[SFS/ACE] 6-03 Project Dawn (Inactive)

Game Master Kludde

Pamatea moves in for a slightly better shot at Red.

attack: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (13) + 10 = 23
needler rifle: 1d6 + 9 ⇒ (2) + 9 = 11 P and biohack -2 AC for 9 rounds.

Stell tries to body-shove the monster back into the containment unit. She is impressive, but the outcome is what you expect when a stoppable force meets an immovable object. Bull rush fails... it's also not an attack that deals damage, iirc.

Fortunately, Darakwinn's forcedisk and Pamatea's shot both hit, severely wounding the monster outside of the containment field's perimeter.

---Round 1--
Pamatea
George
Stell
Darakwinn
---Round 2---
Shaft
---
Enemy - Red (28)
Enemy - Blue
---

George 09-23 does his best to encourage the creatures to step back into the safety of the containment unit. He moves forward to take cover behind the wall next to the door and with a better vantage of the creatures. He then conjures a Wall of Steam radiating heat out towards the creatures.

Fire Damage vs Red, 5 feet away from the wall: 2d4 ⇒ (2, 2) = 4

Fire Damage vs Blue, 10 feet away from the wall: 1d4 ⇒ 2

Passing through the wall delivers 3d4 fire damage. Creatures have concealment (20% miss chance) from creatures on the opposite side of the wall.

Shaft takes a stab at reactivating the containment field.

Computers: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (17) + 9 = 26

George's encouragement causes the angry cretaures to screech, but Shaft activates the containment unit, locking in a creature, but pushing the other to the outside.

High is outside: 1d100 ⇒ 68

The distraught creature wildly lashes at Stell, but doesn't come even close.

Bite, Concealed (low is miss), Stell: 1d100 ⇒ 161d20 + 12 ⇒ (1) + 12 = 131d6 + 9 ⇒ (6) + 9 = 15

---Round 2--
Pamatea
George
Stell
Darakwinn
---Round 3---
Shaft
---
Enemy - Red (32)
Enemy - Blue (2 - Contained)
---

The Wall of Steam continues to pump out heat towards Red.

Fire Damage vs Red, 5 feet from wall: 2d4 ⇒ (3, 4) = 7

George 09-23 sends three mystical bolts towards Red.

Magic Missile, Full Round Action,Harmful Spells: 3d4 + 3 + 3 ⇒ (2, 1, 3) + 3 + 3 = 12

With one target safely contained and the other notably injured and highly outnumbered, Darakwinn conserves resources and simply stabs the creature with her pike.

Tactical Pike: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (8) + 4 = 12
Piercing: 1d8 + 5 ⇒ (7) + 5 = 12

Pamatea fires again at Red, using a plain dart.

attack: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (7) + 10 = 17
needler rifle: 1d6 + 9 ⇒ (6) + 9 = 15 P

Stell fakes another knife attack, but then steps back, drawing her pistol and shots at the escapee.

Trick Attack, Bluff, Skill Expertise: 1d20 + 13 + 4 + 1d6 ⇒ (12) + 13 + 4 + (4) = 33
DC: 20 + Targets CR; success: Target is flat-footed against the trick attack; if attack hits add Trick Attack Damage
Trick Attack Damage: 1d8 ⇒ 1

Tactical Semi-auto pistol, vs KAC: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (14) + 6 = 20
Damage, P: 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 2 = 6 (range: 30')

Turning away from the computer console, Shaft moves to peer around the corner, hoping to catch the uncontained creature by surprise.

Trick attack DC: 1d20 + 16 + 4 - 20 ⇒ (13) + 16 + 4 - 20 = 13
Trick damage: 3d8 ⇒ (1, 4, 5) = 10

Sonic pistol vs FF? EAC: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (11) + 9 = 20
sonic damage: 1d8 ⇒ 3

He has a thermal capacitor, so negates 5 fire damage from the wall

George critically wounds the escaped monster, and Pamatea's shot is enough to finish it off. The other creature is safely contained, so safe for the power failing, it's not going to eat your face off today.

Combat over

The small drone in the room immediately starts cleaning duties, which including wiping blood off the floor and shoving the corpse away.

The computers are completely unsecured - not even password protected!

There's a few items of interest in this room, including a sharp-pointed syringe stick, an advanced syringe spear, four clearly labeled tier 2 sedatives, and two clearly labeled mk 2 serums of healing.

George 09-23 has a look at the computer systems and at the dead creature as soon as his wall of steam dissipates.

Life Science: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (10) + 15 = 25

"Lubose has been developing these necrografts to turn people into undead or to make them more susceptible to suggestion."

"It looks like they were still in the testing phase and luckily before he would be able to sell them to the mass market."

