Episode I, chapter 1

"Lets kill the guns' power source," he concludes. "I have charges, but if we can get through the blast doors another way i'm listening. We also shouldnt assume we will encounter droids; we dont know what these upstarts may have changed. Lets keep our movie star up ahead 30 paces, then t'son, and then me and... daxx, right?"

MAS wrote:

navyik wrote:"Before we engage, we should set up a fall back point and a kill box," rakhu thinks outloud.  Then, realizing he was overheard, "if we get burried in droids we can draw them into a bottleneck."  (In light of recent posts, rakhu will bring up...the rear  ).

"Your tactics are sound, SGT Raku. Before we begin, I must humbly submit that we did not yet decide fully on our course of action. Do we seek to disbale the guns, or are we attempting the much more difficult task of breaking to the C2 node?"

if you look back at n*18 and n*19 you guys did vote for the guns and not the C2 tower in town.  

Or did you mean the physical gun itself or the bunker behind the blast doors with the power unit?

marching order so far

Sharn - scouting ahead.   I will need a Perception check when you get a chance
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Daxx
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Rahku and Fifi

position for T'son?

I need a Stealth check from everyone, please

Stealth:

Roll(1d20)+6:
12,+6
Total:18

Tson - Parralel  right to Dax, out about 30 ft.


Stealth -
Result of the throw of dice "1d20 +6" :

12 + 6 = 18



Let me clarify - My understanding is that we are going disable the gun itself, as it is most conveintly accesible. All we have to do is bend, break, or otherwise struturally damage the barrel (because the design would not include a barrel unless it was useful to its functionality) in order to disable the gun. They can have power all day long, but it wont matter becuase the weapon wont work. We might even be able to accomplish this without engaging anything/anyone if we are carfeful, and dont have to worry about getting through those blast doors. This gets us off planet ASAP.


Since we are expecting droids, Tson has his Ion pistol out, and a concusion grenade in his off hand.

...or just cut the damned thing with a lightsaber.

whit10 wrote:...or just cut the damned thing with a lightsaber.

That sir, Is a damn fine idea.

MAS wrote:

whit10 wrote:...or just cut the damned thing with a lightsaber.

That sir, Is a damn fine idea.

we have a winner  give the man with the glow-stick a CIGAR!  

lightsabers bypass DR, so given time they will cut through anything, like in EP1, they cut through heavy blast doors trying to get to the Trade Federation Bridge

I'm not all good looks and charm. lol

but seriously, how long has it been since I used the Increase Ability Force skill? I don't want to be cheating or suddenly find out that it's time limit has run out

Stealth 20
Percep. 22 (rear guard)

Im fine with barrel if theres just one or two and its accessable

whit10 wrote:I'm not all good looks and charm. lol

but seriously, how long has it been since I used the Increase Ability Force skill?  I don't want to be cheating or suddenly find out that it's time limit has run out

that ran out long ago, it lasts for 1 minute or 10 rds. It is a combat application, like Bulls Strength in 3.5, not 4 hours like in 3.0

by the same token, it is the next day, so all vitality is back to full !

Hooray! 

That will work, let me know when to roll dice use that force skill again.. and possibly others

navyik wrote:Stealth 20
Percep. 22  (rear guard)

MAS wrote:Tson - Parralel  right to Dax, out about 30 ft.
Stealth -
Result of the throw of dice "1d20 +6" :
12 + 6 = 18

whit10 wrote:Stealth:
Roll(1d20)+6:
12,+6
Total:18

 pretty stealthy group, I like it!

ok, just waiting on your point-wookie

I always wondered what a full stealth party could do - all thieves, rangers, monks, elves, halflings, light armor types

you and me both... would love to see it. Hell, in PF, you could probably make any class stealthy

Sharn dons his battle gloves and heads out. Irwin is tailing him from the sky, but going stealthy as well.

Do you want me to roll for Irwin?


