Chapter 2: Have Gun, Will Travel

[greyarea]

Emile pops out of the main entrance and begins firing at any zombies he can target.

defending the main entrance + dex + sunblade [2d6+4]=5+4=9
Damage: [2d6+3]=7+3=10 Damage: [2d6+3]=11+3=14
AC: 20 (Robes of Discipline + Dex bonus + Level)


My apologies. Work has been eating my time and energy.

[Marullus]

Ambiance: What Makes a Good Man?

FOOOOM! FOOOM! FOOOM! Nora's projectiles fall into the mass in the outer fields, but the throng keeps coming. Shadrach quickly lifts a hand to shield his face from the light of the balls of lightning spewing from Nora's weapon. "That's a powerful weapon, but pure hell on the night vision," he mutters. As one wave falters, he takes advantage of the momentarily lull to swap magazines and thumb rounds from one half-full magazine into another, dropping the empty mag into a cargo pocket on his left leg. "Still, right effective against a wave attack like this." He gives her a grim smile and settles back prone, aiming at the zombies mobbing the tractor.

"There’s something wrong with this badge… I know it," mutters Hansel as he revs the motor and makes another pass through the thickest group of zombies again. The wheatcutter blades on the modified tractor splatter blood and gore in a wide arc as the vehicle careens through the paddock lane. The engine roars and Hansel never slows, making it to the end of the paddock to the field. Shadrach's rifle picks off the stragglers to the left and right of Hansel's swath of death, Nora's explosions dropping into and illuminating the fields beyond the fenceline. At least two-thirds of the zombies there are shot, evicerated, or incinerated - those clusters of ambulatory corpses remaining are in twos and threes now, still walking forward with implacable, mindless determination, trying to make it unsuccessfully past the sheet-metal fencing and the gore-flooded paddock pathway.

Báleygr Gangleri voice comes through on the comm. "Surprise attack at the rear. I'm not the best equipped for this."

Shadrach's voice follows. "More zombies, or something else? Tavvi, you backing him up? Call out if ordinary bullets don't do the trick."

"They're at the door! I see them!" comes the voice of Oliver, tinged with both excitement and terror.

"Oh God... not the house, Oliver's in the house!" exclaims Nora in the barn-loft, visibly torn whether to lob more bombs at the zombies or run to Oliver.

Emile stands stoicly on the front porch, revolver in each hand, watching for zombies breaking past the front line but the yard between the house and the barn remains empty. He can see the blue-white glow of explosions beyond the fence and hear the roar of Hansel's tractor as it grinds through human bodies. "Hells alive," spits Old Richard as he listens to the chatter, ditching his spot at the front window and running through the house to the rear.

At the rear of the house, Báleygr stands alone in the doorway with nothing but a laser pistol. He toggles switches on the the metal headband, the AI chirps a bright tone and accesses the direct mental feed, pulsing with slow, violet light. "AI, what's your designation, and tactical suggestions?" The three drones float down to impede the pathway to the door in front of Báleygr as the AI responds. "I am the Heavy, and I recommend you don't die," the pulsing cube answers. The drones activate their spotlights, melting away patches of darkness to reveal horrors of pure, congealed shadow loping towards the door at breakneck speed on their multiple limbs.

Minions-Small.jpg (24.94 KiB) Viewed 466 times

The first two are on Báleygr before he can scream, tearing into his flesh. His laser pistol falls from his hands. Báleygr's mind races, flashing through memories as he fights for his life. The wide froglike mouth of Athalgara smiles upon him. 'Flesh is an illusion, once you learn that, you have power over all men,' her voice croaks, smearing the pungent balm on his rubbery hide.

BLAM! BLAM! Two shots ring out from where Taavi perches on the roofline in the pouring rain with his rifle, the bullets tearing through the creature's flesh and knocking them back off of the plain-looking mechanic, a large hole visible clear through each of the shadow-horrors. As the drones try to intercede, Báleygr is able to scurry backwards on his hands and feet into the building, blood dripping a trail behind him. Life aboard ship flashes through Báleygr's mind. Engine rooms feeling like home. Ports he's visited. Then the serrated sharp maws of hull-worms he had to pry off the vessel. The creatures hiss at the edge of the light, gaping maws of black teeth.

