OOTS #928 - The Discussion Thread

[Psyren]

UB would kill Belkar (and hell, possibly even Roy right now) so I doubt that's it. But whatever she's using I bet it's mind-affecting, so we need Durkon to run over and pound her into paste while everyone else dogpiles on Tarkie.

[Shale]

Nobody's showing any damage, so maybe it was Mental Disruption?

[Nimin]

I still don't get the "Xykon is feeling chilly" codeword though. None of the explanations here convinced me, they seem just stretched to make it fit.

[jaybird]

It really does fit perfectly (unfortunately for Belkar). Though I wonder why it targetted Tarquin? Maybe just the art representation?

Any other possibilities for a power?

Ultrablast is 15' spread, so anyone within range would get hit. Makes sense that Durkula's shocked by the power and not actually hurt - that's what sells it for me.

[RichardAK]

Aren't undead generally immune to mind-affecting effects? So it might be that Durkon didn't make his save, but rather that he didn't have to save at all.

[littlebum2002]

grrr, I thought they would take one of them out.


What does 'Xykon is feeling chilly today" mean?

EDIT: Oh, OK. Xykon="big threat". Gotcha.

Horrid Wilting!? HORRID WILTING!?

Miron is a NECROMANCER!?

Only if that means V is a Transmuter because she cast Feather Fall and Owl's wisdom

[stsasser]

I too would also like to know what power that was.

Shared Ice Cream Headache.

[Sky_Schemer]

Ultrablast is 15' spread, so anyone within range would get hit. Makes sense that Durkula's shocked by the power and not actually hurt - that's what sells it for me.

Or it could just be a plain Psionic Blast. Stuns everyone for 1 round unless they make a Will save. She has a high DC, so only Tarquin saves. I assume Durkula is immune, which may end up being bad news for her.

[NihhusHuotAliro]

Best update yet!

Now we really get to see a psion in action. I love the yellow lightning effectzapping the OOTSers.

Why is Tarquin unaffected? This banshee howl of mental energy, this blast of the mind, should be like a bomb going off or like a meteor hitting; but Tarquin is still smiling.

Don't tell me that Laurin can control who is hurt by that blast, right? There's got to be some drawback to a thing that can curbstomp Vaarsuvius and the entire rest of the OOTS. I mean, if this is what Psions are capable of doing, why do they not rule the world.

I mean, V has to be written out of almost every fight just to keep drama, and this curbstomps hir. SO awesome! So awesome!

Yeah, I'm not really thinking that Laurin is the non-fighting one of the group anymore, like I used to.

[AstralFire]

Nobody's showing any damage, so maybe it was Mental Disruption?

This seems like a reasonable choice, if we're still going with the assumption that Laurin's primarily built as defense and support (which is looking more and more likely - Energy Missile and Energy Push are powers I can't imagine skipping if you intend to be offensive at all).

Or it could just be a plain Psionic Blast. Stuns everyone for 1 round unless they make a Will save. She has a high DC, so only Tarquin saves. I assume Durkula is immune, which may end up being bad news for her.

Psionic blast is a caster cone, she hit 360. Don't think so.

[The Kind Knido]

Vaarsuvius's "code" could have just been a spelling mistake and the Giant meant for him to say "Miron"?

I thought it was just a response to Tarquin's lashing out about becoming a high level without someone putting you in his place because, after all, Xykon DID kill him

[Porthos]

Ultrablast is 15' spread, so anyone within range would get hit. Makes sense that Durkula's shocked by the power and not actually hurt - that's what sells it for me.

It says "enemies" in the power description though.

[Shining Wrath]

Uh, Laurin - I don't think your mind blast is going to work too well on the Vampire.

Traits

An undead creature possesses the following traits (unless otherwise noted in a creature’s entry).

... SNIP ...
Immunity to all mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, phantasms, patterns, and morale effects).
Immunity to poison, sleep effects, paralysis, stunning, disease, and death effects.
Not subject to critical hits, nonlethal damage, ability drain, or energy drain. Immune to damage to its physical ability scores (Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution), as well as to fatigue and exhaustion effects.

... SNIP ...

SRD

I doubt Miron can come back, since Laurin is the teleporter and he probably doesn't know where he was.

