The Strongest Wizard

[Optimystik]

No, I don't mean Splice-V, although I'm sure his Crowning Moment of Awesome is right around the corner with this deal.

I'm talking about his master, Aarindarius.

How the hell strong is this guy, anyway? Every cutaway shows him one-shotting something - without even looking away from his books! Qarr I didn't think too much of, since he's a puny imp, but to lay the smackdown on an ancient black dragon before it can get a plane shift off is another matter entirely. I wonder, could HE be epic level? And here's a prediction:

Could he be the one to stop V if this soul contract nonsense gets out of hand? Surely he wouldn't approve of V's deal if he knew... would he?

I'm assuming the fiends have at least a general handle on A's power level, since they know who he is (including his name!) So just what is he capable of?

[Z-dan]

Could he be the one to stop V if this soul contract nonsense gets out of hand? Surely he wouldn't approve of V's deal if he knew... would he?


No he couldn't, cos that would turn things into a blatant rip[-off of Star Wars :smalltongue: Even Rich wouldn't sink that low... surely...

[Tempest Fennac]

All that OtOoPCs revealed is that he was an Evoker specialist and that he had Bigby's Evicting (Grasping) Hand, tells us he was at least level 13 before the main comic started. Unless he featured in any of the other books, I don't think there's anymore information about him at all.

[Cúchulainn]

Aarindarius is by far my most favourite character in the entire comic so far, I'd put him below epic-level but right up there. Enough to mop the floor with RC and probably do a decent stand off against Xykon, I'd say 17-18th level wizard, maybe an archmage level here or there though I doubt it. Still it's fun to think that same pink spell he's using to dust everything is arcane fire.

[Optimystik]

All that OtOoPCs revealed is that he was an Evoker specialist and that he had Bigby's Evicting (Grasping) Hand, tells us he was at least level 13 before the main comic started. Unless he featured in any of the other books, I don't think there's anymore information about him at all.

It revealed more than that - he was the former Iron Mage Evocation, which implied that he was pretty handy at it. And I doubt he's still level 13; that might be high enough to wax an imp with one shot, but a dragon? :smalleek:

[J.Gellert]

I don't think he will do anything big at this time, but he's definitely badass!

[Optimystik]

I agree, so I'll be pre-emptively starting the Aarindarius Fan Club. Can't wait for him to enter the comic proper.

What better way for V to show off his Real Ultimate Power than by taking on his old master? Or better yet, who (besides maybe Xykon) could stand up to him if he loses it?

*Bookmarks this post for future reference*

[Cúchulainn]

Nice try but I'm one step ahead (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=5762721&postcount=45) of you! :smallwink:

Too lazy though, I'll just join when you make it. :smallbiggrin:

[Optimystik]

Nice try but I'm one step ahead (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=5762721&postcount=45) of you! :smallwink:

Too lazy though, I'll just join when you make it. :smallbiggrin:

Touché, salesman :smallamused:

[Tempest Fennac]

I'd expect him to be a higher level, but the problem is that we don't have any evidence of it (those panels with things being 1-shotted may not refer to Aarindarius' exact capabilities).

[Logalmier]

Nice try but I'm one step ahead (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=5762721&postcount=45) of you! :smallwink:

Too lazy though, I'll just join when you make it. :smallbiggrin:

I'd join! Just by the merit that he could mop the floor with an ancient black dragon without even looking up from their books is a reason enough for me. Plus I just think Aarindarius's a really cool character.:smallbiggrin:

[ericgrau]

Well we know he's significantly stronger than the dragon and weaker than those 3 mages helping V. He's probably weaker than the linear guild members, since they were/are probably some of the toughest around in their time. And since they're about par with Xykon, that means A is probably below Xykon. Which is reasonable enough since Xykon and the linear guild are all epic level. An ancient black dragon is CR 19 so A it's likely A is at least that level. To mop the floor with the dragon he's probably level 23+.

Disintegrate, especially an empowered disintegrate would deal the most damage but with the dragon's fort save of 23 and the fact that greater spell focus (evocation) won't apply to this transmutation spell, a meteor swarm will do much more damage overall. Even with an int of 30 A won't be able to get the save DC much higher than 26. Meteor swarm's 32d6 averages to 112 damage on a no save touch attack (see text). And breaking the dragon's 25 SR should be easy for a high level caster. 4 meteor swarms would take the ancient black dragon down, or 3 empowered meteor swarms if A is epic enough. OTOH the spell A is shown casting in the cut scene looks more like disintegrate, only 2 empowered disintegrates would do the job if it weren't for the dragon's fort save, and Rich may have easily overlooked that. If A is epic enough he could toss an empowered polar ray and deal a little more than the meteor swarm - again as a no save touch attack - but we haven't even seen Xykon toss around 10th level metamagicked spells.

