Free Durkula

[Tock Zipporah]

Well, now that Malack is dusted, Durkon is no longer his thrall.

So, any theories as to what happens next? Does he regain full free will and rejoin the OotS (while still evil)?

[Arcanist]

He might not be dead yet.

He still has the chance to get to his resting place and rejuvenate.

[Gift Jeraff]

He might not be dead yet.

He still has the chance to get to his resting place and rejuvenate.

My interpretation is that getting slain by sunlight, running water, or stake = no rejuvenating.

[Tock Zipporah]

He might not be dead yet.

He still has the chance to get to his resting place and rejuvenate.

No, that only applies if the vampire is "reduced to zero HP."

The part about sunlight reads: "Exposing any vampire to direct sunlight disorients it: It can take only a single move action or attack action and is destroyed utterly in the next round if it cannot escape."

We saw one round of Malack being disoriented, and on the next round he is "destroyed utterly." You can't regenerate from that.

[Shale]

And he can only take a move or attack action, not the standard action necessary to transform into gas.

[Codyage]

He might not be dead yet.

He still has the chance to get to his resting place and rejuvenate.

Fast Healing (Ex)

A vampire heals 5 points of damage each round so long as it has at least 1 hit point. If reduced to 0 hit points in combat, it automatically assumes gaseous form and attempts to escape. It must reach its coffin home within 2 hours or be utterly destroyed.

Slaying a Vampire

Reducing a vampire’s hit points to 0 or lower incapacitates it but doesn’t always destroy it (see the note on fast healing). However, certain attacks can slay vampires. Exposing any vampire to direct sunlight disorients it: It can take only a single move action or attack action and is destroyed utterly in the next round if it cannot escape.

Since it states that they are utterly destroyed, I say he is gone for good.

[The Giant]

He's dead.

That's the main reason why I made sure to show him in gaseous form during the Durkon/Malack fight, because that showed that when a vampire is gaseous, they take their equipment with them. Malack's stuff is still there. Hence, he's ash.

[Bird]

edit: ninja'd by the Giant

[Tock Zipporah]

He's dead.

That's the main reason why I made sure to show him in gaseous form during the Durkon/Malack fight, because that showed that when a vampire is gaseous, they take their equipment with them. Malack's stuff is still there. Hence, he's ash.

Thank you for the clarification (and thus saving us from an endless debate on whether he would be considered dead or not by D&D rules).

[Sunken Valley]

Durkon's in trouble now. He has no coffin and no idea how to make one.

[Thomar_of_Uointer]

So here's my prediction...

It turns out that Nale's team is short one non-human cleric. And Durkon, if he remembers his betrayal, will probably be happy that Nale killed Malack. He might even promise Nale a favor out of gratitude. Now all Nale needs to do is tell him, "hey, I'm Lawful Evil, you're Lawful Evil, let's go get that next gate before Xykon does."

[RabidEel]

Gaaah!

I went to the forum before the Latest Strip title was changed (or that I saw it was), but apparently after it was posted. So I see a thread called "Free Durkula", and I assume it's more speculation on the future. And what do I find when I open the thread? Basically the whole next strip spoiled for me.

[Arcanist]

He's dead.

That's the main reason why I made sure to show him in gaseous form during the Durkon/Malack fight, because that showed that when a vampire is gaseous, they take their equipment with them. Malack's stuff is still there. Hence, he's ash.

I'd forgotten the difference between Malack's Gaseous Form and... Well this. I stand corrected.

[Tock Zipporah]

So here's my prediction...

It turns out that Nale's team is short one non-human cleric. And Durkon, if he remembers his betrayal, will probably be happy that Nale killed Malack. He might even promise Nale a favor out of gratitude. Now all Nale needs to do is tell him, "hey, I'm Lawful Evil, you're Lawful Evil, let's go get that next gate before Xykon does."

So you believe that Durkon, simply because he's evil now, will side with a man who has been a thorn in the Order's side for almost 900 strips?

[137beth]

Thank you for the clarification (and thus saving us from an endless debate on whether he would be considered dead or not by D&D rules).

