OOTS #859 - The Discussion Thread

[FolcoTook]

Blade Barrier would be good. A higher level summon monster could also be useful.

[Douglas]

Now, my question is if it was only a cloud, why couldn't Zzi'Drtt see?

Z can see in darkness. Haley's arrow had a smokestick, which produces an actual obstruction to vision rather than merely a lack of light.

[Marlowe]

This is the absolute low point of Nale's career thus far. Right in front of Father.

[Admiral]

Now, my question is if it was only a cloud, why couldn't Zzi'Drtt see?

A smokestick has an effect treated as a Fog Cloud, which states that it "obscures all sight, including darkvision, beyond 5 feet" (true of most similar spells).

[Dr.Epic]

Holy Word.

I meant how did he just appear there.

They didn't hear him because he literally came through the wall rather than trying to sneak past, probably using Meld Into Stone.

Even so, he would still make noise. Yeah, he didn't have to walk all that way so they wouldn't have as long to hear him, but still - armor's loud and how don't you hear the armor? Remember this strip? Those goblins heard him all the way away.

[Clertar]

Holy ***! Nice holy word

[FAD!]

New comic!!!

Here's the link as a public service:

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/holyWord.htm

Nice, thanks. I know Final Fantasy, so I thought it just did a lot of damage.

Brilliant.

Radiant. Sparkling. Effulgent!

... I'll think that's enough.

[Tyrmatt]

Assuming the Thor of the Stickverse has access to similar domains as the D&D published ones, Durkon might have used this as his domain slot, granting him a nice +1 CL to all good type spells as per the granted power of the good domain.

Might explain why Tarquin is affected and the overall effect seems greater.

EDIT: Just checked the Class and Level thread and its pretty much gospel that Durkon has the Good domain as he casts Holy Smite, for which the good domain is a requirement.

[Winter]

What tactical value does that have ...?

It's awesome in this situation. Without listening in the thick smoke, everyone deaf is basically blind as well as deaf and won't even know what's going on if the screaming starts. Needless to say that they cannot give or receive and orders.
A -4 to Initiative is nice, but probably makes no big difference beyond the first combat round (but it still makes one).
On top of that, Nale and Zz'dtri have a 20% failure chance on their spells.

The tactic is sound and depending what comes next the Order might have a good headstart.

On top of that, the Holy Word instantly took out Sabine.

Given the Order did not know Nale recruited two more high level characters but had to assume a few of the new recruits were goons that are even more affected by the spell, the choice was very sound.

I also guess next is Malak who'll stone-shape around his metal barrier.

A quite kickass followup by Durkon would be Holy Smite. Or the Blade Barrier mentioned above.

[Gift Jeraff]

This is why Durkon is awesome. Lame that Tarquin the D-bag is just laughing off the last strip and seemingly resisting Holy Word, though I figured the latter would happen. ib4 another Tarquin debate

Shojld be interesting seeing what Malack does (Qarr would be able to teleport out of harm's way). Speaking of which, it's a mistake, but Qarr's speech balloon looks pretty cool without outlines.

[Incom]

Thanks for the fast update Giant.

I like how Malack and Qarr are still cut off. Wonder what's going to go on behind that trap...

[Thalnawr]

Even so, he would still make noise. Yeah, he didn't have to walk all that way so they wouldn't have as long to hear him, but still - armor's loud and how don't you hear the armor? Remember this strip? Those goblins heard him all the way away.

He probably just cast the spell on the same round as he popped out of the wall, since it just takes a standard action. Even if they could hear the armor, they don't get to interrupt his round of actions till after he's finished.

[Topus]

Uhm, but Tarquin doesn't seem to be affected to me. He doesn't even let the axe. It seems he is simply taking the wave of "holyness" but without drawbacks.

[Gogmagog]

That was the most completely satisfying update I've seen in years

[Douglas]

Even so, he would still make noise. Yeah, he didn't have to walk all that way so they wouldn't have as long to hear him, but still - armor's loud and how don't you hear the armor? Remember this strip? Those goblins heard him all the way away.

They were all highly distracted and he barely had to move at all, just a few feet. At most it was a single 5' step, possibly not even that with the spell moving for him, and he was trying to be quiet while everyone who might have heard him was distracted, unable to see, and probably expecting any noise from anything but traps to be either far away or from each other, and they only had a fraction of a round to hear him.

In the strip you linked, he was walking at full speed, probably not actually working at being quiet, and the goblins who heard him were alert, undistracted, and able to use their full senses, he was where they might have expected such sounds to come from, and they probably had several minutes to notice it.

[PonceAlyosha]

Thanks for the fast update Giant.

I like how Malack and Qarr are still cut off. Wonder what's going to go on behind that trap...

Given that they are the two LG members most likely to try to work things out with discussion, I imagine they are currently getting the snot pummeled out of them.

