Rennah Mars's page

Maybe I have missed something, but is there no "Cost of Living" in Starfinder?
I have players who're slightly annoyed at tracking their credits, but who still want it to feel "real" - so was wondering if there was something similar to the "Cost of Living" in Pathfinder?
Finding the prices of the individual things isn't a problem, but we're trying to minimize the actual bookkeeping while keeping the "realism" feel.

Thanks in advance. :)

Publisher Name: Wayward Rogues Publishing

Project Description: A Lovecraftian inspired horror adventure.
Project Length: 5000 words
Pay Rate: 2 cents a word paid via author's verified PayPal account upon final draft delivery.
Additional details: If you are interested in this project, please respond with a sample of your writing work by designing a short CR 11 horror themed encounter taking place in an alien forest. Cosmic horror, not Sci-fi. This encounter will be incorporated into the adventure.
Respond by: send submissions to malikjoker@gmail.com. This open call closes July 28, 2018, at 11:59 PM pacific time.

It seems like you have something fairly specific in mind as your definition of "Cosmic Horror". Is there a particular place that one could look to get a bit more of an idea of what you're looking for?

I really enjoyed this as well, so thank you for taking the time to deal with us all.
And sorry for my late posting here as well, I fell completely off the deep end at the beginning of March, as I was moved to a new position within work, and my side-job of Freelancing for Pathfinder and Starfinder took over the rest of my spare time.

Rest assured that you're making the right decision Shadow. The real world, and your family, always comes first.

Should you ever feel the need to escape again, even temporarily, there's always a spot open at my table. :)

Having repainted her armor once more, Rennah remains silent as she exits the s~@~, scanning the area for any threats and waiting for Garrett to take the lead in the conversations.
At the same time, Rennah opens herself to the Force and sees if she can detect any threats.

Use the Force: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (20) + 14 = 34

Woah... Probably a total waste of a great roll, but who knows LOL

Rennah looks at the Emperor

"With your permission sir, I suggest now?"

"Sounds like a good night out Errin. But let's try to keep hold of the Emissary, shall we? The other parts though... Well, yeah, It's Nar Shaddaa. Par for the course really."

Rennah grins to herself for a moment.

"A bout of Huttball might be fun though."

No problem at all. Been busy as wel (with both my dayjob and the freelance writing) sometimes time just disappears.

"The smugglers moon. Best tie up your wallets folks. Garrett, I suspect you should contact Popara and transmit a message saying that we're on our way. Probably include something about him making it mutually beneficial to both sides for us to attend."

Rennah mulls over things for a few seconds.

"Guess I better start painting up my armor again as well. Damn it."

"Much as I diskike the Hutts, I stand ready to serve. Whichever task you deem most important it the one I shall pursue."

"My lord, I'm afraid we bring some troubling news regarding the spice that we picked up from the Hutts. The scientists have analyzed the stuff and these are the results."

Rennah then hands over the holo-recorder.

Rennah looks up at Errin's tone and grins to herself.

"Maybe we should tell him. If you give us a copy of your research and your estimate of a worst-case scenario, we can take it to him, and see what he wants to do. I suspect that he'll be wanting us to take care of it though. ESPECIALLY if the Corporate Sector is involved. Those people have taken greed to an entirely new level."

Enjoy the holidays. :)

Wisdom Check: 1d20 ⇒ 13

"Could it affect judgment and rational thought? Some of the people we ran into, seemed to be out of their minds, and incapable of coherent thought. We got attacked by a bunch of thugs, and even after seeing their fellows mown down, with nary a scratch on us, they still kept coming. - Who in their right minds keeps running and attacking when they see a red lightsaber hissing to life?"

Rennah looks around at her companions.

"Errr.. present company excepted, of course."

No idea, but it's affecting my devices too.

But, on the plus side, at least I have net again!

I'm currently out of action as some unfortunate road works have cut our internet cable. Feel free to bot Rennah till my return. (Hoping within next 7 days, but I honestly don't know)

Shortly after, Rennah steps through the door grabs her lightsabre and ignites it with a hiss.
Taking a moment to admire the sharp contrasts of the blade, she nods her thanks at Garrett.

