Tarquin vs. Durkon...should be a short fight, if it's allowed to go on 1v1.
I don't know about that. We mostly see Durkon heal and cast spells, but he's almost certainly wearing heavier armor than anyone else in the party, and carrying the only shield. If he buffed himself up beforehand and focuses on fighting defensively and self-healing, he can probably survive for quite a while. After all, we've only seen Tarquin use defensive manuevers and counter-attacks thus far, and while I doubt that's all he is capable of, if it's his specialty he might not be as powerful when forced to be the offender in a given situation.
At least, not until we figure out what kind of enchantments are on that axe.
More interesting, IMO, will be whether Durkon can hazard any sort of guess as to the identity of the masked-man-in-purple. Roy already pretty much figured out it wasn't Thog, but now Durkon has heard Tarquin's whole speech.
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For an uncannily crafty and rarely rattled tactical genius, Tarquin does a lot of the verbal explanations to the guy he knows is deaf, there. Or should know. Or figure out immediately.
I was actually feeling kind of sorry for Nale for a while there.
Not that I am not appreciating the Order seriously stepping up their game, because I am enjoying very much the execution of a clever and effective plan. The parting scene with Sabine was kind of unexpectedly touching, however, and he's so hapless in the aftermath of Holy Word it's almost embarrassing to watch.
I don't get Roy's punchline, anyone cares to explain?
It has long been a joke that every bug in Microsoft products was defended by the PR in Microsoft as "it's not a bug, it's a feature" no matter how annoying/dangerous the bug was ("my files disappeared" "It's not a bug, it's a feature: self-cleaning OS!").
Here, Roy is using the same words to explain that Belkar, one of his own teammates, having been affected by a "friendly fire" (i.e. a spell cast by his own team) is not, in fact, a problem, but an advantage for Roy's plans.
Grey Wolf
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"GIANT IN THE PLAYGROUND: On a saner forum, there wouldn't have been such speculation."
One of the best strips of the last years ;)
Showing Belkars low wisdom ("kind of silence spell") and Roys high INT, combined with at least some ranks in knowledge(arcana) or Spellcraft - or why does he know Belkar'd be affected out of sight?
Better than Roys line (he knew that Belkar would be deaf and as such immune to verbal spells) was Belkars question - I laughed quite heartily for some minutes ;)
edit: Ninjas everywhere!
Last edited by danielmayer : 08-09-2012 at 03:23 PM.
I don't get Roy's punchline, anyone cares to explain?
It is referring to the IT-world, i'd say. Often when a software testers finds a "fault" but there was no written specification (gray area), the project manager/developer explains, it was meant to be like that. Hence - "its a feature".
Very subtle, thumbs up for the punch-line!
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The rules don't say that a target would be immune to Suggestion by being deaf, but it's kinda funny that they aren't.
Suggestion is Language-Dependent, and "
A language-dependent spell uses intelligible language as a medium for communication. If the target cannot understand or cannot hear what the caster of a language-dependant spell says the spell fails."
Roy positioned Belkar in a position above the ambush zone, but it put him in a position that would leave him vulnerable to Holy Word. Normally this would be a "bug", a problem with the trap. Instead it's a "feature": By defening Belkar, Roy prevents Nale from useing suggestion to turn Belkar against them, and, deaf or not, Belkar would still run amok stabbing people at his own descresion, disobaying Roy's orders.
At the same time I must ask why there is an enclave conveniantly located above the ambush point. Did Durkon make it useing some sort of stone shaping spell? Or is it part of a disabled trap?
If a trapdoor has Line of Effect in order to affect Belkar, would that mean Malack and Quar are affected? Would that banish Quar if they are affected or possibly just kill him? I feel like that happening would cause Malack to realize that Holy Word was used seeing as he himself is a high level cleric. I partially hope that Malack recognizes the spell, realize this could mean the death of Nale and burst through a steel door infuriated by the potential kill steal. Extra points if it is in time to save Tarquin or Nale.
