SC's Beta Testing Thread

[SuperCommando]

//WARNING

//WARNING

//TEST IN PROGRESS

//RP MAY EXPERIENCE SOME SLIGHT TURBULENCE AND THEN EXPLODE

//WARNING

RP beta testers may apply in this thread:
yappashalorpg.com/post/107506/thread

ANYONE WHO COMPLETES AN RP BETA TEST WILL BE OFFERED FIRST DIBBS ON MY FULL GAMES USING THESE ADVANCED RULES!

This thread is where various test RPs of mine shall take place, incorporating various rule changes and scenarios for the purpose of refining new systems to implement in future RPs. Anyone interested in helping out with this process by volunteering to be a beta tester is free to check out the link above. Also please use that thread for questions, comments, or suggestions about the current test or testing in general if you are not currently in a test RP.

PLEASE DO NOT POST IN THIS THREAD UNLESS YOU ARE PARTICIPATING IN A TEST RP.

If you are in a test RP, you may ask questions related to your game directly in your post. In-game description shall be written as normal, while OOC chatter should be bracketed with double-parentheses or something like that to differentiate it from the IC stuff.

The test RPs in this thread are, by definition, very much WIPs and are intended to try out new things. As such, rules might change mid-game or other weird issues might arise. Prepare for potential confusion. You have been warned.

[SuperCommando]

TEST 01: MARINE EVAC
SUBJECT(S): Spartan 999 , edtosivaree



"...Hello?"

"Can either of you hear me?"

"Wake up, Marines. It's not time to die yet..."

The sound, faint and garbled at first, gradually became louder and more clear. There was a throbbing, almost deafening kind of pain jolting through your skull, and it was hard to see at first. But as your senses slowly returned, you realized the sound was in fact a voice, a pleasant female voice too, buzzing over your headset.

"Good. Judging by your helmet cams it looks like you two have regained consciousness at least. Now I need you both to focus. Can either of you remember your name, rank, and service number?"

As the voice tested your mental acuity, you began to blink away the bleariness obscuring your vision. You found yourself in the troop bay of a Pelican dropship, still strapped into your seat. The floor was tilting at a dramatic angle however, and the entire bay was a mess of debris and scattered items. Every seat was full, but there was hardly any movement. Everyone else was limp, and the bay was silent except for the voice and the sound of random sparks.

One person was starting to move, however. Slowly stirring to life like yourself. They sat directly across from you. And by the look of things, you were the only two left.



((OOC:

You are both playing human Marines, the sole survivors of a Pelican crash. Standard third person perspective when writing your posts please, I just did a second-person narration for the sake of applying to both of you at once. Your stat blocks are as follows. You don't need to actually do anything with them, they're just here for your reference.

ABILITY MODIFIERS:
STR: +2 DEX: +2 CON: +2
INT: +2 WIS: +2 CHA: +2
PROFICIENCY BONUS: +2

HP: (10+1d10(5)+CON) 17
AC: (10+DEX+ARMOR) 14

EQUIPMENT:
UNSC Marine Standard Issue Armor (+2 AC)

PROFICIENCIES:
UNSC Armor
UNSC Primary Weapons
UNSC Sidearms

For the sake of the test you have a +2 modifier on all abilities just to keep things simple. Your hit points is two ten-sided dice plus your Constitution modifier - the first one a full 10, and then I rolled the second one which turned out to be 5 for both of you. So yes, in case you were wondering there will be dice rolls, and I will be doing all the rolling. Sorry if you wanted to roll for yourself, for now I want to keep things as simple for the players as possible.

EDIT: In case it isn't clear, you currently have no weapons. All you have equipped is your armor, which could be considered a light armor in the grand scheme of things.

At this time all you need to do is RP like normal. You can detail your own characters and whoever posts first gets to decide if they start on the high side or the low side of the Pelican (tilted floor remember), just don't make up anything about the world around you that I haven't mentioned, or assume the results of any of your actions. (Although something simple like unstrapping yourself is okay).

As of now, Beta's out and Edto's in. Got something else in mind for Beta.))

[Spartan 999]

Wait, was that a voice?

Blurry eyes blinked reluctantly, pounding headache making him want to just fade back into unconsciousness. He forced that feeling away, willing his body to move, to reawaken. Fingers twitched, and his head rolled to the side to look around. Right, inside a Pelican, that's what he remembered.

Everyone else was silent, still, except the body directly across from him. Since they were on the high side of the radically tilted Pelican, they somewhat dangled down in the direction of gravity. He contemplated saying something, like asking how they were doing, but he couldn't get his voice to work just yet.

Then that female voice spoke into his ear once more, and his mind flicked to his identity. Bellamy, Roland. Lance Corporal. Service Number: 85479-03244-RB.

He fumbled with his helmet. Since his voice wasn't working just yet, he resorted to just giving a hoarse grunt that he hoped sounded like an affirmative over the com.

[edtosivaree]

Sgt Chris Young groaned as he heard the COM's in his ear. "Yeah, I can remember it darling" He said, looking around the pelican. Pretty much everyone was dead. HE needed to remember to fire the pilot at some point. Morbid jokes aside, he did notice the MArine right below him stirring. Perfect, at least he wasn't alone wherever he was. Unclipping his harness, he landed on the lip of the chair below and knelt down. "Hey, Bellamy right? Lets get you out of here alright?" He said as he started to unclip Bellamy.

[SuperCommando]

TEST 01: MARINE EVAC
SUBJECT(S): Spartan 999 , edtosivaree

“Well, cognitive function doesn’t appear much worse for wear at least,” noted the voice after Sergeant Young’s response. “My name is Anwen. I’m the shipboard AI of the UNSCS Inaba. We were afraid we lost you.”

As Chris began to unfasten Roland's harness he became aware of a jagged shard of metal debris protruding from Roland's side and fresh, warm blood had begun to stain his fatigues around the area.

((OOC: Surprise! 999 has suffered damage in the crash. His current HP is 12/17))

"The Corporal is hurt!" Anwen declared. "Sergeant, find the dropship's medkit and treat that wound with some biofoam."

((OOC: This is a good opportunity to practice a skill check. Whenever you attempt to do something in your post I will determine what roll best suites your action based on how you describe what your character does. For example, if Edto searches the Pelican for a medkit in his next post I will roll an Intelligence (Investigation) check based on his characters stats, and then state the result of his search in my follow-up post. Keep in mind, you need to be detailed about how you search. Simply saying "Chris looks around" isn't good enough, try to mention specific places that you examine, such as the cockpit or under the seats. As a separate example, if you're in a room looking for a gun and that gun is located in a dresser drawer, you won't find it unless you mention you examine the dresser somehow.))

((OOC: You guys (999 and Edto) can keep doing your test, just be advised I'm just going to post the next one now and run them simultaneously. So just for the sake of keeping things orginized, from now on please include a header at the top of your posts with your test (example: TEST 01: MARINE EVAC), and your character's name.))

TEST 02: RAGNUS GLADIATOR
SUBJECT(S): BetaWülf


A chorus of belligerent roars could be heard clearly even from the other side of the purple metal bulkhead. They were cheering. And quite rambunctiously too. They were savage, cruel voices filled with bloodlust enjoying some excessively violent spectacle of brutality. It was little wonder the UNSC nicknamed the creatures “Brutes”.

Standing in a dark room beneath a single light source was a human man, a Marine in fact. He looked, and undoubtedly felt, extremely out of place here onboard this alien ship. But it was not by choice. Each of his ankles was shackled and rooted in place by a short length of heavy chain. While these Brutes certainly had access to the Covenant’s higher technology, apparently they preferred more primitive, visceral methods.

One such creature lurked just beyond the light. It’s massive, muscle-bound, hair-covered body was but a mere outline in the shadows and towered well above the captive Marine. It chuckled to itself – a deep, rumbling sound that oozed with pure sadism.

“They cry for more blood, human. Your friends were not enough. Hmm hmm hmm!”

It spoke in the man’s native tongue, likely to elicit fear through intimidation. The pronunciation was off in places, which only served to enhance the effect.

The Brute tossed something at the man’s feet. It must have been feeling merciful, for the past few minutes it had been throwing items directly at the man, hitting him with them, and then demanding he put them on. This latest item was a Brute helmet, metallic grey in color with a red handprint over the left eye. The Marine already had metal plates with spikes on them strapped to his shins over his fatigue pants, no shirt, a large shoulder guard (also spiked) on his left shoulder that was held in place by a large strap running across his bare chest, and some decorations that included a necklace made up of various creatures’ teeth and fangs, and strips of cloth from his former uniform wrapped around his hands and forearms. With this helmet he just received, the set would be complete.

“Put it on,” the Brute snapped. “Whether or not you are a real warrior is yet to be seen. But at least you’ll look the part.”


((OOC:

You will be playing as the Marine prisoner of war, having been recently captured in battle and now forced to partake in bloodsport for the Ragnus Tribe’s amusement. These is your stats block:

ABILITY MODIFIERS:
STR: +2 DEX: +2 CON: +3
INT: +1 WIS: +1 CHA: +0
PROFICIENCY BONUS: +2

HP: (12+1d12(9)+CON) 24
AC: (10+DEX+ARMOR) 15

EQUIPMENT:
Scavanged Armor (+2 AC) – Scraps of metal strapped to your body and covered in spikes. Even though nothing is covering your chest, the shoulder plate is quite large and can be used as a sort of shield.
Runt Helmet (+1 AC) – A helmet made to fit undersized Jiralhanae, just small enough for a human head. It smells like something died in it.

PROFICIENCIES:
Light and Medium Armor
UNSC Primary Weapons
UNSC Sidearms

SKILLS:
Athletics
Perception

You’re a tough guy, so your hit die is a d12. First one is always a full hit die, and for the second I rolled you a nine. All you currently have is the armor you’re forced to wear, which counts as medium armor, and you currently have no weapons.

And by the way, this is actually the second time I had to type all this. The first time I was almost done but accidently hit a wrong button and deleted it. I was typing directly in the browser, so I couldn’t get it back. (I must have clicked off the text box and then hit the backspace button thinking I was still typing, because the screen suddenly returned to the previous page as if I had clicked the back button). Trust me, the first version had much better wording, I tried to recapture it as best I could. Just thought you’d like to know.))

[Spartan 999]

TEST 01: MARINE EVAC
Lance Corporal Roland Bellamy

'Hey, Sarge,' He wanted to say, but it came out more of a hoarse guttural rumble than anything else. He gave a shaky two-fingered salute at the same time. Roland kept his arms out of the way as Sergeant Young unbuckled his harness, but the man paused while doing so. A quick check down at where Young was looking revealed...