"Call it payment, that he didn't know about.... But what exactly IS it?"

Here's what I'd like to get for Rennah:

Superior Tech upgrades:

Armor - Superior Protective Armor (+2 Reflex Defense, 2,000 cr)
Lightsaber - Superior Damage (+5 damage, 2,000 cr)

Total spend: 4,000/20,000 Requisition. Keeping the remainder 25,000 in cash, stashed in an account. (Realy want to see about saving up for a Predator-class Starfighter. Can't be an Imperial Knight without it. :P

45K in total? Hmm. Not bad, though I think I'll skip on using most of it. I have basically what I need. So Rennah will buy those options (if Garrett can install them) and "bank" the rest for a rainy day.

"Certainly master Dare. We'll do our best to redirect their attention. But since you mention our next mission, perhaps you know what the Emperor has in mind for us?"

Those Cortosis Gauntlets look a must-have :P

If you have the chance Garrett, some Superior Tech for Rennah's Lightsaber and Armor would be great too. Specifically Superior Protective Armor (+2 Reflex Defense) for the Imperial Knight Armor and Superior Damage for the Lightsaber (+5 damage).

If my math is correct, that should take my expenditure to 5,500 credits.

(I kinda want a new crystal for the lightsaber, but I can't find one I want, and it doesn't feel like I've "earned" it yet. As I've yet to pick up any bodies to carbonize :P )

"Master Dare. I'm afraid we were only introduced to one of them. A Jedi by the name of Gunnar Wryce, a male human. The others were not introduced to us, as they didn't bear on the mission. He might have rejoined them, but the way he worked together with us, without calling them in, I have my doubts."

Rennah looks Dare up and down. Then nods respectfully and asks the question that's openly on her mind.

"May I ask why you're interested in this Jedi?"

How many credits do we each have to spend. I might use a bit to upgrade some of my own gear (likely the armor) if I can afford it.

Rennah points at her uniform, that of an Imperial Knight.

"Pretty obvious why I'm here. That said, I joined the Empire itself as I was originally working as a mercenary, and I once got involved with them during a mission. Quite frankly, I'd never met more capable people, and I wanted to know more about them. I eventually did, and I thought I was Imperial Knight material."

Rennah grins to herself at the memory.

"Looking back at it, I was rather arrogant about that, but in spite of that, I managed to impress them enough that they let me join. And the mission you just cleared us medically from... That was my first mission without my Master himself. It seems I've passed the test."

Rennah takes another sip of the Lomin, and stretches languidly.

"All said and done though, I go where I'm told to go. A tool of the Emperor and all that, but even if I hadn't been an Imperial Knight, it's my hope that the Force would have eventually steered me right. That said, at least before I joined, I certainly lacked... control."

"You're right Errin, hopefully Garrett is taking care of that. Remind me to tell him in the morning.

Rennah takes a look at the bottle on Errins hand and raises an eyebrow.

"Better make sure the good doctor prescribes you some painkillers if you're going to down that by yourself."

Rennah tales another sip from the mug, and looks around for some snacks.

"So Rai... I hope you don't mind me calling you Rai? What brings you to the Emperor's service? Or is that too personal a question?"

Rennah takes a sip from her lomin-ale and utters a small sigh.

"Ah that hit the spot. Damned mudball of a planet, and then Hutts on top. I do wonder why they just quarantined the planet though, instead of trying to help the people there. But then again, it IS the Corporate Sector. I bet it was just a better bottom line in the end."

"Even your datadrives need to defragment at some point, Garrett. Call it stress, call it erroneous data or whatever you wish. The effect is the same, a lessening of efficiency. But sure. That said though, I doubt there's a bar on here, so we'd have to go planetside somewhere for it. Any preferences, people?"

She looks over at Rai Zon.

"When you're done with the examinations obviously Doc. While you're making certain we all check out, why don't you tell us a bit about yourself?"

"We need to find a way to get you to relax at some point, Garrett... Perhaps we should program a sub-routine for you called "This is how organics unwind". But you're right, duty first. Let's get the ship and ourselves checked out first, then we can grab a drink afterward. And tell our new friend all about our exploits."

