Class and Level Geekery XV - What's the Damage of a Thrown Pineapple?

[unbeliever536]

Sangwaan is also a notable example. It's not clear exactly what her regular duties are, but she's got a high enough level position that she's the one giving the briefing before the battle (alongside General Chang). Current monarchs we've seen outside Azure City are split 50/50 (with caveats that three of them are puppets), and nobody seems to object to Amun-Zora leading the anti-Tarquin resistance. Speaking of resistances, the Azure City resistance factions are led by an even split of women and men (these being Haley and the unnamed man and woman leading the initial groups, and Thanh leading the united front), so AC itself really doesn't seem to have a problem with female leaders. Also worthy of note are the high priests: the Southern council seems to be at least one third women (the gender of Rat's priest is unclear), and on the Northern side, Odin, Thor, Sunna, Njord, Hoder, Hermod, and of course Hel all have high priests whose gender does not match their deity's, and of those only Sunna's and Hel's are men. And of course the fight over who commands the Mechane was between two women. All in all, between what we've been shown and what I know of the author's opinions on the subject, my assumption is that sexist barriers are absent in OOTS-verse unless we're explicitly shown otherwise (as in the case of, of all things, a tribe of frost giants).

[Ephemera]

On the top of that, maybe the Silicon Elemental speaks Common? (Just a thought, not very likely)

Silicon elementals clearly speak Binary (or maybe C++).

Edit: late 20th century ones, of course, mostly speak COBOLd...

[D.One]

Silicon elementals clearly speak Binary (or maybe C++).

Edit: late 20th century ones, of course, mostly speak COBOLd...

I bet you were just waiting Windows of opportunity to deliver this...

[Grey_Wolf_c]

OK, I posted this in the main thread, but it really belongs here: on the basis that Roy was able to throw his sword twice in #1122, his sword might be a bastard sword (rather than the currently listed greatsword), since two-handed weapons require a full-round action to throw, whilst one-handed take merely a standard action.

Grey Wolf

[SavageWombat]

He's called it a greatsword.

[hamishspence]

And we've seen bastard swords before - Bozzok had one.

http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0618.html

It looked a little different - thinner, less bulky hilt.

[Grey_Wolf_c]

He's called it a greatsword.

Not saying he hasn't, but can't recall where he did. The only occasion where I could think of him talking about his sword is in his confrontation with Miko, but he merely calls it "[his] ancestral weapon" there.

And we've seen bastard swords before - Bozzok had one.

http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0618.html

It looked a little different - thinner, less bulky hilt.

Fair enough. Are there any other one-handed swords that would make sense to use two-handed? A broadsword, maybe?

GW

[hamishspence]

Maybe Roy really is spending a full-round action with each throw? With it returning to his hand just before his next initiative count? He seems to be stationary throughout the rounds of throwing.

Not saying he hasn't, but can't recall where he did.

Roy calling it a greatsword

[Grey_Wolf_c]

Maybe Roy really is spending a full-round action with each throw? With it returning to his hand just before his next initiative count? He seems to be stationary throughout the rounds of throwing.

I suppose that'd have to be it. That'd require everyone else to delay, since he'd have been at the end of the initiative count, and suddenly jumped to the top. That's not how it works. But then, he also doesn't have two standard actions in a single turn to throw the swords with.

Maybe the throwing power does allow the sword to be thrown as part of a full-attack action? And he chose to only do it twice, because the malluses to hit where a bit too much after that?

Roy calling it a greatsword

Yeah, I didn't even think of checking that one. It's too much of "the polearm joke" to think it might mentions a sword type.

GW

[hamishspence]

Maybe the statblock for Roy which says "Starmetal Greatsword" with links, can be split - one link leading to Starmetal, one link leading to Greatsword?

[Grey_Wolf_c]

Maybe the statblock for Roy which says "Starmetal Greatsword" with links, can be split - one link leading to Starmetal, one link leading to Greatsword?

I second that suggestion, please.

GW

[hamishspence]

That'd require everyone else to delay, since he'd have been at the end of the initiative count, and suddenly jumped to the top. That's not how it works.

