"Just wrap a bandage around my head and keep moving."  Porter grumbles as the team come back to help him after falling out of the raft.  "This damn planet is really starting to bug me, we can't go 5 minutes without something else going wrong or something trying to eat us!  Just once I'd like to see us catch a damn break!"

"Permission to personally assassinate and then revive Terry if we get that far.  Then permission to assassinate him again after revival?"

Bartja tosses the controller aside in favor of focusing on controlling the raft through the rapids, but his flesh-face-half grimaces in a frown of frustration as he considers the loss of the Survey Robot.

He grumbles from the side of his mouth "that was a lot of firepower flying away."

Another thought occurs to him once Porter is back in the folds of the repaired raft.  Addressing Porter, Desi, and Hammer he asks, "Would it be worth taking a chance to split our team before we reach the ship?  A couple of us could try to find these Aborigines and see if we can gain their assistance in halting the ships take-off.  If they can bring down Sathar ships with their EMP, they can surely stop a launch for a few more hours to give us time to take it back."

Desi tries to smile at Porter's frustration because she understands it all to well.  "I hear you loud and clear Sarge!  Welcome to my frustrations.  Orvo will patch you up real quick."

In reply to Desiraye Lipost (msg # 31):
Orvo does some quick first aid on Porter before they shove off gain.

Orvo patches Porter (+10 STA), and you head off into the rapids again.

Hour 2 of the Rapids:

Bartja: Success (Rowing) Success
Desi: Success (Rowing) Failure
Appleburg: Failure
Hammer: Success (Rowing) (Succeed)
Orvo: Fail
S'krllk: Success
Porter: Succeed (Rowing) (Critical Failure)

Raft 1 (Bartja, Desi, Orvo):
Indiv rolls:
Orvo: no effect.

Raft Rolls:
No effect.

Raft 2 (Appleburg, Hammer, S'krllk, Porter):
Indiv Rolls:
Appleburg: 52 net: Appleburg is dislodged from the raft and falls into the rapids...

Raft rolls:
Massive failure...

About 30 minutes later, you find yourself facing more violent rapids. The first raft manages to keep it together and everyone safe.  With the second raft, they fall apart. Both Appleburg and Porter cannot hold their spots, and they are ejected into the rapids.

Some options:
1: Go to shore with some delays like last time of 30 minutes to get everyone back on and push back to the rapids safely.

2: Try to use an oar or hands to grab Appleburg and Porter with both individuals rolling RS checks to avoid any delays, with following results:

   a) Both succeed: Gets on board with no delays.
   b) One succeeds at -35 or more below RS: Get on board, no delays
   c) One succeeds: Roll on incident chart above at -20. No effect means pulled safely aboard.
   d) Both fail: If puller fails, he falls into water. If person in water fails, he is sucked under and must try to get to shore through rapids. (STR check.)
   e) Crit failure: Dire consequences.

Either or both rafts can try to rescue the individuals.

This message was last edited by the GM at 04:15, Mon 22 June 2020.

Hammer reaches an oar out to Porter to help him back in the raft and will do the same for Appleburg if no one else does first. "These rapids are killing us. I wonder if we should've just stuck to the non-rapids for an easier ride."

"Thanks mate"  Porter says to Hammer  "It doesn't matter what we do, we are screwed.  If we went the other way we would not make it in time, we just have to hope that enough of us make it going this way, to justify our losses."
This message was last edited by the player at 04:32, Mon 22 June 2020.

Hammer reaches out...and Porter is brought safely aboard the raft once more, though soaking wet again.

Appleburg has a bigger problem. He reaches out for the oar but gets sucked underwater, out of sight. Then, a moment later, he reappears above water, grabbing the oar and being helped back aboard.

You count yourselves lucky that there were only two incidents in two hours in this highly turbulent water with rafts full of equipment and people, and being ridden by those with no experience.

About thirty minutes later and you feel you must be getting close to the point where the rivers join, almost done with the dangerous rapids. But now the water is becoming rougher very quickly. Giant rocky spines stick up from the surface, threatening the rafts. You hear a dull roar from not far ahead and see a faint plume of mist rising above the trees.

10:00 a.m. (3.0 hours remaining) (5 hours with no rest)
Rations remaining: 23 (each survival ration is for one person for one day)
Bivouac Units: 1 (30/30 SP (structural points); 10 kg each); second one is kept as scrap (10 kg). Rafts: 1 at full capacity (20 structural points); 1 at half capacity (10 structural points).

New Map

Hammer says, "I don't think I need to do an ecosystems check to tell that there is a waterfall directly ahead! We should probably land the rafts and haul them to the base of the waterfall."

In reply to Hammer (msg # 38):

"Copy that!  Let's get it done."  Porter replies

OOC: Waterfall: The adventure states that each rower makes a RS check (or capsize and be swept over waterfall) and that the rafts must be ported around the waterfall with a 30 minute delay. This assumes anyone got the hint that it was a waterfall, which you did here. Beyond that, it doesn't really provide a roleplaying opportunity, so we'll push through this.

I forgot to mention earlier, but even though Porter lost his breathing mask earlier, there was an extra one since Hammer does not need a mask. However, there are no additional masks if anyone else loses or breaks one.

RS checks: All made by very solid margins.


The turbulent water makes it difficult to steer and when you realize there is a waterfall ahead, you pull off and portage the rafts around. This loses you a half hour of time, but you safely make it to the bottom of the waterfall and begin your journey again.

The river opens up into a wider river, which equals the same speed as the rapids but without the dangerous rapids. Grateful that the rapids did no permanent damage, you glide into the larger river.

The large river soon enters a giant water gap area. The water gap has steep rocky cliffs that come to the water's edge in places. It is a little more difficult travel in the gap and a little slower, but is much better than crossing the ridges by land, better than the rapids, and even better than the normal narrow river you took off on earlier in the morning.

The water gap area is very wide with occasional patches of small rock, dirt or brush covered "islands" that are easy to navigate around.

It is here that Bartja sees his survey robot hovering about 100 meters above the water. It does not seem to be moving currently. You are about a kilometer away from a larger, brush covered island and are surrounded on both sides by the immense cliffs of the gap. The survey robot hangs just about at the top of the cliffs. Its battery power must be low by now.

OOC: Did Bartja throw his hand controller overboard? If not, he could try to regain control with a skill check here.

See map for water gap area:


This message was last edited by the GM at 04:49, Tue 23 June 2020.

  Porter trains his machine gun on the robot.
  "Bartja, if you can't take control of that thing I am putting it down.  Just say when!"
  At the first sign of trouble, Porter opens fire.  Glancing left and right at the cliffs.
  "This is a perfect spot for an ambush, heads up everyone!"

(OOC)
If things go pear shaped, long sustained bursts from the machine gun at the robot until it is down.

S'Krllk makes a raspy sound, either a Vrusk indication of curiosity or a little left over water in the vocal passages, then says, calmly, "Computer, scan for communications signals and express the results. Then scan for devices and express the results."

Porter watches the old survey robot as S'krllk does a scan.

Bartja rummages through the gear to locate the hand controller and opens the channel to the robot.  "This is the perfect ambush spot.  Cross-fire from the cliffs and more firepower on the island.  That's what I would have done, but we'll see how smart Terry is."

With the controller in one hand and his rifle across his lap, Bartja attempts to sync the controller with the hovering Survey robot.

  Sergeant Porter flicks on his albedo screen
  "Screens up everyone!  And somebody cover the island."

S'Krllk says, "it's confused. Terry is both a terrible human being and a sloppy hacker. I'll try to get it back."
Then he starts interacting with his bodycomp as he attempts to reclaim the robot.

S'krllk quickly works with his bodycomp and in record time, he is able to regain 100% control of the robot back to the hand controller (or himself). (critical success) Now, either he or Bartja can control the survey robot.

S'krllk also determines that the robot has been fully restocked with ammo and batteries fully charged or replaced.  (You can thank Terry for that.)

You begin putting up screens and are on full alert...

