GM Zoomba's The Beginning of the End (Inactive)

Game Master Zoomba

George 09-23 strikes up a defensive position and allows his summons to act as a proxy for him in this combat.

Total Defence action.

George 09-23 is invisible.

Real chance for 5am's 2nd strike: 1d3 ⇒ 3
5am's first strike narrowly misses the dazed remainign foe, but disrupts on of the projections at least. Her second strike is on point!...versus another false target.

bot 1's 'real' chance on strike #2: 1d2 ⇒ 2
As a trio of robots emerge they all open fire. But while a perfect shot is landed...against the final projection, only a single blast that last shot from #3 gets through to hit the now exposed remaining enemy.

Initiative

Green figure
Blue figure 14 damage, dazed
Ombonth 48/60 SP, 3 EP
Speaker for the Dead
George 09-23, invisible, full defense
Red figure, KO'd
5am
Celly

Celestia moves to take up a defensive position near Datch, in order to protect the ysoki.

You sent us to some really nice places - I guess I owe you one she smiles before taking a shot at Blue.

mclp: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (15) + 6 = 21 fire: 2d6 + 3 ⇒ (3, 1) + 3 = 7

Celly's shot lands a burn on her target. As she moves near Datch she notices the ysoki fishing about with one paw in the unconsicous agent's pocket.

1d6 ⇒ 4

Datch meanwhile returns the smile and taps away on her keyboard. An old newscamera drone whirs to life and starts divebombing and circling the last mutual enemy. He dives out of the way to keep avoiding it but its continued harrassment seems to be leaving him Flat-Footed.

Attack v 5am's KAC: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (4) + 8 = 12 for Piercing: 1d4 + 4 ⇒ (3) + 4 = 7

He twists his left arm and stabs out at 5am with a spike that extends from his sleeve but they're easily able to dodge.

And surrounded and hurt, I'm happy to call the combat. You'll smack away at them hard before they get another chance to go anyway :)

which means COMBAT OVER!!!
Ombonth 48/60 SP

As the third opponent falls KO'd or killed? Right now Green's dead and Red's unconscious the momentary silence as the fighting ends is broken by the sound of Datch clapping her hands slowly. You see she's freed herself from her shackles with a key purloined from the 'red' dropped foe snoozing away. A grin creeps across the ysoki's face. “Excellent, Starfinders! I knew you were the ones for the job. Now, you’ve got to hurry on and get goin. Kebzec’s got the disaster machine set up in an old university building a few miles north of here. If you’re quick, you can keep Izdria on the map. If not...well,you know what the machine’s meant to do, right?”

Suddenly, there’s a rumbling sound and the floor shakes slightly. In the distance, the crash of rock, the honk of horns, and the screams of panic herald another quake. Datch tips her head toward the sound,and shrugs in a 'see?' gesture. She also is rubbing her wrist where the cuffs had her fur chafing.

"These ones must hurry to save all of those ones on this planet before it's too late!" shouts Speaker for the Dead, obviously filled with concern for the loss of so much innocent life. "But that one should be returned to a proper penal colony for justice to be served!" He extends an appendage to gesture towards Datch.

"Yet, faced with such a dilemma, life must come first even if evil be unpunished," he concludes.

Celly tosses Datch a small jar of cream she uses for rope burns and other such things.

Anyway, nice to see you again. I got rather worried when we couldn't find you in the Bastille. Did you leave voluntarily or were you abducted?

"Yeah no, abuducted." Datch says looking to Celly. "They black-bagged me right out of your guy's underground no-trial prison. You were there to see it yourself if I recall, remember?" Still, the ysoki accepts the cream and even, after a moment, gives a tiny nod of gratitude to the aasimar.

"Those bunch of fanatics calling themselves the 'Order of the Dawning Fate' or whatever kept me prisoner working on manipulating the rubes out there in meatspace without them catching on. Incite some panic here, spark an evacuation there, make some markets go down, otheres up, doomsaying — you get the picture. Which yeah, I'm good at sure but I expect to be compensated for my time!" he voice rises as she yells the last bit directly at the knocked-out Order agent on the ground near her. "Plan here was once this little city's been toppled the message all around'll change to 'stay away'. We’ll spread rumors about radiation or toxic gas or land instability, and the Order will secure the clean-up contract. Bam!: Izdria belongs to the Order and no one’s the wiser.” Datch frowns. “Of course those holes also had me training my replacements! The audacity! The second Kebzec believes his lackeys could do half as good a job as I can, that’s it! I’m just another dead rat. Obviously, I’m not amenable to that outcome. That’s why I helped you.” Datch grins. “Who else could I trust to run headlong into trouble, heedless of system borders and planetary jurisdiction? Who else could I trust to get the job done? The heroic Starfinder Society, of course!"

