[Gameday XII] Starfinder Society Special #5-99: Battle for the Bulwark (Author's Table)(Levels 1-2) (Inactive)

Game Master Lysle

Prepare for departure from Absalom Station.

Dotting in

An android whose face looks like a combination of two arrives at the scene. Perhaps they are late or maybe they are too early. Whenever one introduces themselves, they also introduce themselves.

"My name is Felix. It is a pleasure to meet you." they say in a combined voice that speaks in unison.

A witchwyrd looks up from their portable vidgame rig at the sound of the androids' voice(s). They look down, type something, tap a button, and a network streaming light extinguishes. They look up through the AR clas covering their eyes and say "Oh, uh, hi. I'm Inky"

A large bear in heavy armor taps her head to indicate that she is about to send a telepathic message to you.

A pleasant alto voice in your head says, "Hello! My name is Ursula Arctos-Bearington. I find it much easier to communicate this way. My vocal cords are, well, a touch lacking." She roars to demonstrate.

Leannah smiles and shyly greets her new teammates.

It is a common problem, another large bear adds, also telepathically, We're not especially built for it. I'm Jatri.

Looking from himself to Ursula, he reaches up to touch the ceiling and adds, I can think of something else we're not built for. Hopefully we aren't going to be exploring any place built by goblins or ysoki...

House GM post

At last the time has come. Com units everywhere chime with incoming boarding orders. Senior Starfinders and leaders shepherd the various teams, ensuring everyone finds their correct berth, despite the buzz of activity and seeming chaos.

Ships launch and the mission is underway. Each individual experiences the time through their own perspective and anxiety. For some the journey is almost instantaneous, others feel like it is taking forever.

Table GMs, the game has begun. Please begin with the introduction and remember to report when your table is ready to proceed. Thank you.

“We’re headed back the Bulwark, Starfinders!” declares Ixthia the Unbreakable. The copaxi’s image appears on the viewscreen as it’s being broadcast across the fleet from the expedition’s lead ship, the Thunderous Transgressor. Ixthia’s coral-like features convey little expression, but the excitement in their voice is undeniable.

“The resolve to return to Sangoro’s Bulwark, former headquarters of the Exo-Guardians, existed years before we became leader of that stalwart faction.Years before we even joined the Starfinder Society." They continue. "Indeed, the resolve was spawned the moment that all contact with Sangoro’s Bulwark was lost and our brethren stationed there failed to return.”

“The Starfinder Society lacked the capacity and resources to mount an earlier return, having already suffered heavy losses during the Scoured Stars Incident. Yet, amid the pounding waves of loss, the resolve of the Exo-Guardians and its allies remained steadfast. It led to the recovery of the Bulwark’s coordinates, and it has led to the formation of this fleet."

"Just as the passage of time sees the atoll rise over the waves of the sea, so too has the Society over these past several years risen above the waves of adversity, growing in its strength, in its ranks, and in its capabilities. The Society’s resolve and readiness have been made evident through the formation of this fleet as well as the drills and exercises conducted over the past few weeks.”

“As we approach our objective, assemble your gear, finish your preparations, and send any last messages. Today, we reclaim Sangoro’s Bulwark.”

Please introduce (or continue with introductions) for your PCs, perhaps describing how time has been spent while traveling through the Drift and training for this mission, or swapping stories of past adventures. The PCs can make any last-minute purchases from the fleet quartermaster at this time.

PCs may attempt a Culture check to recall knowledge or a Diplomacy check to gather information about Sangoro’s Bulwark and its history

diplomacy: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (8) + 7 = 15

After collecting the knowledge she can by talking to people, Leannah shares it with her new teammates.

The skitter mander Chance walks in. Hi, here to help
He will then ask around about Sangoro’s Bulwark and its history diplomacy: 1d20 ⇒ 9

Thank you for the thorough breakdown, Leannah! I knew some of it already, but I don't have anything else to add.

Culture: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (3) + 6 = 9

Inky spends most of his time absorbed in his custom headset, playing an AR vidgame that mostly seems to involve building an environment around him out of one-meter cubes. When asked what he's doing, he nods, turning on a small projector that overlays the world of his game on the room around him. "Building out my demo world. I'm gonna make a set of tutorial videos for my channel on the return trip and publish when we're back home."

When he hears Ixthia's announcement, he pauses his game for a moment to think about what he knows of the Bulwark.

