Episode 1, Chapter 2 prologue

Rakhu will secure the items he left with thana. "Has there been any attempt to track Tuskbeasts to their lairs?" He will do some cursorry research on tuskbeasts during travel time as well.

Yes, is there a way to commune with my master from far away through the force? Or, heh, does this ship have a decent comm. system?

whit10 wrote:Yes, is there a way to commune with my master from far away through the force?  Or, heh, does this ship have a decent comm. system?

no to the first part... what you think you are yoda now? even yoda never did anything like that in the movies

yes to the 2nd question, but remember, you just left your master about 8hrs ago. he was in the middle of a space battle and then was going to start landing troops for a spec-ops invasion of Fort Garnik and then command the war effort on Ord Mantell. he did say to stop by or give him a call when your mission was complete.

gotcha

navyik wrote:Rakhu will secure the items he left with thana.  "Has there been any attempt to track Tuskbeasts to their lairs?"  He will do some cursorry research on tuskbeasts during travel time as well.

Thana replies, "Finding their lairs isn't the problem.  We know where they live, that is how we study them.  They inhabit the canyons and caverns all around the Gluss'elta Sea.  They have always  been subterranean and territorial, which is why our research base was located so far away.  Recently they have been tracking us back to the science station and even hunting our Nikto scouts on the surface."

Rakhu finds many similar images to this



The bio information reminds Rakhu of a underground lions:  live in packs with 1 alpha male, group of female hunters, carnivorous, territorial, etc. Females are roughly Large size, Males probably Huge.

I'm gonna need more explosives, rakhu thinks. "Has the pattern of behavior shifted gradually or suddenly? Also, have you been able to collect samples from agressive specimens?"

navyik wrote:I'm gonna need more explosives, rakhu thinks.  "Has the pattern of behavior shifted gradually or suddenly?    Also, have you been able to collect samples from agressive specimens?"

"The sudden change in their behavior, at least as I see it since Dr. Helian does not share that opinion, has prevented us from collecting any recent samples." Thana smiles, "That's why you all are here."

"We may be able to subdue one for sampling. Did you tag them?"

navyik wrote:"We may be able to subdue one for sampling.  Did you tag them?"

Thana arches a head-tail, like a human might raise one eyebrow, "You've never been to Kintan, have you?  The star M'dweshuu went nova nearly 6000 years ago and Kintan is still a radioactive wasteland.  Of course we tag our specimens, but comm signals degrade quickly because of all the interference.  Have fun with your comlinks, scanners, scopes.... nothing electronic works very well on Kintan.  Especially around the Gluss'elta Sea for some reason, but that's where the wildlife lives, so that's where we go."

Thana gestures to the Mitochondria ship around you, "That's why she has such heavy shielding, most ships don't even want to land on Kintan because it scrambles their nava-computers.  Our research base is also heavily shielded, but out in the wastes, we rely on our hosts and Nikto...... ingenuity."

Thana finds her med-pack, "That reminds me, you all need a rad-treatment before we land".  She uses a hypo-syringe and doses herself and the party.  "We actually synthesized this from the Nikto's own immune system.  Fascinating species adaptation....."

"uh.. say that last part again, nothing electronic works very well??" Daxx looks worryingly at his lightsaber for a moment

I got an email from Matt today and he is effectively "out" until the end of September, but he is ok with T'son being sidelined. We will continue and T'son can join back up anytime.

Chris wrote:

Together with Helian's assistant, the Twi'lek Thana, the heroes finally arrive on Kintan.  As they begin their descent into the ravaged atmosphere of Kintan, they receive a distress call from Dr. Helian himself.......

The party is making small talk with Thana in the cockpit as the ship arrives at Kintan.  




Thana begins taking the Mitochondria through the radioactive atmosphere of the wasteland planet.  Thana begins flipping switches and realigning the shields as you pass through a massive electromagnet field that seems to cover most of the planet.

Once through the radiation a faint distress signal comes through the comm channel.  It is broken up by large amounts of static  "Kam station, this..... need help.......  mast damaged...... Tuskbeasts!......"

