OOTS #1161 - The Discussion Thread

[Larre Gannd]

Some of them might have, like Belkar. You are also assuming that the worm possesses perfect information, which I don't see a reason why it would have.

Grey Wolf

Also, from a non dnd standpoint, the elementals were behind them.

[eilandesq]

I was about to grumble about another round of "The Order Of Failed Saving Throws" but that was a DC 23 saving throw for that Mass Hold Monster spell. Brutal on all the fighter types and the low WIS bard, and not easy even for Durkon to make. Certainly not like most of the Order blowing their saves against vampiric domination in the last fight. Nightcrawlers definitely earn their CR 18 rating.

[Fyraltari]

Some of them might have, like Belkar. You are also assuming that the worm possesses perfect information, which I don't see a reason why it would have.

Grey Wolf

No, I am assuming that the worm has a better understanding of the day-to-day rules of the universe he inhabits than I have of those of a game I never played.

[GreatWyrmGold]

First, I’m proud to have accidentally gotten the right D&D size classification.
Second, that sounds awesome, if very dangerous for the caster. The Elemental would also have some kind of permanent poisonous area of effect too, no?

I'd have to crunch the numbers, but my intuition says that the half-life of uranium is long enough that you wouldn't face any short-term effects, and that long-term effects can probably be fixed by some obscure cleric spell. (Or maybe just restoration.)

Aaaand I just now thought of a tactic for a Wizard:

Cast Improved Invisibility (or Invisibility) and cast a Contingency with Improved Invisibility that activates if the first Invisibility is dispelled (but that wouldn't work against Invisibility Purge, I think).

Invisibility purge "negates" the invisibility, which is different than dispelling it. Also, it would promptly negate your new invisibility, and depending on the edition, it might make you double-invisible once you left the area of the purge. I'm not sure if invisibility is additive or multiplicative, so you might end up visible again.
Phrasing it as "dispel" is probably your best bet.

[Zhorn]

The adventures of copy/paste Roy!

Some might cal his performance flat and one dimensional, but I say he's the most consistent character of the strip.

PS: Love the work, Giant.

[ratfox]

We're all in the Monster Manual somewhere, are we not?

I'm thinking that there are already elementals around, so now we just need an ethereal filcher.

[AutomatedTeller]

Where IS Hilgya? We saw her from the back in the previous comic, but she's no where to be seen here. I guess she's going to hit the elementals from behind? maybe she's not very fast.

[eilandesq]

Where IS Hilgya? We saw her from the back in the previous comic, but she's no where to be seen here. I guess she's going to hit the elementals from behind? maybe she's not very fast.

Smart to leave her in reserve for situations just like "Nightcrawler hits most of the party with a DC 23 save or suck spell." Assuming that she won't decide to turn on Durkon while he's alone out there on the bridge against the nightcrawler and a vampiric cleric of at least 13th level.

[Peelee]

Come to think of it, looks like they're going for a strictly ranged attack on the worm, so I wonder why Belkar ran out. Maybe to lull Gontor into false sense of security, since he didn't know about Hilgya and maybe Minrah?

[Grey_Wolf_c]

I was about to grumble about another round of "The Order Of Failed Saving Throws" but that was a DC 23 saving throw for that Mass Hold Monster spell.

eilandesq: the order missing at least one of multiple DC~20 will saves? Impossible!
Also eilandesq: 3/4 of the order missing one DC~20 will save? Fine!

You are being inconsistent, or misunderstanding the vampire domination difficulty. I don't know which one it is.

Come to think of it, looks like they're going for a strictly ranged attack on the worm, so I wonder why Belkar ran out. Maybe to lull Gontor into false sense of security, since he didn't know about Hilgya and maybe Minrah?

Belkar probably wanted to stab it, and was running towards it, but never made it there?

Grey Wolf

[pacovf]

Gold is not a non-periodic element.

Maybe I am missing something obvious, but how is it not? Au is in the periodic table.

[hamishspence]

The non-periodic elements are earth, air, fire, water, shadow, and so on.

The periodic elements are silicon, gold, osmium, and so on.

Gold is not a non-periodic element - it's not earth, air, etc.

It's a periodic element.

[Peelee]

Belkar probably wanted to stab it, and was running towards it, but never made it there?

Grey Wolf

He just kinda stopped though.

Maybe I am missing something obvious, but how is it not? Au is in the periodic table.

Double negative. Not non-periodoc = periodic.

[Riftwolf]

I wonder if this is setting up Belkars death- but then again someone always says that whenever Belkar is in trouble

Also whenever Belkar isn't in trouble. Also whenever it isn't Belkar.

[Peelee]

Also whenever Belkar isn't in trouble. Also whenever it isn't Belkar.

I wonder if this post is setting up Belkar's death.

[Breccia]

Any Player Except V: Roy is falling, can I cast Busby's Hand matching his falling rate, then slow down after catching him, so that he takes no damage?
DM: No, your character doesn't know enough about physics and calculus to do that.

