THE KETHERIC-HIVE AFFAIR (Balder's Gate 3 in Space! Quest)

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BORN TO TIEF, WORLD IS FUCK
  • Informational
    • NAME: Karlach Cliffgate
    RACE: Tiefling
    HIT DIE/MELEE DAMAGE: 1d12 | HIT POINTS: 21/21 | LUCK: 6/6
    PROFF: +2
    XP: 0 | LEVEL: 2

    STRENGTH​
    DEXTERITY​
    CONSTITUTION​
    INTELLIGENCE​
    WISDOM​
    CHARISMA​
    16 (+3)​
    16 (+3)​
    13 (+1)​
    8 (-1)​
    10 (+0)​
    12 (+1)​
    Save: +5​
    Save: +5​
    Save: +3​
    Save: +1​
    Save: +2​
    Save: +3​

    RACIALIZED TRAITS
    Darkvision: Can see 100 feet in darkness without colors. Born this way, ma called it 20/Evil vision.
    Light Sleeper: Only needs four hours of sleep for a long rest. Learned this in CapFor - nap when you got it.
    Energy Resistance [Fire]: Take 1/2 damage from fire. This is why we got the cheap apartments, near the radiators.
    Speed Malus: -1 meter of movement per round. Gorby Jr. is a pain in the ass.
    Hider: Can hide when even only lightly obscure. Learned to duck pretty fast in the military.
    ​
    ABLITIES
    Action Surge (1/rest): Can take an extra action, refreshes on a short rest.
    Reckless attack: Can gain advantage on Str based attacks while giving enemies advantage to hit you.
    Rage (2/day): can go into a rage for 1 minute, gaining advantage on str checks and saves, +2 to str damage, reistance to B, P and S damage. Can't cast spells while raging.
    Fighting Styles: Defensive (+1 to AC while wearing armor), Ranged (+2 to hit with ranged weapons), Blind Fighting (gain blindsight to 10 ft)
    Second Wind (1/rest): Can use a bonus action to get 1d10+Level HP.
    Natural Explorer: Ensure that the group has enough vac-suits and full tanks unless enemies take specific actions to negate it. When trapped with limited resources, double what the GM says you have. Create 3 shifts as a crew, rather than 2. Can patch suit as a free action. once per session, you can declare one thing to be true about a space station, habitat or spaceship - if the GM refuses, you're given a Luck Point.
    Favored Enemy (Fascists): Get advantage on Wisdom (Survival) to track them and Intelligence rolls to know about their tactics.
    Broad Proficiency: Martial Weapons, Heavy Weapons
    Single Proficiency: Vac-Suits, Light, Medium, Heavy
    Tool Proficiency: Repair, Shuttles, Armored Fighting Vehicle
    Fighter's Luck: Get x3 LP per level.
    Skills [8]: Skilled in Athletics, Acrobatics, Stealth, Perception, Persuasion, Performance, Intimidation, Insight
    Expertise [2]: Expertise in Athletics and Stealth (double proff bonus.)​

    GEAR

    Armored Vac Suit (AC 19, 7 Bulletproof)
    Bulletproof: AC applies to gunfire. If an enemy rolls 8-17, remove 1 bulletproof.)​
    M-Gloves: Can create two mage hands as a free action, controlled by focused

    Collapsable Knife: +5 to hit, 1d12+3 damage
    Concealable: Advantage to hiding, -1 intimidation
    Sharp: Deals 3 damage on a miss.​

    MP-5: The Solar System's sexiest SMG
    Effective Range: 0-25 Meters | 25-50 Meters
    Damage: 1d4+3| Caliber: Medium | Recoil: 4 | ROF: 8 | Magazine: 30+1 | Intimidation: +3
    Special: Tacti-Cool (comes with a built in, infinite use wand of Ray of Frost, which can be fired from the weapon whenever you want.)
    Underslung DC8-ROFW: 60 foot range, 1d8 frost damage, reduces enemy movement speed by 10 feet on a hit.​

    Arachne 9mm
    Effective Range: 0-50 Meters
    Damage: 1d4+3 | Caliber: Medium | Recoil: 7 | ROF: 3 | Magazine: 15+1 | Intimidation: +2
    Special: Frangible - you can buy Small Caliber rounds for this to reduce the recoil to 4.​

    23 magazines fully stocked of 9mm rounds

    Standard patch kit
    Effect: It can patch any hole of about palm size or smaller. Unfortunately, since they're designed to be 'slap and forget' patches, they can't really patch bigger holes effectively. Fortunately, you can apply them as a free action.

