“Probably best I not be the one to approach the poor things. I seem to frighten them”
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Zin: “Rad, did you bring any toys that we could modify to deliver the transponders? I don’t know how close we want to get to the team in this state.”
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“Think we’ve got the pieces here for a sling-shot that could work pretty effectively. Some of these backpack components are like 99% strain elastomers if you take ‘em apart right.”
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(I’ll give y’all a few more hours to decide how you want to assemble these tracking devices: for simplicity, say if it’s a low-tech application the difficulty remains at Difficulty 2, if you want a high-tech application it will be Difficulty 3)
(After that we’ll move along to the next scene!)
Are we overthinking this?
Did anyone see if any of them was still wearing a combadge? Could we not scan for that, or the power unit on the phaser they have?
Will it take a roll to scan the shuttle’s external camera footage for that?
The science team isn’t Starfleet: they’re Federation, but not part of the fleet specifically. No comm badges.
Usually scanning for the phasers (or just scanning for humans… or nearly-humans, as the case may be) is trivial, but due to the ion storm and the state of the shuttle, it’s currently beyond your means. Maybe parts from the outpost will allow you to boost the signal.
(Aside: if you really want to scan, you absolutely can figure out a way to modulate the diagetic phase inversion manifold to forty kilowatts, but it would be a long and involved process which, strictly speaking, would be more easily done with spare parts. That stated, I want to be crystal clear that if you folks wanna try it, I’ll absolutely let you. Just know that it will be difficult, and there is no guarantee of success)
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Tray checks her pen is still in her pocket and shoulders a pack.
“Double time?”
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(If you folks decide you want to roll for your tracking devices at a later point, we can say that you started the design now… but I’ve dallied too long on this scene, so let’s keep things moving!)
It’s obvious to you that the march towards the science outpost will be no simple stroll. The journey covers several kilometers, and the terrain between you and your goal is rough and rocky, with strange and abundant flora blocking the path.
After about thirty minutes, you come across your first major obstacle: a deep but narrow ravine in the ground. It stretches off to the north and south like a dark gash across the rock: you could potentially find a way around, but you can’t easily estimate how long it would take. You get the sneaking suspicion that “too long” might be the correct answer.
That stated, it’s “only” about seven meters wide at the narrowest point you can see: a good running lead and a healthy jumper should be able to clear it without too much difficulty (Say… around a Difficulty 4 to jump it). Frustratingly, you can even see a few felled trees on the far side of the ravine that are sturdy enough that they could form a quick makeshift bridge… if they were on this side, this would almost be a trivial issue.
You still have a couple hours to go before you reach the outpost (still about 3km or so distant… less 30 minutes of walking through rough terrain).
(Let me know who wants to attempt to cross the ravine, how you want to accomplish it, and as always the combination of Att + Disc you’d like to use. The group has access to One Momentum with which to buy dice, and you’re always welcome to offer to help one of your colleagues as long as you can come up with an interesting and/or creative way to assist them, and you can buy dice with Threat as well)
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Rad is up to kick in. I figure either Fitness and Command to assist (14) by coaching and/or tossing or Daring and security(?) to jump it (15).
Not sure what simple machine we could rig up to help. Maybe a rock and a board and go Looney Tunes style.
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“How about a few of us climb down, traverse across when it gets narrow enough, and go up the other side, then strap together a quick bridge?”
(Which in my head might be control or fitness + security for the climb, insight/reason + engineering for the bridge.)
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I’d agree with this. Maybe a Difficulty 2 on the way down, and a Difficulty 3 to get back up the other side? Not a fast solution, but definitely safer (albeit not "safe) than jumping.
Either of these are fine. As mentioned, making the bridge once you get to the other side is significantly easier… Difficulty 2 to get the logs on/over the ravine, and then anyone else can cross with a Difficulty 1 check on Fitness + Security or Control + Security.
To speed things along a little: these are impossible-to-fail tasks. But if you don’t hit the target Difficulty, you will Succeed at a Cost, which might mean you gain an Injury (+1 to Difficulty until the good doctor hypo-sprays you), or I gain threat, or everyone’s life gets a little more difficult (rain? On this, the day of my cat’s quinceanera?)
So anyone who wants to attempt a series of these rolls in sequence can do so, especially the easier ones, without specifically having to wait to see what happens after each. You have One Momentum which you can spend initially, but each success in excess of the Difficulty gains you another.
Dr Simpson will darkly get the first aid kit ready for us. “Steady … don’t get hurt …”
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Tray watches the rear as the others attempt to cross.
“There must be an easier way, the tribe got to us with no issue…”
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If there is some other way across the ravine, it’s not obvious.
(We have Torlent willing to assist or to do the jump themselves… Keli’i suggested climbing, but they would be real bad at the climb if you use the skills you suggested. Perhaps Keli’i can assist Torlent with his jump? You could engineer a forcefield-bubble springboard from a comm badge or jury-rig a phaser to below-stun such that it just gives a helpful shove to Torlent’s back as they become airborne? Just suggestions)
Torlent (or someone else) climbs, Keli’i holds the rope? (Disappointingly technobabble-free I’m sure.)
Works for me! Not everything has to be phase-inverted plasma ignition.
What combination of skills would you like to use to hold the rope?
@WolfeRJ, Climbing would probably be Daring + Security, same as jumping, but slower and theoretically safer.
Difficulty 2 on the way down, Difficulty 3 for the climb back up. Keli’i can assist with both by holding the rope (make sure you don’t injure yourself too grievously, at least!). And a reminder you can buy an additional die for your descent with your one Momentum, and then if you get additional successes you can buy another with Momentum (maybe even two, depending on how well you climb down) on the way back up.
Bracing a rope, probably Control (12) + Security (1) unless I can get cunning and work out a stress diagram and run it over that rock there in which case Control (12) + Engineering (5).
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I am always happy to allow creative application of Disciplines and/or Attributes. And, let’s be honest, that rock there looks an awful lot like the one you used for your 3rd Year Self-Propelled Bridge Building Dynamics course.
@RogerBW asked for a die roll:
So this is a single d20 vs 17 to assist the primary climbing task?
If so, d20: 10
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