MitD's earthquake ability

[Quietus]

Yes, I know, I've seen all the other threads about this, but humor me if you will :

Take a look in the Draconomicon. There's a feat there called Shock Wave - requires large size or larger, power attack, and dragon type, essentially lets you bull rush everyone within a set distance (based on hit dice, which would suggest a HUGE number of hit points for the MitD, explaining why attacks from our favorite characters "tickle"), and does 1d6+strength to all structures and unattended objects in the area.

Why search for something with an earthquake SLA or something to that effect, when as long as the MitD is a dragon, a feat does the same thing just as well?

[menkent]

a rather minute dragon, isn't it?

[Rapida]

rather stupid for a dragon also

[kire]

It could be a really young dragon with a lot of Hit Die (that is somehow house-ruled to not gain the size category increases). I think with what we've seen, that the MiTD isn't a normal monster out of any MM, or anything you could make out of a normal monster with feats and templates applied (although that feat could definitely be what it just did in game terms). Therefore, that leaves only one thing that could be under there:

A plot device!

[Emperor Ing]

Ive made a new theory, PunPun! :smallcool:

[Studoku]

Ive made a new theory, PunPun! :smallcool:

It's a good theory but I think pun pun has arbitarily high inteligence and wisdom. MiTD has single figure mental stats.

[Emperor Ing]

Being like 4 or 5 X the 1st epic level, of course punpun wouldve found a spell that does that sort of effect, like the spell earthquake, only with way higher AOE. C'mon! It works! I think I recall rich's kobolds having yellow eyes! :smallcool:

[Porthos]

Ive made a new theory, PunPun! :smallcool:

Pun-Pun has been mentioned many times. But as a following poster alluded to, why would Pun-Pun ever decrease his intelligence/wisdom to CitD's level? Besides, Pun-Pun would, quite literally, be able to eat The Snarl for breakfast.

And where's the fun in that? :smallsmile:

[Quietus]

a rather minute dragon, isn't it?

Rich seems to play fast and loose with size categories; Goblins of medium size, anyone?


rather stupid for a dragon also

Not all dragons are smart, and it doesn't have to be a true dragon, either, just dragon-type. Even a half-dragon template would be enough to give it the ability to take Shockwave.

[Regneva]

Yeah but a "medium sized gargantuan creature" is lame, artisticly speaking...

[Porthos]

BTW, for those people who are unaware of the Might of Pun-Pun, I give you this handy link:

http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=491801

Tremble and Despair, as a famous book once said. :smallamused:

[Quietus]

Yeah but a "medium sized gargantuan creature" is lame, artisticly speaking...

He's in a Shadow of Hiding; As long as part of him has concealment, he can hide. Clearly he has max ranks.

I don't think he's Gargantuan... Large, maybe Huge at most, for the comedic effect. Gargantuan would be pushing it, in my opinion.

[Emperor Ing]

It all makes sense! Really! Im certain I wasnt the first to think that, but I see it all totally makes sense! everything!! (height? Simple, flight, or stilts)

[yoshi927]

It's a good theory but I think pun pun has arbitarily high inteligence and wisdom. MiTD has single figure mental stats.Well, there's a theory I heard once; imagine that the MiTD is just being really sarcastic all the time. :smallbiggrin:

For instance;

here (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0374.html) and here (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0475.html), imagine that everything that makes him sound childish and/or stupid is said in a sarcastic tone.

[RAGE KING!]

there are certain abilities (sorta like goliath's powerful build trait) that allow creatures to do stuff they couldnt normally, like goliaths can take feats that require large size. so maybe the mitd has a feat that requires being a dragon, and theres a homebrew feature that allows him to take it, despite not being a dragon.

[the_tick_rules]

he's obviously got homebrewed powers.

[Nomadic]

After this last strip I wonder if the MitD is Thog

:thog: thog powerattack the ground for 1d12+567

[ChainsawXIV]

I think it's much simpler than that... The more I see, the more I think that MitD is (the archetypal) two year old child. I mean, look at the evidence:

- Likes toys, hello kitty umbrellas, etc.
- Usually doesn't get what the adults are talking about.
- Stomps around or yells when it doesn't get its way.

The list just goes on and on...

[Greyhame]

Tarrasque? Did it ever get converted to 3.5?

