Another 'Small' Job: The Devastation Ark

Game Master Luke_Parry

As Rimmer is putting the finishing touches on the hack, and the computers begin to cycle down...

The door to the server bank slides open, and another scorpion-form robot squeezes its way into the room. However, this one is substantially larger, and the weapons that it is armed with are a lot bigger...

Rimmer: 1d20 + 19 ⇒ (18) + 19 = 37.
Konkrud: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (14) + 5 = 19.
TDK: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (16) + 8 = 24.

The Keeper, Round 1:

Rimmer (-)
TDK (-)
Konkrud (-5)

Rimmer is up!

"That's a big one!"

Rimmer unleashes on it.

Trick - CR 25 or less.
Major Disruption Pistol: 1d20 + 23 ⇒ (7) + 23 = 30, for 3d6 + 7 + 8d8 ⇒ (3, 3, 5) + 7 + (6, 7, 5, 7, 8, 6, 5, 5) = 67 Sonic damage.

Annihilator FS (13th) Ghost-Killer FS (13th) Elite X-Gen Gun: 1d20 + 23 - 3 ⇒ (1) + 23 - 3 = 21, for 4d12 + 15 + 4 ⇒ (10, 1, 4, 11) + 15 + 4 = 45 damage.
Annihilator FS (13th) Ghost-Killer FS (13th) Elite X-Gen Gun: 1d20 + 23 - 3 ⇒ (1) + 23 - 3 = 21, for 4d12 + 15 + 4 + 2d6 ⇒ (10, 5, 2, 12) + 15 + 4 + (4, 2) = 54 damage.
Annihilator FS (13th) Ghost-Killer FS (13th) Elite X-Gen Gun: 1d20 + 23 - 3 ⇒ (18) + 23 - 3 = 38, for 4d12 + 15 + 4 + 2d6 ⇒ (2, 7, 9, 6) + 15 + 4 + (5, 6) = 54 damage.

Most of Rimmer's shots bounce off the robot's thick cladding.

It surges forward, and slams Rimmer...

Slam: 1d20 + 33 ⇒ (9) + 33 = 42, for 13d6 + 29 ⇒ (4, 3, 2, 5, 1, 2, 1, 5, 4, 1, 1, 6, 5) + 29 = 69 damage.

...delivering a powerful blow that practically knocks him flying.

The Keeper, Round 1/2:

Rimmer (-54)
TDK (-38)
Konkrud (-5)

Konkrud/Rimmer are up!

Konkrud pops off a shot...

Junklaser: 1d20 + 19 ⇒ (17) + 19 = 36, for 5d8 + 15 ⇒ (4, 4, 8, 8, 1) + 15 = 40 damage.

...and then Rimmer backs off, and starts firing.

Trick - CR 25 or less.
Major Disruption Pistol: 1d20 + 23 ⇒ (17) + 23 = 40, for 3d6 + 7 + 8d8 ⇒ (3, 5, 4) + 7 + (3, 1, 5, 7, 7, 2, 1, 8) = 53 Sonic damage.

Annihilator FS (13th) Ghost-Killer FS (13th) Elite X-Gen Gun: 1d20 + 23 - 3 ⇒ (8) + 23 - 3 = 28, for 4d12 + 15 + 4 ⇒ (4, 1, 11, 9) + 15 + 4 = 44 damage.
Annihilator FS (13th) Ghost-Killer FS (13th) Elite X-Gen Gun: 1d20 + 23 - 3 ⇒ (15) + 23 - 3 = 35, for 4d12 + 15 + 4 + 2d6 ⇒ (10, 6, 1, 12) + 15 + 4 + (1, 2) = 51 damage.
Annihilator FS (13th) Ghost-Killer FS (13th) Elite X-Gen Gun: 1d20 + 23 - 3 ⇒ (15) + 23 - 3 = 35, for 4d12 + 15 + 4 + 2d6 ⇒ (4, 3, 4, 5) + 15 + 4 + (1, 2) = 38 damage.

This time, having gotten over their shock, Konkrud lands his shot, and Rimmer lands most of his.

However, the robot shrugs off the blows, and takes another swing at Rimmer...

Slam: 1d20 + 33 ⇒ (8) + 33 = 41, for 13d6 + 29 ⇒ (3, 5, 6, 1, 5, 4, 1, 6, 2, 4, 4, 5, 4) + 29 = 79 damage.

...delivering another bone-shattering blow.