"A bar. We need a bar. We have a new arrival after all. Though I'll admit that an armory visit might not be a bad idea. After that though, definitely a bar. I need to wash out the taste of that planet."

Rennah gives Draco a wry smile when he tells her to get up.

"You say that every time. And I ignore it every time. What makes you think this time will be different?"

She gives him a grin as they head to meet the emperor.
..................
After the debriefing and the meeting with the Emperor, Rennah heads to bay 30 to meet this Rai Pon, standing casually around till he appears, wondering who this new being is

Rennah quickly takes to one knee in front of Antares Draco, her ceremonial armor scraping gently against the ferrocrete.

"Master Draco, the mission was successfull in that we have the map. Unfortunately it would appear that the Jedi have also obtained knowledge of the map, as we encountered one of their kind, with whom we made a temporary alliance. He snuck off as before we left orbit on the planet.
What the Hutt had not told us however, was that at least one of his subordinates had gone into business for himself, and it was this underling with whom we originally dealt. Though he did not have access to the map, he offered us a job that would take us to the same planet as Vago himself would. As we were there, we managed to save the Hutt's son, and earn his gratitude. In exchange we got the map. As well, as a bit of payback on the Hutt underling.

Rennah gestures towards the ship.

"You'll find the information aboard ship. Also, while we did not find any devices or any signs of intrusion on the ship, I do not trust the Hutt, and it may be worth double-checking. Finally, if possible, I would suggest a complete physical checkup, for all the organics. We were supposedly given innoculations against the plague on the planet, but I can't exactly say that I trust Hutt medicine."

"Flirting is it?"

Rennah laughs as she ducks under the attack and rolls up into a defensive crouch.

"I agree though, nothing brings people closer and shows their true face mpre than sparring. Though perhaps real combat reveals more, as you stand shoulder to shoulder, against the enemy..."

Rennah slowly circles round, a wary eye on Errin's movements, opening herself to the Force.

"But who am I to deny anyone a little intimacy?"

She grins widely as she throws a jab, followed by a nasty haymaker.

"Errin, you need to learn to let go of your feelings. While they can be a useful tool, you must learn to control them, not to be controlled by them."

Stretching her legs from the position that she'd been sitting in Rennah gets up, and extends her hand to Errin.

"Perhaps a spot of sparring can help both of us relax, work out some frustration.

She gives Errin a wink and drops into a combat crouch with a grin on her face.

No need for rolls, this is just a friendly competition, designed to help Errin relax. Though they'll probably sport a number of bruises afterwards.

Rennah secludes herself in her cabin for a couple of days, coming out only to eat, trying to penetrate the veils of the Force, and get an impression of the future.

Use the Force: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (10) + 11 = 21

Good luck, you and your family stay safe!

"Seems we're all settled for it then."

Rennah pauses a moment and thinks to herself.

"May the Force be with you, Jedi. You'll need it in this galaxy.

After that, she follows Kaldo to the cockpit, and helps him prep the ship for launch.

"Let him scurry back to his masters. We got what we came here for. I say it's time to head back to the Emperor and hand over the maps. After that, we have some cresits to spend."

"Indeed. Of course you're always welcome to return there yourself..."

I'd chime in here as well. If you want some decent builds, check out the old Order 66 Podcast. They construct and deconstruct classes pretty well on that show (I got my build inspiration from there). They've now moved on to FFG's Star Wars, but their old episodes are still up and available and there's more than 200 of them, packed with good stuff.

I think you'll find that I tank pretty well. At least, I'm fairly capable of absorbing punishment. I just got a tad unlucky on the hit point rolls :P - Honestly, just roll up what you'd like to play instead. As for my money, we need something cute in the group :P

"Hold on a minute guys. Popara paid us 50,000. I'm sure that Vago is still interested in paying us the full, agreed-upon amount of credits. He's a very reasonable Hutt after all, and this is just business. Right Vago?"

Rennah quietly activates her throat mike to the Imperial Channel and whispers:

"Don't press this too hard. We're have what our actual objective from the Emperor was. The credits are icing on the cake, but let us not piss off an entire Hutt Clan. I'd accept a reasonable deduction from him, after all, we're working with a Hutt. Just enough to convince him that we ARE the mercenaries that we claim to be."

