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

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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​
     
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  • Informational
    • [X] Fine. Kerrigan can help. (Gain access to the Beet Red relationship effect - negate any hit sparks from a single source by Kerrigan providing timely assistance.) Adds +4 Colonial Girlfriend sticky sparks.
    [X] Infiltrate at the docks (social encounter, lots of enemies if it goes hot)

    "Just sending in our cleaning bots, don't worry about it."
    "Didn't ask your life story, get a move on."
     
    Adhoc vote count started by DragonCobolt on Nov 14, 2023 at 12:03 PM, finished with 25 posts and 14 votes.
    Click to expand...


    in we go in we go!
     
    ACT ONE, MISSION FIVE: Media Squad (0.2)
  • Threadmarks
    • Your lips quirked up despite yourself. Sarah's grin grew even more impish, and you sighed. "All right. But you're only giving tactical advice. Don't...touch anything."

    "Got it, General," she said, coming to a faux attention and saluting. You turned to the console, watching as the overview started to come up - the topdown view piped in by a very small camera drone wafting along with the dropship that was bringing your disguised marines in. The mech-marine modifications hadn't taken more than a few parameter changes, and the speaker systems were good enough to sound...well, exactly like a marine. There were female marines, so you could just use your speaking voice. You remembered, back in your academy days, reading that ancient Earth armies had had rules about not wearing uniforms of enemy soldiers - that spies were no longer protected by the diplomatic agreements involving prisoner exchange and not getting summarily excecuted.

    You wondered if this counted.

    Those ancient laws hadn't been overseen and enforced for, oh, nine centuries or so. Quantum teleportation and robotic battlefields had shifted things - and it wasn't like an Aeonite or a Cybran could just disguise themselves and sneak around in a UEF ACU. You chuckled, softly, shaking your head. "Say, Sarah, what does the Dominion do with spies?"

    "Uh, I think they shoot them, honey," she said.

    "Right," you said. "Though, I guess the Protoss and Zerg don't sneak around in Terran facilities that often."

    "I don't know, I'm sure some Protoss can pull off a dress," Sarah said, dryly.

    You snorted.

    The dropship came in, flickering the required procedures over the line, then settled into the dock. The marines stomped off the ship, surrounding the technical supplies that were your pretext. Expensive gear for replacement, refit and repair on the Galileo that had taken you several seconds to fabricate in the lab. The mech marines started off - while a tired and annoyed looking tech stomped over, scowling as he did so.

    "Who's brilliant fucking plan was this?" He asked, scowling at the supplies. "We're already full up on gear."

    You put on your best tired and bored voice. "They're new gear, cause of the break in." You figured, hey. If the Raiders had given you a good set up like that. "To make sure the transmitter's secure."

    Kerrigan leaned in, whispering in your ear. "Be more of a dismissive asshole. Most marines are conscripts pulled out of jail and slapped on an aggression inhibitor." You tried to harrumph as hard as you could.

    "Now, are you gonna let us do our damn jobs, or are you going to make me blow an aggression inhibitor?" You growled.

    The dock worker lifted his hands. "Whoa, whoa, fine! Just take it in and move it to processing."

    You tapped the controls and your mech-marine made a quick gesture with one of its hands, and the others followed after. You made a ruleful face as your hands flew across the keyboard, Sarah watching intently at your use of the controls. "Damn," she said. "You're good at that."

    "I've run ops like this before," you said, dryly. "They actually take significantly more manual dexterity than the big planet crackers. in those, you lose track of a few dozen units - a few hundred units, hell. No big deal. But I've got twelve marines over there, and if they get destroyed, then this becomes a major shooting fight and...well, the whole reason we're here goes up in smoke. We need to at least send one broadcast before the Galileo is shut down. So, I need to program every movement, every step...every fucking hand gesture." You scowled, then quickly routed a marine around a shipping crate that would have...well, it wouldn't have tripped. It would have plowed into it, smashing it aside with such careless strength that everyone in the docks would notice and turn around to watch.

    It was entirely possible a Terran Marine would do that if they were as dickish as Sarah said...

