

"Shall I?" asks Chip, motioning towards the door and beckoning for Checker to keep close to him.

He examines the broken lock, attempting to discern whether it was intentionally broken as much as he is planning an approach to repair it.

Engineering: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (8) + 8 = 16

Computers: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (12) + 7 = 19

If Chip is successful in repairing the door terminal, Felix is quick to hack its system open, doing the task quietly while pondering what they just have discovered so far, and the noises they are following.

Teaming up, Chip can quickly get a bit of juice flowing into the door so Fleix can hack their way through it.

The huge metal doors rise up to reveal a large loading dock. A battered delivery van with a massive turret built onto its roof idles at the dock's edge, which stands empty of all but a few discarded equipment scraps and the remains of a broken wooden pallet. A muscular shobhad worker shoves one last crate into the back of the van, offering a glimpse of a limp humanoid form sprawled inside it beside stacks of laden pallets before the van door slams shut.

The shobhad looks back and sees you staring back at him. He smirks, leaping onto the bumper before hauling himself up to the roof and signaling to the driver. Tires screech as the van speeds away in a cloud of exhaust.

Some of the people up to no good here are fleeing away!!! Unless you give chases ASAP, who knows where they might scatter and escape to!

So this will be a be a Vehicle Chase sequence! But of course, first thing you'll need is a vehicle...

A single dilapidated van remains parked in the now empty loading dock. The van isn’t locked, but there’s no key in the ignition. To get this van going, you'll need to either hotwire with Engineering, hack the onboard computer Computers, or quick-forge a makeshift key with Sleight of Hand.

Once you've got the van going, someone should hop into the Driver's Seat and take off in pursuit! (with fuller rules/details to be outlined once the whole 'we need to make sure we have a car first' issue is resolved.)

George 09-23 decides to hot wire the van knowing that the others might try to hack the on-board computer if he is not successful. He gets out his Engineering kit and gets to work.

Engineering: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (11) + 11 = 22

Vomatian tries to hack into the onboard computer.

"Nice George, let me see if this works!"

Computers: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (10) + 14 = 24

Again teamwork saves the day. Vomatian and George-023 get the old van's engine revving, and ready to race out after the fleeing vehicle.

So, a vehicle chase! The full rules for chases are here but a summary of them and the pilot actions is also in the Slides. In short, each round the driver of the vehicle can take an action (to speed up, slow down, dodge, try a stunt in certain terrain, etc), as the vehicles involved continue to race forwards through various areas/'zones'. The rest of the passengers can also try some actions themselves if they wish - using magic to maybe boost your car/impede theirs, try to shoot them down, etc.

Right now you'll start this first round still in the first area: the loading dock. The escaping van is currently one zone ahead of you, where a collapsed building in the desert seems to fork the path slightly into an open stretch of desert of a makeshift tunnel. Both their van and yours has a massive laser rifle mounted atop them (this weapon can be fired without taking any of the normal penalties for shooting in a speeding car).

So, let's pick a DRIVER and then move to Round 1!

Your van's stats are also in the Slides, but posted here as well:

As George and Vomatian quickly make the vehicle start revving and they are about to use it, Felix also gets inside, waiting for anyone to take the driver's seat. They even look at Twila, as if telling her to quickly take the seat and begin driving lest they get to chase the other van very far behind. "Quick. The distance between us and them is widening if we just stand idle." they say flatly.

You hop in and begin speeding off in pursuit!

Round 1

Whoever's driving can attempt their action and check

Zone 1 - your van
Zone 2 - enemy van
Zone 3 -
Zone 4 -
Zone XXX?

Last through the door, Twila-5 sprints to catch up to the group and leaps into the driver's seat. As soon as everyone's inside, she puts the pedal to the metal and zips after the fleeing vehicle. "Buckle up, everyone!" She already has.

Speed Up, DC 19: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (18) + 11 = 29

Piloting Evade (Double): 1d20 + 8 + 2 - 4 ⇒ (14) + 8 + 2 - 4 = 20
Piloting Trick (Double): 1d20 + 8 + 2 - 4 ⇒ (7) + 8 + 2 - 4 = 13

Twila-5 puts the pedal to the metal as your van surges forwards after the other vehicle. It's driver doesn't speed up as fast as you but veers a bit back and forth in a serpentine formation. It doesn't manage to kick up enough dust to impede your own steering, but does make the moving target even more moving as you pull relatively even with them.

