GM Jhaeman's SFS # 2-17: Cost of Living (Subtier 5-6) (Inactive)

Game Master Jhaeman

Invisible, George 09-23 is able to approach the condenser to begin repairs without rousing the ice elementals buried nearby. But when Ashtif and Scottermander join him, their presence is quickly noticed! The creatures of living ice burst free from their resting places and move quickly to attack!

I just had the elementals Take 10 on Perception, and that was enough to notice Ashtif and Scottermander.

We will now proceed to Initiative.

Initiative (Round 1)

George 09-23 (invisible)
Rattus
Scottermander
Ice Elementals
Istilnar
Bodo
Ashtif

Bold should go!

This encounter is at the top of Slide # 5.

@Scottermander: I can't tell your Initiative modifier. (I'm guessing it's at least +3 from your Dexterity) Could you please put it in your tagline? Thanks!

In response to Rattus' question, Ashtif says, "Ice elementals. Are your comms not working? Maybe the circuits are frozen?"

The yellow line is the wall, right, so everyone would be at that line? It looks like maybe they haven't been moved up yet, so I moved everyone up to that point, since everyone except for George, me, and Scottermander were up on the wall. Not sure if Bodo ever actually posted climbing it, but I don't know why he wouldn't have joined us.

@GM Jhaeman - We will need to iron out where characters are on the map before taking our actions. In regards to the Invisibility spell would a Wall of Steam spell (like a baby Wall of Fire spell) cast defensively to protect the characters break invisibility if the elementals took damage from the spell if and when they entered its area of effect willingly?

@Everyone: Three of you (George 09-23, Scottermander, and Ashtif) posted that they've approached the condenser, so I've placed your tokens near it. The rest of you, please check whether you've posted you've climbed (in which case you can place your token on the mesa "above" the yellow line) or I'll assume you stayed below (and thus you should place your token "below" the yellow line).

@George 09-23: If the elementals are within the area of effect when the spell is cast, it will break invisibility. If they are not within the spell's area of effect when cast, it will not break invisibility.

Aw crud .... GET THAT ONE - indicating Yellow.

And he shoots Yellow with his Thunderstrike Sonic Pistol
tsp: 1d20 + 8 + 1 ⇒ (19) + 8 + 1 = 28 sonic: 1d8 + 3 ⇒ (2) + 3 = 5

George 09-23 moves in between Ashtif and Scottermander. He sets up a twenty foot high wall of steam encircling the three characters and radiating heat outwards.

George 09-23 is invisible

Wall of Steam imposes concealment (20% miss chance) to anyone on either side of the wall. The wall radiates heat outwards only. It inflicts 1d4 fire damage to anyone within 10 feet of the wall. It inflicts 2d4 fire damage to anyone within 5 feet of the wall. If anyone passes through the wall they will take 3d4 fire damage. There are no saves for half damage for this spell and this spell does not allow spell resistance.

Scottermander opens fire, landing a glancing blow with his sonic pistol! A second later, George 09-23 conjures a massive wall of steam!

Scottermander's attack hit and did full damage vs Yellow.

Rattus is up.

Istilnar looks on from on top of the wall. The inevitability of the violence does not surprise him in the least.

Rattus fires his pistol at yellow

attack: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (3) + 7 = 10

damage: 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4

Rattus slips on the icy terrain just as he opens fire, spoiling his aim.

Instants later, the three fearsome ice elementals charge forth! Two swing tails as thick as warhammers at Ashtif!

Black does a double-move. Blue and Yellow do one move action and then attack the nearest PC (Ashtif). Because they have Sense Through [fog and precipitation], they do not suffer a miss chance (but they will take damage from proximity to the wall on George 09-23's next turn).

Result: Both attacks hit. Ashtif, you take 8 B and 16 B respectively.

Initiative (Round 1)

George 09-23 (invisible)
Rattus
Scottermander
Ice Elementals
Istilnar
Bodo
Ashtif

Bold should go!

Istilnar orders his pet in a direct assault on the ice elementals. While he moves around the flank of the creatures.

Does it take extra movement to descend from the mesa?

The rear guard of Starfinders advance!