And this is when the raft comes within about 500 meters of the larger brush covered island. As you predicted, it is a perfect place for an ambush, and Terry took advantage of that.

Terry's remote robot pops up from behind the bushes for its ambush. You can tell immediately that this will be more effective and dangerous than the first robot attack. It is situated in hard cover and has camouflaged itself with its work arms. You note, however, that it is only in soft cover from the air if the survey robot gets directly above or behind it. Like your newly reacquired survey robot, the ambushing robot appears well armed.

Your rafts are moving at 25 meters per turn, so it will take you 20 turns to reach the island where the robot is hiding. (Currently, this is considered medium range for the robot's firepower. Your movement on the bobbing raft also puts you at the equivalent of soft cover from the robot's perspective. Your hand weapons are ineffective at this range. Once you get in range, the bouncing raft will cause a -20% modifier to attack.)

MOVEMENT:
Please use the grid markings to indicate where you are going (or sending the survey robot) (A-O, 1-13).

If you attack with your survey robot, note the following: Hard cover until it reaches one hex away (to northeast, northwest, southeast) or behind (on top or southwest) from the attacking robot. Of course, you could also sacrifice the survey robot by ramming it into the attacking robot.

Your survey robot is currently at speed 0 at the place on the map below and at 100 meters altitude. It may accelerate and go up or down each turn according to the instructions on the  map below.

Your raft moves 1/2 hex per turn. You may steer it or slow it down without any modifiers.

Oarsmen/Rider Options:
1) By having two oarsmen concentrate only on oaring (and letting down their guard), you can speed it up to 1 hex per turn.
2) The oarsmen can concentrate on trying to steer the raft to dodge any incoming attack. Success rate will be 1/2 RS but both oarsmen must make the RS check.
3) Turning the raft does not cause any change in normal RS checks or affect speed.
4) If letting the raft drift, you can be prepared to dive overboard if there is trouble.

NOTES: Shemp obviously cannot dive overboard. The hand controller also is not waterproof.

RAFT NOTE: You cannot steer the raft upstream.

The ambushing robot fires its heavy laser. The laser hits a spot between the two rafts, sending up a plume of steam.

OOC: See below for positions of the two rafts and the robots. Raft #1 is the northern raft, which would technically be N6 (reading the letter to move diagonally with the hex).

Raft 1 Occupants: Porter, Hammer, S'krllk, Appleburg
Raft 2 Occupants: Desi, Orvo, Bartja, Shemp

I have as current rowers Porter and Hammer, and Desi and Orvo, respectively. Bartja has the hand controller.

Let's handle this in two turn moves (i.e., one hex move per raft)





This message was last edited by the GM at 23:57, Tue 23 June 2020.

  "Nice work S'krllk, now it's my turn."  Porter hands his oar to the vrusk so he can have both hands free to fire his machine gun.  The sergeant takes aim at the robot on the island and begins firing sustained bursts.

(OOC)

Machinegun [hit 85%, dmg 10d10, RoF 1 burst, Range --/70/200/500/1km, Ammo 100/100]

Bartja grins at S'krllk and turns his focus on the hand controller.  "Now it's my turn to do some damage on Terry" he mutters as he focus' controlling the bot and firing.  "Shemp - take the oars and guide us towards that island.  We all need our hands free for this."

Using the hand controller, he flies the robot and holds the turrets steady, he instructs the Survey Robot to move up and into a flanking position, then open fire on the camouflaged unit with both the auto rifle (10 shots) and the heavy laser set to 5 SEU shots.  He then launches the robot, causing it to gain altitude and fly as quickly was possible (to G-H 12)

Hammer focuses on steering the raft and keeping it as steady as possible for Porter to take clean shots. He will glide it to area M6.

OOC: I am a little confused at the survey robot movement.

It is currently at speed 0 and can accelerate 2 hexes per turn, up to 7 total (plus 20 meters up or down in altitude).  So its full acceleration speed would be:

Turn 1: 2 hexes speed (2 traveled)
Turn 2: 4 hexes speed (6 traveled)
Turn 3: 6 hexes speed (12 traveled)
Turn 4: 7 hexes speed (19 traveled)

Also, please follow each letter northwest as shown in the arrows. So rafts are currently at N6 and N7. Attacking robot is at C10.