Sharn:
Enhance Ability: 7+10 = 17; +2 Dex (-3 vit)

Stealth: 2+15+2= 19

Perception: 7+9= 16

Looks like stealth party is off amd running! 

navyik wrote:Looks like stealth party is off amd running! 

off and sneaking! indeed

Sharn creeps through the valley towards the hill T'son identified, with Irwin floating above in the canopy.  The forest reminds Sharn of Kashyykk, only with much smaller trees.

At the base of the target hill, the party comes to a small stream, still flowing gently from mountain runoff.  No one can see the guns from here, they are further up the hill and blocked by trees at this point, but you all estimate you are within 200-300 vertical yards of the bunker doors, a bit more to the gun itself.  T'son remembers the trees thinned out further up the mountain side.



As Sharn begins up the incline on the far (right) side, he can see it rises up to a small clearing.  A glint of reflected light catches his eye.



Initiative please

 GM rolls large pile of dice behind a screen  

Robyo wrote:
Sharn:
Enhance Ability: 7+10 = 17; +2 Dex (-3 vit)

Stealth: 2+15+2= 19

Actually, I messed that up too. My Stealth check is only 18.

Robyo wrote:

Robyo wrote:
Sharn:
Enhance Ability: 7+10 = 17; +2 Dex (-3 vit)
Stealth: 2+15+2= 19

Actually, I messed that up too. My Stealth check is only 18.

no worries, I am not going to show dice usually, but here was the opposed Perception check

Result of the throw of dice "1d20 +8" :

4 + 8 = 12

so Sharn remains unseen

I gotta whopping "5" initiative.

Sharn will assume the glint is a weapon or droid and actively seeks to remain hidden: the shadow of a tree, a low gully, whatever is close-by.

Initiative Order:

XXXXXX 14
Sharn 5



Sharn spotted something and was not spotted in return, so he can freeze and remain hidden before combat starts, sure.

Initiative -


Result of the throw of dice "1d20 +6" :

15 + 6 = 21

Init. 10+5=15

I forgot that my enhanced Dex adds to initiative. That'll be a "6" good sir!  

Chris wrote:Initiative Order:

T'son 21
Rakhu 15
XXXXXX   14
Sharn       6

Sharn spotted something and was not spotted in return, so he can freeze and remain hidden before combat starts, sure.

updated

and just so everyone knows what they see in the back ranks - initiative is starting because they see Sharn freeze and hide (his surprise action). No one else saw anything before combat started, so until the XXXXX takes it's turn, you can either hold or take other actions (set hold actions, hide, etc)

Robyo wrote:I forgot that my enhanced Dex adds to initiative. That'll be a "6" good sir!  

ok, that's fine for this encounter, but as I reminded Josh - Enhance ability only lasts 1 minute or 10 rounds. So if you used that while you were hiking and hiding.... it is probably long gone. it is really an in-combat ability, not a long term buff

After Daxx sees Sharn freez, he will activate Enhance Ability to Dex. I'll put my initiative score here too even though it isn't needed yet.

Roll(1d20)+7:
20,+7
Total:27

heh... +6 to Dex (-3 to vitality)

Initiative:

Roll(1d20)+3:
13,+3
Total:16

Chris wrote:

Chris wrote:Initiative Order:

T'son 21
Daxx 16
Rakhu  15
XXXXXX   14
Sharn       6

Sharn spotted something and was not spotted in return, so he can freeze and remain hidden before combat starts, sure.

updated

Daxx can use Enhance ability when it is his turn

as I said, only Sharn got the surprise action to hide, since he was the point-wook and spotted something. The rest of you are reacting to seeing Sharn freeze and can do so in order.

( I know you are all blind at the moment, but I will provide more pics and a map as things are revealed)

T'son is up

I started a new thread "Fighting for FLAK" - that thread is for map updates and turn\counter info only. Please do NOT post there, just open it as a second window\tab to more easily view the map or the turn updates. keep posting here only, so that thread stays short and easy to use.

feedback after the fight is welcome

just count that as my action then when it's appropriate. I might have movement too but that's it

Placeholder for action - waiting for map

MAS wrote:Placeholder for action - waiting for map

sorry if I wasn't clear, there will be no map until something new is revealed - ie XXXX gets its turn.

