OOTS #966 - The Discussion Thread

[Killer Angel]

But, a level up or down?

When I grow up I want to choose elevator as adventurer class. Can I be an elevator please?

I want to be a Dread Gazebo!

[Nenec]

Sorry, you have to take the automaton base class first.

Geez, must be some special limited edition of D&D. Probably you can only take it in Tinkertown too.

[Nenec]

I want to be a Dread Gazebo!

Only if you do all your homework and eat all your soup!!

[Kareasint]

I expected that Haley put something on the table during negotiations but I was not expecting a bundle of TNT to blow straight through the Fourth Wall. Nice product placement but it was a little late. I already ordered the book.

Whatever Durkula has planned, he won't harm Roy--he knows that Roy and the others are his meal ticket to where he really wants to be (Kraagor's Gate), and if he comes back from this little journey either without Roy or towing vampire Roy behind him, I don't seriously think no-one will notice that. He's probably checked Macebook and realised that there are no clerics of high enough level to resurrect him in Tinkertown, so asking this is perfectly safe and earns him a few kudos with Roy to boot.

(Same applies to the question "Why didn't he vamp V?", by the way--it would tip his hand in a major way, and he's not daft enough to do that).

Factotum, you have a good point. He is looking to get to the Dwarves where I am betting that he has an assignment from Hel to execute. He would be up for anything that can improve his cover story. That was my interpretation of the vampire's evil smile in the third to last panel ("I got this sucker hooked").

Belkar is probably going to look for more chocolate.

[Jay R]

Amazingly funny comic. Out of all the great jokes, for some reason I find the elevator's "ding" to be the funniest. First time I've heard "ding" when going down a level.

We've been over this before. Once he hears the "ding", Roy always thinks it's time to go down a level.

In particular, Durkula had a golden opportunity to attempt to vamp the entire OotS with the assistance of Spiky demon, while the Order was fighting for its life against the Silicon Elemental.

Making vampires outdoors in the daytime, before figuring out how to cast "Protection from Sunlight", is not as effective as you might think.

Like everyone, I wonder what Durkula has planned... However, there's also another big question: What does Belkar want to do in town?

In a town full of gnomes? Is this a serious question?

He wants to further inter-species good will and understanding by having meaningful exchanges of ideas.

Or maybe kill them.

[Keltest]

Making vampires outdoors in the daytime, before figuring out how to cast "Protection from Sunlight", is not as effective as you might think.

To be fair, the three day waiting period gives him more than enough time to locate shelter for them.

[BrokenChord]

Well one thing's for sure, the HPOH isn't confronting the Order here...

... After all, the High Priest of Hel still needs to confront the High Priest of Thor in Durkon's posthumous state... No?

[Bulldog Psion]

Yes, the odds are, Durk Malackssen is just building deeper cover for himself. Doing an actually meaningless gesture that plays to Roy's psychological need for the vampire to still be his old reliable friend, rather than something alien and horrible.

[YossarianLives]

{{scrubbed}}

[Jay R]

To be fair, the three day waiting period gives him more than enough time to locate shelter for them.

As I recall, he was burned by sunlight a few minutes after he became a vampire.

[Jaxzan Proditor]

As I recall, he was burned by sunlight a few minutes after he became a vampire.

Normally, it takes three days for someone to become a Vampire.

[Darth Paul]

That was my interpretation of the vampire's evil smile in the third to last panel ("I got this sucker hooked").

That was one of the two interpretations I got as well; the other one being "Splendid, splendid, everything is going according to my EVIL plan!!"

Of course, the EVIL plan could also include "Step 1; Get Roy Hooked." So the evil smile is multi-purpose.

[Pendulous]

I got a feeling Belkar's gonna follow them anyway. In the shadows and whatnot.

[Forikroder]

Yes, the odds are, Durk Malackssen is just building deeper cover for himself. Doing an actually meaningless gesture that plays to Roy's psychological need for the vampire to still be his old reliable friend, rather than something alien and horrible.

i see it backfiring now because now roy wont hesitate to kill him since its what he wants too

[Gnoman]

That's exactly what Roy would do, and he'd probably be attacking even before the HpoH had a chance to say anything (after all, that's what they went there for, and he's on the record as stating that the only reason not to attack now is because the vampire is more useful than no cleric at all). That's why I agree that the HpoH has a good reason to think it won't be possible here.

[cyberchihuahua]

Belkar may well be looking for a way to restore Bloodfeast.

[ti'esar]

Belkar may well be looking for a way to restore Bloodfeast.

Interesting thought! But I suspect V can already do it, and simply isn't because it's much easier to have room for and store a little lizard than a tyrannosaurus.

[MtlGuy]

I am worried about Durkula trying to do something to Roy...

