THE INFINITE BROOD (Starcraft/Supreme Commander Crossover Quest!)

Reader mode
THE SWARM SHEET
  • Informational
    • The Brood of Blades
    ​
    Cerebrate Prime: Samantha Clarke
    LEVEL: 5
    XP: 205/210
    TRAITS
    Strategic Genius: Once per structured encounter, Sam can create a piece of the environment that is in her favor as a sticky spark. Roll a d3 for its value.
    Empathetic: upon meeting an NPC, learn their motivation!
    Legendary Commander: Gain 4 Command sparks at the beginning of each mission/combat. Command sparks may be spent to give NPCs orders, which they may either obey or refuse to obey (doing nothing instead.) Command sparks may not be regained via skills or powers.
    Hunted: Something wants her - but for what? +1 Danger to all scenes​
    SKILLS
    CLOSE COMBAT (2): Brawling, Edged Weapons
    PERSONAL (2): Awareness, Resilience
    SOCIAL (4): Charm, Empathy, Leadership, Taunt​
    MASTERY
    ACU Pilot (2): Nanofabrication [Mass], ObSat Operations [Range]
    The Hilt (4): Biomorphic Spawning (People), Regeneration (Durability), Physical Perfection (Speed), Telepathic Dominion (Range)​

    POWERS
    The Living Swarm
    Vent: 4-0
    Effect: Gain 1 Living Swarm spark, +1 per vent reduction.​
    The Living Swarm: While this swarm exists, move in three dimensions and through anything smaller than a keyhole, reforming at will. You may expend these sparks to cause 3 Hit Sparks in a Area 2 radius.​
    Area Upgrade: +1 to Area Characteristic​

    Biomorphic Reinforcement
    Vent: 4-0
    Effect: Create 1 Biomorphic Reinforcement spark, +1 per vent reduction, which can be given out to anyone within Range 2, or to yourself
    Biomorphic Reinforcement: +1 to Damage or Mass characteristic for the purpose of raw physical strength/feats.

    Back to Back
    Vent: 4-0
    Effect: Choose 1 ally (+1 per vent reduction), within Range 1. Each can take one action using one of your skills, any of them that you wish. Once they have done so, you may make a free attack with your melee weapon, getting +1 to your skill per ally that acted.​

    Adaptation
    Vent: 4-0
    Effect: Create a number of sparks equal to the enemy's difficulty, narratively based on turning their abilities against them. Works on enemies of Diff 2>, +2 per vent reduction.​

    Just as Planned…
    Vent: 6-0
    Effect: Vent 6 heat and create 1 Planning Spark for her or an ally, +1 Spark per vent reduction.​
    Planning: The person holding this Spark can expend this to get +1 to a skill check as a free action. Using this Stack counts as you are helping for the purpose of relationships.​

    GEAR
    Zeratul's Psi-Blades
    Adds: +0 (Edged Weapons) | Characteristics: Damage [Speed] (4)[1]​
    Shadowstep (3): Can expend as a free action to move without crossing intervening space.
    Guarded Space (3): Can expend to use Damage as a secondary characteristic for Durability, reducing incoming Damage characteristics.​

    GALACTIC WAR
    Victory Points: 5    ​
    RESOURCES​
    TERRAN DOMINION [Background] (1)​
    The men and material of the Dominion - limited, but they're mustering as we speak. ​
    ALLIANCE EXPEDITIONARY FORCES [Mastery] (1)​
    While you have access to several ACUs of every faction, they lack economic and technological support to be fully effective. ​
    ZERG HIVE [Mastery] (1)​
    The scant few Zerg you control that are free of Amon's influence. Mostly Zerglings. ​
    AEON FLEET [Background] (1)​
    While half a dozen CZARs seem impressive, they're not actually well made for ship to ship combat. ​
    ALLIED COHESION [Motivation] (1)​
    The alliance is fragile and weak.​

    FRONTS​
    Trade Sector-34-51 [Pirate Activity]
    Pirates Raiding 6 (Supply Lines in Disarray 1)
    COMMAND: Jim Raynor | ARMY: Raynor's Raiders
    RESULTS: Pending

