What kind of spells can X cast on an umbrella to save it from krackakoom?

[littlebum2002]

I've never played D&D before (although from all the research I've done while reading this strip it looks like a really fun game), and i know how the D&D experts on here like to discuss the "plausibility" of Rich's devices in an actual D&D campaign, so I have to ask...

If this were an actual game, and a character wanted to protect a hello kitty umbrella from getting destroyed by a point-black enormous explosion, what kind of protections could accomplish this?

Of course, I'm hoping this will become an epic thread on the possibility of combining dozens of epic enchantments that might provide enough protection, but I'm sure I'll end up looking stupid when it turns out there's a 4th level spell that would do it. Either way, I'll enjoy learning more about the game!

[Belril Duskwalk]

I don't know of any D&D spells that could do it. I do however know of The Rule of Funny (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/RuleOfFunny) and Plot Armor (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/PlotArmor). That should be more than adequate to keep the Hello Kitty umbrella safe. Actually, given the absurd amount of shade that umbrella produces, we already know it has Rule of Funny as a power-source.

[Gift Jeraff]

The same spells (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0831.html) cast on the phylactery, I'd imagine. Hardening (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/divine/spells/hardening.htm) is permanent, so no need to worry about constant recasting.

[JessmanCA]

So does Hardening stack if you cast it multiple times?

And what numerical level of hardness would an item need to withstand a fireball cast by a level 10 wizard or something, let alone an explosion of that size?

Does hardness = hitpoints of an item? Do items have hitpoints?

[Tock Zipporah]

By standard D&D rules, an explosion of fire does half damage to objects automatically, THEN you subtract the hardness. So if the explosion does 25d6 damage (the max likely damage based on non-epic spell damage caps, though of course an epic effect could do more), then the damage range is 25-150 or an average of about 87. Automatically cut that in half = 43. An umbrella probably has like 5 hp before adding magical defenses. So any level of hardness or energy resistance would need to shave off 40 or so points of damage.

Of course, it's all a moot point since the umbrella is obviously a major artifact that can only be destroyed by dropping it into the snarl's rift.

[137beth]

What are the odds that any object held by the MitD which he hates gets 100000 points of damage reduction? Note that this would not apply to his power ranger figurines that he broke, because he only grants damage reduction to objects which he wants to break, like the umbrella:smalltongue:

[IW Judicator]

Contingency (which is on X's spell list) could probably do it.


For example:

:xykon: "If the Thing in the Shadows is ever in a position that will reveal him before I am ready to reveal him, he will be immersed in shadow so that he ISN'T revealed."

Or any variation thereof (including more umbrellas).

*EDIT: Upon researching the spell, it turns out that wouldn't work, since Contingency is cast upon oneself (I.E. a Personal Range spell) so that puts that theory to rest.

[Chronos]

Objects wielded or worn by creatures are not usually vulnerable to area effects. In general, there's only a chance of them being damaged if the wielder rolls a natural 1 on their saving throw, and even then, the item itself still gets whatever saving throw the effect offered, using the wielder's save bonuses unless the item is magical and has a better bonus (though in this case, the save is probably reflex half, and an umbrella would probably need a lot of buffing to survive even half damage).

So even without any magical reinforcement, there's a 95% chance that the umbrella would be completely unharmed, an almost 5% chance that it would be destroyed, and a very small chance that it would be damaged but not destroyed.

[raymundo]

I'd say a Maximized "Bigby's Don't-Reveal-The-MITD-Before-The-Author-Wants-It" should be sufficient

[AstralFire]

By standard D&D rules, an explosion of fire does half damage to objects automatically, THEN you subtract the hardness. So if the explosion does 25d6 damage (the max likely damage based on non-epic spell damage caps, though of course an epic effect could do more), then the damage range is 25-150 or an average of about 87. Automatically cut that in half = 43. An umbrella probably has like 5 hp before adding magical defenses. So any level of hardness or energy resistance would need to shave off 40 or so points of damage.

