[GD XV]: A Time of Crisis (1-4)

Game Master Mustaparta

Once you have filled complete character information at spreadsheet, please introduce your character.

“Good morning, Starfinders!” expedition leader Bennock Gunstrel says from the viewscreen. His familiar smile is welcoming, and his graying hair is tied in its usual ponytail. “Here’s today’s update: Thanks to the vagaries of Drift travel to the vast, we’re running a little slower than our original projections. Still, we should reach our destination in the next week or so. I’m sure you know the mission documents front to back by now, but today’s a good day to review them one more time anyway. Also, I’m sending out team assignments as I speak. Please spend a little time this morning getting to know the agents you’ll be working with once we arrive; you’re going to be spending a lot of time together once we get planet-side.”
“That’s all the announcements for today, Starfinders,” he concludes. “Have a great day, relax, and get yourselves ready for action. I, for one, can’t wait!”

Introductions, any purchases you'd like to make, explain how do you spend time on the ship.

Dr Sanity spends most on his time on the ship making remote calls to various place on the Pact Worlds, though he refuses to disclose to exactly whom:

Yes, Shirren fractures are complicated, but they're easy to diagnose. The bones are on the outside you know?

Barathu concussion? That sounds very complicated. Can you see any contusions?

... just pull back the skull until you hear a dry click...

No, oh, no. They're very allergic to chocolate. Under no circumstance feed them chocolate...

For vesk IVs, you want to use the thick needle, of course...

When he finally gets a moment of relief, the Ysoki introduces himself Doctor Sanity, MD. Feel free to call out for Sani when you need medical help. Any of you require attention? An IV drip perhaps?

How are you at treating hard light holograms a dark coloured unicorn asks.

How long have you been dealing with hard light? Sani replies.

Twilight looks a little puzzled. Errrr ... ever since I was activated?

Hello, I am playing Kenth (Vanguard). I am new to this format. Where do I imput my chracter info?

Alarms blare and warning lights flash as the ship makes a sudden, sickening lurch to one side. The artificial gravity cuts out just long enough to scatter unprepared Starfinders and their belongings into the air before slamming them onto the deck. The swirling colors of the Drift have vanished from the viewports, replaced by the star-studded void of normal space.
An unfamiliar planet looms, growing larger with each moment as the ship races toward impact.
Starfinders scramble to battle stations, rushing to regain control of the ship and assess the situation. “Captain!” one of the bridge officers shouts over the din, "We’re losing altitude quickly!”
“Engineering!” the captain calls into the intercom. “Get those
thrusters online, now!”
“Working on it, Captain!” a voice crackles from the speaker.
“Feedback from the Drift engine did a number on our systems.
Axial controls should be coming back online now, but we’re still working to reboot the main thrusters!”
The whole ship rattles as it begins an uncontrolled descent into the atmosphere. “Pilot, use whatever power you have to flatten our descent!” the captain shouts. “We may not be able to prevent a landing, but with a little luck, we may be able to walk away from it!” Over the next few tense minutes, the flight crew
work heroically to make the captain’s words prophetic. The ship quickly loses altitude, skipping hard off a hilltop before skidding to a violent stop through an alien forest.
Starfinders all over the ship pick themselves up and slowly make their way onto the surface of the unknown world. Comm units reveal the rest of the fleet is in similar straits, landed on
the planet or in the process of doing so under various degrees of control. Bennock Gunstrel calls everyone’s comm units.
“Starfinders! If you can hear me, rendezvous at the coordinates I’m sending you. We have a lot of folks who need help and need all available agents immediately!”

Table GMs, part 1 has begun.

Sani knocks his head as the ship goes down. “Anyone need an IV?” He takes a gross-looking needle from his cheek pouch. “Sort the injured, vertebrates on this side, invertebrates on that side. Prioritise the ones with organs in places they shouldn’t be.”

“Sorry, Glimmer, your hard-light problems will have to wait.”

Choose a recovery mission. Once two players pick same out of 4 options on Slide 2, we will proceed to that mission. Link to slides (same as third on my tagline)

Well, if the ship is going down, the first mission seems kind of appropriate :-)

Fortunately there is no problem She gallops off to help with engineering.