@Istilnar: Once you're up with the others (above the yellow line), movement across the ice is supposed to be difficult terrain--something I completely forgot to mention earlier! It's my fault so I won't worry about it this round, but will impose it in Round 2.

Bodo & Ashtif are up.

Just a heads up for people and creatures that are running near my character's wall of steam. You will be taking fire damage at the beginning of my character's turn. If you don't pay attention you can get burned. :)

Bodo climbs up and then back down, which I assume would be a doublemove and two athletics checks to make is over athletics: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (19) + 13 = 32
athletics: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (9) + 13 = 22

Just to confirm, then, I did *not* take damage from the wall of steam when it was cast, just the 24 damage from the ice elementals? Either way, Scottermander, if it's in your arsenal, I could do with an Inspiring Boost right about now.

Full Action: Trick attack on yellow. My movement will potentially trigger AoO from blue and black, although my Uncanny Mobility exploit means that yellow doesn't get to make one. Movement is 40, so at half speed I can get over behind the familiar.

Ashtif darts through the steam and piles of snow, firing at the target ice elemental with one of his exploding rounds as he comes up from behind a snowbank.

Trick Attack (Survival w/ Explorer modifier): 1d20 + 15 + 4 ⇒ (11) + 15 + 4 = 30 Hopefully this thing is less than CR 10, so that's successful ... So thanks to debilitating trick, Yellow is now flat-footed to everyone until the start of my next turn (as well as Scottermander's Get 'Em on it).

Pistol Attack w/ Get Em vs. Flat-footed KAC: 1d20 + 8 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 8 + 1 = 17
Pistol Attack damage (split piercing/fire), including trick attack bonus damage: 1d6 + 2 + 3d8 ⇒ (6) + 2 + (4, 1, 8) = 21

@Ashtif - Your character will not take any damage from the Wall of Steam while inside it. The heat radiates outwards only like a Wall of Fire. If you run through the wall your character WILL take 3d4 fire damage immediately. If your character is 10 feet or less away from the exterior of the Wall of Steam then you will take additional damage on my turn every turn.

So being inside the wall of steam doesn't count as being within 10 feet of the wall? OK, I misunderstood. Would Yellow & Blue have taken 3d4 steam damage when attacking me through the wall (even though I don't get the concealment benefit)?

Based on that, then, I'm going to stay within the wall and shoot at Yellow. I'll stay where I am, but I guess am still potentially triggering AoO's since I'm firing a gun while within melee range. That 17 probably missed, but in case it didn't, I'll roll the 20% miss change for concealment

Concealment (>20 hits): 1d100 ⇒ 82

As Bodo reaches the scene, Ashtif blasts away with his pistol!

@Ashtif: Just FYI re the spell, my interpretation of "passing through" the wall means actually moving through it, not just attacking creatures on the other side of it.

Blue and Black get AoOs vs Ashtif's movement and ranged attack. Result: Both hit. Ashtif, you take 14 B and 12 B respectively.

Thanks to Get 'Em and the flat-footed condition, Ashtif's attack hits Yellow. (There is a little DR at play, but most of the damage goes through).

Initiative (Round 2)

George 09-23 (invisible)
Rattus
Scottermander
Ice Elementals
Istilnar
Bodo
Ashtif

Bold should go!

Please treat movement across the ice as difficult terrain unless you have a relevant special ability like icewalking, etc.

@George 09-23: You can roll the wall of steam damage against each of the elementals and Rattus.

George 09-23 stays perfectly (or near perfectly) still and quiet not wishing to draw attention to himself and allows his Wall of Steam to do his work for him.

Stealth, Invisible and Stationary: 1d20 + 8 + 40 ⇒ (2) + 8 + 40 = 50

George 09-23 keeps a defensive posture up (Total Defence) and allows the timer on his spell to begin (5 round duration after concentration is dropped).

Wall of Steam, Fire damage: 2d4 ⇒ (3, 4) = 7

George 09-23 is invisible

Scottermander maintains the 'Get'Em on Yellow.

Hang in there Ashtif - Inspiring Boost. (+16sp)

The magical wall of steam wreaks havoc on the ice elementals physiology, though Rattus wilts a little as well. Meanwhile, Scottermander bolsters his new friend's spirit!

