The OotS thread

[Solauren]

If O-Chul has any levels in Monk (and I'd be willing to bet most of the Sapphire Guard does), if he's level 4, his unarmed attacks are treated as magical weapons, and I think unarmed attacks are Bludgeoning weapons.

Second, I think O-Chul hitting Xykon with a Smite-Evil Uppercut, knocking Xykon's head off, and then he an V manage to make a hasty escape, would both

1 - Solify O-Chul as a main character, instead of an interesting 'NPC'
2 - Let V survive and get the badly needed object lesson

And as a Bonus
3 - Might pursade 'The Monster' to either switch sides immediately and follow them out or help at some later date.

[Cyborg Stan]

What on earth makes you think that most of the Sapphire Guard has monk levels?

In any case, O-Chul was a fighter for twelve years before becoming a paladin.

[Isolder74]

The only member of the Sapphire Guard with confirmed Monk levels is Miko.

[SilverWingedSeraph]

658 is up. Not exactly what most people expected, but still...

[consequences]

O-chul, you magnificent son of a bitch.

[The Yosemite Bear]

oh and since no one else has said it. 0658 is up now.

[Ilya Muromets]

oh and since no one else has said it. 0658 is up now.

Er, SilverWingedSeraph actually did say it two posts before yours.

[Ford Prefect]

V's familiar popping up is the punchline to a brilliant, comic length joke. Not a bad idea to toss the phylactery through the rift, either.

[LadyTevar]

Well... if the MitD does come out, it would be to save O'Chul as he tries to prevent Xylon from killing the birdie.

[avatarxprime]

Just wondering, does this mean V actually remembered Blackwing? Has Blackwing been doping V with ginkgo all this time?

Anyway, I'm actually surprised V is still up and about considering the prior strip seemed to indicate that Xykon crushed V's windpipe.

[Lusankya]

I wonder how much XP V will lose if/when his familiar goes through the rift.

[CaptainChewbacca]

Just wondering, does this mean V actually remembered Blackwing? Has Blackwing been doping V with ginkgo all this time?

Anyway, I'm actually surprised V is still up and about considering the prior strip seemed to indicate that Xykon crushed V's windpipe.

Strangling and strangled are two different things. In D20 mechanics, you have to fail saves on several rounds (each fail making things progressively harder) before you actually DIE of strangulation.

I wonder how much XP V will lose if/when his familiar goes through the rift.

IIRC the xp loss comes from casting the spell, not from losing a familiar. Though he may have to make a system shock check.

[Grandmaster Jogurt]

The XP loss from losing a familiar happens if you fail a DC15 Fortitude save after it dies. An issue here is that (I believe) familiars gain their powers by connecting their soul with the wizard (which is why they suffer loss from its death, while Druids suffer no loss at all due to the death of their companions), and the rift doesn't tend to do nice things to souls. The bigger concern is that the Snarl hasn't been probing out of this rift yet, but I'm also pretty sure nobody's gone in there yet. Blackwing flying up to it might change this matter, which probably won't be a good thing for Azure City or its surroundings.

[The Yosemite Bear]

what if MiD is actually the Snarl and it's not as bad as everybody thinks. (think chaos god/child)

[Napoleon the Clown]

Well, damn. O-Chul may have found a way to destroy the phylactery. Now we just need to hope (for their sake) Xykon doesn't have any spells that will let him retrieve the phylactery.


Of course, Xykon effortlessly kill Blackwing mid-flight. That's a long way from the tower they're in, it looks like. Xykon can toss even short range spells a respectable distance simply because he's so high level. Xykon isn't totally hosed yet. Though he'll need to take some pretty fast measures and actually kill his two playthings immediately, so as to avoid further problems.




Familiar loss will make you lose XP either way. Making the save simply reduces how much of a hit you take.

[Oskuro]

Of course, Xykon effortlessly kill Blackwing mid-flight.

Kill a neglible threat performing a dramatic action? I believe the power of narration is greater than the ruleset in OOTS (to the point Elan has a prestige class based on it, wich makes him competent).

My 2 cents, if they indeed use the familiar to get the Phylactery to the rift, I guess both V and O'chul will face Xykon to prevent him from downing the bird, wich might mean they'll die, or have MitD do something.

[Lusankya]

Xykon might have difficulty killing the familiar in any case. It has half of V's hitpoints, which would make it moderately tough, and it has improved evasion, meaning that at worst it takes half damage from any area effect spells. Xykon will have to go for the touch spells.

[Starglider]

Xykon would have to actually see the familiar holding the phylactery. If it gets away from the balcony before Xykon gets there, well he's focused on his two known enemies, a bird off in the background is hardly going to be noteworthy. Also it could simply fly over the portal and drop the phylactery in, I can't imagine why it would pointlessly sacrifice itself by flying in itself.

[Lusankya]

Wouldn't that depend on which direction the portal opens? If there's an opening above, sure, but if it only opens sideways then the raven would have to either throw it or fly in, and I doubt that birds are particularly good at throwing.

Besides, it would be fitting, I think, if V's focus on ultimate arcane power resulted in the loss of a level.

[Starglider]

If there's an opening above, sure, but if it only opens sideways then the raven would have to either throw it or fly in, and I doubt that birds are particularly good at throwing.

You wouldn't think aircraft are very good at throwing either, but toss bombing is actually quite effective. The bird simply needs to accelerate to 30 mph, let go, and the trinket will continue on a ballistic arc.

Besides, it would be fitting, I think, if V's focus on ultimate arcane power resulted in the loss of a level.

Well possibly but I think the Blackwing getting blasted is more likely, it did not strike me as the type to go for self sacrifice on demand.

[Solauren]

Maybe Xykon will see them about to destroy his soul gem and offer to let them and the Azurites within the city go in exchange.

Sure, that still leaves the Snarl-rift and Azure City under Hobgoblin control, but they'll save alot of lives that way.

And man, that Paladin kicks so much ass.

[Crazedwraith]

At this point I think It'll go one of two ways: Blackwing gets blasted and V & O-Chul escape while Xykon gets the phylactery. Or that V and/Or O-Chul get bumped off but the phyactery is destroyed. Both of which would advance the over all plot.

The other two extremes that Xykon kills V & O-Chul and saves the phylactery, that pretty much leads to zero plot advancement, (and might end up in a repeat of a resurrection plotline) and V & O-Chul escaping and destroying the phylactery is just wildly improbable considering who he's pretty much dominated them thus far.

Still V dying as Roy is resurrected would be deliciously ironic and would lead to a static amount of main characters being present. Blah, V's plot line seems to be getting drawn out overly long.

[Ted C]

Just wondering, does this mean V actually remembered Blackwing? Has Blackwing been doping V with ginkgo all this time?

Anyway, I'm actually surprised V is still up and about considering the prior strip seemed to indicate that Xykon crushed V's windpipe.

D&D doesn't actually have rules for specific injuries. You can drown or strangle someone by keeping them from breathing for longer than they can hold their breath, but it doesn't actually do hit point damage, so you pretty much recover instantly once you're getting air again.

[SAMAS]

At this point I think It'll go one of two ways: Blackwing gets blasted and V & O-Chul escape while Xykon gets the phylactery. Or that V and/Or O-Chul get bumped off but the phyactery is destroyed. Both of which would advance the over all plot.

The other two extremes that Xykon kills V & O-Chul and saves the phylactery, that pretty much leads to zero plot advancement, (and might end up in a repeat of a resurrection plotline) and V & O-Chul escaping and destroying the phylactery is just wildly improbable considering who he's pretty much dominated them thus far.

Still V dying as Roy is resurrected would be deliciously ironic and would lead to a static amount of main characters being present. Blah, V's plot line seems to be getting drawn out overly long.

More likely, I think the Phylactery will get destroyed, O-Chul dies, but V somehow escapes.

[Crazedwraith]

More likely, I think the Phylactery will get destroyed, O-Chul dies, but V somehow escapes.

Sadly this is true. I'm just hoping that O-Chul's just too badass to die. (I'm assuming the lack of Gate means no ghost martyr for him)

Incidentally I finally got around to reading through the archive (this thread having got me into OotS at the beginning of V's current plot line) and I have to say I think the best comic has to be 496 'Responsible' where Roy finds his brother in heaven. Plus I've found out I that I really like thog for some reason. Not so hot on the rest of the Linear guild though..