[Outpost VI] SFS 5-10: Shadow of the Vault Lord (Inactive)

Game Master cmlobue

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Game starts officially on March 6, but feel free to get acquainted in the Gameplay thread before then.

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Right then, unless the Scenario calls for anything in specific, here is my boons loadout:
Personal: Against the Aeon Throne (Species) AND Suskillon Survivor
Faction: Manifold Host Champion
Promotional: t-shirt re-roll
Ally: Master Hireling - Medic (Culture, Medicine, Survival)
Social: Faction's Friend (from 1-01)
Starship: n/a
Slotless: Marked Field Agent (from 1-01), Year of the Scoured Stars, Experienced Diplomat

At her earlierst convenience (either before being deployed or if we can shop once landed at the Lodge on Salvation's End) Grey will also do some shopping: Starfinder backpack, Focused Expert Gimmick, Pearly White Spindle Aeon Stone, Spell Chip Time's Edge, Serum of Healing Mk 3 x 3

Since some jerk decided not to play a healer (#SorryNotSorry XD) Grey would also remind her allies that it's not a bad idea for folks to stock up on some Healing Serums.

I suppose I should also finalize Quantum-K's boons.
Personal Devolved: Avian
Faction Impr. Exo-Guardians Champion
Promotional T-shirt reroll
Ally Gun Runner
Social Known Quality
Starship Gate of the Twelve Suns Veteran
Slotless Marked Field Agent (from 1-01), Tip of the Spear (Jadnura), United Society (Luasi Elsebo), Theoretical Historian (Exo-G), Purveyor of Kishalee

Boons
1. Known Quality=triple day jobs.
2. Publiscist: When slotting this boon, select either Culture, Diplomacy, or Profession. You gain a circumstance bonus to that skill check equal to your half your current Acquisitives Reputation Tier (rounding up).
3. Elite Hireling: My level+6 for my hireling skill: Diplomat: Bluff, Diplomacy, Intimidate

Known Quality=triple day jobs.
Publiscist: When slotting this boon, select either Culture, Diplomacy, or Profession. You gain a circumstance bonus to that skill check equal to your half your current Acquisitives Reputation Tier (rounding up).
Elite Hireling: My level+6 for my hireling skill: Diplomat: Bluff, Diplomacy, Intimidate

Empress-on-Grey casts Break Fourth Wall, which is exclusive to the Witchwarper spell list.

"Hey, has anyone seen our second Operative? Listen, as a witchwarper, I know a thing or two about alternate reality cross-over episodes, and I've heard nothing but good stuff about 'people named Riker in sci-fi settings.' I was curious to meet 'em!"

My understanding was that anything that is not marked with the emblem of the Starfinder Society in AoN was not allowed unless you have a boon that grants it. And, indeed, Esper is called out in that discussion as not allowed, without any more authoritative information that it would be.

[ooc]So Grey is Themeless for this visit to 23-A.

Roger that. It's a pretty small change, luckily. She got her limited telepathy from the ESPer Theme, so as to still have telepathy she'd have also bought a Mk 2 Mindlink Circlet on her shopping trip, if that's alright.

Somehow this dropped out of my active games, sorry about that.

I'm not sure what to make of everything so far. The Vault Entrance's computers are borked, there's no comms in or out (but that's not unusual for Salvation's End, IIRC), the tiefling that the mission briefing specifically called out as "kind, patient, and giving" (she volunteers in soup kitchens, for crying out loud :D) is disgruntled(?) about something but not in a sharing mood and uncharacteristically quick-to-anger, and the crystal walkways are psychically projecting visions of impending (or maybe it's prior?) doom? Cleary something is going on here - but it feels like we're still missing pieces.

Oh well - clearly, we need to talk to this Lunesha character to see what's up.

You have not selected a shoot, loot and scoot scenario. The secret checks covered the visual clues you may have found, now it is up to reasoning. If you don't want to try anything else now, going to the meeting with Lunesha is definitely an option.

Oh yeah, for sure. I'm not frustrated, or anything :) Just thinking out loud, and sharing my thoughts so far with the rest of the table, seeing if anyone else has any insights. Otherwise, I think I'm good to go for this meeting with Lunesha.

I think there is something odd with Merin. The Vault lord can mess with peoples minds, if I recall a previous scenario correctly. I'm not sure if Lunesha is influenced or just Merin. But I'm way suspicious of Merin at the moment. Could be our tiefling has noticed odd things and is less trusting now because of it.