    Computer Tool Kit
    Effect: The computer tool kit is the collection of various lengths of wire, soldering gun, screwdriver (magnetized) and other nibbly little bits you need to do repair work on a computer, physically speaking. This won't do anything to debug it, unless you're being really literal about debugging here.

    Cuffband
    Effect: A plastic set of restraints. Good for dissidents, bounties and, until the Supreme Court's decision re Staton V Solarium Primary School, unruly children.

    FINANCES

    Q-Card: +0
    Specie: 1 Gold

    LEGALITY
    Current Hab Legality: Not in Hab
    Intimidation: Not in Hab
    Total Criminality: Not in hab


    STARSHIP - USAF-SGF Short Sword (Drizzit Class)
    Acceleration Max: 3Gs | Handling: +4
    Sensors: 5 Locks, 2 Jams

    STRUCTURE SPACES: 300
    Thrusters (10): 25 [10 Armor]
    Externalities (9-4): 85 [0 Armor]​
    Weapons: 72​
    2 Fore, 2 Starboard, 2 Port, 2 Aft, 2 Dorsal, 2 Ventral S&R Draconic Limited Twin Linked 40mm PDCs
    1 Dorsal Multipurpose 32cm Launch Tube​
    EW/COM: 5​
    D98 Panopticon Installation​
    Cargo: 6 Tons​
    Life Support (3): 39 [10 Armor]​
    Radiators: 10
    Water Recycling & Air Filtering: 15
    Cabins: 10 (6 Bunk Rooms, 3 Cabins, 1 Officer's Cabin)
    Sickbay: 5
    Mess Hall: 5​
    Command, Control & Communication (2): 5 [10 Armor]
    Engines (1): 90 [10 Armor]
    ​
    ARMERMENT
    S&R Draconic Limited PDCs
    Range: 0 | Damage: 1 Damage
    ROF: 4d10 | Special: +5 to hit Torpedoes

    32cm Launch Tube
    Range: N/A | Damage: Per torpedo
    ROF: 3 per round | Capacity: 17 Torpedoes

    MD-82b Armor Piercing Chemical Torpedoes (12)
    Special Note: These use high density hydrogen fuel bricks and have an extremely short duration
    Acceleration: 20G | Handling: +4
    Structure: 3​
    Thrusters: -
    Externalities (9-4): 1 [Armor 1]​
    Weapon: 1​
    High Yield Armor Piercing Warhead: 30 damage​
    Life Support: -
    Command, Control & Communication: -
    Engine: 1​

    T2-9 Tactical Nuclear Interplanetary Ballistic Missiles (5) [INOPERABLE]
    Special Note: These use Zevar drives and have infinite range.
    Acceleration: 10G | Handling: +4
    Structure: 3​
    Thrusters: -
    Externalities (9-4): 2​
    Weapon: 2​
    Tactical Nuclear Warhead: 300 Damage (5km radius)​
    Life Support: -
    Command, Control & Communication: -
    Engine: 1​
    ​
    Description: A 300 ton warship, the Short Sword comes armed with 12 point defense cannons capable of covering every angle of attack and a 3 tube dorsal mounted torpedo bay, with 20 torpedoes, currently stocked with 15 MD82b antiarmor torpedoes that burn high density hydrogen fuel (making them high speed, short range), and 5 IPBMs with 30 kiloton tactical nuclear warheads. These have Zevar drives. They do not have "range" limitations.
     
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  • Informational
    • [x] Screw it, rush the bridge

    The whole point is to hit them hard while they're confused and disorientated, from the red cap assault and our new attack, not to give them time to mobilise and get their shit together.
     
    [x] Try and have Astarion bluff that he's Malik and that was an accidental discharge

    I'm amused by how many of your quests have a Han Solo option. The Rogue Trader trilogy had one too, although I forgot which character was trying it. (What I do remember is that it worked.)
     
    Are you planning on adding any abilities related to using guns?

    I was listening to a podcast on Max Payne recently, so some ideas that I think would be cool would include something that makes using two guns at once more effective or that missing shots at someone hiding behind cover causes things to break behind them, like glass jars or barrels of liquid nitrogen, and force them to move out into the open.

    That, or maybe an ability that let's you curve bullets to hit someone.
     
    Muhkat Lomorki said:
    Are you planning on adding any abilities related to using guns?