Thana cries in alarm, "That sounds like Dr. Helian's voice! Somebody take the comm, while I fly the ship."

"Daxx, take the comm, i've got the gun," rakhu says sitting @ the gun controls. "Thana, bring us in for a flyby view so we can straif." (Sp?) Then to daxx again, "we need to know where the staff are, conditions, numbers, how they're armed."

Does Sharn have any insider knowledge on the tuskbeasts?
Knowledge: Alien Species
2+3= 5
Nevermind.

Sharn gathers his gear together and tests Irwin's comm. "Grawlf ragghu mawrr rarrrin!"

"Sharn, be ready for wounded."

Robyo wrote:Does Sharn have any insider knowledge on the tuskbeasts?
Knowledge: Alien Species
2+3= 5
Nevermind.

Sharn gathers his gear together and tests Irwin's comm. "Grawlf ragghu mawrr rarrrin!"

same image as Rakhu, no other info

Irwin squaks a reply over the new comm system.

navyik wrote:"Daxx, take the comm, i've got the gun," rakhu says sitting @ the gun controls.  "Thana, bring us in for a flyby view so we can straif." (Sp?)  Then to daxx again, "we need to know where the staff are, conditions, numbers, how they're armed."

Thana's voice sounds unsteady, "I am not a combat pilot, so if you are considering a strafing pass, someone else should fly.  But we can't keep the ship there for long...."   Thana looks about for someone else to fly.

"On it" Daxx takes control of the ship.

"Why cant we keep the ship there long?" Rakhu asks purely seeking information. 

Thana hops out of the pilot's chair to make room for Daxx and slides into the co-pilot seat. She is either ignoring Rakhu's quesiton or is lost in the chaos of the moment. She frantically works the comm system, "Dr? Dr! Can you hear me? What is your position?"

A crackle of static is the only reply.

"Blasted radiation! We need to locate Dr. Helian, but there's too much interference. Can somebody.... uh.... boost the signal.... or uh.... reroute the sensors.... or uh.... something" Thana pounds her fist on the control panel and mutters to herself, "I should have joined the military instead of med school"

"Sharn!"

Matt said I can run T'son as an NPC if needed, but he has no computer skills. He might be able to use his Gotal Head Cones to track the Dr. if you can get within 10 km.

navyik wrote:"Sharn!"

Sharn doesn't have computer skill either. He's only good at Repair skill which is for hardware only, I believe.
He tries boosting the signal/rerouting sensors. Repair check:
2+4= 6
Nevermind.

Actually, I do have Computer Use. I'd Forgotten to write it from my penciled-in character sheet. Posted version has been updated.

So, Take 20 on Repair and Computer Use.

Robyo wrote:Sharn doesn't have computer skill either. He's only good at Repair skill which is for hardware only, I believe.
He tries boosting the signal/rerouting sensors. Repair check:
2+4= 6
Nevermind.

Ok, so Sharn fails to boost the signal on this attempt.  

Robyo wrote:
So, Take 20 on Repair and Computer Use.

Remember, a "take 20" takes 20 times the amount of time to complete as well.  So a full round action, takes 20 rounds or 2 minutes and can only be done when there is no chance of failure (you just keep rolling until you get a 20).  You definitely can't take 20 on 2 different skills at once  

Most simple repairs (not jury rigged) take several minutes and complex repairs can take hours or days, which would be multiplied by 20, so anywhere from 40 minutes to a month or longer.

However, Jury Rigged repairs, which is what you are trying to do, cannot use the take 20 rule.  

You guys are descending rapidly through the atmosphere and the sense of urgency to find the endangered doctor is palpable.  I don't really see this as a "take your time and roll until you succeed" kind of scenario.  Take 10 is fine, but neither Computer nor Repair really work as "take 20" in this situation.

It is a Computer Use check to use the sensors and scan for Dr. Helian, made more difficult of course by the high radiation levels.  (the jury rig of the sensors would be a +4 boost to the roll).

