Thread for this comic.
The old seems to have died. I am making new one, to ask a question due to my lack of 4e knowledge. Spoiled for anyone that hasn't read the current page.
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Does 4e follow the -10hp=dead and -9 through -1=bleeding to death rules. If so I believe Odivallus is dead.
There is little ghost effect but the math adds up. He was unconscious and bleeding to death. With the above rules that means he had, at most, -1hp. He was then healed for 10, putting at a max of 9 hp. The dragon fell on him for 22, putting him at a max of -13 hp.
My next question is then, can a level 2 or 3 character bring someone back from the dead in 4e? I doubt it, but just want to check.
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Avatar made by Omega.
78% of DM's started their first campaign in a tavern. If you're one of the 22% that didn't, copy and paste this into your signature.
No and no; 4e makes it relatively difficult to kill PCs via HP damage. The 'dying' threshold is from 0 to their negative bloodied value, or half of their maximum HP. Depending on Odivallus's Con score he should be able to go to.. I'd guess probably around -15? 'Bleeding to death' doesn't work the same way, either; instead of losing further HP, you begin making death saves- if you fail 3 of those before succeeding one or receiving treatment, you die. Generally this means character deaths either happen in multiples or they don't happen, because it's pretty easy to save a dying character.. so either monsters are being especially brutal and deliberately executing downed characters with further focus fire, everybody who could heal the downed characters also is down, or the downed people get picked up in routine post-battle care. Odivallus will fall in that third category- he's down, but has not even begun rolling those death saves, and there aren't any other monsters around to prevent the rest of his party from helping him.
(Exception to above: Characters who go down in the area of a continuing damage effect/monster's aura/other thing that contributes damage without requiring any particular focus or action. Those can eat downed characters quite efficiently.)
As for raising dead, being able to do it on a combat-relevant timeframe (ie, 1 standard action) is a very high-level thing. But out of combat ressing is fairly available; it's a relatively low-level and inexpensive ritual, IIRC. None of the party probably know how to do it (especially because Odivallus is the one most likely to have the requisite feat to do Rituals in the first place), but they could pretty readily afford to hire somebody else to do it.
Is anyone else at the point were there so sick of Ardon that not only would they out and out refuse to be playing with someone who was running a character like this, but there preparing to stop reading the comic unless something happens that's really bad for him and either forces him to change as a character or just die?
I am not sure I understand. We are suppose to hate Ardon. We are suppose to want something bad to happen to him, especially now that he has crossed the moral event horizon with the last page. That is the point. I personally hope that this causes Ell and Odivallus to feel they no longer owe Ardon anything and quit, taking Peanut with them of course.
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Avatar made by Omega.
78% of DM's started their first campaign in a tavern. If you're one of the 22% that didn't, copy and paste this into your signature.
This is the first time I've felt real hatred for Ardon, but I don't count that as a faux pas to the author. The fact that he can write a character whom I truly hate is something which many writers struggle with.
I trust whatever resolution we'll see will make sense to the story and the character's reactions will be appropriate.
I'm now actually hoping that the lawful stupid elf girl leader remains on the protagonist team rather than switching with Ardon again, and that Ardon becomes a recurring villain…...
I dunno. Honestly, I'd guess Ardon is bluffing. Yes, he's self-centered, amoral, greedy, obnoxious and an all around terrible person, but twice now he's shown some degree of genuine caring for his team. I find myself unable to hate him over this latest travesty, not that I'm at a lack for other reasons, because if he isn't bluffing than I'd consider it entirely out of character for him.
And although I fully expect him to get chewed out for this, a large part of the arc has been devoted to showing that he is a very efficient leader despite his glaring faults and in some ways because of them. I don't like him, but I'm not about to stop reading the strip cause of him either.
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Thanks to Dorian Soth for the avatar.
So this is another catch 22, while the terms of the bet have Ardon labelled as the 'better leader', Chandea showed some really solid leadership qualities by assessing the situation, listening to her team and making the right choice based on the risk.
I hope Ardon stays and not Chandea. Ardon is great, and has been a consistent source of amusement. Chandea is honestly pretty bland by comparison.
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If my text is blue, I'm being sarcastic. No, really. Don't bite my head off for saying the Fighter is way overpowered, or how Wizards need more spells per day to keep up.
Actually, Ardon's at the point were to me he feels like the authors Mary Sue who get's to do every bad thing the author ever had an impulse to do in or out of character in his life, and never, ever, ever get's stuck with meaningful consequences he can't wiggle his way out of, and who is constantly able to twist the wording of everything to his favor even if it was specifically written against him.
I actually know one two many people like that IRL, and as far as I'm concerned the human race would be that much better off if they should all have a heart attack.
And although I fully expect him to get chewed out for this, a large part of the arc has been devoted to showing that he is a very efficient leader despite his glaring faults and in some ways because of them. I don't like him, but I'm not about to stop reading the strip cause of him either.
Ardon might be a better strategist and a tactician (even that is debatable after today's comic), but he is certainly not a leader.
He is far more concerned about his own ego, and I just don't see why the other members of the team should follow his lead.
Forget about Chandra, what can Ardon offer that will be worth staying with him?
Ardon might be a better strategist and a tactician (even that is debatable after today's comic), but he is certainly not a leader.
He is far more concerned about his own ego, and I just don't see why the other members of the team should follow his lead.
Forget about Chandra, what can Ardon offer that will be worth staying with him?
I'd say his revenge scheme with the opera chick is good enough reason to keep him around. You never know when you might need a scheming evil bastard to take care of your dirty work.
