The OotS thread

[CaptainChewbacca]

Hah, love the Go philosophy. I spent six months working on teaching AI to play Go a few years back, it's a very deep game, moreso than chess. Hope I can have another crack at that sometime.

Anyway, this fight should be good.

Out of curiousity, how good did your AI get?

[The Yosemite Bear]

I hear that AI go play is about as likely as passing a Turing test....

[Peptuck]

651 is up !

Oh, my.

It looks like V walked headlong into a massive magical explosion of some kind....and was little more than annoyed.

[Starglider]

Out of curiousity, how good did your AI get?

Beginner level, I could still beat it (though not trivially, and I did have the advantage of knowing which strategies it was likely to try). However I wasn't directly trying to make the best possible Go player, I was experimenting with specific AI techniques (mainly different hypothesis generator architectures - this is a key piece of a general probabilistic reasoner).

I hear that AI go play is about as likely as passing a Turing test....

Correct, in that we can beat naive opponents in both challenges with existing techniques, but beating the experts is going to take major advances (and probably isn't brute-forceable).

[Xon]

It looks like V walked headlong into a massive magical explosion of some kind....and was little more than annoyed.

That is likely the result of an Epic Teleport punching it's way through a city-wide anti-teleport field erected by an Epic level Lich. Note; the ground under V has a scorch mark, and the dissipating smoke coming of V.

[Solauren]

EPIC LEVEL MAGE FIGHT!

EPIC LEVEL MAGE FIGHT!

EPIC LEVEL MAGE FIGHT!

Sorry, I just like Mage Fights.

Now we see what V and Xyklon (& Redcloak & company) can do.

Ye-ha!

Here's hoping it's as epic as the high level cleric fight with Redcloak and the head cleric of azure city (under the paladins) was

[Raxmei]

I bet V gets knocked out in the first round.

[avatarxprime]

Again, O-Chul proves just how awesome a properly played Paladin can be. I look forward to seeing 652, provided Rich doesn't end up going "and now for something completely different."

[Ar-Adunakhor]

Well many things could happen due to acts of plot, but at this point it looks like V is pretty much screwed. Also, Xykon just cast a 12th level spell. How high is his level, anyway?

[Lord of the Abyss]

#652 by the way.

I wouldn't be be surprised if Xykon beats V, and just dumps V somewhere. Remember how he just told Roy to go away and get some levels first ?

[CaptainChewbacca]

V needs to drop those splices FAST before Xykon gets all their power.

[Peptuck]

Damn, V is in the shit.

Should have waited for the Ressurection to finish and then epic Teleport the whole group into Xykon's lair.

Of course, that probably would have resulted in the whole Order getting slaughtered, but hey. Better than trying to solo an epic Lich.

[DarthShady]

Two chumps who didn't have the balls to stay in the game.

I love Xykon.

And Yeah V is getting fucked up.

[The Grim Squeaker]

Of course, that probably would have resulted in the whole Order getting slaughtered, but hey. Better than trying to solo an epic Lich.

Not necessarily, the order taking on Redcloak would have kept Xylon from catching on to the whole "energy drain-leetness" thing. It's amusing though, a quick single buff spell or two (even "negative energy immunity" and a personal protection or AC boosting spell) and he'd have been set to go (As opposed to being butt fucked due to waltzing in without buffs, precast spells or a decent concentration check ).

[Lord of the Abyss]

V needs to drop those splices FAST before Xykon gets all their power.

Of course, then V is reduced to Just Plain Vaarsuvius, stuck in Xykon's stronghold. Kind of screwed either way.

Of course, that probably would have resulted in the whole Order getting slaughtered, but hey. Better than trying to solo an epic Lich.

Not necessarily, the order taking on Redcloak would have kept Xylon from catching on to the whole "energy drain-leetness" thing. It's amusing though, a quick single buff spell or two (even "negative energy immunity" and a personal protection or AC boosting spell) and he'd have been set to go (As opposed to being butt fucked due to waltzing in without buffs, precast spells or a decent concentration check ).

It's kind of symbolic that Xykon is whipping V in no small part because the evil lich is cooperating better than the elvish wizard. V loses surprise due to traps that weren't Xykon's idea; Xykon is alerted to the Splices thanks to his ally being right there and not far, far away; and someone on another forum points out that Durkon could probably give V that negative energy protection you mention.

[consequences]

Okay, where the hell did Xykon get twelfth level spell slots from? I'm sure as hell not seeing a greater rod of maximize in his hands to let him do it without that trifling detail. He has to be a 26th level sorcerer at a minimum to pull that off(epic spellcasting, and three improved spell capacities for four epic feats at 21st, 23rd, 24th, and 26th level if I have the progression right).

V's really screwing this up, it's actually quite disappointing. I guess the splice didn't remove the effects of exhaustion he's been suffering. I mean frack, he just missed a ranged touch attack, again.

[The Grim Squeaker]

V's really screwing this up, it's actually quite disappointing. I guess the splice didn't remove the effects of exhaustion he's been suffering. I mean frack, he just missed a ranged touch attack, again.

What did you expect? The story of the wizard selling his soul for power to destroy the BBEG ending with him not having his arse kickeddue to being a power crazed idiot unused to megalomania inducing might?

Yes, V with half a brain could have creamed Xylon (Protection spells, Summon monster(s), and extended time stop before teleporting then casting the epic spells), and him failing the concentration spells is a natural 1, but hey.

What did you expect?

[consequences]

V's really screwing this up, it's actually quite disappointing. I guess the splice didn't remove the effects of exhaustion he's been suffering. I mean frack, he just missed a ranged touch attack, again.

What did you expect? The story of the wizard selling his soul for power to destroy the BBEG ending with him not having his arse kickeddue to being a power crazed idiot unused to megalomania inducing might?

Yes, V with half a brain could have creamed Xylon (Protection spells, Summon monster(s), and extended time stop before teleporting then casting the epic spells), and him failing the concentration spells is a natural 1, but hey.

I expected V not to make basic dumbass mistakes like using electricity on a lich, and in general put forth a better showing before getting his ass kicked. This smells of authorial cop-out.

Edit: however, I'm willing to give the author the benefit of the doubt. It's not as bad as the epic cleric duel during the battle for Azure city after all.

[The Grim Squeaker]

V's really screwing this up, it's actually quite disappointing. I guess the splice didn't remove the effects of exhaustion he's been suffering. I mean frack, he just missed a ranged touch attack, again.

What did you expect? The story of the wizard selling his soul for power to destroy the BBEG ending with him not having his arse kickeddue to being a power crazed idiot unused to megalomania inducing might?

Yes, V with half a brain could have creamed Xylon (Protection spells, Summon monster(s), and extended time stop before teleporting then casting the epic spells), and him failing the concentration spells is a natural 1, but hey.

I expected V not to make basic dumbass mistakes like using electricity on a lich, and in general put forth a better showing before getting his ass kicked. This smells of authorial cop-out.

Edit: however, I'm willing to give the author the benefit of the doubt. It's not as bad as the epic cleric duel during the battle for Azure city after all.

Yeah, he got lazy in "Xylon is cunning so he beats V who is power crazed and arrogant lol".

[Crom]

In V's defense, is there any reason he would know about liches? Haley might, sure, because she's demonstrated D&D meta-game knowledge, but it's plausible V just didn't know that liches are immune to lightning.

[Solauren]

That was Chain Lightning, it was meant to help with the Goblinoids in the room.

But no matter HOW powerful you are, just teleporting into an Epic level spellcaster/similiar is a very, very, very bad idea.

[lance]

Okay, where the hell did Xykon get twelfth level spell slots from? I'm sure as hell not seeing a greater rod of maximize in his hands to let him do it without that trifling detail. He has to be a 26th level sorcerer at a minimum to pull that off(epic spellcasting, and three improved spell capacities for four epic feats at 21st, 23rd, 24th, and 26th level if I have the progression right).

There are a couple of feats that reduce the metamagic effects down by one, as well as a prestige class or two that do the same thing. Though he could have pulled out an invisible rod I guess.

[Imperial Overlord]

The Sudden Maximize feat is sorcerer friendly and will allow Xykon to throw around a Maximized Energy Drain with a 9th level spell slot.

[Ford Prefect]

Hah, this was inevitable. Anyone with half a brain and look at how frustrated and impatient Vaarsuvius was getting and realise that without all three Soul Splices, he stood no chance at all. Xykon is the final boss, and he's not going to loose to an angry and stupid elf like V. I'd be quite amused if Xykon turned out to be the one who killed each of the Soul Splices in the past.

I expected V not to make basic dumbass mistakes like using electricity on a lich

Yeah, it's not like he didn't use the to blow up Xykon's magical sentry turrets or anything.

[Grandmaster Jogurt]

Unless Mr. Burlew forgot to draw some of the damage markings, Team Evil appears to have more environmental advantages on its side than just the traps. At V's current caster level, Chain Lightning should've visibly harmed Redcloak and probably killed the random hobgoblin cleric, and Empowered Sunburst's average damage roll had a good chance of killing Xykon outright if he failed the save, and should've taken off almost half his health even if he didn't. The fact that no one in the room but V is showing any signs of damage at all doesn't bode well for the elf.