Why is V constantly benched?

[Chantelune]

Eh, disintegrate would have put down that Hellhound before it could drag Belkar halfway down the pyramid, so that's something.

Durkon was there too and could have used some spells too to try and kill the hellhound before he goes too far away. Thor's ligthning comes to mind, but has he looked like he was in thouch range at the time, he could have even tried more powerfull spells. Still, he didn't do a single thing, not even trying to swing his hammer, has the hound ran away with Belkar. Eck, he didn't even draw his hammer. Check the strip again, in the time the hound got summoned and fled, Durkon didn't move at all. All the other member were busy : Haley disarming, Roy giving her a lift and Elan inspiring comp with his music. Roy almost made a move, trying to draw, but couldn't because Haley was fiddling with a meteor swarm rune. Durkon could have done something, he didn't.

Durkon being vamped was bound to happen. If V wasn't benched at the time, she would have reacted as much as Durkon and then probably stayed with the party in case her expertise would be required with the magically trapped door. But for some reason, it's okay with Durkon to stand there doing nothing, but not for V.

[TRH]

Durkon being vamped was bound to happen. If V wasn't benched at the time, she would have reacted as much as Durkon and then probably stayed with the party in case her expertise would be required with the magically trapped door. But for some reason, it's okay with Durkon to stand there doing nothing, but not for V.

Well, DSTP got us used to Durkon sitting around doing nothing - with V, it feels more like she's forced to be useless than actually being passive. That's kind of the point of this thread, if it still has a point.

[zimmerwald1915]

Eh, disintegrate would have put down that Hellhound before it could drag Belkar halfway down the pyramid, so that's something.

Dismissal, banishment or greater dispel magic, all of which V has cast on-panel, would have served the same purpose more efficiently.

[Scurvy Cur]

Too, disintegrate would have probably done a number on Malack. A fort save of +8 and a likely HP total of 84 HP (average 12d12 with the first die auto maximized) do not a happy disintegrate target make. Plus vampire natural AC does nothing to stop a ranged touch attack, and the usual undead immunity to fort save effects aside from those which affect inanimate objects doesn't apply to disintegrate, which works just fine on inanimate objects.

If Malack fails the fort save, which is more likely than not, chances are he's ashed (assume level 15 V, which is where the CLG thread puts him iirc, a failed disintegrate save produces 30d6 damage, or an average of 105). Sometimes, those fancy templates just aren't worth the ECL adjustment. Especially when none of their usual immunities apply. Mind, this is part of why V had to be benched. There are only so many minor villains that can be dusted off with disintegrate + gust of wind before it starts losing its impact.

[zimmerwald1915]

Too, disintegrate would have probably done a number on Malack. A fort save of +8 and a likely HP total of 84 HP (average 12d12 with the first die auto maximized) do not a happy disintegrate target make. Plus vampire natural AC does nothing to stop a ranged touch attack, and the usual undead immunity to fort save effects aside from those which affect inanimate objects doesn't apply to disintegrate, which works just fine on inanimate objects.

Vampires cannot be destroyed by disintegrate. Upon reaching zero hit points, Malack would simply have gone gaseous and recuperated somewhere.

[Scurvy Cur]

Would have been enough to end the fight though. A vampire forced to gas up and retreat is a vampire that's not killing Durkon or Belkar.

Edit: plus, the vampire autogas requires it to reach its coffin in 2 hours. SRD gives that a 9 mile range; so even assuming Malack could get to his coffin, it would put him back in Bleedingham.

[zimmerwald1915]

Would have been enough to end the fight though. A vampire forced to gas up and retreat is a vampire that's not killing Durkon or Belkar.

Malack managed to do just that.

[Scurvy Cur]

Durkon never took him to 0 HP. Malack's gaseous form assumption was the standard action one, not the automatic one that kicks in when they are reduced to 0 HP or less.

Edit again (have to keep swapping back to the SRD): for clarification, the result of taking a vampire to 0 HP or lower is that they automatically assume gaseous form. They then have 2 hours to make it to their coffin or be destroyed utterly. If they do make it there, they take an hour to recuperate their first HP, at which point the fast healing resumes as normal. This 1 hour window is the usual window in which the vampire can be staked.

Zim is absolutely right when he says disintegrate can't kill a vampire, but hitting 0 HP isn't meaningless for them. Perhaps I should have suggested disintegrate + dimensional anchor as an alternative to V's usual dismissive kill combo. Either way though, V needed to be benched for that fight because of his ability to reduce a combat sequence to 4 words or less.

