[Gameday XIV] SF2e- #1-01: Invasion's Edge

Game Master azjauthor

Discussion thread for this campaign.

Please make sure you've signed up for this game at the Gameday XIV Event Listing, and then register at RPG Chronicles to be sure I have all the right info to report for the chronicle sheet.

Then also go to the slide deck and enter your character name, an avatar/token for them, and then your general Exploration activity, along with the associated skill & modifier needed for initiative.

I have played many games on PBP over the years, but this is my first time running one in this format. Please let me know if there's anything I can do to make the experience more enjoyable.

I see we have some people dotting in. I have posted an initial stage-setting post into the Gameplay thread. Though we don't start the game officially until Sept. 4, feel free to go ahead and introduce your characters there if you're ready before then.

Full disclosure, I have played this adventure before.

Also, I will be travelling between September 4 and September 8. During that time, I expect my posting to be very limited, if not non-existent.

Please feel free to bot Big Bite as necessary.

Killik is set up but I have a lot of purchases to complete yet.

Hi everyone! I'm setting up my pc and will dot in soon.

It will be my first time playing 2e in any form, so I'd like to apologise in advance for any blunders and appreciate your patience (whether feigned or genuine)!

No problem. Glad to have you join and hope you enjoy it.

Hello everybody! I'm getting ready to post the official introductory post into the Gameplay thread, even though we don't officially start until tomorrow, but figured I'd go ahead with the debrief and get started answering any questions related to the mission.

As I said before, this is my first time GMing a game on the forums, so please let me know if you have any tips or feedback.

Status Update:

RPG Chronicles - Killik & Big Red are entered. 2 more needed.

Game slides - Killik has data entered (Slide 2) and token in marching order (Slide 3).

Gameplay Thread - Big Bite, Big Red, and Killik have introduced themselves. Waiting on 1 more.

Big Bite: I know that you are travelling from Sept. 4 to 8, but I noticed that your character sheet on your profile doesn't contain any weapon info. If there's any chance for you to add that in, I'd appreciate it ... if not, then I can make it work.

Thanks GM AJ. I appreciate the update.

I'm still around and will get on to it shortly - RL has bitten hard the past few days and prevented me from finishing my set up.

I'll try to piece something together to at least get the ball rolling and then polish it as we go.

That can work. Do you have a vote on doing the boundary or scouting a path first? If so, I'll at least be able to set up the next scene and then you can join the group over the weekend. If I don't hear from you by tomorrow morning (Eastern time) then I'll just bot Big Bite into splitting the tie.

Thanks for the understanding.

I've made a quick post in gameplay to keep things moving and will try to flesh things out over the weekend.

I've also linked his Hephaistos character sheet in his bio.

Status Update:

RPG Chronicles - Killik & Big Red are entered. 2 more needed.

Game slides - Killik has data entered (Slide 2) and token in marching order (Slide 3).

Gameplay Thread - Big Bite, Big Red, and Killik have introduced themselves. Waiting on 1 more.

RPG Chronicles and Game Slides have been entered. Also made first (basic) post in Gameplay.

Updating profile is a work in progress.

Thanks for the patience everyone.

Quick note: I am travelling tomorrow and then on Saturday am helping coordinate a fundraiser ... so it might be Sunday or maybe even Monday morning (Eastern time) before I have time to initiate the scouting mission encounter ... so feel free to chat with Kiha or just move on to banter while you are scouting until something happens. If I can get things rolling before then, I will.

This would probably be about the 1-hour point in a live-action game, so it's Hero Point time ... and it'll be a sympathy Hero Point to Big Bite, for just being wailed on by the natural and unnatural dangers of Akiton.

I will say that I haven't played the 2E Solarians yet, so if you're using their abilities please try to explain anything I should know about them, like the attuning effects.

No problem. This is my first time playing one so we'll learn together!

I just discovered that the Attune action can be used as a free action while rolling Initiative and have added a note on that to the first slide.

I just discovered that the Attune action can be used as a free action while rolling Initiative and have added a note on that to the first slide.

I remember that Dae has that ability, but wasn't sure if that was something all Solarians got or a specific feat for them.

Ahhh thank you also for the tip - yep it's part of the ability for all.

Attune

So Photon I think for Big Red...!

I have drawn some arrows which should allow us to follow that pattern and cover the map in sequence

Thanks that was a helpful idea. We're about at the point of giving out another Hero Point, so I'll give you one for taking the initiative on that!

The black boxes represent solid walls of collapsed debris and stone, so you can't go that way. I think you must have interpreted those as covering spaces for exploration.

