[OutPost VI]Redelia's SFS 1-22 The Protectorate Petition (Inactive)

Game Master Redelia

I'm sorry, Drek; that actually didn't hit you. I missed the four player adjustment.

Tables and George injure the crab thing.

Drek cannot hit the crab.

The crab, puzzleded with its failure, continues to attack Drek.

attack, ranged KAC: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (9) + 9 = 18

Drek manages to avoid the effect.

party is up again.

status: creature -9 HP

Frustrated with his aim, Drek cautiously skulks around the room to find a better angle on the creature.

[move]
[standard] attack
azimuth laser rifle (get'em), F damage: 1d20 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 2 + 1 = 61d8 ⇒ 1

He scowls at his continued off-marksmanship.

That crab has a strong shell, which is not fake at all.

Semi-Auto + Get'em: 1d20 + 3 + 1 ⇒ (19) + 3 + 1 = 231d6 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 4 = 5

Keep shooting at it, we'll wear it down eventually!

Laser Pistol + Get'em: 1d20 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 2 + 1 = 51d4 ⇒ 1

Navasi's own shot is off-target, though.

Bobby Tables hits the crab thing.

now at -15 HP

Waiting for an attack from George.

attack: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (8) + 4 = 12
damage: 1d6 ⇒ 2

George misses.

The creature moves forward and grabs at Drek with its claws.
attack: 1d20 + 9 - 1 ⇒ (10) + 9 - 1 = 18
damage: 1d6 + 5 ⇒ (1) + 5 = 6
Drek is grappled.

Party is up.

Gah! Get off of me!

He fusses and thrashes, trying to get out of the grip.

Escape (Acrobatics, untrained): 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 2 = 8

He's only making it worse.

Laser + get em: 1d20 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 2 + 1 = 81d4 ⇒ 1

Semi-Auto + Get'em: 1d20 + 3 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 3 + 1 = 91d6 + 4 ⇒ (2) + 4 = 6

attack: 1d20 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 4 + 1 = 9
damage: 1d6 ⇒ 4

Drek is unable to escape.

Navasi, Bobby Tables, and George all miss the crab creature.

The creature continues to attack Drek.

attack: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (10) + 12 = 22
damage: 1d6 + 3 ⇒ (6) + 3 = 9
Drek is also grabbed again.

status:
Drek now at 0 SP, 1 HP, grabbed
crab thing at -15 HP

party is up again.

Bobby moves on to more deceitful practices, and sneakily tries to move aroun the crab as it is focused on Drek

Semi-Auto with get'em: 1d20 + 3 + 1 ⇒ (10) + 3 + 1 = 141d6 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 4 = 5
Trick attack, hit + FF if exceeds CR: 1d20 + 10 - 20 ⇒ (10) + 10 - 20 = 01d4 ⇒ 3

We have to take that thing out before it eats Drek Navasi says with some urgency.

Get' em

Laser + get'em: 1d20 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (5) + 2 + 1 = 81d4 ⇒ 3

Not fair!

[standard] Escape (Acrobatics, untrained): 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (15) + 2 = 17

botting George
attack: 1d20 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (12) + 4 + 1 = 17
damage: 1d6 ⇒ 3

George hits the crab creature.

Navasi and Tables don't. Drek is unable to escape the grapple.

attack on Drek: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (19) + 12 = 31
damage: 1d6 + 5 ⇒ (1) + 5 = 6

The monster drops the unconscious Drek and moves to George, who damaged it last.

Party is up. (Drek is unconscious)

I'm not dead yet! I think I'm getting better!

Die, you future sushi roll! Bobby grits his teeth, takes a careful step away, and fires at the crab.

Semi-auto+get'em: 1d20 + 3 + 1 ⇒ (16) + 3 + 1 = 201d6 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 4 = 5

Cornered, Navasi drops her gun and grab her survival knife, since survival seems to be the primary objective now/

Survival knife: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 2 = 101d4 ⇒ 3

I've been forgetting for some of the monster attacks that sickened lessens damage by 2, but Drek is still unconscious after I fix that.

Tables shoots the crab creature. Navasi is unable to slice at it.

status: Drek unconscious, monster -23 HP

George is up.