[Toxic Avenger]

If Tarquin is actually affected by the Word, instead of just annoyed, it will be proof that he is in fact no higher level than Durkon.

If Durkon has managed to find a Bead of Karma (from a Strand of Prayer Beads), then even Tarquin might actually be affected by the Holy Word.

[dps]

Lucky Qarr. On the other hand: Holy Word explicitly takes Outsiders to their home plane regardless of if they can hear the spell or not. So does Rich rule that this spread manages to get through the iron door and catches Qarr as well?

It's possible that he's beyond the 40' radius of the spell. It kind of looks like the Guild kept moving forward even through the cloud, so he and Malack may have dropped back a good bit.

[Anarion]

This was a spectacular comic. The effect of showing each member of the linear guild in increasing pain as holy word effect blows outward was really cool.

I love basic adventuring gear. That one smokestick did so much.

Durkon Holy Word on a tee shirt! PLEASE?

I would buy this.

This is the absolute low point of Nale's career thus far. Right in front of Father.

This is close, but I don't think it's the absolute low point. That honor probably remains with having to do 40 interviews for new mages, including the one who Must Not Be Toilet-Trained.

[LordRahl6]

A smokestick has an effect treated as a Fog Cloud, which states that it "obscures all sight, including darkvision, beyond 5 feet" (true of most similar spells).

Thanks for the insight, Admiral. I know there so few things that block darkvision that it didn't make much sense to me.

[t209]

The last strip finally answered the question of "what is equivalent of Flashbang grenade in D&D?"
How many of you have tried or planned to use "Holy Word" and go in for a kill on stunned opponents (and probable survivor since Durkon is above level 10)?

[ThePhantasm]

Awesome strip! Thanks, Giant!

I knew I was right that the Order had a good ambush plan in place, and not just "attack your evil opposite one on one."

[JSSheridan]

Thanks Giant!

Could Sabine have the Native subtype since she and Nale are so attached?

And while we're at it, how about Celia?

[Cynric]

Truly epic.

And I love the effect in the last panel. You really get the sense of pain on a (for lack of a better word) spiritual level.

Also, is Tarquin effected? I can't tell 'cos Kilkil is in the way of his... er... "light echoes". He just seems to be bracing against it. Or is that enough to show impact?

[ghoul-n]

Magnificent.

[Psyren]

@ stealth argument - how do we know he wasn't standing there the whole time? Meld Into Stone doesn't offer any kind of spot check or other way of determining what the caster truly is. It also isn't illusory so T's True Seeing wouldn't work. D is literally inside the wall, and he can explicitly hear the LG clomping around outside his hidey-hole like a herd of elephants.

[ghoul-n]

Also, is Tarquin effected?

He's on his knee atm.

[The Dark Fiddler]

Assuming the Thor of the Stickverse has access to similar domains as the D&D published ones, Durkon might have used this as his domain slot, granting him a nice +1 CL to all good type spells as per the granted power of the good domain.

Might explain why Tarquin is affected and the overall effect seems greater.

EDIT: Just checked the Class and Level thread and its pretty much gospel that Durkon has the Good domain as he casts Holy Smite, for which the good domain is a requirement.

Ah, with that information, this spell goes from a tactically sound but not unsurpassed option to a brilliant choice. Since the Linear Guild is likely roughly on par with the OotS on levels, the spell would normally just deafen them (and banish Sabine), but that boost likely pushes them into the Caster Level -1 category, meaning they're also blinded. Complete devastation for them.

Even so, he would still make noise. Yeah, he didn't have to walk all that way so they wouldn't have as long to hear him, but still - armor's loud and how don't you hear the armor? Remember this strip? Those goblins heard him all the way away.

How much noise does armor make when it's traveling THROUGH a wall?

Lucky Qarr. On the other hand: Holy Word explicitly takes Outsiders to their home plane regardless of if they can hear the spell or not. So does Rich rule that this spread manages to get through the iron door and catches Qarr as well?

The wall would block line of effect, so they're not in the area of the spell, regardless of how close they are to Durkon.

[HandofShadows]

OWNED. A solid plan got pulled off there. Malack and the Imp are out of the fight for the moment. Now did the Order set it up so Malack would not be caught with the rest of the Guild or was it just (good) luck? If the rest of the Guild is taken down, will Malack really care all that much?

[Recurve]

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/holyWord.htm

Creatures whose HD exceed your caster level are unaffected by holy word.

Malack, Tarquin and possibly others would just ignore it instead of being taken aback.

Furthermore, if you are on your home plane when you cast this spell, nongood extraplanar creatures within the area are instantly banished back to their home planes. Creatures so banished cannot return for at least 24 hours. This effect takes place regardless of whether the creatures hear the holy word. The banishment effect allows a Will save (at a -4 penalty) to negate.

Sabine would be banished if she failed her save.