"Plus, you owe me."

"Hi Datch, nice to meet you!" 5am fishes a can of soda from her pack and takes a small breather to cool down her augmentations. Burn 1 RP to recharge finitrium augmentation.

"This is awfully like a reality show. Super cool but hope nobody gets hurt..."

I was - yes. And I'm sorry I couldn't save you - seriously. Dunno how it is we owe you though. Frankly I'd call it even. But I wasn't kidding about discovering two of my favorite planets to visit on that key finding mission - Nemenar and Varturan. I think I even got the license plate off that old crashed vehicle of yours. And Dr. Mekkisan sends his regards.

But, anyway, I guess you'll be coming back with us now - please?

for the last operative, by default Ombonth will not grant mercy but if people prefer to have him unconscious it's fine by me.

Ombonth grunts at Datch' words.

Getting out of the elevator without a scratch, Aystif smiles at Datch and says What my friend says is that you belong to jail in regard of all the traitorous acts you've done.
But, looking at the circumstances and realizing that your help was crucial in thwarting the Order's plans we are encline to let you go and not call the Stewarts.
You are free to go in his opinion.

5am knocks the final operative unconscious, hunching that otherwise Ombonth will deliver a coup de grace.

"See, this guy gets it." Datch nods to Aystif. "Did I deserve my initial incarceration? Eh, debatable" she waves a paw side to side, glancing over at Ombonth. "But I've spent the last year working for a back of pshycos because you're security sucks. And despite that I've been helping you. Over, and, over, and over; so many encrypted messages sent out to you lot. What, did you think Ongie just happened to pop up on your radar right before some other mercs got there?" She sets Celly's lotion on the desk and sits down in a chair. "You're only here because I led you by the nose. So all those people you save by day's end - you save them because I'm giving you the weapon's location."

The room shakes once more as another loud rumble echoes in the distance. Several monitor topple over from their tables and you hear a booming crash and yelling from outside on the streets. Datch glances to an exterior wall before looking back to her screen and typing away. "And time is not on your side so I'd get going if I were you. There's still an enercopter parked up on the roof. Should get you over…there fast without needing to fight your way through all of the fleeing civvies. I'd say I'm sorry for that part but you gotta take pride in your work." At 'there' all of your comm units *ping* with a geo-tagged location: a two-story building right at the edge of the Izdria Universtiy campus.

But, anyway, I guess you'll be coming back with us now - please?

Datch chuckles. "So polite: appreciate that to be honest. But…no. I don't think so. Instead I think I'll stay here of course and finish repairing a little data packet for your Celita - all the information you'll need to expose the Order's operations. I'm talking finances, shell corps, blackmail vics, stooges, traitors, spies - literally everything. With this packet you can force the Stewards, the Veskarium, all sorts to move against the Order's ops and take them down. You know: the people who actually have jurisdictions over things."

She pauses typing and leans back in her chair. "I'm offering you the keys to everything. You're welcome. But will I be here when you get back? Of course not, that's my payment. After that," she looks you each dead in the eyes. "Even."

That's Datch's pitch. How you react - or if you have more questions for her - is up to you.

"You have us by the ears here!" 5am giggles. "Well, thank you for making the decision easy. I'm all for letting you go and save everyone. Under these circumstances we have so little culpability to your escape it's basically negative!"

Fine. But I'm sort of hoping we'll meet again. After this is over of course. Maybe next time ....

She starts heading for the roof.

Ombonth grunts.

My friends says that he agrees with your terms and wish you well until next time. Take care and we are even Says Aystif.

Both him and Ombonth follows Celly to the roof.

V.I.P Lounge - Starlight Club. I'll be waiting Celly says over her shoulder as she exits.

"Sure. Get a feysplitter ordered for me when you get there." Datch calls back as you hurry onwards.

Rushing up just one flight of stairs does bring you up the the roof. From this vantage point you have a good look of Izdria's skyline. And its getting grim. A large plume of smoke is rising up to the southeast likely caused from the collapse of a sizeable building. And many other skyscrapers and monoliths bear deep cracks and lines along their sides threatening that they might be the next to go.

There is an enercopter parked on a modest helipad to the roof's west side. It's not exactly the most elegant craft - its a bit bulky and designed more for transporting news crews and recording onsite video than speed - but it looks well-maintained and flyable.

At least if you had the keys. Which don't seem to be anywhere...

You could try and get this thing hotwired or hacked to get up and running with a Piloting, Computers, or Engineering check

5am retrieves a keyring full of analog lockpicks and skeleton key access tags. She picks one intuitively to start up the enercopter.

