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View Full Version : Modern Earth + 1 Necromancer = Exponential Math



Mr. Friendly
2008-03-03, 10:37 AM
Ok, so inspired by the killing the planet in 30 minutes thread, supposing we have modern day Earth; for the sake of arguement, no-one can use magic or what magic there is, is limited to divinations and lengthy rituals for creating rain and whatnot.

Except, well.. me. 'Cause it's my thread. :smalltongue:

For the purposes of this thread, we will say I have learned Necromancy and I am able to summon (1) Spectre. I then order my Spectre to go create as many spawn as possible and for him to order his newly creaed spawn to create as many spawn as possible and for them to pass those orders on to their spawn and so on.

Ignoring myself from the mathematical equation (since I may or may not order it to not attack me) how long does it take for the Earth to become a Deadworld?

The following relevant criteria: Though I do not live there currently, for the purposes of our theoretical ritual I live in the central most city of the United States. I unleash my minion at sundown on (an) equinox. Spectres have a fly speed of 80 ft./6sec. Spectres also can only be active during times of darkness; for simplicities sake we will only allow then to be active at night.

All things being equal, my minions will wipe out the whole of the human race with virtually no resistance. Just to keep this mostly a mathmatic equation, we will assume that science offers no defense either. (No Ghost Touch AR-15's - not yours) The only question is - how long will it take?

Citizen Joe
2008-03-03, 11:09 AM
There would be massive carnage the first night. Second night, witnesses will report what they saw in sufficient numbers that people will believe them. After the third night, people will realize the sunlight weakness and the telltale baying of dogs around specters and other animals being upset. By the fourth night, huge UV spotlights will protect certain locations. The distance between cities would be too great to traverse in one night, combined with their longing to kill will keep them locked down to a regional problem countered by the use of solar radiation. Once trapped by solar screens, experiments will be used like electrical and fire attacks plus Vatican will send blessed water in firetrucks to the infestation areas to wipe out the trapped specters. The Vatican would then declare this as proof of the Devil and thus of God. Other religions would counter. Religious zealots would get control of nukes. Then the world gets destroyed about a week later. Survivors would be minimal since populations would have clustered around protected cities to avoid being specter killed. Those that do survive would die of starvation/radiation within two weeks.

So... one to two months.

Ranis
2008-03-03, 11:18 AM
There would be massive carnage the first night. Second night, witnesses will report what they saw in sufficient numbers that people will believe them. After the third night, people will realize the sunlight weakness and the telltale baying of dogs around specters and other animals being upset. By the fourth night, huge UV spotlights will protect certain locations. The distance between cities would be too great to traverse in one night, combined with their longing to kill will keep them locked down to a regional problem countered by the use of solar radiation. Once trapped by solar screens, experiments will be used like electrical and fire attacks plus Vatican will send blessed water in firetrucks to the infestation areas to wipe out the trapped specters. The Vatican would then declare this as proof of the Devil and thus of God. Other religions would counter. Religious zealots would get control of nukes. Then the world gets destroyed about a week later. Survivors would be minimal since populations would have clustered around protected cities to avoid being specter killed. Those that do survive would die of starvation/radiation within two weeks.

So... one to two months.

And, out of the blue, Will Smith becomes the last man on earth, combatting the Spectres at night while secretly dabbling his levels in Expert to UMD long enough to find a cure for the Spectre plague, dying in the process of releasing the agent throughout the air, thus saving the human race.

ashmanonar
2008-03-03, 11:21 AM
Ok, so inspired by the killing the planet in 30 minutes thread, supposing we have modern day Earth; for the sake of arguement, no-one can use magic or what magic there is, is limited to divinations and lengthy rituals for creating rain and whatnot.

Except, well.. me. 'Cause it's my thread. :smalltongue:

For the purposes of this thread, we will say I have learned Necromancy and I am able to summon (1) Spectre. I then order my Spectre to go create as many spawn as possible and for him to order his newly creaed spawn to create as many spawn as possible and for them to pass those orders on to their spawn and so on.

Ignoring myself from the mathematical equation (since I may or may not order it to not attack me) how long does it take for the Earth to become a Deadworld?

The following relevant criteria: Though I do not live there currently, for the purposes of our theoretical ritual I live in the central most city of the United States. I unleash my minion at sundown on (an) equinox. Spectres have a fly speed of 80 ft./6sec. Spectres also can only be active during times of darkness; for simplicities sake we will only allow then to be active at night.

All things being equal, my minions will wipe out the whole of the human race with virtually no resistance. Just to keep this mostly a mathmatic equation, we will assume that science offers no defense either. (No Ghost Touch AR-15's - not yours) The only question is - how long will it take?