Sadly, I don't think this bodes well for either Belkar or Durkon. Tarquin could easily kill either of them if he actually puts the effort in. Once he realizes that he is without support from Malack, he may pull a trump card or two out to ensure his survival.
One of the best strips of the last years ;)
Showing Belkars low wisdom ("kind of silence spell") and Roys high INT, combined with at least some ranks in knowledge(arcana) or Spellcraft - or why does he know Belkar'd be affected out of sight?
Well, I mean, he could have asked Durkon, who hopefully knows how his spell works.
Great. Now my boss thinks I am an laughing maniac.
Don't worry, everything will be alright!
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This was awesome. I know something's going to send this encounter south sooner or later, but this ambush by the Order was brilliantly executed despite being down a member and at a tactical disadvantage.
And as for Belkar being unable to hear Nale's 'Suggestion', you just know that somewhere an angel is laughing his or her butt off at that.
So he wasn't affected after all, guess that means I retract my earlier comment.
I don't get Roy's punchline, anyone cares to explain?
Belkar is deafened by Durkon's Holy Word spell, because he is not Good, his alignment is Chaotic Evil. Because he is deafened he can not carry out Nale's Suggestion to attack Durkon. Belkar does not understand this and calls out to Roy that the Linear Guild must have cast a silence spell. Roy is saying that the Holy Word's friendly-fire targeting of Belkar is not a bug, a problem with the spell, but a feature, a positive bonus. So in a weird little roundabout way, because Belkar is Evil he is not attacking Durkon right now.
Also, so much to love in this one. Sabine's actual love for Nale and evident desperation is touching. Even Tarquin the savvy bastard can't stop trying to communicate verbally with a deaf dude. (Hard to think on your feet that quickly when a righteous dwarf cleric is trying to smash your head.) The thing with Belkar just makes me happy. Only questions I have are: where's Elan? and Why is Roy just standing out of the way and gloating?
EDIT: I'll be dead in the cold, cold ground before I say "Ninja'd," or, heaven forfend, "Swordsage'd," but man do we playgrounders like to explain things, I was not expecting 3-4 explanations to go up in the time it took me to post. Wow.
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Last edited by Gnome Alone : 08-09-2012 at 03:44 PM.
__________________ : But you can't make an omelette without ruthlessly crushing dozens of eggs beneath your steel boot and then publicly disemboweling the chickens that laid them as a warning to others.
Go on, Nale. Dimension Door. Dimension Door into a random part of a heavily trapped epic lair. You know you want to.
__________________ The Giant says: Yes, I am aware TV Tropes exists as a website. ... No, I have never decided to do something in the comic because it was listed on TV Tropes. I don't use it as a checklist for ideas ... and I have never intentionally referenced it in any way.
Go on, Nale. Dimension Door. Dimension Door into a random part of a heavily trapped epic lair. You know you want to.
Hm, abandoning Tarquin to the Order with only a deafened spellcaster for help might actually be a good way for Nale to get rid of him. I doubt he will, though, he probably wants to defeat the Order and rub it in more than he wants to off Tarquin.
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Considering that Nale, Z and Belkar are Deafened but not Blinded, that means they all have the same level as Durkon.
Or at least, they all have the same level, and Durkon might be on a different level depending on modifiers.
We don't know whether Z was blinded or not yet. Also, Durkon has the Good domain (+1 CL to Good-aligned spells), which means that Nale and Belkar are exactly one level higher than him.
Elan: Use his strengths. Illusions wouldn't work (though Roy wouldn't know that), and a dashing swordsman is merely runny against a deaf opponent. Instead, have Elan position himself wherever is most dramatically appropriate.
Belkar: Brilliant. Easily distracted berserker with all distractions torn away (sound and sight). Good way to get the best use out of the little monster.
I'm just curious, though, what role Roy is intending to play, besides maybe cleanup. It would be another pretty good mark of growth if he had no set role for himself - Roy has always seen himself as the one sane man and acts on the assumption that he can't really rely on his allies to follow the plan in any event. If he built this plan purely on faith of how his people will act, and gauged rightly, then he's matured greatly.
