|
Brannock posted:I really wish Burlew wouldn't save his strips in .jpg. It makes the text blurry and hard to read. It's a GIF, actually. The blurriness is just because the print's really small, I think. (Lack of colors to antialias with probably hurts too.)
|
#
?
May 11, 2009 02:17
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 22, 2024 09:33 |
|
|
Xykon there is packing level 12 spells, there. Good lord. For those of you who didn't read Start of Darkness, this is apparently how Xykon kills all of his epic-level spellcaster foes. According to the SRD, a maximized Energy Drain is 8 negative levels, no saving throw. Also, the fact that V isn't REALLY level 60 came to bite her in the rear end there--note the concentration checks.
|
|
#
?
May 11, 2009 03:55
|
|
|
Well, that sucks. Can't say I'm surprised though, from a narrative perspective V getting defeated and captured / killed is the only way this fight could end.
|
|
#
?
May 11, 2009 04:22
|
|
|
Maximized energy drain. GOD. drat. That's mean poo poo right there. For those of you who don't know, level drain literally takes away spells and maximum HP for at least 24 hours before V gets a save against permanent loss or a restoration. V just lost at least 8 levels from the last one, meaning 40 max HP. For a wizard that's pretty lovely. Hopefully V knows when she's beat and gets the hell out of there before she/he dies. That or the Demons pluck her out before she dies because they don't want the souls to go romping around.
|
|
#
?
May 11, 2009 05:30
|
|
|
Seftir posted:Maximized energy drain. GOD. drat. That's mean poo poo right there. For those of you who don't know, level drain literally takes away spells and maximum HP for at least 24 hours before V gets a save against permanent loss or a restoration. If the first energy drain only affected the spliced souls, then I imagine the same is true for the maximized one.
|
|
#
?
May 11, 2009 05:44
|
|
|
Well Goddamn. V is right and proper hosed
|
|
#
?
May 11, 2009 05:49
|
|
|
oobey posted:If the first energy drain only affected the spliced souls, then I imagine the same is true for the maximized one. loving V even harder. No more epic stuff at all.
|
|
#
?
May 11, 2009 07:09
|
|
|
Mystic Mongol posted:Xykon there is packing level 12 spells, there. Good lord. For those of you who didn't read Start of Darkness, this is apparently how Xykon kills all of his epic-level spellcaster foes. 13th level. Xykon isn't low-epic anymore. More like 30th level. I wonder. Was V dumb enough to challenge a lich without Death Ward up via Limited Wish or something, or did it just not protect the other two in the splice? Who in theory should have been powered up by an infusion of negative energy, being dead and all. http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/deathWard.htm
|
|
#
?
May 11, 2009 07:31
|
|
|
Donraj posted:13th level. "The SRD online posted:A maximized spell uses up a spell slot three levels higher than the spell’s actual level. Twelve, I'm afraid. As for the prep time, I think V was relying on the surprise round / timestop, and hadn't considered the possibility that there would be contingencies set up to kill a teleporting assassin even within the anti-teleportation field. I think I'll read up on epic level spellcasting, find out just what all this says about Xykon. E: He's been seen to cast epic spells (Cloister, I believe it was called) and he has at least one level 12 spell slot, which puts him in at 4 epic feats... Epic Spellcasting once, and Improved Spell Capacity three times. So assuming that Xykon pulled out his biggest, meanest spell (a fair assumption) and that he didn't take any other epic feats (more of a stretch) he's either level 26 or 27. Plus, you know, lich. Mystic Mongol fucked around with this message at 07:59 on May 11, 2009 |
|
#
?
May 11, 2009 07:52
|
|
|
I love Xykon knocking the souls for being stupid enough to die and go to hell. Its such a weird and awesome taunt to prelude his inevitable loving Vaarsuvius' poo poo up. This is why he's my favorite character, and why I'm tempted to actually buy Start of Darkness.
|
|
#
?
May 11, 2009 08:10
|
|
|
Do it. If you like Xykon, you'll love SoD. He does very interesting things.
|
|
#
?
May 11, 2009 08:47
|
|
|
Wolfsheim posted:I love Xykon knocking the souls for being stupid enough to die and go to hell. Its such a weird and awesome taunt to prelude his inevitable loving Vaarsuvius' poo poo up. DO IT. Xykon's simple backstory, and his ending monologue, are more than worth it on their own, let alone Redcloak's much more emotional stuff.
|
|
#
?
May 11, 2009 08:50
|
|
|
I was distracted a bit by Xykon kicking rear end up and down the page, so I didn't notice a little aside from Redcloak--not only did he recognize a soul splice by seeing it, he chided himself for not having realized what it was sooner. This is despite the fiends saying it was a, "once a century," thing, so rare that V hadn't even heard about it in her quest for ultimate arcane power. Xykon caught on pretty quickly, too. I guess the two of them have spent serious time investigating the various evil routes to power?
|
|
#
?