Bahh, almost wish I can brought my envoy instead, she is right up with finding out peoples messed with minds.

I don't have any magic that can help with mind-messing...well other than counter-mind-messing with Charm Person/Monster, or just a blind Dispel Magic and hoping that pays off ¯⁠\⁠_⁠(⁠ツ⁠)⁠_⁠/⁠¯ Both seem kinda rude, without more to go on. Maybe time for a good ol' fashioned Sense Motive, specifically the Sense Mental Effect application?

Ugh, betrayal!!
As we enter combat, feel free to call out for Grey to do Witchwarper nonsense: she can turn near-hits into misses, turn crits against us into regular hits, let allies re-roll Saves, give energy resistance 15, or let allies re-roll nearly any d20 roll. Most of them take a Reaction, so she can't do any of these until she's acted, and only once per turn, but - she's a force-multiplier! Can't always guarantee she'll do stuff, but you can always feel free to ask :)

Z Data Z is up.

Oh dang, two people panicked - that's pretty good! Don't forget that even on a pass, Igrim is Shaken for 1 round, so it's a good time to hit 'em with with spells, etc., while his Saves are reduced.

Also, there's an enemy with the word "Blast" in their name floating around invisible somewhere, so - I suggest trying to spread out, if possible. Does anyone have See Invisibility or some flavour of Blindsense/sight?

Lastly: we're going to try and knock these Starfinders out, and not kill them, right? We're not sure why they're betraying us, and we don't think there's any mind-control magic at play, but presumably something's up, here.

Most of my spells are.... destructive. I'll concentrate on the pillars to begin with. If we get those down we may be able to take on whoever is orchestrating this.

Quantum has a See Invis spell chip in her contingency plan folder on her flight computer.

Several others as well.

L0: Stabilize, Mending, Grave Words
L1: Comp. Languages, Remove Condition (Lsr), Spirit Bound Computer
L2: Restoration (Lsr), See Invisibility
L3: nothing
L4: Mystic Cure

@Compucast & Z Data Z - between the three of us, looks like one of us needs to try and shut-down the south-east pillar, and one of us should try and deal with Igrim. (And, bonus points if anyone can deal with the invisible spell caster hanging around :S)
Grey has decent, but not incredible, Mysticism and can try and Withdraw from Igrim this turn, to try and disable the pillar next turn. Alternatively, she can try and hit Igrim with a focused Hold Person. She'll have to five-foot step back, though, which means she can't use any of her tricks, like a spell feint.

Thoughts? Anyone have a better shot at either disabling the pillar, or somehow incapacitating Igrim?

I'm hoping that Sox (with a +18 Computers) has a decent chance of disabling the NE pillar.

If that works, Q-K plans to cycle up a See Invisibility to start working on Betsy B.

I can hit a pillar next round, but started too far from any of them to do any good this round. Figured haste would solve that problem for everyone though.

If there is still an active pillar next round, I'll have a go at it though.

I don't have a lot of non lethal options available, so I'm hoping once we get out of the force-field trap, we can get to whoever is influencing the starfinders.

I do have access to see invisibility if required, but it is only a personal spell.

Anyone have any clever thoughts re: smashing hallway trap? I thought some of the new Infinite Worlds uses from Interstellar Species would maybe help, but on closer reading I don't think they'd affect moving pistons; plus, Infinite Worlds wouldn't cover a 120 ft long corridor.

If Compucast can throw out another Haste, then we should be able to run through the hallway in one round; Grey, Katrina, and Quantum-K all have precent decent Reflex, so maybe worth the risk? It's barely a good solution for those three, though, and not so hot for Compucast and Data...

Presuming the OFF button actually works, just getting one of us to the other side is likely our best bet.

Fwiw, a Haste on Q-K bumps her speed from 80 up to 100 (she already has 10ft of Enhancement speed from an Aeon stone).

Presuming the OFF button actually works, just getting one of us to the other side is likely our best bet.

It's worth a shot! Maybe I'm just having Datch-related flashbacks, but - between the Starfinder B-Team being a trap, the elevator being a trap, and this hallway being a trap...I'm not sure I trust something helpfully labelled "OFF," lol. Let's not push it until we've given it a thorough inspection, lest it like, set the smashing walls on fire, of make them have bees in their mouth so when they smash they shoot bees, or whatever :D

Should have read here first. I think haste may still be active, in which case with good timing we should be able to get through the hall in a single round.

Happy to cast another haste spell if it has expired. Last adventure I used almost no spell slots due to free use of magic missile and unfortunate positioning.

