Asteroids and Athletes Ch. 02

Maddy: Can I take it anyway?

Cesar: Sure. Add Low Viscosity Motor Oil to your bag inventory. *points to character sheet*

Maddy: Alright.

Cesar: Anything else?

Maddy: How about the computer?

Cesar: You try and log on?

Maddy: Yeah.

Cesar: The system boots up. Now make a Starship Engineering roll.

Maddy: *rolls* Eighty five.

Cesar: You can't seem to figure out this system. It's quite a bit different from your ship.

Maddy: I'll go to the next room then.

Cesar: You go to the door and it opens automatically to another hallway. It seems small, there is another door at the end.

Maddy: I'll enter and go to the next door.

Cesar: The hall illuminates as you enter and the door opens at the end of the hall when you get to it. You notice a small plaque above the door with the words 'Bridge'. Inside are seats and control panels similar to your ship, but..

Maddy: What?

Cesar: You see a body slumped on the floor.

Maddy: Uh...

Cesar: What do you do?

Maddy: I'll point my gun at them and say, (Yaae) Hey you ok?

Cesar: There's no answer.

Maddy: I'll push the gun against them.

Cesar: The body rolls over. It's a dead Jozan in an armored suit. The skin is sunken in and gaunt. The left arm is missing, but wrapped in bandages like it was torn off and patched up. The Jozan is obviously dead.

Maddy: Shit.

Cesar: You've never seen her like this. It's terrifying, but there's no mistaking it.

Maddy: Is it my mom?

Cesar: It's her.

Maddy: What the fuck happened to her?

Cesar: You can roll medicine skill to try and figure it out.

Maddy: *rolls* Eighteen. What do I need to get under?

Cesar: What is your medicine skill? I don't think I gave it to you.

Maddy: No I don't see it.

Cesar: Ok it's ten at default, so you didn't make it. You aren't sure.

Maddy: That's terrible. Can... should I take her with me?

Cesar: It's up to you.

Maddy: I'll come back later. Ok I'm leaving the ship now.

Cesar: Alright. So you walk back the way you came and down the stairs. Diaz follows you, rolling down the stairs behind you.

Maddy: What's in this room again?

Cesar: *looks at book* This is the Docking Port according to the map. There are the large tanks labeled fuel on one side of the room and the two forklifts plugged into the opposite wall. Then there's all the crates stacked and organized in the small fenced off area. You also see two other doors similar to the one you entered from your ship and a large airlock door about 50 feet wide by 30 feet high between them. On the other side of the dock is another door, about 8 feet circular in diameter. There's a sign on the wall that points to this door with the words Main Facility.

But, before you are able to do anything you hear a shriek and the Main Facility door opens wide. What comes out is a large bug-like creature with a red carapace and giant mandibles with razor-sharp teeth. It's two arms raised in front, look like jagged swords. It walks on six legs and moves only a few steps in front of the door before pausing and shrieking again. It's a bit terrifying. Roll a Will Check.

Maddy: What?

Cesar: Roll percentile. And what is your willpower value?

Maddy: Nine.

Cesar: Nine times five is forty-five. Now try and roll under that.

Maddy: *rolls* Forty one.

Cesar: Success. The creature doesn't rattle you. If you had failed you would have been frozen with fear on your first turn and wouldn't be able to act.

Maddy: Shit.

Cesar: Now... let's get into combat.

Maddy: Lit.

Cesar: I'll put out a battle mat of the docking bay.

Ok so I don't have a miniature that exactly matches your style, but why don't you pick from these?

Maddy: What am I picking?

Cesar: Whichever miniature you pick will be the representation of your character on the battle mat. And this... is what you are fighting.

Maddy: That bug figure looks freaky. Do I know what alien it is?

Cesar: You haven't seen anything like this before.

Maddy: Ok. Hmm... I'll pick this figure, she looks lit.

Cesar: Ok you'll start here. Pick one of the hexes no more than three spaces from the bottom of the stairs. And the creature will start here near the door to the Main Facility.

For combat we always go in order of Speed, largest to smallest. What's Yaae's Speed?

Maddy: Sixteen.

Cesar: Wow really?

Maddy: *nods*

Cesar: Ok you're going first.

Maddy: What can I do?

