Monsters and Durkon spells on 883

[torugo]

Like the main thread of 883 is already too big to search for this 2 specific topics and I noticed nobody opened it yet...so I think I will start.

The first is simple: What are those 2 demons on the monster manual? Probably will be answered fast so I will bring the second discussion:

To whom did Durkon pray to call a demon? I mean...we know he had the spell to call a celestial but now he called a demon. Did he pray for the same god as Malack? Does a god instantly give spells to the spawns?

The way I see it...Durkon asked for miracles early before adventuring praying for Thor. And Thor granted such miracles in the form of divine spells. Do you think the demon comes from Thor's miracles or direct from a switch towards a new god?

[Gift Jeraff]

Technically they're not demons (Chaotic Evil fiends). They seem to be a barbed devil (Durkon's) and piscodaemon (Zz'dtri's).

Clerics don't need to worship a deity and can draw their power from nontheistic sources such as a cause, as mentioned by Elan way back when. The Giant implied this is the case for Vampire Durkon. Presumably he draws his power from the Negative Energy Plane or maybe a cause like Evil or Death.

[Grim Reader]

He hasn't had the time to prepare spells from either though. His prepared spells atm came from Thor.

[Kornaki]

I don't believe the rules say anything about what happens when a cleric changes where his spells come from (in particular whether he retains any prepared spells), so I assume he simply cast the planar binding that he mentioned having prepared earlier

[Ceaon]

In other words, Durkon used the same (Greater) Planar Ally spell he had prepared to summon an angel to summon a fiend instead.

[Pigkappa]

I think the Giant isn't following the rules here (probably on purpose).

When you turn to Vampire, you should become Evil, and Durkon probably did. Therefore he should "lose all spells" (quote from the PHB). I think he should Atone to be accepted as a new Cleric for the forces of Evil before he can use Cleric spells again. Since this would require several comics and derail the plot, it's better to just skip that part.

[Zach J.]

From the SRD:

Clerics
Vampire clerics lose their ability to turn undead but gain the ability to rebuke undead. This ability does not affect the vampire’s controller or any other vampires that a master controls. A vampire cleric has access to two of the following domains: Chaos, Destruction, Evil, or Trickery.

[Torrasque]

Vampire durkon is not a fallen paladin. He has not angered his gods and been cast down. He has died and a next to mindless vampire thrall has been raised in his body. There is no atonement to be done and no soulsearching for a new god, just an undead abomination casting spells from whatever source vampires draw upon (as is clearly allowed in the rules). Rich is following the rules fine, as he himself stated in his post on the subject.
What a freed vampire durkon might require is another matter, as we do not know how much of himself will remain in OOTSverse, but that situation has not arrived yet.

[Smolder]

:durkon: "Have you ever had someone take your brain and play? Pull you out and stuff something else in? Do you know what it's like to be unmade?"

[Shivore]

I don't get why people are even discussing where he gets the power from, we already know.

He prepared spells that morning, same as every morning, getting magical power from Thor that he can use when he wishes throughout the day, same as every day. That's your answer... Just because he is now an evil creature he is abusing Thor's granted power to summon a fiend instead of a celestial, that's the only difference from every other time he's cast a prepared spell.

What will get interesting is what happens when he exhausts his supply of prepared spells... Then where will he get new ones from? But I think it's too early to speculate much on that.

[rodneyAnonymous]

The Greater Planar Ally spell description (http://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/SRD:Greater_Planar_Ally) says "If you serve no particular deity, the spell is a general plea answered by a creature sharing your philosophical alignment."

[Shred-Bot]

What if the devil was standing there the whole time, unnoticed by all except Durkon, and he only pretended to summon it? Lots of characters in this strip have crap spot checks, right?

The circles on the floor were obviously drawn as part of some evil performance art project.

[Antipode]

What if the devil was standing there the whole time, unnoticed by all except Durkon, and he only pretended to summon it? Lots of characters in this strip have crap spot checks, right?

The circles on the floor were obviously drawn as part of some evil performance art project.

Just slightly off-panel, there're several tapdancing dretches.

[Kish]

The Greater Planar Ally spell description (http://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/SRD:Greater_Planar_Ally) says "If you serve no particular deity, the spell is a general plea answered by a creature sharing your philosophical alignment."
This conjures up the amusing image of Durkon's voice echoing through the Planes, "Someone come to my aid, in the name of Lawful Evil!"

[Shadowknight12]

I am somewhat confused by the assumption that the fiend Durkon summoned was a bearded devil. Haven't we already seen bearded devils in the comic (summoned by Redcloak to crush the Resistance) before? They looked nothing like this.

Also, it's been repeatedly confirmed that Z's fiend is a piscoloth.

[jere7my]

I am somewhat confused by the assumption that the fiend Durkon summoned was a bearded devil. Haven't we already seen bearded devils in the comic (summoned by Redcloak to crush the Resistance) before? They looked nothing like this.

Barbed, not bearded.


Also, it's been repeatedly confirmed that Z's fiend is a piscoloth.

Piscoloth is just another name for piscodaemon. The name changed during the moral panic of the 90s. Tanar'ri and Baatezu eventually changed back to demons and devils; yugoloths didn't change back to daemons.

[Shred-Bot]

I am somewhat confused by the assumption that the fiend Durkon summoned was a bearded devil. Haven't we already seen bearded devils in the comic (summoned by Redcloak to crush the Resistance) before? They looked nothing like this.

Also, it's been repeatedly confirmed that Z's fiend is a piscoloth.

I believe it's barbed devil, not bearded devil. Which makes sense given the spikes, and it's about right for a planar ally spell. And the ninjitsu.

[Shadowknight12]

Barbed, not bearded.


I believe it's barbed devil, not bearded devil.

Damn those bedeviling b-devils. :smallsigh: