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

Game Master cmlobue

After offering her thanks to Grey for her efforts, Kendra lays a hand on Katrina's shoulder & offers some words of encouragement.

"It's ok - I was totally planning to throw that switch as well."

Q-K spends another RP as her words boost Katrina's morale, restoring 35SP.

(Side note, between Grey's medical ministrations & her own Adamantine-laced armor, Q-K is now at 0/110 SP 75/78 HP.)

Compucast runs down the hall with the others.

"Do we have a way to check this door for futher traps?" he asks, inspecting it closely.

engineering: 1d20 + 21 ⇒ (7) + 21 = 28

Katrina takes several deep breaths to calm down. Thanks Kendra ... but .. yeah .. a lever labelled to turn off the traps that actually activates more traps? That's just pure evil.

She pauses for a bit. But I gotta admit, getting through that lot without getting a scratch? WHOOOO! Whatta RUSH! WHEEEEE!

Now you know why some entities call me Crazy Kat ... and not because my second name is Cre..pusculum

She then looks over to Empress-in-Grey. Say ... is that as big as your water enclosure goes?

Grey pulls in some extra ambient moisture to increase her water body's diameter. "There's a limit to how much I can hold with my mind, but there's definitely room for you if you need a mermaid break, or to centre yourself!" Grey 'paths while flashing through an interesting sequence of colours. "But for now, we've got more work to do though - let's push on."

Katrina blushes a bit. I usually need a lot of room for mermaiding, but yeah ... meditation. I'll keep that in mind thanks although hopefully it can wait until after the mission.

Speaking of mission, let's give this door a really good once or twice over

perception: 1d20 + 20 ⇒ (12) + 20 = 32

Grey peers over Katrina's shoulder, trying to make sure we don't miss anything.
Perception Aid vs DC 10: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 2 = 7

*sad cuttlefish noises*

Q-K also tries to help Katrina scope out the door.

Auto assist with Perception +16

The door has no traps on it. It is locked, but the Starfinders can make quick work of it. It was probably just to delay you so the previous hallway's hazards could get one more shot at you.

Lunesha appears on a nearby vidscreen. “Uncrushed and unexploded? Maybe you really are heroes. How delightful! Well, one door left. Better light the candle on this cake.”

Going to take a bit to get the map up, because Paizo didn't provide a version without spoilers, but you will get another big hallway that you can easily walk down safely, really.

Grey cautions the team: "Eyes open, Starfinders. Whatever this cake is, I really doubt we're going to like it..."

She'll try and aid whoever's checking the hallway for traps, throwing out a Detect Magic in case there's bad magics around. We should still have Communal Bond up, so successful Aids grant +3, too!

Perception Aid vs DC 10: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (13) + 2 = 15

Q-K chuckles.

"I've heard that one before. And I know the answer to it too."

She readies her sonic rifle as she fades from view (triggering her lightwrap inlays)

"The cake is a lie, baby. The cake is a lie."

Side note: Q-K's See Invis should still be running as well.

What cake? Yuck. I prefer pie.

Depends on the cake or the pie. And the cake may be a lie but I have my suspicions about the candle. Ever heard of the expression "Let's light this candle"? It mean start the rocket motors, usually referring to the old tall rockets with the HUGE boosters.

Okay, we'll do this the old-fashioned way. >Slide 6<. You are coming from C2. Someone gets a +3 Perception from Grey. Still need to know where Compucast is in your formation.

This long hallway has a camera near the top of the wall in each end. There is a vent in the ceiling to the north. The only other exit is to your southeast.

I nominate Katrina to be our designated Perception Check Maker :D I don't suppose you have Trap Spotter or similar abilities, by chance?

Kendra's more than happy to auto-assist Katrina's Perception checks.

Nope

perception: 1d20 + 20 + 3 ⇒ (7) + 20 + 3 = 30

Compucast will also auto-assist with perception. He normally hangs round in the middle of the formation, but given everyone's been damaged apart from him, he is happy to go at the front. Especially as he was likely the person who dismantled the door.

The vent is rigged to release some sort of gas into the room. It can be disabled with an Engineering check.

"Seals on everyone." says Compucast, checking his own.

"I'm guessing acid, which may harm our armour, but who knows in this place. It certainly feels like someone wants to go into competition with Zo!"

He tries to deactivate the vent.

engineering: 1d20 + 21 ⇒ (8) + 21 = 29

Kendra pulls an Aeon stone from a belt pouch & sets it in orbit around her head. (Iridescent Spindle, for those who care).

"Thanks, 'Cast. Good to know."