    Eh.

    You got the whole squad to the entrance and through, past a checkpoint of a whole squad of Dominion Marines in red and black armor, their visors down, their gauss rifles held in almost perfectly still arms. you tried to imagine what it'd be like to actually have people do that kind of drugery. Ugh. You shook your head at the thought as you entered into the corridors of the science ship itself.

    Here was where things got tricky.

    "So, the central command center is here," Sarah said, scrolling the screen with her finger, then circling it with her thumb and pinkie, twisting her wrist as she did so. "Prison...normally, these ships don't have prison cells. Well. not unless...they're...being used for evil secret research like that science base you destroyed." She paused. "How is Bea?"

    "They're fine," you said. "Should be heading to Haven, unless they're stowing away like a pushy redhead I can think of."

    "Is she pretty?"

    "Ravishing," you said, micromanaging your marines forward towards the first actual interesting decision point - their forward cameras showing corrugated metal walkways, triangular corridor, low hung ceilings full of piping. You could see at least one way the Terran Dominion had launched this thing: They had paid no expense at all for creature comforts. You could now see why not a single colonist had really complained about anything back on the E1. Sarah gasped, in faux outrage.

    "I'm jealous!"

    You snorted.

    ---
    HEAT: 3/6


    Why 3/6? It was a diff 3 Bluff check to get in through the front gate and I figure you would...want to do that, since you had landed there. Also, it'd be a very short update if I wrote 200 words then had a vote! As a reminder: Overheating will mean you succeed in your task, but the situation gets more dangerous.

    [ ] Head for the C&C and bluff your way in (Diff 5 Bluff check - Overheat!)
    [ ] Head for the C&C and fail to bluff your way in. (Resets heat to 0, starts combat - many enemies but close proximity to C&C)
    [ ] Head for the prison to find Stetmann (Diff 2 Bluff Check - 2 Heat)
    [ ] Head for the prison to find Stetmann, and fail to bluff your way past the guards. (Resets heat to 0, starts combat - low enemies, but very distant from C&C.)
    [ ] Write In

    Edit: oh, also, at any point, you can throw in as a write in that you're using Kerrigan's help to negate a heat gain! But you can only do so once!
     
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  • Threadmarks
    • [X] Head for the prison to find Stetmann (Diff 2 Bluff Check - 2 Heat)

    Find stetman get more info then go loud and overheat.

    also:

    "Right," you said. "Though, I guess the Protoss and Zerg don't sneak around in Terran facilities that often."

    "I don't know, I'm sure some Protoss can pull off a dress," Sarah said, dryly.

    You snorted.
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...

    I get the feeling that Sarah was thinking something along the lines of "well at least she's hot" here becaue wow is Sam not picking up the hints Sarah is putting down.
     
    [X] Head for the prison to find Stetmann (Diff 2 Bluff Check - 2 Heat)

    grab your boi, then cause trouble

    LilyWitch said:
    I get the feeling that Sarah was thinking something along the lines of "well at least she's hot" here becaue wow is Sam not picking up the hints Sarah is putting down.
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    I can't believe you're calling Sam a himbo just cuz she lacks metaknowledge 😔

    (Sarah is ABSOLUTELY fucking with her, but I think she's just having a grand old time clowning on Sam)
     
    Can we still use powers to vent heat? Or is that a combat mechanic?
    And can we use a power to vent heat after we overheat?
    For example, could we bluff our way into the C&C, then use "Just as Planned" to vent some of that excess heat and give the enemy a turn?
     
    DragonCobolt said:
    Effect: Vent 4 heat to create 1 Intimidating Defense Spark. Reduce vent by 1 to add additional Sparks. These Sparks are all given to yourself and cannot be given elsewhere.
    Intimidating Defense: You and every character within Area 3 cannot take hostile action while these Sparks exist without taking Hit Spark equal to Tranquility Sparks from turret based retribution. Reduce Spark by 1 whenever someone suffers one such Hit Spark.
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...

    "Tranquility" -> "Intimidating Defense" in the penultimate paragraph?
     
    fanficfan said:
    Can we still use powers to vent heat? Or is that a combat mechanic?
    And can we use a power to vent heat after we overheat?
    For example, could we bluff our way into the C&C, then use "Just as Planned" to vent some of that excess heat and give the enemy a turn?
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...

    Yes, actually! It just means that the antagonists get to act - driving up the danger in a way similar to overheating.
     
    In that case...
    [X] Head for the C&C and bluff your way in (Diff 5 Bluff check). Then use Just As Planned to get 1 Planning Spark and end our turn
     
    [X] Head for the prison to find Stetmann (Diff 2 Bluff Check - 2 Heat)
    Acquire hero units and intel before messing with the enemy.
     
    Adhoc vote count started by DragonCobolt on Nov 14, 2023 at 8:38 PM, finished with 17 posts and 12 votes.
    Click to expand...


    God, you guys have to stop giving me these annoying ties!
     
    ACT ONE, MISSION FIVE: Media Squad (0.3)
  • Threadmarks
    • Sarah leaned over the console, watching the isometric view of the marines stomping through the corridors, leading up through a set of stairs to rooms full of blue tiles - the walls covered with consoles, being worked by crew that glanced over at the marines, then went back to work. "Where you heading?" she asked.

    "The prison," you said, sticking your tongue out of the corner of your mouth as you tapped out a command - one of the marines you had mentally decided was going to be the more 'friendly' one lived his hand to wave at one of the techs that had waved back. "I figure we should find out what these Raynor's Raiders are. That means, we break their poor bastards out and get them...on our side. Enemy of my enemy is my friend."

    "I'll hold you that," Sarah said, quietly, drumming her fingers on the plastic rim of the console. Her green eyes flicked up to watch your face as you finished commanding the remote controlled drones into the prison area. A sign of exactly how dangerous the local Dominion commander thought the two captured rebels were was that there were only three other power armored troops in the prison bay, with a single bored officer sitting at a console - typing his way through some reports. He frowned, then lifted his gaze to your squad, his brows drawing in. You had a moment of absolute sneering contempt flash through you at the first up close footage of a Dominion uniform.

    It seemed that between the fall of the Confederacy of the Planets and him being crowned Emperor Arcturus Mengsk I, the colonial upstart had had the same impulse that had struck every two bit third galaxy would be megalomanic you'd ever seen in any historical report or tactical assessment briefing: Your empire may be small and petty compared to the United Earth Federation, the Aeon Illuminate or even the petty scrap of an astrostate that was the Cybran Nation...and you may lack nanolathes and drone technology and quantum tunneling networks and, in some cases, electricity...

    But you'd still have to have the spiffy uniforms.

    Rather than the staid blue and gray of your UEF undress uniform, this Lieutenant had gold braid, a cape, a flat topped kepi with red trim, gold buttons and a skull insigna on the collar, belt and shoulders. You were shocked he didn't have a goddamn sword. He stood up and then frowned as you tapped in the commands for the remote drones to salute him.

    "What's all this about?"

    "We've been sent by command for the prisoners," you said through the drone. "Orders from the Emperor."

    "I didn't get any orders from-" He stopped. "The Emperor?"

    "He's taking a personal interest in the rebel scum," you said.

    "Oh, nice touch with the scum there," Sarah whispered. You made a gesture for her to shush up. Fortunately, the microphone was smart enough to pick up her asides.

    "Understood," the officer said, clasping his hands behind his back. "I take it that this will not be going into any of our logs?"

    "Got it in one, sir," you said, and the man nodded, gesturing. "This way, Corporal."

    Through the forward camera of the lead mech-marine, you could see the rather dingy looking prison cells. You were honestly a little surprised - the TDSV Galileo had been a civilian science vessel before it had been turned into the Dominion's out-rim broadcasting center: And yet here there were actual cells, with bars and overhanging turrets just in case anyone got tetchy. You frowned and glanced a question at Sarah. She lifted her eyes from the screen to meet yours, then arched an eyebrow.

    "What?"

    "Why does a civilian science ship have a brig like this?" you asked.