So you believe that Durkon, simply because he's evil now, will side with a man who has been a thorn in the Order's side for almost 900 strips?

I'd say Durkon suddenly liking Nale is a heck of a lot more plausible than mere word-of-giant stopping people from arguing about D&D rules...

[Tock Zipporah]

I'd say Durkon suddenly liking Nale is a heck of a lot more plausible than mere word-of-giant stopping people from arguing about D&D rules...

*bows* I stand corrected. ;)

[Arcanist]

I'd say Durkon suddenly liking Nale is a heck of a lot more plausible than mere word-of-giant stopping people from arguing about D&D rules...

I'm disappointed that I was wrong, but I am even more disappointed that my favorite character is now dead *poors root beer on the floor for Malack* ... Ugh... Now I gotta get a mop...

[Psyren]

I liked Malack too - up until this strip, so... *waves goodbye and salutes Nale*

[Amphiox]

What might Durkula do next? Hmm...

1. "Hold person"
2. "Hold person"
3. SLLUURRRPPP (x2)
4. Taps with Malack's staff, twice.
5. "Arise, my new Vampire thralls!"

We shall call them Nalula and Z'zula.

No, I don't actually think that will happen....

[Arcanist]

I liked Malack too - up until this strip, so... *waves goodbye and salutes Nale*

I still liked Malack even after all of that. From the looks of the character he just seemed very angry and lonely from losing his children, so when he got to know Durkon, he didn't want to kill him so he turned him into a Vampire so that he might enjoy existence with him forever... Or at least as long as they both could.

Something that bothers me though, is that if the Staff that Malack held had the spell in it, why didn't he just use the staff to cast the spell on Durkon so he would still have the prepared version on himself? Maybe Malack planned for his own eventual demise and wanted an excuse to force Nale to let his guard down after Durkon regains sentience... Highly unlikely, but I can dream, right?

Also, I hope Malack was smart enough to make it be a Runestaff of Protection from Sunlight instead of just a Staff of Protection from Sunlight

[Amphiox]

I still liked Malack even after all of that. From the looks of the character he just seemed very angry and lonely from losing his children, so when he got to know Durkon, he didn't want to kill him so he turned him into a Vampire so that he might enjoy existence with him forever... Or at least as long as they both could.

Something that bothers me though, is that if the Staff that Malack held had the spell in it, why didn't he just use the staff to cast the spell on Durkon so he would still have the prepared version on himself? Maybe Malack planned for his own eventual demise and wanted an excuse to force Nale to let his guard down after Durkon regains sentience... Highly unlikely, but I can dream, right?

Also, I hope Malack was smart enough to make it be a Runestaff of Protection from Sunlight instead of just a Staff of Protection from Sunlight

I do not know if this fits D&D rules, but one possibility is that the Malack designed the staff so that it could only cast Protection from Sunlight on himself, ie the staff autotargets whoever is holding it, possibly because he didn't want someone to take the staff from him and use its powers against him. (Some items in Final Fantasy, for example, work like this - the regular spell can target anyone, but the item that casts spell can only target the wearer/user of the item).

In which case, his end was even more karmically fitting.

[Thokk_Smash]

I still liked Malack even after all of that. From the looks of the character he just seemed very angry and lonely from losing his children, so when he got to know Durkon, he didn't want to kill him so he turned him into a Vampire so that he might enjoy existence with him forever... Or at least as long as they both could.

Something that bothers me though, is that if the Staff that Malack held had the spell in it, why didn't he just use the staff to cast the spell on Durkon so he would still have the prepared version on himself? Maybe Malack planned for his own eventual demise and wanted an excuse to force Nale to let his guard down after Durkon regains sentience... Highly unlikely, but I can dream, right?

Also, I hope Malack was smart enough to make it be a Runestaff of Protection from Sunlight instead of just a Staff of Protection from Sunlight

He might've wanted to save the charge in the staff. I forget how one recharges a staff, but casting it himself might've just been easier to his mind. Also, doing it himself gives a little more of an intimate feel to it, and he was treating the newborn Durkula as...well, a newborn.