Spend paradox 10 for a result of 26 Piloting.

Celly buckles into a passenger seat while she tries to remember what a feysplitter is and whether or not the bar serves them. Usually she doesn't drink while she's on duty.

Guess I'd better find out when I get back to work

Ombonth having no clue about how to pilot or start that thing lets his comrades do what need to be done and grunts.

Speaker for the Dead climbs into the enercopter and straps himself in.

I'm guessing 5am has this covered, but I can spend a resource to try an Aid Another if necessary.

George 09-23 sees that 5am has things well in hand. He takes his hand off of his engineering toolbelt and boards the enercopter. He straps himself in as he expects a bumpy ride.

George 09-23 is invisible.

Auto aids here as well if necessary for most of the skills listed. A 26 should do it. We are only playing 5-6 tier. :)

All of you board and harness yourselves into the chopper as 5am deftly gets it kickstarted. Datch's directions are guiding you to a building to the north, and so the elf is able to guide your vehicle up off ot the launch pad and tow-

Suddenly there's another loud noise. But this time it isn't coming from an earthquake. Instead, curving into sight from around a nearby building is a sleek enercopter headed in your direction. In the distance through the copter's windshield you see a woman piloting the craft. But a male human in what looks like a gunner seat - and both bear the same purplish uniforms as the Order agents you just dispatched below!

Well, looks like the Order of Dawning Fate isn't going to let you just fly into Mordor their scheme without a fight. We're in a Vehicle Chase!

Chase rules can be found HERE for those needing a refresher. You helicopter's stats can be found on slide 5, while the Chase 'map' is on Slide 6

Note the 'Zone' effects near the slide bottom in yellow. Specifically right now, as you're still taking off from an elevated Helipad in the middle of a city the tall buildings are giving a bonus to Piloting checks to Evade or use a Trick. And here you're currently close enough to the roof still that a new Trick option is available to you if you'd like to use it (to kick up a Concealing dust cloud)

Let's go!

"Sorry Ombonth, I'm going to leave them in the dust outside smashing range!"

5am takes the old enercopter to a deep dive, lurching around the tall buildings to go forward with great risk!

Double Maneouver: Evade & Speed Up.

The tall buildings make dodging upcoming air traffic easier, but the enercopter [7]is[/i] rather dated.

She hunches an easy timeline and goes for it. There's a stomach-churning close call with an hoverbus full of evacuees, but it ends up being a further obstacle between the Starfinders and the Order. Use Paradox 4 for 4+16+2-2-4=16 to beat Evade DC of 15.

The daredevil precog wants to get out of the civillian zone as quickly as possible, so she fishes up a particularly good timeline, just a little bit sad she can't use it at a slots machine later that day. By sheer luck the old engine gets through an overinjection of booster fuel without overheating. Use Paradox 16 for 16+16-2-4=26 to beat Speed Up DC of 22.

This gets us to the next zone in Pilot Phase already. Evade is up too so no collision damage from zone 2. If the Enemy vehicle doesn't speed up to follow we should get +2 to ranged attacks as forward position bonus.

You see that behind the Starfinders, another enercopter, just like the one we are in, has stayed behind to kick up dust and debris on the helipad. 5am's time-bending augmentations flare up again as the paradoxical second enercopter disappears.

Burning 1 RP for extra move action: Trick.

Trick for Concealment DC 20: 1d20 + 16 - 2 ⇒ (15) + 16 - 2 = 29

5am gets your helicopter going into high gear.

Piloting: 1d20 + 16 - 2 ⇒ (4) + 16 - 2 = 18
The enemy enercopter takes evasive action as they try and pursue. Your own vehicle accelerates through the densely populated skies of Izdria a lot of people are trying to leave the city after all, traffic's a nightmare and breaks out towards the less populated skies around a construction site. As you race ahead however an active crane from the site is unable to halt its movement in time and you find your craft shuddering from the impact!

CRANE!! v your KAC: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (11) + 12 = 23 for Bludgeoning: 3d10 + 4 ⇒ (3, 8, 8) + 4 = 23

From behind you the pursuing copter fires out a laser shot at you, but the dust cloud 5am kicked up causes their shot to go wide.

Attack v your copter's EAC: 1d20 + 10 - 2 ⇒ (17) + 10 - 2 = 25 for Fire: 2d8 ⇒ (1, 4) = 5
Concelament (low misses): 1d100 ⇒ 10

Everyone else can act as they wish in the first round!
You copter's HP 62/80

Celestia tries firing back in an effort to disable the pursuing enercopter

And people wonder why I don't drive

corona laser: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (11) + 6 = 17 fire: 2d4 + 3 ⇒ (3, 4) + 3 = 10

And for the first time in her life, she looks for the barf bags.

