OOTS #1163 - The Discussion Thread

[zimmerwald1915]

It's fine as long as you don't tell the elf.

The elf is both preoccupied and indifferent in any event.

Halfling-tossing, on the other hand. . .

[hamishspence]

in D&D, to be evil you need to be at least willing to murder innocents for personal gain.

There's a certain amount of flexibility on this, depending on the setting and the ruleset. Some evil characters may be only willing to commit petty evil - but the fact that they commit petty evil a lot and good, hardly ever, makes them evil-aligned.

[Ruck]

So, after Rich stole from

Spoiler

Show

Endgame

he is now copying from

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game of thrones

Is this a serious post?

I can’t believe I am the first one to speculate that’s durkon’s father. Yes I know he is dead, didn’t stop soon.

Guess it's only me who went straight to Tarquin in disguise?

Yes, I think it's only you. (in each case)

Half-Celestial Dwarf?

So Durkon is related to Haley, too?

[Riftwolf]

-Some woman from some Riddick movie

*spits out tea*
That wasn't just 'some woman' that was Dame Judy Dench show some friggin respect!

[Necris Omega]

"Giant planar worm, eh? I'll see your convenient Gate spell and raise you an even convenienter epic(ish) level super distant relative your vampire daddy would never have had any reason whatsoever to know about/prepare you for!"

I was worried that Durkon's family would be all low level fodder barely fit for annoying the Vampires to any meaningful extent. This? This is good. This works.

Familia ex machina? I don't care. I like it. I don't mind this one bit. The Order's taking on WORLD ENDING threats at this point -breaking out the flasher powers and characters is entirely appropriate.

[Borris]

I hope this was a one-shot character. To me, it'd make the joke even better. To Durkon, it's just yet another member of an impressive extended family. Durkon is more surprised that his cousin's brother-in-law's niece broke up with Thad than by whoever the newcomer may be.

[deimos3428]

I hope this was a one-shot character. To me, it'd make the joke even better. To Durkon, it's just yet another member of an impressive extended family. Durkon is more surprised that his cousin's brother-in-law's niece broke up with Thad than by whoever the newcomer may be.

I think the whole point of the character is to point out that there are high level NPCs out there that may not be directly tied to this plot. The Order may be trying to save this threat to the world, but they're not the only high level characters out there. It also had a certain "Captain Marvel was busy" rationalization to it.

[t209]

So reference to Space Balls' "I am your (distant relative)"?

[Fyraltari]

Have we seen the redhead soldier before? She looks familiar somehow. I wonder how many soldiers Logann could muster on such short notice and wether he thought of notifying his hierarchy.

[Ironsmith]

Excuse me, Mister Burlew? I think you got some Skyrim in your Dungeons and Dragons; specifically, a One-Handed Heavy Armor warrior (with a side serving of Conjuration) using a Bound Sword to deliver a cinematic kill.

Really says something about how extensive Durkon's family tree is, though.

[Kareasint]

I am not even going to try to guess what he is. That was an awesome move though.

[hamishspence]

Really says something about how extensive Durkon's family tree is, though.

I'm guessing that "Cousin" can refer to one of the offspring of Durkon's "uncles" and "aunts" (the people Sigdi saved) rather than a cousin by blood.

[Ironsmith]

I'm guessing that "Cousin" can refer to one of the offspring of Durkon's "uncles" and "aunts" (the people Sigdi saved) rather than a cousin by blood.

Well, yeah. What I was referring to is that he's apparently got family from another game system in another medium, though. In a setting where all the dwarves have disappeared, no less!

[Squire Doodad]

So reference to Space Balls' "I am your (distant relative)"?

Consarnabit, I was just about to post this.

My family has basically a tradition vis a vis watching Spaceballs with "new family members" (either fiances or really close friends, plus one or two more) for several reasons, so this strip hit overly close home. In a nice way.

It's a reference to this scene from Spaceballs, parodying The Empire Strikes Back:

Dark Helmet: Before you die, there is something you should know about us, Lone Starr.
Lone Starr: What?
Dark Helmet: I am your father's brother's nephew's cousin's former roommate.
Lone Starr: [confused] What's that make us?
Dark Helmet: Absolutely nothing! Which is what you are about to become. Prepare to die.

Actually, I've thought about that, and assuming a two person family, that means that...
Lonestar's father's brother is Lonestar's uncle.
Lonestar's uncle's nephew is...Lonestar.
Lonestar's cousin is...Lonestar's cousin.
Lonestar's cousin's roommate in college is...Dark Helmet?
Either way, the point stands- either Lonestar's cousin's former roommate is Dark Helmet, or in a more complicated scenario with 3 or more family members, Lonestar himself is Dark Helmet's former roommate.

[MartianInvader]

I'm gonna hop on the "No justification whatsoever, but I think that's Durkon's Dad somehow" bandwagon.

[Fyraltari]

I'm guessing that "Cousin" can refer to one of the offspring of Durkon's "uncles" and "aunts" (the people Sigdi saved) rather than a cousin by blood.

Yes, it does.

[JumboWheat01]

I want to see this spiderweb of a family tree now. It can only be amazing.

[Werbaer]

I think the idea is that Durkon has a very large, very extended family (as he basically inherited the families of everyone that Sigdi sacrificed her fortune to Raise). . .

These five are the ones with no living family

[ManuelSacha]

I didn't think coup de tat or criticals affected elementals

Maybe it liked the previous leader of its country better!

Just kidding.
The term you're looking for is "coup de grâce".
A "coup d'état" is the overthrow of an existing government.

[RabidEel]

These five are the ones with no living family

But some of them have married and/or had kids since, right? Or could have, if it doesn't say they did?

[understatement]

So how would Spellsplinter work on a worm? Does Roy just chuck it up into the roof of its mouth, Harry-Potter-and-basilisk style?

Also, last panel: "I know what's it's like" probably should be either "what it's like" or "what's it like."

[danielxcutter]

Wow. Okay, that was cool.

As someone mentioned, these elementals are fairly low CR who just took a Flame Strike from a high-level Cleric to the face, so Mister Blueblade doesn't have to be that high level. Plus, if he's a psionic character(I currently headcanon Soulknife), there's the Psionic Weapon feat tree which adds extra damage to a single attack.

[Ruck]

So how would Spellsplinter work on a worm? Does Roy just chuck it up into the roof of its mouth, Harry-Potter-and-basilisk style?

Also, last panel: "I know what's it's like" probably should be either "what it's like" or "what's it like."

"what it's like," most likely.

[Fyraltari]

But some of them have married and/or had kids since, right? Or could have, if it doesn't say they did?

They did. Logann is the son of the only dwarf Sigdi rescued who doesn't have a name, the twins are Shirra's sons (presumably) and Durkon did perform that wedding.

[Sniccups]

Wow. Okay, that was cool.

As someone mentioned, these elementals are fairly low CR who just took a Flame Strike from a high-level Cleric to the face, so Mister Blueblade doesn't have to be that high level. Plus, if he's a psionic character(I currently headcanon Soulknife), there's the Psionic Weapon feat tree which adds extra damage to a single attack.

Going by the Summon Monster VII spell used to summon them, they are Large earth elementals, which are CR 5 and have an average of 68 HP. Considering that this is the same Flame Strike that killed Durkon yesterday, it likely could be taken out by a nonmagical weapon in one hit.

[hamishspence]

Considering that this is the same Flame Strike that killed Durkon yesterday, it likely could be taken out by a nonmagical weapon in one hit.

Raised creatures don't come back with full hit points - only as many hit points as they have hit dice:

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/raiseDead.htm

so Durkon would only have 14 hit points after being Raised the first time.

Still, Flame Strike at Hilgya's level is going to do a lot of damage. These elementals are likely to be low on HP.

[Sniccups]

Raised creatures don't come back with full hit points - only as many hit points as they have hit dice:

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/raiseDead.htm

so Durkon would only have 14 hit points after being Raised the first time.

Still, Flame Strike at Hilgya's level is going to do a lot of damage. These elementals are likely to be low on HP.

The first one was a resurrection, not a raise dead, in order to work on remains of undead. Resurrection gives you full hit points back.

[Peelee]

Raised creatures don't come back with full hit points - only as many hit points as they have hit dice:

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/raiseDead.htm

so Durkon would only have 14 hit points after being Raised the first time.

Still, Flame Strike at Hilgya's level is going to do a lot of damage. These elementals are likely to be low on HP.

Yeah, but Raise Dead doesn't work on vamped corpses. You're looking for Resurrection.

[hamishspence]

The first one was a resurrection, not a raise dead, in order to work on remains of undead. Resurrection gives you full hit points back.

Fair enough.

[Archeoaevis]

Okay, so we've seen a lot of ideas for who this guy is. But what if he was...

...the Monster in the Darkness?