THE OotS Thread, Part IV.

[Coop D'etat]

Actually, mentioning magic items to boost his save(s), Roy may have also picked up protection against energy drain. Again, he's going to be fighting a lich. In which case Durkula has little chance of winning a fight. I guess we'll have to wait and see.

A lich who can cast Maximized Energy Drain, no less.

[I would assume that V, being very intelligent and wanting the plan to succeed, has shared the tactical intelligence gained from V's... premature... magical duel with Xykon. V may not have revealed how V came by such immense magical power, I don't know, but it beggars the imagination that V wouldn't have shared the information gained about Xykon's spell list.]

V confessed to Roy about the whole thing in #944, with Roy being more concerned about the tactical implications than the moral ones because that's what he felt qualified to deal with. Also as mentioned before the have detailed intelligence on Xykon's abilities from O'Chul.

[Simon_Jester]

True. I'd forgotten about that.

O-Chul would have a lot of information about what Xykon is capable of when he's just screwing around; plus his tactics when he destroyed the Sapphire Guard.

V would have information about what Xykon does when he really cuts loose.

Useful combination, that.

[Ahriman238]

That last hit actually landed. At least one priest is smiling over Roy's actions, the priestess of Odin is covering her mouth and looking ambiguous. And if Durkula couldn't make "let's talk, not fight" stick while wearing Durkon's face, he's not going to dominate Roy.

IIRC, isn't the rest of the party 4-6 levels ahead of Roy, seeing as he died, missed out on months of adventuring and took an exp penalty on raising?

[Venator]

That last hit actually landed. At least one priest is smiling over Roy's actions, the priestess of Odin is covering her mouth and looking ambiguous. And if Durkula couldn't make "let's talk, not fight" stick while wearing Durkon's face, he's not going to dominate Roy.

IIRC, isn't the rest of the party 4-6 levels ahead of Roy, seeing as he died, missed out on months of adventuring and took an exp penalty on raising?

Belkar is probably lagging a bit due to the Mark of Justice, but it he's getting XP for every time he attempted to stab Durkula on board the airship it might help the gap...

[LadyTevar]

The first "Clank" sounded like Damage Resistance kicked in. But the "SLASH!" hit hard, and Durkula's looking a little shocked. He didn't expect Roy to win the Will Save and I don't think Durkon's said anything about Roy's abilities, or that of the sword (if Durkon knew).
BTW: Roy's two-hand Slash might have been Great Cleave?

[Mr Bean]

The first "Clank" sounded like Damage Resistance kicked in. But the "SLASH!" hit hard, and Durkula's looking a little shocked. He didn't expect Roy to win the Will Save and I don't think Durkon's said anything about Roy's abilities, or that of the sword (if Durkon knew).
BTW: Roy's two-hand Slash might have been Great Cleave?

Great Cleave is for hitting any number of enemies not that useful in a one on one

[LadyTevar]

That last hit actually landed. At least one priest is smiling over Roy's actions, the priestess of Odin is covering her mouth and looking ambiguous.

Five Priests over the last two pages.

1. Elf-girl whose name I forgot
2. Thor's Priest (1000 small approving smile)
3. Sif's priest (1001 behind Roy as he lands)
4. Freya's Priest (1000, big during the jump)
5. Loki's Priest (1000, smirking brown-haired halfling)

Also in 1000, Baldur's little priest running for the door.

[Simon_Jester]

The first "Clank" sounded like Damage Resistance kicked in

Or the armor; Durkon does wear heavy plate, after all.

Also, uh... isn't Roy's greatsword a magic weapon, and wouldn't that overcome Durkula's DR?

[Rogue 9]

The first "Clank" sounded like Damage Resistance kicked in

Or the armor; Durkon does wear heavy plate, after all.

Also, uh... isn't Roy's greatsword a magic weapon, and wouldn't that overcome Durkula's DR?

Only if it also somehow counts as silver.

In Pathfinder it wouldn't give two shits because it's +5 and material-based damage reduction is automatically overcome by weapons of +3 enhancement or higher, but 3.5 D&D didn't have that little detail. In any event, a vampire's damage reduction requires a weapon to be both magic and silver to overcome it, but it's only 10/silver and magic, and if Roy isn't doing more than ten damage minimum per hit by now his character build is... pretty damn bad.

[Crazedwraith]

1002 has arrived

[Raesene]

I really like his comic titles

Maybe Roy forces Durkula outside, using his cross-class skills again so the Order can intervene.

[Rogue 9]

Durkula's fighting style is notably different from Durkon's. Durkon always just buffed himself and waded in with the hammer; Durkula is going straight offensive spells so far.

[Simon_Jester]

The first "Clank" sounded like Damage Resistance kicked in

Or the armor; Durkon does wear heavy plate, after all.

Also, uh... isn't Roy's greatsword a magic weapon, and wouldn't that overcome Durkula's DR?

Only if it also somehow counts as silver.

In Pathfinder it wouldn't give two shits because it's +5 and material-based damage reduction is automatically overcome by weapons of +3 enhancement or higher, but 3.5 D&D didn't have that little detail. In any event, a vampire's damage reduction requires a weapon to be both magic and silver to overcome it, but it's only 10/silver and magic, and if Roy isn't doing more than ten damage minimum per hit by now his character build is... pretty damn bad.

Ah, sorry. I was thinking of 2nd and earlier editions, when a magic weapon could bypass a lot of DR and immunities just by virtue of being magic.

That said, you're right that Roy almost has to be dishing out more than ten damage per shot, especially since he is indeed "as strong as a giant" thanks to the belt. So the 'thonk' sound of Roy's first hit would probably just be the sword failing to penetrate Durkon's armor.

In which case Durkon must have pretty nice armor, since it can stop slashes with a +5 sword, and has to be penetrated with a stabbing motion using the point of the sword. But then, Durkon would need armor with high bonuses, because he's sure not getting them from many other places.

[Rogue 9]

Well, Durkula was casting something (we don't know what) as Roy was jumping off the balcony in #1000. It could easily have been one of the many cleric defensive buffs.

[Ahriman238]

Durkon's AC was "through the startosphere" when he added a Amulet of Natural Armor following Xykon's defeat.

[Napoleon the Clown]

Durkon appears to be wearing fullplate armor (+8 armor bonus, max dex of 1 if it's not made from mithril), has a heavy steel shield (+2 shield bonus), natural armor from being a vampire (+6 natural armor), the amulet of natural armor (anywhere between +1 and +5 on his natural armor). And if his armor or shield is magic, that adds even more. It's not unrealistic that his AC is well over 20. Throw in the penalty for power attacks and it's not surprising Roy wouldn't hit every time he swings.

[Jub]

Durkon appears to be wearing fullplate armor (+8 armor bonus, max dex of 1 if it's not made from mithril), has a heavy steel shield (+2 shield bonus), natural armor from being a vampire (+6 natural armor), the amulet of natural armor (anywhere between +1 and +5 on his natural armor). And if his armor or shield is magic, that adds even more. It's not unrealistic that his AC is well over 20. Throw in the penalty for power attacks and it's not surprising Roy wouldn't hit every time he swings.

If we assume no dex modifier either way for AC and that his amulet and armor are all at +3 then we can figure Durkula for a minimum AC of 35. If any of those numbers end up higher than that, he has other AC boosting items that we aren't aware of, or he has any buffs on that boost AC he could have 40+ AC right now.

[Raesene]

1003 has arrived

Roy's anti-caster move has a name and is apparently known but believed to be a lost art.

[Terralthra]

Notably, Durkula doesn't appear to have taken much damage. Roy has several of the scratches used to indicate HP loss; Durkula has much fewer, and much less prominently.

[Lonestar]

Calling it now: Belkar is going to jump in and save Roy, then gonna get kerploded by the assembled high clerics, meeting the Oracle's prediction.

[Coop D'etat]

Calling it now: Belkar is going to jump in and save Roy, then gonna get kerploded by the assembled high clerics, meeting the Oracle's prediction.

Why would Belkar get kerploded by the clerics? He has bodyguard status the same as Roy does.

[Lonestar]

How would they know? He wasn't in the "Bodyguard" section.

[Napoleon the Clown]

And Roy didn't bother to hunt down an item to protect against Energy Drain. Nice job, Roy.

[Crazedwraith]

and they fight, and they fight, and they fiiiight....

[Raesene]

1004 is out

Durkula doesn't look happy in the last panel.
A pity Roy's sword's anti-undead special ability didn't activate- it's not glowing green.

Edit: I was a bit to slow