    I was listening to a podcast on Max Payne recently, so some ideas that I think would be cool would include something that makes using two guns at once more effective or that missing shots at someone hiding behind cover causes things to break behind them, like glass jars or barrels of liquid nitrogen, and force them to move out into the open.

    That, or maybe an ability that let's you curve bullets to hit someone.
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...

    Absolutely not! The tone is pure hard realism when it comes to the guns. I need to add a mechanic where it deafens you if you fire indoors
     
    What if someone wanted to create a bullet that casts a specific, pre-set spell from where it hits?

    For example, a bullet that casts fireball or burning hands.
     
    Adhoc vote count started by DragonCobolt on Sep 29, 2024 at 12:49 AM, finished with 18 posts and 5 votes.
    Click to expand...


    Since he's an NPC, I'll be rolling!

    EDIT: I forgot that you roll 2d10, not 3d6, lol

    Still, a 15!
    DragonCobolt threw 3 6-faced dice. Reason: +7 Total: 14
    6 6 6 6 2 2
    DragonCobolt threw 2 10-faced dice. Reason: +7 Total: 8
    5 5 3 3
     
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    How Are You? (3.2)
  • Threadmarks
    • You rubbed your chest more as the radio continued to crackle. "Come in, Malik."

    You looked at Astarion. Now, you weren't telepathic, and so far, Astarion wasn't telepathic either. Somehow, despite that, your eyes managed to send a series of tightbeam communication bursts so fiercely legible that you swore that you had been working with him for years.

    You arched an eyebrow: Well! Bluff, man, you're the dude, the clerk!

    Astarion, pointing at his finger: Me? This is my problem now? Are you serious? I'm not getting paid enough for this.

    You pointed at the inner airlock door, fiercely: Do it or we fuckin' die, dude!

    Astrion grabbed the plastic handset that led into the wall, the coiled line that connected it straining as he put it to his ear. He pitched his voice lower and said, gruffly. "Yeah, Malik here, we, uh, we had an accidental discharge. I, uh..." you mimed dropping your gun. "Uh, dropped my gun. Shit. Sorry."

    There was an agonizing pause.

    "Zeue's balls, Malik, I am going to not even report you for infractions, Ketheric would have you shot for this. Just. Keep any of the fucking redcaps off our hull."

    The line clicked off.

    "Hah!" you said, pumping your first. "Fuckin' gottem! You did the whole Han Solo thing."

    "No, I actually succeeded. Han Solo failed miserably," Astarion pointed out.

    "Yeah..." you said. "Think Luke will get with the Princess in the third movie?"

    "I...don't...care?" Astarion said, hesitantly.

    "I think Luke's a shoe in," you said, heading for the inner door. You held up your hand, focusing in. Lae'zel and Astarion remained quiet as you worked the latch, then cracked the door. Peering in, you saw...damn. You knew that the Ketherics were a paramilitary and a deathsquad. But this wasn't, like, some upgunned or modified civilian ship. This was a gunfrigate...and...you swore that you recognized the corridors. You frowned even more. The armor plating had been shifted around, but internals were always harder to-

    You drew up short. Your palm slid along the wall, then you whispered, turning back to the two others.

    "...this isn't a gunfrigate," you whispered.

    "It's a frigate with guns on it," Astarion whispered back. "What else could it be."

    "No, I mean, it's not just a gunship," you whispered back. "Now that I'm in it, I recognize it. This is a fuckin' Drizzit class multirole torpedo and cannon frigate. They carry a crew of, eh, six or so, and up to two squads of captroopers."

    Astarion and Lae'zel looked at you blankly.

    "It's a fuckin United States goddamn Astro fucking Force gunship!" you whispered. "These things pack nukes and frag missiles when they go shiphunting. They're worth millions in credit, maybe, a thousand gold coin, maybe more, maybe less. Zesus Chiste!"

    "You are of this United States?" Lae'zel whispered. "Are you proclaiming their allegiance to the Ketherics?"

    "No fuckin' way, if the United States got involved with...it'd be bad," you whispered. "War bad. Interplanetary war bad. Nuclear war bad." You chewed your lower lip. "This shit fuckin stinks. But..."

    ---
    It does mean you know where to go next.

    [ ] Head for the bridge - you can control the whole ship from there
    [ ] Head for the reactor - you can control the whole ship from there
    [ ] Head for life support - you can control the whole ship from there
     
  • Threadmarks
    • [X] Head for life support - you can control the whole ship from there

    Pretty sure we have our own oxygen supplies so we should be good to threaten this
     
    Breech And Clear (3.2)
  • Threadmarks
    • "Bridge," you whispered. "Now, be warned, that place is the most guarded, so let me go first."