Katrina glances at the cameras. Hmph. I could think of better peril runs ... as she seals up. She wears clearweave armour with the patch of the Manta Corps over the left breast with a mermaid underneath it. Her armour then fills with water.

Once ready, she helps with the engineering. engineering: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (10) + 14 = 24

It's always a fun gamble on if it helps or not, but, Grey did cast Life Bubble on the party, way back when - so hopefully we have some protection from gassy sadness?

Regardless of how much protection your gear and magic provides from gassy sadness, Compucast manages to jam the vent so it will not open.

As you proceed down the hallway, doors slam down from the ceiling; one blocks each exit, and the third bisects the hallway, splitting the group. At the same time, two automated turrets emerge from the walls in the south, and a door opens in the ceiling, depositing a pair of bluish ooze creatures and some sort of crystal on the floor.

The doors appear to be solid steel and have runes on them. You can probably open them with sufficient Engineering or Mysticism.

Good news is, you were hurrying, so you have a bit of haste left. Say, two rounds.

Round 1 - bolded may go

Katrina (-51 SP, haste)
Z Data Z (-55 SP, -6 HP, haste)
Quantum-K (-110 SP, -17 HP, -2 RP, haste)
Red
Green
Empress-on-Grey (-60 SP, -1 RP, haste)
Compucast (-56 SP, haste)
Yellow
Blue

"I knew this would happen," Grey 'paths, at the same time as her vocalizer says out loud, "I think we're metaphysically close enough to a...got it! There's a version of this hallway that's 20 ft shorter, multiversally right next door! I think I can wall off those turrets!"

Going to try and use a 4th level Infinite Worlds to create a barrier right in front of the turrets, on my turn. Each 5-ft section will have Hardness 8 and 20 HP, so should hopefully keep those turrets off of for at least a little bit.

She'll also ask her freeze-dried cube of pocket-ikeshti what the Akitonian is.
Culture: 1d20 + 20 ⇒ (9) + 20 = 29
Embarrassingly, Grey happens to have hired one of the few Akitonian ikeshti survivalists that doesn't understand Akitonian :D

"Open!" intones Q-K, in Akitonian.

Data will attempt to open them engineering: 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (11) + 17 = 28

culture: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (17) + 16 = 33

She studies the runes, grateful for all those late night lessons in mysticism
mysticism: 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (16) + 17 = 33

Quantum-K reads the runes and speaks "friend" "open" in Akitonian, causing the doors to recede into the ceiling.

No one had to use actions because of that, so we are still at the top of the round.

Round 1 - bolded may go

Katrina (-51 SP, haste)
Z Data Z (-55 SP, -6 HP, haste)
Quantum-K (-110 SP, -17 HP, -2 RP, haste)
Red
Green
Empress-on-Grey (-60 SP, -1 RP, haste)
Compucast (-56 SP, haste)
Yellow
Blue

"What are those blue things over there?" ask Q-K, pointing to the relative North.

Life Science: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (17) + 6 = 23

While she ponders, she pulls an injector from her belt pouch & slaps it against her thigh.
Healing Serum Mk2: 3d8 ⇒ (3, 3, 5) = 11

Data creates a wall of fire as indicated on the map.

Katrina tries to identify the blue cubes with mysticism while looking at them warily.

mysticism: 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (16) + 17 = 33

The creatures are made of Life Science, so Katrina isn't able to lkearn much. Quantum K recognizes them as thorgothrels, which are (unsurprisingly) oozes. She also has two bits of useful information about them.

1) Primary attack modes.
2) Energy resistances/Immunities.

These are things Q-K would like to know.

Wall of Fire
An immobile blazing curtain of opaque, shimmering, violet fire springs into existence. One side of the wall, selected by you, sends forth waves of heat, dealing 2d6 fire damage to creatures within 10 feet and 1d6 fire damage to those beyond 10 feet but within 20 feet. The wall deals this damage when it appears and on your turn each subsequent round. In addition, the wall deals 5d6 fire damage to any creature passing through it. The wall deals double damage to undead creatures.
Forgot to roll damage when I cast it, both are within 10 feet of it. dmg: 2d6 ⇒ (1, 4) = 5 You shall not pass Hopefully they back up instead of move forward, but they are mindless oozes, so I wouldn't be surprised if they move forward anyway. Not sure if oozes can feel pain or not.

Thorgothrels Can inject a poison with their pseudopods that can reduce someone's cognitive abilities until they are little more than animals. They are immune to cold and electricity.