"It is fortunate that we are here now to put an end to this before it really got out of hand."

"I suggest that we move into the last room on this hidden level so we can leave this place."

"Don't forget to snag his research data."

George carefully opens the door to 'Necromantic studies' The laboratory is split into two main operating rooms—one sized for medium and smaller creatures in the north and one sized for large creatures in the south. The northern room has a few non-network computers. The southern surgery bed is occupied by a still cadaver stitched together from multiple corpses. Nearby, five stasis chambers contain additional corpses. The walls are lined with touchscreens and tools housed in support goo cubes for sanitary use when required. A slim lightpath winds its way through the room and around the operating tables, where a tiny drone idles.

Darakwinn scoops up the healing serums in her role as combat medic before leaving the room.

"Anyone else suspect that the dead things in here aren't dead dead?" Darakwinn asks, getting close enough to the one on the surgery bed to jab it a couple times with her pike when they get to the other room.

Stell will collect the syringe sticks and serums in case they can be used in combat. She will load a sedative serum into the sharp-pointed syringe stick, which is an operative weapon that she will keep in her off-hand. She'll load the healing serum into the other spear, which she will give to someone else. Carrying anything will but Stell over her encumbrance limit, but she will drop the stick if she has to move quickly.

Pamatea answers Darakwinn, ”I can take a look!”

What would it take to investigate them? Medicine? Life Science?

Darakwinn prods the mass of flesh, and before Pamatea has a chance to id the creature, it rises from the table, a garbled mass of flesh, appendages and limbs, with a set of leathery wings to boot. Just as that happens, a second creature, similarly cobbled together but with sharp teeth, crashes through a pod nearby.

Mysticism to identify

---
Shaft
Pamatea
Darakwinn
George
Stell
---
Monster (LW)
Monster (SF)
---

Mysticism to answer that age-old question What the heck is that? : 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (7) + 3 = 10

George 09-23 tries to id the creature (assuming it is not an action to do so otherwise he will not attempt it). He decides that Magic Missile is the answer to a row full of razor sharp teeth and unloads on Red with a three missile barrage.

Magic Missile vs Red, Full Round action, Harmful Spells: 3d4 + 3 + 3 ⇒ (2, 1, 3) + 3 + 3 = 12

If not an action or a free action to identify:

Mysticism, Certainty: 1d20 + 13 + 2 ⇒ (13) + 13 + 2 = 28

"Oh Hell no. That ain't cool. That's just nasty."

Shaft shucks & jives to the south, taking a shot just before he rounds the corner to the east, following the glowing line on the floor.

Bluff for Trick Attack vs Nasty's CR: 1d20 + 16 + 4 - 20 ⇒ (4) + 16 + 4 - 20 = 4
Trick damage: 3d8 ⇒ (7, 1, 7) = 15

Thunderstike Pistol attack vs FF(?) EAC: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (8) + 9 = 17
Sonic damage: 1d8 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4

Pamatea looks at the creatures rise up.

"Oh dear!"

Biohacker move action to identify; Physical Science result of 37 to identify an unliving creature.

She fires at Red through the door.

attack: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (1) + 10 = 11
needler rifle: 1d6 + 9 ⇒ (3) + 9 = 12 P and biohack -2 to AC for 9 rounds

Darakwinn takes a page from George's notebook...or her own notebook...or a page that's in both their notebooks and begins casting a spell.

Shaft concludes that whatever in the nine hells that thing is, it isn't anything he's seen before.

George blasts the creature first, and then concludes this is a carrion dreg - the result of necromancy applied to a collection of body parts cobbled together. They're mindless, grotesque, undead and not breathing (which is probably just as well). Undead immunities and vulnerable to crits

Shaft lands a shot before Pamatea confirms what George observed. The kasatha's shot misses, while Darakwinn starts an incantation.

---
Shaft
Pamatea
Darakwinn
George
Stell
---
Monster (LW - 31)
Monster (SF)
---

Shasta moves into the room enough to have a clear shot at both monsters. She fires one round at the nearby one and a second toward the one farther away.

Tactical Semi-auto pistol, vs KAC, full attack: 1d20 + 6 - 4 ⇒ (20) + 6 - 4 = 22
Damage, P: 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 2 = 4 (range: 30')
Damage, P, crit: 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 2 = 7

Tactical Semi-auto pistol, vs KAC, full attack: 1d20 + 6 - 4 ⇒ (7) + 6 - 4 = 9
Damage, P: 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (3) + 2 = 5 (range: 30')

Stell Z-Linn's shot hits, and with a gurgling, splattering sound the undead monstrosity explodes in a rain of limbs and viscera.

Her other shot can't quite summon the same effect, and misses.

