|
I'm just wondering how long before Malack decides "Sod it" and murders Nale despite everything.
|
#
?
Apr 14, 2012 13:49
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 30, 2024 20:27 |
|
|
Actually Elan is fairly dangerous in a fight, apparently. Given that he's beaten Nale 1v1 after getting his prestige class, and it's a running gag that despite being functionally retarded, Elan is the only character in the party who is actually well built.
|
|
#
?
Apr 14, 2012 13:51
|
|
|
Cuchulain posted:Actually Elan is fairly dangerous in a fight, apparently. Given that he's beaten Nale 1v1 after getting his prestige class, and it's a running gag that despite being functionally retarded, Elan is the only character in the party who is actually well built. Well, Nale is terribly built too, for what that's worth. He's like a multiclass fighter/rogue/sorcerer.
|
|
#
?
Apr 14, 2012 14:07
|
|
|
Android Blues posted:Well, Nale is terribly built too, for what that's worth. He's like a multiclass fighter/rogue/sorcerer. Sorcerer who specializes in illusion spells!  This was obviously a little gag way early in.
|
|
#
?
Apr 14, 2012 14:18
|
|
|
Android Blues posted:He's probably higher level than Roy, but Elan's combat skills top out at around "passably mediocre" while Roy is a full fighter. I have no doubts Tarquin still outmatches him, especially with all the damage he's already taken, but he can probably give him significantly more of a run for his money than Elan could. Agreed, which is almost certainly why Tarquin is going in as Thog in the first place...he needs every advantage he can get, just to be sure. Well, that, and to show off how much of a badass he is, which is an important part of Tarquin's character.
|
|
#
?
Apr 14, 2012 15:58
|
|
|
So wait, nobody's commented that we finally found out Sabine's not a devil?
|
|
#
?
Apr 14, 2012 17:53
|
|
|
Danzou posted:So wait, nobody's commented that we finally found out Sabine's not a devil? Succubi are demons.
|
|
#
?
Apr 14, 2012 18:07
|
|
|
HKR posted:Succubi are demons. I don't think we knew for sure she was a succubus; she could have been an Erinyes, which are female winged devils. This was the whole point of that strip where Haley shot her with a cold iron and a silver arrow at the same time, and was frustrated at not knowing which one hurt her (cold iron hurts demons, silver hurts devils.)
|
|
#
?
Apr 14, 2012 18:26
|
|
|
She was always way, way too stupid and impulsive to be an Erinyes.
|
|
#
?
Apr 14, 2012 18:37
|
|
|
Ashenai posted:I don't think we knew for sure she was a succubus; she could have been an Erinyes, which are female winged devils. This was the whole point of that strip where Haley shot her with a cold iron and a silver arrow at the same time, and was frustrated at not knowing which one hurt her (cold iron hurts demons, silver hurts devils.) yes but when it was revealed that she worked for the archfiends it was also revealed that she was a succubus working for the Lawful evil archfiend
|
|
#
?
Apr 14, 2012 18:38
|
|
|
Danzou posted:So wait, nobody's commented that we finally found out Sabine's not a devil? I don't know if we should take it as proof of her origins, as it's the build up to a joke. That joke being that she didn't deny being a whore.
|
|
#
?
Apr 14, 2012 18:38
|
|
|
Rumda posted:yes but when it was revealed that she worked for the archfiends it was also revealed that she was a succubus working for the Lawful evil archfiend Oh, right v  v
|
|
#
?
Apr 14, 2012 18:47
|
|
|
My money is on Tarquin bum-rushing Roy into a one-on-one confrontation just out of view of the Linear Guild and, then, immediately spilling the entire situation to Roy so they can concoct a plan to take Nale and the drow out of the picture. Just because he can, and 'proving' to the Order he's on their side will be useful later. They've proven they can get poo poo done, Nale not so much.
|
|
#
?
Apr 14, 2012 19:58
|
|
|
And then Tarquin can backstab both parties, trapping them into the temple or whatever. I hope that doesn't happen. I'm interested in finally seeing Roy fight with his awesome sword though, I can't remember if that's happened yet.
|
|
#
?
Apr 14, 2012 20:07
|
|
|
Android Blues posted:Well, Nale is terribly built too, for what that's worth. He's like a multiclass fighter/rogue/sorcerer. This is actually a stealth joke about how goddamned complicated becoming a bard in 1st edition was. Originally, you had to have an outrageously high ability spread, then multiclass 3 times going from fighter to thief and finally druid before being a bard. 3rd edition bards are more like sorcerers, so that class substitution makes more sense. (3e bards having healing spells is a relic of the druid multiclass they originally had to do.) Both Elan and Nale are Bards, its just that Nale took the needlessly complicated old-style bard progression. Which is entirely in-character for him.
|
|
#
?
