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

Game Master Jhaeman

Mmm. Surprise rounds. 3d4 probably better than 1d10 here, especially with the 3 potential rerolls from farshot.

Horizon Striker, no Combat Tracking: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (6) + 11 = 17 Oof. Here's to hoping it hits flatfooted.
Damage (1 farshot reroll), 1/2 Cold, 1/2 Piercing: 3d4 - 1 + 1d4 + 8 ⇒ (3, 1, 2) - 1 + (2) + 8 = 15

Amhesha pops out of the pod with her Shobhad Horizon Striker, cool to the touch, aimed on the ifrit nuar as she shoots a freezing bullet aimed right between the eyes. She then starts yelling at the rest of the group to get out since they've been spotted.

"Agh, combat tracking's taking a while to come back on-line. Exocortex, c'mon!. Get out, y'all! "

Have a Mechanic Trick that makes reload free for the Horizon Striker. Will likely have another round of Horizon Striker before she actually uses her multiple-attack Frost Project.

The horn-headed biped manages to throw up an armored gauntlet at the very last split-second, deflecting Amhesha's surprise attack!

*Just* missed! (flat-footed KAC for this creature is 18)

INITIATIVE (ROUND 1)

Theodore
Tulgram
Horned Creature
Amhesha
Xylian
Zharis

Bold should go!

Reminders: In your attack roll, please state whether it targets EAC or KAC (if you're not sure, just let me know). Please remember to keep your tagline regularly updated, as I don't track damage you've taken or resources used.

Tulgram reacts to the shooting instantly. He picks up his pole with a mechanical collar at the end and a tranquilizer injection needle hidden there. Since ancient times, his people have used it to catch... "potential lifelong employees" in their "asteroid corporations" hidden from the eyes of the rest of the galaxy, to put it correctly.

GRAPPLE Capture Pole: 1d20 + 13 + 6 ⇒ (19) + 13 + 6 = 38 vs KAC +8 (reach 10')

In just a moment, a metal collar is fastened around the neck of a horned humanoid. Like a cow in a pasture, bhaha! The needle enters nuar shallowly under the skin...

Basic inhibitor: The target takes a –2 penalty to AC for 9 rounds.

As the tube retracts, Theodore springs from it and attacks with both claws! Targeting KAC

Attack, Claws: 1d20 + 15 - 4 ⇒ (13) + 15 - 4 = 24
Damage, Magical/Slashing: 2d6 + 25 ⇒ (5, 6) + 25 = 36

Attack, Claws: 1d20 + 15 - 4 ⇒ (7) + 15 - 4 = 18
Damage, Magical/Slashing: 2d6 + 25 ⇒ (6, 1) + 25 = 32

If both hit (doubtful, with that second roll), the second does an additional 4 damage, plus:
Brutal Slash, Bleed Damage: 1d8 + 4 ⇒ (3) + 4 = 7

Pretty sure that DOES hit? Flatfooted KAC of 18.

I thought he was only flat-footed for the surprise round. Then again, he hasn't had his turn yet....[evil grin]

The nuar bellows in shock from the collar and surprise as the potent chemicals take hold and slow his reflexes! Before he can react, Theodore's claws tear into him, leaving deep gashes and spurting blood!

"You're a burning @#$*#$ Vessu!" shouts the horn-headed creature as he wraps a hand around the shaft of Tulgram's capture pole and sends a shock of electricity down it. "But I'm willing to talk surrender if your buddies promise to patch me up and treat me like a P.O.W.!"

Tulgram's attack hit KAC +8, so the nuar now has the grappled condition.

Theodore's attacks both hit, and the nuar now has the bleeding 1d8+4 condition.

The nuar has used a standard action to attempt to overload the "two-pronged robotic head" of Tulgram's capture pole and make it nonfunctional for one round. Tulgram, you get a DC 18 Reflex save to avoid this. (if the overload is successful, the nuar will lose the grappled condition and take a guarded step to the "south")

INITIATIVE (ROUND 1)

Theodore
Tulgram
Horned Creature
Amhesha
Xylian
Zharis

Bold should go!