You have to wonder why V hasn't ask for his help before. Well, there's pride, but also I don't think a major opportunity has come up yet. There's the battle for Azure City, perhaps, but they had 1 or 2 days notice for that battle and A probably barred conjuration as well.

[Optimystik]

He's probably weaker than the linear guild members, since they were/are probably some of the toughest around in their time. And since they're about par with Xykon, that means A is probably below Xykon. Which is reasonable enough since Xykon and the linear guild are all epic level.

Um... run that by me again?

[Silverraptor]

I want to join his fan club! He is so badass!

[Warlord JK]

Well we know he's significantly stronger than the dragon and weaker than those 3 mages helping V. He's probably weaker than the linear guild members, since they were/are probably some of the toughest around in their time. And since they're about par with Xykon, that means A is probably below Xykon. Which is reasonable enough since Xykon and the linear guild are all epic level. An ancient black dragon is CR 19 so A it's likely A is at least that level. To mop the floor with the dragon he's probably level 23+.

Disintegrate, especially an empowered disintegrate would deal the most damage but with the dragon's fort save of 23 and the fact that greater spell focus (evocation) won't apply to this transmutation spell, a meteor swarm will do much more damage overall. Even with an int of 30 A won't be able to get the save DC much higher than 26. Meteor swarm's 32d6 averages to 112 damage on a no save touch attack (see text). And breaking the dragon's 25 SR should be easy for a high level caster. 4 meteor swarms would take the ancient black dragon down, or 3 empowered meteor swarms if A is epic enough. OTOH the spell A is shown casting in the cut scene looks more like disintegrate, only 2 empowered disintegrates would do the job if it weren't for the dragon's fort save, and Rich may have easily overlooked that. If A is epic enough he could toss an empowered polar ray and deal a little more than the meteor swarm - again as a no save touch attack - but we haven't even seen Xykon toss around 10th level metamagicked spells.

You have to wonder why V hasn't ask for his help before. Well, there's pride, but also I don't think a major opportunity has come up yet. There's the battle for Azure City, perhaps, but they had 1 or 2 days notice for that battle and A probably barred conjuration as well.

I believe by Linear Guild you mean the Order of the Scribble (the dudes who made the gates). The Linear Guild is actually weaker than the OotS, as stated by Rich.

[Optimystik]

Just checked the Smiley thread (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=96672), and no Aarindarius :smallfrown: Can someone remedy that oversight so we can start sigging him?

Preferably his head and a book, so we can imagine him laying waste to an unseed supplicant over his shoulder :smallbiggrin:

[Mr. Pin]

Aarindius isn't necessarily one-shotting the ABD; it seems clear to me that he takes a while to pwn it and we only see the killing spell. And ericgrau- keep in mind that this dragon is more than CR 19 because it has those sorcerer levels.

[kusje]

Aarindius isn't necessarily one-shotting the ABD; it seems clear to me that he takes a while to pwn it and we only see the killing spell. And ericgrau- keep in mind that this dragon is more than CR 19 because it has those sorcerer levels.

I'd agree if he wasn't looking away and reading a book at the same time the spell is fired.

[Optimystik]

Aarindius isn't necessarily one-shotting the ABD; it seems clear to me that he takes a while to pwn it and we only see the killing spell. And ericgrau- keep in mind that this dragon is more than CR 19 because it has those sorcerer levels.

One shot or several, he's reading a book while firing and doing so quickly enough to prevent the dragon from simply teleporting/plane shifting away. That's worthy of a badass award right there :smallwink:

[ericgrau]

I believe by Linear Guild you mean the Order of the Scribble (the dudes who made the gates). The Linear Guild is actually weaker than the OotS, as stated by Rich.

Yeup. Oops.


Aarindius isn't necessarily one-shotting the ABD; it seems clear to me that he takes a while to pwn it and we only see the killing spell. And ericgrau- keep in mind that this dragon is more than CR 19 because it has those sorcerer levels.

Well, I think that was mostly inferred by readers when she said "I have an interest in magic, more so than my colleagues". All dragons can cast spells as sorcerers. OTOH ancient black dragons are caster level 11th, and sorcerers must be 12th level to use antimagic field. So she must have at least 1 more sorcerer level. Still not enough to bump her CR up much above 19; I mean an NPC with that kind of casting is supposed to be CR 12+. 2-3 sorcerer levels could make her CR 20 by the rules, but I think even that's pushing it.

Honestly an ancient black dragon could have taken a good majority (if not all) of Vaarsuvius's HP in one round with a full attack. Ditto for her breath weapon. Or she could have pinned him right away in round 1 and hoped that the concentration DCs and/or inability to cast spells with somatic components could have done the job. Then Vaarsuvius would be out cold the next round or the round after that. If Vaarsuvius had the help of the rest of the ship then it might have been an even fight. No, the antimagic field was just plain humiliation against a wizard that was already beat. Plus the dragon already did some planning to make sure the fight was as one-sided as possible. The AMF just makes it even more so.

[Elephant]

Yeup. Oops.



Well, I think that was mostly inferred by readers when he said "I have an interest in magic, more so than my colleagues". All dragons can cast spells as sorcerers. OTOH ancient black dragons are caster level 11th, and sorcerers must be 12th level to use antimagic field. So I she must have at least 1 more sorcerer level. Still not enough to bump her CR up much above 19; I mean an NPC with that kind of casting is supposed to be CR 12+. 2-3 sorcerer levels could make her CR 20 by the rules, but I think even that's pushing it.

Honestly an ancient black dragon could have taken a good majority (if not all) of Vaarsuvius's HP in one round with a full attack. Ditto for her breath weapon. Or she could have pinned him right away in round 1 and hoped that the concentration DCs and/or inability to cast spells with verbal components could have done the job. Then Vaarsuvius would be out cold the next round or the round after that. If Vaarsuvius had the help of the rest of the ship then it might have been an even fight. No, the antimagic field was just plain humiliation against a wizard that was already beat. Plus the dragon already did some planning to make sure the fight was as one-sided as possible. The AMF just makes it even more so.

One sorcerer level is enough to bump a dragon up by one CR. The sorcerer level increases the dragon's existing spellcasting (see http://www.d20srd.org/srd/improvingMonsters.htm#addingClassLevels).

[Kish]

Well, I think that was mostly inferred by readers when he said
Even though this particular black dragon being a mother is such a huge and central part of her character, she's still an "it" to one poster and a "he" to another. Yeesh.

[ericgrau]

One sorcerer level is enough to bump a dragon up by one CR. The sorcerer level increases the dragon's existing spellcasting (see http://www.d20srd.org/srd/improvingMonsters.htm#addingClassLevels).

I didn't think the sorcerer level counted as associated since his sorcerer level is so much lower than his CR, but I suppose it could technically count. Regardless, I don't think it'd be an accurate representation of how challenging he is.


Even though this particular black dragon being a mother is such a huge and central part of her character, she's still an "it" to one poster and a "he" to another. Yeesh.
Hey, I wrote most of the references to her as "she" when I posted. I missed one. Just one. She-eesh.

[kusje]

I didn't think the sorcerer level counted as associated since his sorcerer level is so much lower than his CR, but I suppose it could technically count. Regardless, I don't think it'd be an accurate representation of how challenging he is.

Sort of depends on what you get at the next level and what you're fighting. Anti magic would be awesome against a spellcaster.

[Tass]

I didn't think the sorcerer level counted as associated since his sorcerer level is so much lower than his CR, but I suppose it could technically count. Regardless, I don't think it'd be an accurate representation of how challenging he is.


Hey, I wrote most of the references to her as "she" when I posted. I missed one. Just one. She-eesh.

Bold by me.

I supose you did this on purpose?

[Optimystik]

She almost certainly has more than 1 sorcerer level. Antimagic Field is not the highest level spell she has cast; that honor goes to Greater Teleport.


I didn't think the sorcerer level counted as associated since his sorcerer level is so much lower than his CR, but I suppose it could technically count. Regardless, I don't think it'd be an accurate representation of how challenging he is.

It wouldn't, but not for the reasons you're thinking. A ancient dragon with anti-magic is far, far more dangerous than the basic CR calculation would indicate.