OOC - "The Ison Corridor"

[DeepSpacer]

I noticed a bit of a lull, too. I was giving it a couple days just in case people were busy or ill.

So, we are we are at, anything we do to help before tomorrow's meeting with mazlum could likely affect that meeting. Asking or working with Captain Tye can come afterwards.

I just need to confirm with you all who is doing what so I can assign a difficulty.

[DeepSpacer]

Our discussion here in the ooc is basically our group discussion in the IC without having to duplicate things in both places unnecessarily.

It seems like you all want to talk to, care for, and negotiate on behalf of the Ugnaughts and smooth that over with mazlum, convincing him it might make for better productivity in the long run. Would that be correct?

[SanguineAngel]

That's about right. I was thinking also the we might get some support from other patrons here who are clearly just as outraged at extortionate fees. Replace Mazlum or get the ugbaughts working more efficiently, either way we should see savings (although in one scenario that might be offset by wages).

But I wouldnt advise being up front about that intention at the meeting with Mazlum's man in the morning. However, hopefully he'll tell us who we need to talk to about the ugbaughts.

[SavageBob]

Vesper would let the others know that she doesn't quite trust Mazlum (she caught him lying), but it might be to their benefit if they found ways to help out the station after the Imperial raid. It would give them a positive view of us and (perhaps later) the Rebellion. She'd mention the labor dispute, but what the others did about it would be up to them. Vesper's no agitator, and she's uneasy around non-humans, so she'd leave that to others.

She would volunteer to look after any work-related injuries among the Ugnaughts (and other workers). If asked to do so, she might use that opportunity to get us into the workers' good graces. Whether that in was used to unionize them or to ask them to work harder would be up to Oona et al.

[swrider]

Hell will go with the flow. He will impart the infromation about the captain and his thoughts that they might be usefull and that we should meet with them to possibly get help raiding the fuel station. Besides that he will obviously help with the piloting task that was set forth. The other tasks really arnt up his ally but if the idea is for each PC to do more than one then He will take another.

[SavageBob]

Another thing: If Oona and Thino are interested in a revolution on the station, Vesper would urge caution. She thinks Mazlum and his officers might be sympathetic to the Rebellion, so overthrowing them might be going too far. But note again she's not an agitator, and she grew up with a silver spoon in her mouth, so of course she'd support management over labor unless clear evidence of mistreatment were found. That said, she'd go along with the plan if we decided to foment a rebellion after speaking to the Ugnaughts. Ditto the fuel raid plan.

[DeepSpacer]

That's about right. I was thinking also the we might get some support from other patrons here who are clearly just as outraged at extortionate fees. Replace Mazlum or get the ugbaughts working more efficiently, either way we should see savings (although in one scenario that might be offset by wages).

When thinking of Ison Station just think of that roadside convenience store or rest stop. It is in the middle of nowhere and it's your only chance to get something you need. You can either pay the asked price or move along. Demand > Supply. It's $2.50 for a Pepsi at a highway rest stop, you pay it or move on without a Pepsi. It'd be different if we're in a civilized area or there were something nearby. The Anoat system has lots of desolate planets and very few urbanized planets. It's not like you can go to the next planet over.

[DeepSpacer]

Captain Kettel tries to get everyone into an organized plan for the rest of the day. It'd be a good idea, he says, (Charmed by Mazlum) to help with these tasks. So far, Helios can help with piloting in some of the ore freighters to help increase the day's intake for the station. Oona, Vesper, & Thino want to talk to the Ugnaught laborers. Kettel (w/ Lanna) can try to help with the cleanup by the Ugnaughts and laborer droids using his Leadership skills. Looks like we have a main group talking to Ugnaughts, and then a few side checks for Helios.

Spoiler:

"No mechanic, eh? Well, my brother Kamar is a skilled mechanic. He could use some assistance. His patience runs short with our paid laborers, as short and slow as they are. They simply can't reach places a standard-sized being can. But they're cheap and plentiful in this sector. Kamar usually prefers to work on his own rather than work with them. I am sure he could use the help. Besides that, the Stormtroopers tossed nearly every tool, ship part, and component out of its storage place. It's been a nightmare trying to get it back together, nice and organized. It wouldn't necessarily take a mechanic to sort things out."

"Add to that, the ingratitude and disorganization of those Ugnaughts, and this station is a mess! Someone needs to light a fire under them!"

Spoiler:

I am going for a sort of Skill Challenge here. A wide variety of skills that (depending on the successes) could weigh into a negotiation check the next day. Of course, the PC's would be free to be creative in skill usage and narrative. Each part takes a portion of the remaining day so as to allow each PC to help with 1 or 2 tasks. Extra succ/adv/tri on the ultimate Negotiation roll could yield extras for the PC's, maybe a ship attachment.