So the survey robot would move as follows:

Turn 1: To M8
Turn 2: To I10
Turn 3: 2 to 6 squares in any direction. (G12 would be 2 squares)

I will proceed with Turn 1 and 2 as indicated above, assuming it is firing the heavy rifle. The automatic rifle has a max range of 300 meters, so it can fire it when it reaches row I (i.e., on Turn 2).

Machine gun is considered long range (not extreme) since you are under 500 meters now.</blue>
Please make sure posts include 2 turns worth of moves. I will stop a turn if something drastic happens.

NOTE: Remember in Star Frontiers that a turn is approximately 6 seconds.
This message was last edited by the GM at 06:21, Thu 25 June 2020.

You go into full battle mode with the attacking survey robot, remembering that there were three such robots on the Moraes. One is controlled by Bartja, one was damaged by you earlier, and now this one.


TURN 2
The rafts enter M8 and M7 (450 meter range).

Bartja's experience proves useful, and after a brief scare, he gets solid control of the survey robot, sending it to 20 meter height and 100 meters forward to M9. It fires its heavy laser at the attacking robot.


Survey Robot Stats
500 Stamina
Heavy Laser: 100 SEU power (currently set at 5 SEU shots)
Auto Rifle: 100 rounds (10 round bursts)
% to hit (base): 70%.

Modifiers:
Survey robot:
70% (base) - 20 (Med Range) - 10 (movement) - 20 (hard cover) = 20% chance to hit
11:06, Today: GM Heath rolled 19 using 1d100.

For combat modifiers generally, see here: http://wiki.rpol.net/?id=6687/COMBAT
For weapon stats (including ranges), see here: http://wiki.rpol.net/?id=6687/WEAPON%20STATS

Note that a telescopic lens, which I believe Desi has, will change the range to one level close (long to medium, etc.)


The heavy laser hits the attacking robot, causing 29 points of structural damage.

Porter fires his machine gun.
85% (base) - 10% (movement) -20% (hard cover) - 40% (long range) +20% (firing burst) = 35% chance to hit.
11:27, Today: GM Heath rolled 54 using 1d100.
NOTE: Although the rules say -20% for the bouncing raft movement, I left it at -10%, which is the general modifier for a moving vehicle. If you accelerate it by rowing faster as described above, I will increase this to -20%
Porter's burst goes wide, missing the attacking robot.

The attacking robot also fires its heavy laser, and you realize you will also be in range of its automatic rifle when you get to 300 meters.

70% (base) - 20 (med range) - 10 (moving vehicle) - 10 (soft cover) = 30%
11:28, Today: GM Heath rolled 25 using 1d100.

The attacking robot hits Raft 2 with its heavy laser (set at 5 SEU), resulting in the following effects:

The laser hits Orvo and the raft. Orvo takes 12 STA damage and the raft takes 12 Structural damage. (Target chosen randomly. Orvo now at 12 STA; Raft now at 8 Structural points.)

TURN 3 (new initiative)
The attacking robot fires its heavy laser at the raft again. 11:39, Today: GM Heath rolled 36 using 1d100. The shot hits the water just to the left of Orvo, making the Dralasite jump in surprise and fear.

Porter fires his machine gun again. 11:39, Today: GM Heath rolled 19 using 1d100. His aim is true this time, and he hits the attacking robot behind its dense cover with a burst. (59 structural damage.) (8 bursts ammo remaining)

Bartja has the survey robot also attack again. 11:39, Today: GM Heath rolled 28 using 1d100. It just misses the attacking robot but sets ablaze the bushes near it.

The rafts enter the next hex (400 meter range):
Raft 2 = L8
Raft 1 = L7
The survey robot has accelerated to 4 hexes per turn and is at I10 (300 meter range, 40 meter height). Both robots can now fire automatic rifles.


Reminder on stats of your survey robot:

This message was last edited by the GM at 02:58, Fri 26 June 2020.

New Map: