THE OotS Thread, Part V

[Rogue 9]

1252 is up. That's convenient.

[Crazedwraith]

I love sunny and it's always nice when Elan's pleasant world view is rewarded.

And it looks like we're definitely finished with the fight sequence which i also very much approve of.

eta: Though if the potion only screws your short term memory I feel like it wouldn't stop the paladins or the Order for very long.

[Ralin]

eta: Though if the potion only screws your short term memory I feel like it wouldn't stop the paladins or the Order for very long.

Unless it's part of a series of potions/other memory-fuckery agents that Serini would have used after hitting them with it.

[Crazedwraith]

1253 is up at last

[LadyTevar]

Sunny wears contact(s) to prevent anti-magic ray! YAY!

[The Grim Squeaker]

I reread some old "issues" lately (blame tv tropes), and it is crazy to think that the first fight with Xylon was around ~100 issues in, and Azure city around 2003-2005. The comic has slowed down a fair amount :0 (both plot progression and literal rate of publishing. (Yes I know he had an injury).

[AniThyng]

I merely wish that I may learn what the monster in the darkness is in my lifetime.

[Crazedwraith]

I reread some old "issues" lately (blame tv tropes), and it is crazy to think that the first fight with Xylon was around ~100 issues in, and Azure city around 2003-2005. The comic has slowed down a fair amount :0 (both plot progression and literal rate of publishing. (Yes I know he had an injury).

An injury plus chronic illness, plus the major art upgrade in the last couple of books probably takes longer.

But yeah the long waits between pages is hassle especially now it's very plot focused and continuity heavy. One pages only advances things so much. I've been re-reading my copies of the books though and it really is great when you can read them all together.

[Coop D'etat]

Not just the art. Its a much, much better written story now than it was years ago.

[Rogue 9]

Speaking of advancement, 1254 is up.

[LadyTevar]

Yeah, trying to convince her otherwise is not going to be easy. Old Women with Set Minds

[Solauren]

Actually, they can honestly say they are only responsible for the destruction of 2 of the gates, and even at that,


Liran's Gate was destroyed as a result of Xyklon and Redcloak's attempt to seize it.

Soon's Gate - Was destroyed by a fallen Paladin, after it had been successfully defended.
(I can imagine the ghost-Paladins would have wiped out the invading Hobgoblins too.)

Dorukan's Gate - Accidental without knowing what it was. You could argue if they'd known, they wouldn't have blown it up.
(And who put that self-destruct in anyway? Xyklon or Dorukan?)

Girad's Gate - Destroyed to keep it out of the hands of Xyklon, Elan, and Nale (as it was now totally undefended).
(And Elan's father was going to destroy it anyway).

Realistically, if they compared notes, the thing to do at this point would be to kidnap Redcloak, and keep alchemically mind-wiping him until he agrees to work with them. Eventually, Durkon could get the explaination right with everyone's help (including possible Planeshifting the the Astral Plane and showing Redcloak the proof).

Follow that up with 'revealing' that the doors reset and shuffle around which one leads to the Gate at random as an extra defense (so he thinks it's going to be a long, long grind until he gets lucky and finds it). Do that, and in theory, without Redcloak there to repair him, or keep him on task, Xyklon could be physically damaged enough to be an easier kill.

Also, spam him with Celestial Giraffes.

[Rogue 9]

1255 is up.

[LadyTevar]

And now the old biddy knows the gods will destroy the world to stop the Snarl. I wonder how that changes her opinion.

[Solauren]

My bet - EXTREME disbelief.

[Crazedwraith]

1256 is up

[LadyTevar]

And Belkor saves the day, via cynicism. And a Paladin with a WIS score high enough to know when to shut up.

[Rogue 9]

1257 is up. Roy needs to calm down and listen to the recon report.

[Crazedwraith]

I wonder if the fact Sunny has drawn a picture of the snarl is significant.

Also Xykon saying te other's are playing junior detective. I wonder if Redcloak and Oona are going to twig to tne set up.

So much for tbe Order's one advantage.

[Solauren]

Actually, this is a big advantage. Xyklon is alone without back up. That means no Redcloak buffing him.

Also, he's probably low on spells.

Now is the perfect time to hit him. Get him in Sunny's anti-magic ray, and let Roy go to town.

[LadyTevar]

I wonder if the fact Sunny has drawn a picture of the snarl is significant.

Also Xykon saying te other's are playing junior detective. I wonder if Redcloak and Oona are going to twig to tne set up.

So much for tbe Order's one advantage.

I was wondering about the picture of fighting the dragon as well.

[Ralin]

Now is the perfect time to hit him. Get him in Sunny's anti-magic ray, and let Roy go to town.

I'd be very surprised if Xykon didn't have a counter for anti-magic fields.

[Solauren]

There are no = published WOTC 3.X = counters for an anti-magic field (or beholder ray), besides moving out of them, of pre-existing barriers

Order distracts him, Sunny 'rays' him, and the fighters melee him. Really its 'take down epic bad-ass spellcaster 101'.

In the anti-magic ray, Xyklon is basically a intelligent skeleton with a back-up of his mind.

[Ralin]

There are no = published WOTC 3.X = counters for an anti-magic field (or beholder ray), besides moving out of them, of pre-existing barriers

Purely rules as written, epic spellcasting can bypass an antimagic field: https://www.d20srd.org/srd/epic/spellsIntro.htm

Antimagic field does not automatically suppress epic spells as it does standard spells. Instead, each time an epic spell is subject to an antimagic field, make a dispel check as a 20th-level caster (1d20 + 20). The epic spell has a DC of 11 + the epic spell’s spellcaster level. If the suppression check is successful, the epic spell is suppressed like any other spell. If the dispel check is unsuccessful, the epic spell functions normally.

Epic spells aren't generally intended for direct combat, but it would be surprising if Xykon didn't have at least one epic attack spell considering who he is, and it wouldn't take much to crush Sunny. Going by the spirit of the rules, creating a specific "Ward Against Antimagic Because Seriously Fuck Beholders" epic spell seems like it would be a priority for someone like Xykon once he took the Epic Spellcaster feat.

There was also a 9th level spell in Lords of Madness that let you cast up to 3rd level spells for one round inside an antimagic field Spark of Magic I think it was called. Doubt that'll matter, but just to be complete.

I'd also argue the fact that Sereni hasn't done this already is a sign that she expects it's at least possible Xykon has a countermeasure.

[Rogue 9]

There are no = published WOTC 3.X = counters for an anti-magic field (or beholder ray), besides moving out of them, of pre-existing barriers

Purely rules as written, epic spellcasting can bypass an antimagic field: https://www.d20srd.org/srd/epic/spellsIntro.htm

Antimagic field does not automatically suppress epic spells as it does standard spells. Instead, each time an epic spell is subject to an antimagic field, make a dispel check as a 20th-level caster (1d20 + 20). The epic spell has a DC of 11 + the epic spell’s spellcaster level. If the suppression check is successful, the epic spell is suppressed like any other spell. If the dispel check is unsuccessful, the epic spell functions normally.

Epic spells aren't generally intended for direct combat, but it would be surprising if Xykon didn't have at least one epic attack spell considering who he is, and it wouldn't take much to crush Sunny. Going by the spirit of the rules, creating a specific "Ward Against Antimagic Because Seriously Fuck Beholders" epic spell seems like it would be a priority for someone like Xykon once he took the Epic Spellcaster feat.

There was also a 9th level spell in Lords of Madness that let you cast up to 3rd level spells for one round inside an antimagic field Spark of Magic I think it was called. Doubt that'll matter, but just to be complete.

I'd also argue the fact that Sereni hasn't done this already is a sign that she expects it's at least possible Xykon has a countermeasure.

Xykon's most probable countermeasure is his various minions. Redcloak is also a primary caster, but he's not incapable, and then there's the bugbears. Also, Serini doesn't have an effective way to attack Xykon either antimagic field or not; as an undead creature he's immune to both sneak attack and poison and that's her major method of dealing damage.