I figure he might want to commune with his new god from someplace other than the cargo hold of an airship. Whatever it is it can't be good.

[Rodin]

Interesting thought! But I suspect V can already do it, and simply isn't because it's much easier to have room for and store a little lizard than a tyrannosaurus.

I'm still rooting for the "T-Rex Fastball Special", where Belkar pitches Bloodfeast into someone's face like he did with Mr. Scruffy...and then has V dispel the Polymorph.

[Forikroder]

I'm still rooting for the "T-Rex Fastball Special", where Belkar pitches Bloodfeast into someone's face like he did with Mr. Scruffy...and then has V dispel the Polymorph.

"a lizard? really? your one chance to finally stop me once and for all and your throw a lizard at my face?"
*dispel magic*

[rewinn]

But, a level up or down?

When I grow up I want to choose elevator as adventurer class. Can I be an elevator please?

Elevators go up a level by fighting gravity.

Therefore fighting gravity gives them XPs.

[Ben Kenobi]

Hmm. What could the evil plan.

"Durkula was upset about spending a week".

Durkula was upset about not getting his meal ticket ride into Dwarf lands. He's got an airship and the means to travel and get himself to Kraagor's gate.

"Durkula plans to have a resurrection and then go, 'I'm ok'. "

This won't work out because he'll still be a vampire and will lose his meal ticket.

"Durkula plans to convert tinkertown to Hel."

Not when he's planning on flying out of there to get to the gate.

"Durkula plans to vamp Roy"

Again - loss of his meal ticket. Right now Roy's footing the bill of travel for Durkula, so it is very much in his interests to continue the arrangement.

"There are no high level clerics in Tinkertown".

The con he's trying to run is a basic, "what would Durkon do?" Being helpful when the help is not available will net him points for Roy, "being in character with him being Durkon".

It reinforces Roy's bias towards Durkon = Durkula. The risk is two-fold.

Durkula reminded Roy about it. This, I don't like on Durkula's part. You do not want to remind people of the con you're trying to pull. You want to wait for Roy himself to suggest it. Let Roy, let V, let anyone else on the party bring it up. And then helpfully agree to go along with it.

"If you're Durkon, why aren't you asking for a resurrection? Let's stake you, and res you and be done with it."

Sure. Got no problem. Let's see if we can find any clerics here.

It's... absolutely devastating if you have foreknowledge of stuff in Tinkertown and you know the ground better than the Order does.

There's a couple of other cons he could be trying to pull. A two man con would be exceptional - if he knows someone in Tinkertown who can resurrect him you can pull quite a few shenanigans. Say the other cleric goes and says, "I can resurrect him but he won't have his healing powers. He'll lose his intervening levels and will start at level one again. Naked as a jaybird.

THIS would be an amazing con, because it would eliminate the possibility of 'having Durkon fight with us'. and there's ZERO chances of it backfiring on you provided you've got the other cleric as a friend.

[rbetieh]

Obviously the elevator got enough experience for driving off the Order that it was able to take another level.

But what level is it? Class and level geekery won't be complete without this vital information....

[DaggerPen]

But what level is it? Class and level geekery won't be complete without this vital information....

Ground, at the moment.

[Ethelesin]

I may be oversimplifying things but... I think Durkula here's planning to get rid of Belkar. After all the oracle did say within a year.

[With a box]

I think this page is changed in actual book, because the new (BRitF) book joke will be outdated when the book 6 is on sale

[Kareasint]

Ground, at the moment.

Nice one!

[Jaxzan Proditor]

I think this page is changed in actual book, because the new (BRitF) book joke will be outdated when the book 6 is on sale

Probably not. It won't be relevant anymore, sure, but to be honest it loses its relevance pretty quickly anyways (even it even had it). It's more of a joke, and to readers of Book 6 it will be a call back to this time period.

[kierthos]

Admittedly, I could be wrong, but my understanding of the OotS world vampirism is that if Durkula vamp'd a gnome cleric, wouldn't whatever the evil gnome deity of death is create the vampiric spirit inside the new gnomepire?

I mean, yeah, that might still be Hel. They're in the North, and there's been nothing said either way about whether the gnomes of the North worship the same gods as the dwarfs of the North. But.... the only times (outside of Snarl-exposition flashbacks) that the various Gods have really been explicitly mentioned is when a clerical character does it. The gnomes could worship the same Norse-based pantheon, or they could have their own specific pantheon. Or they could all be atheists. (Would it even be possible for an atheist in the OotS setting to become a vampire?)

Do we even know what (if any) gods the rest of the party follow?

[Great equalizer]

Do we even know what (if any) gods the rest of the party follow?

V follows elven god of knowledge. Elan follows Banjo. I think the rest don't follow anyone in particular.