Round 1 - bolded may go

Katrina (-51 SP, haste)
Z Data Z (-55 SP, -6 HP, haste)
Quantum-K (-110 SP, -6 HP, -2 RP, haste)
Red
Green
Empress-on-Grey (-60 SP, -1 RP, haste)
Compucast (-56 SP, haste)
Yellow
Blue

Katrina heads down to the exit corridor to see what is down there while drawing her UW Elite Semi-Auto Pistol

She then fires at Yellow
Taking 10 for 36 for Trick Attack
esap: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (5) + 16 = 21 piercing: 3d6 + 6 ⇒ (6, 4, 5) + 6 = 21
tricksy damage: 6d8 ⇒ (1, 1, 1, 1, 2, 6) = 12

Maybe she still needs more range practice.

As Data blocks off the oozes, Katrina fires a shot at one of the turrets.

The green-tinged ooze pushes through the flames.

Fire Damage: 5d6 ⇒ (4, 5, 1, 6, 6) = 22

There is a brief shimmer, as if an energy field was shorting out. It continues on, firing a blast of electricity at Empress.

Field Overload: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (18) + 16 = 34 vs. EAC
Electricity Damage: 2d8 + 8 ⇒ (3, 6) + 8 = 17

The red cannon shoots Katrina with a focused blast of sound.

Discombobulator: 1d20 + 24 ⇒ (10) + 24 = 34
Sonic Damage: 3d8 + 11 ⇒ (1, 4, 3) + 11 = 19

It then collapses back into the wall.

Round 1 - bolded may go

Katrina (-70 SP, haste)
Z Data Z (-55 SP, -6 HP, haste)
Quantum-K (-110 SP, -6 HP, -2 RP, haste)
Red (full cover)
Green (-2 THP, -7 HP, -1 RP)
Empress-on-Grey (-60 SP, -17 HP, -1 RP, haste)
Compucast (-56 SP, haste)
Yellow
Blue (-5 THP)

"Rude!" Grey shouts at the green ooze, as she uses her little remaining Haste, to hustle over to the doorway out of here and hope that they aren't going to ram downwards again as yet another trap, lol.

Then, she'll use that 4th level Infinite Worlds to create a barrier right in front of the turrets, hanging down from the ceiling like stalagtites (the blue line I added on the map.) She can affect a 10 ft radius spread, and create eight 5-ft cubes - so, like a curtain descending 5 ft from the ceiling, 20 ft wide, and 10 ft thick, hanging down from the ceiling. Each of the 5-ft cubes has Hardness 8 and 20 HP. The barrier lasts 12 rounds. (If we're lucky, these security turrets are dumb enough that they'll just not see enemies, and shut down, and not try to shoot through the wall.)

For flavour, the barrier looks exactly like the existing walls and ceilings of this place; she's just 'borrowing' some architecture from a parallel existence where this hallway happens to be shorter.

Something was destined to drop from the ceiling here. Empress-on-Grey ensured that it was the ceiling near the turrets instead of a door.

Round 1/ - bolded may go

Katrina (-70 SP, haste)
Z Data Z (-55 SP, -6 HP, haste)
Quantum-K (-110 SP, -6 HP, -2 RP, haste)
Red (full cover)
Green (-2 THP, -7 HP, -1 RP)
Empress-on-Grey (-60 SP, -17 HP, -1 RP, haste)
Compucast (-56 SP, haste)
Yellow
Blue (-5 THP)

I think it just tried to wub me out

Taking advantage of his speed and the barriers, Compucast unloads a couple of magical missiles into the approaching ooze before heading down to the passage.

MM,dangerous spells: 2d4 + 2 + 5 ⇒ (3, 2) + 2 + 5 = 12

The field around the ooze shimmers as the missiles strike it.

Yellow starts trying to blast through this inconvenient wall.

Sonic Damage: 3d8 + 11 ⇒ (4, 3, 3) + 11 = 21
Sonic Damage: 3d8 + 11 ⇒ (5, 7, 6) + 11 = 29

The reality it came from will be sending Empress-on-Grey a bill for the damages.

The bluish ooze also forces itself through the fire before trying to shock Z Data Z.

Fire Damage: 5d6 ⇒ (5, 5, 2, 3, 6) = 21

Field Overload: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (12) + 16 = 28 vs. EAC
Electricity Damage: 2d8 + 8 ⇒ (5, 4) + 8 = 17

Round 2- bolded may go

Katrina (-70 SP, haste)
Z Data Z (-72 SP, -6 HP, haste)
Quantum-K (-110 SP, -6 HP, -2 RP, haste)
Red (full cover)
Green (-14 THP, -7 HP, -1 RP)
Empress-on-Grey (-60 SP, -17 HP, -1 RP, haste)
Compucast (-56 SP, haste)
Yellow (very angry at a wall)
Blue (-2 THP, -6 HP, -1 RP)

Tucking her sonic rifle into her shoulder, Noel grips the bipod/forestock tightly before launching a pair of shots at the Green ooze.