The monsters regroup and to Taavi and Báleygr's dismay, the holes caused by the bullets visibly begin to close as the horrors reach the darkness in the yard. Tenatively, the next shadow creature lopes towards the house - just inside the rear door, Old Richard fires once, knocking it back into darkness for a moment before the drone's spotlights pivot to again bathe it in illumination. Memories, cruel and mocking children throwing stones, come unbidden to Báleygr, driving him from the center of town. Deep memories of his shames and fears. Pain courses through Báleygr from the shadow-horror's wounds, his eyes bulging outward wildly like a strange cephalopod, gills momentarily appearing on his neck. "Hells, boy. Keep it together," says Old Richard above him, cocking a new round into his rifle. The careful aim of Taavi and Old Richard, the sweeping and bright spotlights of the drones, create a brief perimeter around the back door, more than a dozen creatures clambering at the edge of the light, testing the defenses with lunging attacks and quick retreats. Behind them halfway across the back yard, a drone momentarily illuminates a single human man, but then he ducks behind an arborvitae and is gone.

Richard on the yard [2d6+2]=8+2=10 Nora in the barn [2d6+1]=10+1=11

Fields: Nora (full hit)
Paddock Way: Hansel and tractor (full hit), Shadrach (No roll)
Front of House: Emile (partial hit... no consequence since nothing broke through to reach him)
Rear of House: Balegyr (fail - seriously injured), Taavi (full hit), Richard (full hit)

[jemmus]

Taavi hastily says into his comm, Yes, Richard and I are with Báleygr. He fires his semiautomatic rifle at the thing that they shot before. "Maybe damaging it faster than it can heal will kill it," he thinks.

[2d6+1]=6+1=7[1d10+2]=7+2=9[1d10+2]=4+2=6

He says into the comm, Multi-legged monsters here. Damn things self-heal. One got Báleygr pretty bad. I think I saw Petr Zaitsev, but couldn't get a shot off at him. It's a frantic situation at the back of the house, but Taavi decides that it's worth dividing his attention to once in a while glance to see if he can spot Petr. "If I can kill him, maybe this will stop."

[redwarrior]

Listening to the radio chatter, Hansel breaks in I don't know anything about killing things that don't want to stay dead or go around healing themselves. For those that do, go ahead, I'll do what I can to get the stragglers on the paddock. After turning off the mic, he mutters to himself Never be the guy in the front. Stupid badge., revs the engine, spins the threshing blades to hopefully throw off any big chunks fouling them, and dives forward into the remaining waves of zombies, trying to find the most efficient paths to mow them down.


Action [2d6+3]=11+3=14 laser rifle laser rifle [1d12+3]=1+3=4
Nice action roll! Looks like I messed up the second damage roll. So here's a stand-alone for that
laser rifle laser rifle [1d12+3]=6+3=9

[greyarea]

Emile keeps watch for any that get through, his Sunshooter at the ready

[cybersavant]

Báleygr Gabgleri lies on the floor, focusing on the AI and the drones. "I'll try to keep light from two drones to block their passage to the door and send the third to find the human."

what do i need to roll for this?

[Enoch]

Shadrach curses quietly as he listens to the radio chatter, then turns to the woman beside him. "Nora, Hansel's going to cover the paddock from downstairs. You stay here and deal with the crowd. I'll go find Oliver, and deal with whatever ain't dyin' down there."

He hops to his feet, surprisingly agile for someone who frequently complains about his age, fires a few final shots out the loft door before thundering down the stairs with his rifle at low ready. He toggles the radio: "On my way to the back. Some shadows just don't go down easy."

He races through the rain toward the house.

I will spend my move and action falling back to the house.

[Marullus]

Báleygr Gabgleri lies on the floor, focusing on the AI and the drones. "I'll try to keep light from two drones to block their passage to the door and send the third to find the human."

what do i need to roll for this?

Every PC gets two actions: a main and a move.
Normally, it takes a main action to control one drone.
With the TL5 headband, you control three drones with your MOVE action instead.
You also gave the AI access to your neural link, so it can control the drones and you can have both your actions for other purposes.

So, Balygyr can do more.
If he is controlling the drones himself it is an Attribute + Program roll for that component of his action.
He can do something more with an additional role.

[cybersavant]

Every PC gets two actions: a main and a move.
Normally, it takes a main action to control one drone.
With the TL5 headband, you control three drones with your MOVE action instead.
You also gave the AI access to your neural link, so it can control the drones and you can have both your actions for other purposes.

So, Balygyr can do more.
If he is controlling the drones himself it is an Attribute + Program roll for that component of his action.
He can do something more with an additional role.

Báleygr Gangleri will let the AI continue - does it position 2 to cover the back of the house in light, and use the 3rd to search for the human?


if so, then Báleygr will prepare to shoot again if anything ventures toward the door
Laser Pistol [1d20-1] Damage [1d6] Range: 100/300 Magazine: 10

[Marullus]

Ambiance: Lead Me Home

"Oh God... not the house, Oliver's in the house!" exclaims Nora in the barn-loft, visibly torn whether to lob more bombs at the zombies or run to Oliver.