Of course, it's all a moot point since the umbrella is obviously a major artifact that can only be destroyed by dropping it into the snarl's rift.

In this case, fire probably shouldn't be subjected to the "half damage" effect since umbrellas are structurally subject to heat; that rule is more for heat-resistant objects.

[137beth]

Objects wielded or worn by creatures are not usually vulnerable to area effects. In general, there's only a chance of them being damaged if the wielder rolls a natural 1 on their saving throw, and even then, the item itself still gets whatever saving throw the effect offered, using the wielder's save bonuses unless the item is magical and has a better bonus (though in this case, the save is probably reflex half, and an umbrella would probably need a lot of buffing to survive even half damage).

So even without any magical reinforcement, there's a 95% chance that the umbrella would be completely unharmed, an almost 5% chance that it would be destroyed, and a very small chance that it would be damaged but not destroyed.

I'm guessing that the MitD can pass his save on a 2, so the umbrella would actually have only a .25% chance of failing both saves...

[Rakoa]

I'm guessing that the MitD can pass his save on a 2, so the umbrella would actually have only a .25% chance of failing both saves...

Yes, but he is saying the reflex save is likely for half damage. So even though the MitD would likely make his second save, half damage would still be plenty to destroy the umbrella.

[Klear]

Oh, hey! The umbrella did get damaged...

[Chronos]

I'm going to have to go with Rule of Funny, here.

[veti]

Contingency (which is on X's spell list) could probably do it.


For example:

:xykon: "If the Thing in the Shadows is ever in a position that will reveal him before I am ready to reveal him, he will be immersed in shadow so that he ISN'T revealed."

Or any variation thereof (including more umbrellas).

*EDIT: Upon researching the spell, it turns out that wouldn't work, since Contingency is cast upon oneself (I.E. a Personal Range spell) so that puts that theory to rest.

Which obviously gives us the answer to Xykon's "Unknown (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0670.html)" 8th level spell slot: "Improved Contingency".

Another mystery solved. Good work everyone.

[skim172]

Hello Kitty is protected by international copyright law under the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works, which reaffirms Hello Kitty as the intellectual property of Sanrio, Incorporated. Hello Kitty is further shielded from damage by a personal net worth of over $5 billion. In a capitalistic, globalized world, Hello Kitty, as a multinational brand and cultural icon, is far more powerful than any mere mortal.


Moreover, Hello Kitty is now revered by so many followers and fans as to have become a mute, white, feline god. No mere explosion - a simple earthly occurrence of force and flame - could hope to trouble a mad deity. Its innocent blank countenance masks a hideous unfathomable power from beyond the human experience, something so unknown, so unknowable - an unholy aberration.

How else could it have attained such influence, such presence, that people are willing to give their lives in service - (in that they will spend hours in labor and toil to earn currency in order to purchase licensed Sanrio products to feed to their young) - to that stark, featureless visage? This unearthly thing, that insidious beast - it lurks in every playroom, it watches from every car window, it broods in every child's closet. You cannot escape.

When you look at Hello Kitty, Hello Kitty also looks back at you.

"In his house at R'lyeh, dead Cthulhu waits dreaming. And in his bathroom, he's got Hello Kitty wallpaper."

[littlebum2002]

So even without any magical reinforcement, there's a 95% chance that the umbrella would be completely unharmed, an almost 5% chance that it would be destroyed, and a very small chance that it would be damaged but not destroyed.


Like a 1 in a million chance?

[FlyingWoodchuck]

Maybe he IS the umbrella and the shadow is an illusion

[F.Harr]

All of the above plus, it's made of "bliver".

[Klear]

All of the above plus, it's made of "bliver".

What? Made of... remains?

[Olinser]

Redcloak's clothes are still intact, and he seems to have weathered the explosion much better than Xykon, who was standing right next to him. Just because there is an explosion doesn't mean that everything is affected exactly equally.

