The Witch-King
2011-07-14, 01:38 PM
KOBOLD FORCE FIVE: Mission II
(D&D 3.5/Dragonstar/Pathfinder)
http://fc01.deviantart.net/fs10/i/2006/083/f/2/Kobold_Soldier_by_CommissarKinyaf.jpg
It is the far future...
General Draukzur of the Kobold Star Empire stood looking out over the fleet from the vantage point of his command carrier’s observation deck. The battlecruisers, light cruisers and destroyers of the fleet seemed to drift lazily across the night sky over the planet below as an endless train of supply shuttles and transport ships trailed up to them from the surface and back again. He often came here to think but as much as he might like to, it would be ludicrous to command the fleet from a room with a window like this. The command center was deep in the heart of the mighty vessel. It was why he preferred ground combat to starship battles: he longed to fight an enemy he could see with his own eyes.
He heard the door hiss open behind him but did not turn.
“Report,” he said.
The boots of his adjutant, Lieutenant Zobkol lightly tapped against the deckplates as he entered the chamber and even though the General could not see the gesture, Zobkol lifted his right hand over his chest and pulled his claws quickly into a fist over his heart in salute. He pulled a small computer display out of his pocket and began to read out the condition of the fleet.
“All ships stand ready, General. The prefabricated shipyard has arrived from the homeworlds and been assembled without incident. All adamantine and mithral mines and alchemical fabricators on the planet are operating at peak efficiency and the fleet is being resupplied as we speak. There's a minor glitch in the alchemical healing vats in the main triage center planetside but the artificers promise me they'll have it worked out by this afternoon.”
“Very good. Order all leaves canceled. All fleet personnel are to return to their ships at once and all ships are to prepare for immediate deployment,” the general said.
“Sir?” Zobkol asked. “Has something happened?” A quick glance at his display confirmed that the fleet was not scheduled for anything other than training and patrols.
The general sighed. “The damned lizards have joined the Sahuagin.”
The small computer display clattered against the deck. The lieutenant stood there for a moment with his mouth open before he snatched up the display unit and composed himself as best he could.
“But--but why?”
“Seems the lizardfolk think they should be the heirs to the ancient Dragon Empire, not us. If they remain true to form, they’ll launch a series of raids to appear to be trying to cut off our supplies but it’ll be a feint to draw us out and disperse our forces so they can launch a massive central assault. The Egg Mother herself has commanded me to neutralize the threat before the lizards can gather in strength. I intend to attack at once.”
* * *
In the wake of the destruction of the scanners of the ancient Imperial frontier base (see KFF: Mission I (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=6334521)), the war against the Sahuagin space pirates has developed in earnest. Unfortunately, the lizardfolk, powerful warriors armed with one of the most numerous star fleets if not the most advanced and once considered trusted allies, have gone over to the Sahuagin pirate fleet and are now threatening our strategic flank.
The asteroid colony at Khallon is populated by lizardfolk warriors and their human slaves. The colony was moved years ago to a position adjacent to the Khallon system’s main jump point to act as a bombardment platform against invasion. Its external defenses are considerable and have repelled three fleet assaults in the past. The plan to deal with the base is for our wizards to magically insert a kill team via an old, abandoned freighter docked to the colony currently being used as extra cargo space. The team will be retrieved using the same magical means from one of several pre-arranged locations. Unfortunately, the team’s magical arrival will trip the lizardfolk’s alarms and alert them to the team’s presence, but not their exact location. The kill team must fight their way to the center of the asteroid colony and seize either the command deck, the colony’s main computer control room or the central reactor, preferably while drawing as much attention as possible. If the team can cause enough internal chaos aboard the asteroid colony, our fleet's victory will be assured.
That, however, is not your mission.
The lizardfolk commander on site has hired the assistance of an elite team of mercenaries in preparation for launching a series of attacks into friendly space. They are the Sindasuré, the Grey Wind, a team of elven soldiers-for-hire. They are as renowned for their swift, vicious attacks as they are for their valor and utter ruthlessness. Intelligence has this on the composition of the Grey Wind: Atadariel Silverhand, team leader, wilderness warfare specialist and highly trained military tactician and strategist (Ranger/Marshal), Rhilarset Wildfalcon, dual-pistol wielding skirmisher (Scout), Balarand Dewsword, hexblade, Elsern Starfeather, warmage and Gelescia Wisedancer, cleric. The Sindasuré have disrupted our operations in the past and will, most likely, disrupt the infiltration of the asteroid colony.
