Starfinder Skitter Crash

4.50/5 (based on 2 ratings)
GameMastery Module D0: Hollow's Last Hope (OGL)
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Skitters in the Swamp!

The galaxy's favorite skittermanders are back and ready to help—but this time, they're the ones in trouble!

After a successful salvaging mission, the heroes are riding a joyous high aboard their very own starship. However, angry space pirates with a grudge crash the party—and then a bizarre interstellar cyclone engulfs both sides' vessels and flings them into a strange world's atmosphere! Thanks to the help of a tiny mining vessel, the skittermanders are able to escape to this swampy planet. Once they take in their boggy surroundings, it's up to the furry heroes to track down their ship, avoid vengeful enemies, work with the sluglike scholars living in the muck, and find a way off this dangerous planet once and for all!

In addition to this freewheeling adventure, this book includes four pregenerated characters that are ready to play, with full stat blocks and backstories. The inside covers include all of the maps needed for this adventure. Plus, the inside back cover provides some guidance for items our helpful skittermanders might have scavenged from their previous forays!

Skitter Crash is a wild romp of an adventure intended for four 3rd-level skittermander characters who are exploring and trying to escape a swampy world, written for the popular Starfinder Roleplaying Game.

Skitter Crash is sanctioned for use in Starfinder Society Organized Play. The rules for running this Adventure and Chronicle Sheet are available as a free download (1.6 MB PDF).

Pregenerated Characters: This module include four 3rd-level skittermander characters: Dakoyo, Gazigaz, Nako, and Quonx.
Download the pregenerated characters (1.1 MB zip/PDF)

Release: This special 16-page Starfinder adventure was created for Free RPG Day on June 15, 2019. The print edition will be available for sale and a free download will be available on paizo.com beginning July 1, 2019.

Note: Due to the special nature of this product, it is NOT part of any subscription.

Other Resources: This product is also available on the following platforms:

Fantasy Grounds Virtual Tabletop

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PZO9500-15


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A Lot of Adventure in a Small Package

4/5

NO SPOILERS

Skitter Crash was Paizo's Free RPG Day offering for 2019. It's a sequel to the 2018 offering (Skitter Shot) and follows the same group of salvage-crew skittermanders on a new adventure. Four fun and well fleshed-out pre-gens are included, but I got to play my own skittermander, Steward Officer Swizzers. I really enjoyed the adventure, and its impressive how much is cleverly included in a relatively short product. There's a lot here to like, and I'm geared up to see what happens next in 2020!

SPOILERS!:

Skitter Crash starts off with a bang (almost literally). The skittermander crew of the Helping Hand are returning from a salvage job when they're confronted by a pirate starship crewed by Captain Anga Silazi--the sister of the pirate captain they confronted in the previous year's Free RPG Day module! Silazi is out for revenge, of course, but before she can open fire, both vessels are caught up in a vortex of planar energy called a "Drift cyclone." Instead of starship combat, the skittermanders realize they're no longer in the Drift, that their ship is about to crash into an unknown planet, and that somehow their vessel has been somehow magically fused together with the pirate ship!

The skittermanders have to rush into the cargo bay to reach a small lifeboat, but some of the pirate crew are already there and a firefight is inevitable. Assuming the PCs win and jump in the lifeboat, they have a hard and chaotic descent through the atmosphere and a crash landing in an unknown swamp. It's a fast and exciting beginning, and a classic set up for an SF adventure: marooned!

After salvaging some supplies from the wreckage of the escape vehicle, the skittermanders will get a couple of leads on what to do next (if they can make an Engineering or a Mysticism check, respectively). The module intends that PCs will follow one of these two leads and then has an event happen to progress the adventure, but if folks are having fun and time isn't a problem, the GM can delay the event until after both leads are investigated. Groups could also split up to investigate both leads simultaneously--the realistically logical thing to do--and thus follow my dictum: always split the party!

