Things You Never Noticed V: Your Familiar

[Kish]

And he is. He's the bodyguard of the High Priest of Hel, officially. It's the strongest religious tie he has.

[SirKazum]

I just realized that at least one high priest considers Roy to be part of the Church of Hel.

That is, in fact, the only reason why he's allowed to beat up Durkula on Godsmoot grounds. Because they're (officially) in the same church.

[EMCQ]

I only just realised roy is talking about his father and his brother in strip #944. Propably.

[ti'esar]

I actually specifically discussed these guys in the Character Appearances thread, but I never noticed this before: two of the people involved in the "brunchroom brawl" with Roy and Belkar are a human and lizardfolk Empire of Blood soldier. But when we first see the room in 728, the lizardfolk the human soldier is sitting with is not an EoB soldier, but rather what appears to be a palette swap of one of the "frat brother adventurers" from comic 710. Looks like an art mistake, and not one that was corrected in the print edition either, since that's where I first noticed it.

[goodpeople25]

I actually specifically discussed these guys in the Character Appearances thread, but I never noticed this before: two of the people involved in the "brunchroom brawl" with Roy and Belkar are a human and lizardfolk Empire of Blood soldier. But when we first see the room in 728, the lizardfolk the human soldier is sitting with is not an EoB soldier, but rather what appears to be a palette swap of one of the "frat brother adventurers" from comic 710. Looks like an art mistake, and not one that was corrected in the print edition either, since that's where I first noticed it.

it is likely it is just an Art mistake/oversight but that lizard folk was not in panel for #729 and you also don't see the whole table in #728 so i think it's possible that the 728 lizard folk is a different one from the 730 on one. Maybe he went outside for something so he wasn't there, that might even be the reason the fuzz knew there was a brawl, but this is major reaching i know. Probably just something that slip pasted.

[Rodin]

it is likely it is just an Art mistake/oversight but that lizard folk was not in panel for #729 and you also don't see the whole table in #728 so i think it's possible that the 728 lizard folk is a different one from the 730 on one. Maybe he went outside for something so he wasn't there, that might even be the reason the fuzz knew there was a brawl, but this is major reaching i know. Probably just something that slip pasted.

Actually, if you look in 730 you can see the lizardfolk getting hit in the face by a drink...and he doesn't have his helmet on. He actually puts the helmet on before going into the brawl.

His shirt does change color between the two strips though.

[Grey Watcher]

Actually, if you look in 730 you can see the lizardfolk getting hit in the face by a drink...and he doesn't have his helmet on. He actually puts the helmet on before going into the brawl.

His shirt does change color between the two strips though.

That's how I read it, yes. It looks like it's a coloring error in that one panel (and possibly missing shoulderpad spikes, hard to tell at this magnification).

[AGD]

I just noticed the double meaning of the title. At first, I thought it was just meant in general, because people don't notice their familiar, but now I noticed, that it directly adresses Vaarsuvius, because V is often called V and V never noticed Vs Familiar.

[Mordae]

I just noticed the double meaning of the title. At first, I thought it was just meant in general, because people don't notice their familiar, but now I noticed, that it directly adresses Vaarsuvius, because V is often called V and V never noticed Vs Familiar.

Take a bow, Durkoala!

[Peelee]

I just noticed the double meaning of the title. At first, I thought it was just meant in general, because people don't notice their familiar, but now I noticed, that it directly adresses Vaarsuvius, because V is often called V and V never noticed Vs Familiar.

Ya know, I didn't get the joke in-comic until I read about it in the book commentary. I dunno if it's because I didn't play D&D until I was in my early twenties, or because my first familiar was a pseudodragon I paid a feat for, or if I just play differently than most others but I knew exactly where that familiar was and what he was doing all the damn time. Always made sure to get his actions in on every battle, and roleplayed the hell out of him too, I think.

[Keltest]

Ya know, I didn't get the joke in-comic until I read about it in the book commentary. I dunno if it's because I didn't play D&D until I was in my early twenties, or because my first familiar was a pseudodragon I paid a feat for, or if I just play differently than most others but I knew exactly where that familiar was and what he was doing all the damn time. Always made sure to get his actions in on every battle, and roleplayed the hell out of him too, I think.

My party was the same way. Oddly enough, it was also a pseudodragon. That may have had something to do with it though, because a raven has significantly less obvious utility beyond the scope of the statistical benefits it grants than a Pseudodragon.

They named it Roger.

[littlebum2002]

Ya know, I didn't get the joke in-comic until I read about it in the book commentary. I dunno if it's because I didn't play D&D until I was in my early twenties, or because my first familiar was a pseudodragon I paid a feat for, or if I just play differently than most others but I knew exactly where that familiar was and what he was doing all the damn time. Always made sure to get his actions in on every battle, and roleplayed the hell out of him too, I think.

I don't play wizards too often (I prefer to play melee or gish characters or, if I have to be a caster, a spontaneous caster). However, once I had a character concept in which ONLY a wizard fit her concept, so I played my first and only wizard (a gnome illusionist, of course).

She literally had a pocket sewn into her cloak where her familiar sat until I needed/remembered it, then viola! Pulled it out, used it, then promptly forgot about it again.