You move up 1 zone from your Maneuver, while they succeeded to Evade but had difficulty Tricking at the same time

As you continue to race away from the facility, both your car's paths go on an intercept course with a snarl of other cars, trucks, and vehicles all backed up on a sideroad trying to turn onto one of Vorlath's major highways. As both of you try to navigate and burst your way through the gridlock, the other cars collide and scrape against each of your sides.

Traffic hazard! v them: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (11) + 9 = 20 for damage: 3d4 ⇒ (4, 3, 3) = 10
Traffic hazard! v you: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (16) + 9 = 25 for damage: 3d4 ⇒ (3, 2, 2) = 7

Out from the van roof a large shobad - though not the one you saw leaping into the van as it left - ascends and grabs onto the laser mounted on its roof and fires. It strikes the front of your car, whihc is beginning to smoke.

Attack v your van: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (14) + 7 = 21 for Fire: 1d8 ⇒ 7

Round 1, Phase '3'

Felix
Chip
Vomatian
George-023
Nalotrunos

All of you but Twila-5 are up and can act if you'd like. If you want to attack, the one person using the laser turret in the mount can fire without penalty; the rest of you would have a -4 penalty on the shots due to your speed. Shooting at their van would be against the vehicle AC (seems to have some, but not too much Hardness, just like your's). The shobad on their roof could also be targeted, though the gun mount is giving them partial cover.

Your van 14/24 HP
Enemy van 8 damage

Nalo grabs a seat by the window. In the vehicle's narrow confines he pulls and twists and jerks his rifle until he can point it out the window. He braces his legs and then leans his head and shoulders out the window behind the rifle.

The wind from their speed tries to tear the rifle from his hands and makes him squint to see. Fortunately his eyes nictitating membranes keeps him from tearing.

laser rifle, azimuth v vehicle EAC, vehicle mod: 1d20 + 2 - 4 ⇒ (12) + 2 - 4 = 10 ... damage: 1d8 ⇒ 3 (critical Burn 1d6; -)

Vomatian leans out the window and aims for one of the opponents.

"Take this!"

needler pistol: 1d20 + 3 - 4 ⇒ (8) + 3 - 4 = 7

damage: 1d4 ⇒ 3

But the speed causes his shot to go wide.

"Darn" he shouts.

"This is all a lot faster than my first mission with the Starfinders," says Chip. But somebody is shooting at them, which makes the necessary course of action somewhat clear.

Awkwardly drawing his pistol from its holster, he leans out and takes a shot at the fleeing vehicle.

Laser Pistol attack: 1d20 - 2 ⇒ (14) - 2 = 12 for fire damage: 1d4 ⇒ 2

George 09-23 tries to get into the action. He fires a bolt of electricity at the van trying to short it out.

Attack: 1d20 + 3 - 4 ⇒ (10) + 3 - 4 = 9

Energy Ray, Harmful spell: 1d3 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2

"Well, this might take a while."

BEEP-BOOP-BOT

Felix climbs up to the rifle atop the van and fires at the enemy vehicle.

Attack v EAC: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (20) + 4 = 24 for Fire: 1d8 ⇒ 4
Unforutnately as objects, vehciles can't be crit :p

Felix goes to show that the mount's the way to go and both he they and the shobad make a big row!

As both you and the enemy near the edge of the traffic, you can see they're angling toward an off-ramp leading to a less-clogged (but still populated) highway. Beyond that, there are large stretches of sandflats.

Round 2, Piloting

Twila can manuever

Zone 1 (loading dock)- your van
Zone 2 (collapsed building)- enemy van
Zone 3 (heavy traffic)- enemy van, your van
Zone 4 (highway)-
Zone 5 (sandflats)-
Zone XXX?

Your van 14/24 HP
Enemy van 10 damage

Are they *actually* exiting, or are they faking it? Unsure, Twila-5 decides to just keep up with them for now so she doesn't lose them.

Keep Pace DC 12: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (2) + 11 = 13
Whew! Glad I didn't choose a higher DC action.

BTW, this is my first vehicle chase in Starfinder, so let me know if I need to correct anything.

BTW, this is my first vehicle chase in Starfinder, so let me know if I need to correct anything.

Don't worry, will do. So far you're doing fine!

As Twila keeps relatively even with the van, uncertain as to their next move, the other van swerves dangerously toward you. As it nears you see the shobad with a lab coat who's driving inject another shobad in the passenger seat with some sort of syringe. Immediately followed by that shobad jumping out of her car and crashing through your own windshield!!!

Engage v Dc 14: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (19) + 8 = 27

As both your - now neck and neck - vans swerve onto the highway, the shobad manning their own truck's gun fires at your own car again. It's a magnificent shot, but it fails to leave a lasting mark. Snarling, Felix sees him look toward them and start to adjust their laser's aim...

Attack: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (20) + 7 = 27 for Fire: 1d8 ⇒ 1

Round 2, 'Phase 3'

Felix
Chip
Vomatian
George-023
Nalotrunos
The shobad who is now INSIDE the van with your and very angry!!!

Your van 14/24 HP
Enemy van 8 damage

Thanks for botting. The week for me is hectic with lots of going on at work.

Felix keeps shooting at the van, aiming at it again.

Attack v EAC: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (16) + 4 = 20 for Fire: 1d8 ⇒ 2

On the one hand, it was quite a surprise for Chip to suddenly find himself within the aggressive Shobhad's reach. On the other hand, it was quite a surprise to suddenly find the aggressive Shobhad within Checker's reach.

"Checker, eject!" he says, ducking away from the drone's swing and firing another shot at the retreating vehicle.

Checker attack: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (10) + 4 = 14 for piercing damage: 1d12 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 2 = 8
Chip attack: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (16) + 2 = 18 for fire damage: 1d4 ⇒ 2

Felix strikes the van again, though not with quite enough *oomph* to leave a serious mark.

Down below it’s a good news, bad news, meta-good news, good news, bad news situation.
Checkers slugs the frothing shobad something good.
In the close quarters though Chip’s focus on firing leaves him exposed to a bad slam from the shobad’s hammer
But that means it can’t React to the rest of you - good!
Chip’s shot at least hits the trying-to flee van!
…but not enough to seriously impact it damn hardness

AoO: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (7) + 10 = 17 for Bludgeoning: 1d6 + 5 ⇒ (3) + 5 = 8

Round 2, 'Phase 3’

Felix
Chip 0/7 SP, 7/8 HP, Checker 6 damage (from previous fight +repair)
Vomatian
George-023
Nalotrunos
The shobad INSIDE the van with you 8 damage

Your van 14/24 HP
Enemy van 8 damage

George 09-23 blasts the shobad inside the van with a trio of missiles taking full advantage of the fact that the frothing maniac is preoccupied with hammering Chip.

Magic Missile, Harmful spell: 3d4 + 4 ⇒ (4, 4, 1) + 4 = 13

"Watch out one is inside!"

Vomatian aims at the one inside the van.

attack: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (15) + 3 = 18

damage: 1d4 ⇒ 3

George's missiles get the boarded shobad staggering, an Vomatian finishes then off!

Nalotrunos is up

Nalo starts to grab for his solarian mote, but George and Vomatian end the threat quickly. The vesk returns his attention to the fleeing vehicle, and he fires two quick shots at the shobhad manning the turret.

laser rifle, azimuth v vehicle EAC, vehicle mod, full attack: 1d20 + 2 - 4 - 4 ⇒ (4) + 2 - 4 - 4 = -2 ... damage: 1d8 ⇒ 2 (critical Burn 1d6; -)
laser rifle, azimuth v vehicle EAC, vehicle mod, full attack: 1d20 + 2 - 4 - 4 ⇒ (4) + 2 - 4 - 4 = -2 ... damage: 1d8 ⇒ 8 (critical Burn 1d6; -)

Just crit fishing now.

Nalotrunos fires, but to minimal effect with the jostling of the van.

Enemy Evade: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (10) + 8 = 18
The other van swerves through the highway's traffic, focusing on dodging the other cars for a moment more than dodging you. The driver seems to be making to peel off into a stretch of sandflats.

