[SFS] [2024 GM School] GM TM's Bounty #7: Voyage on the river between (Inactive)

Game Master thoughtfulmonkey

Skittermancer has a tougher time against Desir, despite initially having superior numbers. The game climaxes in a 1v1 fight on the precipice of a black hole. Both players' characters swing and make contact at the same time, but it's Skittermancer's character that is left standing with 1% health remaining.

"Wow!" Desir says as the game's stats roll up the screen. "I almost had you there."

The DC is 16.

"Let a professional try, will not use my gamepad even.

VidGamer: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (14) + 7 = 21

Dizzy is using only 1 hand with some killer combos, apparently, it is enough.

Dizzy casually demonstrates the difference between an amateur and a professional. At one point, Desir stops playing to watch Dizzy and pick up some tips.

"Now I recognize that gamertag." She says. "I've seen it on the leader boards. I feel like I've been hustled." She laughs.

Obozaya wisdom: 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (14) + 0 = 14

Obozaya plays a good game, but Desir’s unorthodox strategy of chaining supernovas turns the tide at the last second.

"I thought I'd lost my edge there for a while." She says. "Good game though."

Desir is impressed by your playing skills and gives everyone who beat her an autographed jersey for the Diasporan Devastators.

See the handouts.

"Sorry," She says to Obozaya. "those are the rules. Maybe we can play again later."

I'll assume that you resume your search for Visavra.

With the gaming complete, you head up on deck, where Cyrus said that you'd find Visavra.

You find her staring at the rushing waters of the sun-dappled River Between. She lets out an audible sigh as you approach her.

"I was against hiring you." She says. "It’s just my parents being overprotective. But, I’m determined to make the best of it—even if I am a grown woman saddled with babysitters!"

Any questions for Visavra?

There are fewer things more powerful than the protective shield a parent offers Saja says, almost admonishing. What reasons did your parent quote for hiring us?

"We're here to help! Even if you don't need bodyguards, everyone can use helpers!" Skittermancer, says.

"You need help with something? You know, you got a job, we too, till we get you safety to the end of the trip.."

"The same reason as always, the fans." Visavra replies. "They don't understand it's part of the game. A fan could say anything from behind a screen or in the stands. But face-to-face, are they going to actually do anything? No way. It's all performance."

"Chase those credits. I feel ya. So long as you don't bring down the mood, we'll get along fine. As for help, we're on a cruise, that's what the crew are for."

You can continue to chat to Visavra, but it would just be smalltalk.

**** NEW PAGE RECAP ****

You're currently on a luxury sailing vessel, The Witani, travelling along a magical river that winds through space. Your task is to safely deliver Visavra, a Brutaris player, to her hotel in Merhja.

You met the crew: Alzarin the captain, Kershek the cook, and Taeon the sailor. You annoyed Kershek in the kitchen, but didn't find anything to worry about.

You also met the other passengers. Cyrus was initially hostile, but you managed to calm him down a little. You played vidgames with Desir, mostly did well, and walked away with some signed jerseys. And finally you met Visavra, who wants to enjoy the cruise despite your presence.

The first day is drawing to a close. What are your plans?

Saja moves to inspect the sleeping quarters, mostly to see if it would be effective to guard it from the outside.

Dizzy will check his sleeping quarters as well "Wanna decide on guard duty outside of Visavra cabin?"

"I'll take the middle watch. As a soldier, you kind of learn to just sleep when you can."

Everyone except Obozaya are awoken when the ship suddenly lurches to the side. A few seconds later, you hear shouting and rush out to investigate.

Visavra, Desir, and Cyrus were having a late night / early morning party on the top deck. They were joined by Taeon, who is now heavily under the influence of alcohol.

bigrin42, feel free to describe what Obozaya was doing during the party.

As you look out over the prow of the ship, you can see the source of the commotion. The once calm river has become rough as the River Between’s course turns in on itself and twists into spirals.

"Hang on!" Taeon shouts.

Everyone make an Athletics or Acrobatics check.

Obozaya was leaning against a wall watching over the party group and scanning the surrounding area. She was looking out over the port side when the boat tried to jump out from under her like a bucking span lizard. She looked forward to see the river turning into a rapids course and she grabbed for a nearby stanchion as she called into her comms set.

"Brace! Brace! Brace! Rough water ahead. I've got eyes on the package."

athletics: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (14) + 6 = 20

Dizzy wasn't expecting that, will try to hang on.

acrobatics: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 2 = 10

"What? It can't end like that.."

Acrobatics: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 2 = 6

Saja's old body groans as the boats moves, and the bounty hunter mutters something unspeakable under his breath.

Skittermancer is soundly asleep, curled up into a furry yellow ball that looks more like some sort of piece of furniture or decoration and a living being when the turbulence hit.

"I'm awake!" he yelps.

Acrobatics (Untrained): 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (7) + 1 = 8

Dizzy, Saja, and Skittermancer loose their footing and tumble across the deck.

