Zero Prime

No, based on how hard we got hit, I re-wrote the character entirely, level 1 soldier. Another beefy boi ...

Vitharyan brings his reaction cannon to his shoulder, as he moves towards the designated position, checking cover for any further dredgers. "Let's move out Midnight." Even as he spoke, he waited for his squad to move towards the defensive perimeter.

As Haldir mentioned, it is just a mechanical change, other than that he is exactly the same. Soldier's are extremely limited on Skills, I am still angry at any game system that doesn't provide Perception as a class skill for trained soldiers, but that's another story. So really, the only thing you can rely on me for is some Intimidation, currently +7, and Survival, +7 there as well. I'll be snagging ranks in Medicine and Engineering as I level up, so I can hopefully aid our heavy hitters in those fields. Currently a ranged combatant with a Reaction Cannon, however, once 5th level Hits, I will be far more of a switch hitter, as I will be picking up Power Armor to engage in melee more effectively.

As they moved closer and closer to Brinnoa, Vith watched the skies, scram jets were flying sorties over the city, fighting a desperate battle against the strange, bio-mechanical Swarm fighters and aerial support. The entire scene was chaotic, and deafeningly loud, he turned his focus to the road, moving past various checkpoints until they came to the perimeter of the city. On seeing the Major's scarred, scaled form, he snapped to attention, saluted. "Contact on the escarpment sir," he snapped out of habit, reporting the findings of their scouting mission, "two sir." His eyes darted over the Major's shoulder, taking in the devastation that was occurring over the capital. An evacuation? With Spacedock Prime down it made sense, there was limited aerial, or orbital support, did that mean more Swarm forces were flooding the Suskillon system? Retreat? Where? The pit of his stomach roiled, he took a deep breath to steady himself. Calmer now, more focused, "We'll find a defensible position sir, buy the civvies as much time as we can." He turned to move off, briefly pausing to look at the Major, "Gradaich an'ach tor'vach!" *translated from Vesk "To serve is an honor!"

As soon as the singing disc slices through the last remaining dredger, Vitharyan looked to the tortanian, "Doctor, could you look after Ra'astar while we break camp?" With that he moved to begin breaking down and stowing the hotelier tent for a long haul, he took his time doing so, "You've got ten before we begin the trek to Brinnoa." Looking to the two dead dredgers whose ichor was turning the snow into a clumpy swath of green-grey mud. "Good job, folks, but stay alert, could be more if they're pushing the capitol." OOC: Going to let the Doc administer any healing he can, or maybe someone has a Healing Serum, then giving enough time to let Ra'as take a 10 minute rest, to recover some stamina. And finally, my question is what is the distance to Brinnoa from our current location, and how long will it take us to get there on foot?

Ferret beat me to it! The flat footed condition (if successful, I wasn't) only applies to the following attack check. It's only at 4th level with debilitating trick that the *actual* condition is applied.

On double checking it us only before the attack, not after. Vith stays at C7, no AoO. @ferret This is my 1st Operative, so I'm as prone to mistakes as you. Feel free to double check my input, doubt assume I'm right. I get alot if my knowledge from podcasts, not actual play. I was thinking if Spring Attack perhaps? 🤔

Seeing Ra'aster's condition, the red scaled vesk becomes immediately concerned. They were still miles out from camp, and given the news about SP-1, a Swarm push was imminent, and the squad would likely not have access to anything more than field medicine for the foreseeable future. He pushed the, admittedly, dark thoughts from his mind, braced his left shoulder against the outcropping and squeezed off a shot, hoping to end the conflict quickly before his squad suffered any further injury. As he watched the shot sear, ineffectually, into it's rear chitin, he rushed forward, his lips pulled back in a ferocious snarl, his claws poised to strike. "Not today you ugly mother pronker!" OOC: Full Round Action: Trick Attack vs Green Trick Attempt=1d20+13=(7)+13=20 (CR 0 fails presumably) Attack Check=1d20+3=(18)+3=21 (vs EAC) Damage=d4=(3)=3 fire damage Follow up Move: (C7)>(E10) As part of the move action, I will move towards the Dredger, getting into melee range of it. However, as a Vesk of my off hand is not equipped with any gear, so I will threaten it with natural weapons (ie. claws) so if it moves from it's square I would get an AoO, and could provide flanking for someone else in melee. To save time I will include a check for the AoO (if it is triggered): AoO (if triggered) Attack Check=1d20+4=(13)+4=17 (vs KAC) Damage=d3+3=(2)+3=5 slashing

Ahhh, when I get more money I'll look at grenades. All single target right now, so that's not an issue.

By friendly fire you mean targets get cover bonuses, or are we talking crit fails?

Boys! We are getting lit up! Ouch! Team SDF is already down 20 damage, I'm assuming the crit bottomed out @Corsair's stamina, so we've got 1 into HP's already. Ouch!

I kind of assumed South-West corner, but was ambiguous about my ending position because I thought I missed something while viewing the map on my phone. @haldir Please note, that at our level, Trick Attack (if successful) only makes the target Flat Footed against the Operative's next attack, ie. the Trick Attack's to-hit check. We can also say Vith is using the snow at C7 for camflauge to aid his Trick Attack.

I was under the impression it was two singular dredgers, even if we were to fall back we'd likely want them neutralized as they're an immediate threat. Either way if I'm operating under the wrong impression, feel free to correct me.