Hop, lock outer door.

Zharis uses her jump jets to jump down to the bottom of the ladder rather than the less-impressive and somewhat awkward backward-turning indignity of climbing down.

She makes sure her camera has a wide shot of the whole room, then addresses the horned creature.

Okay, that sounds fair. Terms of surrender. We patch you up, and treat you humanely, which is what I think you meant by treating you as a prisoner of war, correct? In return, we require your keys, for you not to report Vessu's treachery and get his brother killed, and we need you to freely and openly answer our questions. Agreed?

If the creature agrees, then we search him, take his stuff, heal him up, and sit him down in the lounge with some manacles on. (But on a comfortable couch.)

First question: why in the world are you working for the Efreet and helping them take over this planet? You don't have one of their slave collars... I have a collection of those by now, believe me. So if you aren't going to turn to ash because you stepped out of line, why would you team up with those murderers? I seriously don't get it.

Ref: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (11) + 3 = 14
Cool move! I will wait for a reaction to Zharis' words and, if necessary, I will immediately give him first aid (stop the bleeding, etc.; medicine +21)

"Combat Tracking online. Don't try anything," Amhesha says as she keeps both her integrated and held weapons trained on the nuar, before continuing, "Hah, given that this guy's presumably an Ifrit, I'd imagine he's working for family or something."

Seeing how they'll react. Move Action Activate Combat Tracking regardless, though, on the ifrit. BAB is +8 on him.

He's not an ifrit with those horns though, is he? I thought they were the fire-hair people, but I could be wildly off. Are the efreeti not the people who have been messing up our lives all this time? I don't remember them having horns. If I'm wrong, please blame it on the player and not the character. I am sure she was paying better attention. :)

Ifrit. Not Efreet. The planar scions, native outsiders etc. Tieflings but Plane of Fire.

Okay... so the Ifrit are the bad guys then? But this guy isn't an ifrit either... not with horns, right?

Nuar Ifrit. Ifrit are mortal descendants of the inhabitants of the Plane of Fire... like Efreets. Basically, she's saying a Nuar hooked up with an Efreet, and this guy's the result.

Ifrit versus Efreeti

So maybe my question was dumb. The bad guys could just be his uncles or something. Oh well.

The jolt of electricity springs the robotic heads of the capture pole, releasing the nuar. But as Zharis emerges from the far ladder hatch, it's clear there's no where to run. The fiery-horned creature raises his hands in the universal symbol of surrender and allows Tulgram to staunch the bleeding caused by Theodore's magic-enhanced claws.

A moment later, as Zharis starts asking her first question, Vessu climbs into the room and points an accusing finger at the nuar and shouts: "And more importantly, how do I get my brother back, you big oaf!?"

"Name's Grunph, you little ambushing jerk," the nuar replies. "And I don't know. My orders were to find room for the new prisoners--it's getting pretty crowded in there--and watch over them until they could be interrogated. Once they were settled, I was supposed to send Gorshak a message at the Spire and send you on your way."

He turns to look at Zharis and shrugs. "A job's a job for a merc. I was recruited on Akiton to fight in a war and ended up here. I probably stood out to the recruiters because I have some fire-touched ancestry a ways' back. I have to admit, I never expected to be inside the bleedin' sun! But I don't know what you mean by 'slave collars'. Maybe you oughtta talk to Nurleth, the efreeti who commands the detention center? You've played me fair so far, so I'll admit: she's not likely to be as talkative as I am. True believers and all that."

Okay, we are off Initiative, as Tulgram's +21 to Medicine means he can automatically stop the bleed effect.