    "It probably wasn't civilian," she said. "They had a lot of these things do double duty for black projects. Ghost research, atomics testing, that kind of thing. They preferred you talk about the planets they discovered, though. More photogenic." You scowled down at the screen, thinking as the officer came to the brig chamber where Swann and Stetmann were located. The bars opened, revealing that Swann was clearly a heavyworlder - he had the low bulk and slow grace of someone who had been raised at two or three Gs and not earth norms. Stetman meanwhile looked like he had just escaped from a high school - he still had acne, for god's sake. He was tall and scrawny and looked faintly terrified through his thin wire frame glasses.

    "W-We have rights!" he squeaked.

    "What rights? You were caught sneaking into a secure Dominion facility under the orders of a terrorist and a mass murderer," the officer said, his voice flat.

    Swann growled at that, but Stemann lifted his hands - about to push his glasses up his nose, but you quickly typed in a command and one of the marines closed retraints around his wrists. He paled even more, gulped, then stammered. "T-The, uh, right to an attorney is guaranteed under...a constitution!"

    "Which constitution?" The officer scowled.

    "One of them!" Stetmann wailed, desperately. "T-The Umojian Protectorate, I think."

    "And if we were in Mooji space, that might mean something," the officer said, scowling. "Take them away."

    "With pleasure," you said, and hoped that the vocal distortions provided by the mech-marine's speaker made your voice sound as bloodthirsty as possible. The officer stood by the cell, nodding with satisfaction as your squad fanned around the two rebels. Swann walked along with quiet dignity, his one good hand lashed to his front by a restraint specially adjusted for him. His other arm hung empty and loose. You had no idea if he had no cybernetic prosthesis due to choice or the Dominion's heavy handed security procedures. You marched the two men out of the prison block - then slowed. And then you turned the lead marine to face the pair of them, and thumbed down the key to flip the visor of the power armored suit it wore up.

    Swann swore. Stetmann leaned in, eyes boggling. "An autonomous drone in a suit of power armor!" he exclaimed. "That's amazing! How do you prevent runaway internal system rot, that's the major problem with MULE units and-"

    "Quiet," you said. "This is General Samantha Clarke. We spoke on the com."

    "Oh, from Earth," Stetmann said, excitedly. "How is Earth?"

    "This kid will buy anything," Swann grumbled.

    "And this adult will not read a history book!"

    "I read 'em, I just don't buy that these jackholes are from a mythical planet," Swann said. "The supercarrier records say they got launched when the whole planet was boilin' in their own carbon. If there is an Earth, it'd be halfway to turning into a place like...Char or Redstone."

    "It came close," you said, dryly. "But it's much nicer these days."

    "Amazing!" Stetmann started - while you thumbed up the visor just in case anyone else came ambling down this particular corridor. "Did you use some kind of-"

    "Shut it," you said. "What was your mission here."

    "We were sent to sneak a bug in," Swann said. "This place gets traffic from every Dominion blacksite out there - and all their long ranged spys on them Zerg critters and the Protoss. That info can go straight to the Hyperion and Raynor and his Protoss buddies can use it for whatever we need."

    You arched an eyebrow.

    "Huh," Sarah murmured. "Human with Protoss. Interesting."

    "The bug's in the main tech-lab," Stetmann said, nervously.

    "With my arm..." Swann muttered under his breath.

    "Being examined and dissected," Stetmann continued. "But, uh, heh, if I built it right, they're still working on the outside, I think." He adjusted his glasses with one finger - awkwardly shifting his arms to do so as he strained against his restraints.

    "What are you doin' here?" Swann asked, frowning up at you.

    ---
    HEAT: 5/6

    [ ] Bluff into the Tech Lab to get the bug and Swann's arm (Diff 3 Bluff check - lightly overheat)
    [ ] Get caught bluff into the TL (Fail, reset heat to 0 - moderate enemies)
    [ ] Send the two to dropship and then bluff into C&C - your mission comes first. (Diff 5 bluff check - heavily overheated)
    [ ] Get caught heading into the C&C (Fail, many enemies)
    [ ] Write In
     
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