[Quietus]

Tarrasque? Did it ever get converted to 3.5?

That's been suggested, many times before... but the Tarrasque doesn't speak, DEFINATELY doesn't have sonic shouts, and can't cast or cause earthquakes.


... A half-dragon tarrasque, on the other hand, could take Shockwave... still have troubles speaking with that whopping what, 5 int?

[Gavin Sage]

I've always just kind of assumed the MitD was a dragon myself. No particular reason beyond it would be a typical secret weapon for the evil overlord, thus hiding it an revealing it to be so relatively tame seems like the kind of joke to be pulled. Its not even a shadow dragon or anything, the umbrella simply magically conceals it. and is Tardis like in being bigger on the inside then outside.

[Hankosha]

Bah. THE MiTD might just be a Demi-God, or summat.

[Keldaria]

Nah your all wrong Mitd is an Albino Frog...

but seroiusly .. this is D&D were speaking of here .. were DM's and Rich who draws the comic's arn't limited to books but only their imagination.. trust me, it'll be something ironic or iconic but nothing that would normaly have those abilities..

if ya ask me .. my moneys on a Tonberry King .. /nod cause the crown makes him look even more badass

[Kgw]

Since I don't know D&D at all, I stay with "the CiTD is whatever the Giant want it to be..." :smalltongue:

[chibibar]

that is the beauty of D&D. A GM can pretty much create anything and everything he/she wants within their world. You could have some seriously unbalance monster out there but most GM would balance it somehow (one form or another)

It seems that MiTD has a lot of powerful abilities but since he/she/it intelligence is so low (maybe wisdom) that he/she/it doesn't know the full range of powers.

The demonroach seems to know something.

[mkill]

If you take the stomp literally, well, it's a racial ability of the Half-Giant. (SRD (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/monsters/halfGiant.htm)) Well, that ability is a bit more small-scale, but I credit that to artistic liberty.

So, my guess would be 6-year-old Half-Giant Vampire... well, maybe.

[chibibar]

If you take the stomp literally, well, it's a racial ability of the Half-Giant. (SRD (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/monsters/halfGiant.htm)) Well, that ability is a bit more small-scale, but I credit that to artistic liberty.

So, my guess would be 6-year-old Half-Giant Vampire... well, maybe.

Who has a taste for STEW!!!!!

[magicwalker]

He's Bruce Banner! Or The Sulk, or similar variant!

[gooddragon1]

dragon type does not necessarily mean dragon of chromatic/metallic variety. It is impressive however that he is immune or resistant to fire. This and the dragon type aren't too distant from each other despite multiple types of dragons.

[Lochus]

The earthquake the MitD caused seemed like the pretty standard RAW spell to me. Complete with making PC squashing fissures in the ground.

It's pretty clear what the monster is. He's a running gag, one of the most deadly of encounters PCs can run up against.

[teratorn]

Start of Darkness makes a dragon unlikely
Most people don't know what it is, as shown by calling it "It" or "thing". It's stage name is IT, also known as the thing in a box. That's not consistent with a dragon.

It's small enough to fit inside a not very big box and it's ugly, truly truly ugly. It likes toys, playing with goblin children, stew and mexican food.

[KuduzDrHector]

The most likely answer in my opinion: :mitd: is a demigod of some description

[Drax]

Some people have said that the Monster in the Darkness is a type of god.
I would have to agree with them, if anything I would say that he is an Abomination(Epic Level handbook)

That leaves the The Giant open to make the Monster in the Darkness look like whatever he wants. It accounts for its tremendous strength(42-43 if he's large size), and his child-like tendancies(intelligence, wisdom and charisma being as low as he wants. Some have 0 in these stats).

Just my two cents. In the end The Giant will probably just make him whatever he feels like...if he ever reveals him...which woulda kinda kill the mystery so I hope he doesn't :)

[Keldaria]

IMO .. Mitd will eventually be revealed .. but in keeping with the giants persona.. i beleave that when he is revealed it'll cause more mystery and questions that would make the darkness around what he is seem insignifagant..

but as of this point ... he's prolly like me and can't figure out how to make a bigger mystery outta revealing him than he already has with him shrowded

That.. and if he's revealed Oots will havta come to terms and find a way to get around his massive Dmg reduction and beat him or atleast run away before he kills them all.. which would be no fun