The remaining monster shambles forward to Shaft, and gives the operative a good, close look of its sharp fangs as it attempt to bite him.

Bite, Shaft: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (3) + 12 = 151d6 + 11 ⇒ (3) + 11 = 14

---
Shaft
Pamatea
Darakwinn
George
Stell
---
Monster (DOWN)
Monster (SF)
---

George 09-23 moves faster than he should on his enhanced robotic legs. He finds an appropriate place to stop and breathes a cone of electricity all over the last remaining monster.

Dragon Breath, Reflex DC 15 for half damage: 3d6 ⇒ (6, 1, 5) = 12

Darakwinn summons reinforcements from Angradd's otherwordly army. A small man made out of earth and stone manifests adjacent to the corpse mash.

And while her ally works, Darakwinn goes on the defense, which is also offense.

Casting Reflective Armor.

The small, martial man made of dirt and rocks attempts to smash the corpse mash up.

slam: 1d20 + 5 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 5 + 1 = 9
Bludgeoning: 1d6 + 3 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 3 + 1 = 8

The nimble android follows the line to the north, probably drawing the ire of the multi-limbed horror.
(Mobility bumps Shaft's KAC to 24)

He pops off a shot from his pistol before rounding the corner (Shot on the Run)

Trick attack via Bluff vs CR: 1d20 + 16 + 4 - 20 ⇒ (6) + 16 + 4 - 20 = 6
Trick damage: 3d8 ⇒ (2, 5, 6) = 13

Pistol shot vs FF EAC: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (11) + 9 = 20
sonic damage: 1d8 + 3 ⇒ (7) + 3 = 10

With only one abomination left, Stell moves forward a bit to get a clear shot around George, looks suddenly sideways and points that way, but then aims and fires her pistol.

Trick Attack, Bluff, Skill Expertise: 1d20 + 13 + 4 + 1d6 ⇒ (14) + 13 + 4 + (1) = 32
DC: 20 + Targets CR; success: Target is flat-footed against the trick attack; if attack hits add Trick Attack Damage
Trick Attack Damage: 1d8 ⇒ 2

Tactical Semi-auto pistol, vs KAC: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (6) + 6 = 12
Damage, P: 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 2 = 8 (range: 30')

Reflex: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (15) + 6 = 21

George's electric breath shock the carrion dreg, but fortunately doesn't bring it further to life than it already is. Darakwinn's personal assistant misses, but creates an opening for Shaft to do massive damage. Stell has an opportunity to finish off the lumbering creature, but misses.

---
Shaft
Pamatea
Darakwinn
George
Stell
---
Monster (DOWN)
Monster (SF, 29)
---

Pamatea moves in to take a shot at the other monstrosity.

attack: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (1) + 10 = 11
needler rifle: 1d6 + 9 ⇒ (5) + 9 = 14 P

Pamatea takes a shot, but only manages to damage the laboratory, destroying some beakers.

The undead monstrosity goes all out on the summoned guardian

Bite FA, Summoned Creature: 1d20 + 12 - 4 ⇒ (3) + 12 - 4 = 111d6 + 11 ⇒ (1) + 11 = 12
Bite FA, Summoned Creature: 1d20 + 12 - 4 ⇒ (13) + 12 - 4 = 211d6 + 11 ⇒ (3) + 11 = 14

---
Shaft
Pamatea
Darakwinn
George
Stell
---
Monster (DOWN)
Monster (SF, 29)
---]

Shaft leans back around the corner & sends another sonic bolt at the undead amalgamation of limbs.

Bluff Trick CR: 1d20 + 16 + 4 - 20 ⇒ (1) + 16 + 4 - 20 = 1
Trick damage: 3d8 ⇒ (2, 3, 6) = 11

Thunderstrike pistol vs (FF) EAC: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (5) + 9 = 14
Sonic damage: 1d8 + 3 ⇒ (3) + 3 = 6

"Yuck."

George 09-23 lets loose with another barrage of magic missiles at the undead creature.

Magic Missile, Full Round Action, Harmful Spells: 3d4 + 3 + 3 ⇒ (2, 2, 2) + 3 + 3 = 12

"Oh no! I've created a sharps hazard!"

Pamatea moves around the table for a clear shot.

attack: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (17) + 10 = 27
needler rifle: 1d6 + 9 ⇒ (1) + 9 = 10 P and biohack -2 to AC for 9 rounds

The corpse co-op rocks the small member of Angradd's Army but isn't able to destroy it entirely.

Implacably, it strikes back.

slam: 1d20 + 5 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 5 + 1 = 8
Bludgeoning: 1d6 + 3 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 3 + 1 = 5

Darakwinn hurls some lab debris at the creature with the power of her connection to Angradd and the universe.