Using the fleet attack and the other kill team's assault on the base as cover, your team will draw out the Sindasuré and eliminate them. Once that objective has been completed, render support to the other kill team and assist in securing the colony.
All that remains is for you to choose the ones who will go. You must assemble: KOBOLD FORCE FIVE.
Basically, this is just a thought experiment to decide what force of operatives you'd be sending if it were up to you and to discuss why.
Choose a force of 5 humanoids or monstrous humanoids with 12 total levels a piece (Character Level + Level Adjustment + Racial Hit Dice) that will go on the mission and explain why you chose them.
This is a hit-and-run mission. You must accomplish the following objectives and then retreat to one of the designated retrieval points before the sheer mass of numbers of the lizardfolk marines (considered to be among the toughest in the galaxy) can be brought to bear on your team:
1. Terminate (or capture) all five members of the Sindasuré.
2. Eliminate the base commander.
3. If objectives one and two have been met, then assist the other kill team in reaching the command deck, the main computer room or the main reactor. If the other team has been eliminated, seize one of those three objectives to better enable the fleet to take the colony.
Warning: While you are free to kill all enemy personnel manning the main computer control room, the asteroid colony computer is a living computer, a relic of the old Empire, and must not be damaged or destroyed.
Rules:
The race you choose must be a humanoid or monstrous humanoid race. No humans, elves, dwarves, gnomes, halflings, planetouched or half-breeds of aforementioned races. The race you choose is up to you. However, the higher the level adjustment and racial hit dice for the race, the fewer remaining levels you have to choose class levels for the team members. All members must be from the same race. Exception: You may have one soulmech or warforged operative accompany you on the mission.
Each individual may make use of a single prestige class in the team. Multi-classing for all operatives is acceptable.
Should anyone feel equipment to be an issue, assume sufficient funds exist to provide each individual with whatever basic equipment they can carry including masterwork items but not any magical items of any specific powers (it can be generally assumed that the party has at its disposal generic magical melee weapons, say +3 and equally generic magical armor, also +3, just for the sake of argument). Blasters and Assault weapons are the only available ranged weapons (aside from bows, crossbows, thrown weapons, etc.)
Sample equipment for those unacquainted with Dragonstar:
Melee
Keenblade versions of all archaic bladed weapons are available. These weapons are made from contemporary materials and have their bladed edges laminated with industrially created diamond. This provides a +1 to attack and stacks with both magic and masterwork bonuses. They are rare but available for a team of this type.
Small
Blaster Pistol (semi-auto) 3d8/x2 (30 shots) (Directed Energy Weapon)
Heavy Autopistol (automatic) 1d12/x3 (20 shots) (Projectile)
Medium
Blaster Carbine (semi-auto) 4d8/x2 (25 shots) (DEW)
Assault Carbine (automatic) 1d10/x3 (50 shots) (Projectile)
Large
Blaster Rifle (semi-auto) 4d10/x2 (20 shots) (DEW)
Assault Rifle (automatic) 1d12/x3 (50 shots) (Projectile)
Grenades
Concussion 6d6
Fragmentation 6d6
Incendiary 6d6
Flashbang, Smoke and Stun grenades are also available.
Since there isn't a prize or anything for this, make use of what official D&D 3.5/Dragonstar/Pathfinder base classes you want. NPC Classes are also acceptable.
Example: General Draukzur sends a kill team to achieve the mission objective. The team consists of a ranged-weapons specialist Ranger (Lvl 12), a Warlock (Lvl 12), a Cleric (Lvl 12) and an Artificer (Lvl 12), all Kobolds. In addition, the team has a Warforged Charger Knight (Lvl 4) as backup. The Warlock provides unlimited magical boomage for the long haul, the Cleric can buff and heal the other team members, the Artificer can do likewise, especially for the Warforged Charger (T1N7-E, the other team members call him “Tiny”) and the Ranger is a general combatant for close quarters and especially at range. The entire team, except for “Tiny,” is armed with blaster pistols and riding barded dire weasels. They also have bandoliers holding 2 smoke grenades, 1 concussion grenade and 1 stun grenade. “Tiny” carries a tower shield, a blaster rifle and a full bandolier of concussion and fragmentation grenades.
http://th02.deviantart.net/fs28/PRE/f/2008/052/1/f/Kobold_Kommando_2_by_CommissarKinyaf.jpg
(D&D 3.5/Dragonstar/Pathfinder)
http://fc01.deviantart.net/fs10/i/2006/083/f/2/Kobold_Soldier_by_CommissarKinyaf.jpg
It is the far future...
General Draukzur of the Kobold Star Empire stood looking out over the fleet from the vantage point of his command carrier’s observation deck. The battlecruisers, light cruisers and destroyers of the fleet seemed to drift lazily across the night sky over the planet below as an endless train of supply shuttles and transport ships trailed up to them from the surface and back again. He often came here to think but as much as he might like to, it would be ludicrous to command the fleet from a room with a window like this. The command center was deep in the heart of the mighty vessel. It was why he preferred ground combat to starship battles: he longed to fight an enemy he could see with his own eyes.
He heard the door hiss open behind him but did not turn.
“Report,” he said.
The boots of his adjutant, Lieutenant Zobkol lightly tapped against the deckplates as he entered the chamber and even though the General could not see the gesture, Zobkol lifted his right hand over his chest and pulled his claws quickly into a fist over his heart in salute. He pulled a small computer display out of his pocket and began to read out the condition of the fleet.
“All ships stand ready, General. The prefabricated shipyard has arrived from the homeworlds and been assembled without incident. All adamantine and mithral mines and alchemical fabricators on the planet are operating at peak efficiency and the fleet is being resupplied as we speak. There's a minor glitch in the alchemical healing vats in the main triage center planetside but the artificers promise me they'll have it worked out by this afternoon.”
“Very good. Order all leaves canceled. All fleet personnel are to return to their ships at once and all ships are to prepare for immediate deployment,” the general said.
“Sir?” Zobkol asked. “Has something happened?” A quick glance at his display confirmed that the fleet was not scheduled for anything other than training and patrols.
The general sighed. “The damned lizards have joined the Sahuagin.”
The small computer display clattered against the deck. The lieutenant stood there for a moment with his mouth open before he snatched up the display unit and composed himself as best he could.
“But--but why?”
“Seems the lizardfolk think they should be the heirs to the ancient Dragon Empire, not us. If they remain true to form, they’ll launch a series of raids to appear to be trying to cut off our supplies but it’ll be a feint to draw us out and disperse our forces so they can launch a massive central assault. The Egg Mother herself has commanded me to neutralize the threat before the lizards can gather in strength. I intend to attack at once.”
* * *
In the wake of the destruction of the scanners of the ancient Imperial frontier base (see KFF: Mission I (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=6334521)), the war against the Sahuagin space pirates has developed in earnest. Unfortunately, the lizardfolk, powerful warriors armed with one of the most numerous star fleets if not the most advanced and once considered trusted allies, have gone over to the Sahuagin pirate fleet and are now threatening our strategic flank.
The asteroid colony at Khallon is populated by lizardfolk warriors and their human slaves. The colony was moved years ago to a position adjacent to the Khallon system’s main jump point to act as a bombardment platform against invasion. Its external defenses are considerable and have repelled three fleet assaults in the past. The plan to deal with the base is for our wizards to magically insert a kill team via an old, abandoned freighter docked to the colony currently being used as extra cargo space. The team will be retrieved using the same magical means from one of several pre-arranged locations. Unfortunately, the team’s magical arrival will trip the lizardfolk’s alarms and alert them to the team’s presence, but not their exact location. The kill team must fight their way to the center of the asteroid colony and seize either the command deck, the colony’s main computer control room or the central reactor, preferably while drawing as much attention as possible. If the team can cause enough internal chaos aboard the asteroid colony, our fleet's victory will be assured.
That, however, is not your mission.
The lizardfolk commander on site has hired the assistance of an elite team of mercenaries in preparation for launching a series of attacks into friendly space. They are the Sindasuré, the Grey Wind, a team of elven soldiers-for-hire. They are as renowned for their swift, vicious attacks as they are for their valor and utter ruthlessness. Intelligence has this on the composition of the Grey Wind: Atadariel Silverhand, team leader, wilderness warfare specialist and highly trained military tactician and strategist (Ranger/Marshal), Rhilarset Wildfalcon, dual-pistol wielding skirmisher (Scout), Balarand Dewsword, hexblade, Elsern Starfeather, warmage and Gelescia Wisedancer, cleric. The Sindasuré have disrupted our operations in the past and will, most likely, disrupt the infiltration of the asteroid colony.
