~~NOCACHE~~
===== Encounter: Flight of The Steadfast =====
=== Difficulty 2 Skill Challenge (250 XP) ===
This is a [[http://greywulf.net/2009/09/everything-you-need-to-know-about-skill-challenges-but-were-afraid-to-ask/|skill challenge]] that puts the skills of the party and crew of [[Gear:The Steadfast]] to the test as they attempt to outrun the Ministry's harbor patrol and escape to the open sea.
==== Setup ====
You're aboard The Steadfast headed southwest, out of port. Just as the last few arrows falls limply into the water yards away from the hull a hearty "Huzzah!" goes up from some of the crew...
...but near the stern a warning rings out "Ministry Cruiser, headed our way! Only one knot to the nor'east!"
Damien surveys the situation and shouts: "It's a merry chase boys! I say we can shake them, what do you think?"
"Aye Aye, Captain!" is the loud, unified response.
"Sunset is to the west in about four hours, let's see if we can get far enough ahead by then that they lose site of us, or get tired of seeing our keel!"
This is a chase between two ships:
* **The Steadfast:** {{page>Gear:The Steadfast}} [[Gear:The Steadfast|(...)]]
* and a heavily armed **Ministry Cruiser:** {{page>Gear:Ministry Cruiser}} [[Gear:Ministry Cruiser|(...)]]
* using the Chase Track: \\ {{:encounter:chase_clock.jpg?876|Chase Grid - Print and cut out tokens.}} {{:encounter:chase_clock.pdf|(pdf)}}
Place The Steadfast token and the clock token on the chase track as shown above. The Ministry Cruiser does not move and has no token. This track represents The Steadfast the traveling west (out of the harbor) starting 1/2 mile from the docks, and the cruiser coming from the far side of the island is 1.5 miles or 3 squares behind.
**Once the chase track is ready, read:**
**This is a skill challenge**: Each success will increase the distance between you and the Ministry's ship. Each failure will bring them increasingly closer as they adapt to your strategies and become more efficient at the chase.
Each challenge represents :30 minutes of action and maneuvering, so you have to make //up to nine// checks. The Steadfast must gain a lead of at least 7 miles [14 squares], or avoid capture long enough to escape into the setting sun.
==== Features of the Area ====
The sun will be setting soon, and The Steadfast can escape if they get far enough ahead going due west...
There are a few small natural rock outcroppings, usually covered with sea life and their spoor. A few are just barely large enough to hide a small ship - these are featured on the map. Near the rocks are several sandbars, though marked on the map, the maps are old...
This time of year, the sea is full of just about every kind of fish and aquatic mammal life. Some larger sea creatures may even been visible when they come in to feed on the numerous schools of fish at the edge of the shallows.
=== The Inner Harbor ===
The inner harbor is dotted with dozens of ships of all sizes - tiny fishing and pleasure boats, excursion craft and ferries, all the way up to larger warships and cargo ships, anchored in deeper water with small landing craft shuttling back and forth to the docks. The Steadfast will initially be navigating the inner harbor before reaching the coast, and then open sea. To leave the inner harbor, three (3) challenges must be completed successfully.
==== The Challenges ====
This chase scene is made up of a series of component challenges, outlined below. The Steadfast will either escape or be captured.
Each successful challenge increases The Steadfast's lead by various techniques, each failure decreases the lead - these changes in lead are played out by moving the Steadfast token either right for increases, or left for decreases.
Increases in this text are represented by a a right arrow →, a number, and [] as shorthand for the word "squares". For example: →3[] means increase the distance between the ships by 3 squares by moving The Steadfast token right/further from the cruiser by 3 squares. As you might expect, decreasing the lead is represented similarly: ←5[] means move The Steadfast token 5 squares left/closer to the cruiser.
All checks have the same //moderate// difficulty (DC):
^ Level ^ Roll ^ Who? ^
| 1-3 | 15 | Player Chars |
| 4-6 | 17 | N/A |
| 7-9 | 19 | Damien |
=== The Chase ===
If the ministry cruiser will catches up with The Steadfast, the skill check will fail. Each time a component challenge fails, the separation distance will //decrease// by the following amount:
^ Failure ^ Distance Penalty ^ Notes ^
| 1st fail | ←1/3 x lead[] | Minimum 0.5 mile ←1[] |
| 2nd fail | ←2/3 x lead[] | Minimum 1.0 mile ←2[] |
| 3rd fail | ←3/3 x lead[] | Automatic Capture! |
Most successful challenges will result in increase in lead of 1.5 miles →3[].