The five rooms being explored are all shown on the map. I moved the arrows around and then added an arrow to take you back to that small room on the center left that you still need to cover (by going through the now-safe chemical spill room). I'll give people some time to reply to see if they want the other grenade or wants to fight Killik for the shield. ;) But if no one votes for a different path, we'll follow the arrows into the next room tomorrow morning sometime.

Not that anything will happen in any of these rooms, of course. I'm sure they're all empty and perfectly safe.

In my head canon I think that Big Bite gets a free action called "Assess Edibility".

Ha! I love that!

I'd like to say that I'm really enjoying the idiosyncrasies of each of the characters.

I will traveling over the next few days and through the weekend. I will try to post by phone, but feel free to bot Big Bite as necessary.

In PF2E immunity to critical hits just gives immunity to the doubled damage, not anything else. No idea if Starfinder is the same.

Thanks for that clarification.

For healing Killik can automatically restore 10HP every 10 minutes with Vitality Network as well as another 1d6 to everyone with his focus spell.

Can you clarify the last point, Killik? Mystic has a Vitality Network, but it only regains points during combat. Where does the replenishing every 10 minutes come in? I don't see that described anywhere. My 2701 is a Mystic, so I'm still trying to learn the mechanics on that one myself.

Doctor Killik wrote:

In PF2E immunity to critical hits just gives immunity to the doubled damage, not anything else. No idea if Starfinder is the same.

Thanks for that clarification.

Doctor Killik wrote:

For healing Killik can automatically restore 10HP every 10 minutes with Vitality Network as well as another 1d6 to everyone with his focus spell.

Can you clarify the last point, Killik? Mystic has a Vitality Network, but it only regains points during combat. Where does the replenishing every 10 minutes come in? I don't see that described anywhere. My 2701 is a Mystic, so I'm still trying to learn the mechanics on that one myself.

Vitality Network refills to full when you refocus.

Life-and-death situations help strengthen your bonds with your allies. At the start of each turn in combat, when you regain actions, your vitality network regains 4 Hit Points; if you're master in spell DC, it regains 6 Hit Points instead; if you're legendary, it regains 8 Hit Points. When you Refocus, your vitality network regains all its Hit Points.

Looks like Starfinder did deal with the critical immunity thing as well.

Immunity

Thanks Doc - that is great info - works for me! :)

The other creature flies toward Shadir and slams into the kasatha, but (being mindless) doesn't know to avoid Big Red's reach and thus triggers the Nimbus Surge from both spear-wielding Solarians...

Shield Block (assumed): Hardness 1, so 7 points to you and the shield.
Observation on Shadir's stat line: I think the Solar Shield provides only a +1 shield bonus, not +2 (unless there's some modifier I'm missing). Still, even the +1 shield bonus did prevent that from being a critical hit!
Reflex DC 15 save or be knocked back 5 feet and prone

GM AJ: Shadir doesn't have Solar Shield, he is using a carbon shield:

I was also going to clarify that Shadir is currently using his Solar Flare not his Solar Weapon but, upon rereading the rules to check, I have discovered that I had incorrectly inferred that restriction upon the manifestations from previous experience in 1E.

Huh. So he does have his flare. And his spear. And nimbus. And his shield.

It is nice to learn new things :)

In addition, that means Shadir does not have Shield Block.

Quick question, if the enemy is grabbing me with its jaws then I dont think it can also attack me with the same jaws as they are occupied grabbing me.

I see the logic for saying they have to release and bite you, but if that's the case, I am pretty sure I have a handful of GMs to talk to who have had wolves gnaw on me for several turns. Do you know if that has been ruled on anywhere on the forums? I checked and couldn't find anything one way or the other (although it seems Grab may not require an Athletics roll). In the case of that last round, you would still be dying 1 if I had released and attacked again, but it is a good question for me to look into for the future.

Since the jaws are occupied grabbing you, they certainly cannot use the jaws to attack someone else without releasing you. But they can clamp down harder or shake you to do damage with the jaws. (I have a dog and chickens, so sadly have seen this in action.)

That said, though ... as soon as you stopped fighting, it is likely the mindless undead would have dropped you (a free action) to turn its limited attention to other enemies. So if you do stabilize, know that the first action on its next turn is going to be to release you either way.

As we near the end (of this adventure ... I am sure you will all survive), please make a DC 14 Earn Income check ... or let me know if you are doing something with your Downtime other than earning income, such as Crafting.

