Rifts Adventure IC

[Purr]

Gradicus thanked the wizard that cast Invisibility (Superior) upon and offered the use of his large P.P.E. battery to cover the spell-energy cost. Gradicus told those members of his team with the True Atlantean Communication Crystals, "Let us use these to communicate. The Mechanoids might be able to listen in to radio communications." Then if there was nothing else, he scouted as swiftly and efficiently as he could with his multi-optics helm's telescopic vision.

 

[Sherwood]

Taking off, Gradicus leaves the assembled soldiers and wizards behind and races along towards the location of the Mechanoid fortress that Hagan had told you about. Slowing down before you get on top of the location so you don't give off your presence with a massive sonic boom, you now have fifteen minutes of scouting time before the Invisibility spell wears off and you are once more visible to normal sight.

The first thing you can see is that the construction of whatever it is that the Mechanoids are working on nearby the fortress is proceeding rapidly, and much progress has been made on the mysterious construction since the time that Hagan did his own recon look not that long ago. You can see at least fifteen, perhaps as many as twenty pairs of Thin Men and Runt robots on guard duty, along with two of the Tanks that you faced before (not the three that Hagan saw; who knows where the third one is), with about twenty of these big things working on the work of the building that is under construction:



Eight Brains are also out and about, working on the construction, showing that the Mechanoids consider this to be something to be a critical item to be working on. As far as air support goes, there are six of these things up in the air, slowly circling around the area.



This is what the fortress looks like:



It is a semi-sphere with a large flat shape on top, just over 1600 feet tall, and 850 feet in diameter. It is easily large enough to house many more vehicles and mecha, so it is anyone's guess as to what lies inside.

How close to the fortress or the new construction do you get while you are scouting about?

 

[Purr]

Gradicus remained at the edge of his telescopic vision, unwilling to give his enemies the slightest reason to think anything was amiss. Using his communication crystal, he relayed everything he saw and heard in great detail back to his allies.

 

[Silanon]

As the slayer leaves for recon duty, the technowizard is tempted to do the same; however, given the Atlantean's speed, there's no harm in waiting just a few moments before the first, short report comes in. "Got ya - already sounds like quite a bit to deal with, and there'll be much more inside, I reckon. What'ya think: Want me to try to sneak closer on the ground, or do you think that'd be just a risk with little reward? How's the terrain around the base? Still decent cover, or nothing left to hide behind?"

 

[Sherwood]

Looking around, Gradicus can see that the ground and surrounding terrain has been cleared to provide (unfortunately for you) a wide field of view for the Mechanoids to be able to spot an approaching enemy from a long distance away. It will not be possible for the ground forces to approach without being spotted long before they can engage.

 

[Purr]

"Do stay where you are, good Shaona," cautioned the gladiator. Gradicus described in detail the open terrain prepared by the Mechanoids.

 

[Psychie]

Terra lets out a little frown. "Well, the good news is that our Glitter Boy artillery will have a clear line of fire on their targets. The bad news is, their targets will have a clear line of fire on us as we race to close in to melee range. At least Baby and Junior have the Starfire Pulse Cannons to help out, and the Earth Thunderers do have a few spells in their arsenal that can reach out and touch someone at range. Not that they can rely upon them for long; but the Power Bolt spell can do some damage."

"Grad, anything else you can see out there of interest?"

 

[Purr]

"Grad, anything else you can see out there of interest?"

Terra's thinking was sound. Gradicus kept looking. "Hmm. Why must we enter their arm's reach? Our forces seem best-suited to ranged attack. Perhaps we can make them come to us." Times like these, he was glad he was not some grizzled battlefield commander but a simple gladiator complete with scars and tattoos with the beauty and madness of the adventuring life all over and about him.

 

[Sherwood]

Upon hearing this, Brazamal steps up and gives a wicked smile. "You shouldn't underestimate this old dragon, my young friend." He motions towards the meditating spellcasters. "I chose my allies with care. We can bolster your Automations with the Impervious to Energy spell, making them temporarily immune to the energy weapons of our foes as you run forward. It will do nothing to stop the damage of projectile weapons and missiles, but at least it is a start."

One last thing that Gradicus can sense as he is flying about overhead, the area is on a Ley Line Nexus point, allowing most magic OCC's to draw an additional 20 PPE once per melee round (that varies depending on your own OCC).

 

[Purr]

Gradicus relayed that information to the others immediately.

 

[Psychie]

Terra's thinking was sound. Gradicus kept looking. "Hmm. Why must we enter their arm's reach? Our forces seem best-suited to ranged attack. Perhaps we can make them come to us." Times like these, he was glad he was not some grizzled battlefield commander but a simple gladiator complete with scars and tattoos with the beauty and madness of the adventuring life all over and about him.