Well. That explained why his side felt cold, down there. He grumbled something completely incomprehensible and let his head thud back against the seat's headrest. When the AI ordered Young to go searching for a medkit, Roland lifted his head again and looked about, neck craning as he peered about, trying to spot a medkit in order to assist the Sergeant. He remained otherwise motionless, so as to not make the shrapnel wound worse.

It was probably a useless action, but hey, if he could spot it and direct Young towards it, then it'd be worth it.

[SuperCommando]

TEST 01: MARINE EVAC

((OOC: By looking around, 999 has initiated a Wisdom (Perception) check. The way I differentiate Perception and Investigation is the former is using your senses to observe, while the later is used for actively examining. I’ll elaborate on the difference later if needed.

The check works by rolling a twenty sided die and adding the WIS modifier. You have no skills, so the total roll will be 1d20+2.))

As he looked around, Roland discovered that the Pelican’s rear hatch was still shut and the door to the cockpit was closed. Thus the only illumination available came in the form of the dim red emergency lights, making things slightly harder to see.

((OOC: Due to the dim lighting 999 has Disadvantage on his Perception check. This means I roll the check twice and use the lower result. The total is compared to a set number which the GM usually keeps secret, but for the sake of the test I will reveal that it is 5 (It’s very easy to find…). This is called the Difficulty Class, or DC))

PERCEPTION CHECK (DISADVANTAGE): (1d20+2) (18) [20], (1d20+2) (12) [14]

((OOC: His roll of 14 is equal to or higher than the DC, meaning he succeeds the Perception Check and I describe the result accordingly)).

The entire bay is a mess, with scattered items everywhere including some MA5B assault rifles, BR55 battle rifles, M6C handguns, magazines for ammo, individual bullets, ceiling panels that were shaken loose, and even a long case strapped over one of the seats that had popped open to reveal a rocket launcher and two rockets. As for the medkit, while it’s typically located on the wall next to the cockpit, it must have fallen off for it was laying on a seat nearby.

[edtosivaree]

Sgt Chris groaned at the sight of the Shrapnel, but couldn't help but roll his eyes. "Alright, miss computer lady. While I appreciate your help, could you maybe not point out the obvious?" He asked, getting up and looking around the pelican. The place was locked down pretty tight, so there was no chance it was outside the Pelican. He searched the Cockpit for the pilots Medkit. The walls, under the seats. He even searched the pilots themselves for their "IFAK" ((Individual First Aid Kit)). He also searched the Bay walls, and all the storage compartments while still checking the MArines for their IFAK's. He didn't stop if he found something, he just completed his sweep and brought whatever it was he found with him medical wise. He could deal with the weapons at a later date.

"So, Bellamy. Now, I don't mean to put any pressure on you or anything but if you die I'm going to be all alone. So that means, if you die, I'm going to fucking kill you, is that understood?" He asked as he started to clear a spot on the ground. First aid was not his strong suit, but it was Biofoam. It stopped bleeding and repaired tissue damage. He just hoped he would have enough to get back to the ship.

[Spartan 999]

TEST 01: MARINE EVAC
Lance Corporal Roland Bellamy

After pointing out the medkit to Young, Roland waited patiently for the Sergeant to return with his gathered medical supplies. At the man's demand, Roland flipped him off. Once that was done, he slowly started to fumble with his fatigues and armor, removing some of it so that the Sergeant would have an easier time at treating his wound.

“...Help...you,” Roland said, his words just barely decipherable, as he tried to communicate that he'd help to hold or do anything while Young extracted the piece of shrapnel and patched him up.

((Aid Another, bitches.))

[SuperCommando]

TEST 01: MARINE EVAC
SUBJECT(S): Spartan 999 , edtosivaree

INVESTIGATION CHECK: (1d20+2) (14) [16]

The Sergeant’s sweep of the Pelican turned up a few interesting items aside from the obvious weapons scattered about. In addition to a few basic IFAKs on some of the deceased men, several of them also had some good combat knives that they obviously weren’t going to need anymore. He also discovered that the controls for the rear hatch had been damaged and rendered inoperable. Upon examining the cockpit during his search, he realized the Pelican must have skidded nose-first right into a sheer rock wall, for the nose was crumpled up against the brown stone and the entire canopy was shattered. By the looks of it, the rock wall extended up at least several hundred feet. And then of course there was the fully-stocked medkit laying on the seat with its canister of trusty biofoam inside.

Returning to Roland, it was a relatively straightforward process to address the wound. Yank out the shrapnel, spray in some foam, patch it up. The Lance Corporal was ready to roll.

HP +5, 17/17

((OOC: I found it greatly ironic that you should use Aid Another 999, since I was actually in the middle of typing when I checked the thread and saw that. What makes it ironic is that I actually wasn’t going to roll any sort of medical check, as I figured something as simple as “stick it in the wound and spray” wouldn’t require much skill. I mean, what if the roll somehow failed? “Oops, Chris was reaching forward with the canister but missed, accidently spraying biofoam all over Roland’s lap”? So anyway, with or without the assist, that patch job is plenty to get your HP back.

Anyway, it was still cool that you thought to do that. Not something I even considered. Therefore, I will award you with one point of Inspiration. You can redeem that point at any time to receive Advantage on any attack roll, saving throw, or skill check. Just specify OOC that you want to use it during the post you’re performing the action you want it used on. (Keep in mind you can only have 1 point at a time and cannot stockpile them).

Also I couldn’t find the exact phrase Aid Another in the 5e handbook, so I googled it. (I also vaguely remember it from skimming over previous edition handbooks I have). It’s basically the same thing as the 5e Help action, which would have given Edto Advantage on his medical check if I bothered to roll one.))