Also, if you want to be eligible for a Paizo prize voucher, be sure to enter your email address in RPGChronicles. Only those who provide emails are in the prize drawings.

Just my 2c here as I don't have any greater knowledge of the rules nor am I able to point to particular rules to support this, however, from what I understand, monster rules/abilities work differently than those for PCs and I have also heard (perhaps to be taken with a grain of salt) multiple instances on actual play podcasts (both PF/SF 1E and PF 2E) of monsters getting a free grab on hit and then being able to cause further damage if they maintain the grapple/grab.

I'm not sure whethet this is the case or not for this ability, but it seems in line with others I have seen or heard of.

Thanks GM AJ. I've updated my email.

With regard to the earning income roll, Shadir does not have any craft, profession or lore skills so am I understanding correctly that he won't have a downtime roll?

EDIT: actually, I just discovered he has Underworld Lore from his Bounty Hunter background.

Earn Income (Underworld Lore): 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (9) + 3 = 12

Labour Lore 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (9) + 3 = 12

Seems they already have enough people about to pick things up and put them down.

The argument is potentially slightly different here, because the jaws attack is used for the Grab, and they have only one set of jaws. If they had a claw attack, it would be easy to just avoid the problem: Grab them with the jaws, then claw at them with the un-occupied claws.

To tie it into PCs, I have seen Monks that have grappled two people at the same time - one with each free hand/arm - and then been able to do damage to them with their unarmed "Fist" attack. I have always pictured this as tightening their grip (maybe like in a chokehold) or twisting their grip (like in a wrist lock), although in the case of a Monk the "Fist" attack usually also gets flavored to include kicks, so they do have limbs free to do assaults to grappled individuals, as opposed to these creatures.

Life science lore: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (18) + 4 = 22

Big Red: I thought you became unattuned if you were knocked unconscious, but I don't see that actually stated anywhere in the Solarian info. You would, however, drop your solar weapon, so I think you'd need to spend an action to pick it up which would leave only one attack ... or you could attack twice with Solar Flare (and both of them would hit). Unless I'm missing something about how Solarians work.

Hmm, I had thought the same as you, but also can't find reference to it (other than 1e) in AoN.
If you become unattuned you temporarily lose any manifestations, but I can't see anything indicating that being unconscious/dying causes you to become unattuned (although it makes sense to me).

Happy to fire at them instead - same damage.

Interesting as the rules on old solarians was you dropped the weapons and they vanished.

Piracy Lore: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (7) + 4 = 11

And with the return to the base, we're basically done with the adventure, just to go through the final report.

Here are Chronicles. Please check that everything is correct.

Look forward to playing with you all again sometime!

Thanks for the game!

Learnt a fair amount about SF2 on that one! :)

@GM -Thanks for running! It looks like I got 8 extra credits, but I don't recall attempting to Earn Income.

Cooking Lore (just in case): 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (17) + 6 = 23

All good!

Thanks all for a fun table!

Happy gaming!

So close to a crit!

Hope Killik appreciates me going off script for that final interaction...

Once Gameday wraps up a bit, I am considering running the next in the Invasion's Edge series. If any of you would be interested, let me know, and I'll save you a spot.

Take care!

That was fun! Thanks, GM AJ. A question about the chronicles, should one of the boxes reharding the undead creatures be checked?

I learned a lot for my first run.

Ah, poor Killik!

Oh, yeah ... I know that you guys have at least one sample (Big Bite's steak). Would you have turned samples over to the Starfinders or left the bodies at the site?

It didn't give me that option in RPG Chronicles, although it did have A-D boxes, but I didn't see anything in the adventure that told me to report anything so I left them blank.

Shadir would not have personally taken a sample, given the unnatural state of affairs. He also would not have prevented his crewmates from doing so should they have desired.

He would have reported it (as he did in Gameplay) to the Starfinders on their return, so that they could investigate it further.

Hope Killik appreciates me going off script for that final interaction...

Once Gameday wraps up a bit, I am considering running the next in the Invasion's Edge series. If any of you would be interested, let me know, and I'll save you a spot.

Take care!

I believe the next scenario in the metaplot is 1-05. I have a particular fondness for that one and just ran a table of it yesterday. I'd be happy to play it.

I'd also be interested.

Any ideas of when (ball park-ish) you'd be likely to kick it off? I'm about to commence another scenario in the next few days and will keep Shadir free if it might be in the next couple of weeks or so.

My guess would be a couple of weeks. I've got 3 Gameday games I'm playing that are going into their final encounter, so I'll probably wait until those are finished up.