One lead is the discovery that some strange interference emitted nearby is disrupting local communication signals. If the PCs investigate, they find a semi-hidden automated monitoring station being assaulted by a trio of small earth elementals. If the skittermanders drive off the elementals and repair the station, they'll learn that it's broadcasting information to a point within 10 miles--confirmation that this planet is inhabited! When I played this module, this is the lead my group followed. I thought it was okay, but a bit awkward for a team that's all about "helping" to figure out how to approach the issue with the earth elementals. In addition, from an encounter-design perspective, there's not really anything riding on whether the PCs do or do not repair the monitoring station--everything will play out the same.

The other lead is that mystically-inclined PCs might sense a "disturbance of planar energy" about a mile away. Investigation reveals it to be a dangerous side effect of the Drift cyclone: a small tear to Hell has been ripped opened, and bolts of hellfire are shooting out! Apparently, the PCs are supposed to realise this could set fire to the swamp and try to close the tear (by very abstract uses of the Mysticism skill) despite the likelihood they will suffer severe burns. I don't think there's a lot of motivation for PCs to get involved with this encounter.

After investigating the leads, the PCs will hear panicked shouts for help followed by the roar of a wild animal. Rushing to help, the group will see a member of the intelligent sluglike osharu species being attacked by a large predatory swamp animal called a nilothera. This encounter was fun and exciting, as there are clear stakes (rescue the osharu before the nilothera kills him), a tough foe (maybe a bit too tough!), and an interesting setting (a broken bridge over a deep bog). Assuming the PCs survive and succeed, the osharu introduces himself as Ponatia and explains that he's part of a scientific research base called the Helix Lyceum and that the skittermanders have crash landed on the planet Varkulon 4. Ponatia and his fellow scientists set up the research base here to study the periodic Drift storms that ravage the planet. He's happy to take the group back with him to the Helix Lyceum in gratitude for the timely rescue.

It turns out that communications off-planet are jammed by the Drift cyclone, but the scientists did pick up the signal of a starship landing a few miles away; a strange starship that seemed to be fused together! (apparently, the skittermanders could have stayed on board!). What comes next is a skills challenge of the type familiar to players of PFS and SFS. There are five osharu "Headteachers", and the PCs need to interact with and persuade (through skill checks) a majority of them to get them to help. I like the description and feel of the Helix Lyceum and its scientists, but I always find these encounters a bit clunky in practice as the mechanics often impede organic role-playing. In addition, the osharus aren't being asked for much (helping refugees from starship disaster). In another thing that annoys me, it doesn't really matter from a plot-perspective whether the PCs do or do not manage to persuade a majority of the headteachers: either way, they'll be lent a land-cruiser to take to the starship. (success does result in some gifts, but that's more of an awkward loot dump than anything).

When the PCs arrive at the starship, they see that the pirate Captain Silazi is hard at work trying to get it repaired and ready for lift-off. She has no interest in talking however, and attacks immediately with the help of a couple of security robots. Silazi is a solarion, which isn't a type of foe PCs get to fight often. When Silazi is defeated, the PCs can board the strange fused vessel and try to repair it enough for lift-off. The next sequence is interesting and original: Silazi's mob of space pirates returns to the scene (apparently they were out scouting the swamp or something). The skittermanders have to either talk them down, hastily repair the ship while it's under fire, or blast them with starship weapons! The pirates are represented abstractly--this isn't a true tactical combat encounter--but it was a clever way to present an exciting climax.

The module provides a short but satisfying epilogue, and I like the idea of the skittermanders continuing to pilot a crazy vessel inexplicably fused together from two others. After the adventure, each of the skittermander pre-gens gets a full page with background, stat block, and full-colour artwork. They're really fun and fresh characters, and kudos to the writer for making them all fit the skittermander theme while still being very different in tastes and personality. Speaking of artwork, it's really good throughout, though I might say the space pirates and Captain Silazi look a bit too clean-cut to be scum of the earth. But that's a minor critique, and the cover is very cool.

