The swarm moves toward the bigger of the two nearest Starfinders.
Move Swarm attack, damage (P) plus radiation exposure:1d4 + 5 ⇒ (4) + 5 = 9 Ursual must make another a Fort save v. low radiation
BEWARE! A CRAGGOLK LAIR! -Round Two Cont'd/Round Three Begins!
PCs in bold may act
Swarm -20 HP
Inky
Felix
Ursual -20 SP | -4 HP (Fort save; latent radiation disease) Jatri
Leannah -6 SP | -1 HP
Chance
LN Medium Non-binary Android Ace Pilot Precog 3 | SP 15/15, HP 19/19, RP 5/5 | EAC 15, KAC 16, Fort +1, Ref +7, Will +1 | Init +4, Perc +6, Senses Darkvision (60 ft), Lowlight vision | Speed 30 ft | Active conditions Paradox 20, 17, 14 for S07-01
Felix advances and collects the remaining heat of the icy environment and vents it out at the swarm!
Overheat Spell Damage:2d8 ⇒ (7, 7) = 14 fire damage vs DC 13 Reflex half.
Female aasimar solar disciple mystic (Sarenrae) 1 | SP 6/6, HP 10/10, RP 4/4 | EAC 12, KAC 13 | F+0, R+1, W+5 | Perc +10 | Init +5 attuned to water (+2 will saves, first fail becomes pass)
Leannah is unable to do anything, so she carefully steps back a little. If anyone in the team begins to look more hurt, she will heal them.
He/HIm | Male witchwyrd mechanic 2 | SP 10/10, HP 16/16, RP 3/4 | EAC 14, KAC 15 | F+2, R+6, W+0 | Force Absorbed: 0; Force Bolt: 1/1 | | Force Absorbed: 0; Force Bolt: 1/1 | Static Arc battery: 20/20; Azimuth Battery: 20/20; Spare Battery: 20/20; Spare Battery: 8/20; Skipshot pistol: 20/20; Spare Rounds: 30/30 | Conditions:
Fort:1d20 + 2 ⇒ (14) + 2 = 16Does this bypass armor's usual protection against Low radiation?
"I'm out of grenades! Anyone have any bright ideas?" Inky says, trying to keep the panic out of his voice as he backs out of the swarm. He draws his fire extinguisher, hoping that if worst comes to worst he can at least drive the swarm back with the spray.
fort:1d20 + 5 ⇒ (19) + 5 = 24 move out of the way while drawing my azimuth laser rifle. what's the ground made of, snow, ice?
Will shoot the ground below the swarm at least a square if there is cold water underneath hit:1d20 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 4 = 5 of course I miss. dmg:1d10 ⇒ 8 fire, and the weapon has the penetrating trait.
"Starfinders," lxthia announces. "We've located the source of the shroud of darkness. Gather what additional information you can and return to the fleet."
LN Medium Non-binary Android Ace Pilot Precog 3 | SP 15/15, HP 19/19, RP 5/5 | EAC 15, KAC 16, Fort +1, Ref +7, Will +1 | Init +4, Perc +6, Senses Darkvision (60 ft), Lowlight vision | Speed 30 ft | Active conditions Paradox 20, 17, 14 for S07-01
Felix adjusts their position and continues to collect the remaining heat of the icy environment and vents it out again at the swarm!
Overheat Spell Damage:2d8 ⇒ (7, 4) = 11 fire damage vs DC 13 Reflex half.
Does this bypass armor's usual protection against Low radiation?
It does (but see below)
Iron-59 Felicis wrote:
Felix adjusts their position and continues to collect the remaining heat of the icy environment and vents it out again at the swarm!
Swarm, Reflex:1d20 + 7 ⇒ (5) + 7 = 12
The heat finishes the last of the ice-eating craggolks!
If you explore the northern cavern on the map:
The tunnel that extends north terminates in the empty lair of another craggolk that had sought to lay claim to this territory.
If you explore the southwestern cavern on the map:
You locate a complete, well-preserved obelisk with markings akin to those found on the broken carved stone earlier in the ice cavern. This chamber was likely freed from its icy tomb by hungry craggolks.
The PCs can easily remove the obelisk (which weighs 10 Bulk) from this chamber, capture a recording with a comm unit or similar device, or make a rubbing of its surface.
Any PC may attempt a DC 18 Culture or Mysticism check to analyze the markings; if successful, you may open the spoiler below:
Spoiler:
The obelisk describes an ancient ritual with ties to the Plane of Water.
If you explore the south eastern tunnel on the map:
The tunnel that extends south off the map leads to an area of hewn stone and metal containing normal atmosphere, indicating that it leads to an underground entrance into Sangoro’s Bulwark. However, the entrance is currently blocked by a shadowy, impenetrable barrier—the outer edge of the magical darkness shroud.
The PCs can go no further into the ice tunnels or Bulwark at present.
If you touch barrier, you may open the spoiler below:
Spoiler:
As you touch the barrier, your mind is assaulted by a chorus of howling voices invades their thoughts!
you take menntal damage (DC 13 Will save for half):2d10 ⇒ (2, 8) = 10 Due to their sensitivities, outsiders and creatures with telepathy or limited telepathy take a –2 penalty to this saving throw.
When its exploration is complete, the party can return to Mazdrun’s surface and rendezvous with the Starfinder fleet. Those experiencing radiation sickness receive free treatment aboard one of the Starfinder ships following the mission.
"Starfinders," lxthia announces. "We've located the source of the shroud of darkness. Gather what additional information you can and return to the fleet."
Table GMs, Event 1 is now available.
Relying upon sensor scans, geological data, and field observations, the Starfinders have determined that the shroud protecting the Bulwark is being produced by a series of hybrid generators arranged in a perimeter around the Bulwark and located within caverns deep underground. Multiple Starfinder teams are being dispatched, each with a package of explosives and instructions to destroy one of the generators. Your party is assigned as one of these teams.
Your orders are to meet with the ship’s ysoki demolitionist Betsy Blast within the conference room of one of the Starfinder vessels.
“So, you’ve been assigned to the detonation teams?” asks Betsy as she fiddles with one of the colorful patches on her vest.
“You look capable. Excellent! I can keep this quick."
“We’ve determined that the shroud protecting Sangoro’s Bulwark is being produced by a series of hybrid generators. The invaders placed the generators in caverns, deep underground, in a perimeter around the Bulwark. The network contains built-in redundancies. If we hope to bring down that shroud, we’ve got to take down multiple generators in close succession."
“Starfinder teams are being deployed to tunnels around the crater in advance of a coordinated assault. Each team is being issued explosives and the coordinates to a generator."
“Four charges are needed to bring down a generator and all four charges must be detonated simultaneously. The combined shockwave is needed to overcome the generator’s defensive shielding.”
Betsy picks up a device off the table and adds it to a satchel containing three others. She then hands over the satchel along with a datapad. “Here’s a set of four charges. If you’ve had some demolitions training, the process should be relatively quick."
“If not, it may take more time to set a charge, but I’ve modified the charges so that even a squox could set one. Just set the charge, initiate the detonator, get clear, sit back, and enjoy the fireworks like a fire beetle celebrating New Spark!”
“The invaders behind the shroud likely know we’re coming, so expect resistance of some kind. Be careful."
Your party is given the satchel of explosive charges. The datapad contains coordinates and a map showing the chamber containing the hybrid generator and the nearby usable tunnels. It also contains a schematic of the generator and instructions on how and where to set the explosives. You are each told synchronize your comms for the coordinated attack.
A shuttle delivers you to the surface where they can safely enter the cave system.
Following the coordinates and the map provided, it’s an hour hike through the tunnels to the entrance of the chamber containing the hybrid generator. Per instructions, you are all to wait outside the hybrid generator’s proximity detectors until you receive the designated signal from the fleet to start the coordinated attack.
From your vantage just out of range to the north, you can see a massive device, undoubedly the hybrid generator, laying at the far end of an expansive, underground cave. The chamber is largely open ground, save for just over a half dozen stone columns rising from floor to ceiling.
The hybrid generator is of harsh, angular design and composed of a dark, sinister looking metal. A quintet of embedded voidglass orbs set within the top and sides of the device serve as emitters for the massive, black barrier—the shroud—which stretches above and behind the generator before disappearing from sight, as it extends in all directions through solid rock. There are no other signs of enemy defenses.
A single, bat-like creature maintains the generator, though they’re currently obscured and out of sight—you can only catch glimpses and can’t target them at present.
Life Science (DC 17):
The creature is a grioth cadet. Sadistic psychics and religious fanatics, grioths raid other worlds under the cover of darkness. These unfathomably cruel creatures take delight in inflicting pain and sowing terror.
Grioths appear as lean, stooped bat-like humanoids with four narrow eyes and exceptional hearing. They typically stand around 5 feet tall. They have dry, raspy voices and speak in an eerie language of clicks, squeaks, and sibilant sighs.
Grioths live in vast crystalline spire cities. With few resources available on their frozen, lightless worlds, they depend on raiding, theft, and war to obtain the resources they need to survive. Powerful grioth psychics known as eclipse seers organize raids that span entire galaxies.
Grioth soldiers and mercenaries pour through these mystical portals in a wave of blood and terror, glutting on violence and pillaging resources primarily food, technology, and living sapient creatures. In addition to temporary portals, grioths maintain a series of permanent gateways to sunless worlds like their own, creating a web of cities among countless lost worlds.
The PCs have 10 minutes to prepare before the coordinated assault begins. You may make any desired preparations with this timeline in mind. Additionally, you should decide who carries each of the four charges and the one remote detonator.
Once preparations are posted for each PC or about 24 hours pass, I will move us along and place any unplaced tokens in accordance with the posted marching order.
LN Medium Non-binary Android Ace Pilot Precog 3 | SP 15/15, HP 19/19, RP 5/5 | EAC 15, KAC 16, Fort +1, Ref +7, Will +1 | Init +4, Perc +6, Senses Darkvision (60 ft), Lowlight vision | Speed 30 ft | Active conditions Paradox 20, 17, 14 for S07-01
DC 17 Life Science:1d20 + 4 ⇒ (4) + 4 = 8
Felix does not recognize the bat-like creature. "How do we get rid of that? We don't want to blow that creature too, do we?"
A new day, a new rolling of Paradoxes:3d20 ⇒ (4, 7, 14) = 25.
He/HIm | Male witchwyrd mechanic 2 | SP 10/10, HP 16/16, RP 3/4 | EAC 14, KAC 15 | F+2, R+6, W+0 | Force Absorbed: 0; Force Bolt: 1/1 | | Force Absorbed: 0; Force Bolt: 1/1 | Static Arc battery: 20/20; Azimuth Battery: 20/20; Spare Battery: 20/20; Spare Battery: 8/20; Skipshot pistol: 20/20; Spare Rounds: 30/30 | Conditions:
Assuming this is the same day, and we've had time to spend Resolve to recover Stamina?
"Ooh, time for an assault mission. I wonder if this will be a subboss? Or an inverse tower defense? Or both?" Inky flips his goggles down over his eyes and resumes his game while he waits, though he does keep his pistols in several of his other three hands.
If Ursula is still down HP from the fight, she'll drink a healing serum. Also, I'm assuming there was time for a ten minute rest?
Each mission represents a few hours of work. Between missions, PCs can take a 10-minute rest. PCs can also recharge batteries and purchase ammunition, batteries, healing supplies, and spellcasting services to remove conditions from the quartermaster between missions.
LN Medium Non-binary Android Ace Pilot Precog 3 | SP 15/15, HP 19/19, RP 5/5 | EAC 15, KAC 16, Fort +1, Ref +7, Will +1 | Init +4, Perc +6, Senses Darkvision (60 ft), Lowlight vision | Speed 30 ft | Active conditions Paradox 20, 17, 14 for S07-01
Iron-59 Felicis wrote:
A new day, a new rolling of [dice=Paradoxes]3d20.
Disregard these rolls. I don’t know why I thought it is a new day for this mission. Might have confused myself with the 2e Specials I am playing.
LN Medium Non-binary Android Ace Pilot Precog 3 | SP 15/15, HP 19/19, RP 5/5 | EAC 15, KAC 16, Fort +1, Ref +7, Will +1 | Init +4, Perc +6, Senses Darkvision (60 ft), Lowlight vision | Speed 30 ft | Active conditions Paradox 20, 17, 14 for S07-01
"I will shoot that one if needed." Felix draws their pistol and will shoot if it goes hostile. "And you are correct, let it leave by itself before we bring down this place."
Setting Charges: The PCs’ goal isn’t to defeat their enemies, but to set all four charges and trigger their detonation using the remote detonator. The charges must be placed as noted on the map (indicated with red circles), with one charge along each side of the generator. A PC in the appropriate space and in possession of a charge can set a charge as a full action.
If that PC succeeds at a DC 18 Computers or Engineering check, they can instead set the charge as a standard action.
When all four charges are set, the PC with the remote detonator can trigger the simultaneous detonation of all four charges as a standard action. At the beginning of the following round, all four charges and the generator explode; all creatures within 15 feet of a charge or the generator take 2d8 fire and piercing damage from the explosion. A creature who succeeds at a DC 11R eflex save takes half damage.
Suddenly, a sinister, heart-pounding vibration fills the air with the cavern as a shadowy beam passes through the stone ceiling and settles on the rocky cave floor.
The terminus of the beam now indicatedwith large gray circle on the Map.
The black areas on the map are solid columns that stretch to the ceiling.
The grioth behind the hybrid generator continues his patroling. When he reaches the edge of the generator, he takes up a firing position with his bruiser decoupler pistol.
(readied action)
EVENT 1: GENERATOR ASSAULT! - Round One Begins!
PCs in bold may act
Grioth (readied) Leannah
Inky
Chance
Ursula
Felix
Jatri
Male Male Uplifted Bear Athlete Vanguard 2 SP 18/20, HP 20/20, RP 3/4 | EAC 14, KAC 17 | F+6, R+4, W-1 | Perc +4 | Init +0 | 2 entropy points | Condition: None
"They are absolutely going to shoot at us. Ah well."
Jatri advances into the room. "Leave now!" he calls out loud. Too far for telepathy, he continues shouting, though his voice is rough even if the froth speaks Common, "We've come to warn you this room is going to explode!"
LN Medium Non-binary Android Ace Pilot Precog 3 | SP 15/15, HP 19/19, RP 5/5 | EAC 15, KAC 16, Fort +1, Ref +7, Will +1 | Init +4, Perc +6, Senses Darkvision (60 ft), Lowlight vision | Speed 30 ft | Active conditions Paradox 20, 17, 14 for S07-01
It looks like only two has taken charges. Felix will get the other one too.
Felix silently follows the uplifted bear, going to the other side. Stride, Stride
Just as they get into position, the shadowy beam starts moving across the cavern. Once it has traversed most of the chamber, it stops. It passed within 10’ to 15’ of a number of you.
When the beam stops, another Grioth steps out of the beam. It immediately acts, fearlessly swinging its longsword at Felix and hitting.
voidglass longsword:1d20 + 7 ⇒ (13) + 7 = 20 Slashing damage:1d8 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 2 = 3
The other Grioth continues to take cover behind the generator, waiting for a good shot.
EVENT 1: GENERATOR ASSAULT! - Round Two
PCs in bold may act
Grioth black (readied)
Grioth pink
Leannah
Inky
Chance
Ursula
Felix 3 damage
Jatri
LN Medium Non-binary Android Ace Pilot Precog 3 | SP 15/15, HP 19/19, RP 5/5 | EAC 15, KAC 16, Fort +1, Ref +7, Will +1 | Init +4, Perc +6, Senses Darkvision (60 ft), Lowlight vision | Speed 30 ft | Active conditions Paradox 20, 17, 14 for S07-01
Felix Steps back and manifests injuries from the future of the one who attacks them. "I am bringing your pain from your future already."
Step
Cast a Spell, Stumble, DC 13 Will to negate or take 1d6 ⇒ 1 slashing damage
LN Medium Non-binary Android Ace Pilot Precog 3 | SP 15/15, HP 19/19, RP 5/5 | EAC 15, KAC 16, Fort +1, Ref +7, Will +1 | Init +4, Perc +6, Senses Darkvision (60 ft), Lowlight vision | Speed 30 ft | Active conditions Paradox 20, 17, 14 for S07-01
Male Male Uplifted Bear Athlete Vanguard 2 SP 18/20, HP 20/20, RP 3/4 | EAC 14, KAC 17 | F+6, R+4, W-1 | Perc +4 | Init +0 | 2 entropy points | Condition: None
Acknowledged.
Jatri continues to move towards the generator with the charge in hand. He runs just a little past it. It's still in reach--but so is the grioth, who he snarls down at.
As Jatri comes within 20’ of the Grioth in Black, he shoots at him. Seems all that waiting didn’t do the Grioth any good.
bruiser decoupler:1d20 + 5 ⇒ (5) + 5 = 10 critical demoralize
Acid damage:1d4 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3
Meanwhile Chance moves forward while shooting back at the new Grioth. The shot hits, leaving a burn mark.
EVENT 1: GENERATOR ASSAULT! - Round Two
PCs in bold may act
Grioth black
Grioth pink 7 damage
Leannah
Inky
Chance
Ursula
Felix 3 damage
Jatri
If someone could please bot Leannah, that would be appreciated.
It is very confusing having the glowing wall overlapping with the beam. You can see both of them at the same time which causes all sorts of perspective issues. The shadowy beam does not block the colors from the wall, but the wall also does nothing to get rid of the shadows from the beam. They both occupy the same space and you can see both at the same time.
The beam moves again, sweeping across the room.
When the beam stops on the other side of the room, a muscular, white-furred grioth soldier appears in the cavern with a roar. “Soldiers! Protect the generators! Rain death upon these mewling Starfinders! Let them know true fear!”
With an assessing gaze, he smirks. “You're all they sent? Pathetic.”
Spurred on by the white Grioth, black gets out his sword and swings at Jatri.
voidglass longsword:1d20 + 7 ⇒ (6) + 7 = 13 critical demoralize
Slashing damage:1d8 + 2 ⇒ (7) + 2 = 9