[edtosivaree]

Sgt Chris finished setting up Bellamy and tapped him on the head. "There. Get up. We gotta figure out how to pop this tin can" He said simply, looking around the bay. Checking the emergency releases would probably be the best bet, but he wanted to make sure they had a plan B. He thought about the cockpit. Sure, the nose was crushed up against a cliff, but maybe they could blow a hole in the side big enough for them to get through. They wouldn't be hurting for ammo or supplies at the very least.

"Alright, Bellamy. I want you to check the Emergency releases on all exits. We're crushed against a cliff so we should be fine on the rear. While you do that, I'm gonna do what I can about what remains of our squad. I'll grab weapons and ammo, anything that looks useful for the coming adventure we are about to embark on" He said, trying to keep things light. There was nothing he could do about everyone else, so no need to worry himself.

[SuperCommando]

TEST 01: MARINE EVAC
SUBJECT(S): Spartan 999 , edtosivaree

“You could always try climbing out the canopy too,” Anwen suggested, before sheepishly adding, “Sorry sir. That wasn’t too obvious, was it? Anyway please be advised, sensors indicate a Covenant patrol is on its way to investigate the crash. If you hurry, you should have enough time to get to cover.”

((OOC: As far as weapons go, you guys have plenty of assault rifles, battle rifles, and M6C pistols at your disposal, and for the sake of the test we can assume you’ll have more than enough reserve ammo. Plus there’s the single rocket launcher (currently empty) and two rockets. It would be helpful if at least one of you grabs an assault rifle so we can try out automatic weapon rules.

And as far as other supplies, you’re free to make up whatever else you want to take along. But to be honest, all you’ll really need are some guns. And one more thing, you’d think a full Pelican of Marines would have plenty of grenades with them, but you’ll only find two frags available (one each). Mostly just because I want to focus on shooting instead of blowing everything up.))

[Spartan 999]

TEST 01: MARINE EVAC
Lance Corporal Roland Bellamy

Roland winced as he pushed himself upright, then stood. Biofoam was never pleasant, but it was better than moving around with a jagged chunk of metal in his gut. He looked around again as Young spoke, then nodded.

“Dibs on the rocket,” He said with a half-grin, voice still hoarse but getting better. First he went to check the canopy to see if there was, indeed, enough space to climb out of the Pelican. If not, he'd go about doing what Young had said, checking all the emergency releases and whatnot.

[edtosivaree]

Sgt Chris rolled his eyes. "Oh, so you're a smarmy AI. Great. Just what I need" He muttered flatly. He went to work, though, grabbing each of them an M6, two of both the BR and the AR, as well as the SPNKr. HE "lovingly" tossed them over to the cockpit and started collecting as much ammo as he could shove into two large duffle bags, including the 2 frags. He then tossed those over into the cockpit as well. He walked into the cockpit and started throwing the gear out. "Well, she wouldn't suggest it if it wasn't possible. She's an AI Bellamy, and she saw the canopy when I was in here a minute ago. Come on, we gotta move" He ordered, propping himself up to help Bellamy through the canopy.

[SuperCommando]

TEST 01: MARINE EVAC
SUBJECT(S): Spartan 999 , edtosivaree

((OOC: Sorry for the delay. Holiday stuff for one thing. And for another, I decided I wanted to make you guys a map, which I spent waaaaay too much time screwing around with and getting distracted by related things. Plus it's really late so sorry for any weird wording.))

Upon closer inspection, the frame of the canopy had clearly been bent out of shape by the crash, but there was still plenty of room with which to slip out. And not only that, but almost all the glass had been shattered free of the canopy frame too, leaving nothing in the way of the Marines’ exit. And with the aircraft’s nose partially buried in the dirt and thus much lower than it normally is, the drop to ground level would hardly be an issue either.

After disembarking the dropship, Chris and Roland could finally take in a proper view of their surroundings. The semiarid climate as well as the deep canyon they found themselves in made a compelling case for a scablands terrain type. The soil was loose and dusty, easily kicked up and swirled around by the howling wind funneled between the steep rock walls. There was vegetation all over the place though, including occasional patches of tall dry grass.

By the look of it, their Pelican wound up at the far end of the canyon – they were boxed in on three sides, and off to the north all view of what lay beyond was blocked by a steep hill, the very top of which looked almost as if some giant entity had taken a bite out of it – landscaping courtesy of the dropship as it came crashing down, no doubt. It left a scar in the ground starting at the base of the hill that trailed between a smaller hill and a small pack of car-sized boulders all the way to its final resting place, where even now its damaged engines still sent plumes of black smoke rising up into the cloudless blue sky.

“Covenant foot patrol is inbound from the north,” Anwen reported. “This sector is crawling with them. They must have some sort of field base set up in the area, but we haven’t been able to locate it yet. As you may recall boys, that was actually your mission before all this happened. Needless to say, that mission has been aborted. Your current objective: Evacuate the hotzone so that friendly forces may attempt a rescue operation. Now I calculate at least three primary survival options available to you in this scenario, but I realize that our charming Sergeant here just loves being told what to do by a computer. If you’re interested I’d be delighted to elaborate, but ultimately you’re the ones calling the shots down there. Good luck Marines.”

((OOC: First up, a visual aid for what the geography is like. This photo is NOT to be taken as an exact reference of where you actually are, it’s just a basic idea of what the terrain looks sort of like.