Note that unless these creatures have some way of seeing invisible targets, Green should be flat-footed to the first shot.
Though, as these are oozes, they probably have vibration sense or some other extraordinary senses.

In any case - it's Pew! Pew! time.

surge staccato rifle shot 1 vs Green's EAC: 1d20 + 17 - 2 ⇒ (13) + 17 - 2 = 28
shot 1 sonic damage: 2d10 + 12 ⇒ (3, 4) + 12 = 19
surge staccato rifle shot 2 vs Green's EAC: 1d20 + 17 - 2 ⇒ (20) + 17 - 2 = 35
shot 2 sonic damage: 2d10 + 12 ⇒ (1, 3) + 12 = 16

Being oozes, they're likely immune to crits, but in case these are different...

shot 2 crit sonic damage & deafened: 2d10 + 12 ⇒ (6, 9) + 12 = 27

Making use of Compucast's Haste spell, Q-K flies further down the hall, toward the other (likely trapped) exit.

Data steps back a little and casts resist armor lesser to gain a Damage reduction of 5 electric and 5 sonic for 10 minutes.
This takes down my fire wall since it is concentration to keep it going.

Katrina takes a shot at the blue tinged ooze before heading into the corridor to take point.

Taking 10 for 36 for Trick Attack
esap v KAC: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (4) + 16 = 20 piercing: 3d6 + 6 ⇒ (1, 5, 6) + 6 = 18
tricksy damage: 6d8 ⇒ (1, 4, 1, 7, 2, 6) = 21

As he scoots down the hall, Compucast tries to recall what he knows about oozes, and these ones in particular.

life science: 1d20 + 21 ⇒ (9) + 21 = 30

Katrina pokes one more hole in an ooze before running. The field around it shimmers once again, but not until after a good chunk of material sprays out the back.

Z Data Z switches to a defensive spell, since the oozes are past her barrier.

Quantum-K pew pews at the green one before bolting for the exit. It indeed does not care how well aimed her shots were.

The reddish turret emerges and blasts the wall.

Sonic Damage: 3d8 + 11 ⇒ (4, 1, 4) + 11 = 20

The greenish ooze approaches the Starfinders.

Compucast can recall two additional facts about the oozes.

Round 2 - bolded may go

Katrina (-70 SP)
Z Data Z (-72 SP, -6 HP, resist armor)
Quantum-K (-110 SP, -6 HP, -2 RP)
Red
Green (-16 THP, -20 HP, -2 RP)
Empress-on-Grey (-60 SP, -17 HP, -1 RP, haste)
Compucast (-56 SP, haste)
Yellow
Blue (-27 HP, -2 RP)

The bluish ooze also forces itself through the fire before trying to shock Z Data Z.

Fire Damage: 5d6 ⇒ (5, 5, 2, 3, 6) = 21

Field Overload: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (12) + 16 = 28 vs. EAC
Electricity Damage: 2d8 + 8 ⇒ (5, 4) + 8 = 17

Before my turn, can I have spent 1 RP and used my Reaction to try the Disrupt Attack paradigm shift on Blue's attack vs Z Data Z? Blue can make a DC 23 Will Save, or else get a -3 to that attack (which, I think, would make it a miss vs Z Data Z?)

On her turn: per chatter in Discussion channel, are we just...leaving? The door's open; I think we just all leave, Q-K says "Close" in Akitonian, and carry on with our lives?

Compucast is curious about this field that seems to absorb damage, and any other special defences that they have.

As the starfinders retreat into the side corridor he concentrates, and a acidic mist appears in the corridor behind the last of the starfinders. He then continues his own retreat.

"That should slow them down, even if it doesn't stop them entirely."

I'm assuming we are all in that narrow corridor now, just bunched outside it on the map because the map doesn't extend there. The haze would be at the corridor entrance, all the better to block pursuit. Those large oozes will need to go through it and suffer a reflex save or be stuck for a turn (not to mention take damage) Ref DC24

Compucast recalls that a thorgothrel’s internal armatures create an invisible field around it just like the shield provided by a gray force field armor upgrade, except that it has unlimited charged and can be restored as a reaction by spending a resolve point. They have no other defenses beyond what all oozes do.

Z Data Z is not there yet, though she likely will be next round.