Vaarsuvius & 6th level spells (spoilers?)

[Wyvern_55]

In comic 427 (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0427.html) Vaarsuvius uses Mass Bull’s Strength and Mass Bear’s Endurance on 13 people.[/URL] Since these spells effect one target per caster level, we can assume that Vaarsuvius is 13th level. Which means that V can cast two 6th level spells, namely Mass Bull’s Strength and Mass Bear’s Endurance.

HOWEVER! V once again uses twin 6th level spells in comic [URL="http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0437.html"]437 (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/../comics/oots0427.html) for a current total of four 6th level spells, a full two more than should be allotted to a wizard of equal status.

So far as I see, there are 6 explanations that I can think of:

1.) V is really an 18th level wizard pretending to be 13th.
2.) V is the REAL Xykon in an illusion, pretending to be on the side of good, while the dragon mounted one is just another decoy
3.) V’s character ‘forgot’ that all of those were 6th level spells
4.) V is really a SORCERER!…who for some reason knows more spells than normal for that level…
5.) V has an intelligence of about 30+ making him/her about as smart as a great wyrm gold dragon.
6.) Rich did one of those 'sacrificing rules for the funny' things that he does from time to time.


(P.S. this is just something amusing I noticed, I am NOT trying to point out mistakes or flaws:smallbiggrin:)

[Assassinfox]

I blame the doilies...

[Wyvern_55]

I blame the doilies...


CURSES! I forgot all about the doilies! this explains EVERYTHING!

[Bobbis]

Let us not forget about rings of epic wizardry.

[Innis Cabal]

i'm going to for the 6th option...that and has a high int...you dont know what items the DM has, becuase V is not male or female...its the DM. And that only works for 4th spells or lower

[The_Weirdo]

In comic 427 (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0427.html) Vaarsuvius uses Mass Bull’s Strength and Mass Bear’s Endurance on 13 people. Since these spells effect one target per caster level, we can assume that Vaarsuvius is 13th level. Which means that V can cast two 6th level spells, namely Mass Bull’s Strength and Mass Bear’s Endurance.

HOWEVER! V once again uses twin 6th level spells in comic 437 (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0437.html) for a current total of four 6th level spells, a full two more than should be allotted to a wizard of equal status.

So far as I see, there are 6 explanations that I can think of:

1.) V is really an 18th level wizard pretending to be 13th.
2.) V is the REAL Xykon in an illusion, pretending to be on the side of good, while the dragon mounted one is just another decoy
3.) V’s character ‘forgot’ that all of those were 6th level spells
4.) V is really a SORCERER!…who for some reason knows more spells than normal for that level…
5.) V has an intelligence of about 30+ making him/her about as smart as a great wyrm gold dragon.
6.) Rich did one of those 'sacrificing rules for the funny' things that he does from time to time.


(P.S. this is just something amusing I noticed, I am NOT trying to point out mistakes or flaws:smallbiggrin:)

Aren't these "Mass" spells their original level +3? If so, the spells are 5th level.

[Wyvern_55]

Aren't these "Mass" spells their original level +3? If so, the spells are 5th level.

Nope, not metamagic, a whole other spell on it's own.
I think you might be thinking of 'maximise spell'.

[fwiffo]

Just because you think you see Vaarsuvius doesn't mean you see him. He is actually invisible, and it is three other wizards dresses in Varasuvius robes who are doing the casting. Come on, surely that display of acrobatic prowess during the TI elementals story gave that away. Plus, the real Vaarsuvius would not go through his spell reserves faster than our Congr... Oops, that would be a political comment... scratch that.

[Zeb The Troll]

This has all been hashed out in the Class and Level Geekery II (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=4912) thread. Consensus at this point seems to be an Int boosting item.

[The_Weirdo]

Nope, not metamagic, a whole other spell on it's own.
I think you might be thinking of 'maximise spell'.


Nah, it's just I heard "Mass" versions were 3 levels up. Not by feat, just the version. Mass Haste, for instance, is 6th level. So, if Haste is 3rd and Bull's Strenght is 2nd...

[Ted_Stryker]

Nah, it's just I heard "Mass" versions were 3 levels up. Not by feat, just the version.
http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/bullsStrengthMass.htm
http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/bearsEnduranceMass.htm

[Wrecan]

Headband of Intellect +4 is all V needs.