Culture: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (14) + 8 = 22

"Hm. Big, old fortress, built by who knows who way back. Discovered by Sangoro, who founded the Exo-Guardians despite being a Vesk at a time when folks in the Pact Worlds weren't so happy to see Vesk. Anyway, big old fortress. Location was real hush-hush 'cause of all the sweet weapon drops. Was a whole big side quest to find the coords; glad I skipped that one. A real boss level of a planet, though--poison air, extreme temps, dust storms; can't go underground to avoid 'cause that's radioactive. Supposed to be better once you get down into the crater itself, if you can deal with the magical dark."

Felix spends their time watching the outside of the ship they are in as it travels, staring blankly at inky black space streaked with stars and all as they travel.

Culture: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (9) + 8 = 17

They know some information about Sangro, pulling out the data from their synthetic mind.

You know that Sangoro was a vesk Starfinder who discovered the Bulwark and gave it to the Society. Many Starfinders distrusted him, as the Pact Worlds were in conflict with the Veskarium at the time, but he soon founded the Exo-Guardians faction and became a distinguished Starfinder. Sangoro’s Bulwark is a massive fortress built by a forgotten alien race and is the only structure on Mazdrun, a world known for its toxic atmosphere, extreme temperatures, violent dust storms, and subterranean radioactivity. The Exo-Guardians kept the planet’s location secret due to the weapon stockpiles once held within the extensive passages and vaults beneath the fortress. After Sangoro’s Bulwark fell, no one knew its location—except for Guidance, the Starfinder Society’s amalgam digital consciousness. Guidance ignored all requests to provide the fortress’s location. In the years after the Bulwark fell, a team of Starfinders found the Struggle’s Scholar, the only ship known to have escaped the fall of Sangoro’s Bulwark. Unfortunately, the ship’s crew was dead. It took the ExoGuardians and Dataphiles working together for several months to unscramble the data recovered from the Struggle’s Scholar and determine the location of Sangoro’s Bulwark.

"I agree." they tell Inky, confirming the information the witchwyrd just shared.

Rolling Paradox: 3d20 ⇒ (2, 4, 10) = 16

Ursula divides her time between working on a bioengineering experiment and watching an overly dramatic soap opera about uplifted bears, crying at least twice per episode.

Culture: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (11) + 6 = 17

"Sangoro's Bulwark has certainly been the talk of the Exo-Guardians for a while!"

House GM post

Every screen aboard the Starfinder fleet broadcasts lxthia the Unbreakable standing on the bridge of the Thunderous Transgressor. They are accompanied by Radaszam, the Deal maker leader of the Acquisitives faction, and Venture-Captain Naiaj.

"Here lies our objective,"* recounts lxthia. Their image is replaced by a star chart displaying a solitary world orbiting a dim star. Focusing in on the planet, the image reveals a barren landscape marked by the occasional rocky summit, volcanic ridge, or deep crater.

"This is Mazdrun," Naiaj explains. "An inhospitable world with a toxic atmosphere that experiences irregular planar anomalies. Save for one special crater, near the planet's equator, which is protected from the planet's hazards." The image of the planet's surface continues to spin before focusing upon a sizable crater containing a dark, shadowy shape that obscures its center.

Radaszam nods. "Inside this dark shroud is Sangoro's Bulwark. We don't know what the shroud is, but to reclaim the Bulwark, we need to get through it, get beneath it, or get rid of it."

"First, we need to know what it is," adds lxthia. "To that end, we're forming reconnaissance teams to conduct initial fact-finding and to gather intel. Let us determine who, or what, has overtaken the Bulwark. Identify the source of this darkness shroud and find a way into Sangoro's Bulwark." With a final nod, lxthia declares, "The hour has come! The Battle for the Bulwark has begun!"

Table GMs, Part 1 has begun.

I might not be on for the next several hours, or a day, or I might be, have some stuff going on, I'll check but I know who this works, the DM posts a list of missions and we pick one, so I'm preempting a vote.

For Any combat mission as first priority.
For Any Starship combat mission as 2nd priority.
Skill challenges 3rd priority.
Diplomatic challenges, Chance is not.

The fleet is abuzz with anticipation as the Starfinder Society agents prepare to explore the crater and surrounding region, probing its defenses and identifying their enemy.