And here’s the map. Yeah I know, it’s kind of crude. It is not to scale either, so imagine everything a bit more spread out then what’s actually depicted. As usual, any questions feel free to let me know OOC.))

[BetaWülf]

(OOC: I'm assuming this is the correct thread for me to post in as well.)

TEST 02: RAGNUS GLADIATOR
Sergeant Major Gregory Perkins

Greg glared back at the damnable beast as he stooped to pickup the helmet. He picked it up, repositioning it as he stood, the face now looking back at him. It was ugly, crude, but it sure as hell felt sturdy. He exhaled sharply, turning the helmet around so it was positioned probably for wearing. He rested the helmet on his head.

The inside of it smelled like ass. He grimmaced, as he found he didn't take kindly to the smell of alien ass rot. He also didn't appreciate how fuckin' pushy the Brute was, what an asshole. If the fucker expected him to die for his entertainment he could at least not be a complete dick while he was at it.

Then again, Greg felt it was stupid to expect an asshat from an empire of asshats bent on the destruction of his entire fuckin' species to act half decent, since the asshat was waiting to watch him fuckin' die. He hated all the alien sacks of shit, but damn, he had a special hate for these fucking care bears right now.

He rolled his shoulders, took a deep breath. "I'm ready you fucking drain clog" he said to the hirsute creature, attempting to head out into whatever sort of arena they might have built. Was probably a bunch sticks with bones and grass woven into some shit out of a cheesy old movie from the terrestrial bound days of Earth. He hated Brutes.

[edtosivaree]

Sgt Chris looked around the Vally, thinking about what to do. Then he jumped back into the Pelican and grabbed another BR and AR before climbing out. "So, I figure we should both have one of these," He said, handing the AR and the BR to Bellamy. "Unless you don't want one of them. Figure having precision and suppression would be handy. So, by the looks of it, we have two options. We can try to complete the mission, get up onto that ledge and sneak our way to the north or we can scurry away with our tails tucked and get the hell out of dodge. I don't like leaving a mission incomplete but if you don't think we will manage then we can skedaddle. Windows wants us to leave, and I would rather finish the mission. We need to know where this field base is to help out the others on the ground" He said simply. "Hurry, though, wherever you go I'll follow" He finished.

((I'm leaving the choice up to 999. Don't wait for a post from me to confirm just do it and Chris will follow suit.))

[Spartan 999]

TEST 01: MARINE EVAC
Lance Corporal Roland Bellamy

“That was the idea,” Roland rasped, first checking his magnum before holstering it. He grabbed the assault rifle and quickly made sure it was in working order before sliding it onto his back, then took a battle rifle and checked it as well. Satisfied, he held it loosely in both hands as he surveyed the terrain.

At Young's question, he turned and contemplated the Sergeant for a moment. “I, for one, would like to hear what the lady has to say. And really, I'd like to survive to shoot Covies another day, mate. So unless trying to find their base gives us the best chance of getting out of this intact, I'll take evac over trying to finish a mission that'll likely end up with both of us dead.”

[edtosivaree]

Sgt Chris nodded. "Alright. Let's go then. When we get down the path a little we'll divide this up better. I can carry it right now though" He said, hefting up the two duffle bags so they were comfortable and grabbing everything else s he could at least carry it and started running for the passage. He wanted to make sure Bellamy could function before getting him to carry too much. Call it a soft spot for the injured, but he was willing to carry a couple extra pounds til their affairs were sorted.

[SuperCommando]

TEST 01: MARINE EVAC
SUBJECT(S): Spartan 999 , edtosivaree

As Chris headed off, Anwen chimed in over the radio again for both Marines to hear, although the AI was mainly addressing Roland’s earlier request to hear her out.

“Thank you Lance Corporal,” she said happily, apparently eager to be given an excuse to talk some more. “Try to keep up with Sergeant Action Hero, I’ll explain on the way.”

With Chris leading the way, the men hurried west away from their dropship’s crash site. As they approached a rising hill to their right, an opening in the canyon wall ahead was revealed to be the mouth of a fifteen-foot wide crevice. The passage through the rock appeared to wind on for a ways, but exactly how far was difficult to tell.

“So as I was saying, I figure if I were in your shoes there’d be three things I’d consider doing in order to get out of here. But before I get into that, I notice that the deployment log for your Pelican states it had been transporting an M12 Light Reconnaissance Vehicle as part of its payload. A quick scan of what’s left of its onboard computer system revealed its underside clamps were disengaged less than two seconds before impact. Thus, that leads me to believe that vehicle is still nearby, my best guess is just on the opposite side of that steep hill over there. It may potentially still be functional as well, however since that’s the direction the enemy is coming from it would be unwise to head straight for it.”

By this point, the Marines had arrived at the mouth of the passage.

“Now, as Sergeant Young has discovered, topographic records of the area indicate that these canyons are filled with fissures and crevices similar to this one. If you check out where it leads, maybe it can loop you further up the canyon and bypass the Covenant patrol. Seeing as you’re already here, that might be the most pertinent choice. Otherwise there is a one story high ledge on the opposite side of the canyon you might try to climb to, or even simply hide among those boulders over there and ambush the Covenant as they approach. However they should be right on top of you by now, so it might be too late to head back into the open…”

TEST 02: RAGNUS GLADIATOR
SUBJECT(S): BetaWülf

Ahead of him, light cut through the darkness of the room as the sections of a door slid apart and revealed to Greg a wide open area beyond. The shackles around his ankles automatically snapped open, allowing him to proceed. The Brute nearby merely continued chuckling to itself, slinking back completely into the shadows.

