Savage Firefly - want some "space western" adventures?

Game Master ZenFox42

You all leave the club without incident, and get back to the ship.

What do you want to do next?

"Let's see what Wren picked up from that guy in the bar. I'm worried we are being shadowed and that makes me nervous."

"Let's see what Wren picked up from that guy in the bar. I'm worried we are being shadowed and that makes me nervous."

"I'm working on that, trying to expand my senses. There were times at the Institute that I had a broader set of abilities; what the urban myths call a 'reader' - I'm not quite where I want to be yet, but I'm getting there."

"I'm sure he'll notice son enough. Hopefully he won't link it to us and won't be able to track us all the way here but we should be ready just in case.

Wren shrugs. "If he's even sober enough to remember anything at all tonight, I'd be surprised. But we should avoid the nightclub anyway. Come on, let's find out what's on that device."

Rolling Electronics to glean info from the memory device, and use it in a way where she's not infecting the computer or anything.

Electronics & Wild: 1d8 ⇒ 31d6 ⇒ 6
Wild Extra Roll: 1d6 ⇒ 1

Wren plugs the device into an input port on the ship's computer. She looks around inside it, but the data appears to be encrypted. The ship's computer's basic built-in decryption algorithms can't crack it.

What do you all do?

Daisy shrugs. "I ain't no computer expert. Anyone know one?"

"Yeah... me neither. Least nothin' with this level of encryption." Wren murmurs softly, as though to herself. She tries to recall any underworld contacts she knows (or maybe just heard of) that might be able to help.

Well, the only thing that I ever saw like this was snagged by higher so fast my fingers stung. I got nothing that could help with that.

What skill should be used to try to decrypt the files? SWADE has a hacking skill that seems the best fit. None of us has that skill. If there is no other skill that might work, perhaps with a penalty, what are our options? We could try to find someone to crack into the files but we'd have to know the person was capable of keeping quiet. That might be hard to find on an Alliance planet, so we may have to head out to the rim to find someone. Next advance, one or more of us should take hacking skill to cover this hole in our skill sets.

Arabella could use her networking skills to try to find a reliable blackmarket hacker.

For the record, I'd LOVE to meet Mr. Universe...

The signal must go out

Sounds like trying to find an expert hacker who can keep his mouth shut is the best way to go...

Yep, but we're on more of a Mister Galaxy budget than Mr. Universe. :)

it appears that an expert is the way to go.

Arabella puts on some nondescript clothes, covers her hair with a scarf and a hat, and sets out and begins to slowly ask about people who might be able to help decrypt a file, giving a cover story about her needing to read a set of files she found in the possession of her boyfriend whom she suspects is cheating on her. When she finds a lead she tries to gingerly determine how above board the person is.

Persuasion: 1d8 ⇒ 8
Persuasion, ace: 1d8 ⇒ 5
Wild: 1d6 ⇒ 2
Shepherd: +2

Reroll from Charismatic Edge
Persuasion: 1d8 ⇒ 1
Wild: 1d6 ⇒ 2
Shepherd: +2

Best result = 8 + 5 + 2 = 15

So, I'm going to split that up into two tasks : finding the name of someone who's competent, and determining their discretion. Since Networking is all about finding information, I'm going to make a roll in the Preview to determine their actual discretion, then make a Persuasion roll for you in the Preview to determine what you find out about their discretion...

You hear a few rumors that the guy you've been referred to is suspected of sometimes being a little less than completely honorable in his dealings with his "clients". But others say as far as they know, he's trustworthy.

If you wish, you can make another Persuasion roll to find another name...

Arabella reports her initial finding. She asks the others if they want to trust this person or wait for her to try to find someone with better credentials for not being a snitch.

Lets ensure discretion. Everyone willing to wait for that
Harold inquires

Harold, if you want to inquire, make a Persuasion roll...
Arabella, you can also make another roll if you wish...

Misunderstanding, I was asking in the group.

"Hmmm... some say he's a little rotten. Wonder if they just didn't like what was found for then? Anyway to check GalaxyYelp or somthin'?"

Daisy can assist in looking into that or can add some persuasion asssit to Arabella.

persuasion, on case needed: 1d8 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 2 = 8
wild: 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 2 = 6

Wren grins. "Well, you have to be careful who you're dealing with whenever you trust us underworldly types. If he's got enough folk singin' his praises, I reckon that's enough for me. I learned long ago you can't please everyone all the time."

I vote we stick with this guy and move forward.

When Daisy asks around about "Surefire", as the guy is called, she finds a woman who claims that he turned right around and contacted the person she was investigating, and for a fee, informed him of her inquiries. He put a contract out on her, and she was barely able to get off that planet alive.

Daisy will inform the others of what she heard...
"I dunno, maybe ask him about this and see what his reaction is? We can just get Harold ta' beat him up if he gets uppity."

Wren thinks on what Daisy said she heard about this 'Surefire' fellow and frowns skeptically. "Seems like an awful bad way to do business, if you ask me. Word gets around after all, and if you don't got a solid rep, ain't nobody gonna hire you. Could be she's just got an axe to grind, or maybe it's the truth. Seems to me we should talk to him anyway, size him up and then make our own judgment. I like the idea that we ask him about this story too, see how he reacts. If he gets 'onery, well then I'll let Harold have what's left of him when I'm done." The small, dark-haired thief throws the big man a wink.