@Amhesha & Zharis: Please keep OOC conversations to the Discussion thread :) (also, feel free to ask these questions in character--Tulgram identified this creature, for example, and can explain how he's a nuar and an ifrit at the same time, and what that means)

"Ask him how many people live here!" Xylian calls from the upper deck. Never to early to begin scientific endeavors.

"Anyways, how many people are here, and how many people are in those... detention camps," Amhesha says with a bit of derision in her voice.

> True believers and all that.

From now on, in more detail. A believer in what?

"What kind of government do they have?" Comes another inquiry from Xylian, who is maintaining proximity to the nuke-launching button on the bridge. His voice is somewhat garbled, like he's eating. Which he may be.

Okay Grunph, that makes sense. Mercenaries have to take bad jobs sometimes, in order to eat. My name is Zharis. We aren't part of this particular war yet, but I think we are about to be. Got a message from the natives here that they needed help, and since we've encountered these particular enemies before, we came to pitch in and save the populace. No personal grudges against any species of course. Only I hate slavery and turning people to ash when they try to walk away.

She glances at Tulgram briefly, then continues.

So, you know, gotta take sides sometimes... similar thing happened on my home planet. One species thinking they can just take over another. Doesn't always go well.

Unfortunately, I don't think we'll get far with a true believer. You have keys to the detention center? And do you know if all of the prisoners in there are native rebels, or if there are other, more hardened types that shouldn't be freed? We're going to need to pull some people out of there. Got ideas on how to do it with a minimum of bloodshed?

We're also going to need a way to get Vessu's brother out. How were you contacting Gorshak?

While Grunph is answering other questions Zharis calls up to Ilor.

Hey Ilor... I need you down here to keep an eye on our prisoner. I don't think he'll be trouble, but we can't let him go for now, so you and Vessu are in charge of him while we handle other things. Don't kill him unless he tries to escape.

"Amhesha of Ydajisk," Amhesha says as she moves her rifle to no longer be pointing at the nuar. She then continues, "I've never been in a war before, the closest we have where I'm from is fighting Pharasmin and Xenodruid terrorists, but we don't take too kindly to slavery either. Might I ask what kind of government they have? It'd be pertinent to know how official this expansion is, as well as the whole slavery ordeal." She tries to weave the scientific inquiry along with actual pertinent questions to the upcoming war. How well she does, however, she doesn't really know.

Theodore returns from a quick trip to the restroom, carrying a towel and nonchalantly wiping the blood from his massive claws. And everywhere else it went. He calmly takes a position between the Nuar and the door, just in case. "Those are good questions." he sends, looking directly at the Nuar. "You should answer those questions to the best of your ability." he says again, without breaking eye contact.

Intimidate: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (19) + 9 = 28

"Whoa there big guy, I'm talking, I'm talking!" says the nuar, repeatedly glancing down at the bandages that cover the deep claw wounds inflicted by Theodore. "It's just a lot of questions all at once, so let me me think."

"Okay, how many people live here?" Grunph scrunches up his face in thought and then shrugs. "No idea, really. Kahlannal's a big city though, and there must be thousands of anassanois total. Now, how many are in that detention center is easier! Exactly fifteen prisoners, plus one in solitary confinement, but Nurleth is always cagey about that one."

"Oh, by 'true believers' I meant actual members of General Khaim's forces. I've never met him, but he really inspires all these efreet, azers, and ifrits to band together from the City of Brass for this war. Now hold on--" he raises a hand to stop further questions. "Before you ask, no, I don't know why Kahlannal is being invaded. If the money's good, I go, and I don't ask stupid questions."

Grunph rolls his eyes when Xylian's question comes through the intercom. "Government? Higher than my pay grade, pal!"

He points to a steel card that juts out of his trouser pockets and says to Zharis, "If you want to go inside, be my guest. That's a Level 2 clearance card and it'll get you through all the doors in the facility. Most of the anassanois in there were just arrested for rabble-rousing or being out after occupation curfew, but there's a few real resistance-types in there. You can call Gorshak from the comm unit in the office."

