Can't Haley just shoot through the orange barrier?

[Sermil]

So, Comic 1157 (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots1157.html) said that the orange barrier (a) dispels all magic passing through it and (b) prevents anyone but dwarves (or those in dwarven bodies) from passing through.

Does that mean Haley can still fire arrows through the barrier? Given the number of low-level dwarves about to charge through the barrier and probably get dominated, I'd think mowing down some of the low-level spawn might be a good use of Haley's time; better than adding a few more points of damage on the death worm which is already getting pretty badly smacked around. (I know, I know, characters don't always act optimally in the comic.)

Thoughts?

[Malfarian]

I would say that a arrow in flight is not a dwarf, so it would be blocked. Whereas an arrow held by a dwarf would pass through with the dwarf.

[martianmister]

Her arrows are magical too.

[Peelee]

I would say that a arrow in flight is not a dwarf, so it would be blocked. Whereas an arrow held by a dwarf would pass through with the dwarf.
Shame for anyone in there breathing the steadily depleting supply of oxygen, then. :smallwink:

Her arrows are magical too.
So the arrows would still go through, just dispelled of the magic. Not a GREAT thing, but not the worst thing either.

[Sermil]

So the arrows would still go through, just dispelled of the magic. Not a GREAT thing, but not the worst thing either.

I thought dispel doesn't affect magic items, just active spells. (Or did they change that for 3.5?) I mean, the Gate scroll didn't lose its magic passing through the barrier.

[Sermil]

I would say that a arrow in flight is not a dwarf, so it would be blocked. Whereas an arrow held by a dwarf would pass through with the dwarf.

That's why I highlighted anyone not anything in the first post. An arrow is not a person, just a thing.

[tyckspoon]

Shame for anyone in there breathing the steadily depleting supply of oxygen, then. :smallwink:

So the arrows would still go through, just dispelled of the magic. Not a GREAT thing, but not the worst thing either.

DR 10/Magic and Silver, on a full power Vampire; without their magic Haley doesn't pierce damage reduction (assuming she has enough silvered arrows to use them on this), and at only d8 damage for a standard longbow arrow (no Sneak Attack for like four different reasons, Haley has never shown anything to suggest she has a significant Strength bonus, and dispelled off the magical bonuses) it's at best going to annoy a vampire. Even a crit would get Fast Healed off in a few rounds.

She could do some damage to any Spawn still around (only DR 5/Silver), again assuming she's got enough silver arrows to spend on doing this, but it's still not really effective or efficient.. would also require that they have some way to tell a Spawn apart from a full fledged Vampire, which I don't think the Order really has any means of doing.

[hroþila]

Looking at those windows and bearing in mind that the thing has several presumably concentric layers, I wouldn't assume that she could actually hit anything from the outside.

[Kish]

The most dangerous opponent is the nightcrawler outside anyway.

[Jay R]

We don't have the manual describing the effect in detail. And if we did, Rich would still ignore it for the benefit of the story.

Haley can shoot through it if and only if Rich thinks that makes the story better.

[KorvinStarmast]

The most dangerous opponent is the nightcrawler outside anyway. I am not sure how many people in this discussion have hit the SRD (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/nightshade.htm#nightcrawler)to get a look at how tough that beastie is...

[Squire Doodad]

Actually, now that you mention it Roy is more likely to be able to do something meaningful; his sword can be hurled and since magic from within the barrier works, he can Returnify it as much as he wants. That means that even if the magic effects an item has are dispelled, Roy can still hurl a Starmetal blade into the gullets of everything he needs to. As such, Roy can dish out some supporting fire (at least, more than a bunch of random dwarves with a handaxe, and probably enough to take out Spawn with ease) and claim some EXP for himself help stop the vampires.

[Rrmcklin]

I find the assumption that the enemy will be placed in spots where Haley shooting them (or Roy throwing his sword) would be feasible strange to begin with.

Especially since they're going to be moving into different chambers, assuming they haven't already.

[InvisibleBison]

Actually, now that you mention it Roy is more likely to be able to do something meaningful; his sword can be hurled and since magic from within the barrier works, he can Returnify it as much as he wants. That means that even if the magic effects an item has are dispelled, Roy can still hurl a Starmetal blade into the gullets of everything he needs to. As such, Roy can dish out some supporting fire (at least, more than a bunch of random dwarves with a handaxe, and probably enough to take out Spawn with ease) and claim some EXP for himself help stop the vampires.

We have seen that the barrier blocks spells being cast through it. While Roy's sword-recall ability isn't a spell, it is a magical ability of some sort, and it seems to me to be premature to assume that the barrier wouldn't block it as well.

[Resileaf]

If the dwarves were so afraid of outside attacks, it seems rather illogical that there would be a straight path from the outside of the building to the inner chamber.

[Dion]

If the dwarves were so afraid of outside attacks, it seems rather illogical that there would be a straight path from the outside of the building to the inner chamber.

Since the windows are glowing orange like the door, my assumption is that the windows go to the middle chamber.

Edit: sorry; misunderstood. Yes, it seems unlikely there are unobstructed likes of sight from the outer chamber (where Haley is now) to the inner chamber (where the vampires are likely to be at this point).

[Squire Doodad]

I find the assumption that the enemy will be placed in spots where Haley shooting them (or Roy throwing his sword) would be feasible strange to begin with.

Especially since they're going to be moving into different chambers, assuming they haven't already.

This is why we have remote-controlled microthrusters on our weapons. Sure it makes the arrows cost 50 platinum more a pop, but that's the cost of living the high life and needing a 2 or higher to hit. With a -8 due to weight from the microthrusters because its frigging steampunk medieval people.

[martianmister]

If the dwarves were so afraid of outside attacks, it seems rather illogical that there would be a straight path from the outside of the building to the inner chamber.

Inner chamber is on the top of the stairs.

[Resileaf]

Inner chamber is on the top of the stairs.

We don't know that. The blue barrier is at the top of the stairs, but we haven't seen the inner chamber yet.

[The Pilgrim]

If Roy throws a Dwarf across the orange barrier... would it pass because it's a dwarf, or would it be blocked because it's a throwing weapon tossed in by a non-dwarf?

[Fish]

Orange is the new block.

[Peelee]

Orange is the new block.

Oooo, that was a good one.

[Squire Doodad]

If Roy throws a Dwarf across the orange barrier... would it pass because it's a dwarf, or would it be blocked because it's a throwing weapon tossed in by a non-dwarf?

Good question.


Could a Bag of Holding pass through, assuming it only was storing Dwarven Full Plates and the like?

[goodpeople25]

Good question.


Could a Bag of Holding pass through, assuming it only was storing Dwarven Full Plates and the like?
Why with all the talk about Dwarven society was the practice of making armour out of their fellows ignored?

[HorizonWalker]

Why with all the talk about Dwarven society was the practice of making armour out of their fellows ignored?

It wasn't ignored, we've seen Hilgya (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots1105.html) and Durkula (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots1126.html) both do it.

[goodpeople25]

It wasn't ignored, we've seen Hilgya (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots1105.html) and Durkula (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots1126.html) both do it.
Touché Filler

[martianmister]

It wasn't ignored, we've seen Hilgya (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots1105.html) and Durkula (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots1126.html) both do it.

Now that's a tradition I can follow.