How would science not offer any defense, if there are 4 guys with unlicensed proton accelerators on their backs?

Thinker
2008-03-03, 11:54 AM
How would science not offer any defense, if there are 4 guys with unlicensed proton accelerators on their backs?

Who ya gonna call?

Mr. Friendly
2008-03-03, 03:01 PM
How would science not offer any defense, if there are 4 guys with unlicensed proton accelerators on their backs?

Ok, that is funny.

Still - the UV spotlights are useless, the Spectres need Natural Daylight to stop them or a Sunlight spell, as I said that is out.

Also, the Spectres can travel underground....since they can glide incorporeally through the ground.

Cybren
2008-03-03, 03:14 PM
What about an array of reflective satellites positioned to direct natural sunlight towards every area of the planet?
Alternatively: move to the north pole during their month long stretches of day, and then the south pole when it switches.

Kioran
2008-03-03, 03:25 PM
TNT does force damage, according to the DMG. It stands to reason that other explosives will do that as well. So, two days after the specters start their massacre, the U.S. Air Force will do what it does best - bombing the **** out of ground targets from a big height. I´m not saying they will be capable of stopping it, but then delay would be considerable.......

Titanium Dragon
2008-03-03, 03:38 PM
I think the specters would lose; while they are incorporeal, they can still be damaged by some stuff, and between high explosives and nuclear weapons they'd probably lose (though they'd probably wipe out the city). And UV spotlights would probably count as daylight for such purposes; they may not be natural in origin but they replicate sunlight pretty well.

However, ignoring the fact that humans even without magic would probably win, the amount of time it would take would probably be at least 3 months, and possibly longer due to perpetual daylight on the poles, as well as because it'd be a pain for the specters to track down every human being - IIRC they don't have survival, so it'd be troublesome to track down people in Siberia, and it may be that they'd never go out and cross the oceans at all because they wouldn't know to do so.

Burley
2008-03-03, 03:43 PM
While the length of time theoretically would not be that great, and the longest amount of dead time would be going from the American coasts to the Asian and Australian coasts, there is one flaw. There are tons of places that, even undead, people won't travel to.
"Hmm...I say, Charles. What say we go to [insert unwanted state here], and transform some folk?"
"Well, that is a capital idea, Reginald, except for the fact that [above state] blows righteously."

Also, we all know that the Pneguins would fight, saving the human race. And, Samuel L. Jackson and Michael Jackson. Samuel because he's super awesome, Michael because he's already a ghost and therefore immune to attacks. Chuck Norris would be the first to be spawned.

The_Werebear
2008-03-03, 03:56 PM
I would say that most limits would be due to move speed. The odds that one will travel along on a plane or boat is limited due to the fact that they wouldn't be able to restrain the urge to kill, thus leading to the plane going down and fire damage most likely killing them.

So, my guess is that they wipe a continent, then are trapped/delayed by apathy. Why would they go looking for more humans across the ocean? Their intelligence, while not small, is limited by overwhelming hatred and lack of reason. The delay would give the Vatican enough time to train their priests to turn undead and the world's militaries to reorganize flamethrowers into holy water throwers and get blessed bullets.

Jayabalard
2008-03-03, 04:20 PM
hmm... if everyone in the world was lined up and ready to go, a couple of hours would be enough.

Kyace
2008-03-03, 04:36 PM
If you are in a vehicle moving 37 mph, you are moving 325.6 feet per round. A spectre's top speed, using the run action, is 320 feet per round. Congrats, your incorporeal monster can't keep up with your vehicle nor can they climb aboard. If you put a blanket over yourself, you now have total cover, thus they get no AoOs for you passing through their threatened area if they manage to get in front of your train or whatever. :P

GoC
2008-03-03, 10:48 PM
If you are in a vehicle moving 37 mph, you are moving 325.6 feet per round. A spectre's top speed, using the run action, is 320 feet per round. Congrats, your incorporeal monster can't keep up with your vehicle nor can they climb aboard. If you put a blanket over yourself, you now have total cover, thus they get no AoOs for you passing through their threatened area if they manage to get in front of your train or whatever. :P

LOL!
The spectre invasion is foiled by hiding under blankets!

Titanium Dragon
2008-03-03, 11:03 PM
LOL!
The spectre invasion is foiled by hiding under blankets!

