OOTS #1104 - The Discussion Thread

[Rogar Demonblud]

V would've had three 8th spells. One of which must be an Evocation spell because of specialization.

If V is casting a second Mind Blank, the Evocation is the one lost to level drain.

[Sebastian]

And next we find that Elan learned "mass cure moderate wounds" and was just waiting the most dramatically appropriate moment to reveal it.

"yeah, I honestly don't know why I'm even surprised"

which make sense, because if Elan have at least 22 in Charisma (probable) he have a bonus slot at 6th level, and I don't think we have ever seen him using a 6th level spell, and considering his new role as party healer MCMW is perfectly logical choice (even by Elan's standard).

And 2d8 + 16 damage can fry a good number of spawn.

[schmunzel]

"I understand. Mind Blank"

I'm questioning if V even actually cast it. We know s/he got a level drain which might have sapped the highest level spell.

V also certainly seemed nonplussed about Mass Fire Resist.

Can't wait to see what they do to get out of this mess.

What gets me is the "I understand"
Its the same sentence Roy used to the Xykon is feeling chilly today uttered by V. -> http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0928.html

So yes I think that they (hopefully) will surprise us next strip or so ...

PLUS I still think Mind blank will be used for something else.
Screw the giant's remarks about me fitting my assumptions to his text and not vice versa!!

/me stomps foot

PS dammit (s)he really cast a spell with purple aura - no less ... :(

[Dr.Gunsforhands]

What a false sense of confidence having walls gives you. I feel like this is also a bit of an indirect commentary on playgroups often strategizing the hell out of things while right next to their enemies.

Right? It seems silly, but I've have tabletop combat sessions that go exactly like this. I love this comic.

[Caractacus]

What gets me is the "I understand"
Its the same sentence Roy used to the Xykon is feeling chilly today uttered by V. -> http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0928.html

I think I understood that once - but now I've forgotten what I thought it meant. Hell freezing over?

So yes I think that they (hopefully) will surprise us next strip or so ...

I think that you're right and that he cast a silent spell of some sort and just said Mind Blank. Thus his 8th level spell is still available.

PLUS I still think Mind blank will be used for something else.

Not sure if it will be if he's saving the 8th level one for later. It would be v. (pun intended) anticlimactic to break out a surprise.... 'Mind Blank' Wooo...

But, you know, I've been wrong before.
A lot.
I'm starting to recognise the signs.
It's when I post. Or speak. Or write something somewhere. Or think my wife's birthday is tomorrow.

[Anarion]

I'm hoping this leads into something interesting, since they're systematically dismissing or countering some of the more obvious strategies that the Order might employ.

[schmunzel]

I think I understood that once - but now I've forgotten what I thought it meant. Hell freezing over?



I think that you're right and that he cast a silent spell of some sort and just said Mind Blank. Thus his 8th level spell is still available.


Not sure if it will be if he's saving the 8th level one for later. It would be v. (pun intended) anticlimactic to break out a surprise.... 'Mind Blank' Wooo...

But, you know, I've been wrong before.
A lot.
I'm starting to recognise the signs.
It's when I post. Or speak. Or write something somewhere. Or think my wife's birthday is tomorrow.

stop taunting me with your silly common sense.
As if reason would have any hold on these forums

apart from that silence would have prevented them some headache ...
sch

[TheTeaMustFlow]

Alternative Title: "In Which We Learn of the Importance of Rary's Telepathic Bond" .

[Caractacus]

stop taunting me with your silly common sense.
As if reason would have any hold on these forums
sch

Ah yes. My common sense.
Wait, what?
I'm calling my wife over; I want her to read this.
*so proud*

[are]

I think I understood that once - but now I've forgotten what I thought it meant. Hell freezing over?

It meant that the order's primary target (Xykon) should be the guy wearing the scarf (is feeling chilly today).


Anyone else wonder what information could have been conveyed by "The cat stopped licking itself?"

[schmunzel]

It meant that the order's primary target (Xykon) should be the guy wearing the scarf (is feeling chilly today).


Anyone else wonder what information could have been conveyed by "The cat stopped licking itself?"