    Braxis [Zerg Invasion]
    Borealis Siege 6 (Zerg Rampage1)
    COMMAND: General Samantha Clarke | ARMY: Brood Clarke
    RESULTS: Pending

    Typhan II [Active Xel'Naga ACU]
    Typhan II Occupied 6 (Xel'Naga ACU Spotted 1)
    COMMAND: Lt. Colonel Mathew Horner | ARMY: UEF Armored Command Unit
    RESULTS: Pending

    Deep Space Sector 981 [Hive Fleet Identified]
    Zerg Hive Fleet Spotted 6 (Kerrigan? 1)
    COMMAND: Citizen-Commander Dostya | ARMY: CN Armored Command Unit
    RESULTS: Pending
    ​
    ENEMY ASSETS (Currently Known)
    ​
    THE GOLDEN ARMADA
    ACTIVITY: Unknown | Threat Level: 6​
     
    Last edited:
  • Informational
    • DragonCobolt said:
    Yup! Mechanically, each background resource (the Aeon fleet and Allied ACUs) produce gear you can use, and that gear can represent being supported by whatever units you choose in combat missions.



    I did not! The only way to remove an opponent is to attack recklessly - hence why each vote option involves the armada attempting to assassinate you



    Right, shit, I knew I was forgetting someone...for now, we'll say they're busy doing ~something mysterious~



    Based on what you know: Dostya and Ryza are both big into teching up to experimentals for overwhelming force, Matt does artillery and defense well, Duke excels at hammering things flat with overwhelming firepower, and Jim is the hit and run master. Hall is essentially "Sam from the Beginning of the Campaign"



    capturing an ACU is absolutely a high risk operation that requires you to be there to manage it. Great write in!
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    Ah that makes much more sense. So if we have a goal w/o an obvious method of defeating it, we have to write in, good to know.
     
    Velocci said:
    [X] Plan What's Amon is now ours (hopefully)
    -[X] Pirates: Jim Raynor
    -[X] Typhon II : Matt
    -[X] Hive Fleet : Dostya
    -[X] Borealis : Sam

    While I am hesitant to send Dostya tracking the Zerg considering what happened when we first were introduced to her. I hope she has better preparations for evac should things go wrong.

    Hopefully the plan works with snatching some of the zerg with Sam but even if Amon has prepared for that she should have a defensible position and perhaps allow Zertul to do something.

    And Matt is a professional in a familiar element. He is the most vulnerable here if the IE ACU pulls out a trick that he is not prepared for. Ironically Mira would be a good choice to help him out if things go bad.
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    We should use Duke as bait w/ the Zerg to lure Kerrigan out.
     
    Well! A rather eventful time for me to have fallen behind, looks like!

    [X] Plan What's Amon is now ours (hopefully)
    -[X] Pirates: Jim Raynor
    -[X] Typhon II : Matt
    -[X] Hive Fleet : Dostya
    -[X] Borealis : Sam
     
    Adhoc vote count started by DragonCobolt on Apr 25, 2024 at 8:33 PM, finished with 34 posts and 9 votes.
    • [X] Plan What's Amon is now ours (hopefully)
      -[X] Pirates: Jim Raynor
      -[X] Typhon II : Matt
      -[X] Hive Fleet : Dostya
      -[X] Borealis : Sam
      [X] Plan 1v1 Me Bro
      -[X] Pirates: Matt and Mira (write in)
      -[X] Typhon II (Xel'naga Commander): Sam
      -[X] Hive Fleet (Kerrigan): Jim Raynor
      -[X] Borealis (Zerg Defense): Duke
      [X] Plan Wait and Bait
      -[X] Pirates: Matt and Mira (write in)
      -[X] Typhon II (Xel'naga Commander): Dostya
      -[X] Hive Fleet (Kerrigan): Jim Raynor
      -[X] Borealis (Zerg Defense): Sam
    Click to expand...


    Wow, sorry for the big huge delay, I had a bear of a week. I actually finished writing a novel (QUEEN RASPUTIN MUST DIE!), and started a new one which i actually am going to start posting up here on Monday. It's post-post apocalyptic animist atomic steampunk titled And The Third Brought Fire, so, hopefully that seems pretty sick and or rad.

    I'm going to update your character sheet to have the galactic war!
     