Much of the atmosphere throughout the planet Mazdrun is toxic and the temperature is extreme cold (Starfinder Core Rulebook 395). Starfinders are encouraged to utilize their armor’s environmental protections to remain unharmed by these dangers. The fleet has several basic space suits are available for use by agents, or as replacements for those damaged while engaging in missions on the planet's surface or beyond.

As a party, the PCs can attempt any of four Recon Miissions below, in any order. The "TYPE" (listed after the "-") provides a note about the mission’s content, hinting at what skills and abilities are useful.

RECON MISSION-TYPE
□ Establish Comms-Transport and technology
□ Downed Vessel Crash- Investigation and recovery
□ Arsenal-Logistics and diplomacy
□ Subterranean Tunnels- Exploration and combat

Each mission represents several hours of work. PCs can take a 10-minute rest between missions but cannot make any purchases aside from spellcasting services to remove conditions.

Recon Mission Handout is now on Slides.

Which mission would you like to do first, Starfinders? Rule of two applies (once I have two votes for a single mission, I will move us along to it). In the meantime, feel free to discuss the order you wish to do the other missions. If you have an order in place, I can move you directly to the next mission following the conclusion of the current mission, which will save time and can be crucial to a successful special!)

For Any combat mission as first priority.

I will count Chance's post as a vote for the Subterranean Tunnels Recon Mission.

As it may help identify votes/preferences more easily, I have also placed Chance's token on that mission on the mission handout that appears on the Slides.

Moving to Recon Mission: Subterranean Tunnels, per order presented in Discussion thread.

Radaszam “The Dealmaker” summons the party to a private mission briefing.

“Based upon preliminary observations, we believe that a network of subterranean tunnels lies unexplored beneath much of Mazdrun’s surface," explains the vesk. "Ancient lava tubes by all indications, save that the tunnel network is so extensive. Our analysis of the tunnels is hindered by the fact that most are packed with radioactive ice, suggesting that the planet not only experienced intense volcanic activity and widescale deluges in its past, but likely some additional catastrophes as well.”

“Whatever bad luck the planet endured in the past may be our good fortune in the present. We believe these ancient lava tubes could provide an alternative means of entering Sangoro’s Bulwark from below, so they’re worth exploring.”

“Even if an underground opening to the Bulwark can’t be found, the surrounding tunnels may house ruins or artifacts left behind by the mysterious beings that built Sangoro’s Bulwark— the researchers once stationed here called them the 'Founders,' but all that tells us is that the researchers didn’t know much of anything. Should you find any routes of interest, explore them as thoroughly as you can, but don’t enter the Bulwark alone. Record your findings for future follow up.”

“We’ve identified a cave connected to the tunnel system near the crater where your team can get started. Its coordinates have been sent to your comms. Good luck, Starfinders.”

A readied shuttle safely delivers your team to the surface near the entrance of one of the caves connected to the lava tunnels. The cave entrance descends into the tunnel network, which is quite extensive. Traversing the connected tunnels that extend toward Sangoro’s Bulwark takes three hours.

Thick sheets of ice cover the surfaces of the subterranean tunnels and chambers.

After hours of exploring multiple passages and dead ends, you enter an area of the tunnels, this one closer to the Bulwark. The ice here in this part of the tunnel system is thicker, with numerous broken shapes embedded within it. Out of one portion of the ice thrusts the triangular tip of a broken piece of carved stone bearing strange marking.

In addition to the checks above, each PC can attempt one Acrobatics, Athletics, or Sleight of Hand check to gather pieces of broken stone from atop or within the ice. This represents any effort to retrieve enough broken pieces to adequately reassemble the carved stone.

Culture: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (10) + 6 = 16
Athletics: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (18) + 9 = 27
Perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (13) + 4 = 17

I don't recognize this language, and I can't find anything similar on my comm. I don't think this is a known language.

Jatri tries to carefully break the ice to gather the fragments.

perception dc 15: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (14) + 7 = 21 carved stone
perception dc 18: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (9) + 7 = 16 ice features
Acrobatics: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (15) + 7 = 22 gather broken stone

Culture: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (14) + 6 = 20
PErception: 1d20 - 1 ⇒ (17) - 1 = 16

Athletics: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (4) + 6 = 10

Ursula joins Jatri. "I agree. I've never seen markings that look like this before."

Ursula tries to get a piece of stone out from the ice, but the cold affects her dexterity and she can't seem to break through.

Will Scan Environment spell casting for ten minutes work the same? If yes... he will share what he learns from the environment.

