[Archived] Act 2 — The Gods of Coxa II

[Starbeard]

The party tenses, waiting to see what happens next. Directly ahead a large green and white bush rustles, its outer fronds parting. The plant begins to seep forward toward the party, as though alive! The crew are suddenly aware of the plant's white, intelligent eyes staring at them, and then another pair appear, and another…

—But no, the plant is not alive at all! Those eyes belong to people! Three slim, muscled humanoids stand before the senior crew of the Janus with expressionless faces, their sage-green skin swathed in exotic swirls of white and silver, making them almost invisible against the jungle backdrop. All look male in appearance, and wear nothing but simple knee-length skirts of shimmering cloth. They wield long hunting spears.

[ybn1197]

Are they simply holding the spears or are they pointing them at us?

[Starbeard]

They are indeed pointing them at you, but cautiously.

[ybn1197]

Captain Dillon Wyse

The captain indicates that everyone point their phasers down with a hand gesture. He presents both open palms to the natives and then activates the Universal Translator. "We mean you no harm. We come in peace."

[max_vale]

LCDR Dale Collins; Helmsman


It's everything Dale can do to NOT point the phaser directly at the newcomers. He DOES slightly move to the front of the Captain; ready to jump in front of him if necessary while he awaits the response of the aliens to the Captain's statement....

[Grognardsw]

Ensign Costello bravely steps forward.

"Captain I have this!" he yells, firing his phaser at the spear-weilding alien menace.

Costello tightens the grip on his phaser, thoughts of heroic action flashing through his mind.

[Starbeard]

Stardate 2271.3.22 1610h

Costello shoulders his way forward and points his handheld phaser at the lead alien. Their eyes follow the movement of his hand, and when they see the phaser levelled at them they grow frightened and attempt to scatter out of the way, obviously understanding the nature of the device; but it's too late. Costello cuts the air with two rapid shots of his stun beam, the first landing square into the lead alien's chest, and the second blasting the alien to the left as he turns to dive behind cover. Both collapse to the ground.

Before the reality of the situation sinks in, some of the crew are somewhat surprised to find that the aliens appear a little sluggish as they scatter, despite their lithe frames. However, the third alien, now half-hidden in the ferns, has his spear poised and looks ready to throw!

Everyone please state your intentions for the next full round of combat, and roll 1D6 + your DX modifier for Order of Initiation. If you are firing your phaser, there is a -1 Initiative penalty to the roll.

Ensign Costello's DX… [3d6] = 8 (DX 8, DX modifier = -1)

An Initiative roll (1D6 ± DX modifier) will determine if Costello has the surprise.
If he goes first he can get a shot off as though it were an ambush situation:
Costello (-1 modifier from Phaser I) [1d6] = 5 -2 = 3
Lead alien [1d6] = 4 - 2 = 2
Alien at party's right [1d6] = 2 -2 = 0
Alien at party's left [1d6] = 1 - 2 = -1

I'm interpreting Costello's impulsive heroism to mean that he's firing two shots (a Phaser I can fire 2 shots a round).
The first shot gets an 'ambush' bonus to the roll, but the second gets no prone target modifiers.

Ranged combat is 1D6 vs a target number (found on a table), using the character's DX and the target distance.
Costello is firing at short range with DX 8, so needs 3 or less on a D6.

First shot (at -2 to roll for ambush): [1d6-2] = 2-2 = 0 (hit)
Stun Damage: Phaser I (2D6) - target's resistance (1D6 ± LK mod) — [2d6] = 10, [1d6-2] = 5-2 = 3 = 7 damage of 3.5 needed (KO)
Second shot: [1d6] = 2 (hit)
Stun Damage: [2d6] = 7, [1d6-2] = 5-2 = 3 = 4 damage of 3.5 needed (KO)

A Phaser I has 9 energy stored. On stun setting, each shot uses up 2 energy:
Costello's phaser is currently at 5/9 energy.