V: Roy is falling. I use my knowledge of physics and calculus to --
DM: Yeah yeah, you catch Roy and he takes no damage. Mr. Scruffy, you're next in initiative.

[pacovf]

The non-periodic elements are earth, air, fire, water, shadow, and so on.

The periodic elements are silicon, gold, osmium, and so on.

Gold is not a non-periodic element - it's not earth, air, etc.

It's a periodic element.

Double negative. Not non-periodoc = periodic.

Woops, missed that double negative. Thanks :)

[eilandesq]

eilandesq: the order missing at least one of multiple DC~20 will saves? Impossible!
Also eilandesq: 3/4 of the order missing one DC~20 will save? Fine!

You are being inconsistent, or misunderstanding the vampire domination difficulty. I don't know which one it is.



Belkar probably wanted to stab it, and was running towards it, but never made it there?

Grey Wolf

No, I'm looking at all of those who failed the Domination having failed in one round, the attack requiring locking of eyes (so 1 target per vampire per round), and a CHA based save DC for a bunch of dwarf based clerics. Even Durkula probably didn't make it quite to 20, and the lower level ones would have been worse.

[zimmerwald1915]

Any Player Except V: Roy is falling, can I cast Busby's Hand matching his falling rate, then slow down after catching him, so that he takes no damage?
DM: No, your character doesn't know enough about physics and calculus to do that.

V: Roy is falling. I use my knowledge of physics and calculus to --
DM: Yeah yeah, you catch Roy and he takes no damage. Mr. Scruffy, you're next in initiative.

None of the characters has a player.

[magwaaf]

How did durkon not make his will save!?

[Kish]

He did, that's why he's not paralyzed.

[JumboWheat01]

"We have a cleric again, we can fix stuff like this!!"

Ah, the poor fate of clerics everywhere...

[Grey_Wolf_c]

He just kinda stopped though.

Reached the end of his movement range for his turn? Remember when he stopped in mid-air for that same reason?

No, I'm looking at all of those who failed the Domination having failed in one round, the attack requiring locking of eyes (so 1 target per vampire per round), and a CHA based save DC for a bunch of dwarf based clerics. Even Durkula probably didn't make it quite to 20, and the lower level ones would have been worse.

They had at least a couple of turns. And with DC of 10 + 1/2 level + CHA, Greg would be sitting at around 18-20. Enough that it'd be a ~25% chance for even Hilgya, likely the best Will save of them all, which means that across two turns, chances where realistically possible to be failed (>40%). If the lower ones concentrated on the easy targets like Belkar and Elan, the whole thing is perfectly plausible.

Grey Wolf

[Fyraltari]

Any Player Except V: Roy is falling, can I cast Busby's Hand matching his falling rate, then slow down after catching him, so that he takes no damage?
DM: No, your character doesn't know enough about physics and calculus to do that.

V: Roy is falling. I use my knowledge of physics and calculus to --
DM: Yeah yeah, you catch Roy and he takes no damage. Mr. Scruffy, you're next in initiative.

You don’t need knowledge of calculus to progressively slow down a movement any more than you do to throw a stone. If being good at maths translated to physical skills athletes would look different, in my opinion.

[gerryq]

I kind of liked the worm (heh) until it targeted Mr. Scruffy with mass hold monster.

Worm's just doing his job... and doing it well! Pity he's on Team Evil.

[gerryq]

Now I actually wonder what would happen if Redcloak summoned an uranium elemental.

What if he summoned two, and they got too close together?

[zimmerwald1915]

Worm's just doing his job... and doing it well! Pity he's on Team Evil.

No it isn't, it's on Team Hel.

Team Evil's up at the Pole, and has no dog in this fight.

[Themrys]

So very V that she has to be reminded not to use an immobile comrade as a weapon!

I think it is great character development that V caught Roy instead of attacking the monster.

The using an immobile comrade as weapon idea was from Blackwing, it will take a bit more character development for V to oppose such suggestions on principle (rather because of ineffectiveness), and V might never get there.

It is interesting, the thinking about people as if they are characters in a game comes across as high-functioning autism when I try to read the comic as fantasy novel, but when I consider that this is actually a game of D&D and their world really works that way, V comes across as either intelligent enough to know how the universe works (something V claims on a regular basis) or as being played by a metagaming player / bad roleplayer.

[gerryq]

No it isn't, it's on Team Hel.

Team Evil's up at the Pole, and has no dog in this fight.

I didn't mean THAT Team Evil. I meant the OTHER Team Evil. Or one of them.

[KorvinStarmast]

"We have a cleric again, we can fix stuff like this!!"

Ah, the poor fate of clerics everywhere...

I think that what you meant to say was
Aha! The awesomeness of clerics on display, yet again! ...

I didn't mean THAT Team Evil. I meant the OTHER Team Evil. Or one of them.

Which of the nine sides is that?