[zimmerwald1915]

Durkon never took him to 0 HP. Malack's gaseous form assumption was the standard action one, not the automatic one that kicks in when they are reduced to 0 HP or less.

This seems like a distinction without a difference to me, assuming the Giant would ignore the bit of the template that says a vampire must reach its coffin in order to heal from zero hit points.

[Scurvy Cur]

I don't see why Rich would observe all of the powers attributed to a vampire by D&D mechanics, but specifically ignore the detailed description of what happens when combat reduces them to no HP. See clarification edit in the above post. I'd provide a link, but that's hard to do on a smartphone. The relevant mechanics are detailed in the fast healing entry.

[Chantelune]

This seems like a distinction without a difference to me, assuming the Giant would ignore the bit of the template that says a vampire must reach its coffin in order to heal from zero hit points.

But we don't know if the Giant would have ignored that, or I miss the comment were he said he would have.

And V being there for this fight (in the event were she was not benched and decided to follow Durkon) would have make a difference even if the Giant did. Malack won over Durkon because he managed to grapple him, forcing the two into a lockdown until Malack dispelled the death ward and killed Durkon. If V had been there, she could have prevented the lockdown situation, either forcing Malack to retreat, or working toward getting Belkar before retreating themselves to regroup with the order.

Durkon had the upper hand in the fight until Malack managed to grapple him. Only a one-on-one situation allowed this issue. Or if Malack managed to dominate the others like he did Belkar, but V was the only one with Durkon to have a good enough will save to make that strategy near impossible.

Edit : Actually, if the Giant does ignore the fact that vampire forced into gaseous form by lowering their hp to 0 must reach their coffin, then Durkula is near unbeatable and save for the sun, there's not much that can actually kill him. He'll just turn gaseous, wait for a bit and come back in the fight.

[Sir_Leorik]

I disagree. Even if magic is a power that is not understood, it still needs limitations and rules. I recommend reading this essay on the subject.
Basically, if you just say "It's Magic!", you can do anything with it. If there were no limitations on magic in OOTS, we would wonder "Why doesn't V just teleport? Why does Durkon needs to rest for his spells?"

I don't require a scientific explanation for magic, because then it's not fantasy anymore, but scifi. But I do require that magic has it's limitations and own 'Laws of Nature/Magic'. Because in this world, magic is simply another force of nature. Just like we know that things fall down when we drop them because of gravity, so do the characters (and the DnD players) know that wizards can not study every school of magic.

There are two issues you are touching on, which are not mutually exclusive. The first is internal consistency (what TVTropes calls "Magic A is Magic A"), while the second is providing a detailed explanation for exactly how magic works (TVTropes calls this "Doing in the Wizard"). If a game or a work of fiction establishes that Wizards, Sorcerers, Warlocks, Psions and Clerics all have slightly different "rules" for magic, those "rules" need to be consistent.

In D&D Wizards need to keep spell books, into which they use expensive inks and quills to scribe new spells. Wizards need to spend one hour each morning studying from their spellbook to prepare new spells to replace ones they have cast (or want to exchange). Wizards can not prepare spells if they have not rested for eight hours, and can not prepare spells more than once in a 24 hour period. Generalist Wizards can learn any spell they want, but can prepare fewer spells per day than a Specialist Wizard, while a Specialist Wizard is barred from learning or casting any spell that is in their barred school.

D&D Sorcerers know their spells inherently and therefore do not need spellbooks, do not need to prepare spells daily, but are limited in the number of spells they can ever know, their spells have the same components as Wizard versions of the same spells, and they take longer to cast spells enhanced by Metamagic feats.

D&D 3.5 Warlocks do not cast spells. Warlocks make a pact with an Outsider or Fey, and gain spell-like abilities called Evocations. Their most common power is their Eldritch Blast, which they can modify using other Evocations. Warlocks can not learn spells without multiclassing.

D&D Clerics need to prepare their spells, but unlike a Wizard they don't need to maintain a spellbook. Instead they pray to their patron deity (or to their ethos or philosophy for non-theistic Clerics) at an appropriate time of day or night. This can be dawn, sunrise, noon, sunset, dusk, early evening, midnight, or tea-time, but if they don't pray at the appropriate time they need to wait 24 hours for their next opportunity to prepare spells. Clerics usually don't require material components or focuses, using their holy symbol as a focus for their spells.

D&D 3.5 Psions and Wilders have a reserve of Power Points that they renew after resting for eight hours. Psions and Wilders spend Power Points to manifest a Psionic Power, and can spend extra Points to Augment a power while manifesting it. Wilders can try to augment a power with a Wild Surge without paying Power Points, but they risk Psychic Enervation if they do so. Psions and Wilders never need verbal, somatic or material components to manifest their powers, but when a Psionic Power is manifested there may be a verbal, auditory, or other sensory display.

If a Wizard in a D&D adventure module, novel, comic book or video game can suddenly cast spells spontaneously like a Sorcerer, that is a violation of the game and setting's internal consistency. A Psion in a Dark Sun novel needs to use material components, a Sorcerer in an Eberron MMO needs a spellbook, a Warlock in a comic book is shown using a holy symbol, or a Cleric in OotS uses an Eldritch Blast; these all violate the internal consistency of "Magic A is Magic A".

Over the years various D&D supplements have addressed how magic "works", in an attempt to justify why Clerics can wear armor but Wizards (and later Sorcerers) can't, what the difference between Arcane and Divine magic is, where Arcane or Divine power comes from, how Psionics works, who Warlocks are making their pacts with, etc.

In the "Dragonlance" Campaign Setting, all magic comes from the gods, with Wizardry coming from the three Draconic gods of the moons, Solinari (White, or Good wizardry), Lunitari (Red, or Neutral wizardry) and Nuitari (Black, or Evil Wizardry). All Wizards paid fealty to Solinari, Lunitari or Nuitari, and the phases of the moons could increase or diminish a Wizard's power. Later on, following the Chaos War and the War of Souls, Sorcerers were introduced to Dragonlance, but they drew on their own selves for Arcane power.

In the "Forgotten Realms" Campaign Setting, all Arcane magic came from Mystra and the Weave, until Cyric murdered Mystra and the Weave was torn, causing Fourth Edition the Spellplague.

In the "Dark Sun" Campaign setting, Arcane magic was leeched from the life force of living things, via Preserving magic or Defiling magic, with the Defilers causing the environmental cataclysm that led to Athas' current devastation. In 2E Dark Sun, Templars and Elemental Clerics could cast Cleric spells, but there were no gods to call upon for Divine power. In 4E Dark Sun, the Divine Power source no longer exists on Athas; Templars are Warlocks who made pacts with a Sorcerer King, or they are Wizards or Psions. The "Elemental Clerics" are Shamans using the Primal Power Source. The gods of Athas were killed long before the end of the Green Age, thousands of years before present day Athas.

In the "Ravenloft" Campaign, the Dark Powers reserve the right to alter how spells work, making Necromancy spells easier to cast, deadlier and more likely to produce unforseen consequences. Most of the inhabitants of the Lands of the Mists are superstitious peasants, and Wizards, Sorcerers and Warlocks hide the fact that they can cast spells, unless they know a lynch mob will not form. In the Domain of Lamordia, the inhabitants do not believe in magic, Divine or Arcane. Like Dr. Victor Mordenheim, the mad scientist who created Lamordia's Flesh Golem Darklord, the locals are Flat-Earth Atheists (to again cite TVTropes), who consider magic to simply be a scientific phenomenon that hasn't been properly explored. They consider Clerics, Wizards, etc., to be charlatans or fools who are like children playing with gunpowder weapons.

In the Order of the Stick webcomic, the laws of magic require just as much calculus as the laws of physics. Both take a back seat to the laws of Gaming, Comedy and Drama.

[jere7my]

I disagree. Even if magic is a power that is not understood, it still needs limitations and rules. I recommend reading this essay on the subject.
Basically, if you just say "It's Magic!", you can do anything with it. If there were no limitations on magic in OOTS, we would wonder "Why doesn't V just teleport? Why does Durkon needs to rest for his spells?"

I don't require a scientific explanation for magic, because then it's not fantasy anymore, but scifi. But I do require that magic has it's limitations and own 'Laws of Nature/Magic'. Because in this world, magic is simply another force of nature.

That's certainly one popular approach to magic systems, of which I think Brandon Sanderson is right now probably the most well-known proponent. But there's another school of thought that says that magic shouldn't make sense—that if it's comprehensible, it's "simply another force of nature" (as you say). If it has rules, it's just physics by another name. Authors like M. John Harrison write magic that's unsettling, weird, surreal, and they do it very well. The characters aren't limited by the "rules" of magic, they're limited by their ability to grapple with this uncaring force that doesn't follow any rules they or we can follow.

[Kish]

I don't see why Rich would observe all of the powers attributed to a vampire by D&D mechanics, but specifically ignore the detailed description of what happens when combat reduces them to no HP.