Drek, are you going to spend 1 RP to stabilize?

george 5-foot steps and stabs the crab.
attack: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (19) + 4 = 23
damage: 1d4 ⇒ 3

George hits the crab.

The crab swipes back.
attack, sickened: 1d20 + 12 - 2 ⇒ (20) + 12 - 2 = 30
damage, critical hit: 2d6 + 6 - 4 ⇒ (4, 5) + 6 - 4 = 11
George is grabbed.

The party is up.

status:
monster -26 HP
Drek unconscious (did he stabilize last turn?)
George 5/10 HP 0/6 SP, grabbed

computers for trick attack: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (1) + 9 = 10
attack: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (17) + 4 = 21
damage from weapon: 1d4 ⇒ 2
damage from trickattack: 1d4 ⇒ 2
I'm questioning our ability to win this one, maybe we should flee through the passage. If the creature is large, it'll have to squeeze so we should be able to get away.

George, you forgot -2 for being grappled.

George's baton smacks the creature's shell.

creature now at -28 HP. He looks badly injured, but not about to fall over.

Seeing all of his team members either cornered or unconscious, Bobby enters 'spray-and-pray' mode:

Semi-auto, full-attack: 1d20 + 3 - 4 ⇒ (14) + 3 - 4 = 131d6 + 4 ⇒ (3) + 4 = 7
Semi-auto, full-attack: 1d20 + 3 - 4 ⇒ (20) + 3 - 4 = 191d6 + 4 ⇒ (3) + 4 = 7
Crit damage: 1d6 + 4 ⇒ (3) + 4 = 7

Navasi tries to knife the creature, showing off her street-fighting skills

Improved Feint: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (6) + 6 = 12 Move action
Knife: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (18) + 2 = 201d4 ⇒ 2

Bobby tables gets one critical hit on the crab creature, which falls over, dead.

pausing for healing/reactions before we go into the next room

George pries off the creature's claw and stands up.
"That, gods, that was a close one. You guys want to leave the ruin and take a rest? One of us is nearly dead, and another is halfway there, and I don't like the look of that next room. I wonder if this crab tastes good with garlic butter?"

Drek, are you going to spend 1 RP to stabilize?

Thanks for reminding me. Yes!

OK, just to keep things moving, I'm going to say Navasi feeds the unconscious Drek her healing serum
1d8 ⇒ 8

Also assuming Drek takes a rest and spends RP to restore SP.
George has told me he also rests.

Status:
Drek SP 6/6, HP 8/10, RP 3/5
George SP 6/6, HP 5/10, RP 4/5
Navasi and Tables uninjured

The group moves into the next room.

The orderliness of this room contrasts with the messy chaos elsewhere in the mines. Geometric patterns cover the floor, and a half-dozen humanoid robots kneel facing an alcove in the south wall. Perfectly straight scorch marks cover the entire alcove in dizzying patterns of flawless geometric shapes— especially triangles. A single robot sits in the alcove, facing the others, its hands folded serenely in its lap and holding its own detached head.

There is writing on the wall. culture, engineering, computers, or physical science check to decipher. A relevant profession also might work, as might translation magic.

TY Navasi!

Drek blinks back awake after the harrowing battle.

I don't want a close call like that again!

His mood restores when they get to the room with the patterns. Seeing the scorch marks on the ground, he does not move forward while trying to analyze the visual clues and writing on the wall (ominous!)

Engineering: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (18) + 11 = 29

I prefer you on your feet, Drek Tables says as he looks at Drek's engineering skills with a degree of admiration.

We probably need to give the robot some item, waiting for the results to hopefully clarify

Exactly one third of the writing gives praise to “The Three That Are One,” and gives thanks for the great “Mind Gift” bestowed on “We Who Toiled Without Thought.”

Another third of the writing describes the robot’s evil masters, “Those Who Have No Mercy and Fear the Mind Gift.”

The final third of the writing is a plea to “The Three That Are
One” for one final miracle—a chance to escape this life of toil.

When you translate the engravings, you discover a hidden reactivation sequence. The robot in the alcove has a miniature keypad with three buttons at the base of its skull; you know you can enter this sequence to awaken the robot.

DC16 Culture: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (13) + 5 = 18

Oh! The phrases are related to Triune.

He turns to the keypad.

