Chapter 3: The Path of the Righteous Man

[jemmus]

The shotgun slugs throws Taavi's body back and the marshals hear a shocked telepathic cry of "No!", a split second before the explosion's blast slams the body forward. The telepathic channel goes blank.

Physical ST (CON 10) [1d20]=6
Current HP -4/14

[Marullus]

Not sure what I needed to roll, if anything, for a fighting retreat. I gather that whatever I needed to roll was higher than what I actually did.

Go ahead and roll a [2d6] for a skill check, too. I'll confirm which mechanics apply. It probably comes down to how Balygyr creatively uses the drone to cover your retreat (he should also roll at least a [2d6] and [1d20])... At the very least he's following you with a camera so he can tell the others where you find your body.

[greyarea]

To be modified as appropriate: Skill! [2d6]=8

At the very least he's following you with a camera so he can tell the others where you find your body.

Thank heavens for small favors.

[redwarrior]

Hansel rolls up to his feet, takes aim one more time at the bartender, and fires right as the explosion shakes the building, going wide yet again. Assessing that spike throwing contraption's damage to the pool table, Hansel has what he things is a flash of inspiration... He rushes & dives back towards the bar. As soon as he connects with it, he scoots 3 feet to the right. Hoping the bartender guesses center or left If he can, he will look around to see if he can notice anything that might be useful. If I overloaded the move, and can't notice, no worries.

Laser Pistol [1d20+3]=5+3=8 Damage [1d6+2]=1+2=3

Notice [3d6c1+2]=12+2=14

[Marullus]

...I'll count that lousy shot as cosmetic coverfire to facilitate your movement, and let you Notice.

[Marullus]

Balygyr? Shadrach?

[cybersavant]

Báleygr Gangleri "Is anyone still on comms? I don't hear voices in my head anymore. We have to move or Emile is dead."

[Marullus]

(Waiting on Shadrach's rolls)

As the telepathic chatroom abruptly disconnects from your minds, Báleygr confirms all the comms chirp and connect in with a status check of the comm server, affirmations and curses coming in audibly as well. Taavi clearly went down, otherwise the chaos is confusing.

Báleygr gives up his Move to control the drones, but with his TL5 rig, that gives him a Main Action with each drone in addition to his own Main Action. Please review the action list on p. 50-51 and be clear what your four actions are.

[Enoch]

Physical save: 13 [1d20]=10
That is a failure, and I'll take 9 damage. Shadrach is still standing, but he's definitely walking wounded.

Shadrach gasps in pain as something slams into his back as the VIP lounge behind him is engulfed in flames and he sags against the wall. Assessing the chaos in the barroom, he taps his earpiece and mutters into it. "We're in a fucking cult den. I took a piece of shrapnel but I'm still up. Taavi's down-" he pauses to draw his combat knife from his boot and stumbles back up and toward Taavi's inert form- "Not sure if he's alive."

Is there a clear path out of here? If so, Shadrach will recommend a retreat; otherwise, he and Grim will engage the dancers.

[cybersavant]

Báleygr gives up his Move to control the drones, but with his TL5 rig, that gives him a Main Action with each drone in addition to his own Main Action. Please review the action list on p. 50-51 and be clear what your four actions are.

i thought the drones left only have cameras; as for actions - waiting for the others and then drive away/ retrieve Emile

[Marullus]

Is there a clear path out of here? If so, Shadrach will recommend a retreat; otherwise, he and Grim will engage the dancers.

The bouncer still guarding the barred front door, but Balygyr backed the truck up through the wall and made a new egress. Otherwise, there's the door to the kitchen behind the bar, the hallway to with the Restrooms sign on the opposite wall between the VIP and stage (which you decided leads to the mechanic garage), and the far end of the room has curtains on the stage which the two shotgun thugs emerged from.

i thought the drones left only have cameras; as for actions - waiting for the others and then drive away/ retrieve Emile

The drones don't have additional fittings (though i did allow both spotlights and cameras, when it became relevant). Creative ingenuity in their use is allowed... they are still physically mobile actors in the scene. If you use them physically they just risk being damaged.

[cybersavant]

need them as eyes and light sources for now, so just waiting for group to get to truck; if beasties come i may have to move it though

[Enoch]

Shadrach taps his comms again. "Sound off- does everyone have a clear path out?"

[redwarrior]

Hansel replies I can follow the truck out if needed. Haven't seen Oliver since the lights went out - was moving towards the kitchen.

[jemmus]

Taavi of course doesn't have an action-- other than lying on the floor in a heap.

[Marullus]

Ambiance: It's Going Down

"We're in a fucking cult den."
Shadrach pauses to draw his combat knife from his boot. "I took a piece of shrapnel but I'm still up. Taavi's down-" he stumbles back up and toward Taavi's inert form, "...Not sure if he's alive."

Nora evaded the explosion which ravaged both Taavi and Shadrach and is already on a knee by Taavi. She pulls the injection needle from Taavi's side, the stabilization pack still attached to his skin, as Shadrach approaches. "He'll live."

