Might Oona save the world?

[Shining Wrath]

Suppose that Durkon somehow gets a chance to explain the flaws in The Plan to Redcloak - and is believed.

Suppose Redcloak can't process knowing that he's literally killed thousands, including his own brother, for a Plan that won't work - and takes off the cloak and walks away.

Is there another goblinoid divine caster of high rank in the world? Well, that depends on what class you think Oona is, because she's high enough level to tag along with Xykon, Redcloak, and MitD and not get squashed. If she's a druid, she's a divine caster; if she's a ranger, that gives access to the lower part of the druid's spell list, but she'd never have access to 9th level spells.

[Gift Jeraff]

She seems to be a beast heart adept (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ex/20070209a&page=4) as they can have worgs and yrthaks as monstrous companions and Rich co-authored Dungeonscape. I guess ranger is her base class.

[Potatopeelerkin]

Much as I'd love for our favourite bugbear to get back in the spotlight, she doesn't really seem dedicated enough to the Dark One to be his high priest. In bugbear culture, Dark One no big whoop. (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots1038.html)

[Riftwolf]

Also, much as I like Oona, having a major (if not *the* major) villain drop out last minute to be replaced would feel like a cheat. Like if Xykon got dusted in Kraagors Tomb, and had to be replaced by Mittens, the Half-Goblin Sorcerer, for the final battle.

[D.One]

She seems to be a beast heart adept (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ex/20070209a&page=4) as they can have worgs and yrthaks as monstrous companions and Rich co-authored Dungeonscape. I guess ranger or beastmaster (http://dnd.arkalseif.info/classes/beastmaster/index.html) is her base class, with the only point in favor of beasmaster is that she called herself a beastmistress (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots1037.html) which could be another "Miko is a samurai" thing.

She could have the non-spell ranger from Unearthed Arcana as her base class... Beastmaster is still prestige.

[Shining Wrath]

One of the themes of OotS is that goblins are people, too. And the trenchant political analysis of our favorite non-illuminated monster says that Bugbears are outcasts even among goblinoids. The lowest of the low, in other words. In that context, having Oona take up the Crimson Mantle in order to save The Dark One (who is no big whoop) might be symbolic.

[Fyraltari]

Oona probably is not a catser since she is still "fresh" coming out of Monster Hollow when Xykon and especially Redcloak are spent.

[Shining Wrath]

Oona probably is not a catser since she is still "fresh" coming out of Monster Hollow when Xykon and especially Redcloak are spent.

Not sure how that works, as if she's been tanking for the casters she'd be all beaten up. Argues a tiny bit for druid as a druid that wildshaped every serious battle would take very few hits to their normal body.

[Fyraltari]

Not sure how that works, as if she's been tanking for the casters she'd be all beaten up. Argues a tiny bit for druid as a druid that wildshaped every serious battle would take very few hits to their normal body.

Redcloak is a good healer? Or maybe summons took most of the tanking. Or she's just that good.

[D.One]

Not sure how that works, as if she's been tanking for the casters she'd be all beaten up. Argues a tiny bit for druid as a druid that wildshaped every serious battle would take very few hits to their normal body.

Regardless of Prestige Classes, I believe (and I may be in error in that) that she's a non-caster or minor caster (such as ranger) base class. The way she talks implies she doesn't consider spell preparation to be that important, probably because she doesn't need to do that.

PS: That said, I don't know what would happen should she don the Crimsom Mantle... maybe gain at least 1 level of Cleric?

PPS: What if the Crimsom Mantle is an Avatar-like Artifact that carries part of the soul and memories of the former users, thus passing along character levels, skills, etc?

[Grey_Wolf_c]

Not sure how that works, as if she's been tanking for the casters she'd be all beaten up. Argues a tiny bit for druid as a druid that wildshaped every serious battle would take very few hits to their normal body.

Why would she be the one tanking? That's what MitD is likely for.

Grey Wolf

[D.One]

Why would she be the one tanking? That's what MitD is likely for.

Grey Wolf

For all we know of him, even Xykon could be doing the tanking, up to the part where the tank fires some big cannons... :smallbiggrin:

[Riftwolf]

Why would she be the one tanking? That's what MitD is likely for.

