The OotS thread

[Peptuck]

O-Chul isn't low level and paladins are saving throw and hitpoint monsters, especially Fortitude saves. Nothing strange about him not dying.

Yeah, I run a Paladin/Crusader in a current campaign. He's pretty much never failed a saving throw and takes the lion's share of damage every encounter. We don't have a rogue in our party, so he tends to be the one who disarms traps....with his face.

[Sriad]

Oh yea, O-Chul has 140+ HP determined from trap damage. He'd still be standing even if he didn't make his save, though with a lot more battle damage showing... but his fort saving thow base is in the mid to high teens and Redcloak's level 7 spells have a save of 22 or 23.

[Imperial Overlord]

Nonstandard magic items have popped up a bunch of times in the strip (Roy's starmetal sword, Xykon's anti-positive energy doodad). Assuming that he's using a specific epic item from such a vague reference is, in my opinion, making an unwarranted assumption as is assuming that he forged it himself. He implies that he did, but he's quite capable of lying or bending the truth (especially for a dramatic verbal smack down) and he shops at a good magic item store.

[avatarxprime]

Man, O-Chul makes me want to role a Paladin. Also, this answers whether of not O-Chul heard about the phylactery or not. Good thing the man has a plan.

[CaptainChewbacca]

This is why you always, ALWAYS kill captured Paladins. They NEVER GIVE UP, and they're usually mad when they get free.

[The Yosemite Bear]

Also on that list of people who will inevitably escape, include Monks, especially ones who are good with Mui-Thai kung fu. And Dark Even slave boys who wear BDSM leather armour and are specialized in using chains and hooks as weapons.....

What you've never seen a Half Drow Gladiator?

[Solauren]

Last panel of the first strip (among others) confirms skill points.

So, if he made himself a Ring of Elemental Immunity (Fire), he'd have to be Level 32, which makes him a CR 34.

Nice.

[Napoleon the Clown]

I was going to point out that if he made his fort save, he'd only be taking 5d6 damage, which comes out to a max of thirty damage, but I was basically beat to it. After having seen the beating he's taken already and been alive for, I'd say his Con score is camping around a 20, at the least. Fort saves are nothing for him, shy of the stuff for CR 20 encounters. His fort save is a minimum of 14, probably higher. Assuming a DC of twenty even, he's only going to need to roll a 6 or better to give that 2xRedcloak's level d6 damage the finger. And we're currently assuming he's only 14th level here, which isn't a definite.


His actions with the MitD would also get him XP. That's very much how a Paladin should act, and may have even talked him into switching over to the Good side.


I wonder how this phylactery fun will end up going? Will Xykon's soul jar get destroyed? Or will there be an intervention?

[Imperial Overlord]

He's a paladin. Fortitude is not only his good save, but he gets his Charisma bonus to all of his saves courtesy of divine grace as well as his Con bonus to Fortitude save and it will be even higher if he has fighter levels. Probably around the high teens or low twenties.

[consequences]

The visible battle damage applied to his character is pretty high for a mere 5d6.That's an average of 17.5 damage, and there's three distinct new marks that appeared in the panels after he was zapped. By comparison, even if Left-Eye is level 20 these days, a full powered disintegrate would 140 damage on average, which is more than survivable for our dude.

Edit: And from the disintegrate panel, our man's walking around with a fracking skull fracture. Holy crap.

[Sriad]

The visible battle damage applied to his character is pretty high for a mere 5d6.That's an average of 17.5 damage, and there's three distinct new marks that appeared in the panels after he was zapped. By comparison, even if Left-Eye is level 20 these days, a full powered disintegrate would 140 damage on average, which is more than survivable for our dude.

Edit: And from the disintegrate panel, our man's walking around with a fracking skull fracture. Holy crap.

I dunno, in 542 (our benchmark for >140hp) he has at least 18 wounds showing at the end. Several of them are massive 18-inch long gashes too. I'd say save is more likely.

[consequences]

Yeah, I guess I can go with that. It makes Disintegrate a piss-poor choice for Left-eye to use though.

[The Yosemite Bear]

well if he can survive this, he can be the dread goblin pirate Redcloak Roberts.

[Lord of the Abyss]

656 up !

"It Probably Squeaks Too"

[Solauren]

Maybe they should send the Imp to make an offer of 'relocation and Splice renewal' or something. Same terms as before.

That would get them more time after all...

[Starglider]

Maybe they should send the Imp to make an offer of 'relocation and Splice renewal' or something. Same terms as before.

Regardless of whether the fiends can even do that (and I get the impression they can't), this would be completely against the flow of the narrative (V learning lessons and dealing with consequences from his power trip).

[Crazedwraith]

Are the fiends actually trying to get rid of Xykon then? (the whole rooting for a paladin thing)

Plus why do they care if the elf gets skwooshed? With the splices gone, surely whatever test they were running is over.

[Starglider]

Plus why do they care if the elf gets skwooshed? With the splices gone, surely whatever test they were running is over.

You'd think they'd actually want her to die since then they'd get possession of her soul for the agreed period. Since they don't, my guess is that they want to trade this price for a specific service from V relating to control of the Snarl.

[Solauren]

Are the fiends actually trying to get rid of Xykon then? (the whole rooting for a paladin thing)

Not nessacarily. It could be the one fiend was so impressed with O'chuul's badassery he was like 'yes, go!' from that.

Also, they probably see Xykon as an obstacle for their own plans concerning the Snarl. And one they are not likely to be able to turn to their side. At least, not without alot of bargaining.

However, I must admit, the idea of Xykon or any of the lesser evil bosses (Red Cloak, Pigtailed Girl) further fortified by Soul Splices is rather entertaining.

Plus why do they care if the elf gets skwooshed? With the splices gone, surely whatever test they were running is over.

What, are you as stupid as V? That 'running a test' was a complete lie. They want V in their pocket. As the imp guessed, and they explained, they've been watching the entire Order of the Stick, if not just V, since Sabine reported the entire Gate/Snarl/Xykon thing to them a long time ago.

V getting squished means that V's soul goes into the afterlife, after they get it first, and then V's debt is paid.

They want to save that 20 minute or so debt (each, so total of 60 minutes) for later. Say when V is near one of the Gates.

[Peptuck]

Plus why do they care if the elf gets skwooshed? With the splices gone, surely whatever test they were running is over.

You'd think they'd actually want her to die since then they'd get possession of her soul for the agreed period. Since they don't, my guess is that they want to trade this price for a specific service from V relating to control of the Snarl.

This one strikes me as the most likely answer. I'd totally not be surprised if the fiends were up to some nasty double-dealing to play on V's alignment.

[Ford Prefect]

I feel sorry for O'chul. Stabs out one of Red Cloak's eyes, steals Xykon's phylactery, kills Jirix, and now Xykon is probably going to completely murder him. Totally badass though.

[Sriad]

Plus why do they care if the elf gets skwooshed? With the splices gone, surely whatever test they were running is over.

You'd think they'd actually want her to die since then they'd get possession of her soul for the agreed period. Since they don't, my guess is that they want to trade this price for a specific service from V relating to control of the Snarl.

I'm in the party that thinks the Fiend's agreement gives them control over V at ANY time, not just after hir death:
633

Purple (CE): Each of us gets your soul for the same amount of time that you are under the effects of their Soul Splice.
Yellow (LE): So, maintain all three splices for an hour, your soul spends one hour with me, then one hour each with my two associates.
Orange (NE): Exact order of custody to be determined at a later point.

If V dies, the fiends only get Hhir soul in the afterlife for 20 minutes each. If s/he lives, they get LEVERAGE.

I feel sorry for O'chul. Stabs out one of Red Cloak's eyes, steals Xykon's phylactery, kills Jirix, and now Xykon is probably going to completely murder him. Totally badass though.

Yea, if he hasn't already. Taking a meteor swarm to the face (2d6 bludgeoning per orb and no save against 6d6 fire damage per orb) and a maximized lightning bolt is good for another (28 bludgeoning+84 fire-no save but resistances are worth 4x)+(60, DC 24ish (Xykon's CHA is high 20s; ~+8 to base of 16 for a 6th level spell slot...it didn't look like he made it.) Reflex save for half)+(17 on the saved disintigrate)= somewhere in the neighborhood of 150-190. O'chul is in some trouble.

[The Yosemite Bear]

or the fiends are in it for the big reward. Remember what X said. a lich is better then the blood war, breaking the lich's safety hut means that they would get the reward in hell for that bounty.

[Lord of the Abyss]

or the fiends are in it for the big reward. Remember what X said. a lich is better then the blood war, breaking the lich's safety hut means that they would get the reward in hell for that bounty.

I think they are after bigger game than Xykon; he's just one more soul after all. But if they can use V to release the Snarl, then they unleash something that can kill gods. Either the good gods, or gods in general. Remember their speech about overrunning the Upper Planes in #633 ? Hard to do that with the good gods defending them - unless the good gods get eaten by the Snarl.

[The Yosemite Bear]

yeah, them fiends are sith lawyers...

then agian where are the upper planes gonna find any lawyers.