Note: This means it is possible to be captured with the first two component challenges being failures (1.5 mile head start - 0.5 - 1.0 = 0). It is also possible to escape by not failing any of the first four challenges (1.5 mile head start + 1.5 x 4 = 7.5 miles!).
Each challenge type (below) may only be attempted once per hour (not twice in a row.)
Unless the incapacitated or the party specifies otherwise, the Navigator for these challenges will be [[:Damien Blythe]]. For sake of this skill challenge, [[:Emma]] is considered a PC.
**Note**: The GM is encouraged to allow the players to come up with other strategies than outlined here, and to give the primary suggester a +2 bonus to their own skill check - this bonus does not apply if another character makes the check. The net gain in distance between ships should never be less than 1.5 miles →3[] or more than 2.5 miles →5[].
=== Inner Harbor Challenges ===
Use these challenges **until** the players have successfully completed three (3) challenges, or they have been captured.
* //"Full Speed Ahead! I"//: Hoping to better use the available winds and superior navigation and seamanship, The Steadfast abandons stealth in an attempt to put some distance between themselves and the cruiser - a risky trade-off.
* This provides a +5 bonus to the crew of the cruiser's perception roles in finding/tracking The Steadfast.
* Characters may take specific actions for bonuses:
* Each character that dumps cargo provides a bonus of +1, up to +5 maximum.
* Each character that helps with the rigging, may add +1 if they make an easy Acrobatics or Arcana check (10).
* Skill checks (one from each line):
* (Navigator) Navigation (Intelligence + 5) / Athletics
* Success: Increase lead by only 1 mile →2[] as they have to avoid harbor traffic.
* Failure: Decrease lead by ←x/3[] (see table), where x is the number of failures, including this one.
* Advance the clock →1[]
* //Skin Dancing//: The party provides the captain and navigator with information about the size, location, and presumed course of various ships in the harbor so that The Steadfast can dart back and forth between them in an effort to confuse their pursuers as to their actual position and course.
* Skill check bonus/penalty: 3 - Current Lead (Hexes)
* Skill checks (one from each line):
* (PC) Perception / Insight
* (Navigator) Bluff / Acrobatics / Athletics
* Success: Increase lead by 1.5 miles →3[]
* Failure: Decrease lead by ←x/3[] (see table), where x is the number of failures, including this one.
* Advance the clock →1[]
* //Barking Up the Wrong Tree I//: There are some small rock formations. If we can get ahead far enough we might be able to duck behind one, unnoticed. The noise from the seals/sea gulls should cover the sounds of our sails and rigging...
* Skill check bonus/penalty: 6 - Current Lead (in squares)
* Skill checks (one from each line):
* (PC) Stealth / Nature
* (Navigator) Stealth / Athletics
* Success: Increase lead by 1.5 miles →3[]
* Failure: Decrease lead by ←x/3[] (see table), where x is the number of failures, including this one.
* Advance the clock →1[]
* //Calling All Creatures - Small//: The party may have specially skilled characters on board who can call for the assistance of sea life...
* While in the inner harbor, only Small and Tiny sea and flying creatures may be summoned.
* Skill checks (one from each line):
* (PC) Nature / Religion - to summon the creature(s). Adjustments:
* +2/0/-2 for S(3d4+5)/M(1d4)/L(1) size
* +2/0/-2 for Common/Uncommon/Rare
* (Same PC) Diplomacy - talk the creature(s) into delaying the pursuit craft. Adjustments:
* +2 PC has past relationship with species
* +2 PC has past relationship with creature
* Success: Increase lead by 1.5 miles →3[]
* Failure: Decrease lead by ←x/3[] (see table), where x is the number of failures, including this one.
* Advance the clock →1[]
=== Coastal/Open Sea Challenges ===
Use these challenges **after** the players have successfully completed three (3) challenges until they escape or are captured.
* //"Full Speed Ahead! II"//, Same as above, //success now increases lead by 1.5 miles →3[].//
* May not be used immediately after //Full Speed Ahead! I//.
* //Barking Up the Wrong Tree II//: Same as above.
* May not be used immediately after //Barking Up the Wrong Tree I//.
* //Calling All Creatures - Great//: Same as above, but may now summon medium and large creatures.
* May not be used immediately after //Calling All Creatures Small//.
* //The Coral Maze//: Damion has navigated the coral reef just outside the harbor before - it is treacherous and slow - but a real short-cut!
* May only be attempted once, after exiting the inner harbor.
* Since the a ship must slow down to navigate the reef, The Steadfast must have a lead of at least 3 miles 6[] to enter.
* //** Entering the coral maze immediately shortens the lead distance by 1.5 miles ←3[] (before the check!)**//
* Characters may take specific actions for bonuses:
* All hands on deck: PCs helping with rigging may add +1 if they make an easy Acrobatics or Arcana check (10).