Not to mention you'd gain experience for bypassing the challenge. Level up, multiclass into wizard, and you and your cadre of level 1 wizards can start magic missiling away the specters. As there will be tons and tons of specters, you'll gain levels pretty quickly from your speeding train, and soon you'll be more than capable of killing them all :smallbiggrin:

Collin152
2008-03-03, 11:12 PM
The spectres fly to the center of the earth, and turn the earth into its spawn.
The world kills everybody.
We spend the rest of eternity dancing "Thriller"

Rockphed
2008-03-03, 11:13 PM
The delay would give the Vatican enough time to train their priests to turn undead and the world's militaries to reorganize flamethrowers into holy water throwers and get blessed bullets.

You don't need to change what a flamethrower does. Energy Damage would destroy spectres fast enough.

EvilElitest
2008-03-03, 11:18 PM
Quick question, are you the necromancer mortal? I mean if the government got smart, they'd try to attack the source. I don't know how that would work out however.
from
EE

Collin152
2008-03-03, 11:21 PM
Quick question, are you the necromancer mortal? I mean if the government got smart, they'd try to attack the source. I don't know how that would work out however.
from
EE

He's a necromancer. Like that'd work.
"Strike me down and I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine!"

EvilElitest
2008-03-03, 11:29 PM
He's a necromancer. Like that'd work.
"Strike me down and I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine!"

oh touche
from
EE

The_Werebear
2008-03-04, 03:04 AM
You don't need to change what a flamethrower does. Energy Damage would destroy spectres fast enough.

Hrmm... You still have the 50% miss chance either way, so..

I wonder if Bless Water works on Jellied Gasoline?

Talic
2008-03-04, 03:16 AM
Ok, that is funny.

Still - the UV spotlights are useless, the Spectres need Natural Daylight to stop them or a Sunlight spell, as I said that is out.

Also, the Spectres can travel underground....since they can glide incorporeally through the ground.

Sunbeam spell lists the UV as being damaging to undead harmed by light. There's a substantial arguement for the case.

Dr Bwaa
2008-03-04, 10:49 AM
I agree, the UV would probably hurt them. However, I also agree that their INT is not low, and that they can move underground.

Where you start is also going to have a huge impact. If you begin in, say, Minneapolis/St. Paul MN, you've got a large population of people to start with, but as soon as you get rid of all them, you've run out of prey for a while because there's nothing within a couple hundred miles.

...However, if you bought yourself a plane ticket to India or China, you're going to be spawning very quickly with very little restriction due to population density...

Yakk
2008-03-04, 11:07 AM
To take out a city:
1 kill+raise every 10 minutes per spectre

At that rate:
A city with 1 million people would take about 200 minutes to saturate.
A city with 1 billion people would take 300 minutes to saturate.

Now that is an approximation. Initial spawnage would be faster than that per specter, and late spawnage would be slower. But let's say in 5 hours a single specter could make 90%+ of the population of any city into specters.

Now, specters have 14 int and 14 wis. They aren't dumb. Let's assume a not-dumb strategy to wipe out the world!

You start with a few isolated farms, and build up a few dozen specters.

Next you have to deal with the intercontinental problem. Get some specters on each continent or major island with a significant industrial base. This is the "lull".

Now head out to the major cities on the continent, travelling underground. Along the way, create a few isolated specters for reinforcements. Leave half of them to "clean up" after a delay, and the other half are reinforcements.

Now for the "death bloom". Every major city in the world has a specter in it, as does every military base on the map (so not every military base). On a single night they go exponential. Within 6 hours, 90%+ of the population of the world has become specters, and the military has been torn up.

The specters in the cities, after they pass a certain threshold, export most of their specters to the countryside. Bunching up is a bad idea, because there is too much competition, and it makes a to target-rich environment.

Some small isolated islands will survive. But they lack the infrastructure that a modern military or industrial complex requires. The main continents and industiral base of the world will saturate with specters. And then the darkness will fall, as the specters look for food from the remaining few humans.

Of course, this isn't "turn every human you see" instructions. :) But if you wanted to end the world with necromancy...

Zim
2008-03-04, 11:23 AM
I'm sure that a group of 4-6 plucky adventurers would show up and shoot you in the middle of your ritual. It always happens that way.:smallwink:

Dr Bwaa
2008-03-04, 11:24 AM
*snip*

Yes. I agree wholeheartedly.

Citizen Joe
2008-03-04, 11:46 AM
Ahah! I see the flaw in your logic....

You're taking fantasy stuff into the real world. You can inflict as may hit points of damage as you like on me, I don't have hit points. So really you're doing nothing. Likewise, I don't have levels, so draining doesn't do anything either. However, my real world fire does damage your fantasy creature...

Worira
2008-03-04, 02:22 PM
Ahah! I see the flaw in your logic....