[Grognardsw]

Whoa! Did you miss my spoiler It was all in Costello's head. I guess my humor too subtle, withthe spoiler and italics? Oh well.

[Starbeard]

Hahaha! Whoops!!

I did read the spoiler, but it honestly wasn't until you pointed that out that I understood what the spoiler was implying. Come to think of it, I was wondering what the deal was with the italics…

RIGHT: Back-track and change of plan. Consider this to be the combat fiasco as Costello played it out in his head — and now everyone in the game has the benefit of knowing how combat works! Not to mention just how easily a phaser can neutralize a situation.

However, if Grognardsw reaaally wants to have it stand… well, I'll let you all decide on that.

So no Initiative rolls needed here yet. At the moment the aliens are tense, spears poised but not ready to attack, but their expression patterns are foreign enough that no one can tell exactly what their intent or currently emotions are.

[Grognardsw]

Thanks. It was all in his head. I'll be more explicit next time

[ybn1197]

Any sign of recognition from the aliens when the Universal Translator was used?

[Inferno]

Commander Nadix Ar Eth, Science Officer:

Serenely oblivious to Ensign Costello's violent reveries, the Edosian lowered his phaser with one hand, as his second and third hands subtly attuned his tricorder to scan the alien physiognomy of these fascinating specimens that Nadix hypothesized were vegetable-based lifeforms.

[Starbeard]

Any sign of recognition from the aliens when the Universal Translator was used?

Sorry, missed this after the fiasco.

Dillon presents open palms to the aliens and declares the party's peaceful intentions. The aliens lower their spears slightly, but do not move. They turn their heads to the side, squinting at the party from the corners of their eyes.

Costello twitches nervously. Dale moves up slightly to cover the captain, and the aliens flinch visibly at the movement, bringing their spears back up and ready—that action the landing party needs no translator to interpret.

Nadix Ar Eth remains disinterested in how the situation unfolds, studying the physiognomy of the aliens through his tricorder.

The alien on the right suddenly speaks to Dillon. 'You are not gods.' His words sound almost like an accusation.

[ybn1197]

Is the translator saying this or is he speaking in our language?

[Starbeard]

This is going through the Universal Translator.

Of course, if you really want to go whole hog and get the full effect of the show, we could hypothesize that the translator is also scrambling your brain functions to make you hear him as though he were speaking English.

[ybn1197]

Hey, it works for Doctor Who

No, we are not. We are men, much like yourselves.

[Inferno]

Commander Nadix Ar Eth, Science Officer:

Unwilling to interrupt this critical moment of first contact with an inessential (if intriguing) report of his tricorder readings, Nadix remains silent.

The Edosian explorer is mindful of Human protocol, and as much as he would wish to participate in this fascinating connection of cultures, his egoless nature is content to observe the Captain taking his rightful place as ambassador of the Federation of Planets.

[Inferno]

Commander Nadix Ar Eth, Science Officer:

While his tricorder findings were not urgent, it quickly dawned on Nadix that their implications might be.

Without making any threatening motions, Nadix discretely murmured to the captain, away from the translator, "Please forgive this intrusion. I would advise that we avoid touch. They are a plant-based lifeform and it's possible, however remotely, that their skin could contain toxins, not unlike a poisonous plant."

[ybn1197]

Captain Dillon Wyse

Without moving eye contact away from the natives, Dillon whispers "Duly noted Mr. Nadix. I'll keep that in mind."

[Starbeard]

The native to the right lifts his hand slightly, and the others lower their spears. "Men?" he asks. They look at each other and make a laugh. Their laughter is strange, and they roll their shoulders and rock their torsos about in a fashion that seems totally, almost grossly, alien.

"Men! They say only men!" they say to each other. Then the leader waves his hand and turns back to the crew, his face returning to its previous stoic expression. "Why do you trick us?"

A crash of reeds is heard off to the side, where Ensign Abbot had recently been scouting, and another alien stumbles into the path clearing. This one looks distinctly female. The three other Coxans spot her and grow tall and wide-eyed, their jaws set. "There she is!"