Greg emerged into a large circular opening with a diameter of over sixty feet, and what was immediately obvious was the thick layer of sand covering the entire span of the floor. The Brutes must have gone to quite some trouble to collect it all and bring it in here. There were colored patches everywhere in the sand and even splattered on the walls of the makeshift arena, the spilled blood of a multitude of species. Ahead of him, near the center of the arena, a Jackal had its back turned to Greg and was walking away. Not far from the Jackal was a Brute who was dragging the corpse of another human by the leg towards the arena’s edge. And finally, ringing the whole arena about two stories above was a whole throng of Brutes, bellowing and hollering down into the pit.

PASSIVE PERCEPTION CHECK: 13

((OOC: Your passive perception is 10 + your WIS modifier + your proficiency bonus, and indicates your level of alertness when not actively trying to sense anything in particular, such as in this case being able to notice a sound rising out of all the background noise that catches your attention.))

Their alien jeering was so loud that Greg almost didn’t even notice, but there it was, a voice calling out for his attention.

“Hey! Hey! Human! Over here, please hurry quick! I can get you free! I can! I can!”

It was coming from Greg’s eight o’clock, a somewhat squeaky-sounding voice that quickly became apparent belonged to a Grunt. The short, stocky alien was frantically waving at Greg with both arms from behind an energy shield-barricaded cell in the side of the arena. Having realized he got Greg’s attention, he stared down the Sergeant Major with a kind of intensity the man never seen out of a Grunt before. It looked like he wanted to talk to Greg quite urgently.

[edtosivaree]

Sgt Chris just rolled his eyes. "Last I heard, AI don't have Military Rankings. So Sgt Action Hero would like less chatter and more information. We don't need to hear the colourful stuff. Warthog, north down the canyon. Behind the big hill, that was something like two, three hundred meters away? Perfect. So glad you told us that now, and not when we were, I don't know, IN the pelican? I get I told you to not point out the obvious, I really do," The Sgt said as he jogged, ignoring her suggestions of going back out into the valley blatantly. "But see when it comes to important, tactical information like that... That should be the first thing shouldn't it?" He asked, looking to Bellamy for some support.

"The way I see it right now, is that When we woke up you could have said "Wonderful! Missions screwed, there is a Warthog outside, get in it and drive. Bellamy here is hurt, and I'm sure he wouldn't mind a nice Warthog ride right now wouldn't yeah Bellamy?" He said, calling out over his shoulder towards the end of it. "Like, they call you SMART AI. So far, your choice of what information to give us and when to give it to us hasn't been too smart. Just saying, Miss Anwen Windows 10"

((I am fully aware I am being REALLY difficult on the AI My hope is that it's being seen as good fun between players. I suddenly decided for some reason that this character doesn't like AI's at all That's the beauty of characters huh. You never know what they are gonna do til they do it))

[SuperCommando]

((OOC: lol, it's cool. I'm actually quite pleased at all the character development we're getting and turning what was originally just a little test RP into a dramatic short story. ))

"Hmph," Anwen scoffed over the comm. "More like five, six hundred meters... And you could have asked like a gentleman before running off without all the facts. Now I've seen your file Sergeant Young, I know what happened all those years ago to make you dislike AI's so much and your history of borderline insubordination against them ever since, but at least give me the benefit of the doubt when I say that I'm only trying my best to help you..."

At that moment, off in the distance movement could be seen beginning to rise up from behind the big hill...

[Spartan 999]

TEST 01: MARINE EVAC
Corporal Roland Bellamy

“Advance warning before or during our departure from the Pelican would have been nice, yes,” Roland agreed, breathing a bit harder than usual due to his injury. He lagged behind Young, but he was still fast enough to keep up fairly well; he mainly wanted to conserve energy for any possible—or probably, knowing their luck—engagements with Covenant soldiers. “And I wouldn't object to a ride right about now.”

He kept kept looking north, in the direction of the big hill, as they ran. There was something that caught his eye, and he skidded to a stop and knelt, battle rifle raised to his eye. He peered through the scope, then hissed at Young. “Oi!” His voice was low, but carried. “Bad centuries-old references and insults aside, it'd be nice if you two left the drama for another time. I think the Covies are almost within visual range, so let's get moving.”

Roland took off faster than before in order to reach the canyon faster.

[edtosivaree]

Sgt Chris just rolled his eyes again. "You're just solidifying the fact that telling us about the Warthog was completely useless. There was no chance of us getting over a half a kilometer to that Warthog moving towards the covenant before the covenant reached us," he said, slowing down a little bit to make sure Bellamy wasn't too far behind. He could see something on the top of the hill, and assumed it was the covenant. His suspicions were confirmed by Bellamy telling him that it was, in fact, covenant. "So, we got targets up on the hill. For now, though, I am thinking a strict trigger discipline. Let's treat them like we do insurgents. We don't shoot at them, till they shoot at us. If they do shoot at us, hopefully, we will be in a position to hide and pray they think they were seeing things. Do not engage until they know we are here," He ordered. Bellamy was still fairly green as a lance corporal. He saw his fair share, from what he had heard, but he didn't think he was ever in a situation like this before.