Using the fleet attack and the other kill team's assault on the base as cover, your team will draw out the Sindasuré and eliminate them. Once that objective has been completed, render support to the other kill team and assist in securing the colony.
All that remains is for you to choose the ones who will go. You must assemble: KOBOLD FORCE FIVE.
Basically, this is just a thought experiment to decide what force of operatives you'd be sending if it were up to you and to discuss why.
Choose a force of 5 humanoids or monstrous humanoids with 12 total levels a piece (Character Level + Level Adjustment + Racial Hit Dice) that will go on the mission and explain why you chose them.
This is a hit-and-run mission. You must accomplish the following objectives and then retreat to one of the designated retrieval points before the sheer mass of numbers of the lizardfolk marines (considered to be among the toughest in the galaxy) can be brought to bear on your team:
1. Terminate (or capture) all five members of the Sindasuré.
2. Eliminate the base commander.
3. If objectives one and two have been met, then assist the other kill team in reaching the command deck, the main computer room or the main reactor. If the other team has been eliminated, seize one of those three objectives to better enable the fleet to take the colony.
Warning: While you are free to kill all enemy personnel manning the main computer control room, the asteroid colony computer is a living computer, a relic of the old Empire, and must not be damaged or destroyed.
Rules:
The race you choose must be a humanoid or monstrous humanoid race. No humans, elves, dwarves, gnomes, halflings, planetouched or half-breeds of aforementioned races. The race you choose is up to you. However, the higher the level adjustment and racial hit dice for the race, the fewer remaining levels you have to choose class levels for the team members. All members must be from the same race. Exception: You may have one soulmech or warforged operative accompany you on the mission.
Each individual may make use of a single prestige class in the team. Multi-classing for all operatives is acceptable.
Should anyone feel equipment to be an issue, assume sufficient funds exist to provide each individual with whatever basic equipment they can carry including masterwork items but not any magical items of any specific powers (it can be generally assumed that the party has at its disposal generic magical melee weapons, say +3 and equally generic magical armor, also +3, just for the sake of argument). Blasters and Assault weapons are the only available ranged weapons (aside from bows, crossbows, thrown weapons, etc.)
Sample equipment for those unacquainted with Dragonstar:
Melee
Keenblade versions of all archaic bladed weapons are available. These weapons are made from contemporary materials and have their bladed edges laminated with industrially created diamond. This provides a +1 to attack and stacks with both magic and masterwork bonuses. They are rare but available for a team of this type.
Small
Blaster Pistol (semi-auto) 3d8/x2 (30 shots) (Directed Energy Weapon)
Heavy Autopistol (automatic) 1d12/x3 (20 shots) (Projectile)
Medium
Blaster Carbine (semi-auto) 4d8/x2 (25 shots) (DEW)
Assault Carbine (automatic) 1d10/x3 (50 shots) (Projectile)
Large
Blaster Rifle (semi-auto) 4d10/x2 (20 shots) (DEW)
Assault Rifle (automatic) 1d12/x3 (50 shots) (Projectile)
Grenades
Concussion 6d6
Fragmentation 6d6
Incendiary 6d6
Flashbang, Smoke and Stun grenades are also available.
Since there isn't a prize or anything for this, make use of what official D&D 3.5/Dragonstar/Pathfinder base classes you want. NPC Classes are also acceptable.
Example: General Draukzur sends a kill team to achieve the mission objective. The team consists of a ranged-weapons specialist Ranger (Lvl 12), a Warlock (Lvl 12), a Cleric (Lvl 12) and an Artificer (Lvl 12), all Kobolds. In addition, the team has a Warforged Charger Knight (Lvl 4) as backup. The Warlock provides unlimited magical boomage for the long haul, the Cleric can buff and heal the other team members, the Artificer can do likewise, especially for the Warforged Charger (T1N7-E, the other team members call him “Tiny”) and the Ranger is a general combatant for close quarters and especially at range. The entire team, except for “Tiny,” is armed with blaster pistols and riding barded dire weasels. They also have bandoliers holding 2 smoke grenades, 1 concussion grenade and 1 stun grenade. “Tiny” carries a tower shield, a blaster rifle and a full bandolier of concussion and fragmentation grenades.
http://th02.deviantart.net/fs28/PRE/f/2008/052/1/f/Kobold_Kommando_2_by_CommissarKinyaf.jpg