I think I've included more nitpicks above than I expected or that the module really deserves. I had a great time playing Skitter Crash, and most of its flaws are apparent only upon reading the module afterward. It's really impressive how much adventure and different types of encounters the author was able to pack into ten pages. Overall, it's a fun and memorable module and definitely one worth playing.


Fun, Short and helping.

5/5

We have done this adventure in two hours. I have never seen that.

And this is great!

We have a choice of encounter and there a lot of roleplay opportunities!

Best starfinder adventure I had! I recommend to everyone!



Fantastic news!

Dark Archive

1 person marked this as a favorite.

I really liked GMing "Skitter Shot" for two different new groups, i'll see if i do that again this year, with part #2 (of a trilogy i bet), even though my birthday is on the 16th.


Starfinder Charter Superscriber

Sounds fun!


Pathfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

Yusss. I cannot wait to play this!

Dark Archive

1 person marked this as a favorite.

Nu friends! :D


Crashed! Oh no! :o

It sounds like great fun.


Pathfinder Maps, Pathfinder Accessories Subscriber; Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Charter Superscriber; Starfinder Charter Superscriber

Great. Skitter Shot is great fun!

Paizo Employee Organized Play Line Developer

This is going to be amazing!


Starfinder Superscriber

So hyped. I'm also super curious about the chronicle sheet for this.


7 people marked this as a favorite.
Starfinder Superscriber

Looks like this is going to be awesome!

Can we get the pregens and chronicle sheets PDFs a bit earlier this year? For those of us running this as demos for Free RPG Day it was a bit of a scramble last year.

Scarab Sages

Pathfinder Adventure, Lost Omens, Maps, Rulebook Subscriber; Starfinder Charter Superscriber

Cannot wait for this one, I had a blast last year.

Grand Lodge

Arc Riley wrote:

Looks like this is going to be awesome!

Can we get the pregens and chronicle sheets PDFs a bit earlier this year? For those of us running this as demos for Free RPG Day it was a bit of a scramble last year.

Getting PDFs of the Maps would be really great too!!!


Starfinder Superscriber

Any chance anyone @ Paizo knows if this will be accessible at Origins?


Berggen wrote:
Any chance anyone @ Paizo knows if this will be accessible at Origins?

I heard from Tonya that it will not be there. Related to a change in ownership of Free RPG Day.


1 person marked this as a favorite.

Can we play our skittermanders we earned from skitter shot?

Dataphiles

Pathfinder Starfinder Adventure Path Subscriber
Gamerskum wrote:
Can we play our skittermanders we earned from skitter shot?

Providing your skittermander is at least level 3.


1 person marked this as a favorite.

Are there chronicle sheets for this for those of us running the game in Starfinder Society?

Dark Archive

1 person marked this as a favorite.

Great second adventure.
I read halfway through it and it is pretty cool.


At least 3 or only at 3rd?

Dark Archive

Only at third

Grand Lodge

1 person marked this as a favorite.
Pathfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Adventure Path Subscriber
Paul Crotteau wrote:
Only at third

We do not know this yet. We have not seen the chronicles for it. For all we know they apply at tiers 2-4, as they did with one of the WBG sequels. We won't know until they post the chronicles for this -- something that traditionally happens a few days before the Gameday.

Hmm

Grand Lodge

2 people marked this as a favorite.

Ugh! I always hate when they wait till the last minute to release chronicles for stuff like this. Always makes me nervous.


I know, I've been checking in every day for the chronicles.

Shadow Lodge

Chronicle sheets have been posted to the Paizo Blog HERE (however, at the time I am typing this, the links are backwards - the Goblin link takes you to the Skitter Crash chronicle and the Skitter link takes you to the We Be Heroes? chronicle).

No word that I am aware of on when we'll see .pdf files of the pregenerated characters. I'm going to be taking my GM hard-copy to my local print shop tomorrow afternoon to make the best copies I can, unless they appear on the website before that.


1 person marked this as a favorite.