Take 10 and fail, I guess.

Sharn does not share Thana's "sense of urgency" unless we are about to crash or something... If not, then I'm not sure why we can't take our time doing a diagnostic and repairs. Since Sharn doesn't know the doctor, his interest/attachment in this situation is close to nil. To him, this is just another job.

Robyo wrote:Take 10 and fail, I guess.

Sharn does not share Thana's "sense of urgency" unless we are about to crash or something... If not, then I'm not sure why we can't take our time doing a diagnostic and repairs. Since Sharn doesn't know the doctor, his interest/attachment in this situation is close to nil. To him, this is just another job.

Chris wrote:
Once through the radiation a faint distress signal comes through the comm channel.  It is broken up by large amounts of static  "Kam station, this..... need help.......  mast damaged...... Tuskbeasts!......"

Thana cries in alarm, "That sounds like Dr. Helian's voice! Somebody take the comm, while I fly the ship."

because if the doctor gets eaten by the tuskbeasts, you fail your mission and the Republic

Didn't Daxx just take the controls for the ship? "lady, make up your damned mind!"

whit10 wrote:Didn't Daxx just take the controls for the ship?  "lady, make up your damned mind!"

yes, Daxx took the wheel, that was an earlier post, notice the quotes  , since Rob seemed confused about why it was urgent to find the good doctor quickly before he became a snack for a hungry tuskbeast

ah, I see

"Elite team of qualified specialists..." rakhu grumbles as he jumps up to attempt to boost sensor output:

9+1+3(force point)=13

"Nothin' to frakkin' shoot at if we cant find him... damn scientists oughta stay in the lab..."

Then, "anything yet?" 

navyik wrote:"Elite team of qualified specialists..." rakhu grumbles as he jumps up to attempt to boost sensor output:

9+1+3(force point)=13

"Nothin' to frakkin' shoot at if we cant find him... damn scientists oughta stay in the lab..."  

Then, "anything yet?" 

was that Repair for a jury rig to boost the sensors? Rakhu isn't sure whether to patch the red wire or the blue wire  


for the record.... no one has even tried Computer Use yet to actually operate the sensors for 1 rd  

Fine... Daxx will try. Oh wait... no computer use!! I thought we had this covered?  

whit10 wrote:Fine... Daxx will try.  Oh wait... no computer use!!  I thought we had this covered?  

I thought you did too.... but maybe that was Pilot. After a quick check it appears that no one has more than a total of +3 in Computer use  

wait - IRWIN! has a total of +7 in computers!!  

bunch of worthless force users  

hey man... the force teaches us that we don't need technology man, it's just a crutch that allows people to dominate us... (trying my best Ryan Morrison impersonation... not a very good one)

Rakhu was using computer use. His repair would be MUCH better.

navyik wrote:Rakhu was using computer use.  His repair would be MUCH better.

Computer Use is used to actually operate computer systems, like sensors

Repair is used to actually fix things or to Jury Rig systems which can, for 1 scene, boost somethings effectiveness. See the Starship rules I posted the other night, under House Rules, it is a copy\paste from the SW book, but it gives some good ideas on what you can do with both Computer Use and Repair.

Boosting the sensor signal would be Repair.

Chris wrote:

Robyo wrote:Take 10 and fail, I guess.

Sharn does not share Thana's "sense of urgency" unless we are about to crash or something... If not, then I'm not sure why we can't take our time doing a diagnostic and repairs. Since Sharn doesn't know the doctor, his interest/attachment in this situation is close to nil. To him, this is just another job.

Chris wrote:
Once through the radiation a faint distress signal comes through the comm channel.  It is broken up by large amounts of static  "Kam station, this..... need help.......  mast damaged...... Tuskbeasts!......"

Thana cries in alarm, "That sounds like Dr. Helian's voice! Somebody take the comm, while I fly the ship."

because if the doctor gets eaten by the tuskbeasts, you fail your mission and the Republic

Big deal. (Like I've said from the beginning) Sharn cares not about politics. He's only looking for some good shots so he can edit together a new documentary. He wants to try to shop it around to the various big-studio distributors.