No one but Sharn saw anything, everyone else just a moment ago saw Sharn freeze in place. This is people's chance to do something like buff (Daxx), hide (Sharn) etc. Until then you are in the formation and distances you already specified moving through the forest. Sharn has just crossed the stream and headed up the hillside, the rest are trailing behind.

so you can either do something now, set a specific held action or delay your initiative (which permanently moves you down for the rest of the encounter)

Daxx will also get out his lightsaber, but not ignite it yet.

whit10 wrote:Daxx will also get out his lightsaber, but not ignite it yet.

 it's still not your turn, but ok

I know Daxx is up 2nd, after T'son.  So his actions will be Standard = Enhance ability, move = draw lightsaber but not ignite (free anyways)

Roger - Ive got it.


T'son sees sharn freeze?

Freeze, and slowly/smoothly drop to one knee, utilizing whatever cover or concealment is available on that exact spot.

Stealth -

Result of the throw of dice "1d20 +6" :

19 + 6 = 25

POOF- NINJA SMOKE BOMB!

MAS wrote:
Stealth -
Result of the throw of dice "1d20 +6" :
19 + 6 = 25

nobody here but us trees!

Daxx buffs himself while handling his saber

Rakhu is up

I know it isn't my turn... just speeding things up. (and my action was pretty simple anyway)

Appreciatin' the detail and presentation of story thus far. Though I admit, much of the SW meta-plot stuff starts to get my head swimming. I don't keep up on the lore nearly enough to know all the aliens and worlds and so-on.


If Sharn hides (when his turn is up), is that a full-round action? He was already in stealth-mode, so moving to cover seems like it would only be a move action. I would assume that being stealthy precludes sticking to shadows and behind trees, but YMMV. So does Sharn still have a standard? He IS being careful and quiet, so if DM says it takes a full round to stay hidden, that's okay. But if he still has a standard action, then I'd like to use telepathy to warn the others.
But not yet! When it's his turn...

Hmm, well looking back over the thread, it seems I was the only one who got the surprise round. Well, it still begs the question if I could have telepathically warned one of my companions?

I'll roll anyways...
Telepathy check: 3+8= 11. Sharn says "Caution!" to Daxx.

Though it's all kind of moot, since they see Sharn hide, and we're all meta-gaming champs here.

Robyo wrote:Hmm, well looking back over the thread, it seems I was the only one who got the surprise round. Well, it still begs the question if I could have telepathically warned one of my companions?
Though it's all kind of moot, since they see Sharn hide, and we're all meta-gaming champs here.

this is correct, Sharn was the only one that got a surprise action, which I interpreted as Hiding from this post

Robyo wrote:I gotta whopping "5" initiative.
Sharn will assume the glint is a weapon or droid and actively seeks to remain hidden: the shadow of a tree, a low gully, whatever is close-by.

the question of whether he "could" have telepathically warned his friends is a good one. As a surprise action, Sharn had 1 standard action (called attack action in SW lingo). Hide\Stealth is a standard action. Use of Telepathy skill is a move action. So barring the use of any other feats (Heroic surge) or spending a Force point for the same, Sharn "could" have telepathically warned his friends OR gone into hiding (which is what I thought you meant by your declaration).

perhaps I didn't explain the initial Stealth check clearly enough - I was using that 1 roll to represent your total movement through the woods towards the first encounter. XXXX failed its perception to notice Sharn as the point man, but Sharn tied it's stealth roll, so I gave the player the tie in the form of a 'partial success' enough to see something, but not everything. It did give Sharn the surprise action, which I thought seemed fair.