Shadrach curses quietly as he listens to the radio chatter, then turns to the woman beside him. "Nora, Hansel's going to cover the paddock from downstairs. You stay here and deal with the crowd. I'll go find Oliver, and deal with whatever ain't dyin' down there." Nora swallows hard, nodding to him. Shadrach hops to his feet, surprisingly agile for someone who frequently complains about his age, fires a few final shots out the loft door before thundering down the stairs with his rifle at low ready. He toggles the radio: "On my way to the back. Some shadows just don't go down easy." Behind him, Nora launches blue-white balls balls of explosive energy into the fields beyond with grim determination, trusting him to protect her son.

Listening to the radio chatter, Hansel breaks in. "I don't know anything about killing things that don't want to stay dead or go around healing themselves. For those that do, go ahead, I'll do what I can to get the stragglers on the paddock." Hansel revs the engine, spins the threshing blades to hopefully throw off any big chunks fouling them, and dives forward into the remaining waves of zombies, trying to find the most efficient paths to mow them down. "Stupid badge," he curses. The scattered pairs of lumbering human forms no longer present a strong threat to the whirling blades of the machine. While Nora's blasts take off the stragglers, Hansel mows down the center. Soon the zombies are finished, no corpses rising from the ground any longer.

Shadrach races through the rain toward the house, feet pounding on the hard, wet earth of the yard between the barn and the house. Emile stands on the front porch, sixguns in his hands, covering his approach through the rain. Lightning flashes, illuminating everything like daylight - off to the left of the house a half-dozen shadowy monsters hiss, crouching to shield themselves from the sudden brightness of the light, revealing their approach to the gunmen. Emile's guns thunder, blowing away, one, two... the others dive behind the government truck and the parked tractor, hissing.

At the rear of the house, a dozen of the shadowy creatures break and charge simultaneously at the back door. Balygyr tries to get off a shot but they are on him as his first shot goes wide. He screams as their claws rip his chest open and he collapses, bleeding. "Oh lord in the darkness, lead me on my way," prays Old Richard aloud as he fires his rifle, knocking the first shadowy horror back. A second multi-limbed creature then leaps to tackle him, knocking his rifle from his hands. On the roof, Taavi fires again and again, keeping the second half of the monsters at bay so they don't charge forward into the building with their brethren. Balygyr lies unconscious and Old Richard struggles with the beast that is pinning him to the floor, clawing. Three other horrors bound past them and into the house.

The drones hum overhead, shining spotlights onto the back yard. "Balygyr is unconscious and in need of aid, Richard is pinned, three have entered the house," relays the smooth, calm voice of the AI cube over the radios, "Over a dozen remain in the rear yard... I am broadcasting to the monitor system. The human male, Petr, is visible at the rose arbor."

"I see them! I see... Grandpa!!!" yells the horrified voice of Oliver through the speakers.

Richard on the rear [2d6+2]=9+2=11 Nora in the barn [2d6+1]=9+1=10 AI with drones [2d6+3]=9+3=12

Emile Shoot [2d6+4]=8+4=12

Barn: Nora (full hit)
Paddock: Hansel (full hit)

Front of House: Emile (Full hit, forstalls the surprise attack) Shadrach (running from barn to house)

Rear of House: Taavi (partial hit, consequence on Old Richard), Balygyr (Failure, now unconscious), Richard (full hit, prone and struggling), AI (controlling drones)

[redwarrior]

EDITED

Hansel, Seeing the paddock clear of opponents, the devastation that Nora is dealing out, and Emile guarding the porch, drives the machine at top speed hoping to get around the house, hearing the AI state that Petr is in the rose garden, as he starts to drive past Emile, he sees that he has been engaging some creatures that are hiding behind our truck. Dropping the transmission into low, Hansel aims the threshing blades directly at the creatures, hoping that they can be ripped apart, whatever they are. Seeing several aparrently dead, he hopes for the best as he drives the murder tractor directly at them, with the laser rifle ready to shoot any that try to dodge out of the way.


Action [2d6+3]=9+3=12 laser rifle laser rifle [1d12+3]=9+3=12 I was using shoot, and it should be pilot (0) - bad on my part - so this roll should be 11
Second laser shot [1d12+3]=2+3=5
This should be +Dex(2) +shoot (1), so should be right. If not let me knw.
I like this monster tractor and it seems to like me!

[Marullus]

Action [2d6+3]=9+3=12 laser rifle laser rifle [1d12+3]=9+3=12

OOC:

Clarifying:

• Your Base Attack Bonus isn't added, so that's Dex (+2) plus Shoot (+0) for a +2 bonus. (I'm relying on your sheet, so if its not right, please adjust.)
• Driving the tractor, though, is Dex+Pilot, which is actually the same for Taavi.
• You were driving the tractor in the paddock and fields out on the other side of the barn. You have to cross the fields, pass the barn, cross the farmyard, go around the farmhouse, then across the back yard. In this post, I said it would take you an action to move and join the back yard.
• I may allow you to arrive at the end of the turn, but it would be better/easier if you acted upon the front of the house scene this turn as you drive through and then the back of the house scene the next turn.