"Xyklon is feeling chilly" means "Attack the sorcerer"? I didn't get the code phrase too well, but the results were obvious.

Tarquin thinks he's about to coup-de-grace Roy, and I think instead Durkula is about to be a pain in his neck.

[Xelbiuj]

{SCRUBBED}

[Pesimismrocks]

I still don't get the "Xykon is feeling chilly" codeword though. None of the explanations here convinced me, they seem just stretched to make it fit.

I just think its picking out a target without Tarquin knowing
Xykon=Sorcerer/Arcane Caster or possibly enemy
Chilly=Scarf

[The Giant]

I still don't get the "Xykon is feeling chilly" codeword though. None of the explanations here convinced me, they seem just stretched to make it fit.

Well, they're right anyway. It's just as simple as, "The highest priority target is the guy with the scarf," said in such a way that Tarquin didn't understand that's what was being said. Belkar later reiterates in the vernacular this exact idea in his panel.

[Bandari]

Did Durkula make his saving throw? He doesn't appear to e in pain, but rather shocked at Laurin's power

And dear old dad's back is to him...

[Sky_Schemer]

grrr, I thought they would take one of them out.


What does 'Xykon is feeling chilly today" mean?

V is referring to Miron being a caster, who is wearing a cloak with a scarf around him as if he were "chilly". It's a simple code that Roy understands but TT would not immediately get (if at all).

[Bulldog Psion]

Ultrablast is 15' spread, so anyone within range would get hit. Makes sense that Durkula's shocked by the power and not actually hurt - that's what sells it for me.

The problem with that is, that Ultrablast would probably kill Belkar outright, even if he saved for half damage. Yet we see that he's still alive.

[Porthos]

Vaarsuvius's "code" could have just been a spelling mistake and the Giant meant for him to say "Miron"?

That'd be a hell of a spelling mistake.

No, it was code. Notice how Belkar didn't understand what was going on at first. But once he saw Roy attacking, he got the point.

[Rastaban]

Or it could just be a plain Psionic Blast. Stuns everyone for 1 round unless they make a Will save. She has a high DC, so only Tarquin saves. I assume Durkula is immune, which may end up being bad news for her.

As someone pointed out earlier, T also has a ring that would protect him from the spell.

Also it makes sense to go for disabling, you don't want to kill the T's son in the process.

[Sky_Schemer]

Psionic blast is a caster cone, she hit 360. Don't think so.

Aha. Missed that in the description.

Stupid psionics.

[t209]

So what kind of spell is that? Also did she just healed OOTS?

[Ramien]

"Xykon is feeling chilly" means exactly what Belkar said: "Pile on the scarf guy"

[Shale]

Blast is a cone, though.

[Shining Wrath]

Laurin has a LOT of power points doesn't she? Think she's out yet?

She used some unspecified amount on healing ...

[Pesimismrocks]

In other news, Roy is now lying prone and weaponless dangerously close to Tarquin

[Kish]

Tarquin continues to demonstrate he has the grownup version of all Nale's neuroses. He's not considering that maybe his son isn't the hero; he wants to know why all these SUPPORTING CHARACTERS think they dare humiliate HIM. Don't they know that when Han Solo fires at Darth Vader, Vader brushes it off, he doesn't fall on his behind and lose his helmet?

[Italian Hippy]

grrr, I thought they would take one of them out.


What does 'Xykon is feeling chilly today" mean?

"Beat the everloving crap out of the guy wearing a scarf, and keep in mind he's a caster like Xykon, so use your caster-killing maneuver."

Too bad V's to-hit isn't that good, otherwise... bye bye, Miron. I wouldn't have missed you.

Also, five thousand gold pieces says Durkon's unaffected by whatever Laurin did. Everybody but Tarquin and him are shown to be in pain, must be some kind of mental effect that doesn't hit undead. As for Tarquin, he's pretty much known for being always prepared, so I wouldn't rule out some kind of magical protection against area attacks by Laurin. For all we know, he might even be considering the idea of killing her if she "turns" somehow. Hell, we're talking about somebody who murdered his own son in cold blood not 20 minutes ago.

[The Giant]

Also did she just healed OOTS?

Whoops. Forgot Roy's wounds in the last panel. I'll fix that.