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Speaking of schedules, an early heads-up that I'll be away from 15-23 May.

Okay, I'm off! Back next week.

Initiative (Round 2)

Amhesha
Construct
Theodore
Tulgram
Azer
Zharis
Xylian

Bold should go!

The robot's hatch opens suddenly, spilling Tulgram to the floor, and then its strange nanite tendrils slam into Theodore!

Amhesha's attacks missed.

At the beginning of its turn, the robot releases Tulgram. It then does a slam attack against Theodore. Result: Hit. Theodore, you take 23 B.

@Zharis: If you want to Bluff the azer into staying put, it's going to take a full action.

Initiative (Round 2)

Amhesha
Construct
Theodore
Tulgram
Azer
Zharis
Xylian

Bold should go!

The doors in this area are the type that slide shut after you go through them; it's a Swift action to open one.

As Tulgram pounds helplessly on the inside of the specially-constructed capture bot, Theodore has more luck from the outside!

Meanwhile, in the interrogation room, the azer looks up from his work. "Sounds like an advanced shobhard horizon striker being fired," he says with authority.

Neither of Tulgram's unarmed strikes hit the robot's KAC.

Theodore's first claw hits. Damaged is reduced a little by some DR. THe second claw misses.

Xylian, Zharis, and the azer made the Perception checks to hear combat, so I'll add them into Initiative for Round 2.

@Zharis:The opening of the cells didn't trigger notifications that went beyond the brig control center, brig, and interrogation room.

Initiative (Round 1)

Amhesha
Construct
Theodore
Tulgram (grappled/swallowed)

Bold should go!

Amhesha quick draws her advanced shobhad horizon striker and blasts a small hole in the side of the construct! Undeterred, it glides forward along on a rolling sphere before stopping right before Tulgram. Suddenly, the sphere opens up to reveal a hollow interior as nanotech tendrils emerge, grab hold of Tulgram, and stuff him inside! The sphere then closes!

Amhesha's attack hits despite soft cover. The half of the damage that is cold goes through normally, but the half that is piercing is reduced some by DR.

The construct has done a move action to move and a standard action to attack Tulgram with a bite attack. If it hits his KAC+8, we'll have some extra fun! Result: A crit! Tulgram, you take 55 B and have been Swallowed Whole. (I've moved your token into the construct's square).

Initiative (Round 1)

Amhesha
Construct
Theodore
Tulgram

Bold should go!

A reminder pic of this construct is on the top left of the slide. As a free action on your turn, you can attemp to identify it with an Engineering check.

A reminder that these are 10' squares. For tokens, the construct is cornflower blue, the human female is regular blue, and the lashunta male is yellow. (although I do have stats for the two prisoners, they have no gear and aren't going to try to karate chop a robot, so they'll be doing Total Defense as they try to figure out what's happening; I'm not going to roll Initiative for them unless it becomes relevant).

Amhesha, Tulgram, and Theodore start to escort the prisoners from the interrogation room and brig and into the brig processing chamber. Once again, the strange, ten-foot-tall construct with strange nanotech tendrils starts to scan you. But this time, with no "Sergeant San" or other recognized Crucible staff member present, it announces "Intruders detected. Escape in progress. Neutralize!"

We will now move to Initiative.

@Xylian: Since you didn't indicate one way or the other, I've left you in the brig. You can attempt a Perception check to hear the sounds of combat and be able to take a turn in Round 2. The Perception check has a DC of 9 ("hear the sound of battle" with modifiers for through a closed door and distance).

@Zharis: You can attempt a Perception check to hear the sounds of combat and be able to take a turn in Round 2. The Perception check has a DC of 17 ("hear the sound of battle" with modifiers for through 2 closed doors and distance). I'll give the azer a check as well (his DC is 18).

Sorry for the delay everyone--I keep getting waylaid on my way to post in Gameplay; should have something up in the next day or so.

Ok folks, I need to know who (if anyone) is going to escort the prisoners back towards the Sun Diver. (if you want to just stay where you are, that's fine too, of course--and that'll be the default assumption for anyone who doesn't post a choice)

Speaking of schedules, an early heads-up that I'll be away from 15-23 May.

Still looking like Sergeant San, Zharis escorts the woman from the interrogation chamber to the main brig and whispers to her allies. Engrossed in the technological nuances of force-field generators, the azer in the interrogation chamber pays no attention.

@Everyone: I've updated tokens and I've placed labels on the rooms you've been in; please feel free to move them around or resize them if they're in the way. Ok, I'll pause for a second to see if the rest of you accept Zharis' plan, and if so, who's escorting the prisoners.