Dizzy bludgeoning damage: 1d6 ⇒ 1
Saja bludgeoning damage: 1d6 ⇒ 2
Skittermancer bludgeoning damage: 1d6 ⇒ 4

Obozaya keeps her balance, but is then faced with a choice. To either help one of the other passengers (Cyrus, Desir, Visavra, or Taeon), or to go to the wheelhouse and take the helm.

What will Obozaya do? It will take a piloting check to control the ship.

Obozaya shouted into her comm, "Someone get to the wheelhouse! I don't think there's anyone piloting the ship. I have the package."

Obozaya's job was to protect Visavra. While she might be able to do that piloting the boat, her skills tended to be more in the physical side of the protection job. Obozaya rushed towards Visavra and her friends.

"Get down and grab onto something bolted to the boat! Taeon, what the hells is wrong with this thing?"

Obozaya manages to grab Visavra and protects her from harm, while the other partygoers are flung over furniture.

Seconds later the sheen of an energy field appears over the deck, and the ship begins to descend below the river's surface. The face of a rudely awoken and very angry Captain Alzarin appears at the window of the wheelhouse.

Nobody sustained any serious injuries, and everyone takes it as a sign to turn in for the night.

For dinner on the second day of the journey, Kershek and the crew prepare an extravagant banquet on the top deck. Kershek proudly shares that most of the ingredients were caught or foraged from the River Between. The river is calm, the weather pleasant, and the food delicious.

Halfway through the meal, the peace is broken by chirping noises coming from the port side of the ship. When you look in the direction of the noise, you see a pack of small creatures with glowing fur. They seem very interested in the banquet.

Life Science to recall knowledge.

To shoo them away, you can take your pick of Athletics, Bluff, Intimidate, or Survival.

Saja is still massaging some painful joint as he sits down for the dinner, and doesn't seem to care much for what the glowing creatures are - in his eyes, they're neither the food nor the guests, so they have no business here. Shoo, you he utters, because that usually seems to work.

Survival: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (11) + 8 = 19

Life Science: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (9) + 8 = 17

Far from trying to shoo them away, it looks like Skittermancer intends to feed them from the banquet.

"I'm helping!" he declares.

Skittermancer recalls that these creatures are glotters - colorful, otter-like, aquatic mammals. They're native to this are of the River Between and will likely try to swarm the banquet and grab as much food as possible. However, they don't pose any physical threat.

The other guests don't seem too happy about the disruption.

You can use some food to help, but it'll be an Athletics, Bluff, Intimidate, or Survival check to try to save the banquet.

The Survival roll above didn't work?

Will Psychokinetic Hand help Dizzy grab more plates away from the glotters? What check is relevant, please?

The Survival roll above didn't work?

It did. But there are a lot of glotters. This is going to take a team effort.

Will Psychokinetic Hand help Dizzy grab more plates away from the glotters? What check is relevant, please?

Sure. Let's go with a mysticism roll.

Dizzy will try something that he's good at, using Psychokinetic arm and his arms to quickly grab as many plates as he can.

Mysticism: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (7) + 7 = 14

Look like he's having a hard time coordinating all of his arms..

Thank you, probably no dice though.

Obozaya moved over to the glotters, snarled, and yelled "Scram!" at them.

She meant it to be threatening, but they were so darn cute.

intimidate: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (5) + 4 = 9

Skittermancer grabs a piece of fruit with each hand then displays it to the glotters. "You want some food? You want some food? Go get the food!" he says, making throwing motions with each hand but then hiding them and the food he still holds behind his back.

Bluff (untrained): 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (18) + 1 = 19

Dizzy raises the plates and prevents the glotters from grabbing any food, but they keep trying. Obozaya's half-hearted attempt to scare them off only clears them from her immediate vicinity, and one just rolls onto its back in a gesture of submission.

Saja draws on his knowledge of the natural world and is more successful at shooing the glotters. Many of them immediately dive over the edge of the ship. Skittermancer's cunning fake throws trick the remaining glotters into following the rest of their pack overboard.

The banquet is saved. "Nicely done." Visavra says. "You're better with animals than rough water."

On the third day of travel, the waters rise and Captain Alzarin announces that the Witani will be submerging. Within hours, the River Between reaches Nisis, plunges below its deep ice crust and merges into the vast underwater ocean. Desir invites you to pass the final leg of the journey by playing cards below deck.

Cyrus is a horrible card player and spends most of the time fidgeting or complaining that the cabin is too hot. You can attempt a Sense Motive check.

At midday, as Desir is in the middle of boasting about her winning goal during the last brutaris game of the season, a large shadow overtakes the hull windows and a scaled tail smashes against the ship, cracking the glass and veering the Witani off course.

You can make a culture check to see if you’ve heard rumors about what might be outside.

Regardless, the glass windows won’t hold out much longer. You can each attempt a Computing, Engineering, or Perception check to save the day. Or aid another in one of those checks.

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (11) + 8 = 19 Hmmm...

Perception: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (13) + 8 = 21

The boat should be able to hold that Saja says, fully knowing that nobody can prove him wrong if he ultimately drowns.