Telekinetic Projectile: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (5) + 4 = 9
Bludgeoning: 1d6 ⇒ 5

Since she is having trouble hitting the monstrosity, she starts shooting at it repeatedly without worrying about faking it out.

Tactical Semi-auto pistol, vs KAC, full attack: 1d20 + 6 - 4 ⇒ (20) + 6 - 4 = 22
Damage, P: 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 2 = 6
Damage, P, critical: 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 2 = 7

Tactical Semi-auto pistol, vs KAC, full attack: 1d20 + 6 - 4 ⇒ (6) + 6 - 4 = 8
Damage, P: 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (5) + 2 = 7

Shaft fires at the monstrosity, but blunders a bit and misses. George softens up the fanged abomination with a volley of force blasts, which is enough for Pamatea to land the killing shot.

Combat over!

With the carrion creatures destroyed, the computers in the lab are freely accessible - there's no protection whatsoever. The little helper drone even helpfully beeps, and can be used to retrieve research files.

Profession (doctor), Life Science or Mysticism check to make sense of the data

Also, we're almost at the end of the scenario, so please roll day job checks

Stell holds her fire as the monster falters and collapses. She keeps it trained on it for a few moments to be sure it is dead dead, then resets the pistol's safety and helps look over the files.

Life Science: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (2) + 4 = 6

Shaft has just a drip of Mystical knowledge, so he might know something.

Mysticism check: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (15) + 3 = 18

[ooc] Once the mission is complete, Shaft heads home where he shifts back to his man of the streets persona.

Profession: Ladies' Man: 1d20 + 20 ⇒ (4) + 20 = 24

So, 48 credits

George 09-23 tries to puzzle out the meaning of the data.

Life Science: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (3) + 15 = 18

George 09-23 has no day job.

As a devout follower of Angradd, Darakwinn knows a thing or two about the supernatural.

Mysticism: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (19) + 12 = 31

Life Science: 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (9) + 17 = 26

"Hello, little drone! What secrets are you hiding?"

Profession (scientist) day job: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (5) + 10 = 15

From the files, Lubose's obsession with the effects of death and undeath on organic materials—primarily living organic beings become apparent. They have performed frequent studies on a variety of medical and necromantic topics, including the extension of mortal life, and the reanimation of organic compounds, organs, and corpses after death or separation from their host bodies.

Additionally, there is the matter of the longest running test subject: a dragonkin, who Lubose has kept “alive and healthy” for well over 50 years past the subject’s natural lifespan. This subject is not on the premises and was treated with the utmost care.

Other than the computers, the room contains stasis pods. Each stasis pod contains a cadaver kept “fresh” by the pod, so that they are ready for use in necromantic experiments. Two of the cadavers in the stasis pods are still wearing useful gear: a dented kasa and magnegloves.

----

With the undergound lab fully epxlored, and with more than enough information to bring down Dayside Inc., the group makes it way out of the building. The security guard nods as the group passes by.

The group picks up Karezen on the way out, and as planned, captain Argente is waiting with a fully loaded Ercinee, cargo headed for Absalom Station. How convenient. The captain shakes his head with a heavy sigh upon seeing Karezen Brought extra luggage, did you? Well, just makes sure its safely stowed in the overhead bin, if you catch my drift.

Back on the station, Celita personally debriefs the group in the Archive’s Cortex. As the group explains their methods and what has happened, she is clearly impressed You have been very effective in using non-violent solution until you were forced to defend yourself. That is impressive. What is even more impressive is the ore sample you brought. The information you have uncovered about Dayside... will be very useful in tipping off the media to bring the company down. Anonymously, of course.

She finishes up by saying: “You’ve dealt a blow to the Organization today, and made it possible for us to begin to puzzle out their goals and motives. Project Dawn bears further investigation, of course. Whatever it is, it’s sure to cause destruction and tremendous loss of life. The First Seeker will want it stopped. Excellent work.”

George 09-23 ponders how the dragonkin was kept alive so well past his normal lifespan. His Aeon stone activates retroactively during the process turning a failure into a success.

Mysticism: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (6) + 13 = 19

Mysticism roll of 20 with Aeon Stone, Turquoise Cube.

"Right, an undead corpsefolk. Of course."

Mysticism: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (8) + 3 = 11

Most of this intelligence goes over Stell's head, so she focuses on keeping watch from additional experiments running amok.

She does recommend those poor souls kept in stasis be allowed to fully die.

Once exiting, she breaks down her sniper rifle and stores it in her duffle and other big pockets on her jumpsuit.

Crank Shaft kicks back in his chair during the debrief, nodding at the right moments.

"It's time to chill - at least until you need us again. You got my number - just gimme a call when that happens."