Indeed, Malack said that Durkon couldn't destroy him by hitting him with a hammer, and Durkon replied, "Aye, but I can send ye back to yer coffin. Good enuff!" To which Malack conspicuously failed to respond with, "Actually, the writer house ruled that you can only force me into gaseous form for a few rounds, so just give up already."

[Psyren]

No explanation is EVER needed on how magic works, unless you specifically want to Do In The Wizard. It's magic.

The limitations of magic are important. Are your spellcasters living gods? If the answer is no, then you need to be clear about the conditions under which their magic will not succeed, particularly when one of them faces off against another.

By basing the comic on existing rules, he cuts down the gap between "plot point" and "understanding." There's also the aesthetic appeal of using the game rules to craft a detailed story.

Actually, DnD terms only complicate the explanation, if you keep in mind those who are not familiar with the system. I only knew what "rebuke" was because it was clearly what Reddy just did to Tsukiko's wights. It may be because of me not being a native speaker, but there is a lot of unnecessary for the story complication anyway. For example, V's barred school preventing vir from casting Teleport, which would translate into original magic system as "I can't learn that spell" and would be much simpler for a new reader. Malack's raising Durkon immediately with his staff, which would not require explanation AT ALL without a need to conform to an existing system.

Concerning V - I'm glad you brought that up, because that was a good example of a time-saver. Z can teleport and V cannot; without the rules there, we would be wondering "why is that? Can only dark elves teleport, or evil ones? He has to know how important teleport would be on this quest; if he's so intelligent, why doesn't he try to learn it?" This is particularly relevant since we see V in no less than two different magic shops during the story.

Concerning Malack - yes, you end up with some exposition there due to his staff, but it still saves us exposition in other places. Do staffs contain spells themselves, or are they just used to amplify the powers of the wielder? This is an important plot point, and without the rules, we'd have to explain it. When Malack turned into gas earlier, his equipment went with him - why didn't it do the same thing when he burned into smoke? This is also important because it shows he's truly dead and also shows why Durkon gets to keep his staff.

No, they don't. They can't. They have no right to.

Nevertheless, they do, and I've provided several examples at this point.

What DnD gives you in a story sense is the settings, concepts - like paladins with their falls, clerics of Chaotic gods that must be themselves Chaotic, alignment system, races/monsters with their complex relationship and so on. It may give you inspiration for your own story alright, I know it firsthand (I'm in the middle of such story myself), and of course you would conform to the rules to not destroy your own point (provided you want to make some point). But having to follow pre-existing rules is a drawback of writing a "DnD story", not an advantage.

That's a matter of perspective. It's constraining/disadvantageous for you, but others see constraints as a creative wellspring, like the artist who only paints in one color.

Well, rules also provide a source for rules jokes, which was, as far as I know, exactly the reason why OotS is a DnD comic.

That's why it started, but obviously it became much more than that.

[Imgran]

You guys are overlooking the rather obvious fact that if Vaarsuvius is there, Malack puts everything he has into taking the wizard down in the first round. Part of the reason Malack had a tough time taking Durkon down is he legitimately did not want to kill him. He has no such reservations when it comes to V -- if V corners him, he goes into all-out attack mode, and even with Mass Death Ward to fall back on, I have to give the advantage to Malack in close quarters. A vampire that's determined to kill a wizard has a few options in close quarters in a darkened hallway, especially if he's willing to tank a few heal spells from Durkon to snap his target's twiggy little Elven neck before moving on.'

Long story short -- V is probably grappled in the first round, and unless either Durkon or V can do something about it pretty quickly, it just goes downhill from there.

[Emanick]

You guys are overlooking the rather obvious fact that if Vaarsuvius is there, Malack puts everything he has into taking the wizard down in the first round. Part of the reason Malack had a tough time taking Durkon down is he legitimately did not want to kill him. He has no such reservations when it comes to V -- if V corners him, he goes into all-out attack mode, and even with Mass Death Ward to fall back on, I have to give the advantage to Malack in close quarters. A vampire that's determined to kill a wizard has a few options in close quarters in a darkened hallway, especially if he's willing to tank a few heal spells from Durkon to snap his target's twiggy little Elven neck before moving on.'

Long story short -- V is probably grappled in the first round, and unless either Durkon or V can do something about it pretty quickly, it just goes downhill from there.

If Malack grapples V, Durkon will immediately cast Heal. Then Malack has to mist or he'll go straight to 0 hit points in the next round. It's difficult to successfully grapple a physically weak opponent if there's a hostile high-level cleric standing right next to you.