Apr 14, 2012 21:03
|
|
|
Succubi are devils in 4e, which makes a bit more thematic sense to me if you look at their classic role as tempters in comparison to the Erinyes, who were the furies of Greek myth sent to punish mortals (which was their original function in AD&D or so, it wasn't until 2e and 3e that they just became generic "female devils" with no real role whatsoever other than fanservice). It made a bit more sense to some of the 3e writers as well, since the Fiendish Codex II: Tyrants of the Nine Hells introduced the Brachina, a succubus with the serial numbers filed off. Anyways, I think Tarquin's talk about the end of the mission could be hinting that Malak would be permitted to kill Nale after the gate was secured. crime fighting hog posted:And then Tarquin can backstab both parties, trapping them into the temple or whatever. It's happened several times, such as in the battle when Nale swapped places with Elan (Sabine regretted sending them on the quest after feeling the effects of the sword), the battle for Azure City, and the battle with the slavers in the desert post-resurrection. He hasn't used any new technique though.
|
|
#
?
Apr 14, 2012 21:09
|
|
|
Zonekeeper posted:This is actually a stealth joke about how goddamned complicated becoming a bard in 1st edition was. Originally, you had to have an outrageously high ability spread, then multiclass 3 times going from fighter to thief and finally druid before being a bard. 3rd edition bards are more like sorcerers, so that class substitution makes more sense. (3e bards having healing spells is a relic of the druid multiclass they originally had to do.) Nale never said he was a fighter/thief/sorcerer/bard. The joke might reference that first edition craziness, but in story he is just a fighter/thief/sorcerer because thought bards were wimps and he over-complicates things.
|
|
#
?
Apr 15, 2012 00:35
|
|
|
The joke is that Nale has exactly the same abilities Elan does, he just did things in an over-complicated manner and thinks he's super-clever for it.
|
|
#
?
Apr 15, 2012 03:23
|
|
|
Tinyn posted:Nale never said he was a fighter/thief/sorcerer/bard. The joke might reference that first edition craziness, but in story he is just a fighter/thief/sorcerer because thought bards were wimps and he over-complicates things. I never said that Nale has actual Bard levels, I said that he took the precise mix of classes that give him the same set of abilities (minus bard-only stuff like Bardic Knowledge and songs) as that class, making him a "bard" of sorts. Aside from swapping Druid levels for Sorcerer levels, he has exactly the same class mix as a 1st edition Bard. CapnAndy posted:The joke is that Nale has exactly the same abilities Elan does, he just did things in an over-complicated manner and thinks he's super-clever for it. Exactly.
|
|
#
?
Apr 15, 2012 04:10
|
|
|
"And that never struck you as needlessly overcomplicated?" "Not until this moment, no."
|
|
#
?
Apr 15, 2012 04:30
|
|
|
Except, of course, that unlike Elan...Nale has Sneak Attack and knows how to use it. And Elan has the ridiculously overpowered prestige class now too.
|
|
#
?
Apr 15, 2012 06:13
|
|
|
DrakePegasus posted:Reread Tarquin's every word and evaluate them. C'mon, man, this should be standard procedure! I hope so, I'm so loving sick and tired of Nale and the Linear Guild in general.
|
|
#
?
Apr 15, 2012 07:12
|
|
|
Calaveron posted:I hope so, I'm so loving sick and tired of Nale and the Linear Guild in general. I don't know, I'm still curious about the three dudes V made a deal with, and their related... kinda.
|
|
#
?
Apr 15, 2012 07:37
|
|
|
VanSandman posted:I don't know, I'm still curious about the three dudes V made a deal with, and they're related... kinda.
|
|
#
?
Apr 15, 2012 07:41
|
|
|
I frankly don't really care where they take the story, I'll be entertained either way. The fact that he keeps splitting up the party, though, is annoying as gently caress. Every time they get reunited it's 2-3 strips max before they are split up for another 20 strips.
|
|
|
#
?
Apr 16, 2012 15:59
|
|
|
DMBFan23 posted:I frankly don't really care where they take the story, I'll be entertained either way. The fact that he keeps splitting up the party, though, is annoying as gently caress. Every time they get reunited it's 2-3 strips max before they are split up for another 20 strips. Yes sacrificing story elements for optimal party strength in encounters is the best way to tell a story.
|
|
#
?