V probably was simply stating a fact :(

I definitively can connect to that
prioritizing is sometimes exceedingly difficult

sch

[Ruck]

1) He was the last one they drank, not necessarily the last to fall. Without seeing the actual battle (if there even was one), we can't draw definitive conclusions.

How was he not the last to fall? Everyone else on panel is dead and Sandstone is desperately firing off a spell as he dies; in the next comic, which appears to continue immediately afterward, the vampires act as though all the clerics etc. are dead.

[Fyraltari]

So yes I think that they (hopefully) will surprise us next strip or so ...

PLUS I still think Mind blank will be used for something else.

Yeah Roy is smarter than this.

I think MB has been used for something else. They were waiting to know of much support the temple's staff could offer and the spell lasts a day : why not cast it before leaving the temple ?

[Psyren]

How was he not the last to fall? Everyone else on panel is dead and Sandstone is desperately firing off a spell as he dies; in the next comic, which appears to continue immediately afterward, the vampires act as though all the clerics etc. are dead.

Knock out the main threat, kill all his support, then swarm him as he comes to? Seems like it would minimize casualties to me, if they could pull it off.

[Spanish_Paladin]

Do YOU want to be the one to teach Elan and Belkar a dead tongue ?

I'd love to try :)

[Chei]

Yeah Roy is smarter than this.

I think MB has been used for something else. They were waiting to know of much support the temple's staff could offer and the spell lasts a day : why not cast it before leaving the temple ?

Mind Blank was cast on-panel just now, so no, it won't be used for something else, nor has it been used for something else.

Roy has been Mind Blanked. I actually somewhat agree with this, given that Durkon* has a personal beef with him.


Thoughts on Brother Sandstone: Did he get a chance to rest and regain spells? Mass Resist Fire doesn't exactly seem like the kind of spell one just prepares in the course of his regular duties, especially since it's such a choice fit for a vampire leading a group of spawn against a known wizard.

Secondly, it seems like all of the spawn in the area are answering to his orders, but it doesn't really seem like he could have turned any of them himself. It kind of seems like this one might be free-willed, or granted enough leeway/authority to plan that it's essentially the same.

[Fyraltari]

I'd love to try :)

Good luck to you, ropes and knots manuals : door on the right, armor and anti-depressants : door on the left.

Mind Blank was cast on-panel just now, so no, it won't be used for something else, nor has it been used for something else.

Roy has been Mind Blanked. I actually somewhat agree with this, given that Durkon* has a personal beef with him.


Thoughts on Brother Sandstone: Did he get a chance to rest and regain spells? Mass Resist Fire doesn't exactly seem like the kind of spell one just prepares in the course of his regular duties, especially since it's such a choice fit for a vampire leading a group of spawn against a known wizard.

Secondly, it seems like all of the spawn in the area are answering to his orders, but it doesn't really seem like he could have turned any of them himself. It kind of seems like this one might be free-willed, or granted enough leeway/authority to plan that it's essentially the same.

See above for forumers discussing the possibility of casting something while stating something else. Though if whatever they do to get out of this does not involve V having casted something secretely here I will accept that Roy has just been MB'd.

The vampires attacked before dusk, since vampires clerics of Hel pray for spells at dusk I'd say Fangstone has all of his spells slots (except the one he just used) filled and ready for action.

Brother Sandstone seemed to be the highest-level fighter / highest authority present here so the Creature Preacher would naturally make him leader of this squad.

[Grey_Wolf_c]

Thoughts on Brother Sandstone: Did he get a chance to rest and regain spells? Mass Resist Fire doesn't exactly seem like the kind of spell one just prepares in the course of his regular duties, especially since it's such a choice fit for a vampire leading a group of spawn against a known wizard.

Mass resist energy is a logical spell for a priest with a bunch of weak acolytes all of whom have tasks outside in the snow. He probably used to cast a lot of mass resist cold.

GW

[Jasdoif]

See above for forumers discussing the possibility of casting something while stating something else.

