STEM Shenanigans - August Player Plot

[finalfrontiersman]

Who: STEM Adventurers
Where: Pesseria Forest, Lorentia Cave, Ruins of Forlinet
What: KICKING NAMES AND TAKING ASS
Content Warnings: Probably profanity, natural disasters, combat violence including killer animals, snakes, spiders, potential for cannibalism/discussion of cannibalism; any further warnings please include in the subject line of your thread.

Following the events of the Dark Web project and the subsequent AI released on Aldrip’s main network, the STEM club has taken it upon themselves to try and discover the source of the AI. With the glitches worsening this month, finding the source has become of paramount importance. Their working theory is that there may be a physical port they can tap into, though the debate as to what to do with it once they find it rages on. Ultimately, they’ve agreed the best course of action is to see if they can even find the port first…and worry about what to do with it later.

Whether your characters have been assigned a teammate or happened upon the STEM scouting parties, the Chosen of Aldrip are agreed - something needs to be done.

STEM Player Plot

MECHANICS

Characters will choose one of three areas to traverse: Pesseria Forest, Lorentia Cave, or the Ruins of Forlinet. Use the encounter pools below to determine what obstacles and combat situations your characters encounter, or feel free to make up some of your own! Combat encounters have been assigned a hit number for those using the optional dice roll mechanic, but feel free to adjust as needed.

For extra zest, consider using dice rolls to determine what you encounter/your success rate.

[OPTIONAL] Click here for dice roll details!

Obstacle rolls use a d20; combat rolls use a d10. You can roll dice in the game Discord via #bot-spam, or simply use an online dice roller if you are not in the Discord. Please include the result of your roll in the subject line of your tag!

PROBLEMS: When rolling to discover a problem, roll a d20. Based on your roll, you will be given a problem from a predetermined list. If you roll the same problem twice, feel free to roll again - or face the challenge once more!

OBSTACLES: Use a d20 to determine your success; 1-6 is poor success, 7-12 is mild success, and 13-20 is great success.

For example, Character A and Character B encounter an obstacle; they roll a 16 and find a chasm they must cross via a rope bridge. Character A rolls a 10; they make it to the midway point of the bridge, which wobbles but stays up. Character B rolls a 3, and the boards fall out from under them. Character A rolls an 18, and catches Character B’s arm before they can fall to their doom. Character B rolls a 12, and they make it to the other side of the bridge. After rolling a 10, an 18, and a 12, the obstacle has been cleared.

Three failed rolls constitutes an impassable obstacle; have characters regroup and try again, or take a new path for a new obstacle! The dungeon-style play will unfold as you create it.

COMBAT: Use a d10 to determine your success; 1-5 is a failed hit, 6-10 is a successful hit. If you fail a hit, you must also roll for whether or not the monster hits you. If you roll a successful hit, the monster does not get the opportunity to hit you.

If you decide to fight one another (we’re a team guys! And yet…) Player v Player, you only roll for your own hits.

Monsters will have a predetermined number of hits you must land in order to defeat the monster. Player characters can each take three hits before they must retreat; decide to regroup and try again, or take a new path!

THE 411:

Characters must clear a minimum of three problems before they can move forward, deeper into the location they are exploring. You must clear a minimum of six problems total to reach the source.

If you would like to divide your six problems between two threads and have your characters separate from their partner as they move deeper into the location, have at it!

When you have cleared six obstacles, please fill out the OOC comment below to find out what your characters discovered.

Additionally, feel free to use the Dark Web prompt for net-style communication between separated partners/teams/what have you!

ENCOUNTER POOL

PESSERIA FOREST:

You're walking through the woods...
1 | OBSTACLE: Goobbues asleep in your path.
2 | OBSTACLE: Plant attack! Wildcard the effect (Poison, hallucinations, fuck or die, etc)
3 | OBSTACLE: Troll on the bridge; answer a riddle to pass.
4 | COMBAT: R.O.U.S (Rodent Of Unusual Size) - 2 hits to defeat.
5 | COMBAT: The trees attack! - 4 hits to defeat
6 | OBSTACLE: G̴l̶i̷t̸c̷h̸ - suddenly, everyone’s singing.
7 | COMBAT: Spore walker attack! - 4 hits to defeat
8 | COMBAT: Evil bird attack - 2 hits to defeat.
9 | COMBAT: Wild Chocobo attack - 3 hits to defeat.
10 | OBSTACLE: G̴l̶i̷t̸c̷h̸ - forest fire!
11 | COMBAT: Forest is Haunted - 3 hits to defeat
12 | COMBAT: Killer bunny - 5 hits to defeat
13 | OBSTACLE: Ominous fog. Wildcard the effect (Poison, hallucinations, etc)
14 | OBSTACLE: G̴l̶i̷t̸c̷h̸ - a fissure opens beneath your feet!
15 | OBSTACLE: Rope bridge in your path.
16 | OBSTACLE: Blast cone minefield.
17 | COMBAT: Morbul attack! - 3 hits to defeat
18 | OBSTACLE: G̴l̶i̷t̸c̷h̸ - language filter turns off.
19 | OBSTACLE: An eerie bush maze appears in your path.
20 | COMBAT: Shia Surprise! Shia LaBeouf the cannibal appears - 3 hits to defeat.

LORENTIA CAVE:

There's no one around and your phone is dead...
1 | COMBAT: Stone Talus - 4 hits to defeat
2 | COMBAT: Cave siren - 2 hits to defeat
3 | OBSTACLE: Quicksand!
4 | COMBAT: Spider lair - 3 hits to defeat
5 | OBSTACLE: Suddenly, a boulder…
6 | OBSTACLE: G̴l̶i̷t̸c̷h̸ - sudden darkness.
7 | COMBAT: Cave dragon - 3 hits to defeat
8 | COMBAT: G̴l̶i̷t̸c̷h̸ - A mysterious cave creature glitches into existence and attacks - 3 hits to defeat
9 | OBSTACLE: Crystal cavern mention; crystals replay memories.
10 | COMBAT: Sam the Salamancer - 3 hits to defeat
11 | OBSTACLE: Sleepy grotto; safe haven tries to lull you to sleep.
12 | OBSTACLE: G̴l̶i̷t̸c̷h̸ - Cave begins filling with water.
13 | OBSTACLE: Tunnel collapse!
14 | COMBAT: Core Hound Attack! - 5 hits to defeat
15 | OBSTACLE: G̴l̶i̷t̸c̷h̸ - earthquake!
16 | OBSTACLE: G̴l̶i̷t̸c̷h̸ - gravity turns off.
17 | OBSTACLE: G̴l̶i̷t̸c̷h̸ - suddenly, everyone’s singing.
18 | OBSTACLE: G̴l̶i̷t̸c̷h̸ - language filter turns off.
19 | COMBAT: Shia Surprise! Shia LaBeouf the cannibal appears - 3 hits to defeat.
20 | COMBAT: Raptor attack! - 2 raptors, 4 total hits to defeat

RUINS OF FORLINET:

Out of the corner of your eye you spot him...
1 | OBSTACLE: G̴l̶i̷t̸c̷h̸ - sandstorm! Not by Darude.
2 | COMBAT: Nearby rocks come to life, with a taste for blood - 3 hits to defeat.
3 | COMBAT: Razorfin frenzy! - 3 hits to defeat
4 | COMBAT: Mummy attack! - 3 hits to defeat
5 | OBSTACLE: A sucker vine grabs you/your companion.
6 | OBSTACLE: Snake pit!
7 | COMBAT: Threshadon attack! - 5 hits to defeat
8 | OBSTACLE: Catacombs - find the key to escape.
9 | OBSTACLE: Ruins collapse!
10 | COMBAT: Sand guardian - 4 hits to defeat.
11 | OBSTACLE: G̴l̶i̷t̸c̷h̸ - language filter turns off.
12 | COMBAT: Shia Surprise! Shia LaBeouf the cannibal appears - 3 hits to defeat.
13 | OBSTACLE: Ominous fog. Wildcard the effect (Poison, hallucinations, etc)
14 | OBSTACLE: G̴l̶i̷t̸c̷h̸ - suddenly, everyone’s singing.
15 | OBSTACLE: Booby-trap!
16 | COMBAT: Shitty Sphinx - solve a riddle to pass, but then you get attacked anyway - 2 hits to defeat
17 | COMBAT: A bird? A plane? A SEHLAT?! - 4 hits to defeat
18 | COMBAT: Haunted suit of armor - 2 hits to defeat
19 | OBSTACLE: Hallucinogenic fungi
20 | OBSTACLE: Floor collapses beneath your feet.

code

Comments

closed to peter | roll 3 (razorfins) + 10 (successful hit)

[arachnerina]

[Gwen's so glad to finally be here, finally searching for an answer. It's been a long time coming, with them trying to find the source of the AI. They still aren't even sure what they'll find here, but it's their best shot at solving this. The ruins are just as creepy as she would expect. Just as isolated as she would think an AI hub would be. It took days to get here, and a boat ride, so it was definitely way out of the way. She just hoped this paid off, after all the time they had poured into this project.

She was glad Jim paired her with Peter without question. Not that she couldn't work without him, but given what happened last time they split up, she wasn't eager to be separated from him if she could help it.

They hadn't been searching for long when she heard something approaching. A few somethings, at that. The scurrying of several large creatures was getting louder and louder by the second. It would be just their luck to run into monsters almost immediately after they started searching the ruins. Seriously, why does this kind of thing always happen to them? But Gwen's ready, and she knows Peter is too.

There isn't a lot to swing from, but Gwen uses the building ruins and her webbing to give her momentum. She sling shots herself the second the first of the creatures comes into view, kicking it hard and fast. It crashes into a wall at her hit, crumbling and collapsing, but there are still two left to deal with.]

ROLL 9 look at them go

[spidermenaces]

(did gwen and jim beat sense into spock and peter? time to find out in the end of this adventure. this is a locate the source mission, not engage with it mission, but what if it turns out being so? then what? his brain can't help but catastrophize the outcome of this.

with the chill on his spine, there's no doubt that something is coming. both of them should feel it as they approach, and he looks at her, nods, and it's time. the terrain isn't kind for swingers, the lack of high ground making their movements less effective than normal, but they're nothing if not resourceful. from the same ruin, peter's web attaches to the tip and he uses it to spin around it to create some force for when he releases, a kick knocking the one next.

go, girl.)

Woah, these things are UGLY.

roll 6 (3/3 - obstacle cleared)

[arachnerina]

Ugh, right? And here I thought New York had the ugliest rats.

[Two down, one to go! Between previously fighting monsters from time to time together in the city and her spider-sense helping her predict his movements, it's not hard to jump into sync in a fight like this. While he finished handling number 2, her focus went to the third razorfin. It hissed at her, but after all the villains she's faced, and weird shark-rat thingy is not on her list of fears.

Instead of risking getting in Peter's way as he spun around the ruin, she shot her webbing at the razorfin, catching it in her clutches, spinning it in a circle, and throwing it as far away from them as she could manage. If that didn't kill it, then hopefully it was wise enough to not come back.

Or maybe it would be nice and spread the word to all the ugly monsters lingering in the area to avoid them. If only they could be so lucky.]