[redwarrior]

Action [2d6+3]=9+3=12 laser rifle laser rifle [1d12+3]=9+3=12

OOC:

Clarifying:

• Your Base Attack Bonus isn't added, so that's Dex (+2) plus Shoot (+0) for a +2 bonus. (I'm relying on your sheet, so if its not right, please adjust.)
• Driving the tractor, though, is Dex+Pilot, which is actually the same for Taavi.
• You were driving the tractor in the paddock and fields out on the other side of the barn. You have to cross the fields, pass the barn, cross the farmyard, go around the farmhouse, then across the back yard. In this post, I said it would take you an action to move and join the back yard.
• I may allow you to arrive at the end of the turn, but it would be better/easier if you acted upon the front of the house scene this turn as you drive through and then the back of the house scene the next turn.

My shoot is level 1, since we leveled up, so it should be a total of DEX (+2) and Shoot (+1) to hit, and I think a +1 to damage from the gunslinger focus allowing shooting as a modifier (not sure why I'm showing a +3 for damage, need to read back and see why I was thinking that. I'm going to be heads down in work for a few hours, but I'll validate the bonuses. I'll also change the narrative of this turn to have Hansel aiding Emile with the zombies by the truck. Should have it up this evening.

[greyarea]

Can Emile hear the chaos in the back of the house?

[jemmus]

Have to do this as OOC, because I'm not sure what Taavi can see. If he can get shots at Petr, that's the priority target. If not, at the nearest black monster.
I don't think he can shoot at the ones in the house from his position on the roof.

[2d6+1]=7+1=8[1d10+2]=7+2=9[1d10+2]=4+2=6

[Marullus]

Can Emile hear the chaos in the back of the house?

On the front porch, Emile sees/hears....

• Shadrach is running up onto the porch with him
• Hans is careening through the yard with the death tractor
• a half-dozen shadow monsters failed to surprise you. You shot two who seem dead. The others are crouching behind the truck to kill you.
• You can hear all the radio reports on your ear piece.
• looking over your shoulder through the front door, you can see the rear hallway... with a half dozen monsters now inside the house and both Balygyr and Richard on the ground

[redwarrior]

Hansel's action updated.

[greyarea]

Emile sees Hans attack the ones behind the car. He yells, Shadrach, they're in the house. Cover me.

He turns towards the house and, standing in the door, rains holy fire on the monsters attacking the men on the ground with his SunShooter.

defending the main entrance + dex + sunblade [2d6+4]=8+4=12
Damage: [2d6+3]=5+3=8 Damage: [2d6+3]=11+3=14

[cybersavant]

Báleygr Gangleri falls to the floor under the shadow creature. Slowly the illusion spell fades, and those nearby see his true form. Fine, bluish-green scales cover his body.; his fingers and toes webbed. Large, delicate-looking fins stretch down the back of his arms and legs, with another running from his forehead down his spine. Instead of facial hair, he has a few thin whiskers projecting off the sides of his face. Large, black eyes with no apparent lids bulge out, dominating his head. Thin lips blend into his cheeks under a small bump where two slits sit as nostrils. Lower on his neck, gills protrude.

[Enoch]

Shadrach nods. "Clear the house and out the back." As the gunslinger fills the doorway and his pistols roar, the old soldier pivots, his back nearly to Emile's, as the barrel of his rifle sweeps the yard, before turning back to the doorway. He drops to one knee and aims past his compatriot at the shadowy forms crouching over Richard and Balegyr.

Shadrach mutters to himself as Balegyr's form wavers and resolves into something other than human, but long experience keeps him on task even as he takes it in. "What in the Nine Hells is that thing?" he asks, even as he depresses the trigger on his rifle.

Burst-fire: [1d20+3]=19+3=22, [1d20+3]=18+3=21, damage [1d12+3]=12+3=15
I'll roll a 2nd damage roll, but that first one was max damage:
damage roll 2: [1d12+3]=11+3=14
The die roller likes me today.

I did forget to account for True Hand: my to-hit rolls should all be +1 higher, since I assume these count as Shadows. Therefore I rolled a 23 to hit (but still not a natural 20). These do count as magical weapons for the purpose of overcoming any resistances they might have.

EDIT: I completely forgot we're doing 2d6. Let me make those attack rolls again:
attacks: [2d6+4]=8+4=12 [2d6+4]=6+4=10