scary space rpg part nine!

(we roll up characters here!)

(part one is here!)

(part two is here!)

(part three is here!)

(part four is here!)

(part five is here!)

(part six is here!)

(part seven is here!)

(part eight is here!)

GMSG: Okay, Pandora gets the last fuse box welded shut.

Claire: There. That should keep the spiders out of the wiring for a while at least.

Sasha: Let's get a move on, then.

GMSG: It's just a few more minutes of bouncing along in low gravity before your access tunnel ends at another closed door. You've reached the upper ring. Oh, but along the way you came across an open hatch into the tube-train's tunnel.

Elle: Probably where the spider that came at you from the front got in.

Sasha: We'll shut that hatch. Should we weld it too?

GMSG: Like I said, you've been passing maintenance hatches like that on a regular basis since you left the docking hub. So you can weld it if you like, but there are eight or ten others something could come in through.

Elle: I like the way you said "something" instead of "spiders," just to let us know there's other stuff in here we should be worried about.

Ariel: I don't like that! Not at all!

Sasha: Assuming this door to the upper ring needs to be cranked open like the one on the other end did, Narcy keeps watch again while Panda works the mechanism.

GMSG: Beyond the door, once you get it open, you find a train depot for the tube-train. It's basically a drum-shaped area wider than the central axis of the station. Huge, hollow spokes connect the drum to the ring, with gantries and walkways coming out of the spokes and meeting at the train platform that runs along one side of the train tube. People and cargo could be carried across the gantries by tram. Rotational gravity means that the cylindrical sides of the drum act as a floor for the area when the artificial gravity is off. Your access tunnel opens onto that floor.

Akane: Excuse me, game master?

Ariel: psst! It's "warden."

Akane: Oh, yes ... warden? Does this mean hollow spokes are just deep pits now?

GMSG: Very deep. But like the docking hub did, and like the central axis does, they have access tunnels for use in emergencies, so there will be a way to climb down. You find one pretty quickly.

Akane: A very long ladder climb, though ... Yamaguchi Daika has a strength of weakling ...

Hettie: Rev. Mackie is in the same boat.

GMSG: Yep. Everyone with a Strength less than 30 will need to make a Body Save to avoid taking Stress in the form of exhaustion.

Sasha: Narcy laughs at the idea of a Strength less than 30.

Claire: Panda rolls a 58. Not even close to a save.

Akane: 29 for Yamaguchi. It's close to a save, but not one.

Hettie: I roll a 05, so the Rev is bolstered by the power of prayer.

Ariel: My strength is 31. Whew!

GMSG: One point of Stress for Panda and the doc, then. You reach the bottom of the very, very long ladder. There's a hatch, which should open up in a service area of the ring, a couple of small rooms off-limits to everyone but station staff.

Claire: Any chance the power node we're looking for is right there in the service area?

GMSG: Based on the scans you did earlier, you know it's close to the spoke you climbed down, but on the opposite side of the ring. You'll have to exit the service area and cross the promenade that runs along the central curve of the ring. It's about 40 meters across.

Ariel: That doesn't sound too far!

Elle: Assuming something doesn't kill you before you get out of the service area.

Sasha: Whatever. Let's get this door open and check out these service rooms.

GMSG: This one's a simple hatch. When you open it, you're looking out into a small cubby with a communications station on one side, a sliding panel door on the other, and an exit to the promenade straight ahead.

Sasha: Pistol ready. I slide that panel door open.

GMSG: It looks like a utility closet -- but there's a dead body in there, slumped in a corner between a floor-cleaning unit and some shelves stacked with cleaning supplies and appliances. It's in what looks like a flight crew jumpsuit, and it's been there long enough that the rot has mostly dried up and the smell isn't gruesomely strong.

Sasha: Can I tell what killed 'em?

GMSG: Not without a much closer look. But you do see that one leg looks badly broken.

Elle: Critical fail on his body save when he was climbing down the ladder, right?

GMSG: No comment.

Akane: Yamaguchi can coronate it if asked. Be coroner for? Use first aid or pathology to examine. But are we all on ladder still? Or sardines together in the cubby?

GMSG: No one has said anything about what they do at the bottom of the ladder except Sash.

Claire: Okay, well if Narcy moved to slide that door open, is there room in the cubby for me to get down from the ladder?

GMSG: Yes. One or two other people could make a tight fit in the cubby with Narcy, and someone else could stand at the bottom of the ladder shaft. But at least one person would still be on the ladder itself.

Sasha: Well, I'm stepping into the closet to check if Broke-leg Bob here has any weapons or ammo.

GMSG: That will let everyone get down.

Akane: Theory! Broke-leg Bob is hidden in closet. Door to ladder is closed. Door to closet is closed. Someone must have helped Broke-leg into closet and closed doors to leave him safe.

Elle: Pretty good thinking. For a human.

Akane: Apparently I learn it at dog dentistry school.

Sasha: Congratulations, Doc. Can we get back to my looting over here?

GMSG: The body has a flashlight, another pistol, and one spare clip.

Sasha: I'll pass the pistol to Stickshift, but I'm keeping the clip. You've got your vibechete -- if I run out of ammo, all I have to switch to is frag grenades.

Ariel: I don't think you should use those in here!

Sasha: Not planning to, just sayin'. Everybody ready to head into the big hallway?

Akane: We don't want a diagnosis of dead Bob?

Sasha: Eh. Seems like he died of, "Not something you can shoot at," so I'm not sure it matters.

Hettie: Rev. Mackie will take a moment to say a few words over the body, at least. Hmm. In the process, do I notice any chemicals in those cleaning supplies that might have a use?

GMSG: Roll Intellect + Chemistry.

Hettie: I get a 61, but I needed 55 or under.

GMSG: Just having Chemistry, you know a couple of things are flammable, and bleach and ammonia make chlorine gas, but nothing MacGuyver-y jumps out at you.

Sasha: Much as I'd like to hang out and destroy my lungs huffing chlorine gas, are we good to go yet? No complaints? Okay, then I open the promenade door.

GMSG: It's dark out there. The illumination from your suit lights sheds a paltry circle out across the floor, glancing off dusty kiosks and stark, scattered souvenirs knocked from their shelves long ago.

Elle: No piles of bodies? Pol hasn't entirely let go of his plague theory yet.

GMSG: Sorry. There's evidence of a lot of people fleeing through here -- abandoned luggage and fallen disposable cups. But no corpses. At least not in the immediate vicinity.

Claire: Can we see across to where the power node is supposed to be?

GMSG: No. The suit lights don't reach that far, and besides the kiosks, there's also a huge, curved ramp that angles up into the spoke-hole in the ceiling. When the artificial gravity was on, people could walk or ride trams directly from the ring floor along curve of the ramp to enter the spoke and then travel to the train depot in the central spindle.

Ariel: Well that sounds a lot better than having to climb a ladder all the way back up.

Sasha: Don't get your hopes up, Stickshift. Even if we get the gravity on along with the power node, I'm not sure how smart it is to try to make that walk. If the spiders shut things back down before we get to the top ... wheeeeeSPLAT!

Ariel: Oh. Poop. I'm so tired of ladders.

Elle: Don't lose too much hope, Ms. McDiggitt. Maybe once the power is back on, you'll find out you're being chased by something fast, and you won't have any choice but to run for it up the ramp.

Ariel: That doesn't help!

Sasha: Yeah, look, Blue, we've got the Rev down here for moral support. Stick to your own wheelhouse, okay? I'm heading out into the corridor now.

GMSG: It's incredibly quiet. Your footsteps disturb a thin sheet of dust on the carpet. This part of the station hasn't had any powered air circulation for years. The air smells stale. 

Claire: Can I see anything with my IR goggles that the suit lights and flashlights aren't revealing?

GMSG: Not much. The station's rotating, which means that for about half of each rotation, the inner circumference of the ring is in sunlight, and for the other half, the outer circumference is. But the rotation rate is fast enough that very little heat differential can build up, so almost everything is the same temperature. Nearby objects reflect some of the light from infrared sources -- that's you -- and you can faintly see the interior of the ring curving up and away in the distance to either side. That's about it.

Akane: So much science! You're excellent for this Warden job, MSG.

Elle: Or he's just making it sound good off the top of his head.

Hettie: Is there any practical difference?

Sasha: I'm heading carefully out and making my way around that big ramp, looking either way -- and up at the ceiling -- as I go.

GMSG: How closely spaced are all of you?

Ariel: I don't know if I like that question ... can I say, "Just close enough?"

Sasha: Nobody should be tripping over the heels of whoever's in front of them, but I'm assuming we keep within five or six feet of each other. And by "assuming," I mean I glance back from time to time and tell people to tighten up or spread out if I have to.

GMSG: Okay, as Narcy Danger draws even with the central ramp, everyone notices some scattered flickerings of light. Can I get Speed checks all around?

Sasha: Fail with a 42.

Claire: I make it with 33!

Akane: My Speed's okay -- and the dice say 29, so, success.

Hettie: Rev. Mackie gets a nice 09.

Ariel: Poop, 46. That's 10 over what I needed.

Elle: Pol is with the reverend. 09.

GMSG: You see one of the spiders crawl down from around the far edge of the ramp and leap at Narcy. Another scurries up to the top of a kiosk and almost instantly pounces on Yamaguchi's back. Everything's happening lightning fast and almost simultaneously. Elle, Hettie, write a quick note about what you're doing. Ready? Okay, Hettie, what's yours say?

Hettie: "Stab Doc spider vibech"

GMSG: Elle?

Elle: "Yell, 'Holograms!'"

GMSG: Narcy and Stickshift hear you loud and clear, but to everyone else it's a muffled sound coming through the helmet material. Het, roll Intellect to see if you can make it out and process it quickly enough to change your action.

Hettie: 82, I'm afraid.

GMSG: Okay, make your combat roll. You have advantage because the spider seems to be presenting a pretty steady target, for some reason.

Hettie: Ah. How "fortunate" for me. All right, I roll ... 73, and ... 87.

GMSG: Akane, you hear the whizz of a vibechete passing extremely close to your back, and when you try to see what's up, it appears a spider-bot is latched onto your back -- but you can't feel any claws or weight.

Akane: Yamaguchi yells, very shrill. "It's holograms! Everybody, don't kill each other!"

GMSG: Claire, how about Panda?

Claire: I'm looking around with my IR goggles. Can they help me tell if both spiders are fake?

GMSG: Both of them look ghosty to you -- but you see a third spider creeping around another kiosk on the far side of Narcy. You can see it plain as day in IR.

Claire: I point at it and yell, "That one's real!"

Sasha: My turn next, right? I'll shoot the one Ms. Fatale's pointing at.

GMSG: It's the spiders' turn, actually. The one leaping at you lands and clutches at your helmet with its legs. Claire, the real spider shifts its attention to Panda and scuttles around Narcy to attack. It rolls a 12, slashing you with a pointy claw at the end of its leg. Armor save?

Claire: 64. Fail-o.

GMSG: Damage is 13 points.

Claire: Ow!

GMSG: The one that was clawing Yamaguchi leaps onto Stickshift instead. Sash, when you look where Panda's pointing, you kind of see a moving blob of shadowy haze whip past you, clattering as it goes. It skewers her on one of its claws. Between the optical haze and the hologram spider on your helmet, you'll have disadvantage if you fire at the one on Panda.

Sasha: Whatev. Blam! Dammit, one roll's an 84. Second action, shoot again. Oh crap, the worse roll is 88.

GMSG: You hit Panda instead. Claire, make another Armor Save.

Claire: Yeah, no. That's a 78.

GMSG: Sash, roll your damage. Oh, and each one of those failed saves is a point of stress for Panda.

Claire: Suuuuper.

Sasha: Ouch, 18 points. Narcy says, "Damn, sorry, babe!"

GMSG: Aers, you realize right away that the one attacking you isn't real. What do you want to do?

Ariel: I guess I shoot my laser cutter at the one attacking Panda.

Akane: Wait! It's broken!

Ariel: Yeah, but Stickshift doesn't know that. It just made a breaky noise when she tried to smash that other spider ... and who knows if she's smart enough to even remember that.

GMSG: Roll to attack with disadvantage.

Ariel: Oh, it works? I roll ... 84 and 87. Dang.

GMSG: It doesn't work. The rolls were just to see whether it failed to go off or if it blew up. No critical fail, so it just clicks and does nothing.

Ariel: Yikes! Well, I drop it and get out my Vibechete then.

GMSG: New Speed Checks.

Claire: 80.

Elle: 16.

Sasha: 19!

Hettie: 39 succeeds for me.

Ariel: Me too with a 27!

Akane: It's 17 for Yamaguchi. Only Ms. Fatale is slowpoking this round.

GMSG: Elle, what's Pol do or say?

Elle: I tell the marines the camouflaged one has to be the hologram projectors using optical interference by beaming light at the spider to cancel out the light reflecting off it. If they turn of their helmet lights, the optical interference will be the only light hitting that spider, and then they'll be able to see it.

Ariel: I totally do not understand that at all, so I'm pretty sure Stickshift doesn't either.

GMSG: It's also too much to say in the time-frame you've got. You could say, "The camouflage is optical interference! Turn off your lights!" But not all the rest of it.

Elle: Well, that's what I say then.

Sasha: Sorry, Narcy sort of gets it, but I don't want to be in the dark, so let's not.

Elle: You won't be in the dark, because --

GMSG: Already said more than Pol can, Elle. You'll have to wait a round. Akane, it's Yamaguchi's turn next.

Akane: Stun baton against real spider! But the rolls are 90 and 25. Disadvantage, right? Anyway, 90 is first so it doesn't matter.

GMSG: Narcy?

Sasha: Our only techie is about to go down, so I'll try to grab the spider and yank it off her. What's that, like a Combat roll and a Strength roll?

GMSG: Go for it. No disadvantage, because you just have to hit it and grab, not actually get through armor or anything.

Sasha: 67 to hit, 21 on Strength roll. My combat's 54 and another 15 for Close-Quarters Combat means I needed anything under 69 to hit.

GMSG: It tries an opposed Strength roll, but it doesn't beat you, so you manage to pull it off.

Claire: Whew!

GMSG: Aers, it's your turn.

Ariel: I'm rushing over to vibechete whatever Sarge is holding! Um, whoops. I needed 64 or less, and I rolled 66.

GMSG: Critical failure. Sash, make an Armor Save.

Sasha: 42, which succeeds with my vacc suit's bonus.

GMSG: Hettie, it's the reverend's turn. What do you do?

Hettie: I guess I'll try to slash this thing Sarge is holding with my vibechete. Is this going to be disadvantage because it's all blurry?

GMSG: No, its location is pretty obvious now with Narcy holding it. Kind of a wrestling match going on, though, so don't critical fail or you'll hit her instead of the spiderbot.

Sasha: I can take it, Rev. My health is through the roof.

Hettie: Wow, would you look at that? 22.

GMSG: A critical success hacks off a limb with a vibechete, in addition to your damage.

Hettie: Great. Two dice of damage is ... 7.

GMSG: Critter's turn. It tries to wrestle free of Narcy's grip. Opposed Strength check, Sasha. 

Sasha: 06. I'm basically using it to do a total flex pose. Look at these guns.

Elle: You're wearing a spacesuit, Sash.

Sasha: That's what a mass-o-muscles Narcy is.

GMSG: Well, it's not a critical success, but the spider failed with a 70, so it doesn't escape. Claire, what does Panda do?

Claire: I'm going to hang back from the fight and keep looking for other bots. Also, I'll ask the doc for some of those pain pills she mentioned earlier.

GMSG: New Speed Checks.

Elle: 62.

Sasha: 40. Fail.

Hettie: I roll a very nice 15.

Ariel: 03 for Stickshift!

Akane: Yamaguchi is at 04.

Claire: 32 for Panda, which is a success.

GMSG: Ariel, you're up.

Ariel: Vibechete!

GMSG: You still have disadvantage from the hologram spiderbot on your head.

Ariel: Ugh. Seriously? I roll a 66 and 84.

GMSG: The 66 is worse. You hit Narcy. Roll damage.