Katrina with a base of 50 from her operative level may be able to even make it through without a haste.

I did take 1 minute to patch myself up with Treat Deadly Wounds, so that may have eaten Haste...sorry :S If we can hand-wave that away, though, I'd forego the 14 HP regained, if it means Haste, still!

Also, FWIW, we probably still have Communal Bond up - lasts for 120 min. So if we Aid each other, we get +3, instead of the usual +2. Could be handy for Perception, Engineering, etc.

So, maybe best bet is for Katrina and Quantum-K to both zip across in one round, and Aid each other trying to shut it off?

No worries. I'll drop another haste. That will easily let Katrina through in one round. The 100' double move wouldn't normally quite get her the full length.

Cake

Mmmmm...rhubarb on fire :U :D

If the oozes are slow, the ceiling turrets (temporarily) walled off, and the door out of here open - we're all okay to just skedaddle, right? No need to hang around here when there's Starfinders to save, yeah? If we're very lucky, telling the doors to close in Akitonian will leave the ooze and the turrets to keep each other company :D

I'm happy to skedaddle. That is what I was trying to indicate with CC dashing for the door. Heck, with the real team rescued they may be able to help dump some more firepower on the oozes too.

Also if there is another long corridor I can try and lightning bolt them all. Thinking of which, I'd better check that doesn't split them or anything weight.

Yeah, but if we have to come back this way, it might come back to bite us in the end.

Or we might lead them into a final combat to make it a three way battle, which could be kind of amusing. Bad guys minions come back to dissolve him. Let the punishment fit the crime!

Moving along works for Kendra.

I am picturing a universe somewhere that lacks precogs where everything seems like it is about to go right, but then fails at the last moment. As if all their successes were being siphoned away...

It's better than that parallel reality deserves! They know what they did, cmlobue!

Also aw man, shame that bomb is bolted down. That would've been an amazing idea, if we could've just chucked it into the Ooze Room XD

Though if there is another exit from here, without the Starfinders here, does it matter if it goes off... if we are far enough away. It might still take out the oozes for us.

But we need another way out which we might not have time for. I do like the artistry of that plan though.

I like the idea, but if there is another combat, that means we really have have to book it. Plus if we miss out on a lot of treasure because it got blown up, well, that'd be awful.

@cmoblue - That sounds like many of my nightmares.

So - what's our plan? I'm hearing something like:
1. Get close to the Residential area where we think they're keeping the B Team
2. Have a handful of our stealthiest stealthers (I'm assuming Katrina and Kendra) scout ahead to see what the situation is and then report back, hopefully without engaging, and keeping in radio contact
3. Once we know what we're walking into, we pop invisibility and see invisibility onto as many of us as we can, and hope for the best?
I can throw regular ol' Invisibility onto anyone who wants it, and Grey can then cast See Invisibility on herself. But, I'd prefer to not cast Greater Invisibility unless we really needed, since I have the feeling we're gonna need those higher level spell slots...

I can use see invisibility, but it is a personal only spell, so I can't help others with it.

Compucast is built for attacks and melee support rather than stealth sorry.

Seems good to me

Quick pulse check: Outpost VI is scheduled to end in just under two weeks, May 15th. Are we gonna make that? I'm hoping to have Empress-on-Grey free by May 19th - need to get one more scenario in, to level up to 13, for Beta Test at PaizoCon! :D

Depends how fast you want to kill Lunesha, but likely.

Katrina and Quantum-K both seem to be doing Sonic damage - which Lunesha also appears to be resisting. Grey can use Shift Resistance to try and knock that down, but it only lasts for one round, and a creature can only be targeted once a day, so we'd have to make it count.

Grey was thinking of following up on that tip that Katrina discovered, about trying to Dispel Magic on Lunesha to mess with the aeon stone in her flesh; she was thinking of trying that Round 3. But, if Grey instead Shifts Resistance round 3, maybe one of our other casters can try Dispel Magic? Or, is there anything else we can do to make sure Katrina and Q-K have the best possible chance to hit Lunesha if her sonic resistance is knocked out?

<Presuming that the team still has their psychic tele-network running>

"I can focus targeting on her in just a sec."

Translation: another Impr. Get'em in Round 3 for +2 to attack & damage.

Sounds like a plan then! Round 3, Grey will try and shred her sonic resistance, QK will hit her with the ol' Get 'Em, Katrina and QK try and pile on the Sonic Damage, and bonus points if Compucast or Z Data Z can try a Dispel Magic? Let's do it!