* All hands on deck: PCs helping with long poles to check depth and push off the reef add +1 for an easy Athletics check (10).
* Skill checks (one from each line):
* (Navigator) Navigation (Intelligence + 5) / Athletics
* Success: Increase lead by //**4**// miles →8[] for a net gain of 2.5 miles!
* Failure: Decrease lead by ←x/3[] (see table), where x is the number of failures, including this one.
* Advance the clock →1[]
* //The Kitchen Sink//: We're desperate and it seems like [[:Thomas]] equipped this ship with a lot of unusual artifacts. Some of them might be useful as weapons, after a fashion - if we could just figure out how they worked... Lots of stuff that seems to have something to do with electricity in this hold over here...
* May only be used when within firing range, 2 miles 4[] or less. May optionally drop lead by //up to// 1 mile ←2[] to get into range.
* May not use in inner harbor: Otherwise there's too much chance of hurting innocents.
* Characters may take specific actions for bonuses:
* An Artificer may add +2 to their check.
* A PC with experience with Electric damage weapons gets +2.
* Skill checks (one from each line):
* (PC:Builder) Arcana / History / Insight - to build this weapon which shoots electrical bolts that can pierce a sail.
* (PC:Gunnery) Perception / Dexterity - To fire this odd thing. May not be the same PC as the Builder.
* Success: Increase lead by //**2.5**// miles →5[] and +4 bonus to all skill checks for the next challenge.
* Failure: Decrease lead by ←x/3[] (see table), where x is the number of failures, including this one.
* Advance the clock →1[]
==== Ending the Encounter ====
=== Either token reaching Escape/Sunset ===
The navigator successfully pulls The Steadfast directly into the setting sun. You can see the now bright orange sails of the Harbormaster's cruiser as it veers off to the north, apparently losing sight of you!
"Turn windward and drop sail! I want to disappear till nightfall!" Blythe barks to is crew - the boson repeats the command.
The crew moves quickly and quietly. Soon, you hear heavy thuds as the sails hit the deck.
The party collects 250xp and is now eligible for an extended rest.
=== Upon 3 Failures or 0[] lead distance ===
**If the challenge fails, it means that The Steadfast has been captured by the Ministry's harbormaster, read this:**
The ministry harbor patrol ship pulls along side The Steadfast, with it's large loaded ballista pointed at her waterline. With a single command the Harbormaster could have her sunk.
"Damien - this is your last voyage. Payback is murder." he barks.
Blythe replies: "Loren! Don't do this. I have something you want! I'll give it to you if you just let us go - and we'll never return here again. We're far enough from port and the sun is setting - you can tell them that you sunk me. But this way, you can have the sword, and our gold. But, if you refuse this deal, there will be a fight and that won't go well for anyone."
Part Intimidate, part Diplomacy, Damien is +9 on as DC roll of 20. Each character that hands over all of their cash on hand and/or items worth at least 50gp total, per person, will add +2 to this check, up to an additional +10 for a total of +19, which would succeed on any roll other than a 1 (fumble.)
**If this final check succeeds, read:**
"Nice doing business with you, Damien. Make sure I never lay eyes on you again!"
After transferring your money and Damien's magic sword to the harbormaster's ship, the crew laughs and waves "buh-byeee!" at you as they sail away, well, except for the ballista crew, who continues to keep their weapon pointed your way in case of treachery.
At least you escape with your lives and mission intact.
* **Damien's Prize:** {{page>Gear:Damien's Prize}} [[Gear:Damien's Prize|(...)]],
along with all of the cash and items promised by the party as bail are removed from the game. Each character may add "Seek personal revenge against Loren Carpenter, the Ministry Harbormaster" as a quest or character motivation.
**If the final check fails, read:**
"Fire!" shouts the harbormaster.
It's a critical hit below the waterline of your ship! She's taking on water. They are reloading and the enemy troops are taking up defensive positions.
It looks like the jig is up!
* This campaign does not detail this combat - the gamemaster is free to use Ministry Guards and Ministry Soldiers as the enemy crew. With a second shot into the hull, the Steadfast would sink in a matter of minutes. Assuming surviving part members are fished out of the water by the harbormaster, each would be imprisoned. Perhaps the GM could devise an escape, or another NPC to re-assemble the crew to set out again. Note: [[:Emma]] must survive to continue the quest, and she must hear **Damien's Confession:** {{page>:Damien's Confession}} before his part of the story is over.
Each surviving character may add "Seek personal revenge against Loren Carpenter, the Ministry Harbormaster" as a quest or character motivation.