GM Jhaeman's Dawn of Flame, Chapter Five: "Solar Strike"

Game Master Jhaeman

Despite his innards turning to robotic circuitry, Tulgram knows an even greater threat are nanobots taking over his mind! He manages to inject himself with a powerful inhibitor to slow the nanobot threat.

Cool ability!

Amhesha & Xylian are up.

Thanks! Heh, I've been waiting for three books when I could finally use it... but I didn't expect to apply it to myself for the first time! .))

Amhesha rushes in to take another shot at the devil, being too close to even attempt to use her scope, sadly, but close enough to aim directly for an organ.

Attack v. KAC, DA: 1d20 + 14 - 2 ⇒ (18) + 14 - 2 = 30
Damage (P+C), DA: 3d4 + 9 + 4 ⇒ (2, 2, 4) + 9 + 4 = 21

Using Tulgram's shoulder as an improvised bipod, Amhesha sends another supercool slug spinning towards the devil at supersonic velocity!

Meanwhile, back outside, Xylian wipes his rarely-used sword clean of imp guts and returns to guarding the entrance.

Amhesha's attack hits for (with cold resistance) effectively half damage.

Botting Xylian as maintaining a readied action to attack any threats that come adjacent.

Initiative (Round 5)

Theodore
Zharis
Hacker Devil (inhibited)
Xylian
Amhesha
Tulgram (rewire flesh, FF))

Bold should go!

Sorry GM Jhaeman, was just about to post. I've been busy getting set up with a new client.

Theo steps up and keeps swinging his massive paws at the pesky devil, trying to reach him around the computers.

Attack, Claw: 1d20 + 16 - 4 - 2 ⇒ (19) + 16 - 4 - 2 = 29
Damage, Magical/Slashing: 2d6 + 25 ⇒ (3, 2) + 25 = 30

Attack, Claw: 1d20 + 16 - 4 - 2 ⇒ (9) + 16 - 4 - 2 = 19
Damage, Magical/Slashing: 2d6 + 25 ⇒ (4, 4) + 25 = 33

Zharis triggers her jump jets to get up the the ceiling and then uses her Falcon boots to walk across the ceiling to get a good shot (both from her camera and her gun). As she walks she draws both of her holstered weapons, both because it will look good on camera and also so she can try different types of damage.

First she tries her disintegrator.

Attack (Screamer Decoupler): 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (18) + 9 = 27
Damage (Acid): 1d10 + 4 ⇒ (5) + 4 = 9

Theodore starts to scale a row of mainframe computers until he gets high enough to swipe down at the hacker devil from above, claws sinking deep into the surprised fiend's scalp!

A second later, Zharis jump jets with perfect aerial skill on top of the same mainframe row and sprays the badly-wounded devil with acid--only to find the liquid sloughs off the creature's skin with no effect!

Seeking to escape back into the virtual world, the devil's flesh starts to turn into floating bits and bytes of pure data!

@Theodore: Because the mainframes are 10' tall, the devil has total cover from you. You can start climbing one as a move action and then get one attack (which hits). I hope this is okay. The devil is now in single digit hp.

Zharis' cool move puts her in great position for an attack, which hits, but alas, the devil has sufficient resistance to acid that no actual damage is done.

The devil is using a full-round action to try to merge with the computer again. This action provokes an attack of opportunity from Tulgram and Theodore. We need to resolve these AoOs before continuing with regular Initiative order.

Tulgram's and Theodore's AoOs are up.

Yes that's fine.

As the devil attempts to meld into the computer, Theo swings his hooked claws at him again. "Not so fast, Old Nick!"
Attack, Claw: 1d20 + 16 - 2 ⇒ (18) + 16 - 2 = 32
Damage, Magical/Slashing: 2d6 + 25 ⇒ (6, 4) + 25 = 35

Theodore flicks out a paw and sends the hacker devil back to Hell before it can again invade the computer system!

Theodore's AoO hits and destroys the devil.

We are off Initiative.

Hey! Tulgram is not very happy - he clearly wanted to finish off the devil himself.

GM Jhaeman, how many more rounds will the spell that damages me last? I think we need to roll saves for all the rounds and calculate the damage.