Round 2, Piloting

Twila can maneuver Note: if your action (or one of your actions if trying a Double Maneuver) isn't Evade this round, your van will likely take some damage from the oncoming traffic)

Zone 1 (loading dock)
Zone 2 (collapsed building)
Zone 3 (heavy traffic)
Zone 4 (highway) - enemy van, your van
Zone 5 (sandflats)
Zone 6 (Sand Dunes
Zone 7 (Hillside)

Your van 14/24 HP
Enemy van 10 damage

This won't do. Twila-5 wants to get ahead of the other vehicle so she can control the chase, especially since they really do seem to be heading for the open sand flats. She guns it, swerving around traffic (some narrow misses there), to pull in front of the doped up shobads.

Double Maneuver:
Speed up DC 19: 1d20 + 11 - 4 ⇒ (12) + 11 - 4 = 19
Evade DC 12: 1d20 + 11 - 4 ⇒ (6) + 11 - 4 = 13

Whew! A trickle of sweat runs down from her underarm. That was tense.

Twila goes for broke and veers ahead of the opposing van while narrowly dodging the traffic ahead. Your van races out into the sand dunes as the shobad truck now behind you fumes.

Manning the gun, the shobad aims not at your car, but at Felix atop it!. Luckily for the android, the gun jams.

Attack v Felix EAC: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (1) + 7 = 8 for Fire: 1d8 ⇒ 8

Round 3, 'Phase 3’

Shobad on roof
Felix
Chip 0/7 SP, 7/8 HP, Checker 6 damage
Vomatian
George-023
Nalotrunos

Your van 14/24 HP
Enemy van 8 damage

Felix stares blankly at the shobad that attempted to shoot him unsuccessfully. They do the same, shooting at the shobad and not on the vehicle. "I will eliminate you." they exclaim with no emotion with it. "Keep chasing as I bring their shooter down." she instructs Twila.

Attack vs Shobad: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (12) + 4 = 16 for Fire: 1d8 ⇒ 5

@GM Zoomba - How far are we from the other van and are there other vehicles around? I am wondering as I might be interested in using spells or my character's breath weapon.

Vomatian leans out the window and shoots the creature on the roof.

"Guys he's up here"

attack: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (13) + 3 = 16

damage: 1d4 ⇒ 1

"Ung." The actual wound didn't look too bad, but Chip is in a bit of a state of shock. It's the first time he's ever taken a serious hit from a weapon.

"Y-yeah," he agrees, aiming at the shooter. Disabling the vehicle is a better priority, but if he's not equipped to do that he has to help where he can.

Attack gunner: 1d20 - 2 ⇒ (12) - 2 = 10 for fire damage: 1d4 ⇒ 1

@GM Zoomba - How far are we from the other van and are there other vehicles around? I am wondering as I might be interested in using spells or my character's breath weapon.

It's a bit abstracted. Same zone ~50 ft apart (with the Engage action allowing for closer, well Engagement) and differetn zones here ~200 ft)

Changing tactics, three of your crew decide to target the gunner rather than the vehicle. So far it's paying off some dividends as the shobad on their roof take multiple shots against him.

Round 3, 'Phase 3’

Shobad on roof, 1 damage
Felix
Chip 0/7 SP, 7/8 HP, Checker 6 damage
Vomatian
George-023
Nalotrunos

Your van 14/24 HP
Enemy van 8 damage

George 09-23 knows that he will have to rely on luck more than skill. He takes a pot shot at the gunner as well.

Laser Pistol: 1d20 + 3 - 4 ⇒ (5) + 3 - 4 = 4

This is without the range penalties so there is no need to even roll for damage at this point. At this point we are probably in the third range bracket for longer range weapons (lasers). :)

"We are never going to hit him at this range."

"We must keep trying."

Nalo leans out of the window again to shoot at the fleeing vehicle.

laser rifle, azimuth v vehicle EAC, vehicle mod, full attack: 1d20 + 2 - 4 - 4 ⇒ (14) + 2 - 4 - 4 = 8 ... damage: 1d8 ⇒ 4 (critical Burn 1d6; -)
laser rifle, azimuth v vehicle EAC, vehicle mod, full attack: 1d20 + 2 - 4 - 4 ⇒ (14) + 2 - 4 - 4 = 8 ... damage: 1d8 ⇒ 7 (critical Burn 1d6; -)