Dottily Dot. :)

You have it listed as equipment, so I wouldn't necessarily assume so. If it is, sure, you'll be in on it too.

OOooh... Bugger... DAMN am I glad I bought that hands-free commlink now. The question is if Errin is wearing her helmet? And I don't think anyone else has an unobtrusive commlink...

Rennah very quietly activates her hands-free commlink and changes to the private channel with Errin and whispers. "Heads-up. Those Twi'leks are Force Users. They could be trouble. Be on your toes."

Rennah then very surreptitiously begins lowering her hand and walks up right behind Garret, sort of "thumbs-in-belt" at ease, but with her hand right next to the lightsaber in case of trouble.

"My glib friend here is correct, those were the terms given. But we would be happy to take the reward that you, mighty Popara, offered for the return of Mika."

Rennah only barely holds back a snort and thinks to herself "Well that should be interesting. Let's hope Vago is willing to wait until we've got a chance to recover HIS crate from the Emissary.

She then centers herself and reaches out with the Force, trying to see if the Force User they sensed is still present. (I seem to recall there being someone who could use the Force here, when we visited Vago. Not sure about that though.)

Use the Force: 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (4) + 14 = 18

Rubbish roll, but oh well. :)

Rennah cannot help but scoff when she hears the explanation given by Gunnar.
"Well, that is certainly an interesting interpretation. Make no mistake, the Force is a tool and just like every other tool, it is best used with control, restraint and precision. There is no mystical conversation between me and the flower, what there is, is a heightened sensitivity and ability to observe on my part. The Jedi say that the Force guides them, I say that it gives me advice. I choose to act upon the advice or not. To do, or do not. Trying has no place, and the Force rewards action over inaction."

Rennah takes a deep breath and then continues.
"The Force can be a harsh mistress and adviser though. Opening yourself to the Force when you're not in control of your emotions is a dangerous path, and one that the Sith, in their ignorance, embrace. They say it is more powerful. I say, they are wrong. Their power burns like a bright light, it is true. But it burns bright because it is easy for them to connect to it, not because it is more powerful. And like all bright lights, it burns out faster. There IS such a time where opening yourself to your emotions is a good thing. Love and passion are thing that most sentients would agree are good things, but both the Sith and the Jedi deny them. The Sith turn to anger and hate, the Jedi to abstinence and serenity."

Rennah seems to be talking more to herself as this point than anyone in particular.
"But why would any sentient being deny themselves positive emotions? Sure, they can be turned against me, but that is where my restraint comes in. Every tool is dangerous in the right or wrong hands. And this tool is costly to those who misuse it."

As Rennah refocuses on Mika once more, she looks at him, her head askew.
"Mika, I cannot help but notice that you do not appear to act like other Hutts, if you'll pardon me. You're articulate as all Hutts, but you do not choose to speak only in Huttese. May I ask why that is?"

Agreed. Meddling do-gooders.

Interestingly, you seem to have taken a very different approach as well. :-)

Still here and looking forward to it. :-)

So I was reading the article on geekdad about the Drift and Drift beacons, and I can't seem to find the information on where these are actually located. They're described as being navigational buoys, which are traditionally at sea, but does this mean they're in orbit around the planet? Around the star system? Or could they be on the planet itself?

Anyone happen to have come across more information?

Sounds good to me :-)

Rolling for Hit Points:
Hit Points: 1d10 + 2 ⇒ (8) + 2 = 10

Not bad, I can live with that.

All set up except for not having chosen a Feat. Not sure which one to go for.
Is it OK if I leave that one open for now, as long as I don't suddenly go "WHoops, I had this all along. How convenient for this encounter?"

Rennah pulls up to the Navcomputer and tries to get through the various menus and calculations as quickly as she can.

Attempting to do it in one round, and will use a force point to do so.

Use Computer: 1d20 + 11 - 10 + 5 ⇒ (6) + 11 - 10 + 5 = 12
Force points: 2d6 ⇒ (5, 3) = 8

So the Astrogation check is: 12+5= 17! Hopefully that should be enough to get us out of here in a hurry!

After a very short mount of time, Rennah completes her calculations and punches them into the computer and reaches over past Kaldo and pulls the hyperspace lever.