May 11, 2009 09:13
|
|
|
Mystic Mongol posted:Twelve, I'm afraid. My bad. I could have sworn it was four levels. Still remarkably bad judgement on V's part. quote:I was distracted a bit by Xykon kicking rear end up and down the page, so I didn't notice a little aside from Redcloak--not only did he recognize a soul splice by seeing it, he chided himself for not having realized what it was sooner. This is despite the fiends saying it was a, "once a century," thing, so rare that V hadn't even heard about it in her quest for ultimate arcane power. Also very true. Unforeseen consequences from dealing with fiends? Nah.
|
|
#
?
May 11, 2009 10:51
|
|
|
Mystic Mongol posted:E: He's been seen to cast epic spells (Cloister, I believe it was called) and he has at least one level 12 spell slot, which puts him in at 4 epic feats... Epic Spellcasting once, and Improved Spell Capacity three times. So assuming that Xykon pulled out his biggest, meanest spell (a fair assumption) and that he didn't take any other epic feats (more of a stretch) he's either level 26 or 27. Plus, you know, lich. Cloister was cast from an item.
|
|
#
?
May 11, 2009 11:11
|
|
|
Vaarsuvius, this is what happens when you get overconfident. I hope we've all learned a lesson from this. Edit: This is what happens, Vaarsuvius! This is what happens when you get overconfident about a lich! You see this? You see this, Vaarsuvius? This is what happens! This is what happens, Vaarsuvius! This is what happens when you get overconfident about a lich! (punctuate rant with Energy Drains as you see fit) ZorbaTHut fucked around with this message at 13:16 on May 11, 2009 |
|
#
?
May 11, 2009 12:54
|
|
|
I love Xykon so much right now. V was overconfident, and why wouldn't he be? And he's paying for it. I hope we get to see Xykon pull off a cool Epic Spell of his own. Still I have a feeling V has enough juice in him to put Xykon in a bad enough position that we'll get to see the monster in the dark, maybe with a call back to the first time Xykon tried unveiling him. For those of you who are saying V should escape, well, he can't 'cause he hasn't got any epic spells remaining and the city is still cloistered. Now doesn't he feel stupid for casting Epic Teleportation three times.
|
|
#
?
May 11, 2009 13:07
|
|
|
I believe the effects of cloister only make it so you can't teleport IN. V should be able to teleport OUT (like for a subway sammitch).
|
|
#
?
May 11, 2009 13:41
|
|
|
Yeah, V's probably going to say "gently caress it" and get out of there. Possibly zap Redcloak first, I fancy. EDIT: Oh, and how long does Shapeshift last? If all else fails, he could just turn into an Iron Golem or something and go from there. V. Illych L. fucked around with this message at 15:11 on May 11, 2009 |
|
#
?
May 11, 2009 15:06
|
|
|
Affi posted:Still I have a feeling V has enough juice in him to put Xykon in a bad enough position that we'll get to see the monster in the dark, maybe with a call back to the first time Xykon tried unveiling him. What makes you think that? V tops out at level 7 spells. Both splices took enough negative levels to lose all their epic slots, and then eight more each on top. We're left with a mid-level adventuring party that can only take one action a round, and the clerics are just standing back clapping politely.
|
|
#
?
May 11, 2009 15:10
|
|
|
Affi posted:I love Xykon so much right now. V was overconfident, and why wouldn't he be? And he's paying for it. I hope we get to see Xykon pull off a cool Epic Spell of his own. New question: is V responsible for damages to the spliced souls? With each one being returned (at least) twelve levels weaker than they were loaned out, I think the fiends could make a legitimate claim. That's far beyond the normal wear and tear one would associate with a normal rental.
|
|
#
?
May 11, 2009 15:40
|
|
|
bartolimu posted:I'm pretty much loving Xykon too. I think we've seen his Epic Spell though - Maximized Energy Drain. That's about as mean as anything I've seen a GM do. The level loss is only permanent if they fail their saving throw; it's just the negative levels they carry around until they can make a save drops the spells they can cast.
|
|
#
?
May 11, 2009 16:46
|
|
|
the car rental place still charges you an arm and a leg if you bring the car back with less fuel than it started with. and these are infernal bureaucrats.
|
|
#
?
May 11, 2009 17:42
|
|
|
bison wings posted:the car rental place still charges you an arm and a leg if you bring the car back with less fuel than it started with. and these are infernal bureaucrats. They could be real dicks about it too. "Alright, so we they came back down ten levels, so we get your soul for the time you were spliced plus the time it takes you to gain ten levels."
|
|
#
?
May 11, 2009 20:36
|
|
|
Geshtal posted:They could be real dicks about it too. "Alright, so we they came back down ten levels, so we get your soul for the time you were spliced plus the time it takes you to gain ten levels." Not in the contract. There was no clause about the condition the souls were supposed to be returned in.
|
|
#
?
May 11, 2009 21:44
|
|
|
bartolimu posted:I'm pretty much loving Xykon too. I think we've seen his Epic Spell though - Maximized Energy Drain. That's about as mean as anything I've seen a GM do.
|
|
#
?