Ombonth grunts as the enercopter flies through the trafic. Giving an hard eye to 5am.

Lookinh at the far away enemy, he waits for boarding the pursuing vehicule in case it's close enough.

Delay

George 09-23 decides to prepare for the possibility of their enercopter going down. He spends a few moment realigning his magical energies to be able to stop their craft should it fall from the sky.

Flight (level 2) is now added to George 09-23 spell list for 1 minute.

@GM Zoomba - With Flight level 1 at caster level 6, George 09-23 should be able to slow the fall of a Gargantuan object as a reaction. Let us hope that it does not come to this but it is better to be prepared. :)

Equipped only with small arms that are unlikely to meaningful damage the pursuing vessel, Speaker tries to focus instead on giving 5am some good advice--not that she's needed it so far!

Aid Another (Pilot): 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2

Fortunately, she wisely ignores his advice to engage the afterburners, since the enercopter doesn't have any!

George 09-23 prepares for the worst - just in case of course - while Celly takes a shot back at your pursuers. The question of why a news helicopter is equipped with an artillery weapon would probably reveal quite a bit about the media situation on Izdria, but for now you only need to concern yourself with the fact that the shot is dodged by the Order ship's pilot.

While behind you their craft seems to be trying to weave around and through the dense crowd of aircars they're being hoisted by their own panic-induced petard You see the quickest path to the weapon's location is taking you near what looks to be a major civic building. One which seems to have some security defenses built into it.

Round 2 Pilot's up

Them Piloting to Evade: 1d20 + 16 - 2 ⇒ (15) + 16 - 2 = 29 Success

Your ship right now: 62/80 HP

5am guesses that there's a flight path between two construction cranes and takes her hands off the controls for a bit to fish out her Shield Rifle. Burning 1 RP for Specialized Resolve: Rapid Moves for extra move action to Draw a Weapon.

Piloting Evade DC15: 1d20 + 16 + 2 - 2 - 2 ⇒ (1) + 16 + 2 - 2 - 2 = 15

Should be fine, still made it...

She then shoots back at the attackers a little bit awkwardly.

Shoot vehicle KAC: 1d20 + 9 + 2 - 4 ⇒ (20) + 9 + 2 - 4 = 27E&P dmg: 1d8 + 6 ⇒ (7) + 6 = 13

An arc of electricity leaps from the enemy copter's chassis to its pilot.

Arc: 1d4 ⇒ 4

George 09-23 decides to add some magical aid to 5am's actions. He casts a spell (Fluid Morphism) that subtly adapts 5am's physiology to be quicker and more nimble going forward.

For the next six minutes 5am will receive a +2 enhancement bonus to all dexterity based skill checks and ability checks.

George 09-23 is invisible.

5am's rapid whirling back and forth between the controls and the window become even more graceful from George 09-23's magic. And it seems to immediately pay off as he shot cracks into the pursuing copter's fuselage while arcing a bit to shock the pilot.

You maintain a good lead from the Order agents chasing you as you both continue to advance. Behind you their craft lets loose another artillery blast - this time striking and shaking your own ship!

enemy Attack v copter's EAC: 1d20 + 10 - 2 ⇒ (13) + 10 - 2 = 21 for Fire: 2d8 ⇒ (4, 8) = 12

As they work to navigate the construction site, your own ship comes under fire from the automated defenses of one of the building's below. 5am swerves to evade the laser fire but can't fully get out of the way as lasers scour your hull.

Civic Building security defenses v EAC: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (8) + 12 = 20 for Fire: 5d6 ⇒ (5, 3, 4, 2, 2) = 16

Rest of you are up in Round 2! Reminder that attacks against things 'behind' you get +2. There is also an extra Trick option in this zone to try and use Computers to hack the automated defenses below to shoot at your pursuer

Your ship right now: 44/80 HP
Their ship 8 damage, pilot 4 damage

Celestia takes another shot
corona laser: 1d20 + 6 + 2 ⇒ (17) + 6 + 2 = 25 fire: 2d4 + 3 ⇒ (1, 1) + 3 = 5

Ombonth turns to his comrades in frustration and says. I can fly! Get me next to that enercopter and I will bord it!

You think there's probably a few paths to victory here: you could take out the enemy ship (or both its operators). Or try to get far enough ahead of them that you lose them

Uttering a quick prayer to the Lady of Graves, Speaker for the Dead opens a temporary conduit to a heavenly plane to summon forth a bright radiant light to distract the group's pursuers!