Is there a way we can get individual character sheets? I've got the booklet and plan to run on Saturday, but wanted to see before I start trying to photo copy.

Shadow Lodge

They sometimes release them before hand. But if they do it's usually the day before if not the day of.


Hmm wrote:
Paul Crotteau wrote:
Only at third

We do not know this yet. We have not seen the chronicles for it. For all we know they apply at tiers 2-4, as they did with one of the WBG sequels. We won't know until they post the chronicles for this -- something that traditionally happens a few days before the Gameday.

Hmm

Hey Paizo,

Can we get clarification on this? The chronicle sheet says it can be applied to PCs level 3-4, which is fine, but doesn't say anything about being able to play your PC skittermander instead of a pregen if you have one in-tier. In fact, it says that you have to use one of the included pregens.

Just seeking clarification before the event tomorrow.
Thanks!


1 person marked this as a favorite.

Rectified by John Compton ^w^

Sovereign Court

2 people marked this as a favorite.
Amanda Plageman wrote:
Hmm wrote:
Paul Crotteau wrote:
Only at third

We do not know this yet. We have not seen the chronicles for it. For all we know they apply at tiers 2-4, as they did with one of the WBG sequels. We won't know until they post the chronicles for this -- something that traditionally happens a few days before the Gameday.

Hmm

Hey Paizo,

Can we get clarification on this? The chronicle sheet says it can be applied to PCs level 3-4, which is fine, but doesn't say anything about being able to play your PC skittermander instead of a pregen if you have one in-tier. In fact, it says that you have to use one of the included pregens.

Just seeking clarification before the event tomorrow.
Thanks!

From the blog post CanisDirus linked above:

John Compton wrote:

That’s a strange oversight that we thought had copied over from the Skitter Shot sanctioning document on which this one was modeled.

Official: If a player has a boon allowing her to create a skittermander PC, she may also choose to play that character so long as the PC is 3rd- or 4th-level.

EDIT: Ninja'd by the Darkness!


MUAHAHAHA :3


AWESOME!!!
Thanks!!

Liberty's Edge

Pathfinder Adventure, Rulebook, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Roleplaying Game, Starfinder Society Subscriber

Can someone in possession of this tell us if the adventure uses existing Paizo maps, and if yes, which ones, or if they use unique maps (perhaps provide suggestions)? Please remember SPOILER tag.

I'm going to be arriving at a game store 1 hour away, handed the scenario, and I am expected to run these adventures on the fly (with about 1 hr prep.) I'd like to bring what I can already prepped.

Paizo Employee Developer

The adventure uses some (small) custom maps, but nothing very complicated.

You could probably use:

Spoiler:
Any map with a large-ish cargo hold for the first encounter, such as Starfinder Flip-Mat Starship. For the other encounters, the maps aren't incredibly large or detailed so you could draw them out ahead of time in a few minutes on a blank map. Flip-Mat Classics: Swamp would do in a pinch, but it doesn't really have enough water features...

Good luck! Hope that helps!

Sovereign Court

FREE RPG Day is over and I'm trying to report games. The games aren't available as "reportable" on the database. Could someone at Paizo please add this so we can report? Thanks.

Grand Lodge

Angel Gabriel wrote:
FREE RPG Day is over and I'm trying to report games. The games aren't available as "reportable" on the database. Could someone at Paizo please add this so we can report? Thanks.

Yes. Please fix this. I have several tables to report and it doesn't come up on any reporting menu. Hopefully it will be fixed by monday

Paizo Employee Webstore Coordinator

3 people marked this as a favorite.

Sorry about that, folks! I believe this should be all settled now. Go ahead and give it a try, and let me know if it's still not working.

Second Seekers (Luwazi Elsebo)

1 person marked this as a favorite.

Hmmm, for future Skitter Scenarios, could the Get'Em skill be renamed Help 'Em? Just a funny thought from my local lodge.


Really love the character art.

Sovereign Court

waiting for print edition to become available.

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