OOTS #1109 - The Discussion Thread

[danielxcutter]

Hmm... We know that Mass Death Ward is unique to Durkon, but the standard version is still a thing. That plus a Restoration for V should help... And as you guys have pointed out, Hilgya is at least 13th level; more than enough to cast both if she prepared them.

[eilandesq]

Dumb question--since they know exactly where the vampires are and that the vote hasn't taken place yet, why don't they just dash off to where the meeting of the clan elders is being held and warn them exactly what is going on? We know that the vampires used the teleport orb to get there in the first place, so the only way they'd have to get to the meeting place would be misting or walking. Dvalin is apparently a dim bulb, but presumably if he was warned that such an attack was coming, he'd be quite capable of blasting Durkula and Company into oblivion, or simply delaying the vote while the threat existed.

[JustinKase]

Would a Death Ward 'heal' undead in the same way other negative energy spells do?

[brian 333]

The lawful demigod of a lawful society won't have time for lawyers? I would think he's already one of the best lawyers in the multiverse.

He is also a demigod. He would know the hearts of his followers before even asking their opinions, and if the two don't match he would have the power to discover why.

I may be off base because I can only guess what dwarven law could be, but mortals don't fool demigods very often. They can see right through mortals. Dvalin's high priest may not even consult his god before voting. Who knows at this point besides Rich?

But I don't buy the idea that Dvalin would be bound by a vote that is a product of divine interference by another deity.

[Fish]

If they know the vampires are going to attack the elf first:

• disguise the members of the party using illusion so they choose the wrong "elf"
• watch the vampires attack the wrong person
• vampires realize their error and cast dispel
• instant dinosaur

[Fyraltari]

The lawful demigod of a lawful society won't have time for lawyers? I would think he's already one of the best lawyers in the multiverse.

He is also a demigod. He would know the hearts of his followers before even asking their opinions, and if the two don't match he would have the power to discover why.

I may be off base because I can only guess what dwarven law could be, but mortals don't fool demigods very often. They can see right through mortals. Dvalin's high priest may not even consult his god before voting. Who knows at this point besides Rich?

But I don't buy the idea that Dvalin would be bound by a vote that is a product of divine interference by another deity.

What lawyer are you talking about? He asks them, they say "yes" he votes yes boom goes the world that's the plan.

Dvalin's high priest has no authority over anything, he serves as a glorified phone nothing more.

Dvalin is bound by nothing but what he decides binds him even Thor said none of this was necessary, so again to bad you are not Dvalin.

And I don't see why Dvalin would bother reading the mind of the Elders when he (thinks) he can just ask them their vote.

Hel knows Dvalin a thousand time better than any reader, if she says that this plan can work then the smart money says this plan can work.

[Rinazina]

Happy new year, Forum!

I guess I know the answer, but nobody said "Sending has 10 minutes casting time", I want to be that gnoll.

[elros]

I think sending has set up more punch lines than any other spell in this comic, right?

[Kish]

I'm surprised there is no discussion of this yet. It seems to lend weight to the theory that she's Chaotic Neutral, not Chaotic Evil.

No, it just lends weight to the theoryuncontested fact that she's Chaotic. There's no advantage to using moral-alignment water instead of ethical-alignment water.

[BLAHMASTER]

I'm still confused about the title. Spy Bowl is the bowl in the comic. Great. What am I missing?? This was already brought up, but I still don't get it.

[eilandesq]

I'm still confused about the title. Spy Bowl is the bowl in the comic. Great. What am I missing?? This was already brought up, but I still don't get it.

Look at the drawings closely--particularly the top row. A bowl is literally being used to cast the Greater Scrying spell and spy on Durkula and company.

[Rinazina]

I'm still confused about the title. Spy Bowl is the bowl in the comic. Great. What am I missing?? This was already brought up, but I still don't get it.

I guess: Bowl can recall the bowl of water used. and Bowl is also the suffix of some kind of "very expected match" (i.e. http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/cleganebowl ), in this case, a spying match

[LtPowers]

As to his animal handling skills and Bloodfeast, my scan of the SRD finds that if Bloodfeast is a T Rex, he's got too many HP to trigger the symbol (as the usual amounts is 180). I thought he was a allosaurus, but I did not find that dinosaur type in the SRD.

Bloodfeast has been baleful polymorphed into a lizard. I believe that changes his creature type to something other than a 150-HP dinosaur.


Powers &8^]

[BLAHMASTER]

Yeah, I see that. Is there a joke somewhere in there though?
Edit:
Ok, like the super bowl or rose bowl? Ok, the sending doesn't seem like much of a spying move to me, but ok. Thanks!

[Lord Torath]

I'm still confused about the title. Spy Bowl is the bowl in the comic. Great. What am I missing?? This was already brought up, but I still don't get it.

Compare with the name of the remote-viewing tool, the Spy-glass.

[BLAHMASTER]

Ah, there we go, that's probably it. The comic is better than the title :p

[Lord Torath]

Ah, there we go, that's probably it. The comic is better than the title :p

Eh, they can't all be winners.