Terra's response to the question is one of mechanics: "The Automations that we have, the Earth Thunderers and the Fire Demons, are melee focused. While they do have a few ranged spells available to them, they do their best damage in hand-to-hand combat."

With the word that the location is on a Nexus point, Terra smiles. "That is good news for us. Our own forces have a large group of mages that can use that power to fuel their spells, while our enemies seem to be all mechanically focused, and will not be as able to tap into it as we can."

 

[Sherwood]

Brazamal frowns. "I think that this is not as good of news as you may think, my dear. Mr. Gradicus? This construction that the Mechanoids are undertaking. Can you tell if it is in the very center of the Nexus point? I fear that they are trying to mechanically control the Nexus to open a Rift and bring through the reinforcements that they desire. We are definetey in a time crunch now, and time is short. We cannot let these creatures finish their work to control the Nexus."

"We must decide on just when we will make our attack. I say sooner rather than later, as we are ready to attack now. But I am not a tactician."

 

[Silanon]

"If you ask me: Waiting only means more time for them to find us by accident. With the ley line nexus, mages should be fine without a longer break; and some others really want to get things going." She nods at those who seemed most eager to fry scrap metal thus far. "Me too, actually. I'd rather fight fifty than fifty thousand. Still leaves the question of how we attack - range is in our favor, and the Automatons are just as good at countering their assault as at storming forward. Question's the time: Could our Glitter Boys blow up the base before the portal opens? If yes, we're set. If not, it's on us to rush in asap. Which probably means that we're going in, because we have no clue how close they are to the breakthrough."

 

[Purr]

With the word that the location is on a Nexus point, Terra smiles. "That is good news for us. Our own forces have a large group of mages that can use that power to fuel their spells, while our enemies seem to be all mechanically focused, and will not be as able to tap into it as we can."

Gradicus replied, "Terra, my thanks for describing the automatons melee abilities. However, Lonovich stated our foes are powerful psychics capable of mental manipulation. I am no psychic, but do not ley lines empower psychic power as well as magical?"

With all of the caution he could muster, Gradicus attempted to get the information Elder Brazamal needed. He asked, "Might we benefit from making the automatons invisible? In order to get them into melee range undetected?"

 

[Sherwood]

Brazamal literally smacks his forehead. "Curse me for a fool! Of course we can! Why didn't I think of that myself?" He shakes his head in disbelief. "I keep saying that I am a scholar, not a fighter. I guess this helps to prove my point!" He does some quick mental calculations, then says, "If we combine the Resistance to Energy and the Invisibility spells, it will drain the reserves of a couple of different mages, but casting spells to aid in our venture is why they are here after all."

You know that from your current assembly point, you are just over forty miles out, making it take your Earth Thunderer Automations an hour to get there. So you definitely don't want to have the spells cast yet; they will expire long before you get in range. The Invisibility spell lasts three minutes per level of the caster, and the Impervious to Energy lasts only two minutes per level, so you will have on the average fifteen to twenty minutes of time to get in position with the Automations before the spells run out.

 

[Silanon]

"Isn't invisibility just a guessing game - did they prepare for it, or not? A single heat scanner can ruin your day, or some other form of tech; heck, it only takes me a single sentence to see the invisible myself. It's good for scouting, certainly, nice if you can carefully sneak your way forward. Wouldn't want to rely on it for the automatons, though - not completely, at least, we'll need 'em." She spits out. "Need 'em too much to put all eggs into a holey basket. Maybe try a few at most, buy enough time for the others to follow. We've got energy resistance and shields, those two things will always do the job, even if every tiny robot over there notices warmth from a mile away." A pause. "Unless automatons happen to produce no heat at all - never looked at one that way, actually, but I'd pretty much doubt it, right?"

 

[Psychie]

"Invisibility Superior covers the whole visible sight spectrum, including infrared. We should be good on that front."

Terra says, "But if that's the case, we should put the Invisibility on the whole kit n' kaboolde, including the Glitter Boys. That way, we can get close enough for the Boom Guns to be able to hit their targets before we're spotted by the air support." She glances up at her Battlelord, and says, "Come here, Tiny. Time to earn our pay."

In a loud voice, Terra calls out, "Alright everyone! Lets get on the move! We have to get closer before we start using the spells to conceal and protect the mecha, and we are burning daylight. No sense in giving the Mechanoids any more time to get their construction project done and call in scads of help on their side. It will be about an hour for the Earth Thunderers to get there, so we'll pull up to a stop in about fifty minutes to cast our protective spells on everyone."

 

[Sherwood]

Moving out, the forces form a convoy forming up on the slower Earth Thunderer Automations. The one Controller with the three Ice Drake Automations fly ahead a short distance, using their high maneuverability to stick close to the ground to avoid detection from the Mechanoids as the convoy advances.