[bguy]

If Malack grapples V, Durkon will immediately cast Heal. Then Malack has to mist or he'll go straight to 0 hit points in the next round. It's difficult to successfully grapple a physically weak opponent if there's a hostile high-level cleric standing right next to you.

Couldn't Malack pretty well one shot V with either Harm or Slay Living as V is unlikely to make a Fort Save against either spell? Malack would have to dispel the Mass Death Ward first, but that might well take only a swift action since all it takes is for him to say a single word. Alternatively, Malack would also have a decent chance of dropping V with a single Flame Strike if V doesn't have any buffs against fire up. (Though based on V surviving a Meteor Swarm from Xykon, I suspect V does have some sort of ring of fire resistance.)

[Chantelune]

Malack would have to dispel the Mass Death Ward first, but that might well take only a swift action since all it takes is for him to say a single word.

Too risky, I'd guess. Malack could have dispeled the MDW right at the start of his duel with Durkon, yet he waited for a favorable situation to do so. Dispelling it that way, Durkon would have realized the trickery and be way more cautious of Malack, so he might have killed V, Durkon would have better chances to defeat him afterward. The backdoor was his trump card, he wasn't about to use it lightly, I think.

[AKA_Bait]

Too risky, I'd guess. Malack could have dispeled the MDW right at the start of his duel with Durkon, yet he waited for a favorable situation to do so. Dispelling it that way, Durkon would have realized the trickery and be way more cautious of Malack, so he might have killed V, Durkon would have better chances to defeat him afterward. The backdoor was his trump card, he wasn't about to use it lightly, I think.

Have we considered what the affect of Malack draining V, then spending a round to use his auto-vampire spell might have had? A Vampire V thrall would be just as nasty, perhaps nastier, than a Vampire Durkon thrall.

[TRH]

Have we considered what the affect of Malack draining V, then spending a round to use his auto-vampire spell might have had? A Vampire V thrall would be just as nasty, perhaps nastier, than a Vampire Durkon thrall.

That seems like the kind of development that would genuinely throw the IFCC for a loop, depending on how the do vampires have souls question pans out.

[Emanick]

Couldn't Malack pretty well one shot V with either Harm or Slay Living as V is unlikely to make a Fort Save against either spell? Malack would have to dispel the Mass Death Ward first, but that might well take only a swift action since all it takes is for him to say a single word. Alternatively, Malack would also have a decent chance of dropping V with a single Flame Strike if V doesn't have any buffs against fire up. (Though based on V surviving a Meteor Swarm from Xykon, I suspect V does have some sort of ring of fire resistance.)

Harm, like its opposite number Heal, can't one-shot anything. Slay Living could potentially kill V, I suppose, though the Fortitude DC isn't insanely difficult (15 + Malack's WIS modifier, and from the amount of punishment V has taken in some fights, I suspect s/he has a fairly sound Constitution score). But then again, one Disintegrate from V could turn Malack into mist. And Malack, who has no Constitution score, will probably have trouble making a DC 22+ Fortitude save.

Initiative/surprise is arguably the most important factor in a potential three-way battle between V, Malack and Durkon. If both V and Durkon attack before Malack has a chance to act, he's likely to be a goner. If not, Malack might have a decent chance of taking one of them out and evening the odds.

[bguy]

Too risky, I'd guess. Malack could have dispeled the MDW right at the start of his duel with Durkon, yet he waited for a favorable situation to do so. Dispelling it that way, Durkon would have realized the trickery and be way more cautious of Malack, so he might have killed V, Durkon would have better chances to defeat him afterward. The backdoor was his trump card, he wasn't about to use it lightly, I think.

Well when fighting against Durkon alone opening with dispelling the MDW would have been a bad move, since Malack was unlikely to be able to take out Durkon in a single round, and if Durkon has a regular Death Ward racked, he could then buff himself with that and Malack probably wouldn't be able take it down. However, if Malack is facing both V and Durkon then immediately disspelling the MDW is a much better move. Facing both V and Durkon he pretty much has to drop one of them with his opening attack to have any chance of winning, and he actually does have pretty good odds of taking out V with a single spell if V is stripped of the MDW protection. Yes, he'll have lost his secret weapon against Durkon at that point, but that still gives him much better odds than trying to fight both Durkon and V at the same time.