I know starting combat without a map is hard, sorry, but I am trying to be dramatic and not show you the players more than your characters have seen - the stream, the hillside, a glint of light..... I wanted to see your reactions without a revealed map, just for storytelling's sake.

once we get Rakhu's action, XXXX will do it's thing and then you will have a map, grid, see minis etc

I have some experince with this (Caveat - it was all in a training environment) and like the way this being played.

This very often the way a patrol and contact goes. You hope you see the other guy first. If your in the main body, all you might see is the point man freeze and throw up a hand signal -"freeze" or "go prone". You do so, and make best use of whatever terrain you happen to be on. This is kinf of realistic - I like it.



GM - can you clarify if T'son was able to gain cover or concealment status when he knelt?

MAS wrote:I have some experince with this (Caveat - it was all in a training environment) and like the way this being played.

This very often the way a patrol and contact goes. You hope you see the other guy first. If your in the main body, all you might see is the point man freeze and throw up a hand signal -"freeze" or "go prone". You do so, and make best use of whatever terrain you happen to be on. This is kinf of realistic - I like it.

GM - can you clarify if T'son was able to gain cover or concealment status when he knelt?

great feedback, especially given your background!

T'son thinks he is well hidden
(it honestly just depends on the perception check of XXXX)

as for cover or concealment - that is a good question.... let's go with partial cover since you knelt down behind a bush\stump\trunk\whatever.  sorry I missed that!

Rakhu will sneak up to t'sons position 15+10=25. Visual cue to sharn, waving him to fall back and report. 

Chris wrote:Initiative Order:
T'son 21
Daxx 16
Rakhu  15
Probe Droid   14
Sharn       6

The heroes slip silently, they hope, into position and wait.  The quiet of the forrest is broken by the mechanical buzzing and chirping sounds of a round droid that floats through the trees.  The top of the droid spins slowly, scanning its surroundings as it moves.  The tentacle tool arms occasionally lift, as if it were a sea creature floating on currents.  The heroes see this as it approaches during it's movement  




It does not give any indication of alert.  Rakhu certainly is familiar with kind of droid, it is not a style used by the Republic.  Similar Republic droids are not designed for combat but to quickly relay information back to a C2 or directly to nearby combat droids.  The Republic makes limited use of droids, as opposed to the Sith who prefer cheap, easily replaced shock-troop type droids.

Please reference the "Fighting for Flak" thread for the combat map

SHARN is up

We have 2 choices here - engage the scout, or let it pass and continue to sneak.

If we engage, that will most likely alert the other defenders.

If we let it pass, we may be able to get into position and disable the flak without engaging at all. Ideally, we could "lightsaber" the flak undetected and slip away before anyone realizes it.

I reccomend we strive for the latter.

sure

Which direction is it moving?

navyik wrote:Which direction is it moving?

good question, sorry I didn't clarify that, it is moving from left to right across the map. so that is why Sharn (furthest left) saw the glint of light as it approached first. It appeared to scan as it moved but it moved a good ~50m in a single move.

**just reminder note - SW uses meters, not feet. so a blaster pistol has a range of 10, that means 10m, not 10 squares. A single square\hex = 2m. so please check your ranges and note when you are incurring range penalties, as this will develop into a rather large map

Movement speed is typically 10m for a humanoid or 5! hexes, not 6 like in D&D. Since we are using hexes, instead of squares that is 5 moves in any direction, no 1.5x for diagonal issues.

every range increment is a -2 to hit. and yes, that means blasters are not terribly accurate weapons, "Not as clumsy or random as a blaster" is a saying for a reason  

...and exactly why soldiers, when created properly, are true bad-asses with blasters given their feats.

The funny thing is that the rules are the same for bows and crossbows in PF (as far as I know).. kinda odd?

whit10 wrote:...and exactly why soldiers, when created properly, are true bad-asses with blasters RIFLES\CARBINES given their feats.  

The funny thing is that the rules are the same for bows and crossbows in PF (as far as I know).. kinda odd?

amended, pistols still suck outside of a cantina