May 11, 2009 23:34
|
|
|
Zereth posted:Aren't Epic Spells and greater-than-level-9 slots separate issues? Yes. Two different feats, the latter giving you actual level 10+ slots to cast out of, and the former giving you a number of castings per day based on Knowledge ranks.
|
|
#
?
May 11, 2009 23:40
|
|
|
While probably not true it would be pretty cool if V did this on purpose, and gets the souls he is spliced with level-drained to nothing before sending them back to hell as some kind of out to his contract based on... something. I find that highly doubtful of course.
|
|
#
?
May 12, 2009 00:45
|
|
|
quote:Hey, if he has no ranks in Knowledge (religion)...
|
|
#
?
May 12, 2009 01:21
|
|
|
Oracle posted:You joke, but my DM has pulled this poo poo on me for no less than recognizing ghouls on sight and zombies by sound. loving GHOULS and ZOMBIES. And I had even fought zombies before with that character! As a DM, I can tell you one good reason to make people roll a checks for zombie noises. At one point I had a drunk staggering out of a bar, moaning a bit, who was promptly murdered by a paladin. Paladin lost his powers, started a huge bitch-fest in the party about it. So now I have to make people roll to identify zombies.
|
|
#
?
May 12, 2009 13:02
|
|
|
Cuchulain posted:As a DM, I can tell you one good reason to make people roll a checks for zombie noises. At one point I had a drunk staggering out of a bar, moaning a bit, who was promptly murdered by a paladin. Paladin lost his powers, started a huge bitch-fest in the party about it. So now I have to make people roll to identify zombies. That's hilarious. I can just picture some drunk shambling out the door all "Faithandbegorrah... sshafffuck.... ohhhmabrain urrkblrgh..." and a passing Paladin suddenly lunges at him screaming "ZOMBIES! YOU HAVE TO DESTROY THE HEAD!" before decapitating him. Was the paladin's whole family eaten by zombies or something in his backstory?
|
|
#
?
May 12, 2009 14:31
|
|
|
Cuchulain posted:As a DM, I can tell you one good reason to make people roll a checks for zombie noises. At one point I had a drunk staggering out of a bar, moaning a bit, who was promptly murdered by a paladin. Paladin lost his powers, started a huge bitch-fest in the party about it. So now I have to make people roll to identify zombies. Quick anecdote: The master describes the creature I see in a room as "A very pale, tall man dressed in aristocratic clothing" I roll, getting the description narrowed to: "looks undead". My Bard jumps out of the window screaming "Vamp!" like a maniac. It was a "freshly zombiefied rich guy"
|
|
#
?
May 12, 2009 14:36
|
|
|
quote:At one point I had a drunk staggering out of a bar, moaning a bit, who was promptly murdered by a paladin. Paladin lost his powers, started a huge bitch-fest in the party about it. So now I have to make people roll to identify zombies.
|
|
#
?
May 12, 2009 14:57
|
|
|
maybe the moaning was coming from a kid left in the dungeon as part of a ye olde fraternity prank.
|
|
#
?
May 12, 2009 15:15
|
|
|
Oracle posted:You joke, but my DM has pulled this poo poo on me for no less than recognizing ghouls on sight and zombies by sound. loving GHOULS and ZOMBIES. And I had even fought zombies before with that character!
|
|
#
?
May 12, 2009 16:45
|
|
|
Halloween Jack posted:To be fair, how do you immediately tell the difference between a zombie, ghoul, wight, and vampire? I mean, assuming that it's dark and they're dirty, as they're likely to be. Preliminary nutshot; if they crumple in a heap, cursing your name, then it's not a zombie.
|
|
#
?
May 12, 2009 17:56
|
|
|
Shyrka posted:That's hilarious. I can just picture some drunk shambling out the door all "Faithandbegorrah... sshafffuck.... ohhhmabrain urrkblrgh..." and a passing Paladin suddenly lunges at him screaming "ZOMBIES! YOU HAVE TO DESTROY THE HEAD!" before decapitating him. Was the paladin's whole family eaten by zombies or something in his backstory? No, he was just an idiot. Then the other Paladin in the party killed him for his unrepentant murder. Good times, gooood times.
|
|
#
?
May 12, 2009 19:32
|
|
|
Cabbit posted:Preliminary nutshot; if they crumple in a heap, cursing your name, then it's not a zombie. Poor man's "detect evil".
|
|
#
?
May 12, 2009 23:39
|
|
|
Cuchulain posted:No, he was just an idiot. Then the other Paladin in the party killed him for his unrepentant murder. Good times, gooood times. Should have stripped him of his powers too for added hilarity! (don't turn into an alignment argument don't turn into an alignment argument don't turn into an alignment argument)
|
|
#
?
May 13, 2009 11:09
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 22, 2024 09:33 |
|
|
ZorbaTHut posted:Poor man's "detect evil". A Fighter in the same party from my story had a small knife he kept around to weed out spies, actually. He would stab people and see what deity they shouted. quote:Should have stripped him of his powers too for added hilarity! Cuchulain fucked around with this message at 11:15 on May 13, 2009 |
|
#
?
May 13, 2009 11:13
|
|