OOTS #876 - The Discussion Thread

[Nephrahim]

As much as I am a fan of Vampires (White wolf, anyone?) It would be kind of heartbreaking to see Durkon become one, since it would turn him into a being so at odds with what he is now.

[Bulldog Psion]

And so Durkon goes into the dark.

[Harry Leipzig]

Or maybe Xykon's arrival will actually do some good for the Order by sparing Durkon from vampirism?

This. Xykon has been missing for quite a while. Roy starts saying something about Xykon and- speak of the devil, there's Xykon stepping through Dimension Door.

.... Which could force both teams to team up against Team Evil in an epic final arc, filled with action and emotional moments. Everybody and their opposites getting moments of fighting back-to-back and snarking with each other. Yes please.

[CWater]

Did I miss the part where Leeky Windstaff did?
Also, yuck. :P

He was a druid

Or is? I don't remember if he died or not...

[Shale]

Durkon's plan really was just hitting Malack with a hammer? Oh boy. I think he might actually be down for the count.

[Canisius]

Boo. Exactly what I didn't want to see. =(

I wish there were a D&D method for removing vampirism so this wouldn't be so wrenching. Ah well - I trust the Giant's narrative capabilities.

[Tragak]

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.

Wait a minute, isn't ASMODEUS level 37-ish?

[Mike Havran]

I just realized... as a vampire, Durkon won't be able to drink alcohol.

Why?

On the other thought, it just came to me that Tarquin was instructing a friggin' 200-year-old snake tricks on how to grapple his opponent in a combat. Is there no end to his preparedness?

[MeanMrsMustard]

He was a druid
Or is? I don't remember if he died or not...

I think he ran away with Pompey.
Also, good point. I just kind of mentally lumped him in as a divine caster.

Minor question: how does Malack keep his balance when he's grappling Durkon? Looks like it takes a lot of upper- and/or mid-body strength.

[Raineh Daze]

I wish there were a D&D method for removing vampirism so this wouldn't be so wrenching. Ah well - I trust the Giant's narrative capabilities.

Destroy, Resurrect.

Any miraculous reinforcement must show up in this tunnel in the next... 5 to 20 rounds, assuming extremely high constitution? So, uh, 30 seconds to 2 minutes.

[NerdyKris]

Boo. Exactly what I didn't want to see. =(

I wish there were a D&D method for removing vampirism so this wouldn't be so wrenching. Ah well - I trust the Giant's narrative capabilities.

Two strips previous Durkon stated that killing the vampire and raising him will cure vampirism. So even if there's not a D&D reason, there's a house rule way for this world.

[Nephrahim]

Boo. Exactly what I didn't want to see. =(

I wish there were a D&D method for removing vampirism so this wouldn't be so wrenching. Ah well - I trust the Giant's narrative capabilities.

Woulden't resurrecting be it? From the way Malack was talking it sounded like if he was revived he would be who he was before he was a vampire. I assume it would be the same for him.

Who would be able to cast such a spell, though...

[eilandesq]

Definitely all over as far as Durkon "winning" this fight--he could theoretically have Word of Recall racked (which would likely take him far away from the fight to the detriment of the OotS while saving his life), but the (minimum) two negative levels he just took (unless Malack is refraining from draining his levels intentionally to keep him as powerful as possible after turning) would likely wipe that out. Also, the unknown secret plan that Elan took Durkon aside for could come into play, but does anyone *really* want to owe their survival to a "clever plan by Elan?"

[sam79]

No, I'm implying that Malack thinks this is the last play, and chose his actions accordingly.

Perfect time for a last minute field goal and extra time! No, wait, he's still enthralled, right? So, V?

Poor Durkon. Things are looking bad. But its always darkest just before dawn, right?

Right?

This fight has ebbed and flowed, with the upper hand changing with each new strip. Great as this strip is, I hope that pattern continues in 877. To lose Durkon would be bad enough. But to lose him like this...well, that's not a happy ending, for him at least.

[Faldrath]

I'm not familiar with D&D grapple rules, but could Durkon still cast Thor's Might while grappled? I'm not sure if that's a "regular" spell or some sort of spell-like ability Thor's clerics get.

I know he said the ceiling was too low, but better to be crushed while destroying Malack's body than becoming a vampire, I would think.

[rgrekejin]

Well, even with the low ceiling, maybe he can still use Thor's Might to shake Malack off? Grappling would make that difficult, assuming that it's just a re-named Righteous Might, but maybe?

[Grey Watcher]

Did I miss the part where Leeky Windstaff did?
Also, yuck. :P

Technically, he's not a cleric. And with that, I nominate myself for the Eugene Greenhilt Award in Pointlessly Specific Semantic Nitpicking!

EDIT: I should've known taking the time to crack a joke would get me ninja'd.

[WindStruck]

By the way, do any of you see the weird folds/bulges in Malack's robe after it's confirmed he has no legs? It seems as though he also has 6 arms as well...

[Arkanist]

Woulden't resurrecting be it? From the way Malack was talking it sounded like if he was revived he would be who he was before he was a vampire. I assume it would be the same for him.

Who would be able to cast such a spell, though...

Malack. (Not a chance.)

Redcloak. (Not a chance at all in the 666 layers of the abyss.)