    ACT THREE, MISSION ONE: Among the Black Day (0.3)
  • Threadmarks
    • You gave your orders.

    "Jim, I want you to take care of these pirates. Use as gentle a hand as you think you can get away with - they're pirates, but we have bigger fish to fry right now," you said, clacking your claws on the metal edge of the table. It deformed slightly, then repaired itself with each tak noise that rang out. Jim, his hands holding a small notepad of paper, scribbled them down.

    "Understood, General," he said, nodding.

    "Dostya, we need to start getting the galactic powers more used to fighting in space," you said, firmly. "I know that going up against a hive fleet isn't the best way to cut your teeth - but we have to learn fast, and you can evacuate easier when fights take hours to come out and you're far away from any gravity wells." You smirked. "Sound up to it?"

    Dostya nodded. "Dr. Brachman has already started to lay out some...ideas for Cybran space vehicles and combat capacities. And worst comes to worst, I can always turn asteroids into nuclear parks." Her lips quirked. "I take it you wish me to engage with the Zerg Hive fleet. I...had thought-"

    "You're the best one of the job," you said, firmly. "That hive fleet isn't threatening anyone. The one attacking Borealis is. Borealis has a million people on it."

    She nodded.

    "Major...Lt. Colonel," you said, correcting yourself with a wince. Matt gave you a thin smile - he clearly didn't mind. "I hate to send you up against a Xel'Naga ACU - we're not exactly sure how their technology racks up compared to ours. But if anyone can boot this alien asshole off Typhan II, it's you."

    Matt nodded. "I'll make you proud, sir."

    "You already have," you said, wryly. "Ryza, Hall, I think you should begin working on our backline infrastructure. We're going to need more ACUs eventually and I want you to be able to produce them. And if the Golden Armada makes a move..."

    "Understood, General," General Hall said, nodding, while Ryza bowed her head.

    "Your will be done," Ryza said, solemnly.

    You gave her a firm look. "It's not my will I want done. It's your initiative," you said, a bit severely. "We're not going to win this war by being Amon - we're going to win this war by being ourselves."

    Ryza frowned. "...it's a phrase of respect."

    The tension grew tighter, and Jim cut into it with a little chuckle. "Well, thank you, Ryza. We're all a bit on edge, since the whole galaxy happens to be on fire," he said, then stood. "And our supreme commander just gave us jobs to do. And she's got something on her plate too, hmm?"

    "Quite," you said, then stood, giving Ryza the smallest of nods - the most you could do in the way of an apology right now. She saw it, narrowed her eyes, then inclined her head again - and you felt the tension relax slightly. Stupid, Sam. Stupid. But you couldn't help it. The Aeon hadn't exactly endeared themselves to the UEF...though...how much of that was propaganda? You supposed asking about it would be like poking a...rotting tooth with your tongue.

    Everyone filed out. You waited, until the last was gone, then sighed and glowered at the map.

    "Borealis..." you said, softly. It had once been an initial target of your invasion plans to hit this entire sector and gobble it up for Earth. Back when things had been simple. It felt right that it would be your first place to attack here. And now.

    You smiled.

    "I'm coming for you Amon," you whispered, then flicked off the holographic table.

    ***
    ​
    Cr was waiting for you in the robing chamber for the ACU bay in the CZAR. You weren't exactly sure how the big zergling had managed to sneak around, but he seemed damn proud of himself. You knelt down, chuckling quietly. "I'm still glad I managed to get you," you said. You only half remembered the panicky, swirling mass of psionic energy swirling around you, and everything that had happened. But when Cr tried to speak to you - mind to mind...it was like he was communicating through a thick wall. Muffled. Faint. You felt emotions and you felt intention, but no clarity.

    You felt a lurch as you realized it wasn't cause you lacked an Overmind for their precious context.

    It was because Sarah had jettisoned you from the hive mind.

    You sighed and started to take your dress uniform off, unbuttoning the jacket and letting it hang open around your pressed white undershirt. A quiet chime came at the door. You paused, then turned. Figuring you were still pretty dressed, you said: "Enter?"