Grey Wolf

Is he though? I wonder why RC and co took MitD into Monster Hollow seeing as his long running shtick is he's not to be deployed until the final battle. (unless they knew his fights weren't going to be depicted in comic, so made an exception... The meta just gave me a headache)

[Grey_Wolf_c]

Is he though? I wonder why RC and co took MitD into Monster Hollow seeing as his long running shtick is he's not to be deployed until the final battle.

...

To use as a meat shield, as I just said. A Tank is not expected to dish out any damage (it can, but that's more of a bonus than an expectation for its role). It's just there to take hits. And MitD can do that while remaining in the shadows - he's done as much before.

Grey Wolf

[The Pilgrim]

If Oona is to have a key role, I see it more as someone who will knock some sense into Redcloak, rather than replacing him.

[hroþila]

...

To use as a meat shield, as I just said. A Tank is not expected to dish out any damage (it can, but that's more of a bonus than an expectation for its role). It's just there to take hits. And MitD can do that while remaining in the shadows - he's done as much before.

Grey Wolf
While I agree that Tank/meat shield would be a tactical role at which the MitD should excel and that he wouldn't need to get out of the shadows for that, I think that Riftwolf's objection, which was based on how much emphasis Xykon has put on not using the MitD until his big reveal, does have merit. I wouldn't be at all surprised if they took him along "just in case" and then had him hang on the back for the whole dungeon crawl. For whatever it's worth (and I think the answer to that is, "not much"), his umbrella was intact when they left the tomb. However, I don't know the dialogues of this book by heart yet, so I might have forgotten some hint about his actually engaging in combat.

[Grey_Wolf_c]

While I agree that Tank/meat shield would be a tactical role at which the MitD should excel and that he wouldn't need to get out of the shadows for that, I think that Riftwolf's objection, which was based on how much emphasis Xykon has put on not using the MitD until his big reveal, does have merit. I wouldn't be at all surprised if they took him along "just in case" and then had him hang on the back for the whole dungeon crawl. For whatever it's worth (and I think the answer to that is, "not much"), his umbrella was intact when they left the tomb. However, I don't know the dialogues of this book by heart yet, so I might have forgotten some hint about his actually engaging in combat.

Xykon has used MitD in non-combat roles such as "guarding" Miko. His objection to revealing him early is just that - to the reveal. It does not mean that MitD does nothing at all. In fact, it could be argued that after the loss of his phylactery, Xykon resolved to make better use of MitD (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0662.html) (although it was spoken in anger, so it could also be seen as an empty proclamation, I suppose).

Grey Wolf

[Shining Wrath]

Eh, I think my speculation is unlikely to be correct.

Here's (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots1040.html)where they went into battle and returned. It's hard to tell who is being healed by Redcloak's spell, but everyone except MitD shows visible wounds, and it looks like MitD has a tendril of red spell energy reaching toward him. Conclusion: whoever tanked (MitD, Greyview, and / or Oona) didn't soak up all the scathe dealt as "death beckoned in every hall"). That's to be expected. The point that Oona is of epic or near-epic level is established.

However, we also learn that Redcloak was solely responsible for keeping everyone "standing through a bunch of fights", so it seems unlikely that Oona has any access to healing magic - or didn't prepare the spell and left Redcloak to carry that load. A ranger might do that. On the "not a ranger" side, the ranger's animal companions are less powerful than the druid's, but Greyview survived even against ugly bastards of level sufficient to give XP to Xykon.

We also see that Oona is going to have the shaman craft a magic item for her. That strongly argues against Oona having access to crafting magics, unless she's just too busy.

We see in #1035 that Oona is armed with a morningstar, which is not on the druid weapon (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/classes/druid.htm)list.

So, I'm concluding that Oona is not a druid, and is therefore probably some sort of ranger, and would be an unlikely choice to take up the Crimson Mantle if Redcloak casts it aside in disgust and despair, or is eaten by MitD according to Xykon's instructions. This may also account for Greyview's fatalistic viewpoint; if you were a somewhat underpowered animal companion forever going into danger, you too would assume that life sucked and then you die.

[Jasdoif]

We see in #1035 that Oona is armed with a morningstar, which is not on the druid weapon (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/classes/druid.htm)list.Bugbears are proficient with all simple weapons, as they have humanoid hit dice.

[D.One]

Bugbears are proficient with all simple weapons, as they have humanoid hit dice.

Yes, we are (must say this while I'm a bugbear :smallbiggrin:).