You're taking fantasy stuff into the real world. You can inflict as may hit points of damage as you like on me, I don't have hit points. So really you're doing nothing. Likewise, I don't have levels, so draining doesn't do anything either. However, my real world fire does damage your fantasy creature...

As opposed to your fire trucks full of holy water? Anyway, fire doesn't hurt incorporeal creatures, and I don't know where you're getting the idea it does.

Jack Zander
2008-03-04, 02:53 PM
Energy damage does, so a fireball spell would, but natural fire does not.

Worira
2008-03-04, 03:02 PM
Natural fire deals energy damage. The fact that it's fire is irrelevant, energy damage has the same chance of missing as anything else.

Zim
2008-03-04, 03:48 PM
As opposed to your fire trucks full of holy water?

Holy water would be the most cost-effective way of dealing with the problem. IRL, there is no material component for holy water. All you need is a priest and some water. Nothing from stopping the Pope from blessing all of the water on the planet in one special prayer. The next time it rains or gets humid will be a bad time from the undead. And all for free! :smallwink:

Dr Bwaa
2008-03-04, 04:12 PM
Holy water would be the most cost-effective way of dealing with the problem. IRL, there is no material component for holy water. All you need is a priest and some water. Nothing from stopping the Pope from blessing all of the water on the planet in one special prayer. The next time it rains or gets humid will be a bad time from the undead. And all for free! :smallwink:


Ok, so inspired by the killing the planet in 30 minutes thread, supposing we have modern day Earth; for the sake of arguement, no-one can use magic or what magic there is, is limited to divinations and lengthy rituals for creating rain and whatnot.

Emphasis mine.

Step 1: Get the Pope to bless the sky
Step 2: *lengthy ritual to create rain on target [The World]*
Step 3: ???
Step 4: Profit!
----------------
Because of this, we need some way to assure that the world cannot get organized in time to carry out this dastardly plan. Therefore, I propose the following.

I'd like to start in Rome, but (A)that's dangerous, since it's likely all consecrated ground anywhere near the Vatican, and (B) there could be other powerful religious figures (the Dalai Lama, etc) with enough influence to do the same ritual. Therefore:

Step 1: Take over a town in the middle of nowhere. Get 20-30+ specters, and leave no survivors. No one yet knows of the invasion.

Step 2: Make a list of all the important religious figures powerful enough to counter you.

Step 3: Split your forces equally, with several specters going to each high-level cleric (bear in mind he can probably Turn Undead, everything near him is definitely holy and covered in holy symbols and Consecrated).

Step 4: Take them all out simultaneously.

Step 5: Reap the population.

Worira
2008-03-04, 04:29 PM
So, uh, why are we giving priests magic powers, again? Bless Water is a spell. In real life, priests don't get spells. They can bless water, sure, but that's not a magic power, it's them saying "I/God/a god/goddess/the Invisible Pink Unicron blesses this water." And even if you think that works how can you quote text saying that there's no magic other than, possibly, weather and divination magic, and then go on to detail a plan involving holy water?

bugsysservant
2008-03-04, 04:56 PM
I/God/a god/goddess/the Invisible Pink Unicron

I AM SO MAKING A WARFORGED DRUID THAT WORSHIPS AN INVISIBLE PINK UNICRON!!!1!!ONE!!! :smallcool:

Collin152
2008-03-04, 05:00 PM
I AM SO MAKING A WARFORGED DRUID THAT WORSHIPS AN INVISIBLE PINK UNICRON!!!1!!ONE!!! :smallcool:

It's invisible... and pink?

Dr Bwaa
2008-03-04, 05:19 PM
So, uh, why are we giving priests magic powers, again? Bless Water is a spell. In real life, priests don't get spells. They can bless water, sure, but that's not a magic power, it's them saying "I/God/a god/goddess/the Invisible Pink Unicron blesses this water." And even if you think that works how can you quote text saying that there's no magic other than, possibly, weather and divination magic, and then go on to detail a plan involving holy water?

I didn't give people the power to make water, the thread poster did. And as you said, priests can bless water without it being a spell (though, as Zim said, maybe only very high-level priests (the pope) can could bless, say, all the water in the world).

Collin152
2008-03-04, 05:24 PM
Can't the Pope bless the ambient water in the air/soil? Make the earth intolerable for the tainted to dwell in or upon?
You'd think he'd have done that before, but hey, disintigrating spectres.

Worira
2008-03-04, 05:24 PM
No, they can say they're blessing water. So can a level on commoner in DnD. That doesn't mean it'll do anything.