Apr 16, 2012 16:37
|
|
HKR posted:Yes sacrificing story elements for optimal party strength in encounters is the best way to tell a story. It's not optimal party strength in the min/max sense, it's that my enjoyment of the strip comes from the interactions between the party members, and when they're apart I get less of that. Sorry that I have offended you.
|
|
|
#
?
Apr 16, 2012 17:12
|
|
|
DMBFan23 posted:It's not optimal party strength in the min/max sense, it's that my enjoyment of the strip comes from the interactions between the party members, and when they're apart I get less of that. Frodo and Sam should have never left the fellowship. 
|
|
#
?
Apr 16, 2012 17:52
|
|
|
I actually agree with DMBFan23, it feels pretty lame to be all looking forward to (for example) an epic rematch of V vs. ZZdtri, only to then have V knocked out of the stage through a fairly contrived sequence of events ("Our verbose and stoic wizard suddenly screams and runs away in an epic-level pyramid that we know is trapped to hell and back? Ah, no worries, he's probably just taking a bit of fresh air outside, it's perfectly OK to have a party member walk around alone in this adventure."  )
|
|
#
?
Apr 16, 2012 18:17
|
|
|
NihilCredo posted:I actually agree with DMBFan23, it feels pretty lame to be all looking forward to (for example) an epic rematch of V vs. ZZdtri, only to then have V knocked out of the stage through a fairly contrived sequence of events ("Our verbose and stoic wizard suddenly screams and runs away in an epic-level pyramid that we know is trapped to hell and back? Ah, no worries, he's probably just taking a bit of fresh air outside, it's perfectly OK to have a party member walk around alone in this adventure." Yeah, I gotta agree with that one. Roy should be smarter than that. It's not like Elan was contributing anything to the search, so you might as well send him out to make sure V's okay.
|
|
#
?
Apr 16, 2012 19:02
|
|
|
LightWarden posted:
The true evil mastermind always stays in the shadows and jumps in after his figurehead lackey has either taken the fall or to knock him off and seize the power for himself. Tarquin is all about exploiting the narrative, his greatest power is knowing that he is in a story with rules. It really make me want to see him face off against Xykon who seems built around the idea of a villain that realizes he is in a game with rules.
|
|
#
?
Apr 17, 2012 04:13
|
|
|
The junk collector posted:The true evil mastermind always stays in the shadows and jumps in after his figurehead lackey has either taken the fall or to knock him off and seize the power for himself. Tarquin is all about exploiting the narrative, his greatest power is knowing that he is in a story with rules. Story-saavy villain vs. Game-saavy villain? Hmmm...you might be on to something there...
|
|
#
?
Apr 17, 2012 23:45
|
|
|
On the subject of Tarquin, I had an idea: What if he ends up working with the Order to 'redeem' himself? After all, what would be more legendary, the villain who was defeated by his own son, or the one who turned to the side of good to help his son? I've actually started wondering whether this could actually be Elan's plan (It being inspired during Roy's mention of "find[ing] a sense of good in your family" might point to this as well), but I'm not sure how Durkon fits into it then. Casting Atonement, maybe?
|
|
#
?
Apr 17, 2012 23:59
|
|
|
He'd only have to genuinely want it for Atonement to work though. Someone like Tarquin who lacks the empathy to truly understand getting upset at a loved one's death probably isn't even capable of faking it all that well.
|
|
#
?
Apr 18, 2012 00:46
|
|
|
I hope Rich is okay!
|
|
#
?
Apr 20, 2012 08:38
|
|
|
Did Durkon ever turn True Seeing off? I would expect that to be a problem for the glamered armor.
|
|
#
?
Apr 20, 2012 09:49
|
|
|
Jefepato posted:Did Durkon ever turn True Seeing off? I would expect that to be a problem for the glamered armor. Isn't glamered armor real? And not an illusion?
|
|
#
?
Apr 20, 2012 09:54
|
|
|
Affi posted:Isn't glamered armor real? And not an illusion? quote:Glamered Even without that specific wording, it's an illusion effect, and True Seeing counters those, as well as revealing the true nature of any polymorphed or transmuted creature or object.
|
|
#
?
Apr 20, 2012 10:35
|
|
|
 New Comic: not-thogSo much for True Seeing giving the game away.
|
|
#
?
Apr 21, 2012 13:08
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 30, 2024 20:27 |
|
|
Stabbey_the_Clown posted:
Well, really, True Seeing should see through it completely unless there's something very, very special about it. But I'm not fully sure Durkon ever got a good look at Tarquin in full gear and I'm not about to archive-trawl to double check it.
|
|
#
?
Apr 21, 2012 13:33
|
|