Each of the elementals takes 10 points of damage from the wall (they're vulnerable to fire), and Yellow is looking very poorly. Rattus takes 7 F. Ashtif gets back 16 SP from the Inspiring Boost.

Rattus is up.

Rattus fires at the closest elemental. But his shot goes wide.

"Hold still!"

attack: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (4) + 7 = 11

damage: 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2

After Rattus' attack goes wide, the ice elementals continue pounding away at the Starfinders!

Yellow does a full attack on Istilnar's pet, while Blue and Black do full attacks on Ashtif.

@Istilnar: I'm not sure what your pet's stats are--could you please point me in the right direction? The first attack was a 29 vs KAC for 11 B and the second was a 27 vs KAC for 15 B.

Ashtif gets hit by three of the four attacks for, respectively, 16 B, 11 B, and 12 B.

Initiative (Round 2)

George 09-23 (invisible)
Rattus
Scottermander
Ice Elementals
Istilnar
Bodo
Ashtif

Bold should go!

Please treat movement across the ice as difficult terrain unless you have a relevant special ability like icewalking, etc.

@GM Jhaeman - Istilnar's pet should also be taking fire damage as well as he was near the exterior of the Wall of Steam at the beginning of my character's turn.

I've got to say, but I don't understand how me dashing through the wall of steam results in 3d4 damage, but ice elementals standing in steam and punching through it doesn't trigger that same damage. They are using a slam attack, so attacking me *requires* them "passing through..." it isn't like they're standing there using reach weapons or hurling snowballs or icecicles at me ... they are lunging at me and smacking me with their bodies.

Ashtif is beaten about by the two ice elementals and collapses under the assault, the halfling's unconscious body vanishing amidst the snowdrifts.

A strict reading of the rules would probably favour GM Jhaeman (and he gets to decide anyways) but I agree with Ashtif. I really thought that ice based creatures would stay away from a ring of steam in the first place. Do they not know about what happened to Frosty the snowman? I mean really. ;)

It's level 5 stats are here.

Where is the wall of steam? Is it the red circle? Okay I red your post correctly now. I repositioned Istilnar's pet properly since I didn't know the steam doing damage outside the wall. If I can't retro the movement of the pet I'll move it back and accept the damage.

Istilnar's pet moves in to attack the elemental and Istilnar begins chanting in a unrecognizable tongue as he begins a summoning ritual.

"Akular-alan suh tagolann jistrathar."

Iridian Echo Slam vs. Yellow KAC: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (17) + 6 = 23
Bludgeoning Damage: 1d4 + 5 ⇒ (3) + 5 = 8

@Istilnar - I keep looking on the official website and cannot find your pet. Is he a companion you created yourself from the table provided (which is not legal for SFS play) or listed as one of the legal Companions of the Pact Worlds? A fellow future pet owner would like to know. :)

Here is the link to the Iridian Echo on Archives of Nethys. I, too, am looking into pets, and remember stumbling on this one. Didn't really fit my theme, but seemed interesting.

Shoot the black ice elemental with needler rifle hit: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (17) + 11 = 28 vs kac dmg: 1d6 + 6 ⇒ (2) + 6 = 8 piercing.

Check out this list of pets you can pick up!

Creature Companions

As Ashtif collapses into unconscious from his wounds, Istilnar's crystalline companion slams into one of the elementals! Bodo takes a long-range needler shot and connects, chipping some ice off another elementals.

Istilnar's pet hit Yellow, but DR is enough to keep it up.

Bodo's attack hits, but DR reduces the damage.

@Ashtif: If you are at 0 hp on your turn, you need to spend an RP to stabilize. (There are no negative hit points in Starfinder. Please see here for more details.
Next round, you can spend another RP to get back into the fight if you choose.

Initiative (Round 3)

George 09-23 (invisible)
Rattus
Scottermander
Ice Elementals
Istilnar
Bodo
Ashtif (unconscious, prone, stable)

Bold should go!

Please treat movement across the ice as difficult terrain unless you have a relevant special ability like icewalking, etc.

Rattus fires again.

attack: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (9) + 7 = 16

damage: 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3

"Can someone get to Ashtif?"