Leadership: get Ugnaughts to work as a group
Charm/Coercion: motivate Ugnaughts, attitude change
Medicine & Xenology: basic care to workers
Kn:Education / Vigilance: sort items by tag
Athletics: lift heavy parts/machinery
Computers: computer repair/maintenance
Piloting-Space/Planetary: help with incoming ore shipments for the day
Mechanics: repair labor/mining droids, sort parts
Perception: notice out-of-place items, look for missing parts that are needed
Skulduggery: take something for yourself

[Boutrose Saba-Norr]

Another thing: If Oona and Thino are interested in a revolution on the station, Vesper would urge caution. She thinks Mazlum and his officers might be sympathetic to the Rebellion, so overthrowing them might be going too far. But note again she's not an agitator, and she grew up with a silver spoon in her mouth, so of course she'd support management over labor unless clear evidence of mistreatment were found. That said, she'd go along with the plan if we decided to foment a rebellion after speaking to the Ugnaughts. Ditto the fuel raid plan.

Yea that’s the thing, thino is very much the high moralist, not willing to go with the lesser evil Isam stuff, for him, a republic that creates itself through compromise of the rights of others would not be one that he would want to fight for, so if Vesper is going to tell him that the ugnaughts are being mistreated, he will likely do what is necessary to ensure the mission and not endanger everyone’s lives, but he will eventually end that mistreatment by whatever means he seems appropriate.

This could just mean that after the rebellions over he comes back here and shoots some people though.

[DeepSpacer]

It is good to delve into the depth of a character. Especially as Thino has seen different sides of the government's treatment of people.

It is difficult to say that running a business in a shrewd manner while being mean is some kind of evil or deserving of death. Not saying that's the case, you'll just have to find out.

It will be interesting to see how close Thino's personal doctrine takes him to be coming the very thing he hates.

[DeepSpacer]

Vesper would let the others know that she doesn't quite trust Mazlum (she caught him lying), but it might be to their benefit if they found ways to help out the station after the Imperial raid.

Correction, she thought something odd about his request (offering to work something out for your assistance). 3 successes, 4 Threats on the Deception roll. The Threats mean that you suspected all the requests were not Stormtrooper-related damages as he suggested. (IC post #114 & #116) The core issue he was deceptive about, you do not know, and neither does your character.

Another thing: If Oona and Thino are interested in a revolution on the station, Vesper would urge caution. She thinks Mazlum and his officers might be sympathetic to the Rebellion, so overthrowing them might be going too far.

Good point. Having a friendly outpost is important, either way. I think it's a bit presumptuous to think that a boss who badmouthed his ungrateful employees to a third party (the group) should be 'spaced' for that alone. As a famous proverb says, "The first one to plead his case seems right. until the other states his case."

[SavageBob]

Correction, she thought something odd about his request (offering to work something out for your assistance). 3 successes, 4 Threats on the Deception roll. The Threats mean that you suspected all the requests were not Stormtrooper-related damages as he suggested. (IC post #114 & #116) The core issue he was deceptive about, you do not know, and neither does your character.

Maybe not "lying" outright, but the 4 Threat seem to suggest he's being shifty at the very least, trying to take advantage of us. Either way, Vesper would point out he seems to be a bit shady and opportunistic.

Should we narrate our approach to the laborers? Or do you have something in mind, DS?

[DeepSpacer]

Today I plan to layout a route for Helios helping with flying the ore transports and one route with the others and the Ugnaughts. The Captain (Kettel + Lanna? Ronin?) will try to assess the needs of the Red Dawn in the hangar bay. The Ugnaught group of Oona, Thino, Vesper, (Ronin?) will need to make a roll to see what you (collectively) know about Ugnaughts and their culture/mannerisms.

Knowledge: Xenology - AVG 2Diff + Setback die. (I will upgrade with DP)

Looks like YGG + 2B vs Red-Purple + SB die, if I am not mistaken.
2 Boosts for 2 PC's included.

(7 LS / 2 DS)

[SavageBob]

Hahaha! That roll went as spectacularly wrong as it could have short of a Despair coming up. 2 Failure, 7 Advantages.

Not sure how to adjudicate that. Perhaps a narrative benefit: Maybe we can't remember anything about the Ugnaughts, but one of the Rebel soldiers is familiar with them and will fill us in? Or maybe even Pitts? Or maybe we all collectively draw a blank, but one of the Ugnaught workers takes pity on us due to our bumbling and becomes our guide into their culture? (This is how sociocultural anthropologists work, at any rate.)

[DeepSpacer]

Whew! That's some kinda roll!
I got it covered, though. Lots of info on Ugnaughts on wookieepedia.

You all have to decide how/where you approach them. ...while at work in a hangar or at their collective residential area.

[DeepSpacer]

Hahaha! That roll went as spectacularly wrong as it could have short of a Despair coming up. 2 Failure, 7 Advantages.

Not sure how to adjudicate that. Perhaps a narrative benefit: Maybe we can't remember anything about the Ugnaughts, but one of the Rebel soldiers is familiar with them and will fill us in? Or maybe even Pitts? Or maybe we all collectively draw a blank, but one of the Ugnaught workers takes pity on us due to our bumbling and becomes our guide into their culture? (This is how sociocultural anthropologists work, at any rate.)

