OOTS #1297 - The Discussion Thread

[The Giant]

New comic is up.

[Ellye]

That Polar Ray must have taken quite a bit out of V...

I hope it doesn't count as two Polar Rays or V is in serious trouble.

[woweedd]

Hm..Negotiation may be on the table...

[brian 333]

Kudos to those who recognized that Calder was aware while trapped. I had thought otherwise. While that was not the intent, it was the result of the trap.

Mimi is a mimic, and very awesomely so on this page!

Now would be a good time for O-Chul to summon his Celestial Griffin mount. Oh. Wait. Time to think up Plan B.

[ozmar]

{scrubbed}

Seriously, been following this comic for years. Love it! Hope it never ends, but also really looking forward to the ending. Kudos Rich on a wonderful, expansive, detailed and well-told story!

Now to go back and see where they dropped the paladins...

-Ozmar the Excited

[Beni-Kujaku]

We know he does not know how much time has passed. My guess (for maximum drama) was that the unconscious part of the spell continuously recasted itself, and thus that Calder could roll for Spell Resistance each time, being sometimes awake and sometimes not, but each time he wakes up he has hope he can be free this time, but instead realizes once again that he is still paralyzed.

[remetagross]

Polar Ray is a nasty one, I think V might have been clearly taken out there.

I wonder which spell could have trapped Calder. Seems like the Microcosm psychic power somewhat.

[Edward15]

Alright, so it wasn't Seirini's idea. She had no choice but to keep the dragon prisoner in there. Still, just how many poor decisions did Soon Kim make in his life? The guy was practically the living embodiment of honor before reason.

Also, am I to take those last few panels to mean Seirini left the paladins behind on purpose? Why do I feel like her refusal to trust them is going to come back and bite her?

[Lord Torath]

Just gotta say I am really loving Mimi!

Also, wouldn't it be nice to have a couple of paladins with additional healing (and just down-right tons of hit points for soaking damage) about now?

Thanks, Rich!

[Psyren]

See V, if you had transitioned to 5e you'd have Absorb Elements

(The Paladins are close enough to get XP right? Because they could really use some. Minrah might lap them at this point!)

[Lumix19]

Sucks to have spell resistance, I guess!

Hilarious. I love how spell resistance is such a recurring issue for everyone.

[Timy]

Does mass resist fire should have prevented them to be "that" burned ?

[Mic_128]

Also, am I to take those last few panels to mean Seirini left the paladins behind on purpose?

There's no way it was intentional. Hell, she left her own staff when she booked it, and left the entire Order behind her. It was just bad luck that in everyone's haste the Paladin's got left behind. This is the first time that they've really been a part of the party, so not surprising they got forgotten.

[Psyren]

Does mass resist fire should have prevented them to be "that" burned ?

In 3.5e, energy resistance shaves off a flat amount of the incoming damage rather than being a percentage like it is in 5e. So its effectiveness really depends on how much damage Calder's breath weapon deals (but it's better than nothing regardless.)

In Serini's case, as an epic rogue she would have Evasion, so she must have failed her save in that panel (instead of flipping out of the way like Belkar did) which would mean a lot of incoming damage.

[Edward15]

There's no way it was intentional. Hell, she left her own staff when she booked it, and left the entire Order behind her. It was just bad luck that in everyone's haste the Paladin's got left behind. This is the first time that they've really been a part of the party, so not surprising they got forgotten.

Yeah, but Seirini flat out said to Calder that there were no paladins there to save him this time. That gives the impression she deliberately kept them out of it. No way she could forget they even existed.

[Tzardok]

Does mass resist fire should have prevented them to be "that" burned ?

Mass resist fire reduces received damage by 30 (at Durkon's caster level). Calder's breath weapon deals (assuming he's age category Old and not anything higher) 16d10 damage.

[Psyren]

I wonder which spell could have trapped Calder. Seems like the Microcosm psychic power somewhat.

Some variation of Binding would be my guess.

[137beth]

I guess Serini hasn't had a bard to remind her of cutaway panels for a long time.

[danielxcutter]

So Serini did want to just kill him and didn't actually intend for Calder to be awake.

I mean that still probably counts as serious incompetence and arguably doesn't really matter for Calder whether or not he was Evil, but doing that on purpose would have been incredibly horrible so it's good to have confirmation she didn't.

I guess Serini hasn't had a bard to remind her of cutaway panels for a long time.

She never did. The Order of the Scribble were a paladin, a druid, a wizard, a rogue, a barbarian, and a ranger/sorcerer multiclass, so unless one of them had Leadership...

[Unoriginal]

Fantastic page!

The art, the fight, the discussion, the punchline!

[Mic_128]

Yeah, but Seirini flat out said to Calder that there were no paladins there to save him this time. That gives the impression she deliberately kept them out of it.

Or 1) She realised they weren't around. There was nothing deliberate that she did to ensure they weren't around. If there was, please point it out.

No way she could forget they even existed.

2) Or yes, she forgot they were with them. If Roy can fail to realise that 2 clerics - one of whom was his best friend - were missing on a small outcropping, then it's entirely within the realm of possibility that the old lady forgot about the two recent arrivals to the group when focused entirely on protecting the only living family she has.

Again, she also forgot her staff in the rush.

[Maat Mons]

It's been so long since I played a Core-only game, I'd forgotten Paladins in such games have to choose between Wings of Flying, a Cloak of Resistance, and a Cloak of Charisma.

[danielxcutter]

Eh, you can get the first two effects from friendly casters. IIRC the Guard had clerics as well.

[Belsirk]

Amazing comic, but I have one simple question: How Belkar recovered his dagger at panel #6?


p.s. Poor paladins, but then... they are protecting again the free access to one of the gates...

[danielxcutter]

Amazing comic, but I have one simple question: How Belkar recovered his dagger at panel #6?


p.s. Poor paladins, but then... they are protecting again the free access to one of the gates...

He just has a bunch of daggers.

[Peelee]

See V, if you had transitioned to 5e you'd have Absorb Elements

Sure, but their Int would also be capped at 20.

[GreatWyrmGold]

That's one way to deal with unruly paladins, I guess. Pretty thorough.

I wonder how they'll react to the corpse, though.

[Emperor Time]

It's a shame that the paladins were left behind since I am sure they could have contributed in the fight against Calder but it seems like Serini left them behind on purpose which is bound to hurt the party in this fight in the long run.

[Resileaf]

I like Calder's way of casting ray spells is with eye laser beams.

[Tubercular Ox]

I like Calder's way of casting ray spells is with eye laser beams.

Ocular Spell is a feat that exists. Also, Calder mentions getting rid of his cold weakness. And he might've dipped Mindbender. What has Calder done with his build?