Cesar: On your turn you can move around the map, interact with things, and attack. You can only perform up to two actions in a turn. These can be a move or attack, or both. If you only use one action, you could dodge, parry, or counterattack on your opponent's turn. You can combine those as well like a double move, or move and an interaction.

Maddy: I just want to attack.

Cesar: You need to check the range on your weapon. It should be next to it on your sheet.

Maddy: Range ten and in parentheses it has fifty feet.

Cesar: Each hex here is five feet wide. On this map that means you can shoot anything at ten spaces away, but right now you're about 13 spaces from the creature. Your Speed divided by four and plus one is how many spaces you can move in your turn. So you can move five spaces per turn.

Maddy: Ok so I should move five spaces and attack?

Cesar: You could, but you only need to move three to be in range.

Maddy: Ok so what's next?

Cesar: Let's count spaces again. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten. That's 50 feet which is exactly your range with the rifle. So you're in range, but let's see if you hit. Roll to hit and if you get below your rifle skill you'll roll for damage.

Maddy: *rolls* Eighty four.

Cesar: Probably not a hit. What is Yaae's rifle skill?

Maddy: Uh... sixty percent.

Cesar: That's a miss. You squeeze the trigger and the shot just barely misses. The laser blast hits the wall behind harmlessly. The creature screeches and heads towards you. Fortunately for Yaae, it doesn't have enough speed to get to her. It can only go 4 spaces per action with its speed, but that's 8 spaces closer if it double moves. *moves creature closure* Now it's your turn. The creature screeches in frustration.

Maddy: Can I shoot again?

Cesar: Sure. Roll to hit with your rifle.

Maddy: *rolls* Forty.

Cesar: Your skill is 60, so that's a hit. Now roll damage.

Maddy: How much percentile?

Cesar: No, next to the weapon. *points*

Maddy: Two D eight?

Cesar: Right. Here these are eight sided dice.

Maddy: Ok. *rolls* Six and three, so...

Cesar: You add them together, so nine. Your shot hits true, taking a large chunk out of the creature's red armor. It squeals in pain, but it's not down yet. You have a choice now. Because you're so fast, you could run back so the creature would have to run to you. But then you'll be against the wall. Or you can try to go up the stairs or anywhere else in the room. Or anything else you want to do?

Maddy: Can I attack again?

Cesar: You don't have another attack action with this weapon, it's too slow.

Maddy: I'll just go straight back then.

Cesar: You can go back five. And then it's the creature next. It will double move and get within one space of you, but no attacks. Your turn again.

Maddy: I'll shoot.

Cesar: Roll it.

Maddy: *rolls* Thirty-seven

Cesar: That's a hit. Now roll damage.

Maddy: Two D eight?

Cesar: Yup.

Maddy: Two and six is eight.

Cesar: Ok, you blast another chunk of its armor, this time on its head. One of its antennae goes flying and it screams loudly. Do you want to move or anything?

Maddy: Could I move this way?

Cesar: Yeah. Ok now it's the creature's turn. It's going to try and charge at you. You can attempt to dodge or you can try to hit it with your rifle. Although it's an improvised weapon so it will be tougher to hit and might break if you aren't careful.

Maddy: I'll try and dodge.

Cesar: Ok I'll roll for the creature and... *rolls dice*. Nine percent! That a hit.

Maddy: That's ok...

Cesar: You still have a chance to dodge, roll percentile.

Maddy *rolls* Forty eight.

Cesar: What is your dodge skill? *points to sheet* Forty-five. Not good enough. It does *rolls dice* low roll so... only 5 blunt damage. What is your Armor Rating?

Maddy: What's that?

Cesar: It's listed as AR. *points to her sheet*

You have an AR of 6, which cancels out all the damage.

Maddy: Lit

Cesar: Now it's your turn.

Maddy: You'll be pretty easy to hit this close up.

Cesar: Actually now that we're in melee combat, range weapons fire at penalty.

Maddy: What, why?

Cesar: The creature is up in your face, trying to kill you as you and it are jockeying for position, so it's difficult to get a shot off with your rifle. So you'll have to use an extra die and take the higher number.

Maddy: Ok

Cesar: And... now that you're close up, make a Notice Check.

