Introduction
First off, I want to give a huge ‘Thank You’ to our guest bloggers. I won’t lie, I was one of the KD crew that flagged behind and signaled to Ryan we might need a short break. My work really ramped up and I wasn’t able to meet my deadline for getting this quest out on time. Really showing the importance of trying to create a buffer between when I write an article and when it is due. Hopefully work settles down enough that I can start really digging into some more Starfinder and Pathfinder though!
I think I went into this Starship quest simultaneously thinking it would be fairly easy to write mechanically, but tough to make it evocative. I think I was mostly correct there. Especially with the help of the Starship Operations Manual I was given some more tools to make starship combat a little bit more interesting, but tying myself down to only using a couple of elements from SOM kept the encounter well within the norms expected from Quests. I doubt it will blow any minds, but I hope that its enough to not just be “another fight in empty space”.
The Spore Storm – Quest #4 Title
There are tales of floating creatures the size of dreadnaughts floating through space. These Zoaphorix are a sight to behold, but deadly as they search the cosmos for ‘gifts’ to their microbiomes. There are rumors of an even larger, Elder Zoaphorix, larger than most space stations. It is this Elder Zoaphorix that has released spores out into the ether, to one day become Zoaphorix’s themselves. A scattering of these spores are enroute to Thuringag, not for the first time in the planet’s history when the Sanguine Raiders leader, Iovita escapes the Cosmic Combiners. These spores are not just interesting space debris though. They contain similar microbial infestations that all zoaphorix are known to have.
Summary
Cosmic Captain Farasa tells the PCs to quickly chase after the Sanguine Raiders that just took off from the Refinery. Farasa encourages the PCs to climb aboard one of the ships nearby and try to take off after the Raiders! After ‘hot wiring’ a ship and leaving Thuringag’s atmosphere, the PCs eventually catch up to Iovita, aboard her ship The Sanguine Raider. With Zoaphorix spores traveling through the nearby space, the PCs will need to avoid the spores, or possibly lure The Sanguine Raider into one of the trials. After disabling The Sanguine Raider, the PCs will have a chance to board the enemy ship in the next quest.
[[SIDEBAR: Jumping In
If your PCs have not played the previous parts, have Farasa begin by telling the PCs that after clearing the Refinery, it was discovered that Iovita escaped. Farasa can also explain that the Sanguine Raiders are one of the reasons why the Thuringag Council has requested the help of the Cosmic Combine. ]]
Getting Started
Read or paraphrase the following to get the adventure underway. The lizardfolk Cosmic-Captain Farasa contacts the party over their hyperspace communicator with a harried voice
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“Combiners! Security Forces have picked up The Sanguine Raider on a path upward and out of Thuringag’s atmosphere. The Thuringag Council has cleared any ships we may send after The Sanguine Raider. If there are any ships nearby that you can ‘confiscate’ for the local authorities, please do so immediately and follow that ship! Be careful though, the Council does want to question the Raiders when you have captured them, so do your best not to blow their ship up if you enter into combat with them!
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Farasa obviously wants the PCs to hurry up and chase after Iovita and The Sanguine Raider, but should they have any questions here are a few that he can answer:
Why can’t the local authorities chase after them? “The thin space defenses of this planet are fending off a spore storm, doing their best to ensure that none of the spores enter Thuringag’s atmosphere. They’re not able to break off to chase after The Sanguine Raider”
What is a spore storm? “We believe they are Zoaphorix spores that might one day grow to become a full-grown Zoaphorix. If we weren’t in such a hurry, I’d have you going up there to collect samples! As it is though, watch out for the clouds the spores leave behind, as they are known to eat through the hulls of ships!”
Lift Off!
The PCs have two identical red-hued ships in front of them, both with their boarding ramps lowered. Upon boarding the ship the PCs find that the ship is almost ready for flight, it just needs to be powered up, and then they should be able to get this thing started!
Read or paraphrase the following description:
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The varied hues of pinks, reds and purples seen throughout this ship are beyond count. The ambient light of the crystals pulse as though a heart is beating. ____________________________________________________________________________
To achieve this, the players will need to accomplish a number of tasks, each PC may make an attempt on each task. Keep track of the number of successes:
Authorization Required: The computers are currently locked. They can be opened with either a voice-scan using Bluff, or hacking with Computers. Both checks are DC 18 (Tier 3-4, 21).
Warming up the Engines: The engines, while primed, need to get warmed up for take-off. This can be accomplished with Engineering, or by moving some mechanical parts using Athletics. Both checks are DC 18 (Tier 3-4, 21).
It’s Time to Go!: Taking off, the PCs need to find the quickest route to leave the atmosphere without hitting any mountains on the way up! A piloting check, or Mysticism check to utilize some of the crystals onboard to sense the routes, will get the PCs into outer space. Both checks are DC 18 (Tier 3-4, 21).
If the PCs got 4+ successes (3+ with a party of 4 or fewer), the party will start the next section 1d6+6 hexes away at the start of combat. If they got fewer than the required number of success they will start 2d6+12 hexes away.
The PC’s ship stats can be found in Appendix 3 for both subtiers.
They’re Caught!
Once the PCs have gotten beyond Thuringag’s atmosphere and gravitational pull, read or paraphrase the following:
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The stars ahead are obscured by what appears to be comets at first. Upon closer inspection though, these are not made of the typical ice and rock. Instead it seems to be a massive organic structure leaving behind a trail of greens and yellows.
Through these clouds though, you see the same ship that escaped the Refinery. None other than the Sanguine Raider itself!
After a few moments, your ship receives a hailing signal.
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If the PCs accept the Hail, they see a middle-aged human woman standing proudly on the bridge of her ship. She sneers at the PCs and says: “You dare follow me! Me and mine will make your blood boil for this foolishness! What makes you think you can overtake us? RakTech will be sending…”
With that minor slip-up Iovita/Hiran cuts off communications and orders The Sanguine Raider’s weapons to be powered up. The combat begins.
Hazards:
In Tier 1-2 there will be 2 spores, in Tier 3-4 there will be 4 spores. You may determine where best to place these spores for cinematic effect. Keep in mind that both the PCs and Raiders should all ultimately survive. Do not place the spores no closer than 6 hexes to each other at any time.
Space Spores: This large spore flies through space, leaving a trail of hull-eating bacteria behind. You can simulate a spore with a single large asteroid moving across the grid over the course of several rounds, trailed by a bacteria cloud (see below) that represents the hull-eating bacteria making up the spore’s tail.
Hull-Eating Bacteria Cloud: Traveling through a hull-eating bacteria cloud can overwhelm a starship’s conventional defenses and deal real damage. Mark hexes of the cloud on the grid as the Space Spores leave a hex. A cloud persists for 1d6 rounds. If a starship flies through 1 or more of these hexes, it takes damage to its forward quadrant equal to 1d6 per bacteria cloud hex it flies through plus 1d6 for every 2 hexes the ship moved that round in total. Damage from the hull-eating bacteria cloud has the ripper weapon special quality.
[[Scaling Encounter D
All Tiers: The ship has not been properly tuned for combat, all enemy rolls suffer a -2]]
Subtier 1-2
The Sanguine Raider (Tier 2)
Appendix 1, Encounter D
Subtier 3-4
The Sanguine Raider (Tier 4)
Appendix 2, Encounter D
Development:
Even if the PCs manage to deal enough damage to ‘destroy’ the enemy ship, it will be disabled. Should the PCs insist upon blowing up The Sanguine Raider, inform them that this would be considered an evil act. It would set them on the path of getting kicked out of the Cosmic Combine, much less be considered murder even by the local Thuringag Council.
The Raiders do not respond to any hails or calls.
Quest Conclusion
When the PCs report to Cosmic Captain Farasa, read or paraphrase his response.
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“Great job Combiners! I’m sure it was no easy task to hijack a mystical ship, fly it through a spore storm and disable a fleeing ship! Stand-by though, I suspect the Thuringag Council isn’t through with us yet! Don’t worry though, this is going to be great press for us and give us the much needed leverage we need to start really exploring Thuringag!”
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Appendix 1: Subtier 1-2 Encounter D
Tactics: The engineer of The Sanguine Raider does not bother diverting power to Shields. They will switch between Diverting Power to weapons or engines as the situation demands. They will patch critical systems if need be. The pilot likes to show-off a lot, and will perform fly-bys at every possible moment. Rarely will the pilot just Evade. Iovita/Hiran will Taunt the PCs first, and then begin Demanding from the crew. Starting with the gunner.
The Sanguine Raider Tier 2
Medium Explorer
Speed 9; Maneuverability good (turn 1)
AC 16; TL 16
HP 55; DT -; CT 15
Shields light 40 (forward 10, port 10, starboard 10, aft 10)
Attack (Forward) Mystical Light Laser Cannon (2d4)[5]
Attack (Turret) Mystical Light Plasma Torpedo Launcher (3d8) [20] (Speed 14)
Power Core Arcus Heavy (130 PCU); Stellar Engine Signal
Basic; Systems basic computer, budget short-range sensors; crew quarts (common),
mk 2 armor, mk 2 defense;
Expansion Bays smuggler compartment, synthesis bay
Modifiers None; Complement 4-7
Crew
Captain Intimidate +7 (2 ranks), gunnery +7
Engineer Engineering +7 (2 ranks)
Gunner gunnery +7
Pilot Piloting +7 (2 ranks)
Science Officer Computers +7 (2 ranks)
Magic Officer Mysticism +12 (2 ranks)
Appendix 2: Subtier 3-4 Encounter D
Tactics: The engineer of The Sanguine Raider does not bother diverting power to Shields. They will switch between Diverting Power to weapons or engines as the situation demands. They will patch critical systems if need be. The pilot likes to show-off a lot, and will perform fly-bys at every possible moment. Rarely will the pilot just Evade. Iovita/Hiran will Taunt the PCs first, and then begin Demanding from the crew. Starting with the gunner.
The Sanguine Raider Tier 4
Medium Explorer
Speed 9; Maneuverability good (turn 1)
AC 18; TL 18
HP 65; DT -; CT 16
Shields light 70 (forward 20, port 15, starboard 15, aft 20)
Attack (Forward) Mystical Coilgun (4d4)[20]
Attack (Turret) Mystical Light Plasma Torpedo Launcher (3d8) [20] (Speed 14)
Power Core Pulse Red (175); Stellar Engine Signal
Basic; Systems basic computer, budget short-range sensors; crew quarts (common),
mk 4 armor, mk 4 defense;
Expansion Bays smuggler compartment, synthesis bay
Modifiers None; Complement 4-7
Crew
Captain Intimidate +10 (4 ranks), gunnery +9
Engineer Engineering +10 (4 ranks)
Gunner gunnery +9
Pilot Piloting +10 (4 ranks)
Science Officer Computers +10 (4 ranks)
Magic Officer Mysticism +15 (4 ranks)
Appendix 3: PC Starships
Sanguine Missile Boat Tier 2
Medium Transport
Speed 8; Maneuverability average (turn 2);
AC 12; TL 12
HP 70; DT -; CT 14
Shields light 40 (forward 10, port 10, starboard 10, aft 10)
Attack (Forward) Mystical Gyrolaser (1d8)[5]
Attack (Turret) Coilgun (4d4)[20], Mystical Plasma Torpedo Launcher (3d8) [20] (Speed 14)
Power Core Arcus Heavy (130 PCU); Stellar Engine Signal
Basic; Systems budget medium-range sensors; crew quarters (good), mk 1 trinode computer, mk 2 armor, mk 2 defense;
Expansion Bays cargo hold, escape pods
Modifiers +1 to any three checks per round; Complement 4-7
Sanguine Missile Boat Tier 4
Medium Transport
Speed 8; Maneuverability average (turn 2);
AC 14; TL 14
HP 85; DT -; CT 17
Shields light 700 (forward 20, port 15, starboard 15, aft 20)
Attack (Forward) Mystical Heavy Laser Cannon (4d8)[5], Coilgun (4d4)[20]
Attack (Aft) Mystical Coilgun (4d4) [20]
Attack (Turret) Coilgun (4d4)[20], Mystical Plasma Torpedo Launcher (3d8) [20] (Speed 14)
Power Core Pulse Green (150 PCU); Stellar Engine Signal
Basic; Systems budget medium-range sensors; crew quarters (good), mk 1 trinode computer, mk 4 armor, mk 4 defense;
Expansion Bays cargo hold, escape pods
Modifiers +1 to any three checks per round; Complement 4-7
Blog Conclusion
Well there we have it, my first Starship encounter complete. As I am nearing the end of this experiment of mine, I am learning that I am definitely comfortable with the mechanical aspects of creating adventures. It is the actual story that I struggle with sometimes. I look back at the entire premise of this quest line and it all feels a bit basic.
At first, I was a little down on myself for that. After a little thought though, that is sort of the point of the Tier 1-4 quest packs. Something easily digestible to potentially introduce new players to the game, while possibly having a story tidbit here and there that will interest your experienced players as well.
I’m excited to write the conclusion to this Quest Pack in the coming month and write up the big reveal that Iovita is actually Hiran, a rakshasa! After I’m done with this though, what should I create next? If you have any thoughts, reach out to me here or on Know Direction’s Discord!