Could the other members of the Order have been acting "offscreen" between Roy's throw and Roy's second throw - with the strip simply focusing on Roy and on the High Priest's response?

Regarding full-round actions, I thought it would simply be a case of "Roy's move action and attack action are merged into a Full Round Action and are spent, on Roy's initiative count" .

It doesn't mean that it takes him 4 seconds of swinging to throw it.

[D.One]

I believe we have two rounds happening:

Round 1: The vampires dispell, Roy throws his Greatsword.

Round 2: Vampires dominate, Roy throws his Greatsword again.

Don't relly know what most of the others did in the meantime.

[Jasdoif]

Regarding full-round actions, I thought it would simply be a case of "Roy's move action and attack action are merged into a Full Round Action and are spent, on Roy's initiative count" .

Yes. That's the difference between a full-round action and a 1-round action: an full-round action completes at the end of your turn, a 1-round action completes at the start of your next turn. And if you're seriously desperate, you can use your standard action in two consecutive turns to complete most full-round actions.

I've been assuming that Roy calling his sword back is a free/swift action.

[hamishspence]

I've been assuming that Roy calling his sword back is a free/swift action.

Free action is standard for the Returning magic item property. While it normally flies back, that has been bent before in D&D fiction.

Aegis-fang in the Icewind Dale novels, worked like that - "Reappear" rather than "fly".

[MesiDoomstalker]

I believe we have two rounds happening:

Round 1: The vampires dispell, Roy throws his Greatsword.

Round 2: Vampires dominate, Roy throws his Greatsword again.

Don't relly know what most of the others did in the meantime.

A Vampire's Dominate Gaze is a Standard action and only works on one individual per use. There are 4 members affected so either other Vampire's are Gazing, or combat rounds have broken down long ago.

[hamishspence]

There's at least 4 vampires close enough to the Order to do the Gazing.

[Jasdoif]

There's at least 4 vampires close enough to the Order to do the Gazing.

On this note...I'll point out that the second page shows the red glow of dominating eyes in panels 2, 3 (not HPoH here), and 6; I can easily buy that an off-panel or facing-away vampire accounts for the fourth domination, since Belkar and Elan are both among the victims.

[hamishspence]

I can easily buy that an off-panel or facing-away vampire accounts for the fourth domination, since Belkar and Elan are both among the victims.

My theory is that Durkula zapped Hilgya (as the vamp with likely the most hit dice and highest DC), Poncho zapped Belkar- and the two vampires behind Roy zapped Elan and Haley.

[b_jonas]

Not saying he hasn't, but can't recall where he did [call it a greatsword].

Yeah, it's not trivial to find the proof. There are some false leads:

• #136: Roy: My greatsword seems to have been rent in twain, but the whole strip is a Monty Python joke, so I'm not sure how seriously I should take it.
• #901, Redcloak calling him "the human with the greatsword", though this might not count because Redcloak is a cleric and doesn't get proficiency with martial weapons, so he could be wrong.
• #904, Haley calls it a greatsword, but this doesn't count either, she has to call it a greatsword because that's what Redcloak told the golem.
• #921, Miron calling Roy "Greatsword Dude", but Miron too isn't proficient in martial weapons, so he could be wrong.

The actual answer is in:

• #15 eighth panel, in which Roy says in tiny text that “It's called a greatsword, dad”.
• #795 thirteenth panel, Thog calling it a greatsword. This is definitive enough, because Thog is a fighter and barbarian, so he is proficient in martial weapons. (Update: ignore this point, halfeye points out that Roy is holding a temporary sword, not his ancestral Greenhilt sword, so Thog might be talking about that sword.)

Also, if you're touching up on Roy's entry, it should probably mention what specific magical powers it has, as in healing Roy and teleporting back to him, since every Legacy Weapon is different.

[unbeliever536]

Fair enough. Are there any other one-handed swords that would make sense to use two-handed? A broadsword, maybe?