After all this talking, Grunph looks serious. "Listen, you got me fair and square. But there's a fine line between being a prisoner of war and being a traitor, and if things go bad for you I don't want to get executed by my own side. So, I'll thank you just to lock me up somewhere nice and forget you ever talked to me."

Tulgram doesn't seem to have any questions. And since he is torn apart by conflicting desires about Grunph's fate (and he would really dislike some options), duerger just barely shrugs his shoulders, leaving the other team members with those moral questions that are so important to them.

We promise to lock you up somewhere as soon as we find someplace appropriate. I mean, you can come in with us now if you want to, and we'll leave you locked up when we go, but I think that would make you look exactly like a traitor. You'd probably be treated better by the resistance.

Zharis takes the security card, and also wipes some of his blood on her paw so that she has a biometric sample to use with her biometric implants, should it be necessary.

Ilor, you got this? We'll be back soon.

We might face fire on the way in from that sniper, so everyone be ready for combat, but let's still try to move quickly. We don't want to wait until they can call in the whole army.

"Just leave me behind when you go--I'll take my chances," says Grumph. "I got proof I didn't go down easy!" He motions to his near-fatal wounds.

Ilor comes down to the tech workship to watch over Grunph and guard the ship.

Nib comes down as well. "Taeress thinks she's made contact--says the voices are getting stronger, or maybe closer? I've never really understood telepathy. But she says it's painful, that there's interference, like how a radio signal could be jammed. She's working on it, but it could be a while."

Okay, is the group's plan to charge out of the Sun Diver and make for the front door of the facility?

Zharis has Grunph draw them a basic map so they will know where the office, and other things, are. She assures him that they will leave him someplace safe, but doesn't promise that it will be here. She is inclined to let him go, but when and where could change quickly in their current situation.

Then Zharis checks the external cameras to see if anything has changed. She looks to see if there are any other entrances and makes sure she knows who is out there that they might face on the way in.

If everything looks calm, she says

Okay, when we get out, let's walk towards the door like we have every right to be here. I have lots of manacles so we could pretend to be prisoners, but that wouldn't be a great bluff without a guard, and we need our weapons, so we're just going to have to get straight to it. If anyone shoots, then we run. If we're going to make a stand, I want it to be somewhere that sniper can't get at us, so first goal is get to the door, get it open, get inside. Shoot people if they are getting in our way, but don't stop and trade blows if you can help it.

Once inside we take over the prison office/administration area first, not the prison blocks. Otherwise they might figure out a way to deactivate the card we have and lock us in.

Questions or suggestions before we go?

"I feel as if I could take the sniper, high ground or no," Amhesha overconfidently states, "... well, if it were just the sniper. With boots on the ground as well, yeah, horrible idea to add them to the mix when only one of us can even [/i]reach[/i] them with our weapons," she says as she taps her trusty Horizon Striker, before continuing, "No questions on my end," she states.

Okay, if shots are fired and you have a good sightline at the sniper, of course go for it, but don't linger behind to get killed. If you get her mad, maybe she'll follow us in, and then we can take her.

Once everyone is ready, Hop cycles the airlock to the Sun Diver and then, for the first time in days, there's fresh air and freedom from the snug confines of the ship! But there's no time for sight-seeing on Kahlannal, as the sentry in the guard tower will doubtless realise at any moment that trouble is afoot!

Okay everyone, this scene will play out on Slide # 6. I've placed your tokens next to the ship. The front door of the detention center is about 35-40 feet to your left. The sniper tower (with projection) is just to the north of that. It's fair to assume that it will take a few seconds for the sniper to realise that a) You're all armed and that b) Grunph isn't with you, so I'm going to each you each a Surprise Round in which you can take a single standard or move action.

Initiative (Surprise Round)

Xylian
Theodore
Amhesha
Zharis
Tulgram

Bold should go!