    The door opened and Princess Rhianna Burke stood there, holding a small silvery crystal in her hands. She paused, then opened her mouth. Her eyes widened as she saw...well, you. You wondered what you looked like to her. Then you wondered how sheltered the princess was when a rumpled bit of under shirt and maybe half an exposed shoulder got her face to blush like that. Her eyes jerked up to yours and then she stammered. "S-Sorry, I...I wanted to catch you before you..." She hesitated, then tried again. "You are going into the fire. And while we have a UEF ACU for you to use...if you wished, I also...I wanted to offer my people's technology. Our ACU's are extremely effective, and...unlike the UEF, Amon has not fought any of us."

    You smiled slightly. "You think that would give you an edge?" you asked.

    "We did create an entire religion to manifest a psychic shell to try and keep him out," she said. "The Way is worked into our very technologies, it..." She blushed, then held out the crystal. "It may not be as valuable to you as something you're more used too. But I believe that...it's best you have the choice."

    You took the crystal, looking at it. The silvery thing shimmered and shifted its hues as you adjusted it in your grip - letting light refract through it. You grinned, wryly, at the princess. "You know, I think you're the first person I've ever met who claims royalty who also seems utterly dedicated to letting me choose."

    Princess Burke risked a glance up, her eyes meeting yours. The contact made your head spines tremble and the predatory instincts in your cells let out a little purr. You squashed the immediate reaction, feeling a mixture of guilt and confusion. The worst thing was, you weren't really sure what you wanted to do, under your worries and stress and million plans. For all you knew, if you let the Zerg half of your body take control, you'd end up...

    No. Not going to think about that. Not gonna do it.

    "It's what we're all fighting for, isn't it?" Princess Burke said, her voice a bit sad.

    "...very strange thing to hear from a royal, I must admit," you said, chuckling.

    "The Aeon Illuminate is a constitutional monarchy, I will have you know!" she snapped, then frowned. "The crystal, do you want to attune to it or not?"

    ---
    Before we head to Braxis!

    [ ] Attune to the Aeon crystal (use Aeon ACU)
    [ ] Thanks, but no thanks (use UEF ACU)
    [ ] Write In

    (The mechanical distinction is nill - the anti-Amon effects are roughly on par with Sam's increased expertise with the UEF units. The narrative difference is pretty huge, since it determines what sparks you can logically create, and, thus, what units you can call on in the battle.)
     
  • Threadmarks
    • [X] Attune to the Aeon crystal (use Aeon ACU)

    Glad to have you back, DC. And grats on the finished novel, I'll try to get a part time job so I can actually have money to spend.
     
    [X] Attune to the Aeon crystal (use Aeon ACU)
    Look we've *got* to have a turn with each faction XD
    Also Paragons, Paragons are fun
     
    Congrats on finishing the novel!

    Let's go for the new ACU. It's more variety, and, mechanically, if we gain familiarity with it then it may become better than the other ACUs for us because of the bonus psychic defence.

    [X] Attune to the Aeon crystal (use Aeon ACU)
     
    Adhoc vote count started by DragonCobolt on Apr 27, 2024 at 10:33 AM, finished with 12 posts and 12 votes.
    Click to expand...


    God, another tie, you guys need to stop making it such close run things i will never get a new bit you can't make me haahahahah

    EDIT: OOPS! I got the city and the planet mixed up!

    The CITY is called Borealis, the PLANET is called Braxis. Did you know that I'm stupid sometimes?
     
    Last edited:
    ACT THREE, MISSION ONE: Among the Black Day (0.4)
  • Threadmarks
    • You took the crystal, arching an eyebrow. "What do I do with this?" you asked. "If I was going to use it."

    Rhianna Burke chuckled. "I believe Zeratul already taught you the basics."

    She inclined her head. "Good luck, Commander."

    You watched her go, beautiful gown shimmering. You sighed, then looked down at the crystal, tilting it from side to side. Behind you, Cr stuck his head from the robing chamber and let out a hissing craw.

    "...I'm not going to kiss the princess!" you said, flushing and glaring at him. You stepped back in and grabbed the little 'ling by his horn. "How do you even know what kissing is?" You paused, listening to muffled noises, the faint connection pumped up by direct physical contact. Your brows drew in. "...the whole hive was...gossiping..."

    You paused, the realization clicking through your brain.

    "God, I almost want to let Amon keep the clusters."