The Wall of Steam continues to emanate heat outwards.

Round 2 of 5, Wall of Steam, heat damage: 2d4 ⇒ (3, 3) = 6

All three ice elementals and Rattus should be damaged by the Wall of Steam. Concentration + 1 round/level spells rock.

George 09-23 again stays as still and as quiet as possible and keeps his defensive guard up (Total Defence).

Stealth,invisible and stationary: 1d20 + 8 + 40 ⇒ (2) + 8 + 40 = 50

George 09-23 is invisible

Scottermander makes a dash towards Ashtif to drag him back inside the Wall of Steam.

GM: Thanks. I knew there weren't negatives in PF2, but it has been a while since I got knocked unconscious in Starfinder. :)

Scottermander: I was knocked unconscious within the wall of steam. I don't think the wall moves, so I should still be in there, adjacent to you, if you wanted to Stabilize me instead.

In that case, I'll administer a Mrk 2 Healing Serum hs2: 3d8 ⇒ (8, 1, 7) = 16

Here is a sheet for Istinar's pet Nomarac.

I also realized his pet does +7 points of damage on its slam not +5, so it did 2 extra points of damage.

As Scottermander gets ready to pour a pour a healing serum down his unconscious ally's throat, Rattus takes a shot with his needler--but doesn't connect! Meanwhile, the wall of steam continues to wreak havoc on the ice elementals, melting one into a puddle!

@Scottermander: It's a full action to pour a serum down an unconscious person's throat, so you can draw it this round and then actually pour it next round.

The wall of steam destroys Yellow and damages Blue and Black.

@Rattus: You'll take 6 F from the wall of steam this round too, given your current position.

Territorial and willing to fight to the death to defend their new home, the remaining elementals continue slamming away!

Black does a move action for a little bit of distance from the wall of steam and then attacks Rattus. Result: Hit. Rattus, you take 13 B.

Blue does a guarded step to the right and slams out at Istilnar's pet. Result: Attack missed.

Initiative (Round 3)

George 09-23 (invisible)
Rattus
Scottermander
Ice Elementals
Istilnar
Bodo
Ashtif (unconscious, prone, stable)

Bold should go!

Please treat movement across the ice as difficult terrain unless you have a relevant special ability like icewalking, etc.

Spent 1 Resolve last turn to stabilize. Now spending one Resolve to Return to Fight.

Ashtif blinks awake, looking up into the Skittermander's face. He sees one of the creature's furry hands holding a healing serum, takes it, and quickly quaffs it. "Thanks," he mutters through chattering teeth.

I'll just keep the 16 HP rolled earlier, if that's OK.

Rising from the abyss, a demon appears in front of the elemental closest to the wall of steam. It immediately let out a howl and jumps on the elemental and attempts to bite it. Istilnar's Iridian Echo flies over the rough terrain guarded step and slams a fist into the elemental from the other side. Meanwhile Istilnar uses his control over mystic energy to pull a bowling ball sized glob of hard ectolplasm from the ethereal plane and launches it at the elemental.

"Kalith karan, tobanis-kar!"

Demon Bite vs. Blue KAC: 1d20 + 9 - 4 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 9 - 4 + 2 = 13
Piercing Damage: 1d6 + 5 ⇒ (2) + 5 = 7

Demon Bite vs. Blue KAC: 1d20 + 9 - 4 + 2 ⇒ (13) + 9 - 4 + 2 = 20
Piercing Damage: 1d6 + 5 ⇒ (6) + 5 = 11

Iridian Echo Slam vs. Blue KAC: 1d20 + 6 + 2 ⇒ (17) + 6 + 2 = 25
Bludgeoning Damage: 1d4 + 7 ⇒ (4) + 7 = 11

Ectolplasmic Barrage vs. Blue KAC KAC: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (15) + 6 = 21
Bludgeoning Damage: 2d6 ⇒ (4, 3) = 7

As Ashtif chugs the serum, Istilnar and his companions swarm one of the elementals!

One of the demon's bites and the Iridian Echo hits (the ectoplasmic barrage misses due to soft cover). Blue is definitely damaged but still up.

Bodo is up.