By now, the invisibility spell on Gradicus has worn off. What is the Undead Slayer doing now? Are you going to wait near the Mechanoid base, or do you fly back to rejoin the others?
Purr

Lumbering forward, the convoy has now reached the point where Terra has called for the halt to begin the prep work of casting the spells. You are now about ten minutes out from the Mechanoid base at the running speed of the Earth Thunderer Automations, and at the level of the spellcasters getting ready to place the invisibility spells on you, they will last for twenty minutes or until the person or figure makes a hostile move, at which point the spell will automatically cancel out and make the target visible once more. The Impervious to Energy spell will last only fifteen minutes before you are once more vulnerable to energy weapons.

The seven Ley Line Walkers with the party begin their castings on the Automations, then move onto the Glitter Boys, including Daisy's own GB suit. For the next few minutes, the lot of you are invisible until you begin to fight and are immune to the effects of all energy weapons. All physical attacks and explosions will do damage as normal to you, though.

Those that have their own Invisibility spells are expected to be able to use their own PPE to cloak themselves; the other mages are using a lot of energy protecting the rest of the party.

 

[Purr]

By now, the invisibility spell on Gradicus has worn off. What is the Undead Slayer doing now? Are you going to wait near the Mechanoid base, or do you fly back to rejoin the others?

Prior to the spell's expiration, Gradicus attempted to find cover in a high place with good visibility. There, cautious at the edge of his range and ready to bolt at a moment's notice, he continued to collect and relay information to his allies. The more they knew about these alien demons, the better they could kill them.

 

[Sherwood]

Prior to the spell's expiration, Gradicus attempted to find cover in a high place with good visibility. There, cautious at the edge of his range and ready to bolt at a moment's notice, he continued to collect and relay information to his allies. The more they knew about these alien demons, the better they could kill them.

The closest bit of cover that Gradicus is able to find is just over two miles from the Mechanoid base, and even that would be iffy if you were not on foot. Using the zoom lens of your Multi-Optics Helmet, he is able to continue to observe and report on the activity of the Mechanoids. The majority of the action is centered around the construction of the unusual building, with some of the forces keeping guard, making sure that there is no way for an attacking force to approach unopposed.

With as focused as the enemy is at their patrols, you are quite certain that with as close as you are to the base, if you were using a conventional radio, even an encrypted one, your presence would have been detected and triangulated within moments of your arrival. Thank you Atlantean Communication Crystals.


For the rest of the party, you are now just under ten minutes out at the top speed of the Earth Thunderer Automations. As you assemble at the waiting point, the Ley Line Walkers begin the process of casting the Invisibility and Invulnerability to Energy spells on all the Automations, starting with the slower Earth Thunderers to get them moving out towards the Mechanoid base before the time runs out on the magic. After the first spells are cast, the mages move onto the faster Fire Demon Automations and then the Glitter Boys, and finally the flying Ice Drakes. The five Cyber Knights are also protected under the effects of the magic, and are currently riding into the fight on the unoccupied Automations.

The battle is about to be joined.

 

[Silanon]

As the mages chant their spells, the technowizard stands nearby - eyeing their work with curiosity, as the spells are familiar, and yet more powerful than those she could cast herself. Thus, she does not join in, leaving them to their work - only interrupting once to become superior invisible as well to not wreck the others' plans by her presence. Impervious to energy - she can do that on herself, and does so shortly before the attack can begin; then, it's mostly a matter of waiting, and of empowering her armor with the usual spells: Be quicker, more resilient, and you might just survive what's in store for those assembled.

Spoiler: Spells

I'd like to grab superior invisibility as well - I'll cast impervious to energy myself, and could help out with that if needed. Using armor of Ilthan+ superhuman speed on the armor once the battle is near, as usual.

 

[Rykon]

Zephiron keeps his eyes to the air, looking for any targets that needed to be dispatched. Unlike parts of the forces, Zephiron didn't push for invisibility unless everyone had it. Those that were visible were going to draw a lot of attention to them when the confusion factor expires. If any were needed to soak the assault of the Mechanoids, the dragon prince was durable enough to handle it. "Last chance before the fight begins. Was anyone else wanting to take to the sky? I can handle heavy passengers easily enough."

Just before the time came for the battle to begin his own musical chant guided the weave of energies about him. Shells of light weaved around his scales, his eyes narrows, and his physical power increased in magnitude. The prince was ready to become a divine destroyer, if for no other reason than to demonstrate the might of true royalty, infant or not.

Spoiler: Spells and Powers

Zeph will be activating:

ISP 59 total: Enhance Reflexes (10 ISP for 10 minutes), Resist Damage (25 ISP for 25 minutes), Strength of Mind (10 ISP for 10 minutes), Enhanced Perception(10 ISP for 25 minutes), Sense Psionics (4 ISP for 10 minutes)
Effect Summary: +1 Attack per melee, +3 initiative, +1 to strike, +2 to parry and dodge, +2 to P.P, +15% to all Physical skills that rely on coordination or balance. All damage taken is halved. 10 PS, +5PE, enhance all natural senses by 50% with the ability to prevent sensory overload. Can sense the use of psionics.

PPE 70 total: Armor of Ithan (10 PPE for 5 minutes), Invulnerability (25 PPE for 5 melees / 75 seconds), Power Weapon on Cutting Squall (35 PPE for 10 melees / 150 seconds)
Effect Summary: +50MDC, Magic Fire, lightning, and cold do half damage. Another +50MDC energy field, impervious to fire, cold, all energy attacks, disease, poisons, gases, and drugs, +10 to magic and psionic saves and horror factor (21 to 23 with frills now). +25% damage increase to Cutting Squall the Rune Halberd (given that its base damage is 1d4 x 10 before the natural 1d6 x 10 I'm not sure what that should ultimately look like).

Spoiler: Adjusted Combat Stats

This is the stat blocks after the spell and power modifiers are accounted for.

Hit Points: 300 (Effectively 600 until Resist Damage expires)
M.D.C.: 540 (Effectively 1080 until Resist Damage expires)
I.S.P.: 112 | 59 spent
P.P.E: 159 | 70 spent
Horror Factor: 21 (23 with extended frills)

IQ: 21 (+7% All skills, +3 Perception)
ME: 31 (+8 vs psionic attacks and +13 vs insanity)
MA: 26 (88% trust/intimidate)
PS: 64 (+49 to damage, 1D6 x 10 MD punch, 2D6 x 10 MD Power Punch)
PP: 33 (+8 to strike, parry, and dodge, +1 initiative)
PE: 35 (35% save vs coma/death, +8 against poison and magic)
PB: 29 (90% to charm/impress)

Weight Capacity: 3200
Lift: 6400 for 35 minutes
Run Speed: 19mph
Flight Speed: 75mph

Number of Attacks: 8
Strike: +13
Parry: +18
Dodge: +18
Roll: +7
Pull: +7
Perception: +4 (+50% to senses from Enhanced Perception power)
Initiative: +6
Damage: Base: 1D6 x 10 MD +49, Weapon: 1D4 x 10 MD, Power Weapon Spell: +25% (to me that sounds like 2D6 x 10 +61 MD for the sake of simplicity, but please correct me if I'm wrong Sherwood )
Horror Save: +19
Psionics Save: +21
Magic Save: +19 (includes "Other Saves" bonus from R.C.C.
Other Saves Bonus: +1 (assumed to be applied to: Magic, Poison, etc. from R.C.C. context)

 

[Silanon]

Shaona musters those assembled around her - either bound to their machines, or better off on their own either way. Of course, soldiers or mages could take the spot, but both should fight better with familiar companions around them; means that the list of potential dragon riders happens to be rather short. Short enough, in fact, that it's worth a thought; good view from up there, that much is clear, and a good way to be where you're needed the most. Quite the focus of the attention, though, and, perhaps worse, on the back of a dragon; she's seen his kind fight, and it's not pretty. Frightening, wild, over-confident - and this one is young, so it'll be even worse.

"Could give it a try, back you up with more magic. Can always cast my own fly spell if I'm needed elsewhere." A look at Terra, as she'll be at the heart of the battle line on the ground. "Think that'd be fine, or do you want me on the ground?"

 

[Psychie]

Terra gives Shaona a thumbs-up. "So long as it is fine with our young dragon friend, I think having you up top would be a good thing."

 

[Sherwood]

So just to confirm:

We are going to have Shaona on Zeph's back, flying up with Gradicus to hit the six fliers with the help of the three Ice Drakes, two of which have Ley Line Walkers on them. All of the Ice Drakes are currently Immune to Energy along with their riders.

Terra is riding on Tiny, with Junior and Baby all under the effects of the Invisibility Superior and Immunity to Energy spells.

Daisy is also Invisible and Immune to Energy, along with the whole gunline of the other Glitter Boys. D. Rex are you planning on running in solo, or will you stick with the other GB pilots as they rain down fire from a distance?

Vaneheart with Dru. Where are you going to be in all of this? I have not seen any IC posts from you in some time, so unless I hear from you, I'll have Dru NPCd with the other Cyber Knights.

Speaking of the other Cyber Knights, they also have the dual spells on them, and at the moment, they will be riding into combat on the Automations of the other Controller Mages.

If this is good with everyone, we'll be moving into the combat shortly. I fully expect that this bunch will rip the Mechanoid defenders apart, but there is always the fun of dealing with the fortress itself.