The woman in the cell rolls her eyes at Amhesha's response. "Everyone's got grievances. That doesn't mean you side with the bad guys. The efreet will be even worse for Near Space than the Vesk."

Meanwhile, the computer terminal in the center of the room allows easy access to the force-field generators, and Zharis is able to turn off the field to the woman's cell.

The azer mechanic is an incurious sort--at least when it comes to living beings--and keeps his focus on the repair job in front of him.

Meanwhile, the sweaty woman in the cage glares when she sees a pahtra (Amhesha) walk in. "Traitor! You know they're not going to stop with the Pact Worlds, don't you? They'll come for Pulonis's sun eventually."

The azer nods and digs into a box of tools and spare parts.

Those of you Trained in Engineering can guess it'll take this mechanic about 30 minutes or so to finish repairing the force field generator. You will also notice that the tools and spare parts include several unique and modified ones (in game terms, using this specific tool kit provides a +2 circumstance bonus to Engineering checks within the Crucible).

The azer has a raspy voice, like someone suffering from a lifetime of smoke inhalation. "Trying to trace the 7 and 9 leads to diagnose the fault. It's probably cabling or the splitter, since only one of the two fields in here is malfunctioning."

@Zharis: There's actually an interesting game mechanics/conceptual (philosophical?) question with Expert Negotiator: would it apply when you're in disguise as someone the NPC already has a longstanding disliking to and you can't use the full range of your negotiating skills without slipping character? Or does your innate likable nature somehow shine through? I guess it's a moot question for the moment though.

The efreeti lieutenant doesn't wait for an answer to his order. With a casual flick of his fingers, an oval-shaped rift opens out of thin air! On the other side is a raging inferno--the Elemental Plane of Fire! A fortified military-like structure is barely visible through the flames. The efreeti steps through and the rift closes behind him.

Whether it's your imagination or a real side-effect of the plane shifting, the interrogation chamber suddenly feels much warmer than before.

The azer corporal working on the force field generator gives a subtle sigh of relief at the departure of his brusque overseer.

Okay, just moving us forward a bit. What happens next?

"A hesper?" scoffs the efreeti. "Is that what the cancelled alarm was about?" He rolls his eyes. "Why didn't you bring your little pets to sniff it out? But fine. You can assist the good corporal here in getting this force field generator working. If prisoners arrive and we can't get accommodate them, I won't be the one explaining the problem to General Khaim. Are we clear, Sergeant San?"

I applied a -5 penalty to the Bluff check because the efreeti is Unfriendly to Sergeant San, but there's a +5 bonus because the lie is very plausible (the force field generator is indeed glitching). Zharis' check succeeds on the DC of 10+the efreeti's Sense Motive.

Zharis opens the doors to what is indeed the interrogation room A desk with a computer terminal stands in the center of this room, a chair on either side. The chair closest to the door has restraints. On the western wall is a cabinet.

To the north and south are cells like those in the brig--two large and two smaller, all unfurnished. Only one has an active force field, while another’s force-field generator is open and partially disassembled, parts of it lying among tools on the floor nearby.

The cell with the active force field holds a muscular human female who is sweating. An azer is performing maintenance on the disassembled force-field generator, while an efreeti stands with his arms crossed, observing. The efreeti looks over at Zharis. "What is it Sergeant? Come to take a turn at interrogation? I thought you didn't care for such 'distasteful' things."

Pics of these folks are on the side of the slides.

Experience Points (Instalment # 44)

The lashunta laughs bitterly. "Uh huh, nice try. You thought the hard stuff would soften me up enough that I'd fall for this? Pfft. Lemme guess--you're going to help me "escape", but need some Archipelago defense codes so we don't get shot down on the way back?" He shakes his head and sits back down on the cot.

The lashunta gets up from his bunk and walks towards the force field that separates him from Amhesha. He looks at her appraisingly. "Has Khaim started recruiting in Near Space then?" he asks.

With Xylian's computer access, opening the door is easy. Zharis takes the lead and sees what must be a brig: a long chamber with numerous cells, each blocked off with a force field. Each cell has a bunk and a lavatory unit, but only a few look occupied with prisoners.

Cell 5a contains what looks like a set of hollow, brassy armor. A Mysticism check can reveal more.

Cell 5b contains a male damaya lashunta.

Cell 5c is empty, though the bed is disheveled.

All the other cells are empty.

A quick search of the desks turns up nothing of interest.

We know this is science-fantasy, because the Crucible has actually achieved the paperless office!

Xylian checks the prisoner list.

Xylian sits down and starts hacking!