Collin152
2008-03-04, 05:50 PM
No, they can say they're blessing water. So can a level on commoner in DnD. That doesn't mean it'll do anything.

I can see this disolving into a Theological dispute.
But hey, all the holy water I've ever used has had the described results on the undead and Evil Outsiders I've encountered.

Mewtarthio
2008-03-04, 05:59 PM
But what if the Pope is a Favored Soul who doesn't have bless water on his Spells Known list?

Collin152
2008-03-04, 06:12 PM
But what if the Pope is a Favored Soul who doesn't have bless water on his Spells Known list?

The irony kills us all.
But I'm pretty sure he's either a Cleric or a Warlock.

bugsysservant
2008-03-04, 06:36 PM
It's invisible... and pink?

Well presumably one form is pink and another is invisible. He is Unicron after all.

Hyrael
2008-03-04, 07:04 PM
Well, If you're a necromancer, that means that it's possible to gain levels in casting classes. Someone out there is going to kill a spectre by luring it into a car and then setting off the gas tank, and DING, level up into sorceror.

and, If you get to be a necromancer, then I get to be a Druid/Wizard/Arcane Heirophant, and you just cant beat that kind of cheese. Necromancers may be cool, but in terms of pure b0rk3dne55, other wizards and druids always win. I'm not going to let you **** up my precious biosphere with your undead horrors, man.

under such conditions, bands of scrappy heroes will form. with the influx of magic, people will transcend to new abilities. Stephen Hawking will gain the powers of a 20th level wizard with Still Spell and Silent Spell, the pope would become a 5th level cleric, random quantum physicists and biologists would become druids and wizards. Quite a few people in the middle east would become paladins (of tyranny, many of them), voudoun shamans would be dark clerics. the great musicians of the age would become bards (there have to be a few that qualify; the boy-bands havent completely destroyed them, have they?). think of all the geeks and nerds and artists who would quickly realize that now, reality bends to their will.

These people would cast their divinations, commune with nature, track you down, and kill you. due to DM fiat, killing you would terminate all the spectres. the world is saved, and a new golden age would begin, because now the nerds have power.

Cyclone231
2008-03-04, 08:00 PM
It's invisible... and pink?We know she is invisible because we cannot see her. We take it on faith that she is pink.

Collin152
2008-03-04, 08:02 PM
We know she is invisible because we cannot see her. We take it on faith that she is pink.

I see.
Is this an omnipresent Unicorn?
And if its invisible, how can it be pink at all?
It can't be anything. It has no color.

bugsysservant
2008-03-04, 08:25 PM
I see.
Is this an omnipresent Unicorn?
And if its invisible, how can it be pink at all?
It can't be anything. It has no color.

No, no. Its a pink UNICRON (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/b1/Unicron-idw.jpg), not a pink Unicorn (http://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/mythiccreatures/land/images/28-Unicorn-model_lg.jpg). GOSH!

Yakk
2008-03-04, 09:26 PM
I see.
Is this an omnipresent Unicorn?
And if its invisible, how can it be pink at all?
It can't be anything. It has no color.

No, the invisible colorless unicorn is ridiculous. It doesn't exist.

The IPU does. As such, it must be pink, as that distinguishes it from the non-existent ICU.

Collin152
2008-03-04, 09:33 PM
Unicron? Now that's just grotesque, unrealistic, and silly.

bugsysservant
2008-03-04, 09:42 PM
Unicron? Now that's just grotesque, unrealistic, and silly.

I... I feel as though I have been slapped. Yes, yes we of the church of the great IPU may not have formal status, but on these boards I would expect a little more respect for religion. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go burn you in effigy.

Worira
2008-03-04, 10:12 PM
Ahem. No real world religions, folks.

Collin152
2008-03-04, 10:19 PM
I... I feel as though I have been slapped. Yes, yes we of the church of the great IPU may not have formal status, but on these boards I would expect a little more respect for religion. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go burn you in effigy.

Does that qualify me for the Effigy Master prestige class?

bugsysservant
2008-03-04, 10:23 PM
Does that qualify me for the Effigy Master prestige class?

Only if the flaming effigy attacks me.

...


Will it attack me?

:eek:

Collin152
2008-03-04, 10:30 PM
Only if the flaming effigy attacks me.

...


Will it attack me?

:eek:

All depends on how well you resist the mindrape.
Unless you're willing to forgo the magic part of it.

bugsysservant
2008-03-05, 07:18 AM
All depends on how well you resist the mindrape.
Unless you're willing to forgo the magic part of it.

See, you're exactly the reason I don't like "people." On the plus side, I'm tall for when the sorting happens. That is a plus, right?