GW

Roy's sword is most definitely not a broadsword. It might be a claymore (occasionally called a broadsword), but that's what D&D calls a "greatsword". In general D&D is sort of confused about how swords work and what they're called.

ed:

By Roy's estimation, the sword has three powers (as of #1078): the green fire damage boost (which is especially good against undead, but is general, and is called out by Roy as something he can now control), the full heal, and the throw-and-return.

[b_jonas]

And if you're seriously desperate, you can use your standard action in two consecutive turns to complete most full-round actions.

Oh! So you could still do a normal full-round action in two rounds if you're slowed by Hilgya's Chaos Hammer and don't die in the same strip? I was wondering how that worked, thank you.

[Sm3gl]

So after #1122 am I reading this right:
Durkula, Ponchula, 1 vampire cleric and 2 vampire spawn
Vs
Roy, Minrah and V
Vs
Elan, Haley, Belkar and Hilgya all charmed

All the charmed characters will get second saves to break the charm if forced to fight their allies won't they? Elan, Haley presumably have a decent chance to break out due to low DCs from spawn and Hilgya has a high chance due to a good saving throw. Belkar not so much but maybe his item has only been suppressed for a round or two?

What's V going to pull out? What about Durkula? Seems the casters will take the stage for this though Roy is making a big impact on the fight too.

[ti'esar]

By my count there's three non-caster vampires left: the two visible in the final panel, and another female dwarf soldier vampire with brown hair shown diving away from V's fireball. Although the last random dwarf cleric vampire probably isn't worth much. I think only Durkon* and "Ponchula" are Dominating people.

[Quartz]

Was Roy Hasted in the off-panel buffing?

[skaddix]

Eh maybe the sword can haste...seems like a standard legacy weapon ability that any Fighter would want.

Granted what Roy really needs is the sword to grant flight or feather fall.

[Phoniex]

So after #1122 am I reading this right:
Durkula, Ponchula, 1 vampire cleric and 2 vampire spawn
Vs
Roy, Minrah and V
Vs
Elan, Haley, Belkar and Hilgya all charmed

All the charmed characters will get second saves to break the charm if forced to fight their allies won't they? Elan, Haley presumably have a decent chance to break out due to low DCs from spawn and Hilgya has a high chance due to a good saving throw. Belkar not so much but maybe his item has only been suppressed for a round or two?

What's V going to pull out? What about Durkula? Seems the casters will take the stage for this though Roy is making a big impact on the fight too.

I agree it seems that there are now 4 vamps left (greg, ponchula, a random cleric of lvl 6 (dispel magic), and a vampire spawn). The problem is that greg's gaze attack could have gotten them all, it does not have to be 1 vamp to lock down 1 order character so the DC to break out of gregs dominate will be hard.. but yes Belkar and his item should only be attacking for 1d4 rounds but then I think he is still dominated but does not regain control of his character anymore. This is going to be a problem because next Roy will be sneak attacked in the back:(

But I also saw 2 rounds of combat here the first was Dispel for vamps and fireball for order, then the second was just roy throwin his sword and vamps gaze attack. V better come up with something good.. Hopefully his mind blank survived the dispels.

[Grey_Wolf_c]

I agree it seems that there are now 4 vamps left (greg, ponchula, a random cleric of lvl 6 (dispel magic), and a vampire spawn).

There are at least 6 vampires left.

The problem is that greg's gaze attack could have gotten them all,

No it cannot. At best, he might have had time to get two, max.

it does not have to be 1 vamp to lock down 1 order character

Yes, yes it does.

Belkar and his item should only be attacking for 1d4 rounds

Even if he was using the item, it is now dispelled. It won't turn itself back on in 1d4 rounds.

This is going to be a problem because next Roy will be sneak attacked in the back:(

Belkar can't sneak attack.

GW

[TheWombatOfDoom]

Belkar can't sneak attack.

This is true. However, I'm worried about Haley...

[Grey_Wolf_c]

This is true. However, I'm worried about Haley...

I tried finding the rules for ranged sneak attack, but couldn't find them. Doesn't she need to be invisible?

GW