The robot finishes its scan and, identifying Sergeant San with the group, powers down to a hibernating state.

Zharis' biometric implants perfectly replicate the minute DNA patterns in Sergeant San's eyes, fooling the lock on the airlock doors.

The airlock opens into a room shaped like a cross. It has desks of dark composite, each bearing a computer terminal, and chairs in niches to the north and south.

A strange, ten-foot-tall construct glides along on a rolling sphere in this room, but has strange nanotech tendrils growing out of it; it pauses and starts to scan you.

@Zharis: Re your question: Nope, your biometric implants do exactly what the advertising promised, and get you past the biometric lock on the airlock door automatically.

@Zharis: This is a visual scan, and as you've cast disguise self, you can go ahead and roll a Disguise check (with the +10 bonus from the spell to see if you look sufficiently like Sergeant San to fool the robot's scan. The DC is 32.

@Everyone: If anyone else has magic or a quick change ability that allows you to disguise yourself in 1 round or less, you can go ahead and try now. I've placed a picture of this robot on the side of Slide # 2 and moved everyone's tokens.

With Zharis taking the lead, the group examine an airlock door on the opposite side of the entry tunnel. The door has a steady red light, indicating it is currently locked. A biometric sensor is fitted at eye level, and an alternative key pad is located nearby.

Retracing the short distance to the landing pad happens quickly and without incident--it seems that what Sergeant San had said about most of the Crucible's staff being sent on the expeditionary fleet to attack the Burning Archipelago is true.

Ilor, the DCI's android security specialist, is standing outside the Sun Diver keeping watch. He helps load San's body into the ship's small cargo hold.

"Tarakah here. Roger that, standing down alert. Make sure the damned thing doesn't get loose, San!"

The Vocal Modulator bonus definitely applies. I don't think Biometric Implants will in this case, because you're not trying to fool a biometric sensor--just the listener. I'm going to say the DC is lowered by 5 for "minor details" (voice only, no appearance) but raised by 5 for a different race (ifrit), so that'll cancel each other out. We'll discard the stated limitation on not disguising as a specific person, as that's exactly what impersonators do both in the real world and in standard fantasy. With those adjustments factored in, I'll now Take 10 on the listener's Perception check.

Zharis examines Sergeant San's comm unit, an idea formulating in her mind . . .

@Zharis: You're able to activate San's comm unit (it's not locked). If you want to try to impersonate her, it would be a Disguise check using modifiers listed in the skill (opposed by the listener's Take 10 Perception check).

@Tulgram: You've seen (or will see) biometric locks on some of the doors.

@Everyone: Thanks for your patience! I'm now back on duty.

Okay, as foreshadowed earlier, I'm now off the grid for the next seven days. It's a good chance to RP how you want to proceed now that you've met your first opposition inside the Crucible.

Zharis checks on San, but finds the ifrit's injuries too severe--she's dead. Meanwhile, Xylian sits down at the computer terminal but discovers there's no link to the Crucible's security systems.

San is indeed dead.

The computer has no connection to the rest of the facility. Although you know San called an intruder alert, there are no obvious signs of it (no flashing klaxons or audible alarms, for example).

As Zharis ducks through the melee and secures the door back to the training area, Theodore lands a vicious swipe of his massive bear-like claws on Sergeant San, leaving her exposed for the finishing strike from an almost bestial Tulgram!

Zharis effectively locks the doors to Room 22 (it doesn't provoke an AoO, as Starfinder limits that to moving through, casting a spell, or using a ranged weapon in a threatened square [and the adventure-specific addition of using a personal comm]).

Theodore's attack hits.

Amhesha's attack misses.

Tulgram's Rage-inducted crit drops San!

We are off Initiative.

I'm away this weekend, but keep blasting away!

And an early heads up that I'll be away, sans computer, from 13-20 March. It's just one of those months!

Xylian takes advantage of San's split-second distraction by speaking into the comm to blast her with a massive cascade of icy particles!

A big hit! San doesn't look like she can take many more of those.

Theodore, Zharis, Tulgram, and Amhesha are up.

Round 1

Xylian
Theodore
Zharis
Tulgram
Amhesha
Sergeant San

Bold should go!

Tulgram goes for broke, trying to yank the comm unit out of the ifrit's hand with his capture pole! A brief tug of war ensues, but she's able to pull the device free and activate it! "Command! Intruder alert!"

Tulgram (fatigued) Capture Pole vs Ifrit KAC+8: 1d20 + 16 - 1 ⇒ (15) + 16 - 1 = 30

Botting Tulgram as trying a Disarm attempt on the comm unit. Result: Close! But not quite close enough.

