Starfinder Society Scenario # 2-09: "Bluerise Breakout" [RPG]

 NO SPOILERS

I ran Bluerise Breakout at low subtier for five players via play-by-post.  It has an interesting (perhaps even unique) concept.  Although there's not a lot of role-playing (especially after the beginning), there's also not a ton of combat.  It's a scenario that rewards groups that can think carefully and deliberately about how to proceed step-by-step to get themselves out of a difficult situation.  It's a challenging one to GM because it requires keeping track of multiple moving parts behind-the-scenes and paying very close attention to exactly where everyone is at all times.  The story has some nice connections to early SFS scenarios, and continues the Season Two metaplot.  Overall, it's not a scenario I have super strong feelings about--I'd just suggest going into it with an open mind.

SPOILERS!

Bluerise Breakout begins with the PCs being instructed by Venture-Captain Arvin that they need to run a simple fetch job to pick up a datastick from an AbadarCorp office in Bluerise Tower (Absalom Station's apparently semi-sovereign corporate building).  What Arvin doesn't know, because even he's out of the loop, is that Celita of the Dataphiles has arranged the pick-up of crucial information about a conspiracy she's been investigating for months (even years) involving corporate malfeasance, price-fixing in the pharmaceutical industry, corruption, and more.  The story here follows the subplot began in # 1-07 (The Solar Sortie) and  # 1-33 (Data Breach), and ties in cleverly to the very first SFS scenario, # 1-01 (The Commencement) because the hacker Ceren helped discover the information.  What even Celita doesn't know, however, is that Datch (the villain of Season Two) has long ago hacked into SFS computers and knows the information is about to leak--so she's prepared a very lethal plan to stop the datastick from ever leaving Bluerise Tower!

When the PCs arrive at Bluerise Tower, they're given a tour of the AbadarCorp floor by a cute brenneri named Bordle.  Bordle's a chatter-box, and players who listen closely will learn a lot about the security arrangements in place on the floor--something that will become very crucial very shortly.  The PCs have to turn over all of their weapons (or smuggle them in), something that makes perfect sense in this sort of situation (and I always like it when PCs have to improvise without their favourite toys).  As the PCs are talking to Director Ebaki about the datastick, suddenly the lights go out, screams are heard all around, and then everything is silent.  An exciting beginning!

What's happened is that Datch has hacked into the floor's security AI (Argent) and had it activate the shock grids of every computer terminal, instantly electrocuting almost everyone on the floor.  Simultaneously, Argent locked the exits, activated motion detectors, set robot guardians (cleverly named "Abadarmors") to patrol and kill intruders, and even released dangerous experimental "ferrofluid oozes" from containment.  The PCs are trapped, and getting themselves out of it won't be easy!

This is the bulk of the scenario, and it's where everything has to be articulated very carefully.  The players are given one map of the floor and the GM has a second map that shows the scope of all the motion detectors, the coverage of the shock grids (that Argent can activate if a PC steps on one), the starting locations of the Abadarmors (which patrol clockwise), etc.  The PCs need to move very carefully and deliberately to avoid Argent or the Abadarmors spotting them--because if they do get into a fight, they won't have any weapons to defend themselves with!  (It's a nice reward for solarians, spellcasters, natural-weapon warriors, and others that don't need manufactured weapons to fight with).  The GM needs to keep track of exactly where each PC is standing at every moment, the round-by-round movements of the Abadarmors and the oozes, and Director Ebaki's actions.  Fortunately for the PCs, they have a chance to get their weapons back if they head for the security office, and there's also a chance they can rescue Bordle (though they might get some radiation poisoning in the process).

Escaping the floor requires passage through a multi-part security trap called the Smoker and then fending off a surprise attack by assassins at the elevator.  My group had no trouble with the Smoker for some reason, but barely managed it past the assassins.  One PC died early in the scenario (from massive damage from a crit, if I recall correctly).  Anyway, it should be a harrowing experience but a good challenge is needed from time to time to keep things interesting.  Assuming the PCs survive and escape Bluerise Tower, a well-written epilogue should make them really hate Datch, which is a perfect result for this stage in the season's meta-plot.