Cyrus is nervous and on edge, but he attributes it to the fact that he doesn’t like being underwater.

Saja locates the nearest access panel and engages the emergency lockdown mechanism. Shutters emerge from the hull and encase all the windows, protecting the ship from the unidentified threat.

Only one success was needed.

"What in the nine hells was that? Why are we cruising on a pleasure ship in waters that host...that?"

"I can't believe that worked," Skittermancer says, chewing on a bite of one of the pieces of food he pretended to throw thoughtfully.

"People like adventure!" he responds to Obozaya once the windows are secure.

"Do you think it went away or do we need to go out and help it find somewhere else to go?" he follows up.

The Witani emerges from its dive, rising through the waters to dock at a marina in Merhja, a bubble city attached to the underside of Nisis’ exterior ice sheets. Merhja has a normal atmosphere, standard gravity, and a warm climate.

Upon arrival, Kershek offers everyone some fresh baked muffins for the road, Taeon asks Desir for her autograph as he helps her carry her luggage off the ship, and Captain Alzarin helps Visavra disembark, apologizing for the rough journey.

"We’ll be safe from here." Cyrus says. "You can leave."

"Relax Cyrus." Visavra says. "They’re contracted to take us to the hotel. They may as well stay with us until then."

You impressed Visavra enough during the journey that she's happy for you stay with her.

Lavish hotel grounds sporting reclining chairs, sunbeds, and fountains entice visitors to relax in the lap of luxury, while a raised stage featuring a grand piano is set to provide live music. Today, however, the stage is silent, and the chairs empty. The concierge lies unconscious at the hotel doors, and a gang of pirates step out of the shadows, weapons drawn.

"We’ll make this easy," says one of the pirates. "Surrender Visavra, walk away, and we’ll pretend we never saw you."

A fight breaks out

Saja: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (17) + 2 = 19
Skittermancer: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (12) + 1 = 13
Obozaya: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (6) + 7 = 13
Dizzy: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (16) + 2 = 18
pirates: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (17) + 3 = 20

[Round 1]
>Pirates
Saja
Dizzy
Obozaya
Skittermancer

The pirates are waiting to see if you'll do this the easy way and give up Visavra. Delay

Everyone in bold can act. Any area with an object is difficult terrain. The planters, the fountain, and the black rectangle with hexagons provide partial cover.

[Round 1]
>Saja
>Dizzy
>Obozaya
>Skittermancer
Pirates

"I'll make it even easier. No!"

Obozaya rushed forwards, kicking up a deck chair for the minimal cover it offered and firing her reaction cannon at the pirate in yellow.

attack: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (8) + 4 = 12
P damage: 1d10 ⇒ 4

"In your dreams"

Dizzy will position himself behind cover and fire magic missiles to red and blue.

red damage: 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5
blue damage: 1d4 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3

Saja unslings his crossbow Unnamed assailant, you are attacking a member of the bureau. You have made a grave mistake. he says with an intonation that would make grave a noun rather than an adjective.

Crossbow, vs yellow pirate: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (20) + 2 = 221d10 ⇒ 5
Critical: 1d10 ⇒ 4

Saja emphasizes the gravity of the situation with a well-aimed shot.

Obozaya's shot hits the planter just to the left of pirate:yellow, throwing up dirt and shards of concrete, but otherwise missing it's mark. Dizzy's missiles arc through the air and thud into the other two pirates. Saja is beyond the manufacturer's recommended range but still manages to lodge a bolt in pirate:yellow's thigh.

The pirates get your message loud and clear.

Yellow screams a battle cry, rushes forward, and takes a shot at Obozaya. Azimuth laser: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (12) + 6 = 18 Yellow damage: 1d4 ⇒ 1

Blue moves up behind the fountain.

Pink tries to stick to cover and takes a shot at Dizzy. Azimuth laser: 1d20 + 6 - 4 ⇒ (5) + 6 - 4 = 7 Pink damage: 1d4 ⇒ 4

Players in bold may act.

[Round 1]
Saja
Dizzy
Obozaya
Pirates
>Skittermancer

[Round 2]
>Saja
>Dizzy
>Obozaya (1 dmg)
Pirate:yellow (9 dmg)
Pirate:blue (3 dmg)
Pirate:pink (5 dmg)
Skittermancer

Obozaya ignored the gunfire and moved up, taking cover at the planter and firing once more at the pirate in yellow.

pewpewpew at yellow: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (12) + 4 = 16
p damage: 1d10 ⇒ 4

Saja moves in to get a better shot at yellow, and fires his crossbolter again There's just no saving some people from themselves he grumbles

Crossbolter: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 2 = 41d10 ⇒ 4

Obozaya's shot hits yellow square in the chest, and the pirate tumbles forward into a heap on the floor.

Saja's shot goes wide of the other pirate that he would have targeted.

Dizzy will target now blue with magic missile, using his talent to make the first missile strike true. Let's use Technomancer talent for Evocation from Enhanced for fun, first one deals 4, maximum amount.

Blue damage: 1d4 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 4 + 1 = 8