Sergeant San spends her standard action sounding an alarm. Just in case you're worried that this is a catastrophe, but let me reassure you that the adventure takes this possibility into account and that this isn't a "twenty encounters descend on you all at once" automatic TPK situation.

Zharis' claws leave another wound!

Zharis' AoO hits.

Tulgram, how about your AoO?

As Zharis explains her purpose in coming to the Crucible, Tulgram and Amhesha leap to attack! But, slowed ever so slightly from the lingering effects of the antipathy transponder, they give San just enough time to dodge out of the way! Although somewhat garbled with static from Xylian's attempt to remotely fry its circuity, San's comm unit seems functional enough to work as she opens her mouth to shout into it!

@Zharis: Yes, we can consider that you've spent your standard action to Ready an Action to attack if she tries to use the communicator or attack. (and very cool about the biometric material!)

Tulgram's attack *just* misses.

Amhesha's attack *just* misses. I always say the math in Starfinder is tight, but still--that Fatigued condition has turned two hits into misses.

San makes the Reflex save vs Xylian's Overload attempt.

San spends her standard action to try to use her comm unit. This triggers's Zharis' readied action, which hits. As mentioned, the adventure explicitly states that if Crucible staff attempt to sound an alarm, it's a standard action that provokes an AoO. Tulgram and Zharis, you each get an attack of opportunity. This is technically resolved before her action completes, so if you can disarm, sunder, or otherwise deal with the comm unit, you can keep the signal from being transmitted.

Theodore tries to cause a glitch in Sergeant San's comm unit, but the device's shielding is too strong!

Cool idea! Unfortunately, Starfinder plays fast and loose with NPC stat blocks, and her Will save is high enough that she'll only fail on a natural 1. Result: She makes the save.

Everyone except Theodore is up for a Surprise Round action.

She does indeed have a personal comm unit attached to her belt.

Surprise Round

Xylian
Theodore
Zharis
Tulgram
Amhesha
Sergeant San

Bold should go!

We'll call this a Surprise Round, so you each get a Standard or Move action (plus a Swift), but no Full actions.

Sergeant San has the Ever Vigilant special ability, which means she always gets to act in a Surprise Round even when surprised, but automatically goes at the end of that round.

A reminder that everyone is Fatigued; I've already factored that into Initiative below.

Sergeant San follows Zharis into the medical bay. She looks at the motley collection of Near Spacers politely at first, but then recognition crosses her face. "Hey, you're--" she begins to say, instinctively reaching for a weapon.

I figured the fairest way to determine if she recognised the rest of you from security bulletins is to give her an Intelligence check, and she rolled high!

"Sorry, haven't heard of it," she replies. She looks back to where the male ifrit is still standing with the wolf-like creature. "I shouldn't really leave him alone for long--vahdus can be dangerous if you don't know how to handle them. Tell you what, I'll walk you through the Hub so the security robots don't perceive you as intruders, and I'll point out where the security office is. They can help you from there."

She starts walking towards the medical bay.

The Bluff check definitely beats the DC (10 + Sense Motive modifier -5 for Friendly Attitude). I'll pause here to see if you guys are letting her lead you into the Hub, going to jump her in the medical bay, or something else.

Sorry, ran out of time today--will update tomorrow.

"Sergeant Demjit San, nice to meet you too. Well, you dodged a close call, Zharis. This is a military installation, and one wrong turn without your facial and biometric scans in the system could have got you blasted." She sighs. "A lot of our staff deployed recently on the invasion fleet, so some signals must have got crossed. An escort should have met you when you landed. I'll call someone from Security to come down and sort it out." She reaches for her comm link. A puzzled look of vague recognition comes across her face. "You said you were an entertainer. You do look familiar . . . Did you once play a terrorist in a holo-vid?"

If you want to try to get her not to call for an escort, a Bluff check would be needed (or, the adventure specifically calls out that Crucible staff using their comms are a standard action that provokes AoOs, so we can also go to Initiative if someone wants to do something more dramatic.

"Oh sure," she says, taking off her gloves and tucking them into her belt. She nods for the male ifrit to continue the training session and then walks over. "Yeah, the system is supposed to send a digital orientation packet on approach. You didn't get one, huh? Where are you trying to go? The double-doors on the other side of medical take you to the Hub, and there the corridors are labelled and there's an elevator. Your facial recognition scans are in the system, right? The hub security robots are the 'shoot first, questions later' type."

Success on the role-specific challenge! For the conversation so far, Diplomacy is enough, but we may need a Bluff as well depending on how it proceeds.