"Now then Miss Windows 10, can you tell me what is ahead of us?" He asked, ignoring the mentioning of his past. "I'm not lucky enough to have topographical information fed to me instantaneously. Where does our fissure lead? You mentioned it looping back. Are there any other options, and can you tell me the difference between said options and what you have already told us?" He added, starting to haphazardly organize the ammo in the duffle bags as he ran to evenly split them. When he was done with that, he shouldered the SPNKr and loaded it as they passed a sizable pack of rocks. He placed ((Haphazard Stealth check)) the box they came in behind the rocks and moved on, happy to not carry that damn case.

[SuperCommando]

TEST 01: MARINE EVAC
SUBJECT(S): Spartan 999 , edtosivaree

If the Marines could see Anwen’s avatar, it would be sulking right now.

She wanted to retort that she offered to tell them earlier, but they went sprinting off without giving her the chance. That of course the Warthog was not and has not been a viable option yet, and that she herself even already mentioned exactly what Sergeant Young just concluded. She wanted to call Young out on his typical human nearsightedness, that just because the Warthog wasn’t accessible at that exact moment in time it doesn’t mean it was “completely useless” to tell them about it. What nerve! If pointing out a potentially valuable resource that they could always return to later was useless, than what the devil did that man consider to be actually useful?

…But she didn’t say any of that. Because she had to admit, Lance Corporal Bellamy’s logic was sound. Now that the Covenant patrol had appeared, now was not the time to argue, debate, or even disagree, regardless of who was in the right or wrong.

That, and she also suspected Young’s bristly attitude towards her wasn’t even really her fault, given what she knew about his past and the fact that he just recently lost his entire squad. Who wouldn’t be upset by that, despite the NCO’s commendable job so far keeping it inside. So she held her peace, and resolved to proceed with a more sensitive approach. She was determined to make good on her word to do everything in her power to help them get out alive, and at the same time perhaps all Young needed was for an AI to reach out to him and prove that they’re not all so bad.

(( Map updated. Green dots are you guys. Purple dot is Covenant LKP. Gold dot is Warthog. ))

STEALTH CHECK: (1d20+2) (7) [9]
The box is out of plain sight at least…

“Yes sir,” Anwen said in response to Sergeant Young’s request. She spoke politely, obediently, and deliberately without a trace of her usual sass. “It hooks to the right and runs north, parallel with the main canyon. It is very possible you might discover some sort of gap or short tunnel ahead that grants access back into the main canyon, granting you a concealed avenue of approach behind the Covenant’s current position. And at the very least, it offers a route away from here that’s out of the line of fire. Compared to previous potential courses of action, taking this passage leaves you far less exposed then sneaking along the ledge on the east side of the canyon, but with the disadvantage that you cannot reliably observe the enemy’s movements depending on what kind of gaps in the wall you can find, if any.”

[edtosivaree]

Sgt Christ felt a little tension lift as the A.I seemed to break a little. Regardless if it was because she actually felt bad or because she just wanted this mission over, he would take it. While he may not accept the pity of a machine, he would certainly use it for clear and to the point responses to his questions. "The Canyon loops back and it goes straight. That's all you know?" He asked, a little shocked. An AI would usually have this whole place scanned down to the tiniest of ants. Didn't matter. Probably a sensor problem or something. At least that was all he was paid enough to know.

"Bellamy. Take this bag" He said handing over what he felt was the lighter of the two duffle bags. "I think we need to get moving. Get as much distance as we can from that patrol... Despite the fact that we are going towards them... You know what I mean" He grumbled, hefting the AR with the BR on his back. The SPNKr was strapped across his chest, figuring Bellamy would rather not carry it around. He didn't really care who used it so long as it did it's job.

[BetaWülf]

TEST 02: RAGNUS GLADIATOR
Sergeant Major Gregory Perkins

Greg disliked this specific brute a lot, creepy bastard kept chuckling to itself. Unnerving to be sure, though not particularly scary. Greg furrowed his brow when the door slid open ahead of him, he would have squinted normally but wanted to look suitably intimidating to whatever he was going to fight. He prayed to God that it wouldn't be a damn brute, how the hell would he fight one of those barehanded?

Greg nearly stumbled when the shackles around his ankles automatically released, trying his best to make it look like he was charging into the arena instead of almost falling into it. His face turned red as watched the corpse of another Human being drug off like a piece of trash. Knowing brutes, they were going to eat the body. The vein in his temple throbbed at the thought and his skin was splotched all over from the pure hatred and anger he felt in that moment.

He looked up at the crowd of brutes, cheering, howling, mocking. He raised one hand and one finger to them, bringing the loen digit to his forehead in salute. He almost didn't hear it over the damn brutes and their racket, but the high pitched voice of a Grunt caught his ear and thus his attention. He jogged over to it, hesitant but desperate to hear what it had to say since it had already said it could help him get free.

"You say you can get me out of here? How? If you're not bullshitting me, then we need to act quickly" Greg said, trying to match the disturbingly serious expression on the alien's face; very... uncharacteristic for the crab-like species.

[SuperCommando]

TEST 02: RAGNUS GLADIATOR
SUBJECT(S): BetaWülf

Face-to-face with the imprisoned Grunt, Greg could now see that the left side of the squat alien’s face was torn up with deep scars and had no eyeball remaining in that socket. The Grunt pressed as close to the energy shield as his methane mask would allow, eager to have the Marine’s attention.

“Yes! Yes! I Jagjag! I get you out!” the scarred Grunt squeaked in confirmation. “Ragnus Jiralhanae are cruel, evil creatures. They so mean to Jagjag and other Unggoy. Hurt us all the time, make us cry, laugh at our tears.”