Felix will scan the environment they are in for ten minutes to detect any dangers they might encounter before they continue to explore the area.

"There is some low radiation emanating in the entire cavern system. Better suit up your armors to protect yourselves from radiation poisoning." they warn them.

DC 12 Culture: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (16) + 8 = 24
"These marking and symbols, I cannot understand..." they says to them.

DC 12 Mysticism: 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (16) + 0 = 16
"But they might be related to elemental or planar magic..." they add.

DC 12 Physical Science: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (16) + 5 = 21
"There seems to be chipping and crushing that happened here." they infer.

Acrobatics: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (17) + 9 = 26
Felix joins them collecting broken stones.

Chipping and crushing? So we're not the first to try to examine the pieces? That's curious...

Inky is too distracted to think clearly about the implications (won't bother rolling, since between everyone all three checks were made), but does switch off his game system to help gather stone pieces.

Acrobatics or Slight of Hand (Untrained Dex): 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (6) + 3 = 9

Will Scan Environment spell casting for ten minutes work the same? If yes... he will share what he learns from the environment.

ooc]Yes, you may open the spoiler about radiation sweeper. I will presume that the spell was cast earlier, near the entrance of the tunnels and that the party has activated the environmental protections in their armor. If this assumption is incorrect, please let me know.[/ooc]

Together, the party is able retrieve enough pieces to adequately reassemble the carved stone. These broken pieces reveal information about an ancient ritual that appears to be elemental in nature.

Venturing further, the ice caves open into an expansive chamber. Near its center, the remains of a massive, multilegged reptilian creature lie within a shallow pool of melt water. Its head has been completely removed, torn from its body, and is nowhere to be seen.

Something within the lifeless corpse stirs

A swarm of small, reptilian creatures surges out of the corpse!

SURPRISE ROUND! - Begins!

PCs in bold may take a standard OR move action

Leannah
Chance
Swarm
Inky
Felix
Ursual
Jatri

Swarm now revealed on map on Slides.

Yes, you may open the spoiler about radiation sweeper. I will presume that the spell was cast earlier, near the entrance of the tunnels and that the party has activated the environmental protections in their armor. If this assumption is incorrect, please let me know.

This is correct.

Culture: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (2) + 6 = 8
Life Science: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (9) + 8 = 17
Life Science: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (18) + 8 = 26

That's a craggolk, Jatri says when he sees the corpse, they're the only things that live here. They feed on the radioactive ice, so they're radioactive and resistant to cold.

Caught off-guard by the emergence of the swarm, though, for that he merely because articulates, "Yerg!"

Chance will move forward while drawing a grenade.

Culture: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (12) + 6 = 18

"Hmmm. I believe this ritual has ties to the Plane of Air. I think this might be important."

mysticism: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (18) + 7 = 25
life science: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (1) + 5 = 6
life science: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (10) + 5 = 15

Leannah moves to where she can see the swarm better.

Leannah identifies the swarm as being made up of craggolk hatchlings, shortly before they scramble to try and overtake Ursula!
Move

Swarm attack, damage (P) plus radiation exposure: 1d4 + 5 ⇒ (3) + 5 = 8
Ursula needs to make a Fort save v. low radiation

BEWARE! A CRAGGOLK LAIR! - Surprise Round Cont'd/First Full Round Begins!

PCs in bold may act

Felix (move OR standard action only)
Round One
Leannah
Chance
Swarm
Inky
Felix
Ursula -8 P (Fort save required)
Jatri

Map

Felix moves close to the cave wall, calculating what their next move should be.

Fort: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (16) + 5 = 21

"They're all over me!"

"They're all over me!"

The uplifted bear avoids harmful radiation exposure.

BEWARE! A CRAGGOLK LAIR! -First Full Round Begins!

PCs in bold may act

Leannah
Chance
Swarm
Inky
Felix
Ursula -8 P
Jatri

Map

Looks like I can throw it far enough so that the area blast electric grenade only gets the swarm hit square: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (15) + 5 = 20 My modifier is definitely high enough to hit square, just don't roll a 1 dmg: 1d8 ⇒ 1 electric dmg. Reflex 14 for half.
I will also move.

Looks like I can throw it far enough so that the area blast electric grenade only gets the swarm

Swarm, Reflex: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (17) + 7 = 24

Though young, the hatchlings are quick.