[Arcanist]

I do not know if this fits D&D rules, but one possibility is that the Malack designed the staff so that it could only cast Protection from Sunlight on himself, ie the staff autotargets whoever is holding it, possibly because he didn't want someone to take the staff from him and use its powers against him. (Some items in Final Fantasy, for example, work like this - the regular spell can target anyone, but the item that casts spell can only target the wearer/user of the item).

In which case, his end was even more karmically fitting.

If this was the case, I cannot see why he can't just order Durkon to hold the staff and activate it on himself. I'd also like to inquire about the possibility of Durkon becoming a Cleric of Loki

Also, I'm curious why the popular consensus is that Malack got what he deserved.

[Thokk_Smash]

If this was the case, I cannot see why he can't just order Durkon to hold the staff and activate it on himself. I'd also like to inquire about the possibility of Durkon becoming a Cleric of Loki

Also, I'm curious why the popular consensus is that Malack got what he deserved.

Killing a well-liked main character, notwithstanding that he gave him a semblance of life directly after, tends to put people off of a character. He killed someone we've come to know and love over the past 10 years or however long one has been reading. It's not that surprising.

[thatSeniorGuy]

Durkon's in trouble now. He has no coffin and no idea how to make one.

You know what, I seem to recall a coffin playing a significant role in the last few strips ...

ETA:
OF course, I remember now that it's lid is broken, so it might not be of use.

[Arcanist]

He might've wanted to save the charge in the staff. I forget how one recharges a staff, but casting it himself might've just been easier to his mind. Also, doing it himself gives a little more of an intimate feel to it, and he was treating the newborn Durkula as...well, a newborn.

There are no rules for recharging a staff and I sincerely doubt Malack would have been THAT sentimental as to think that using a Staff would be more impersonal.

Killing a well-liked main character, notwithstanding that he gave him a semblance of life directly after, tends to put people off of a character. He killed someone we've come to know and love over the past 10 years or however long one has been reading. It's not that surprising.

Durkon never died though, he merely became a Vampire (undeath). There is a distinct difference between dying and undying. Besides, it was a well known fact that Durkon was going to die in some form or another so I don't understand why this came as a shock to people when it occurred.

You know what, I seem to recall a coffin playing a significant role in the last few strips ...

You stop that right now!

[ti'esar]

Also, I'm curious why the popular consensus is that Malack got what he deserved.

Not really sure this is a good path for the thread to go down... but there was that thing about how he was planning to turn the entire Western Continent into a vampiric feeding ground in the name of an evil death god. Or killing and then reanimating Durkon. Or the part where he was implied to have killed his own mortal tribe and family. The fact that Nale is evil in his own right, or the question of which one had the ultimate responsibility for their conflict, is essentially besides the point. I liked Malack as a villain, but from a Watsonian standpoint the Stickverse is unquestionably better off without him.

[Psyren]

Also, I'm curious why the popular consensus is that Malack got what he deserved.

...Because he's an evil git? Did you somehow miss his line about sacrificing a thousand people to Nergal's glory each day?

As for why he didn't use the staff to buff up, we have no evidence that staves can be recharged after use in OotS. Allowing it is possible in D&D, but as a variant rule - in core, they cannot be. Burning charges from his staff for such pedestrian tasks would be a waste.

[Gift Jeraff]

Also, I'm curious why the popular consensus is that Malack got what he deserved.

You mean besides planning daily mass sacrifices, enjoying the taste of his brothers' blood, killing one of the main characters, and associating with a bride-torturing slave burner?

[Amphiox]

If this was the case, I cannot see why he can't just order Durkon to hold the staff and activate it on himself. I'd also like to inquire about the possibility of Durkon becoming a Cleric of Loki

Also, I'm curious why the popular consensus is that Malack got what he deserved.

Perhaps he could have done so, but didn't think to do it. Perhaps learning to use the staff properly takes some time, and he didn't want to spend that time with Durkula at that moment.

Or he was just being arrogant, and thinking himself not at risk from Nale, whom he thought of as a buffoon.

A fitting, fitting end.