The stocky alien sniffled, as if suppressing terrible memories. Or was if a huff of anger? There was a fire in his remaining eye, his clawed hands were clenched and trembling as he confessed his woes to, of all people, a human. “But no more! Jajag tired of being afraid! Jagjag get revenge for everybody’s pain!”

With one blue fist, Jagjag pounded once on the energy shield for emphasis, sending ripples of energy coursing through the barrier. “But Jagjag needs help! Human can help! Jagjag know humans usually enemies, but Jagjag also know human saying ‘enemy of my enemy is my friend’. You help Jagjag, won’t you human?”

Just then, a loud, booming war-horn rang out. Across the arena the lone Jackal turned around to face Greg as it brandished an energy cutlass and activated its energy shield gauntlet.

((Example of the Jackal's armor))

“First opponent is Kig-Yar mercenary!” Jagjag declared, speaking quickly. “Jiralhanae pay him for every kill. Him getting paid much today already…”

The Jackal began to pace back and forth, taking the time to carefully eye its prey while as it scowled beneath its black helmet, bearing its needle-like fangs.

Just then, one of the Brutes from above threw something into the sand at Greg’s feet, grunting something unintelligible-sounding.

((Spiker to scale with human wielder. Remember you are not a SPARTAN, Elite, or Brute, so while you can swing it with one hand you'll have to aim with two.))

“Jiralhanae says ‘Spiker has only three shots, be sure to save one for yourself’. Hmph. Jerk.” translated Jagjag, who even altered his voice in mock-imitation of the Brutes’ deep tone. “Human, you must win three rounds for plan to work. Fight hard! Don’t die!”

[Spartan 999]

TEST 01: MARINE EVAC
Lance Corporal Roland Bellamy

Roland took the bag wordlessly and slug it over his shoulder. He moved on, jogging slowly but steadily after Sergeant Young. He kept an eye out for cracks in the canyon wall he'd be able to see through, but he didn't keep his hopes up.

((Short post is short, but I didn't really have anything to do aside from move and Search.)

[SuperCommando]

TEST 01: MARINE EVAC
SUBJECT(S): Spartan 999 , edtosivaree

(( I’ll roll Perception checks for the both of you, even though 999 was the only one who specifically stated so in his post. Figured both characters would be actively keeping their eyes open and keeping their wits about them while exploring this fissure.

Additional Note: ))

SPOILER: Click to show

Just as a reminder, you can declare OOC if your character is using a specific skill or ability, but you do not always need to do that either. Part of my intent for this D&D-based RP system is that players do not need to concern themselves with rules or numbers unless they want to, meaning that all they need to do is just RP like normal while I handle all the stats and such for them.

How that relates to the game is that as DM, I’ll be carefully examining your posts while asking myself over and over “does any sort of roll apply here?”. Also keep in mind that I’m still discovering my own personal DM style here, still figuring out what I consider to be worth a roll or not (like the biofoam thing) and stuff like that. (Maybe do more of that tricky DM tactic where you roll a check even if it’s not necessary, just to keep players on their toes…) So if you want to be helpful and assist me in figuring all this out (or if you just really want to make sure I don’t miss a certain check you want to make), go ahead and specify the rolls you’re trying for OOC. But if not, or if you forget, that’s just fine too.

CHRIS WISDOM (PERCEPTION) CHECK: (1d20+2) (12) [14]
ROLAND WISDOM (PERCEPTION) CHECK: (1d20+2) (11) [13]

The Marines spent a short while working their way through the fissure. They got just shy of 200 meters (roughly) to the north, but the actual distance they covered was a bit longer since the pass itself wasn’t a perfectly straight line. Being essentially one giant crack in the rock, it zigged and zagged randomly in places. This also made it difficult to see too far ahead or behind, as some corner or another always seemed to be jutting out and getting in the way. At least there was plenty of space - enough room for three (sometimes four) people to comfortably walk side by side in.

It was also more barren inside the fissure. Unlike the main canyon outside with its patches of greenery, within the confines of the passage there was just a lot of rock and loose dirt. Here and there they did notice some repeated shapes of interest in the dirt, though. Kind of like thick peace signs the length of someone’s elbow to wrist. Footprints perhaps?

By the time they got in far enough to have noticed enough intact shapes in the poor soil condition to make that realization however, it would turn out that the answer to that mystery was already apparent.

CHRIS REFLEX SAVE: (1d20+2) (7) [9]

As Chris (being in the lead) came up to the latest zig-zagging corner he stumbled upon some sort of creature that was currently 20 feet away. Unable to duck back behind the corner fast enough, he was spotted by the creature, which froze in place and turned its neck to look directly at him.

((By the way, sorry for having both meters and feet in the same post. The reason I used feet just now is cuz I’m envisioning the creature to be four imaginary “squares” worth of movement away.))

The creature was like a small hybrid of a reptile and a horse. It had reddish-colored scales and walked around on four legs with big taloned feet, but also had two smaller ones protruding from the side of its chest similar to a t-rex or raptor. Its long muscular neck supported a triangular head that had a row of multiple eyes on both sides. Its head also had three tiny little horns – one on each side that curved forward, and one on the top of its head that swept back. A row of stegosaurus-like plates ran along its back and down its tail, which swished behind it with curiosity…

((Size comparison: If you are the human in the image, the creature is roughly the same size and shape of the white horse.))

SPOILER: Click to show