First

Bennock approaches you as you arrive at the makeshift camp.

“Starfinders, I’m glad you made it! One of our freighters is still in orbit, drifting without power and losing altitude quickly. Their engineer was injured in the lurch out of the Drift, and no one else can get power restored,” Bennock says, pointing at one of the few intact shuttles parked nearby. “Hop in that thing and go see if you can help get the ship landed safely. Getting the crew evacuated is your first priority, but the ship is full of the sorts of supplies that are essential if we’re going to be stuck here for any length of time. If you can bring it down intact, we’ll all be better off. I just sent you their coordinates, so get moving!”

As you fly the shuttle toward the coordinates, you spot the light freighter, leaving a Trail. Its edges are beginning to glow as it enters the upper atmosphere. You must race to the ship, restore power, and regain control before it crashes. You have 8 rounds to reach the bridge and stabilize the freighter, after which, it is too late to slow its descent and they must abort their mission. These rounds are abstract, each representing about 1 minute of time. During these rounds, you face a series of obstacles, which are defeated when you accrue a number of successful checks equal to half the number of PCs (rounded down).

1. obstacle: PCs who succeed at an DC 14 Piloting check can navigate the shuttle through the debris falls near the freighter and line up with an airlock (only one PC can attempt this check each round). PCs who succeed at an DC 17 Computers or Perception check can help the pilot navigate safely to the airlock.

Sani seems a bit too eager when an injury is mentioned, and quickly programs up a crosshairs app to help with the docking.

computers: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (2) + 12 = 14

Unfortunately, the crosshairs block a significant part of the view…

Getting there will be a piece of cake, says Iseph with a neutral voice that does not leave clear whether the android is more robot than humanoid.

Piloting: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (5) + 14 = 19

Iseph navigates the shuttle easily through the debris and stops it when it is near the airlock.

Here we are!

Your ship navigates the debris and finds airlock.

2. obstacle: With succesful DC 14 Engineering, or DC 20 Physical Science or Sleight of Hand check you can disengage the magnetic locks holding the airlock door closed. PCs who succeed at an DC 17 Athletics check can pry the airlock door open with brute force.

Engineering DC 14: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (5) + 12 = 17

Surgery successful! Simpler than flossing ysoki teeth.

Obstacle 3: Locating ships engineering bay DC 14 Survival check, an DC 17 Perception check, or a DC 20 Culture check can navigate the lower decks of the boarded ship.

Perception: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (10) + 9 = 19

Let me think. These ships share structure similar to those of other cultures, I think I read once. It is possibly this way...

culture: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (16) + 11 = 27

I'm fairly sure you're right

You found the correct hardware.

Obstacle 4: Those who succeed at DC 17 Computers or Engineering check can reboot critical systems to restore power to the falling vessel. Those who succeed at a DC 20 Athletics or Acrobatics check can successfully access difficult‑to‑reach locations to make crucial power connections needed to get the vessel under control.

Computers: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (13) + 10 = 23

I think that it is obvious now that this starship is not very secure... Luckily for us, comments Iseph while he has no trouble in rebooting some systems to restore power.

engineering: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (14) + 12 = 26

Twilight is partway up a Jefferies tube manipulating hardware with her telekinetic field.

I'm fairly sure that's got it. Try it now Iseph

Systems start working.

Obstacle 5: PCs who succeed at DC 14 Acrobatics check can nimbly make their way through the debris and injured Starfinders that litter the corridors between engineering and the bridge. PCs who succeed at DC 17 Perception or Survival check can navigate to the bridge. PCs who succeed at a DC 20 Medicine check can quickly triage the wounded and provide first aid as they go.

Order everyone by number of limbs! If you're missing a limb, raise your hand. If you're missing all of your hands, raise a foot. If you don't have anything, you're first in line. Anyone with apples, back of the line.

Medicine: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (2) + 12 = 14

How do I roll dice on here?

Acrobatics: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (9) + 14 = 23

Iseph manages to go through the debris area almost without any problem.

How do I roll dice on here?

If you read "How to format your text", under the box for the text. On the last line.

