OOTS #806 - The Discussion Thread

[WickedWizard17]

What with all the negative levels being passed around, I'm starting to think the Giant wants to tell a lower level story. We currently have the Order pegged at around 11-12th, right?

Wrong. They're all higher, around 15th, at least Durkon and V. Mass Death Ward is an eighth level spell and so is Power Word Stun, that V used when s/he and Haley were fighting the bounty hunters, almost 100 strips ago. Although Durkon may be lower level, I'm not entirely sure about the rules for divine spellcasting, and the Giant stated that he had been under the impression that MDW was a seventh level spell.

One of the absolute funniest strips in a long time. Also, I think just about every time Thor shows up he is hilarious. Great strip.



Frodo arrives at the river, which suddenly and unexpectedly attacks the ringwraiths.

The battle at Helm's Deep is going great until Saruman suddenly and inexplicably destroys the wall with magic.

There are countless other examples. These things happen all the time in literature. What you are talking about happening at Mount Doom would of course be ridiculous, because it would be anticlimactic for the end of the trilogy. This isn't the end of the OOTS, however, just mid-battle, and is maintaining the tension and the suspense. The characters will show their inner strength plenty by adapting to these challenges. They haven't failed to have inner strength just because they can't predict everything that will happen. They are finite beings, after all, not gods. That makes them a lot more "human" and interesting then if they just kick straight ass all the time, and to be honest I like them more because of it.

Hear, hear!

I've not played 3.5 since 4e came out, but I thought that Heal would have restored Elan's negative levels. Am I mistaken in this?

It might have restored them, we don't know yet because he hadn't done much besides wake up. If not, Durkon could cast the simple fourth level Restoration, as has been cited multiple times.