Irwin on the other hand, is sympathetic to the good doctor's plight.
Computer Use check:
7+12= 19

[quote="Robyo"
Irwin on the other hand, is sympathetic to the good doctor's plight.
Computer Use check:
7+12= 19[/quote]
 cheers for the bird!

Irwin hops up on the control panel amid the confusion and befuddled looks of the organics.  A small data jack snakes out from under a wing and he interfaces with the Mitochondria's computer system.  Sensor parameters, settings, power readings, calibrations and topographical coordinates all flash across Irwin's eyes.

"Crickey!  I have found the source of the transmission you received.  It appears to originate from the following location...."

On the ship's tactical display an image of sailing ship, with a broken mast, now run aground on some rocks and sand dunes.  There appear to be several creatures moving around the ship.




Thana growls in frustration, "What is the damn fool doing crossing the dune sea of Gluss'elta in a just skipper?!?"


Daxx, give me a piloting check - mostly to avoid the turbulent winds of the radiation storms.

Pilot check:

Roll(1d20)+12:
18,+12
Total:30

Wow... I think I got that one. lol

whit10 wrote:Pilot check:

Roll(1d20)+12:
18,+12
Total:30

Wow... I think I got that one. lol

Daxx weaves in and out of the radiation storm with graceful ease.

What is the plan.....

strafing passes?

get out and fight?

try to pick up and evac?

I know Rakhu is at the guns, but I assume Sharn wants some close-ups of the Tuskbeats.....

He will get his chance at closeups later. How many shots can he get of per pass? I think rapid shot applies to ships weapons too.

"Lets start with the closest. Maybe they will spook."

great idea... I think staying on board is preferable given that the radiation could screw up our weapons and what not

navyik wrote:He will get his chance at closeups later.  How many shots can he get of per pass?  I think rapid shot applies to ships weapons too.

"Lets start with the closest.  Maybe they will spook."

yes, all feats apply to any ranged weapon you use.

you can get a full round action per pass. or Daxx could try to hover in place. either way is a pilot check for Daxx.


go ahead and everyone roll initiative, since it looks like we are going into combat here. I will get a combat map up shortly with some more information, like specific locations of Tuskbeats, the Dr, the Nikto shipmen, etc

Initiative for Daxx:

Roll(1d20)+3:
11,+3
Total:14

I'll hover for now (whenever its Daxx's turn anyway)

Pilot:

Roll(1d20)+12:
12,+12
Total:24

Initiative for rakhu: 19+5=24

Sharn initiative:
0+8=8

Initiative Order:

Rakhu 24
Daxx 14
Dr. Helian 12
Tuskbeasts 10
Sharn 8
Nikto crew 3


Daxx flies the ship into a hovering position near the sand ship.  The party can see from the cockpit or gunnery station the following

A sand sailing ship appears to have a broken mast and has run aground on a series of dunes



You can see several Nikto crew (in black anti-rad suits) scurrying about trying to effect repairs and a couple that must have gone overboard.  



One looks like he has already become lunch for a pair of tuskbeats



Thana cries in excitement, "There is Dr. Helian, thank the stars, he is still alive!"  You can see an older human in a black radiation suit who is more interested in trying to holo-record the attack than help with repairs or show any concern for his own safety.

Here is the combat map - for now the ship is on the left side, but that was just arbitrary.  Tell me which side of the map you want to be for the start.   The size of the YT transport is obviously too small, but it is just an indicator of your position.

Rakhu is up!

Looks like theres one at I-20. "Thana, can i use deadly force?" Action ready to fire upon her answer. His nose is bleeding from furious picking. He will either drop it or shoot across its nose.

navyik wrote:Looks like theres one at I-20.  "Thana, can i use deadly force?"  Action ready to fire upon her answer.  His nose is bleeding from furious picking.  He will either drop it or shoot across its nose.

"Fire away! Just don't hit the Doctor ..... or the nikto..... and preferably not the sand sail."