Class and Level Geekery IX: the thread levels up again!

[Dark Matter]

I don't know why we even bother with alignment. Stats, equipment, spells, skills, etc., tell us capabilities and limitations. Alignment tells us something a lot...mushier. Not to mention that the energy we spend on it here could be used to power a large orphanage indefinitely. Just sayin'.

Alignment has in game effects, i.e. "Holy Word" etc.

And Roy was in danger of being tossed into NG, not TN.

[Shale]

And True Neutral as well, albeit not as seriously.

[Dr. Gamera]

So at what point does Durkon's level in the first post get changed to 14, and Belkar's to max 15?

[Kish]

...huh? Why would we be changing Durkon's level downward?

[SaintRidley]

Because apparently Durkon has no 8th level spells.

Except his researched Mass Death Ward is, I think. So there's no need for a change.

[Kazyan]

Can we draw a meaningful minimum for Malack's Strength score via #870, panel 6?

Malack is holding Belkar and resisting Mr. Scruffy, and is doing it casually enough to suggest that this position is a light load--Belkar is in one hand, after all. Belkar weighs "like 30 pounds". You wouldn't think Mr. Scruffy would matter at all, but he has a max load of at least 30 pounds (Tiny quadruped with Str 4). If this 60 pounds of force is a light load, Malack has a Strength of at least 15. This is making some assumptions, obviously, but is it meaningful?

(If Belkar has a 12th level in Ranger, which bumps Mr. Scruffy's Strength to 5, Malack has a strength of at least 16 if we take Belkar's estimate to be accurate.)

EDIT: Ninja'd by a new comic that probably makes Malack use the quadruped rules. Really, now. Also, . In that case, Malack has a minimum Str of 12.

[Procyonpi]

Well, Malack Definitely is not a regular lizardfolk.

[Feddlefew]

Well, Malack Definitely is not a regular lizardfolk.

There are (mostly) legless lizards that look like snakes.

[Procyonpi]

There are (mostly) legless lizards that look like snakes.

But the real question is, are their lizardfolk who don't have legs in Rich's world? I don't think there are really lizards who stand up and talk, either.

At the very least, I think there's enough counter-evidence at this point to remove it from his stat box.

[mawexzon]

He's probably some kind of Yuan-Ti, although Durkon refers to him as a Lizardfolk and Malack doesn't correct him, but of course, Malack has been keeping a lot of things secret to Durkon, so it wouldn't surprise me if he lied.
EDIT: So... Are we going to remove lizardfolk from his character until further clarification on what he is exactly?

[EmperorSarda]

Can we draw a meaningful minimum for Malack's Strength score via #870, panel 6?

I don't think we can rule anything meaningful, since Divine Power grants a +6 to strength. Which will last at least a full minute. Given how each round drains 1d4 points of constitution. I am not sure Durkon has a minute to live without some sort of interference.

And if Malack is a yuan-ti, it certainly will lower his ECL some.

[Nahmer]

Because apparently Durkon has no 8th level spells.

Except his researched Mass Death Ward is, I think. So there's no need for a change.

In his comments, the Giant had pegged Mass Death Ward as a 7th level spell as he was unaware that it had been published as an 8th level spell; he may have simply decided to keep it a 7th level spell in the Oots world. If so, then we have never witnessed Durkon cast an 8th level. Further, in 875 Durkon declares that he has no spells above 4th level left (apart from the Level 6 Planar Ally spell with a 10 minute casting time). When he mentions casting a second resurrection spell in 845 he presumably meant doing so via the scroll mentioned in 634 (otherwise, he's just treating it as a prepared spell that isn't immediately useful to his current predicament).

Further evidence that Durkon is not yet 15th level is that in panel 8 of 873 he only makes two attacks via a full attack whereas at 15th level he'd be entitled to three (and there is no downside to making the extra attack).

Since Durkon's level is tied to the impact of his Holy Word on Belkar (for Belkar to be deafened but suffer no other effects, he must be the same level as Durkon, or one higher if the Giant remembered to take into account Durkon's Good domain), we need to review the evidence that Belkar is in fact Level 16. As far as I can tell, the only evidence for that is Belkar's seven attacks against Roy in Panel 8 of 748. I'm more inclined to think that an extra thonk! was inserted by mistake than to ignore the evidence that Durkon is not yet 15 (this can also push Nale and Z down a level since neither have otherwise demonstrated any evidence of being 16).

[EmperorSarda]

Just to put on here for speculation:

If Malack were a Yuan-Ti Abomination with exactly the minimum levels in Cleric to cast Harm, he would have 9 racial hit dice, 11 class levels, +7 LA from his race and +8 LA from vampire, putting him at ECL 35.

[Crusher]

That would certainly make finding appropriate opponents against which to gain levels a challenge.

[Feddlefew]

Also of note (maybe): Either Malack's shape-shifting, or his robes have an enchantment that lets him keep ~3 times Durkon's height in tail from showing.

[mawexzon]

Also of note (maybe): Either Malack's shape-shifting, or his robes have an enchantment that lets him keep ~3 times Durkon's height in tail from showing.

A tail like that looks pretty flexible, I bet he can easily tuck it inside the robe.

[ti'esar]

EDIT: So... Are we going to remove lizardfolk from his character until further clarification on what he is exactly?

I'd be in favor of this - whatever he is, it's unquestionably not an ordinary lizardfolk.

Or even an ordinary vampire lizardfolk, for that matter.

[Feddlefew]

Comparing panels 4 and 5: Malack's (enhanced) strength score is high enough that he can literally push Durkon's shield down and off in the process of pinning his arm.

[Mike Havran]

How can we put Malack's back door (Xxzerkqei)? Is it a low-level spell that specifically nullifies Durkon's Mass Death Ward? Or is it an ability?

[Douglas]

How can we put Malack's back door (Xxzerkqei)? Is it a low-level spell that specifically nullifies Durkon's Mass Death Ward? Or is it an ability?

I would guess it's something built in to that version of Mass Death Ward. As in, the (full) spell description includes "if someone says 'Xxzerkqei' within range, Mass Death Ward ends."

[Lvl45DM!]

Call it "Malack's Moderately Dismissable Mass Death Ward"

[Kurald Galain]

So at what point does Durkon's level in the first post get changed to 14, and Belkar's to max 15?

At the point where I read up on the 50+ posts that were made here in the past two days. I'm not online 24/7, you know

[Flame of Anor]

Call it "Malack's Moderately Dismissable Mass Death Ward"

I second this.

[Winter]

Call it "Malack's Moderately Dismissable Mass Death Ward"

I'd put "Malack's Dismissable Mass Death Ward" as it is not "moderatly" dismissable, it is fully and easibly dismissable.

[Shale]

Provided you can pronounce "Xxzerkqei."

[Winter]

Provided you can pronounce "Xxzerkqei."

I guess it sounds a lot like "Xerk-Quei"?

[Carl]

Also provided you know the word.

[Gift Jeraff]

Malack's Mass Death Ward, Dismissable via Password

[Feddlefew]

I guess it sounds a lot like "Xerk-Quei"?

Someone in the comic discussion thread suggested it sounded like "iz-iz-zer-key", like "is this your key".

[Winter]

Someone in the comic discussion thread suggested it sounded like "iz-iz-zer-key", like "is this your key".

Ah, like "X-x-zer-quei"?

I considered the "Xxz" more to be one long hiss-sound (lizard or vampire (or vampire-lizard ;)) like), the "zer" is then longer and clearly pronounced while the "qei" is very quick and short.
So you get like "XsssssERkeiii"