From an art standpoint - since we can't see the creature itself, the umbrella seems to have the standard 'damage graphics' on it. Possibly Rich is using the umbrella as his 'damage meter' for the MiTD.

[Alan_Pehnereas]

Like a 1 in a million chance?

Which then makes sense, because a one in a million chance is a sure thing! (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0584.html)

[thereaper]

What? Made of... remains?

He meant bilver, which is a SoD reference.

[F.Harr]

What? Made of... remains?


He meant bilver, which is a SoD reference.

Yes. Yes I did. I misremembered what it was called. I think my copy is in Tn.


Redcloak's clothes are still intact, and he seems to have weathered the explosion much better than Xykon, who was standing right next to him. Just because there is an explosion doesn't mean that everything is affected exactly equally.

From an art standpoint - since we can't see the creature itself, the umbrella seems to have the standard 'damage graphics' on it. Possibly Rich is using the umbrella as his 'damage meter' for the MiTD.


Well, that seems to be standard in this comic for how coathing is treated. It'll get better as the MitD heals-up.

I suspect that healing spells are actually very-locallised time-reversal spells.

[Chronos]

Redcloak faring better than Xykon might just mean that he made his save while Xykon didn't. It's my hypothesis that one of the attributes of the Crimson Mantle that its wearer automatically succeeds at all saving throws, and even short of that, it's quite plausible that it might provide a substantial bonus to them.

[Olinser]

Redcloak faring better than Xykon might just mean that he made his save while Xykon didn't. It's my hypothesis that one of the attributes of the Crimson Mantle that its wearer automatically succeeds at all saving throws, and even short of that, it's quite plausible that it might provide a substantial bonus to them.

Since I assume the massive explosion was impossible to dodge (and thus Reflex save), presumably it was a Fortitude save, of which Clerics also have top progression in. Sorcerers, on the other hand, have the worst possible progression in it (only +6 at level 20). Even at just 17th level, Redcloak is rocking a +10 Fortitude save just from his class.

[dtilque]

From an art standpoint - since we can't see the creature itself, the umbrella seems to have the standard 'damage graphics' on it. Possibly Rich is using the umbrella as his 'damage meter' for the MiTD.

This is my take on the umbrella damage. In fact, I posted this to the OotS#900 thread. Not everyone accepted it, of course. We'll know for sure if MitD gets a heal spell of some kind and the umbrella straightens up.


@skim172 +100000

[F.Harr]

I bet it will!

[pendell]

Hello Kitty is protected by international copyright law under the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works, which reaffirms Hello Kitty as the intellectual property of Sanrio, Incorporated. Hello Kitty is further shielded from damage by a personal net worth of over $5 billion. In a capitalistic, globalized world, Hello Kitty, as a multinational brand and cultural icon, is far more powerful than any mere mortal.


Moreover, Hello Kitty is now revered by so many followers and fans as to have become a mute, white, feline god. No mere explosion - a simple earthly occurrence of force and flame - could hope to trouble a mad deity. Its innocent blank countenance masks a hideous unfathomable power from beyond the human experience, something so unknown, so unknowable - an unholy aberration.

How else could it have attained such influence, such presence, that people are willing to give their lives in service - (in that they will spend hours in labor and toil to earn currency in order to purchase licensed Sanrio products to feed to their young) - to that stark, featureless visage? This unearthly thing, that insidious beast - it lurks in every playroom, it watches from every car window, it broods in every child's closet. You cannot escape.

When you look at Hello Kitty, Hello Kitty also looks back at you.

"In his house at R'lyeh, dead Cthulhu waits dreaming. And in his bathroom, he's got Hello Kitty wallpaper."


Thread won. I award skim172 one internet.

Respectfully,

Brian P.

[F.Harr]

It IS good.

It rather reminds me of the incident of the doiley in the kitchen.