Dodging and weaving gracefully (using the kinetic energy of the hit he took to propel himself), Loki cradles the data-tag carefully, and then moves away from the colossus as quickly as possible.
To be clear, I would have moved off the edge of the map to get further away (double move is 80'), but I could not go further, due to... well... the lack of map :-P
If the colossus attacks any of the party members he will use to help them.
Chronomatic Defense:
Chronomatic Defense
PRECOG 3
You can execute precisely timed moves that help you and others dodge incoming attacks. As a reaction when an attack is declared but before the result is known, you can use a paradox to grant an ally an insight bonus to AC until the end of your next turn. This bonus is equal to the paradox result or a maximum bonus of +2, whichever is lower. The maximum bonus increases to +3 at 7th level, +4 at 13th level, and +5 at 18th level.
Ace Pilot Human Soldier 4// Init +2 Percept +0 SenseMotive +0 // F 5 (*check toughness) R 3 W 4 // EAC 20 KAC 23 // Stamina 36/36 HP 32/32 Resolve 5/5 // Speed 25 Fly 25
Reflex:1d20 + 3 ⇒ (4) + 3 = 7
The shaking earth, pitches under Burn's feet and he goes down hard. He pushes himself back to his feet. He pulls his rifle of his shoulder, but is very carefully to keep his finger away from the trigger. He just wants the gun ready in case Loki accidentally becomes less than amazing.
Loki manages to return with the Data Tag, which is a good moment to bail out. The shaking ground and rampaging colossus has, of course, also attracted the attention of First Hunter Wertnabe, who allows the group to rejoin the tour with a disapproving Tsk tsk, what did I tell you? The first hunter circles around the vehicle for another good look at the colossal creature, allowing Trober to avoid to stare death in the eye once more.
The datatag contains a holographics recording:
A hologram of a young lashunta man with pink-dyed hair shimmers to life. He grins and tips his sunglasses down to wink at the audience. “Hello hey, Envies and lucky new fans! If you’ve found this message, you’ve uncovered a secret sneak peek of an upcoming Envar’s Expeditions episode: my intrepid trek to Daimalko to stare down its famed colossi!” With a sweep of his arm, he indicates the plain behind him, where a herd of horned animals grazes. “Behind me are the majestic vielaks, one of Daimalko’s only surviving native animal species!”
Envar tiptoes closer to the creatures, making an exaggerated show of stealth, and the herd shifts uneasily around him, scuffing the ground with their hooves. As he stops next to a vielak and holds out his datapad to snap a selfie, the animal suddenly jumps, headbutting him to the ground. “Augh!” he yells, scrambling away amidst the ensuing stampede, as the camera view whirls erratically. “Cut the feed! Cut the—”
The recording suddenly cuts out.
DC 17 Perception:
There's a rage-bringer desperation cannon and an intact brown nanite hypopen on the ground. Useful.
Zoology Success! Envar isn't here, but maybe he's at one of the other locations... which one next? Astronomy?
The next set of coordinates is on Nemenar, the planet that the Planethoppers Guide To the Universe describes as 'No need to bring sunscreen'. The planet orbits a brown dwarf star, which gives off almost no light.
Flying into Nemenar’s surface-capital, Vehenstrena, glowing prismatic spires dimly illuminate this city’s skyline, casting multicolored light over its short buildings.
On the ground, the streets extending beyond the spaceport are crowded with people and lined with market stalls selling food, electronics, and portable prismatic crystals to visitors. Above, the sky is pitch black.
Luce pinpoints the location of the data in the desert far outside of the city.
Stella decides to go and cruise around the bars and the souvenir shops and see what she can discover. Rumour has it that this planet has some really good night life. Not knowing what she's going to discover, she armours up, just in case.
With some quick asking around, it becomes clear that Envar wasn't exactly subtle in moving around the city. Turns out his interest was mostly in Garalufin, a dark portal that exists in the wasteland outside the city. Also, it turns out, he did enjoy the local nightlife... quite a bit more than he probably should have. Word has it he racked up a massive debt playing blackjack.
Soon enough, the group is stopped by a massive shobhad with a pinky finger missing - the telltale sign of the Golden League criminal gang - who blocks the street and says My boss would like to have a word with you. It's clear that this is the kind of 'either your acceptance or your brains on the pavement' type of invitation, and the confidence of this guy indicates that he's not even considered regarding you as a threat.
The intimidating Shobhad brings the group to a part of the city that looks like it's the 'wrong side of the tracks'. There, a private dining room, smoky and dark, is the setting for a meeting a top figure of the Golden League. You're friends of Envar's he says, and before anyone can point out your true relationship with the Lashunta dandy, he adds Your friend has some serious debt with us. You see, he loved blackjack. He just wasn't very good at it.
We are looking to... recover... some of that debt. I hear you're onto his trail. Tomek here will accompany you on behalf of us. Whether that accompanying will involve any breaking of bones or cutting off of fingers is left to the imagination.
Bluff/Diplo/Intimidate to negotiate the debt, Physical Science for a potential bonus
Friend is a bit of a stretch. I almost got squashed by a colossus on Daimalko due to one of his eccentric pranks, which was still around long after he had disappeared. Sure, we *are* looking for him, but it is strictly business. As far as I am concerned, if he has broken the legal code here, he can say goodbye to all twenty digits.
That said, his mother has some serious pull, enough that she could look into all sorts of inconvenient locations, if she needed to.
Some interesting information for the less lawfully-inclined is that the crystal spires of Nemenar are actually made out of very valuable crystal. Removal is illegal, but that doesn't stop the odd-fingered from trying to profit anyway. Luce is aware of some sites containing raw deposits, and it's possible to use that knowledge as a bargaining chip.
Doing so would give you +4 on any of your teammember's social checks
The Golden League leader looks quizically at Loki. Law? he says, pointing to a steak knife on the table, we make the law around here. 'You owe us, you pay us', Article 2, right after 'you cross us, you die!'
'You annoy us, you lose fingers' is in there somewhere as well. Either way, I'm going to need a real social check, I'm afraid, your laws don't work here...
Heh. Fair enough. That said, Loki isn't one to back down from provocation (especially from a mafia-type thug), so...
That is so cute. Well, in that case, I should warn you that I am a professional anatomist, as well - I'll have you skinned alive, your hide taxidermied, and your flensed body kept alive long enough to see the stuffed display... and that is if I am feeling generous.
You see, there are *so* many organs that are not, strictly speaking, *necessary* to maintain life... would you care to learn, *personally*, just how small that number is?
Alternately, if you wanted that to be an Intimidate check, it would be a +2 bonus...
That is not a threat - it is a statement of intent. To put it another way, I am about 10 seconds from generating infamy, so if someone else wants to step in and actually make a social check, feel free...
*ponders* Say .... did you know that there are some raw deposits of the crystal that make up the towers around here? Could be worth something for the right person. And all I ask is a small sample. Was thinking of picking one up actually. Took some scans from orbit before landing.
I'll take the intimidate, because that's what it reads like
Loki makes a very compelling argument, and Luce throws in the right incentive to make the Golden League back down. Alright, we will consider this sufficient coverage for our... expenses. Just warn your friend he will not get off so easily next time!
With that, the group is brought out to the street again where the shobhad grins his teeth bare and says, ominously, Until next time..., without further obstruction for their trek to Garalufin
---
Garalufin is out in the northern desert of the planet, and the surrounding area is wide open - more than enough space to land a starfinder spacecraft, and good landing training.
The group moves up to the site of the portal. An inky void yawns open in the middle of the desert, shadows lashing from its jagged edges. The air is dry and cold, and eddies of sand swirl over the ground in the wind.
As the group approaches, the portal spring to life, and two otherworldy creatures emerge, looking like oversized moths, but far more dangerous.
Male LN Dromada Bureaucrat Precog 5 (PC sheet) | SP 35/35 HP 32/32 | RP 5/7 | EAC 20; KAC 22 |Fort +2; Ref +9; Will +3 | Init: +5 | Perc: +10, SM: +10 | Speed 40 ft. (Land) | Active Conditions: None.
Trober lets out meek whimper as the creatures emerge. He immediately begins piling sand in front of him. Barricade A soft glow surrounds his body without him even knowing it. Reflecting Armor
As a reaction he will use Chronomatic Defense to boost an allies AC by 2 when the creatures attack.
Trober goes into defensive mode, while burnham takes care of the offense by blasting one of the moths in a wing.
Talking of wings, the moths flap towards Burnham, and the irisdescent, colorful pattern on the wings against the dark night sky has a truly hypnotic effects
Everybody looking at the moths: DC 13 Will save (mind-affecting) or be confused for 1 rnd.
The moths becomes agitated as they try to bite burnham...
Male LN Dromada Bureaucrat Precog 5 (PC sheet) | SP 35/35 HP 32/32 | RP 5/7 | EAC 20; KAC 22 |Fort +2; Ref +9; Will +3 | Init: +5 | Perc: +10, SM: +10 | Speed 40 ft. (Land) | Active Conditions: None.
Trober lets out a yelp when Loki shoots him in the back. The glowing incandescence that was surrounding his body flares briefly and launches a wave of force energy at the gray. He looks at Loki is disbelief.
Not knowing what to do, he looks at the approaching moths.
Will Save:1d20 + 2 ⇒ (17) + 2 = 19
Again without him knowing it he directs arcane energy at the closest moth. Lesser Confusion on blue, DC 13 will save or afflicted with the confused condition.
He then ducks back behind his makeshift barricade and tries to keep it between not only him and the moths, but also Loki.
He unslings his pulsecaster rifle from over his shoulder and yells, "Loki what's the matter with you? Have you lost your mind?"
Trober used a paradox in round 1 to boost Burnham's AC by 2 until the end of Trober's second round turn. He has 2 paradoxes remaining.
She wonders where she can get fabric material that looks like the moth's wings. A bolt of that would be a great First Choice present for her best friend Tricsie.
Ace Pilot Human Soldier 4// Init +2 Percept +0 SenseMotive +0 // F 5 (*check toughness) R 3 W 4 // EAC 20 KAC 23 // Stamina 36/36 HP 32/32 Resolve 5/5 // Speed 25 Fly 25
Will save:1d20 + 3 ⇒ (18) + 3 = 21
"Friggin' space cuttles. " Burn shoulders his rifle again and snaps off two shots at red. "Take your tricksy light show back to wherever you were spawned!
Again, everybody keeping their eyes open should roll DC 13 Will save. Those averting/closing their eyes get a +4 bonus, but treat the enemies as havign 20% concealment
---
Loki
Luce
---(round 2)---
Trober
Burnham
---
Enemy - Red (37)
Enemy -
---
Male LN Dromada Bureaucrat Precog 5 (PC sheet) | SP 35/35 HP 32/32 | RP 5/7 | EAC 20; KAC 22 |Fort +2; Ref +9; Will +3 | Init: +5 | Perc: +10, SM: +10 | Speed 40 ft. (Land) | Active Conditions: None.
Oops, you are right. So, Trober still has his Reflecting Armor up and he is still cowering behind his barricade. Just change what he said to HE SHOT AT ME.
Trober continues to hide behind his sand barrier, still believing it will protect him.
"Oh god I hate bugs, especially big ones!"
"Maybe this will work."
He points a finger at the huge moths without looking and a sphere or force energy hurtles at them.
Will Save:1d20 + 2 + 4 ⇒ (7) + 2 + 4 = 13 Chronosphere vs. Red EAC:1d20 + 7 ⇒ (20) + 7 = 27 Concealment:1d100 ⇒ 67 Force Damage:1d12 ⇒ 6If the attack hits the moth can make a DC 13 fortitude save or it takes a -5' reduction to its movement until the end of Trober's next turn. The save doesn't affect the damage done by the spell. Critical Force Damage:1d12 ⇒ 4The moth is also staggered.
Does Luce have a polarising filter and a mirror? Some Engineering or Profession (photonics) could work here if you do. Might need a half-wave plate, though.
Also, I see nothing in the wording of the Magic Missile spell that would stop it from working with eyes closed (it's interesting to see differences between SF and PF/PF2e - SF seems to be the most lenient variant). I'd rule: SF -> works; PF -> works (on a technicality); PF2e -> doesn't work.
Luce resist the hypnotic effect to light up the sky once more with missiles. Trober, with utmost determination, blasts the moth with force damage, ripping its wings and sending it down to the wasteland floor.
---
Loki
Luce
---(round 2)---
Trober
Burnham
---
Enemy - Red (DOWN)
Enemy - Blue
---