The glaring complication I see there is that Roy's eyes are open, and the vampires outside the forcecage don't really have anything better to do than try dominating someone. If Vaarsuvius did cast a spell without a verbal component (either natively or via Silent Spell) while saying "mind blank", it's either a bad horrible horribad risk or some other effect that prevents domination. And if Vaarsuvius has another effect that prevents domination, why was it significant who got the second mind blank earlier?

[Dr.Zero]

Alternative Title: "In Which We Learn of the Importance of Rary's Telepathic Bond" .

Or just to group around in a tight circle and whisper.

Edit: oh, right I forgot: vampires, with that insane +8 bonus on listen.

[8BitNinja]

Only in the world of D&D is "a little bit of accidental friendly fire" acceptable and no one minds getting shot in the butt a few times.

[danielxcutter]

And next we find that Elan learned "mass cure moderate wounds" and was just waiting the most dramatically appropriate moment to reveal it.

"yeah, I honestly don't know why I'm even surprised"

which make sense, because if Elan have at least 22 in Charisma (probable) he have a bonus slot at 6th level, and I don't think we have ever seen him using a 6th level spell, and considering his new role as party healer MCMW is perfectly logical choice (even by Elan's standard).

And 2d8 + 16 damage can fry a good number of spawn.

We don't know if Elan is high enough level yet. We do know that he can cast Mass Cure Light Wounds - which is 1d8+CL. As vampire spawn have 26 hit points on average, that might not be enough on it's own... if V's Quickened Fireball manages to deal some damage to the spawn, maybe Elan's spell could finish them off.

[Lord Of Mantas]

As we've seen in the past, this isn't the first time Roy's been far too cocky about announcing his plans out in the open - a key example being the part where he dismissively talked about how they were only telling half-truths to Shojo about pursuing a known associate of Xykon when they went hunting for Julia in front of Shojo's wizard. I will say that it's nice to see reality finally set in for Roy for once. Now all we have to do contrive a scene where he directly finds out about the risks of not listening to NPCs and we're set.

[MaverickMopete]

"I still get to make Listen checks when I'm three feet away, you know."

Roy should have remembered that.

[Lord Of Mantas]

Ah, yes, another good one. I'd forgotten about that.

[Chei]

See above for forumers discussing the possibility of casting something while stating something else.

A possibility that defies the entire rest of the page (like Roy opening his eyes and taking for granted that he has Mind Blank on when determining the rest of their tactics).

I guess it's my bad for forgetting that if the spell being cast on-panel isn't concrete, me stating the obvious isn't either.

[Wildroses]

I was laughing so hard at this comic my grandmother got worried. The arrogance of heroes assuming the foes right in front of them can't hear what they are saying never gets old. In fact I've really enjoyed the last three comics a lot. I'll be curious to see how they get out of this one in time.

[Chei]

I was laughing so hard at this comic my grandmother got worried. The arrogance of heroes assuming the foes right in front of them can't hear what they are saying never gets old. In fact I've really enjoyed the last three comics a lot. I'll be curious to see how they get out of this one in time.

Yeah, this has been a pretty engaging setup. Should be a good payoff.

[Peelee]

A possibility that defies the entire rest of the page (like Roy opening his eyes and taking for granted that he has Mind Blank on when determining the rest of their tactics).

You're missing the argument being presented. Assume Mind Blank was not cast, and a separate spell with either no verbal component or a Silent spell was cast instead, while Back simply stated "Mind Blank." The vampires now take for granted that Roy has Mind Blank, and wouldn't waste their time trying to dominate him, thus saving V his Mind Blank spell and spell slot.

Not saying I agree or disagree with it, but Roy opening his eyes is not proof one way or the other against this argument.

[MrCharlie]

Well, two things.

First, Roy has a decent enough Will that, even if Mind Blank wasn't actually cast, he's not liable to blow the errant check before closing his eyes again. A coordinated volley of saves might work, but not the one or two he's liable to be hit with by curious vampires.

Second, we've already had foreshadowing that people don't just have to announce what they're doing, at various times, throughout the comic. Comedic ones, but still.

Third, Roy was cut off when saying "when you drop the cage, cast it on...", but casting Fireball on someone doesn't make sense, given that the radius is such that it will absolutely hit everyone in the entire combat.

So it's entirely plausible that he was faking out the bad guys then.