I'm not sure how range works in a chase like this, but if the pursuing vehicle gets within 60', I'll move the wisp ally to give us Covering Fire against the enemy for five rounds.

Generally vehicles in the same zone are considered to be about 50 feet apart (closer if either is Engaging) while adjacent zones are ~200 feet apart. If you'd like to use another action, or just Delay this round, feel free

Keeping things advancing:

Celly fires and lands another hit on the Order ship, but the glancing blow seems to be absorbed by its own sturdy construction. Hardness negates that minimal damage roll sadly

Behind you the pilot seems to be trying to rev up to see if they can re-take some ground...

Round 3 Pilot is up!

5am has adjusted to the physiological changes fully now, using her even further improved sense of balance to lead the enercopter into a mad spinning dash forward.

Double Maneouver: Evade and Speed Up. Evade is autosuccess.

Speed Up DC 22: 1d20 + 16 + 2 + 2 - 4 ⇒ (11) + 16 + 2 + 2 - 4 = 27

5am punches the newscopter's engines and sends you all flying quickly ahead. She carefully navigates around the debris falling from crumbling buildings as you continue north. Behind you you see the pursuing Order agents struggling to keep up. As distance opens up between you you see them too getting fired upon by the city defenses below.

Attack v their EAC: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (8) + 12 = 20 for Fire: 5d6 ⇒ (2, 5, 2, 1, 4) = 14

You then lose sight of them as your path takes you flying above a neighborhood of Izdria where several fires rage below. The smoke gives your craft a bit of cover as the other copter fires back at you again, but the noxious fumes wafting up are dense and leaking slightly into the vehicle's interior

Attack v your EAC: 1d20 + 10 - 2 - 2 ⇒ (7) + 10 - 2 - 2 = 13 for Fire: 2d8 ⇒ (4, 1) = 5
Concelament, low misses: 1d100 ⇒ 68

Everyone needs to make a DC 14 Fort save. Failure and you are sickened for the duration of this chase

Rest of you are up in Round 3! You think your almost far enough ahead of them to lose them...

Your ship right now: 44/80 HP
Their ship 17 damage, pilot 4 damage

@GM Zoomba - Androids do not breathe. Please let me know if I still need to roll a Fort save against the smoke. Generally I activate my armor's seals as soon as I start the adventure but I forgot this time. Androids might be flawless but human players apparently are not ;)

George 09-23 tries to hack the software of the guns below by sending signals from his comm unit. Hopefully he can turn them against the enemy's enercopter.

Computers: 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (15) + 17 = 32

fort: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (17) + 3 = 20

Speaker for the Dead catches a deep breath of the noxious fumes and begins coughing uncontrollably!

I'll use my turn to keep a readied action to activate the wisp ally against an enemy that comes within our zone.

Fort save vs sickened: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4

Fort DC 14: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (20) + 3 = 23

Fortitude DC14: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (1) + 9 = 10

As Ombonth was ready to yell at 5am to get the copter closer, he inhales the fumes fully! and starts coughing immediately.

Last round George 09-23 works to connect the the defense grid below as you pass over it. Successfully bypassing its security, he directs a shot at your pursuers.

Attack v their EAC: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (12) + 12 = 24 for Fire: 5d6 ⇒ (1, 6, 1, 6, 2) = 16

And it you don't breath the smoke won't get in the lungs to sicken you, so you're fine George

Through the smoke you see the chasing helicopter taking some heavy damage. Most of your crew readies in case of a fight while 5am sees if she can fully pull away and lose them...

Pilot up!!

Your ship right now: 44/80 HP
Their ship 28 damage, pilot 4 damage

5am plays it safe by going to a higher altitude before speeding up a lot.

"I think this is it, everyone!"

Speed Up DC23: 1d20 + 16 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (20) + 16 + 2 + 2 = 40

Behind you the Order ship advances, but more slowly than they'd seem to like - dodging the rubble from the crumbling buildings their machine has wrecked is taking too much of their attention.

And while they begin to stall, 5am guns it! Your newscopter kicks into high gear as you race northward. Your pursuers are first a speck receding in the distance. Then not even that.

A successful escape!!

Having lost your tail, you can continue to Datch's coordinates where the Order agents are operating their disaster machine. Approaching the target you see its a six-story building, with a very out-dated architectural style. Signs of construction are all around the exterior: the windows are all boarded up and fencing and cranes sit around the structure.

Its roof doesn't appear stable enough for your copter so you can land in a unoccupied park a few blocks away and reach the building on foot. The only doors at the ground floor seem to be its main entrance. Through the board you notice as you near that a the interior does seem to be lit with a dim light.