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I don't know about that. We mostly see Durkon heal and cast spells, but he's almost certainly wearing heavier armor than anyone else in the party, and carrying the only shield. If he buffed himself up beforehand and focuses on fighting defensively and self-healing, he can probably survive for quite a while. After all, we've only seen Tarquin use defensive manuevers and counter-attacks thus far, and while I doubt that's all he is capable of, if it's his specialty he might not be as powerful when forced to be the offender in a given situation.
At least, not until we figure out what kind of enchantments are on that axe.
More interesting, IMO, will be whether Durkon can hazard any sort of guess as to the identity of the masked-man-in-purple. Roy already pretty much figured out it wasn't Thog, but now Durkon has heard Tarquin's whole speech.
All this and PLUS: As we know from the first strip Durkon has a bonus to stability! Tarquin's tricks of throwing people around might not work so well...
For an uncannily crafty and rarely rattled tactical genius, Tarquin does a lot of the verbal explanations to the guy he knows is deaf, there. Or should know. Or figure out immediately.
Exposition for the audience.
I think he's expressing the thoughts verbally precisely because Nale cannot hear them. It's a reflection of his utter disdain for Nale, and also, of course, to let the reader in on his thoughts.
All this and PLUS: As we know from the first strip Durkon has a bonus to stability! Tarquin's tricks of throwing people around might not work so well...
Except Durkon is the one he threw in the fight outside. (I was a bit confused with the way that looked; trying to figure out if he was using some Tome of Battle maneuver or something.) Although perhaps he will have trouble replicating this feat, on account of Durkon's stability; maybe he just got lucky the first time.
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Hm, abandoning Tarquin to the Order with only a deafened spellcaster for help might actually be a good way for Nale to get rid of him. ...
It's also a good way to pop up in front of Malack and make him think that Nale was the one who betrayed Tarquin. Oh please oh please let this be what happens.
__________________ The Giant says: Yes, I am aware TV Tropes exists as a website. ... No, I have never decided to do something in the comic because it was listed on TV Tropes. I don't use it as a checklist for ideas ... and I have never intentionally referenced it in any way.
Is Haley targeting Nale purely by the sound of his voice? (Presumably she can't see through the smoke) What are the rules for doing that in D&D?
Nale has total concealment. Haley picks a square and attacks as normally. If it's the correct square, Nale still has a 50% miss chance. Notice that two arrows whizzed past him.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Fish
Go on, Nale. Dimension Door. Dimension Door into a random part of a heavily trapped epic lair. You know you want to.
Elan: Use his strengths. Illusions wouldn't work (though Roy wouldn't know that), and a dashing swordsman is merely runny against a deaf opponent. Instead, have Elan position himself wherever is most dramatically appropriate.
Belkar: Brilliant. Easily distracted berserker with all distractions torn away (sound and sight). Good way to get the best use out of the little monster.
I'm just curious, though, what role Roy is intending to play, besides maybe cleanup. It would be another pretty good mark of growth if he had no set role for himself - Roy has always seen himself as the one sane man and acts on the assumption that he can't really rely on his allies to follow the plan in any event. If he built this plan purely on faith of how his people will act, and gauged rightly, then he's matured greatly.
I don't think having Belkar be blinded would really help him in a fight, heh. Pretty sure he's just deafened, and suffering a Spot penalty due to the smokestick (it does seem to be dissipating already, and he was above it to begin with).
I'm also looking forward to Haley and Roy's next moves, as well as what Elan has been up to... I half expect him to pop in covered in jam again (a la 206).
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I just want to say that if this isn't the weirdest line of argument I've seen this thread take yet, it's not for lack of trying.
Sabine is a shapeshifter, she only appears fair in form because she wants to.
That's wrong. This is Sabine's true form, the one people see with true seeing regardless what form she has currently taken on. I'm not completely sure but I think she even should revert to it when she is killed.
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