    ***
    ​
    An Aeon ACU looked elegant in a way that the Cybran and UEF models didn't. Silvery, slender, with curves and planes that intersected smoothly, creating an almost insectile formation - rather than the triangular torso and sharpened lines of the Cybran model, or the heavy bulk of the UEF's armor plated vehicle. You walked around it as it stood in the semi-spherical launch bay and eyed it, looking for a hatch of some kind, or loading systems. There were none. You looked down at the crystal in your hand.

    Zeratul had taught you everything, huh?

    You closed your eyes and...

    God, still felt a little silly doing this. It was hard to overcome forty years of being unimpressed with research and reports on psychic powers - even after you had crushed someone's entire soul with your mental fist. It was easier when you had more pressure. But as you opened your mind, you felt the crystal coming into true in your hand. Then it glowed and the floor rippled beneath you - your eyes snapping open just in time to see a silver bubble wrap around your body. You felt the sphere lift, then shift from side to side...then it melted into the shape of an advanced looking cockpit - with crystaline controls, and a holographic projection system that matched the UEF's screens with clarity. You leaned back in the seat, feeling it adjust to your back, and straps slid around your body, wrapping you and pinning you down. You breathed out slowly.

    "Well, that's fancy," you said, quietly, glancing down to see that the skintight Aeon combat suit you were wearing had plugged into the ACU's life support systems. You cracked your knuckles and started to familiarize yourself with the controls.

    A chime came and a soft, feminine voice came over the line. "Greetings, this is tac-com for CZAR-1. We're preparing your quantum drop. You will be arriving near the city of Borealis, the capital of Braxis. The defenders have been contacted, but as they are Terran Dominion soldiers, I'm not sure if they quite understand what is about to arrive."

    "Understood," you said. "We got any reports on the exact tactical situation?"

    "The Zerg are mostly contained in the outlands - but their attacks on the city's defenses are growing exponentially. Primary strains are merely zergling and hyrdralisks, but the hive clusters are growing and are defended well enough that the Braxis militia can't hope to destroy them," Tac-Com said, her voice quiet. "This apparently is a standard modus oprandi for Zerg attacking fortified cities - defense in depth to build their numbers."

    "Yeah," you said. "Okay, I'm ready for a drop."

    "On five."

    The count down began and you smiled, despite yourself.

    Sarah was gone. The galaxy was burning. Earth, your home, was a cinder. Your friends among the Protoss had been snagged by some kind of...evil god from another universe. But you were in an ACU. And you were going to win. You felt it in your gut.

    Because you had to.

    The familiar lurch of a quantum jump smashed into your body. The ACU shook and rumbled as the nuclear-level detonation ripped out, sweeping outwards with a flare of white light and quivering, concussive force. The screens cleared and you saw that you were standing in a small valley, which had half-contained the blast. The ground around you was covered with charred Zerg corpses, and smoldering, blackened organic buildings. Gore dripped from several flattened trees, and boulders were smeared with red. You swung your ACU around slowly and spotted that Borealis was visible - only a few kilometers away.

    "Huh," you said. "Looks like we landed right in a Zerg push."

    The radio whirred and clicked and a gruff voice came over the line. "Unidentified...something, state your name and intentions immediately. You are almost in siege tank range, so make it snappy." Sounded like a woman. You leaned back in your seat and frowned.

    "This is General Samantha Clarke, commander of Allied forces. I'm here to help."

    "They just sent one walker to deal with a whole zerg infestation?" the woman sounded close to hysterical.

    "You really haven't been keeping up with the news briefs, have you?" you snapped. "I'm in an ACU."

    "It doesn't match the specifications i was-"

    "Enough," you snapped. "Give me the tactical situation."

    There was a short pause. Then the woman sighed. "Very well, General Clarke. I'm sending you our most up to date tactical maps."

    You frowned as the images popped up. The city of Borealis, viewed from above, looked like most Terran colonies: There was an outer layer of fortifications that looked like they had been cobbled together out of their replicable storage units - the kind that could recess and extend outwards. Then, next layer in, there was the secondary layer: interlocking bunkers full of marines with heavy weaponry. Then, behind them, the tertiary (though, arguably, the primary) layer of siege tanks, deployed, prepped and supported by missile turrets. It was quite comfortable, but it could be overrun. You immediately felt the intensely UEF bred urge to start filling the interstitial spaces with shield generators, and...also, the intensely Zerg urge to...hmm...nydus worms...

    Nydus worms in the back...mutalisks to overwhelm the missile turrets, sweep over the bunkers, target down the siege tanks, swarm the bunkers with zerglings...

    You shook your head, slightly. While useful, that kind of thought was also...unsettling.

    You rolled your shoulders and then scrolled the map back out. There were several hive nexuses spread across mineral rich areas of the planet - sprawling across glacier shelves and nestled into canyons - but they were all relatively small. The biggest of them had two hatcheries at most. You frowned, slightly, watching as new buildings bloomed into existence.

    "Borealis command, why have you not attacked these hive clusters? They're defended, yes, but you have a reasonably sized militia force," you said.

    "Our orders are to defend the city," the commander said, her voice prim. "Not to go on unauthorized attacks."

    You pinched the bridge of your nose. The incredibly small and direct command structure of the UEF military was beginning to feel so, so, so nostalgic right now. It cut down on the number officers like this...

    ---
    We're not in a battle yet - what's your opening gambit?

    HEAT: 0/6

    [ ] Begin nanolathing up a base with a focus on airpower (0 heat) [this takes some narrative time - the enemy will act]
    [ ] Begin nanolathing up a base with a focus on ground forces (0 heat) [this takes some narrative time - the enemy will act]
    [ ] Begin nanolathing and spawning to make a hybrid zerg/Aeon base (0 heat) [this takes more narrative time - the enemy will act a lot]
    [ ] Immediately go on the offensive solo (0 heat) [this is immediate, the enemy gets no reaction]
    [ ] Write In

    Nanolathing a base means using your nanolathe miracle to make nested sparks for Economy Structures and Air Buildings or Land Buildings. Then you let them decay into Stickies, which you can spend to buy gear to support the mission. This costs 0 heat because it's diff 1 then diff 1+1 vs skill 2, since most of the nesting comes from your mass characteristic.

    The spawning does the same thing, just you throw in your biomorphic spawning too! Which is...also... 0 heat because it's diff 1, then diff 1+1, then diff 1+2, then diff 1+3 but those last two use skill 4! RIGHT, you're REALLY GOOD AT THIS, I forgot!

    but there IS still a cost in "sparks take time to decay", remember that
     
    Last edited:
  • Threadmarks
    • [X] Immediately go on the offensive solo (0 heat) [this is immediate, the enemy gets no reaction]
     
    @DragonCobolt what's the fastest way to travel around the planet that we have available and how many legendary command sparks do we have?

    As I understand, most of the local planetary zerg units have a central overmind/queen acting as a hub for everything on the planet and we should have reset our legendary sparks by now.

    My idea is to go with the option that can rapidly generate a Planetary Travel/sniping/backdoor Spark. The spark counting down should force the central zerg to build up it's own base to prevent itself from instantly dying in exchange for revealing itself.

    My hope is to have it reveal itself, then we attack it, use shadow step where possible, and command it
     
    Is there any downside to doing this?

    [ ] Immediately go on the offensive solo (0 heat) [this is immediate, the enemy gets no reaction]

    Can we hit them, they don't get to react and then we build up a base using narrative time, and only then the enemy gets to act?
     
    Evillevi said:
    @DragonCobolt what's the fastest way to travel around the planet that we have available and how many legendary command sparks do we have?
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...

    Currently? Walking! You could fabricate an air transport WAY faster than an entire base (since an entire baes represents massive economic infrastructure, not just a single factory. That shit's easy.

    You have 4 Legendary Commander Sparks, since it's a new scene!

    Evillevi said:
    As I understand, most of the local planetary zerg units have a central overmind/queen acting as a hub for everything on the planet and we should have reset our legendary sparks by now.

    My idea is to go with the option that can rapidly generate a Planetary Travel/sniping/backdoor Spark. The spark counting down should force the central zerg to build up it's own base to prevent itself from instantly dying in exchange for revealing itself.

    My hope is to have it reveal itself, then we attack it, use shadow step where possible, and command it
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...

    That's a good write in!
     
    Reader mode
    You must login or register to reply here.
    Back
    Top