The High Priest of Thor. (Not likely.)

Assuming Durkon crumbles to dust when killed as a vampire, it would have to be a high level cleric.

[Burner28]

EDIT: I should've known taking the time to crack a joke would get me ninja'd.

It happens to all of us!

By the way, do any of you see the weird folds/bulges in Malack's robe after it's confirmed he has no legs? It seems as though he also has 6 arms as well...

Nice catch!

[zimmerwald1915]

Holy Word is a 7th-level spell, and Durkon has already said he doesn't have anything useful left above 4th level. So yes, you're right, it would be a good time, but Durkon doesn't have the spell to use!

Anyway, oh, snap...surely this fight can't be over so quickly?

In the same strip he said that, he strongly implied that...

I'm not familiar with D&D grapple rules, but could Durkon still cast Thor's Might while grappled? I'm not sure if that's a "regular" spell or some sort of spell-like ability Thor's clerics get.

I know he said the ceiling was too low, but better to be crushed while destroying Malack's body than becoming a vampire, I would think.

Well, even with the low ceiling, maybe he can still use Thor's Might to shake Malack off? Grappling would make that difficult, assuming that it's just a re-named Righteous Might, but maybe?

Darn it!

Anyway, given how important size modifiers are in opposed grapple checks (as Belkar discovered against Windstriker), attempting to cast thor's might might be Durkon's best move here (depending on whether he can manage a spell with somatic components while grappled, or whether thor's might has somatic components in the OOTSverse).

[BeethroBudkin07]

I can totally picture Xykon entering the room at this moment and making some sort of comment along the lines of "Get a room, you two"...

Can't wait to see more of this 9-part mega update fest!

[Onyavar]

Oh No Durkon! Durkon!

You're just teasing us again Giant, right?

Right?

If he's teasing us again, I'll be severely disappointed. I mean, Bozzok already lampshaded it before, this "how can the good guys keep doing that" ('that' being escaping in the last minute). Durkon interrupting Belkars vamp-turn was okay. V or Haley+Roy interrupting Durkons vamp-turn will be a tiresome thing, and a stretch as well.

Durkon has his prophecy, so we know he won't live when he returns (alright, the prophecy thing was true for belkar, too), and becoming a vampire fits very well. Not to Durkons personality of course, but Durkon is still the same boring dwarf he was when he started. He had his big shiny moment here in the fight, proving his stubborn good alignment and his personality - now it's time for a change.
Durkon - no longer bland but filling!

What I'm most interested in, is how Durkons personality will change. Vamp Belkar = Old Belkar. Boring.
But Durkon will be turned into something nearly diametrically opposed to his old self.

Edit: Maybe he will oppose Malack and rejoin the order as a vampire, trying (but ultimately failing) to be the stereotypical vegetarian vamp, or hiding his affliction from Roy and the others. And first he kills Belkar - there can't be two openly evil characters in the party.

[Themrys]

Definitely all over as far as Durkon "winning" this fight--he could theoretically have Word of Recall racked (which would likely take him far away from the fight to the detriment of the OotS while saving his life), but the (minimum) two negative levels he just took (unless Malack is refraining from draining his levels intentionally to keep him as powerful as possible after turning) would likely wipe that out. Also, the unknown secret plan that Elan took Durkon aside for could come into play, but does anyone *really* want to owe their survival to a "clever plan by Elan?"

If Elan has counseled Durkon on what to do when being level-drained, that could get really interesting.

I'm wondering if there's any signifigance in the bite Malack's using. With Belkar, he chomped down on the head, but here, it looks like he's going for the "standard" neck bite.

Fanservice? I did write I wanted a sexy biting scene.

[Tragak]

Technically, he's not a cleric. And with that, I nominate myself for the Eugene Greenhilt Award in Pointlessly Specific Semantic Nitpicking!

EDIT: I should've known taking the time to crack a joke would get me ninja'd.

You are the valedictorian NO MORE!!

[t209]

Now the prophecy will be Fulfilled. Either durkon will return home as corpse or vampire.

Spoiler

Show

And Possibly destroying it.

[mp122984]

I'm not familiar with D&D grapple rules, but could Durkon still cast Thor's Might while grappled? I'm not sure if that's a "regular" spell or some sort of spell-like ability Thor's clerics get.

I know he said the ceiling was too low, but better to be crushed while destroying Malack's body than becoming a vampire, I would think.

He can cast spells while tied up, so maybe he cast spells while grappled? It's not much, but it's at least a chance.

[Shale]

Oooh, Thor's Might could work. Durkon said the ceiling was too low for it before, but if he's not upright...

[Canisius]

I'm pretty sure Durkon's motivation for attacking Malack was a combination of dislike for undead, and a sense of duty to what the party was trying to accomplish (i.e. protect the gate (however that would actually have worked out)). The fact that it was Belkar was largely irrelevant.

He's a Lawful Good cleric. I wouldn't want him played any other way. You see undead, you attack. Especially if you caught the undead chomping on a party member.

[Porthos]

Haven't posted in a long while, but this is forcing me to come back.

Poor Durkon. Poor gruffy, irritable, sweet Drukon. If this is indeed how the dual Durkon prophcies are fulfilled, it's been long suspected by many. But still heartwrenching. Doubly so to be by one he considered a friend.