Perception: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (8) + 5 = 13

Kenth fails to navigate through the debris, grumbling as he goes.

perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (8) + 4 = 12

Did someone remove all the 'You are here" maps?

Iseph swiftly finds right direction. We need on more successful check with same skill DCs.

Perception: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (7) + 10 = 17

The 'you are here' map is over there Sani says, pointing at the 'you are here' icon on the map which is currently woefully inaccurate for Twilight.

Dr Sanity guides the team to ship's bridge.

Obstacle 6: PCs who succeed at an DC 17 Diplomacy or Intimidate check can direct the ship’s remaining crew to operate critical flight stations. PCs who succeed at a DC 20 Hard Physical Science check can account for the buffeting winds as the ship tumbles through the atmosphere. A PC who succeeds at a DC 20 Piloting check can pilot the ship safely to the ground.

Piloting: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (1) + 14 = 15

Can anyone tell these people that I am the pilot? I cannot concentrate if they are chatting around me, complains Iseph while he tries to understand the control panel of this ship.

physical sci: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (3) + 11 = 14

Dr Sanity and Kenth need to try.

Physical Science: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (10) + 12 = 22

Did you know that dragons create massive turbulent wakes? Almost as bad as these winds...

Yeah ... it's called wind vortices - can bring a plane down if it's unlucky to be caught in one

Botting Kenth: 1d20 ⇒ 12
Kenth directs panic-stricken crew to do their jobs and land the ship safely. A grateful Starfinder gives some useful equipment in thanks, including a roll of ion tape (Starfinder Armory 105), a zipstick (Armory 109), and a fire extinguisher.

1 success, choose your next mission from list on slides.

Stuck and sinking? And we leave the missions with combat for later.

Starfinders have worked diligently to gather emergency supplies from as many downed ships as possible, amassing a sizeable cache of items that the quartermaster is beginning to distribute.

Table GMs, the Emergency Supplies Located condition is now in effect.

Works for me Iseph

Upon returning to base camp after rescuing the ship, everyone receives a battery and your choice of a mk 1 serum of healing or a mk 1 nanite patch.

While you are having a quick meal in camp, Bennock leaves a call on your comm units “Sorry to interrupt, Starfinders, but we just got a distress call from a crew that popped out of the Drift into a real sticky situation. They’re not far from here, but their ship is sunk halfway down in some thick mud, and it sinks a little farther every time they so much as sneeze. I’ve left a bag outside my tent with some gear I thought might come in handy. If things get really hairy, we can send some backup in a shuttle to haul them out, but there’s a lot to do, and fuel is at a premium. I’m hoping you can take care of it on your own. I’m sending you the coordinates; gulp down those last few bites and get those folks to safety.” Bennock loans you some of his personal gear for this mission. Outside his tent is a buoyant pack containing a grappler, two gear clamps, 100 feet of adamantine alloy cable line, and a 20-foot collapsible ladder.

Bennock provided the coordinates of the sinking ship, but reaching those coordinates requires crossing several miles of challenging, unknown terrain. For each task in this phase, each PC can attempt one of the listed checks or attempt to aid another.

Navigating unknown terrain requires DC 17 Survival or DC 20 Perception check.

Consider it done, says Iseph before picking up some of the items and leaving.

Perception: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (2) + 9 = 11

I cannot find my way through this maze!

Yes sir - we're on it. I take it they can't fire their thrusters to gain a bit of lift

perception: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (13) + 4 = 17

Grrrrr ..... It's times like this that I wish I had the abilities of an alicorn.

perception: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (17) + 10 = 27

I think we just need to head towards that smoke smell

Dr Sanity leads the team in right direction.

Powerful winds caused by the intrusion of the Plane of Earth have knocked over trees and caused landslides throughout the region. You can clear the path with a DC 20 Athletics check to shove obstacles out of the way, or an DC 17 Acrobatics check to lead the team over and around the obstacles.

Acrobatics: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (7) + 14 = 21

This way! Follow me!, shouts Iseph while zigzagging around the obstacles.

Twilight follows Dr Sanity.

No Athletics or Acrobatics

Acrobatics, aid another: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (15) + 3 = 18

I didn't even know legs could bend that far Sanity says when he sees Iseph move, but tries to follow the movements anyway.