Maddy: *rolls* Ninety six.

Cesar: Almost a crit fail... all you get from that roll is that it smells like sewage and rotten fish. You're having a hard time not covering your nose.

Maddy: Ok... umm. Can I run away and fire again?

Cesar: It hasn't acted this turn yet, so it might attack you if you try to run. Or you could fire on it, but with a penalty. Or try and hit it with the butt of your gun.

Maddy: Don't I also have a knife? *looks at sheet*

Cesar: Yes you could try and stab it with your knife without penalty.

Maddy: But it would get a chance to dodge?

Cesar: Probably.

Maddy: Wait, does it get a dodge when I try to shoot it?

Cesar: Guns... let me check... Yes you're right, they can, but at penalty. And... I guess I ruled wrong before, you need to have an action left to dodge.

Maddy: What does that mean?

Cesar: Don't worry about it. I'll remember it for next time. So what are you gonna do?

Maddy: Hmm... I'm going to try and shoot it again.

Cesar: Ok, so now you also get a penalty die for attacking while in melee range. Here is another percentile die. *gives it to Maddy* Roll.

Maddy: All three?

Cesar: Yeah.

Maddy: Ten, Forty, and eight. Do I add them all together? Fifty eight?

Cesar: No... So there are two dice with multiples of ten right? You take the highest of those and add it to the other die. So in this case there is a forty which is higher than ten. So forty plus eight is forty eight.

Maddy: Ok, got it.

Cesar: Is forty eight enough for a hit?

Maddy: Uh...

Cesar: Remember your hit chance is 60% with the rifle.

Maddy: Ok so it hits.

Cesar: Roll damage, Two D eight.

Maddy: *rolls* One and two, so three.

Cesar: Too bad. It looks like the creature's carapace deflected most of that, you only just grazed it.

Maddy: It has armor too?

Cesar: It's shell seems to act like armor.

Maddy: How much HPs does it have left?

Cesar: You can't tell details like that. All you can tell is that it's looking a bit damaged. Now it's going to attack you. Since it's close it will attack with its claws. It gets two attacks. Ok *rolls* Sixty three, that's a miss, and sixty. Another miss. It's trying to hit you, but you easily juke out of the way.

Maddy: Lit.

Cesar: Your turn, what will you do?

Maddy: I'm going to shoot it again.

Cesar: Ok roll with penalty.

Maddy: *rolls* Ten, forty, and five.

Cesar: Forty five. Wow you've been lucky. That's another hit. Roll damage.

Maddy: *rolls* Eight plus one is nine.

Cesar: Nice... let me check, ok sweet.

Maddy: Is it still alive?

Cesar: So with this shot you hit the same place that dented its armor before and now it goes right through its body. It squeals loudly and collapses to the side. It's blue blood leaks all out over the floor. It's then that you notice that there is damage on the creature that you didn't cause. Maybe it was hit by something or someone else? But you don't have time to examine it, because you see another creature appear through the same door at the end of the hall. And then another and another. They start shrieking as they rush towards you.

Maddy: Damn.

Cesar: But we'll have to continue next time. Good job Maddy.

*presses recording stop*

"That's it?" I asked. I looked at my watch. "Oh I didn't think it was that long."

"Sorry," he said.

"That's ok, it was fun," I admitted.

I grabbed my bag and stood up.

"Are you able to play next week?" He asked. "I think it's about time to introduce you to the rest of the group."

"Uh... Yeah I'm ready," I said, putting the strap over my shoulder. We walked to the door together. He opened it for me and I stepped out.

"Is next Wednesday evening ok?"

"Should be. Thanks for this Cesar, I didn't think it would be like this."

"What did you think it would be like?"

"I don't know... at first when I saw the character sheet I got a bit scared. But now I'm having fun," I said.

"Good," he said with a smile.

"So what are the other people like?"

"They're all pretty different... It's probably best if you judge for yourself when you see them next week."

"Fair enough. Ok see you next time."

Cesar reached out his hand and I shook it warmly.

"Bye."

I turned back to my car and walked halfway towards it, about fifty feet. Cesar was very chill and a really nice guy. He was very different from most of my friends at the time. I turned back over my shoulder and saw him still looking at me. He waved. I smiled and did the same, and then got into my car.