Thanks to Gustav's suggestion Vitharyan moved cautiously across solid stone outcroppings, avoiding loose soil, hoping that would be harder for the burrowing vexxers to track. Once he got within 30 feet of the rear most dresdger he squeezed off a shot, sending a las bolt towards the creature's cranial mass, hopefully neutralizing it entirely. OOC: Full Round Action, Trick Attack vs Pink. Trick Attempt: 1d20+13 (Stealth+1)=(10)+13=23 (Success vs CR 3 or less) Attack vs Flat Footed EAC: 1d20+4=(8)+4=12 Damage=1d4 (Laser Pistol)+1d4 (Trick Attack)=3+4=7 Fire

Vith nodded at Maus, "Keep trying to get that signal through. Doc, Ra'astar, how are we coming on tearing down that ...," his thoughts were interrupted by the sudden appearance of swarm dredgers advancing on the unit. "Contact." With a soldier's intuition he responds with lightning speed, readying his pistol even as he moves to circle to the rear of the advancing vexxers, his cam-membrane rendering him nearly invisible as he did so. OOC: Initiative: 1d20+4=(20)+4=24 So, ummm, that means I will be rolling 1's for everything else.

Vitharyan nodded at Gustav, "I appreciate your discretion," he sighed, watching the skies over Brinnoa, knowing, full well, that Drachovya was a few hundred klicks from the capitol. "And I get that you've got issue with the Major, but he knew the withdrawal was the sign of something else, when top brass didn't, he saw the second offensive coming." He nodded towards the flares in the skies, "The vexxers are landing troops, and if they are attacking SP-1 they are trying to cut off any orbital superiority the SDF may have. We need to pack up and try to link up with the Battalion, situation's changed and command can't respond." He turned back towards the unit, "Maus!" He called to the ysoki, "See if you can boost our signal and cut through the interference, get us a channel to Lt. Jan, or the Major!" Then the Doc was in his face, pushing a R2E into his hands, he nodded thanks, tore off the wrapper and bit into the dense, tasteless, protein bar. "Stay sharp, this is a second offensive, and I'm thinking it's going to make the Battle of the Stone Sea look like a small skirmish." As he counseled Midnight squad to stay alert, and while waiting for Maus to push their signal through to the battalion's command channel, he performed a cursory perimeter check to ensure that there were no surprises. OOC: Perception check: 1d20+8=(16)+8=24

That's fair, I always assumed a squad channel and a command channel. Either way it doesn't really matter, I'll wait for a GM post to see if we get a response and then we'll see what's going on.

Wouldn't our superior be on the command channel, rather than the squads channel? I'm kind of confused at the moment.

Ummm, Vith didn't break chaun of command. He requested info from our command channel, he's a soldier, he wouldn't do that.

@haldir Question, is there a chain of command within the squad? I called Vith a Corporal just for flavor, but I am curious what rank we really are, and if anyone is actually higher ranked to be issuing orders?

Doc had set up the tent at the hollow of the hill, to keep the unit out of the wind while they patrolled the area, when their comms crackled to life Vith immediately stopped on patrol. As the enormity of the emergency broadcast struck him, he looked skyward, Spacedock Prime?! It was the central hub of incoming and outgoing trade for the continent, it also housed the Suskillon Orbital Defense flight groups, the pilots who defended their orbital soverignty. He looked to his squad mates, "If SP-1 is under attack," he paused, stunned, "an additional battlegroup? Reinforcements?" The flashes of ion-charged orbital weapons reflecting through the night sky over Brinnoa, he suddenly had a chill go down his spine, causing his tail to quiver back and forth rapidly. "Break down that tent," he called to his squad, while he tried to raise SDF Command on comms. "SDF Command this is 5th Battalion, Midnight Squad, on recon patrol 6 miles west of Cavalier. SP-1 broadcast received. Orders?!?"

Despite Vith's somewhat surly nature, he's not apt to leave anyone behind, especially not Doc! As far as Stealth, him taking a -10 is mostly flexing, and really, he isn't concerned with concealing himself from Swarm, I figure they have ways beyond sight and sound to find me. He is concerned that there may be other threats though, whether deserters, looters or such, and he's a cautious soldier by nature.

Got me there! Yup, they're new! I must have skimmed that! Hah! As a good point, once I realize Ysoki land speed is slower than average, I'll slow us down to a routine marching speed. Don't want you fatigued or frozen! Wait ... Ysoki have the land speed of a medium creature, ie. 30 ft, so you are just out of shape. Ok, we'll make you keep pace then. 🙂

I don't think dredgers are new, they were likely used as shock troops at the Battle of the Stone Sea. However the burrowing *is* something we should prepare for, not sure if seismic sensors are a thing, but good call on utilizing your mining background. Now, I could be wrong, the Swarm develop and mutate new forms and physiologies as required, so dredgers could be new in that case. Either way, let's kill some freaking bugs! Quick note to GM & Players, I am using Courier New to designate communication sent through our helmet comms, which should be inaudible to anyone (or thing) observing us. Also, my side arm is out as I am expecting hostiles and want to be prepared for that, and a final note, my Camoflage Membrane is currently keyed for Suskillon's winter, so that is where my +2 circumstance bonus on Stealth is coming from.

Vith returned Maus' nod, and once dismissed approached the diminutive engineer, "Couldn't rightly let you freeze your tail off." Looking towards the others, he noted the make up of the group, "I'll take point, get us to the escarpment quickly. Forecast calls for a wind out of the west tonight, going to be a cold one boys, might want to turn on your enviro controls til sun up." He pinged the comms built into their helms as he disappeared into the snowy terrain around them. "Keep this channel open for sit-reps," he gave another pause, "Gustav might be best to have you take rear, make sure no vexxers get behind or beneath us, keep our asses covered. Ta'Naton, if you want to take fore protect the Doc and our engineer, we'll get this little march done and be back in for the morning bell." He monitored the comm for changes in the basic plan, but soon moved forward of the group to ensure that he had good eyes on the terrain as they progressed forward towards the Delta Escarpment. Survival (Navigation) 13+10=23 Stealth (Full Speed) 14+12-10=16