CRB "Learn extra trivial information about subject."
Having an NPC tell/show you the info is just a work-around to avoid the failed roll. But, the base ideas are good in having a side benefit. I have some ideas in mind.

[DeepSpacer]

The group's combined knowledge about Ugnaughts:

• Ugnaughts, from Gentes in the Anoat Sector

• Porcine (pig-like), tusks for possible weapons, divided into tribal hierarchy, wore red to increase productivity, ate gente slugs

• Republic species databanks express Ugnaughts as porcine-bipeds. Relevant descriptors are small, tusks, and unfriendly."

• Popularly inhabit areas in and around Bespin

• Ugnaughts were industrious and loyal workers with a rich oral tradition. They were quite hardy, able to withstand long periods of discomfort, and lived around two hundred years.

• Ugnaughts lived in accordance with their "blood profession," with Ugnaught parents teaching their children their trade.

[swrider]

Can hell do some test maneuvers to see how bad the ship handles? Also can he check any sensor data or maps and try an astrogation check to lower the difficulties. He is definately gunning for the harder route, but he is not stupid and would want as much info as posible on both the routes and his ship.

[DeepSpacer]

Can hell do some test maneuvers to see how bad the ship handles? Also can he check any sensor data or maps and try an astrogation check to lower the difficulties. He is definately gunning for the harder route, but he is not stupid and would want as much info as posible on both the routes and his ship.

Makes some sense. The base difficulty is that for a "Sil 4" ship moving at "1" Speed. (1/2 Sil upgraded once for 1 speed). An Astrogation Check could yield Boosts instead, working like Plot the Course action. AVG Diff.

These clunkers are older ships and have a built-in -1 Handling. Without a test flight, I'll just say it has an increased +1 Setback Die. Noticeably worse than the other two.

[SanguineAngel]

I think we should meet with kamar before heading to talk to the ugnaughts. He's supposed to have all the details so presumably can tell us at the very least who we should approach.

[SavageBob]

CRB "Learn extra trivial information about subject."
Having an NPC tell/show you the info is just a work-around to avoid the failed roll. But, the base ideas are good in having a side benefit. I have some ideas in mind.

I think with my suggestion, the key would be to require another roll, perhaps. The example that Keith Kappel uses (one of FFG's main writers) is a group trying to break into a building fails their Skulduggery check but gets lots of advantage. A passing droid asks them if they need help, and they can now try a Deception check on him to let them in instead. So in this case, something similar would have been to let us try to get the same information a different way (like Charming Pitts to give it to us, or having us meet an Ugnaught whom we can befriend to be our cultural insider). Not disputing your decision, DS, but rather indicating that I wasn't trying to skirt the spirit of the RAW, just trying to be creative!

[Boutrose Saba-Norr]

@SavageBob don't know how much vesper has expressed her opinions on the matter to us since it happened off screen so I'm setting up an opportunity for her to share and possibly have like a moment of camaraderie and shared opinion with thino

[SavageBob]

@SavageBob don't know how much vesper has expressed her opinions on the matter to us since it happened off screen so I'm setting up an opportunity for her to share and possibly have like a moment of camaraderie and shared opinion with thino

About to head out for some Mother's Day stuff. Will post later when I get the chance! (Happy Mother's Day to any moms among us or linked to us!)

[DeepSpacer]

I think with my suggestion, the key would be to require another roll, perhaps. The example that Keith Kappel uses (one of FFG's main writers) is a group trying to break into a building fails their Skulduggery check but gets lots of advantage. A passing droid asks them if they need help, and they can now try a Deception check on him to let them in instead. So in this case, something similar would have been to let us try to get the same information a different way (like Charming Pitts to give it to us, or having us meet an Ugnaught whom we can befriend to be our cultural insider). Not disputing your decision, DS, but rather indicating that I wasn't trying to skirt the spirit of the RAW, just trying to be creative!

I think that talking to Kamar could be along that track. We'll see how it plays out. I typically give npc's their own story and dispositions towards others. In the above Kappel scenario, the group NEEDS to get into the building and offering another way in seems to be a good use of the advantages, otherwise, nothing goes forward. In our scenario, talking to the Ugnaughts isn't necessary to the story going forward, but could prove beneficial (or detrimental). I suppose that if you knew what you wanted to ask of another npc (like Kamar), then you could possibly acquire more information. Remember, from the PC's POV, they know A GREAT DEAL about Ugnaughts (CRB = ADV's = "Learn extra trivial information about subject."). The PC's don't KNOW they failed the roll and, hence, might not know that they're missing anything, so why would they pursue another option?

[DeepSpacer]

Yes, a happy Mother's Day to all! I was surprised to see so much Sunday AM postings. I had rather written off the day as another low-post holiday. Plus, the east coast weather has been spectacular lately. Don't feel compelled to check in today, we can easily pick up Mon, Tues, etc...