    "I was planning too," Astarion said, giving you a treacly little smile. "I hasten to remind you, jarhead, that i happen to be a clerk. A filing clerk. My primary job back home was to put papers printed from here..." He held out his hands. "Over...to here." He put his hands to the other side. "And refilling coffee. And sometimes, I have to fill out reports - files 481 and 444 being the most common. I do not..." He pointed at his temples. "Board spaceships for a living."

    You blinked at him.

    "And you're a vampire?" you asked.

    "I don't want to talk about that," he said, flatly.

    "Okay, okay, whatever," you said, then started down the corridor, MP-5 at the ready, underslung frost wand leaving tiny wisps of white in the air. You came to a corner, peeked around it, and nodded. "The ship's mostly empty, so, we move quietly there, and that hatch up, there? Leads to the spinal ladder. There's a route into the bridge in the back."

    Laz'zel nodded curtly, her sword already in her hands. You checked to make sure your knife was somewhere you could get to it easily, breathed in, then started forward. This was what you'd been trained for. What you were good at. They called you the doorkicker. The breacher. The head of the spear. You had made sure to never look up casualty statistics on Breech Troopers.

    The ladder way didn't have any guards at the first level. You got up one, scrambling, then came to the dogleg - a short hump in the ship that led to a second ladder. And there, you could hear voices. "Shit, shit, shit, how the fuck are those fae fucking bastards hacking us up so much?"

    "Do we have enough PDC bullets for all of them?"

    "I still think we have people in here."

    You pulled your legs up, then held your hand out to the others to slow them. Astarion whispered. "I just had an idea," he breathed, softly. "What if we got the corpses."

    You look at him.

    "in the airlock. Hold them in front of us."

    You blinked at him, then gaped, slowly, your tail stilling behind you. "Dude." You whispered. "Dude."

    "What?" he looked unsure.

    "That's a war crime," you whispered. "They fuckin' space you for that shit."

    "...it is?" he asked, quietly.

    "Just...just wait here," you whispered. "I know what I'm doing."

    You stood, pressed your back to the wall, then scoped it. It was the worst kind of run: Five feet of corridor, in a tight metal box, with a ladder and a hatch, running up to four assholes. One shotgun, three pistols. The only thing they had going for em was that their weapons were at least not military, and half of them were watching the fight outside, not even glancing at the route into their bridge. You breathed in. Breathed out. Swung the hatch of your helmet down. Slung your SMG. Drew your knife.

    Semper Fi.

    Do or Die.

    Your last thought was that you should have picked a better fucking line of work.

    Or at least brought the fucking wizard. Why hadn't you brought the fucking wizard?

    You sprinted down the corridor.

    "What the fuc-"

    Gunfire.

    WHAM. WHAM. WHAM. WHAM.

    Hands on the ladder. Hauling yourself up. Mardok gravity made it easy.

    WHAM. WHAMWHAMWHAMWHAM.

    You slammed into the guy with the machine pistol - fucker had emptied a fucking magazine into your chest - adrenaline burned too hot and fierce for anything but the- knife went into his throat, jerked free. Blood splattered and the human went down. His blond, red eyed elf buddy gaped as you swept your knife up and slashed a red line along his cheek. "Zesus Christ, she's-"

    "Shoot her!"

    "Don't shoot her!"

    The entire bridge was a ringing bell. Someone thumped ineffectually at the back of your helmet as you tried to get close to blond with the knife. A woman was screaming and throwing herself under one of the consoles. You shifted the grip on your knife, moved, ducked, trying to make sure no one had a-

    An Arachne 20 gauge pump action shotgun filled your visor as a dward with a bright red armband, the Ampersand logo of the Adventurer movement dark black on the side. He aimed it up said something you were pretty sure would have sounded fucking racist if you hadn't been deaf as shit.

    WHAM.

    Red.

    Agony.

    You sprawled on the ground, clutching at the side of your helmet - glass shards and blood were covering your gloves. Your other hand had kept a hold of your knife. Through the haze of red on your faceplate, you saw Laz'zel, coming up the ladder after you. In the close confines of the bridge, she was like a goddamn blender. An arm went flying. Then a head. And the fourth guard dropped, his dwarven beard turning scarlet as Astarion wicked his knife away from the second mouth he had.

