:
The Game now has three players - Brad: Captain Church, Nigel: Helmsman Gregg, and Salvatore: Communications Officer Ciano.
The scene begins with the Captain and Helmsman Gregg returning to the Bridge of the Xenophon. I tell them that the Doctor is tending the severely injured Red Shirt Jones, and the Engineer is now and NPC.
Captain Church requests an update on the Klingons, and puts the Ship to Yellow Alert. As the NPC Science Officer I paraphrase the info on page 10 about the Klingon vessel and her Captain. I also tell them that their shields are up, weapons HOT but not locked, and that they are scanning Tannos IV.
Captain Church requests a hailing frequency be opened with the puQmo' taj. He then introduces himself, and asks why they are here. As the Klingon Captain D'kar I answer with questions of my own! We do as we please Captain Church! What are your people up to here in the Tannos system anyway?
We had a little roleplay back and forth, ending with the Klingon Captain beating Captain Church's Diplomacy roll by + 5 and ending the transmission. (I figured if the Klingon failed he would continue the conversation, otherwise he cuts comms, because Brad did a great job RP'ing)
Captain Church realized that the Klingon scans would be as inconclusive as thier own and would be beaming planet side shortly. He decided to beat them to the punch, and with the info the party had pulled from the base logs they triangulated the dig-site location and beamed down first.
The Landing party this time was Capt. Church, Helmsman Gregg, Comms. Officer Ciano, and NPC Red Shirt Smith. All armed with Phasers, set to Heavy Stun only by Captains orders.
For the Crystal mounds I used a set of four LED Ice lights from Christmas a few years back. You can set the to a single color of red/blue/green/purple or to slowly rotate colors or to blink madly through rotation.
The Landing party approached the crystals and began Tricorder scans. With Investigate rolls they determined these were the source of the Shears that were emanating from the planet, as well as the theta-radiation distortions that teleported Jones earlier.
The party moved within 1 square of the crystal (Red one in picture) and I set it to blinkey mode, and described the floating panes of glass. Mr. Ciano tempted fate and reached out to touch a pane! I had him teleported away! He made a TN 15 test to stay awake, but was hurt and barfing! The Captain called him on his communicator, then had the ship locate him by his signal. They found him on the night-side of the planet, Mr. Ciano could still see the portal was open from his side and jumped back through! The party figured this is what must have happened to the rest of the Survey team and now knew how to try and locate them.
At this point the Klingons arrive, having traced the landing parties communicators. Captain D'kar, Lt. Klagg, Lt. Kral and a Klingon Red shirt, appear with disruptors drawn. "I knew you were up to some kind of weapon test down here!" sneers D'kar.
Captain Church proceeded to Roleplay the HECK out of this encounter. As he related everything that had happened to the crew of the Xenophon up to this point, Gregg positioned himself to have Line of sight on Klagg whom he noticed was itching to blast somebody. Brad made an excellent Diplomacy roll and he got the suggested +3 bonus for RP as well. D'kar agreed that perhaps they might work with the Klingon Science officer Kral to figure out what was happening.
In the process of talking Church moved towards the Klingons with his palms raised getting within 1 square of the Crystal (the green one in the picture), I turned the crystal on to blinkey mode and described how it was now surrounded by ragged floating panes of glass!
At this moment I had the Klingon Red Shirt disappear in a "POP" with a strangled cry!
I secretly rolled a TN 15 test for the Klingons to stay cool, which they failed, and Klagg fired on Church who beat Klagg's attack roll and dodged away. The disruptor shot however struck the crystal and caused the shock wave which blew everyone off their feet!
Phaser fire and disruptors were flashing everywhere! Helmsman Gregg took out Klagg with a heavy stun shot!, D'kar severley wounded Red Shirt Smith, Mr. Ciano hit D'kar with a heavy stun but failed to the Klingon captain down. Church got the drop on D'kar and disarmed him by kicking the disruptor from the shaken Klingon's hands. Kral related that the damage to the crystals by the battle had started a chain reaction that was building to exponentially and the ships in orbit were urgently calling both captain's reporting severe shears and they could not maintain orbit!
In the confusion D'kar dove for Klagg's disruptor and blasted Kral for not joining in on the fight and being weak like the humans. Church had his party as well as Kral beamed up to the ship as things were getting worse planet side.
Back on the Bridge, Helmsman Gregg expertly piloted the Xenophon away from Tannos IV using the technique he perfected upon arrival at Warp 2, with the Klingon vessel following close behind them.
The crystals destroyed themselves in a massive implosion of gravimetric energy, D'kar vowed that captain Church and the crew of the Xenophon had not seen the last him before warping out. Doctor Randallia related he was unable to save the Klingon Science officer Kral, but that both Red Shirts Jones & Smith would recover from their injuries.
The Captain then set the crew to the task of locating any survivors on the surface of Tannos IV, which would be easier without the interference of the crystals. In the end, only 4 of the survey team had died from exposure after being teleported to random locations upon the planet, and Dr. Randallia was reunited with his friend Geologist Stewart.
The adventure ended here, everyone loved it. Salavatore thanked us for a great Star trek adventure and left to join a panel at the Con. Both the Captain and the Helmsman asked if there was more, and I suggested we try a Ship to Ship battle. They agreed and we broke to have lunch and then come back for a match between the Xenophon and the PuQmo "taj!!
Some of the cool players that made the game and day great!
No comments:
Post a Comment