BEWARE! A CRAGGOLK LAIR! -First Full Round Cont'd!

PCs in bold may act

Leannah
Chance
Swarm -1 HP
Inky
Felix
Ursula -8 SP
Jatri

Map

Leannah shoots at the swarm.

attack: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (18) + 1 = 19

Leannah shoots at the swarm.

The pistol is ineffective, injuring one of the mass of hatchlings, but doing nothing to halt the remainder.

Voracious, the swarm moves to envelope Leannah as well as Ursual.
Move
Swarm attack, damage (P) plus radiation exposure: 1d4 + 5 ⇒ (2) + 5 = 7
Leannah and Ursula each need to make a Fort save v. low radiation

BEWARE! A CRAGGOLK LAIR! -First Full Round Cont'd/Round Two Begins!

PCs in bold may act

Swarm -1 HP
Inky
Felix
Ursula -15 SP (Fort save)
Jatri
Round Two
Leannah -7 SP (Fort save)
Chance

Map

Inky draws a grenade from his belt as he moves into the room, tossing it far enough away that it will catch the swarm but not Leannah, Ursula, or Chance (green blast template on map).

Attack roll to place grenade: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (18) + 1 = 19
Piercing damage: 1d6 ⇒ 5 Explode DC 13

nky draws a grenade from his belt as he moves into the room, tossing it far enough away that it will catch the swarm but not Leannah, Ursula, or Chance

Swarm, Reflex: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (3) + 7 = 10

Though young, the hatchlings are not as quick as before and he fragments rip through several of the scaled creatures!

BEWARE! A CRAGGOLK LAIR! -First Full Round Cont'd/Round Two Begins!

PCs in bold may act

Felix
Ursula -15 SP (Fort save)
Jatri
Round Two
Leannah -7 SP (Fort save)
Chance
Swarm -8 HP
Inky

Map

Fort: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (3) + 5 = 8

Oh, dear!

Ursula doesn't feel well, even moreso because she has no way to hit a swarm! She starts looking around at the surrounding ice, pondering.

Could I do some combination of attack roll/Engineering check/Athletics check/spend Entropy Points to try to smash some ice and make it fall on the craggolks?

Yeah, at least one square is a part where no pc is standing that where the swarm is, he can throw the grenade and still only get the swarm
Another electric grenade dmg: 1d8 ⇒ 7 reflex 14 for half. Hopefully it fails this time, also hopefully I roll more than 1, cause most swarms take 50% extra damage from area attacks, but 50% of 1 is still 1 as it rounds down.

I bought 3 grenades before this game started in hopes that we'd go through the first combat quickly and be done with the first mission in less time. Never thought I'd be using them on swarms.

Edit, almost forgot to roll to hit the square hit: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (15) + 4 = 19 anything but a 1.

Felix analyzes the scene. They then disturb the flow of time for their allies to make them more prepared for the enemy's strike. They then draw their azimuth laser pistol.

Felix will use one of their paradox for Tactical Timing to grant Felix and all allies within 30 feet a +2 insight bonus to AC against attacks of opportunity for 1d4 ⇒ 2 rounds.

Can't use Grease at this moment because allies will be affected.

Jatri squeezes into the cave, and then maneuvers awkwardly around. Maybe he can draw them away from Ursula somehow, but he isn't sure how best to look like a good target. He's a little unnerved that the shot had no effect.

He thinks of the grenades,
in the shopping cart,
on the net-site,
on the screen,
on his computer at home,
that he never actually bought.

Double move.

Ursula doesn't feel well, even moreso because she has no way to hit a swarm! She starts looking around at the surrounding ice, pondering.

Could I do some combination of attack roll/Engineering check/Athletics check/spend Entropy Points to try to smash some ice and make it fall on the craggolks?

You are welcome to try....

Another electric grenade

Swarm, Reflex: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (3) + 7 = 10

Though young, the hatchlings are shocked!

BEWARE! A CRAGGOLK LAIR! -Round Two Cont'd!

PCs in bold may act

Leannah -7 SP (Fort save)
Chance
Swarm -20 HP
Inky
Felix
Ursual -15 SP (latent radiation disease)
Jatri

Map

Ursula steps out of the mass of craggolks and smashes her sword into the ice, trying to rain down shards onto the critters.

longsword: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (6) + 5 = 11

fort save: 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (15) + 0 = 15

Leannah takes a guarded step back out of the swarm.