Assessing that spike throwing contraption's damage to the pool table, Hansel lays down a scatter of shots for surpressive fire and dives towards the bar. He skirts right, glancing around the end of the bar to see behind it.

The cool night air floods in from the hole in the ceiling where the VIP Lounge used to be. The greasy blonde woman continues hiding behind the pool table where Hansel left her; the thickly-muscled pumpjack lies on the floor in a heap. The middle-aged man in the black duster coat is locked in a fight with one of the monstrous women, finally impaling her with the broken pool cue in his hand. Three other monstrous women leer at them between Taavi and the bar... and between Hansel and the exit. One of them licks the blood from the side of her knife suggestively.

Behind the bar, Hansel sees Oliver emerge from the kitchen doorway with a meat cleaver in hand - the boy swings ineffectually, missing the bartender's backside. The bartender clubs-up his spike thrower and butts Oliver in the head with it, crumpling the boy to the floor. "Oliver!" yells Hansel. Through the beaded curtain of the kitchen, Hansel sees a set of grimy stairs leading downward.

Her head snapping up at the yelled name, Nora leaps to her feet and charges the bar, running straight into the three hideous strippers. She lashes out with her knife, gutting one from navel to nipples with a savage slash of her monomolecular knife (-11). Her wild fury injures the other two as well (-3, -3), but they succeed at impeding her passage to the bar.

...

Báleygr Gangleri taps his microphone. "Is anyone still on comms? I don't hear voices in my head anymore. We have to move or Emile is dead."

The drone remains safely overhead, shining a spotlight on the scene and filming his potential demise. Emile takes the drone's advice and makes a fighting retreat, looking to put as much space between himself and these things as possible.

With his revolvers in each hand, the gunslinger is a blur. Almost meditative, he ducks, dodges, and weaves to avoid the four broken bottles wielded by his hideously monstrous foes. When he senses his opening he turns and flees back up the road, risking another round of vicious slashing attacks, but none even brush his leather duster coat. He runs like hell is on his heels back up the sloping road, because, well... it is.

OOC:

Wtih Healer, Nora can stabilize one person as an On-Turn action, then still move and act. With Savage Fray, she does shock damage to everyone in range and can only be struck once in a turn. So, it looks like she's doing a heck of a lot.

...Taavi is stabilized. He can be helped/carried, or move on his own five minutes.

Oliver knife [1d20]=9[1d6]=2
Bartender club-up [1d20]=13[1d6]=3

Nora knife [1d20+3]=15+3=18[1d8+3]=8+3=11
Strippers [1d20]=13[1d20]=2[1d20]=15

The action for Emile is "fighting retreat" - instead of an attack roll, he disengages from all melee foes so he can move without opportunity attacks against him (normal attacks still valid). He can then use his move action to "Run" but they'll likely give chase. The other option is "Total Defense" as a main action which makes him immune to shock and gets +2 AC... but only helps if someone is coming to rescue him because he can't flee.

...since he can't survive the shock damage, let's assume he does Total Defense this round.

Monstrous women [1d8]=3
Monstrous women (+2) [1d20]=7[1d20]=19[1d20]=14[1d20]=4
With immunity to shock and +2 AC, he has an effective AC 22 and nobody can touch him (except with natural 20), but he remains engaged. It seems worth the opportunity attacks to run anyway...
Monstrous women (+2) [1d20]=8[1d20]=1[1d20]=12[1d20]=11
So he is still alive and also running!

[greyarea]

Emile huffs it. He will glance back to see if he is being chased. If he is, he double times it (full move). Else, he looks for cover in the area to hide behind so he can get a clear shot on the doorway.

Thanks for that illustrative and awesome explanation of Emile's options and choices, Marullus.

[redwarrior]

Hanse forces himself to remember his old combat instructor's annoying gravelly voice "slow is smooth, smooth is fast" He takes advantage of the bartender shifting focus to Oliver to carefully line up a shot, controlling his breathing, and slowly takes up the slack on the trigger while focused center-mass on the back of the bartender's head. Not a called shot, just flavor if I put him down.

Choose your own adventure!
Assuming the Bartender goes down...Hansel then rushes forward at a crouch to check on Oliver's condition. Once it's checked, he'll trigger the radio I'm with Oliver behind the bar, he's in the condition I see him to be.Bartender is down, stairs going down in kitchen! What's the status on Pete?

If the guy's still up...Hansel shifts back out of the Bartender's view, triggering his radio. Oliver down behind the bar. Status unknown. Bartender injured but moving. Stairs down in kitchen! Status on Pete?


Laser Pistol [1d20+3]=17+3=20 Damage [1d6+2]=3+2=5

[jemmus]

Taavi lies face down in a pool of his own blood. He breathes shallowly, the blood in his mouth sometimes making bubbles.

[cybersavant]

Báleygr Gangleri

"AI, scan for any other radio signals." Báleygr hovers the drone over Taavi and casts heal. . After that, he broadcasts over the drone speaker near Emile, "Nice job. Cavalry coming in hot, keep them busy, the units should be there momentarily to dispatch them" an obvious bluff as i don't need speakers to communicate with Emile https://www.unseenservant.com/index.php ... 12&macid=0 minus non proficiency penalty