Sasha: Hey, don't I get an Armor Save?

GMSG: That's two 66's in a row on you, I'm afraid. I was actually nice to let you roll a save the first time.

Ariel: 10 points, Sash.

Sasha: Dammit!

GMSG: Akane, what does Doctor Yamaguchi do?

Akane: Find medicinal assistance for Patient Fatale.

GMSG: Okay. Hettie, what about the reverend?

Hettie: I'll give it another go with this vibechete. And it's another hit with a 19. Not critical this time, unfortunately.

GMSG: It fails its Armor Save. Roll damage.

Hettie: Ah, that's much better. Fourteen points.

GMSG: The spiderbot shudders and sparks a little, but keeps thrashing in Narcy's grip. Claire, what's Panda do?

Claire: I'm popping that pill.

GMSG: Roll a d10 to see how much Health you get back. You also regain 1 stress.

Claire: I'll take it. I roll a 6, which I'll also take. Anything above average is a win in my book.

GMSG: Beasties go. The holographic spider disappears from Narcy's helmet, and Rev. Mackie's head is suddenly engulfed in a swirl of kaleidoscopic colors, effectively blinding her. It's also extremely disturbing and disorienting, so roll a Sanity Save.

Hettie: That's my best one, but I miss with a 57.

GMSG: Mark a point of stress. Sash, the bot in Narcy's grip gives up on breaking loose and slashes at you with a claw ... but misses, barely. Your turn.

Sasha: Can I try to like, physically rip the arms off this thing where I'm holding it?

GMSG: It's pretty tough. Roll a strength check, and if it's a critical success, you pull off an arm. Any success and I'll let you do a d10 damage to it, considering how strong you are.

Sasha: Watch this, baby! Darn, 52. No mad-Wookiee rampage, but my damage is ... dammit, dice on the floor. I'm keeping it, whatever the roll is!

Ariel: Maybe don't throw the dice quite as hard as Sarge is yanking on the spider legs.

Sasha: Hush, you. Where the hell did it go?

Elle: I think it pinged off my foot and went under Hettie's chair.

Sasha: Okay, got it ... yes! 9 points!

GMSG: That's actually enough to take it apart even without a crit. It sputters and jerks and then stops moving.

Sasha: Hah! Eat it, spiderbot!

GMSG: Elle, it's Pol's turn.

Elle: I say, "You people need to rig something to put out optical interference the same way that robot was being disguised."

Hettie: Is Rev. Mackie's head still engulfed in a lightshow? If it is, I agree with that. Oh, wait, no, only Narcy and Stickshift can hear him, I guess.

Sasha: I'll pass it along ... or is it time for new Speed Checks?

GMSG: There's no immediate threat ... and right after Pol broadcasts that, all the holograms disappear.

Elle: Looks like they don't want us to test my idea.

Sasha: Is there a clear path to this service-maintenance shack or whatever?

GMSG: Yes. Once you make it past the ramp, you can see the door with a "Station Personnel Only" sign on it.

Sasha: On the way there, I'll say, "Hey, McDiggitt -- did I give you Broke-leg Bob's pistol for no damn reason?"

Ariel: Oh! That's right, it's right here on my suit belt. I'll remember it next time, I promise! Especially since my laser cutter is kaput.

Hettie: Can we all say a little prayer that there isn't a "next time" anytime soon?

Sasha: You say whatever floats your pew, Rev.

Akane: I think it can't hurt! Is marine training skipping lessons on morale now, Sergeant?

Sasha: Fine. When she's done, I'll give an "Amen."

Ariel: I'm more worried about whether we're at the door yet.

GMSG: Yes. And I think this is a good place to wrap the session up. Everybody gets 10 XP for the session, and Narcy gets a bonus point for killing the spiderbot. Hettie, since it was Charmaigne's first session, you get to level up.

Elle: Pol recommends you take a more applicable skill with some of those improvement points.

Hettie: I don't think the characters actually know when leveling up happens for one another, dear, but I'll take it as advice from you.

Elle: I would never be as rude as Pol.

Claire: Maybe let's not debate that, how about.

(Tune in next time to see what happens in Session Three!)