[Imgran]

Harm, like its opposite number Heal, can't one-shot anything. Slay Living could potentially kill V, I suppose, though the Fortitude DC isn't insanely difficult (15 + Malack's WIS modifier, and from the amount of punishment V has taken in some fights, I suspect s/he has a fairly sound Constitution score). But then again, one Disintegrate from V could turn Malack into mist. And Malack, who has no Constitution score, will probably have trouble making a DC 22+ Fortitude save.

Initiative/surprise is arguably the most important factor in a potential three-way battle between V, Malack and Durkon. If both V and Durkon attack before Malack has a chance to act, he's likely to be a goner. If not, Malack might have a decent chance of taking one of them out and evening the odds.

Main point being, Malak has a definite fighting chance even with V in the picture -- even assuming that was possible even if V was with the party.

[bguy]

Harm, like its opposite number Heal, can't one-shot anything.

I thought it was only if you successfully saved that you couldn't drop below 1 HP from Harm.

Slay Living could potentially kill V, I suppose, though the Fortitude DC isn't insanely difficult (15 + Malack's WIS modifier, and from the amount of punishment V has taken in some fights, I suspect s/he has a fairly sound Constitution score).

Well in the Giant's commentary on the Order vs Miko fight he said that V lacks a decent CON. (Which was why Miko was able to take V out so easily in that fight.) Though it's certainly possible V has gotten some CON boasting items since then.

Initiative/surprise is arguably the most important factor in a potential three-way battle between V, Malack and Durkon. If both V and Durkon attack before Malack has a chance to act, he's likely to be a goner. If not, Malack might have a decent chance of taking one of them out and evening the odds.

Agreed. Malack would pretty much have to win initative against both Durkon and V to have any chance.

[Snails]

That seems like the kind of development that would genuinely throw the IFCC for a loop, depending on how the do vampires have souls question pans out.

It would be pretty funny watching the three of them pore over the rule books trying to figure out how it would work...

[Chantelune]

I thought it was only if you successfully saved that you couldn't drop below 1 HP from Harm.

Spell description is as follow :

Harm charges a subject with negative energy that deals 10 points of damage per caster level (to a maximum of 150 points at 15th level). If the creature successfully saves, harm deals half this amount, but it cannot reduce the target’s hit points to less than 1.

[Kish]

And WotC clarified, a while ago, that Harm cannot reduce anyone below 1 hit point whether the save is passed or failed--nor can Heal reduce an undead creature below 1 hit point.

[Scow2]

And WotC clarified, a while ago, that Harm cannot reduce anyone below 1 hit point whether the save is passed or failed--nor can Heal reduce an undead creature below 1 hit point.

And the reason for such is that, originally, failing the save always reduced your HP to 1, regardless of what else you may have had... and it made the spells WAY too overpowered. Also - Heal and Harm used to fully restore Living Creatures and Undead, respectively, regardless of that HP value.

[Anarion]

I'd love to know how a mistake Haley made, followed by a decision Belkar made, culminating in in a duty Durkon felt he had, in any could have been prevented by Vaarsuvius. Nothing in that chain of events is something that V would have been likely to be able to identify or prevent.


I feel extremely comfortable saying that with a magical trap onhand to disable, Vaarsuvius would have stayed with the main party to lend whatever aid she can, and only when the trap was down would he have been willing to investigate the location of either of the wayward pair. V would not have gone after Belkar himself, and it's unlikely she would have followed Durkon either.

Eh, disintegrate would have put down that Hellhound before it could drag Belkar halfway down the pyramid, so that's something.

Dismissal, banishment or greater dispel magic, all of which V has cast on-panel, would have served the same purpose more efficiently.

In addition to these two very excellent answers, I want to point out that when I called it a "cause in fact" what I meant was that it is an action without which the result would not have occurred. There are infinite causes in fact for a particular result. For example, one cause in fact of Durkon's vampirism is his mother and father have intimate relations. Had that never occurred, Durkon would not have been turned into a vampire because Durkon wouldn't have been born. The cause in fact I was referencing was actually the familicide spell: had V not killed all of the Draketooths, Malack and Durkon would not have been where they were and the vamping would not have happened (at least not at that time in that manner).

This is actually why I distinguished proximate cause a few pages back. There are infinite causes in fact for a given result, but often only a single proximate cause. This is because unforeseeable outcomes should be distinguished from foreseeable outcomes, even if there are many actions that, had they not occurred, would have changed the outcome.


Edit: by the by, I'm using technical terminology here because I think it's useful in thinking about how to understand V's emotions in this circumstance. So, if you read through this and feel like you get it, congrats, you just learned a little piece of legal theory.