"At least I get to brag to the folks back home about taking down a devil," Amhesha grumbles, she also wanted to finish it off herself. Amhesha then looks around the server room for any kind of alient technology first and foremost. Or, failing that, both her objective her and more Anassan to analyze with the help of her exocortex.

Perception: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (12) + 13 = 25

"Hm. That entity was stronger than I expected. I thought you had it on the ropes when you caught it with your staff, doctor Coldforge." Xylian says as he checks the computer for any nasty surprises left behind.
Computers: 1d20 + 20 ⇒ (6) + 20 = 26

Well, the entrance was dramatic anyway, even if the shot didn't do anything... she could edit it to look better in post production.

Great job, everyone.

She walks back down to the floor on the off-chance that there will be loot on the devil.

After searching this room, she checks in on the Anassanois to make sure they are well, and then searches the rest of the place as well.

The devils are down, Amhesha relays telepathically in Anassan. I'm going to check for any new tech, or more scraps of your language for my exocortex to absorb and parse together with me.

Although the devil is destroyed, its insidious spell continues to affect Tulgram! The duergar's voice becomes tinny and halting, his movements jerky, and his face unmoving and emotionless as his insides continue to turn from flesh to advanced circuitry and gearwork!

A search of the data center and the computers turns up nothing else of interest, but it's a snap for the group's skilled computer technicians to open a digital channel to the resistance. In moments, they implant a hidden code that will allow extensive access and influence over the occupation's entire network!

Although dazed by the sudden turn of events, the huddled anassanoi technicians--obviously having been mistreated--send telepathic messages of gratitude and concern to escape before more occupiers return.

@Tulgram: Quite right! The rewire flesh hit you on Round 1, and the devil was killed during his turn on Round 5. At CL10, that gives us five more rounds. I'll roll the dice for each round and list them consecutively, and you can attempt a DC 22 Fortitude for each one to halve the listed damage.
Round 6: 9
Round 7: 15
Round 8: 7
Round 9: 10
Round 10: 8

@Everyone: With the implanted code, the anassanois can now reroute communications or issue false reports, spy on troop assignments, hinder occupation technical operations, and redirect supplies. Their advantage allows them to help divert occupation forces, giving you all a +4 bonus to Stealth checks while moving through the city, and a delay of fireteam (occupation reinforcement) responses by 2 rounds. Good work! I've made a note to update XP soon.

Oooh, is Tulgram switching races to Android? :)

Professor Xuuvats, if I completely become a robot, don't forget to clean my program code, please. Tulgram frowns cheerfully while his body copes with the foreign invasion.

F: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (8) + 11 = 19 F: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (11) + 11 = 22 F: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (16) + 11 = 27 F: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (19) + 11 = 30 F: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (11) + 11 = 22 || 9 + 7 + 3 + 5 + 4 = 28 | Still in full HP | Can I spend 1RP/10min to restore stamina points?

Fortunately, Tulgram's hardy constitution rallies enough to finally halt the robotic transformation before it's too late!

@Tulgram: You can *start* a 10 minute rest to recover SP here. Whether or not that time would be interrupted would be a spoiler :)

Fair enough .) I'll refrain for now. Let's complete all the tasks and get back to the base as soon as possible.

~~ What is the state of the... hostages?~~ Xylian asks whilst he returns to his powered armor.

Do you mean the Anassanois we just rescued, the enemy leader we have on ice, or are you referring to Vessu's brother perhaps?

Amhesha asks, telepathically, in a marginally improved Anassan. I apologize if my grasp of your language isn't much. I am Amhesha of Ydajisk. Are the three of you doing alright? We have a medic with us if any of you need medical assistance.

Like three people speaking simultaneously, a trio of distinct telepathic voices respond at the same time, and it's hard to pick out a single strand. Tired but--glad to be--seen my cousin?--physically okay--you are not like us!--war over?--Thank you! Realising they're telepathically speaking over one another, they seem to hold a quick conference amongst themselves and then one broadcasts feelings of gratitude and urgency: We are well enough to travel--is there a safe place we can go before more of the invaders from beyond catch us?

Can you describe your cousin? And I know we're not like you, but I come from a culture of whackjobs who don't take well to occupiers, so who would I be to decline to take out a literal devil? We'll take you back to the resistance's base of operations before the occupiers get back, but the war isn't over just yet. Amhesha relays back.