So yeah I totally got the joke.

[Vinyadan]

That is, in fact, the only reason why he's allowed to beat up Durkula on Godsmoot grounds. Because they're (officially) in the same church.

When things are cleared up, it will speak very ill for outsourcing of security at clerical congresses.

[ti'esar]

That's how I read it, yes. It looks like it's a coloring error in that one panel (and possibly missing shoulderpad spikes, hard to tell at this magnification).

It's definitely a different armor design, not just a wrong color.

[Keltest]

It's definitely a different armor design, not just a wrong color.

Perhaps he just puts on his official armor over whatever sort of under padding he is currently wearing between strips?

[Mordae]

Never noticed that when Sabine is playtesting the grappling rules with Elan's tongue, she has both legs and her tail wrapped around him. Elan is really good at what he does.

[Quild]

It seems that Disruption (Disrupting Weapon) is an important part of Roy's plan to defeat Xykon. However Durkon needs to be level 9 to cast that and reached level 9 in page 12.

Means that the Order had planned to earn some xp in the dungeon before facing Xykon!

I've always been surprised that they don't use the spell again when Roy gets his second fight against Xykon. Did they figure that Xykon can't miss the will save? Can't he?

[ti'esar]

Perhaps they thought the starmetal in the sword superseded the need for it?

[Quebbster]

It seems that Disruption (Disrupting Weapon) is an important part of Roy's plan to defeat Xykon. However Durkon needs to be level 9 to cast that and reached level 9 in page 12.

Means that the Order had planned to earn some xp in the dungeon before facing Xykon!

I vaguely recall them coming up with the Disruption plan at some point in the Dungeon of Dorukan, likely after Durkon had leveled up. Can't give an exact strip though.

I've always been surprised that they don't use the spell again when Roy gets his second fight against Xykon. Did they figure that Xykon can't miss the will save? Can't he?

I don't know what the duration of Disruption is, but they didn't expect to face Xykon as soon as they did. After all, until Haley saw through the decoy bluff they were expecting to have to go out and face him on the battlefield... then he was right above their heads, literally.

[littlebum2002]

It seems that Disruption (Disrupting Weapon) is an important part of Roy's plan to defeat Xykon. However Durkon needs to be level 9 to cast that and reached level 9 in page 12.

Means that the Order had planned to earn some xp in the dungeon before facing Xykon!

I've always been surprised that they don't use the spell again when Roy gets his second fight against Xykon. Did they figure that Xykon can't miss the will save? Can't he?

You're right, he can't. He doesn't even need to make a save, since his HP is higher than DUrkon's caster level. It fails automatically.

There has been a lot of speculation that Rich didn't originally intend for Xykon to be epic level, and both the fact that he was easily defeated and that they expected Disrupting Weapon to work are used to support this theory

I vaguely recall them coming up with the Disruption plan at some point in the Dungeon of Dorukan, likely after Durkon had leveled up. Can't give an exact strip though.

Good memory! It was in Strip 94

[Quebbster]

Crystal's hand goes straight through Bozzok's chest in her first attack.
No wonder he had Xed eyes after that.

[goodpeople25]

You're right, he can't. He doesn't even need to make a save, since his HP is higher than DUrkon's caster level. It fails automatically.

There has been a lot of speculation that Rich didn't originally intend for Xykon to be epic level, and both the fact that he was easily defeated and that they expected Disrupting Weapon to work are used to support this theory

I'm not the best at the underlying rules of D&D but wouldn't Xykon need to be at least level 11 in order to be a Lich? Or would a caster level rasing item work for Lichdom requirements? And then wouldn't durkon need to raise his caster level for it to work? Or am i way off?

[ti'esar]

Epic level is 21 and higher. Xykon could easily be a lich without being epic.

[SirKazum]

But it would still be pointless to try Disrupting Weapon on a lich if the cleric's level is 9, since liches have at least 11 HD... isn't that the point?

[Peelee]

Durkon and Roy clearly failed their knowledge rolls on lich info.

[Vinyadan]

Well, Durky's Knowledge: Religion wasn't that good back then.

[Rogar Demonblud]

It isn't that good now.

[goodpeople25]

But it would still be pointless to try Disrupting Weapon on a lich if the cleric's level is 9, since liches have at least 11 HD... isn't that the point?

Yeah that was my point not that xykon was epic at that point but that distruping weapon still wouldn't have worked due to the min level you need to be a lich. And i was just asking if my understanding was correct.

[Rodin]

Of course, Durkon and Roy's lack of knowledge about Liches doesn't excuse the fact that Xykon appeared to think it was a threat.

Then again, maybe Xykon just decided to troll Roy by breaking his weapon, even though it wouldn't have been able to harm him anyway. It'd certainly be in character.

[Syldar]

Of course, Durkon and Roy's lack of knowledge about Liches doesn't excuse the fact that Xykon appeared to think it was a threat.

Then again, maybe Xykon just decided to troll Roy by breaking his weapon, even though it wouldn't have been able to harm him anyway. It'd certainly be in character.

"Hm... this guy has a sword with a spell on it that he thinks will destroy me. I know it can't actually do that, but it'll be funny to break it just to mess with him."