[Shining Wrath]

Would a summoned creature work? does Roy still have his bag of tricks?

Depends upon the trigger chosen by Durkula, but probably yes. And it'd be a wonderful throwback to earlier strips if the Bag of Tricks proved to be essential.

I don't disagree but he is sending the Order a message. That could give him some level of predication/control over what the Order does depending on the contents.

That's got to be his plan, but he could not have planned on them scrying him just before he sent the message without some serious causality issues.

Does Hilgya's spell give us any hint about her class level?

I wonder why Durkon never used a scrying spell like that. Avoiding plot spoilers, perhaps, but still...

At least 13.

I'm surprised there is no discussion of this yet. It seems to lend weight to the theory that she's Chaotic Neutral, not Chaotic Evil.

I did mention it in my first post.

If they know the vampires are going to attack the elf first:

• disguise the members of the party using illusion so they choose the wrong "elf"
• watch the vampires attack the wrong person
• vampires realize their error and cast dispel
• instant dinosaur

I like how you think.

Now, a question I haven't seen posed: why a Symbol of death on the ceiling?

[Chei]

V is referring to Elan only as "the bard". That betrays surprisingly little respect, or does it?

V has a habit of referring to people by their last name. Elan's last name hasn't been revealed, so he can't be referred to like Miss Starshine, Sir Greenhilt, or Master Thundershield. He ends up getting lumped in with 'the halfling', which does indeed seem disrespectful, given that V knows Belkar's last name.

[Grey_Wolf_c]

Now, a question I haven't seen posed: why a Symbol of death on the ceiling?

Because, it has been suggested, it allows the vampires to set it off whenever they want by touching it.

GW

[Fyraltari]

Now, a question I haven't seen posed: why a Symbol of death on the ceiling?

If it can be activated just by someone being near (instead of actually touching it) It's better on the ceiling wheer fewer people would think to look.

[eilandesq]

Hmmm. (reads SRD spell description again). If a target makes its Fortitude save vs. the symbol of death, are those HP still deducted from the 150 total, or not? IMO one could read it either way, though as a DM I'd rule in favor of "the HP are burned regardless of the save" interpretation if forced to make a choice.

[Vessyra]

I think that Greg/Durkula put the symbol of death of the ceiling because:

-Vampires start dropping down from the ceiling
-OotS look up, notices symbol
-Greg/Durkula bursts out laughing

Also, given the size of the dining hall, and the fact that the meat shields people with hit points go first, Greg/Durkula needs to wait for the weaker party members, such as Vaarsuvius, to enter before the trap is spotted and activated.

Also, Greg/Durkula is level 15 now?

[eilandesq]

I think that Greg/Durkula put the symbol of death of the ceiling because:

-Vampires start dropping down from the ceiling
-OotS look up, notices symbol
-Greg/Durkula bursts out laughing

Also, given the size of the dining hall, and the fact that the meat shields people with hit points go first, Greg/Durkula needs to wait for the weaker party members, such as Vaarsuvius, to enter before the trap is spotted and activated.

Also, Greg/Durkula is level 15 now?

It certainly wouldn't be shocking--consider how many XP normal player characters would have received for accomplishing what he has as the only high level character in his party. The main objection to it would be if Malack had drained levels from him before turning him, and it looked like he went out of the way to avoid that.

[Kish]

It certainly wouldn't be shocking--consider how many XP normal player characters would have received for accomplishing what he has as the only high level character in his party. The main objection to it would be if Malack had drained levels from him before turning him, and it looked like he went out of the way to avoid that.

There's no question about that; we know there weren't 24 hours (or 24 seconds) between Durkon's fight with Malack and Durkon dying, so Durkon may have had any number of negative levels but didn't lose any of his levels.

[Anarion]

I quite like the layout for this comic. Using the bowl for scrying with repeated cutbacks to everyone in the room gathered around near it gives a good sense of the action and a bit of suspense as each action from Durkon comes through.

[JumboWheat01]

Villain taunting isn't just a rule, it's a literary law.

[schmunzel]

25! 25 words! Ah ah ah ah ah ah!

That were 7.

Wait do numbers count? ... 9!

I wonder what spell Durkon casted. A shame V didnt see what was going on. Definitely foreshadowing for things to come.

I would go so far as to *assume* it could have been sending :)

sch

[Alcore]

My D&D days are long behind me, but are vampires immune to illusions or will some sort of illusion plan actually have a chance of succeeding?

Only if the illusions affect the mind. Most illusions (which is not to be confused with the illusion school of magic) tend to physically make something outside the mind. Unless it carries the plane of shadow they are quite not-real and mindless undead will never make the save to disprove them.

An entire room of vampires? 5% baseline chance of one making the save and providing the others a bonus to the check.

[Jay R]

V is referring to Elan only as "the bard". That betrays surprisingly little respect, or does it?

No, it shows unsurprisingly little respect. Vaarsuvius only respects Intelligence. And on the Intelligence scale, Elan ranks somewhere between Brussels sprouts and Gilligan.

[He has many noble and transformative virtues. Intelligence is not one of them.]