The fiends "Alternative" woudln't work

[Ronnoc]

Even if a simple rebirth is all that is required to resurrect V it still has a cast time of 1 minute, in contrast a soulbind takes 1 standard action.
and last but not least I wouldn't trust Qarr's lawful tendencies with anything.

[Kaytara]

And this couldn't have been stated in this (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=106068) thread or this (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=106087) thread because....???? :smallconfused:

[Optimystik]

It might work, and that's all that's important where the fiends are concerned. V could rationalize that it wouldn't all he liked, but that niggling doubt will always be there, now.

[Lizard Lord]

and last but not least I wouldn't trust Qarr's lawful tendencies with anything.

I thought those of the devil family, including imps, were magically bound by any deal they make.

[Ronnoc]

I'd forgotten about the devil rule, thanks. Another wrench in the plan is that the sending spell requires a ten minutes cast time. If ABD takes over 11 minutes to eat and bind V's kids it's a really incompetent dragon.
Or a gourmand

[Kaytara]

I'd forgotten about the devil rule, thanks. Another wrench in the plan is that the sending spell requires a ten minutes cast time. If ABD takes over 11 minutes to eat and bind V's kids it's a really incompetent dragon.
Or a gourmand

Actually, the fiends claim that Durkon has a Sending scroll handy, so the casting time isn't a problem there.
The Resurrection part, however, is a different matter, since it also requires 10 minutes to cast, not to mention a load of diamonds that Hinjo may not be willing to spare at a moment's notice to resurrect a person who disappeared from the fleet under very suspicious circumstances.

[slayerx]

Even if a simple rebirth is all that is required to resurrect V it still has a cast time of 1 minute, in contrast a soulbind takes 1 standard action.
and last but not least I wouldn't trust Qarr's lawful tendencies with anything.

Unless ofcourse, Rich employs his "doing what i feel like and what's good for the story even if it is not strictly D&D" card... and thus makes soul binding a several minute or even, several hour long process... hell the spell the dragon could be using could even be homebrewed since normally your supposed to soul bind to a gem; and one homebrew trait is a long casting/preparation time... hence the idea that the archfiends were certain the master wizard could get their in time

It wouldn't be the first tiem Rich has done something like this... homebrewing or not following the rules

[Kaytara]

Unless ofcourse, Rich employs his "doing what i feel like even if it is not strictly D&D" card... and thus makes soul binding a several minute or even, several hour long process

If i recall, i remeber looking up Imps in the monster manual and i do recall seeing that they could not do a bunch of stuff Quarr can do...

Possible, but in this case unlikely. We've seen Soul Bind used in Start of Darkness and there it clearly only took a round or so.

[slayerx]

Possible, but in this case unlikely. We've seen Soul Bind used in Start of Darkness and there it clearly only took a round or so.

Which is why i just edited my post in the same minute of time you posted =p

[DoctorJest]

I'd forgotten about the devil rule, thanks. Another wrench in the plan is that the sending spell requires a ten minutes cast time.


Not in this case it doesn't, as the fiends point out. "Don't worry about the casting time, your friend has been saving a scroll for just such an emergency"

[Logalmier]

Unless ofcourse, Rich employs his "doing what i feel like and what's good for the story even if it is not strictly D&D" card... and thus makes soul binding a several minute or even, several hour long process... hell the spell the dragon could be using could even be homebrewed since normally your supposed to soul bind to a gem; and one homebrew trait is a long casting/preparation time... hence the idea that the archfiends were certain the master wizard could get their in time

It wouldn't be the first tiem Rich has done something like this... homebrewing or not following the rules

I think it would be much more likely that he would simply make the resurruction process one round long. Other than that I agree with you.

[DoctorJest]

It might work, and that's all that's important where the fiends are concerned. V could rationalize that it wouldn't all he liked, but that niggling doubt will always be there, now.

This really is the crux of the matter. Its not really relevant if the Fiend's alternative was achievable in our minds. It's only relative that V considered it viable enough that it he now had a choice.

Look at the strip closely. See where V was about to touch the first Orb. The look on his face? resignation. His eyes are closed, he has a "If I must be damned to save my family, then so be it", weary kinda look. Then after the fiends describe their "alternative" and leave V with the choice and a very short amount of time to make it look at his face. No longer serene, he is no longer convinced he has no other choice. He in fact looks positively like he's struggling with himself over the choice. The effort of his struggle apparent in his face (amazing how much expression the Giant gets out of a stick figure!). V touches the orb not in resignation anymore, but in finality of having made a hard decision, one which he makes not because the other choice won't work, but because the pact IS easier, less convoluted, more in his control (he thinks) and because he then is not reliquishing control and trusting others to do it for him.

It's V's inability to relinquish control and trust in others to help him that makes him take the pact. Ultimately he may have made the RIGHT CHOICE (objectively, that is, for the greatest degree of success) but he does so for the WRONG REASONS.