[Douglas]

A 13th level wizard gets 2 6th level spells per day base. 22 intelligence would increase that to 3. To get a fourth level 6 spell slot from intelligence would require 30 int, quite a bit beyond the highest V might have unless (s)he has used a Tome of Clear Thoughts +4 or +5. Back in the mind flayer strip it was established that V had 18 intelligence. V has gained at most two ability score increases from levelling up since then, putting her int at 20. Add a headband of intellect +6, the maximum pre-epic, and she still needs 4 more.

The only reasonable solution I can think of besides an oversight by the author is that V used a 7th level slot for one of them.

[Fineous Orlon]

A 13th level wizard gets 2 6th level spells per day base. 22 intelligence would increase that to 3. To get a fourth level 6 spell slot ....

The only reasonable solution I can think of besides an oversight by the author is that V used a 7th level slot for one of them.

V is a specialist, and gets +1 spell at each spell level he can cast, and therefore gets 3 6th level spells at 13th level for that reason, while Int boosting items can easily give the fourth.

A few strips back, Oots needed an NPC wizard to cast teleport a few times, because conjuration is a forbidden school for V, ergot, he is a specialist.

Of course, I didn't really see V casting a 6th level evocation spell [as required, the extra spell must be in the specialized school], but, there could be other reasons.... For instance I only suspect V is an evoker, I do not know it.

Thoughts anyone?

[Cain]

V is a specialist, and gets +1 spell at each spell level he can cast, and therefore gets 3 6th level spells at 13th level for that reason, while Int boosting items can easily give the fourth.
Yes, but that bonus spell would have to be an Evocation in order to qualify. To date, none of V's 6th level spells cast have been evocations. Dropping a 7th level spell, or using a Pearl of Power/other magic item seems to be about it.

[Kreistor]

V begins with 2 level 6 spells per day. Specialization in transmutation adds 1. V then only needs an Int of 22 to gain 1 level 6 spell, and that makes 4.

If V began with an Int of 17, all V needs to have done is put all three stat points in Int and have a +2 Int item.

[jwolfe]

Perhaps there was only room on the wall for 13 enlarged pikemen. Perhaps they only had 13 pikemen of 5th level. Perhaps V only had 13 potions. A 14th level wizard gets another 6th level spell, so if V were 14th level and 22 Int, V could have cast those 4 spells and still have a specialist bonus and a Pearl of Power recall in reserve.

[factotum]

We know V had a lot more than 13 potions--we saw the strip he bought them in, and he got 27 or something like that.

[Ariko]

V is a specialist, and gets +1 spell at each spell level he can cast, and therefore gets 3 6th level spells at 13th level for that reason, while Int boosting items can easily give the fourth.

A few strips back, Oots needed an NPC wizard to cast teleport a few times, because conjuration is a forbidden school for V, ergot, he is a specialist.

Of course, I didn't really see V casting a 6th level evocation spell [as required, the extra spell must be in the specialized school], but, there could be other reasons.... For instance I only suspect V is an evoker, I do not know it.

Thoughts anyone?

On the Origins of PCs makes it as cleatr as possible that V is an evoker without stating it outright.

[SPoD]

V is wearing Xykon's Ring of Wizardry. Xykon is an epic level character - he's a sorcerer who can cast 9th level spells (he Meteor Swarms a dragon in a bonus strip in Paladin Blues), making him 18th level or higher, and he has the lich template (+4 ECL), making his minimum character level 22. Xykon, therefore, could have had a Ring of Epic Wizardry VI, which now Vaarsuvius owns.

V couldn't have used a Pearl of Power, because a PoP only recalls the exact same spell, and the only spell V cast twice was Disintegrate, and we saw that. Unless V was activating it between panels where we couldn't see it or something. Which is possible, I guess.

V could also have a custom magic item that we don't know about, or he/she could have prepared 6th level spells a his/her 7th level spell slot. Which might be the most likely, since we haven't seen any 7th level spell (and don't have any evidence that he/she got any beyon Power Word: Blind).

Do OOTS casters always shout out the metamagic feat they use if they use one? Because maybe V cast "Extended Mass Bull's Strength" which would use a 7th level slot and make a lot of sense...

[Studoku]

What if V is 14th level and chose to cast bulls strength and bears endurance on hirself? It works if you take into account the +4 int headband (which does look like something V wears.