Though I will say today's update surprised me. I didn't expect his entire party to be dead. Wonder how this is going to play out.
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If my text is blue, I'm being sarcastic. No, really. Don't bite my head off for saying the Fighter is way overpowered, or how Wizards need more spells per day to keep up.
I actually know one two many people like that IRL, and as far as I'm concerned the human race would be that much better off if they should all have a heart attack.
Heh. I've had a sneaking suspicion that the creator is a psychopath, or at least is morally blind. There have been a few hints here and there. However, it could be that the writer is intentionally portraying a psychopath, their methods, and their effects on others.
Either way, I still find the comic engaging and enjoyable. I didn't care for the farm-animals chapter, but it's picked up since then.
When it comes to Ardon, I hate him, but I love to hate him, which may be the point. If I were a character in the party, I would have killed him a long time ago, but eh. Great comic.
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Think that magic is broken in 3.5? Might I suggest this?
(It's a PDF, give it a sec to load. Despite the title, it is not psionics; it's the magic system you know and love, changed to use spell points instead of slots. Also, every caster is a spontaneous caster, every spell has been rebalanced and many are meshed together.)
I think Ardon had the party he was with get into as many fight as possible to get more XP out of the dungeon(grinding) not only for Xp but the other groups surges.
He did this to stop his rival in Chandra from coming back and ruining there jobs. It also establishes he is far more effective as a leader.
Also I hate 45... I want him to die he is the one character I hate
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Spoiler
Quote:
Originally Posted by Miscast_Mage
You're a frickin' ninja below me, too!? You got mad skills, Vknight.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Arbane
Rogue vs. Dog. (The new Cat vs. Commoner, only not amusing!)
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jay R
You are making the assumption of rational planning. After 37 years of dungeon crawling, I still have zero evidence that the average dungeon was designed by the sane.
"Sleep is optional, just ask Vknight" Someone I Forget but thanks... I don't
I'd say his revenge scheme with the opera chick is good enough reason to keep him around. You never know when you might need a scheming evil bastard to take care of your dirty work.
A scheming bastard might be useful to keep around, but not as the leader of the group.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lord Raziere
Yea…..
…..I wouldn't call a guy who gets his party killed a leader….
That might also be a result of luck since the encounters were random.
However, consider this:
Aradon had to physically pull two corpses (one of them was already decapitated) while a dragon was right in the next room, set everything up in, and all that just for a scheme to boost his own ego.
This is no longer bad luck, that's a "WOW he's not a leader" badge...
When it comes to Ardon, I hate him, but I love to hate him, which may be the point.
Ardon is just so beautifully hateable. An absolutely abhorrent creature, but a highly entertaining one when safely contained within the fictional world. Which is why I prefer him to Chandea. Chandea is annoying, but I don't enjoy being annoyed at her.
Aradon had to physically pull two corpses (one of them was already decapitated) while a dragon was right in the next room, set everything up in, and all that just for a scheme to boost his own ego.
This is no longer bad luck, that's a "WOW he's not a leader" badge...
A green dragon? Oh yeah, I could totally see it doing that just for the pure entertainment value.
But how did Ardon get into the treasure chamber? The only thing I can think of is it let Ardon in, possibly under some guise that he'd be it's prisoner.
It seems to be the only way to explain how Ardon dragged four humanoid corpses (three medium, one small) into a locked treasure room while in combat with a dragon. The dragon found it amusing to watch him do it.
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78% of DM's started their first campaign in a tavern. If you're one of the 22% that didn't, copy and paste this into your signature.
It seems to be the only way to explain how Ardon dragged four humanoid corpses (three medium, one small) into a locked treasure room while in combat with a dragon. The dragon found it amusing to watch him do it.
It's also possible to simply run and hide, waiting for the dragon to search for him and get in the room.
Task might be easier since at least in some cases it appears he took only clothes and not corpses.
Either way, that's a lot of work basically for nothing other than to show he's the best for five seconds.
I have a sneaky feeling that this entire contest was planned to be a disaster.
I don't mean that Ardon planned on this exact result, but I suspect he thought this is a win win situation, something along the lines of "either I manage to finish off the other team, or prove that I'm a better leader".
I have a sneaky feeling that this entire contest was planned to be a disaster.
I don't mean that Ardon planned on this exact result, but I suspect he thought this is a win win situation, something along the lines of "either I manage to finish off the other team, or prove that I'm a better leader".
Also sounds like a guy everyone else in that room will likely be better off long term unloading there most damaging encounter power on right that second in a surprise round.
Also, there is the small matter of the fact that he actually accidentally admitted to killing them all himself in the second to last panel if you look closely at the grammar of the whole strip. That's all Chandea or Ell should need to be justified to waste him.
And 45 should let him have it at that point cause guess what, it only happened cause everyone was jumping on him to take care of the fact that he murdered innocent people who trusted there lives to him and used there corpses for a bluff to win a contest that at that point he had lost in every meaningful sense of the word, and lost horribly at that, which ultimately only happened because of his own idiocy and Ego-mania. He'd probably throw Peanut at him two and get the hit in just because.
Well, Ardon is already looking bad. I'm surprised he was so honest about the encounter though.
Now, the thing is, if Ardon gets out of this (and he's a main character, I imagine he will) it'll be one of two ways:
- He does something which makes up for his crap
- He has an ace up his sleeve
Well, Ardon is already looking bad. I'm surprised he was so honest about the encounter though.
The thing is, however selfish his advice may have been, he did have a point. He was playing the odds, and doing it in a fairly sensible fashion. He just got unlucky with a surprise random crit from the monster.
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