This is a Surprise Round (one action only). The guard tower is fifty feet high and there's a 3-foot-high wall around it, providing the guard with cover.

Xylian climbs down from the bridge, icy cannon resting on his shoulder. He is unsure why the others did not store the prisoner in one of the stasis pods, but he also does not really care. He approaches the large set of custom made powered armor - optimized to deflect high level radiation - sitting in its stand in a corner of the cargo bay. A tube connects to the armors back, feeding coolant directly from the ship into the armor, leaving the armor covered in a layer of frost. He unshoulders his hailcannon, leaning it against the bulkhead and starts entering his two hundred and fifty-six character password. "I will be a moment." He says in monotone. "I will catch up."

Xylian needs a full round to enter his powered armor. Actually I think he needs a couple turns to attach his ice cannon to the suit too.

When Zharis sees no other guards, and hears Xylian say he will catch up, she calls an audible so they don't leave Xylian behind. She nods at Amhesha and Theodore and Tulgram and whispers Take out the sniper if you can, and then follow me in when Xylian is ready.

Then she quickly moves forward closer to the door. She gets the wall between herself and the sniper (Looks like a regular sized wall, so hoping being behind it will help.)

Hoping the attack on the sniper will serve as a distraction, she now plans to enter the building alone and at least see what is going on while they wait for Xylian to type in his password.

I know... don't split the party, but at this point we have no choice anyway, so you guys wait for Xylian / take out the sniper, and I'll see what's up. My stealth is pretty good, and maybe they'll either not hear the battle outside, or it will distract them from me coming in the front. I promise, if I am going to die, I'll come back.

Theodore drops to all fours and saunters down the ramp, pausing halfway to the door to sniff the air and doing his best to look for all the world like someone's exotic pet that got loose. Yes, he's wearing armor. But animal companions get barding, what of it? :) Hopefully he causes enough of a double-take for Amhesha to get her shot off.

Bluff: 1d20 ⇒ 16 Do I get a bonus because uplifted bears do look like normal ones and, though most prefer not to, can walk on all fours naturally?

Amhesha is a bit distracted by the cover the sniper has, and starts mumbling under her breath in Protean as the freezing shot goes wide.

Horizon Striker w/o Combat Tracking: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (5) + 11 = 16 OOF. Assume that doesn't hit FF KAC? Next round will be combat tracking enabled, i.e. +13
Damage, Please?: 3d4 + 8 ⇒ (3, 3, 2) + 8 = 16
She isn't a proper soldier, she needs combat tracking to hit full BAB and can only snipe one attack at a time. She's a better shot at it than her frost projector, though.

As Xylian begins the lengthy process of suiting up for battle, Zharis dashes quickly across the open ground between the ship and the building and reaches the front door. Theodore does an . . . unconvincing . . . job of looking like a normal bear just as Amhesha opens fire with her shobhad-designed sniper rifle! Unfortunately, the slug whines harmlessly over the guard's head.

@Xylian: I love the 256-character password!

Amhesha's attack misses.

Tulgram is up and then I'll roll Initiative for Round 1.

Without even asking, Tulgram injects Amhesha with a specially-treated chemical compound to enhance her reflexes!

Botting Tulgram as using his basic booster to give Amhesha a +1 to AC for 9 rounds, since it looks like we might have a sniper v sniper duel!.

Initiative (Round 1)

Zharis
Theodore
Xylian
Amhesha
Sniper
Tulgram

Bold should go!

"Combat tracking online," Amhesha says, "this hothead isn't my normal target, but let's put this new fusion to the test."

Horizon Striker Attack (Cold+Piercing v. FF KAC): 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (13) + 13 = 26
Damage: 3d4 - 3 + 3d4 + 8 ⇒ (1, 1, 1) - 3 + (2, 2, 2) + 8 = 14 And this ladies and gentlemen, is why she has a solider level! If that hits, that should be... 14+7=21 damage assuming vulnerability. Move Action: Activate Combat Tracking on the Sniper. Standard Action: Fire

Properly dressed in his depleted uranium-lead-ceramic composit powered armor, Xylian stomps out of the Sun Diver and spins up his targeting computer. "I have the gunner in my sights." He radios to the crew.