Why am I getting voluntold to beat someone up. Shoot in a fight, ok, but beat them up ??

He inquires with a plaintive look.

Wren pats Harold's arm, her trademark wry smile firmly in place. "Don't worry big guy, I'll protect you if the fight gets too close and personal. And maybe this 'Surefire' is solid and we're gettin' all worked up over nothing anyway."

So, you put the word out that you want to contact Surefire, and a day later a skinny early-20's girl wearing glasses shows up. "Heard you was looking for Surefire? Well, here I am. What's the job?"

Day Prior to Surefire arrival

Wren, I think I can handle myself. but agreed, Lets see, and go from there.

Day of Surefires arrival

Pleased to meet you. if you just come this way, I will take you to the ones actually negotiating

He leads her to the dining room, where he point out Arabella.

Our Negotiator

He then stands off to the side of the room, in view of both.

Arabella is nervous, particularly after hearing the tale of a dissatisfied customer. Arabella will learn all that Daisy learned about the incident.

"We have a job for someone with your skills. We have a memory stick that is encrypted but we believe it may have sensitive information on it. So after you got some recommendations, we also checked around and found a dissatisfied customer who claims you double-crossed her and was nearly killed. So we want to hear your side of that story before we go any further. And just to be sure, we may double check your answer before hiring you if anything sounds off."

Arabella recounts what Daisy was told and the looks at Surefire expectantly.

I'll roll persuasion assuming we are trying to get her to be honest. Let me know if it should be a different skill roll.

Persuasion: 1d8 ⇒ 4
Wild: 1d6 ⇒ 6
Wild, Ace: 1d6 ⇒ 5
Shepherd: +2

Reroll from Charismatic Edge
Persuasion: 1d8 ⇒ 8
Persuasion, Ace: 1d8 ⇒ 4
Wild: 1d6 ⇒ 2
Shepherd: +2

Best result = 8 + 4 + 2 = 14

Most often, a Notice roll is used to "detect lies" in SW. Let me think about how I want to handle this...

"Yeah, a client who doesn't get what they're expecting will take it out on me, even tho I did exactly what they told me to do. Or a competitor will spread bad things about me just to get more business. It happens all the time."

Since Arabella and Harold are the only ones who said they were in the interview, they can make Notice rolls at -1...

Notice: 1d6 ⇒ 2
Wild: 1d6 ⇒ 2

Notice: 1d6 - 1 ⇒ (4) - 1 = 3
Wild: 1d6 - 1 ⇒ (3) - 1 = 2

Harold thinks he hears something off, but cannot place it.

As far as you can tell, she's telling the truth.

What do you all do?

Arabella stands so the others can see her chest but with her back to the woman and makes a thumbs down sign. She is not comfortable with this character and thinks we can do better.

What do you all do?

Is anyone else there?

Eh, it's the weekend... ;)

Wren is willing to give the hacker a chance, knowing well that unsatisfied clients are often willing to complain to anyone and everyone. But she won't press for her choice, other than making it known.

Wren votes 'aye'.

I almost feel like it's time for Brook to break out the Mind Reading ...

Brook can try, but be aware she'll know you're reading her mind unless you get a Raise on your Focus roll, and so she'll know you're a psychic...

Sorry, I thought you said only Wren and Harold were there. Just making sure.

Daisy is also willing to give a chance. Besides, the hacker is right here right now. May as well see if we can get it done.

Brook can try, but be aware she'll know you're reading her mind unless you get a Raise on your Focus roll, and so she'll know you're a psychic...

That was kind of why I wanted to take the temperature of the group; seems like we could have Brook on the other side of a wall too, so that even if she thought someone read her mind, she wouldn't neccesarily know who.

Arabella mutters, "If you break confidence about what you find, we will do more than give you bad reviews on YIP."

Intimidation: 1d8 ⇒ 1
Wild: 1d6 ⇒ 3

Arabella needs to put more menace into her threats.

Daisy - I did originally say that only Wren and Harold were there, but then Arabella indicated she was listening, and made a sign to the rest of the group, so I just rolled with that. Maybe Arabella, Daisy, and Harold are in an adjoining room, listening in?
Brook - please see Discussion...

So far that's 1 against, 2 in favor, with 2 no votes yet (Harold and Brook).

I'd actually only noticed Arabella and Harold's name, so didn't think Wren was part of the interview process (I as a player was also busy for a few days and missed the post), but if Wren was there and her roll helps (or hinders), here it is.

Electronics & Wild: 1d8 ⇒ 41d6 ⇒ 6
Wild (Ace): 1d6 ⇒ 3

Total result of 8 (with the penalty of -1 included?)

I was in the room with arabella. But my vote is to go against

Wren - sorry, I mis-remembered and didn't check the previous posts. In them, Arabella and Harold were the only two that said they were in the room. You'd need to see her face and her body language to determine if she's telling the truth (and a Notice roll would have been more appropriate). Sorry for the ret-ret-con...

Now that's 2 against, 2 in favor - looks like Brook is the tie-breaker...