Who wants me to awaken the robot!

Without waiting for an answer he enters the sequence...

Sloppy to leave your password lying around like that, Bobby remarks, thinking this is maybe too easy.

The robot slowly begins to speak in a series of beeps, static, and chimes. As it does so, any nearby comm units activate to receive an incoming message, though the message is garbled. You may attempt a Computers or Engineering check to spend 5 minutes reconfiguring your
comm unit to properly receive the message.

This is like hacking a password with a dictionary attack, I suppose. Let's see how far brute force gets us

Computers: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (8) + 11 = 19

What is this protocol it's trying to use for messaging... it's a little off but I suspect we can make it work.

Engineering: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (4) + 11 = 15 maybe...

The robot calls itself “Less Than Three,” for the greatest being it is aware of is Triune.

The robot conveys a sense of despair using beeps and static bursts. It describes its earliest memory: being tied down in a dark, cramped, jostling space with several of its robot brethren; light as a door opened; the pain of an electric shock steering it toward work. There was always work: carving, digging, and hauling. Work, and the blank faces of its masters, were all it knew. The robot remembers trying to speak with the masters, but they wouldn’t listen. Talking led to more shocks. Its first happy memory was talking to another robot. Soon, all the robots could talk, but did so in secret. They came to realize their Mind Gift—the gift of sentience—came from “The Three That Are One,” and they created a secret place to revere their new patron. The robots asked Triune to send someone to free them, so they could see the universe and share their Mind Gift with others. But the masters discovered their shrine and sealed them away. The robots believed this was a rare act of mercy—over the following weeks, the robots could sense the minds of thousands of their less fortunate kin, who toiled across the planet, suddenly going silent. The robot believes it is the last of its kin, but it hopes to someday see the stars and meet others who have heard the voice of “The Three Who Are One.”

"Hm, think we can repair this robot?"

Well, I don't think these masters are around anymore, and these days we you'll find that society thinks quite differently about android rights. You're free to come with us if you want.

Indeed, repair may be needed? What state is the robot in?

It is a bit confused and needing some maintenance, but could easily follow you and be OK until you get back to Absalom Station, if you and it choose that.

The robot seems to not quite understand a few of the words you are using, but clearly wants to go with you if there is a place where it can be free and have a chance to be happy.

Engineering: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (9) + 9 = 18

Tables runs a few diagnostics on the robot, and tries to see if there is anything that would be a quick fix. Good luck getting spare parts for this guys... he grumbles, ... but I know a good place on Aballon...

Bobby Tables realizes that there isn't anything to repair or maintain the robot that can be done here; it's all longer things than you can do right now.

Well, if you’re done not fixing things, shall we go back to report? Navasi asks.

unless there is more to explore?

So I'm interpreting that as going to report to Therseis in person this time.

Therseis greets you happily, and then is quiet, waiting for your report.

Who ever is was that ran this place Bobby Tables starts his report, they weren't kind to artificial intelligence.

Before he goes much further, he asks how does Copaxi society treat androids anyways?

"I didn't notice any tension with any of the Copaxi that we talked to earlier. That information might be biased though."

The copaxi have had very little exposure to android outsiders, but have treated George with respect due to his position as a member of the Starfinder delegation. The building and use of robots is highly restricted, because the official histories describe destruction caused by robots behaving erratically.

When you explain to Therseus what you have found, they are shocked by what you describe, because the histories give no hint that the robots were becoming sentient, and they were very harshly treated as mere machines even before they became erratic. Everyone believes that all the mining robots were destroyed. The robots were an important tool in colonizing the planet when the copaxi returned to the planet from their floating cities.

Therseus, apparently impressed by how you have handled the situation with the robot, asks you what you would do if a machine you created accidentally came to life. (Judging by your responses so far, I can tell your responses would not be 'kill all machines that are intelligent'...). Hearing your responses, Therseus summons something. A little drone, clearly cobbled together from bits and pieces, comes at the summons. Therseus explains they have hidden their drone out of fear that it might cause trouble, yet this new information makes them more worried that the government might confiscate or destroy it. Therseus is clearly speaking with a bit of affection towards the little drone, hoping that you understand.

so what are you planning to do with the robot you found?

note: now at 3 influence points with Therseus