Two move actions to move outside the Diver and Combat tracking the sniper mans.

Theo quits pretending to be unintelligent, but stays on all fours for a scramble to the base of the tower, then keeps moving, climbing paw over paw straight up the side.

Double move, I'm not sure how close I was to the base, so I'll let the GM decide how far up I got. Speaking of, there's a possible issue there I'll take to discussion.

Zharis moves to the side of the door and swipes the card. She glances around the side of the door to see if it looks clear.

If she thinks she can get in without being seen, she slips inside, her camera drone tucked behind her for once. Can't risk the footage.

Stealth: 1d20 + 16 ⇒ (15) + 16 = 31

She looks for the side door that Grunph described... and if he was being truthful, she moves to it, and through it with another swipe of the card.

Not sure if I can do all that in one turn, esp. with stealth, but since we don't have the inside map yet, figured I would describe what I am trying to do so you know where to place me.

Also worth it to note that Zharis's new purchase, her smart scarf, is currently configured as an aid to stealth. It can also be configured as an aid to perception in bright light, but the stealth aid will be her default configuration. I am guessing, but maybe this way it is like a bandit mask and the other way is like a hood?

Theo quits pretending to be unintelligent, but stays on all fours for a scramble to the base of the tower, then keeps moving, climbing paw over paw straight up the sid

See? This is why we installed ladders in the ship. Keeps the space bears out.

The sniper on the guard tower screams in pain as Amhesha's freezing projectile hits home. The flame-haired sentinel doesn't hesitate to fire back with a slug that grazes Amhesha's temple!

As Xylian joins the pahtra next to the ship, Theodore starts racing up the side of the tower!

Moving quickly, Zharis swipes the card and opens the front door to reveal a room dimly lit from narrow skylights above. It has only an expanse of dying lawn for a floor. Ladders on either side lead up to a series of catwalks twelve feet overhead. A door to the right, near the ladder, presumably leads into an area under the sniper tower while a door on the far side of the chamber leads further into the detention center. Three more flame-haired soldiers pace the catwalk, as yet unaware of the battle happening outside . . .

Amhesha's attack hits.

The sniper has the "debilitating sniper" operative ability and can do a limited type of trick attack as part of aiming the weapon. The trick attack succeeds vs. Amhesha. Amhesha, you will be subject to the "bleeding attack" debilitating trick if the attack hits. Result: The attack hits. Amhesha, you take 20 P damage and now have the Bleed 9 condition (at the beginning of each turn you will take 9 bleed damage; DC 15 Medicine or magical healing to stop).

@Amhesha: Don't worry about it for this fight, but next time remember that aiming a shot (to get the benefits of the Steady Shot damage rerolls and extra range of sniper weapons) is a move action, so if you activate combat tracking in the same round (also a move action) you won't be able to actually fire the shot until the following round. Snipers are all about patience :)

@Theodore: Discussion thread question answered there. You can place a small text box next to your token to indicate how far up the side of the tower you are. The tower is fifty feet high.

@Zharis: It's a swift action to use the keycard and a move action to open the door. Your Stealth check is successful, and you're able to peek around the corner without the figures inside noticing the door crack open. If you move into the room, you'd no longer have cover or concealment so Stealth would be impossible. You have a move action left this round.

Map updated. The interior of the detention center is dim light. If you have darkvision or low-light vision, you can see normally, otherwise all targets will have concealment against you.

Initiative (Round 1)

Zharis (Move action left)
Theodore
Xylian
Amhesha (Bleed 9)
Sniper
Tulgram

Bold should go!

I'm not sure how far I was from the base of the tower, let's say it took a move to get there, and another up the tower, so I'm presently 20 feet up.