    Ringing silence, save for a sobbing sound in the corner and the pain throbbing in your head. Laz'zel walked over to you, crouching down.

    "You have been shot in the face," she said.

    "Yeah..." you clenched out through gritted teeth. "I fucking know."

    You pressed your palm to your face, not sure how bad the damage was. You had something more important to do. There were two gunnery techs - both humans - and a halfling comtech, whose hands were raised, her head lowered. "Don't shoot me, don't shoot me!" she was saying, over and over again, while one of the gun techs just kept saying 'fuck! fuck! fuck!' over and over in a thick Hetes accent. You looked from them to the cameras showing the exterior of the Short Sword. The redcaps were swarming towards the sister ship.

    "Is Dr. Halsin here?" You asked, focusing.

    "Y-Yes? In the brig!" the comtech shouted around the ringing in your ears.

    Okay.

    Okay.

    Okay?

    ---
    What do you do?

    [ ] escort the adventurers off the ship and invite your buddies on - then launch, launch, launch baby
    [ ] throw them in the brig, get your friends aboard, then launch
    [ ] see what guns this thing has and open fire on the other ship while it's landed
    [ ] seek medical attention first
    [ ] Write In

    There are six Adventurers in the bridge - two of them are manning gunnery consoles, one is handling coms overwatch, and four, yes, FOUR are for antiboarding activities.

    You do manage to sneak up, but it's a straight line up into the bridge through a set of stairs.

    You take point, since this is the most dangerous part. Astarion suggests a war crime. You point out it is a war crime.

    Ini Order:
    Lae'zel: 20​
    Astarion: 17​
    Guard 2: 15​
    Guard 4: 15​
    Karlach (6 luck, 21 HP) - 14​
    Guard 3: 10​
    GUNOP 1: 12
    COMOP: 7​
    Guard 1: 6​
    GUNOP 2: 5​
    ​
    ROUND ONE

    Lae'zel waits. Astarion waits. Guard 2 and Guard 4 aim their weapons at the hatch.

    Karlach squares her shoulders and makes a sprint for it. Guard 2 is armed with a copgun while Guard 4 has a MM-09 machine pistol! They're both firing on full automatic and get -1 recoil steps for Guard 2 and -5 recoil steps for Guard 4. Guard 2 is rolling 1d12+3 and 1d12+3, while Guard 4 is rolling 1d4+3 to hit. This means Guard 4 literally cannot hit, but I'll give him advantage for shooting into an enclosed space, giving him a flat +5 , meaning some of the bullets might hit the flak vest.

    So, Guard 2 gets 13 and 11, which are both misses but within the Bulletproof range, dropping the bulletproof down from 7 to 5. Guard 5 gets five hits, dropping the bulletproof down to 0, your vest is now more hole than vest.

    You don't shoot back! They're in heavy cover, but FUCK COVER! You spend the last 15 feet of your movement to clamber up the 5 feet of ladder and burst into the bridge with an ACTION SURGE! KNIFE TIME!!!!

    You get a 17 and 18 to hit, handily clearing their 16 AC, then do 13 damage (killing one) and 10 damage (heavily wounding a second).

    Guard 3 tries to brain you with his pistol as an improvised weapon. He gets an 18, which thumps into your armored vacsuit helmet.

    GUNOP 1 scrambles for cover and hides.

    COMOP scrambles for cover and shouts for backup.

    Guard 1 risks a shot into melee with his Arachne shotgun. Shockingly, he rolls a 19 (10, 6, 10, drop the second 10, plus modifier) and nails Karlach with the Arachne for 10 luck, dropping her to -4 luck. So, she'll buy that off with EYE DAMAGE (+2 stress tokens, disadvantage at ranged combat, perception and investigation rolls) as the buckshot grazes her cheek and eye.

    GUNOP 2 scrambles for cover and hides.

    ROUND TWO

    Lae'zel comes up the ladder and ACTION SURGE! 11 and 14 to hit - Both will miss, so she'll re-roll with two luck points, getting 22 and 16. That's still ALMOST a miss, but, she still manages it! 12 damage and 13 damage kills the wounded guy that Karlach slashed (guard 2) and then kills Guard 1.

    Astarion comes up the ladder and gets a 21 to hit Guard 3 and gets 16 damage, killing him. With four guards down, the bridge crew surrender.
     
  • Threadmarks
    • [X] throw them in the brig, get your friends aboard, then launch

    Figure we can take these guys to the brig and then get medical attention.
     
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