The Keeper, Round 2/3:

Rimmer (-118)
TDK (-212)
Konkrud (-5)

Konkrud/Rimmer are up!

Konkrud pops off a shot...

Junklaser: 1d20 + 19 ⇒ (19) + 19 = 38, for 5d8 + 15 ⇒ (2, 6, 6, 8, 8) + 15 = 45 damage.

...and then Rimmer backs off, and keeps firing.

Trick - CR 25 or less.
Major Disruption Pistol: 1d20 + 23 ⇒ (19) + 23 = 42, for 3d6 + 7 + 8d8 ⇒ (3, 5, 5) + 7 + (2, 4, 5, 6, 6, 7, 5, 3) = 58 Sonic damage.

Annihilator FS (13th) Ghost-Killer FS (13th) Elite X-Gen Gun: 1d20 + 23 - 3 ⇒ (17) + 23 - 3 = 37, for 4d12 + 15 + 4 ⇒ (8, 3, 8, 7) + 15 + 4 = 45 damage.
Annihilator FS (13th) Ghost-Killer FS (13th) Elite X-Gen Gun: 1d20 + 23 - 3 ⇒ (15) + 23 - 3 = 35, for 4d12 + 15 + 4 + 2d6 ⇒ (9, 2, 1, 12) + 15 + 4 + (1, 6) = 50 damage.
Annihilator FS (13th) Ghost-Killer FS (13th) Elite X-Gen Gun: 1d20 + 23 - 3 ⇒ (6) + 23 - 3 = 26, for 4d12 + 15 + 4 + 2d6 ⇒ (10, 3, 1, 11) + 15 + 4 + (6, 4) = 54 damage.

It takes the entire volley, but between them, Rimmer and Konkrud manage to drop the robot.

Combat over.

With the overheating servers powered down, the ambient heat throughout the Worldseed cools gradually over the next few hours, and the record heat wave that assaulted Hibb’s surface finally breaks. Hibb quickly returns to its normal climate, much to its residents’ collective relief.

Upon returning to the surface, you find Uso anxiously spinning in wide circles, but they zip over when they spot you.

"Welcome back! What did you find?"

What do you share?

"Good to be back! There was some crazy stuff down there - turns out that this planet was probably some kind of ship, with a *lot* of empty stasis pods down there. I gathered plenty of data, if you want to take a look."

I see no reason to hide anything, so I am happy to share.

Over the next few days, bantrid scientists descended into the vaults beneath the surface, and recover a lot of information.

The revelation that Uso and their fellow bantrids are living on the surface of a vessel built by an ancient race that once enslaved them is a tremendous amount of information to process. Uso sequesters themself in a series of meetings with other bantrid officials and off-world corporate representatives over the following days. Ultimately, Uso and their colleagues decide to let the ancient vessel sleep while reclaiming its technology for the advancement of their species.

Uso and AbadarCorp begin negotiations for the formation of a trust referred to as Unending Cycle. The trust’s bantrid members plan to oversee the study of the quantum power core, stasis pods, and other technology derived from the complex machinery within the Worldseed’s hull. While AbadarCorp obviously stands to earn tremendous amounts of profit from this arrangement, the trust is built in such a way that much of the proceeds will go to improve Hibb’s infrastructure and enhance its galactic economic presence.

The dark secrets of the past carry wonders along with them, and Uso feels that they can never truly express how thankful they are that Rimmer and Konkrud willingly put their lives on the line to make these important discoveries about the bantrids’ distant origins. The majority of Hibb’s bantrid citizenry share a similar sentiment, and as a gesture of gratitude, Uso presents you with a collection of items produced by
various bantrid-operated businesses across the moon.

Uso’s gifts include an axiomatic weapon fusion seal (20th), a suit of bespoke echelon fashion armor, and an assortment of fine art pieces and luxurious textiles worth 8,000 credits.

Unfortunately, a small minority of bantrids disagree with the decision to utilize any of the Worldseed’s technology, believing that this “forbidden knowledge” will one day harm their people.

Of course, the most important piece of information to come out of the computers is the fact that the ancient ship transmitted a homing signal to another sivv vessel, one designed to hold a great number of citizens of the Sivv Dominion in stasis. From what you have seen of that civilization’s cruel ways, such news is worthy of concern.

A few days later, Ms. Nott asks you to meet with her at AbadarCorp’s headquarters on Absalom Station...

Feel free to level up to 16th!