OOTS #1015 - The Discussion Thread

[Emperordaniel]

The Vampocalypse is here!

[KorvinStarmast]

This only applies if he is falling all the way to sea level. He was thrown out sideways with some force, but not nearly enough to clear the entire mountain. A much smaller fall is likely, quite possibly one where the ring of feather fall is good enough protection. I'd also argue that the ring is hardly poorly designed, given that it automatically protects against any number of falls in the range where most falling is likely to be done, and does so even if the person falling is already unconscious.

He bounced off the roof twice, and missed his Dex throw on "catch the edge of the roof and hang on" and then fell. Granted, slope of roof is pretty steep.

See panels 14, 15, and 16 of the short battle with Durkowolf.

I note that Belkar being a Ranger provides decent Climb capability.

[Peelee]

Slow, crawling alignment change

Since Belkar openly considers murdering Roy, I'd imagine that alignment change to be from CE to NE?

[Ruck]

I'm not quite sure that's a vampire in the last panel. The skin tone is a bit off, so it looks like an example of another type of undead.

But I'm sure Belkar will be all wight.

Yeah, l was thinking the skin looked pure white, like Tsukiko's wights, although I'm not sure how someone would turn that guy into a wight / what the process is.

Only if he has good enough Spot skill to notice gigantic vampire in front of him.

Uh oh.

He shouldn't need much of a Spot skill due to the "gigantic" part. Now, not being seen first...

Why is a vampire going UP the mountain? Is that the one that stole the orb? Did the airship drop altitude or something? I'm confused.

That was the conclusion I drew.

Sure, ok, why not.

...actually it's entirely believable, I think, that at the level and amount of wealth these guys are at, that they can be buying up items like this, for emergencies like this. Rich has used a variation of the "fake death but they survive for reasons only explained in flashback to off-camera event" very seldom, if ever, so I guess this is ok.

It's a pretty basic item. I don't think it stretches plausibility at all.

[Quibblicious]

Why is a vampire going UP the mountain? Is that the one that stole the orb? Did the airship drop altitude or something? I'm confused.

I took it as the Orb thief returning. He probably dropped down low to avoid strong winds and they went up the mountain.

J

[ChillerInstinct]

Yeehaw, I knew Belkar wasn't stupid enough to not look into some way around getting thrown off the Mechane a third time.

Now, the question is... what now? It's likely the new vamps aren't nearly as strong as the HPoH, but Belkar still doesn't have much of a way to protect himself without the clasp. Methinks we now have a good idea how V and the others are going to get involved...

[Quibblicious]

Too many, all of the order of stone. Belkar might not survive this. Then again, if they're spread too thin, he might. If he is vamped, but the vampire who vamped him dies, that would cover the prophecy, and leave the vampire from the western gods halls as a free agent, which being neither from Hel ? (or would he be from Hel?) nor Nergal, might be compatible witht the order's aims. Or not. I can see Roy saying "this vampire is not Belkar, end it" then not bringing Belkar back either.

Belkar is good at being sneaky. If he realizes the pending ambush he might be able to skirt it and sneak into the temple.

[Shining Wrath]

Yeehaw, I knew Belkar wasn't stupid enough to not look into some way around getting thrown off the Mechane a third time.

Now, the question is... what now? It's likely the new vamps aren't nearly as strong as the HPoH, but Belkar still doesn't have much of a way to protect himself without the clasp. Methinks we now have a good idea how V and the others are going to get involved...

I have called it - Roy's getting the band back together, and their opening act is the Stone Temple Pilots. Under these circumstances no one is going to complain if the entire Order walks into the Godsmoot having killed the not-protected-by-the-rules vampirized Creed of Stone folk.

[Ruck]

"Out of my way, Pastee Freez; I'm late enough as it is! Don't you recognize the representative from the Orthodox Church of Banjo when you see him?"

...And so, the tense battle between undead giant and heavily-injured Belkar is completely averted in the first two panels of next week's strip by a daring bluff.

LOL

As much as I thought the idea that Banjo would actually be recognized as a pantheon god was silly, the thought of Belkar using that as a bluff to get into the Moot is hilarious.

[KorvinStarmast]

That was the conclusion I drew.

So did Rich in panel 15 of this strip. You will note the airship over the road with the slope going up and to the right out of the frame. The Airship did not hover over the temple to discharge the passengers, it hovered over the road, so we must believe that Durkon, Roy, Veldrina, Wrecna, and Belkar walked the rest of the way up the road to get to the top and be greeted.

While Banjo's state as deity is dubious, on the bright side, even with only Elan as a priest and before even Haley and Belkar became temporary converts, Banjo did get a little smiting off onto Roy's head.

[Ruck]

Yeehaw, I knew Belkar wasn't stupid enough to not look into some way around getting thrown off the Mechane a third time.

Now, the question is... what now? It's likely the new vamps aren't nearly as strong as the HPoH, but Belkar still doesn't have much of a way to protect himself without the clasp. Methinks we now have a good idea how V and the others are going to get involved...

Why do you assume he doesn't have the clasp?

[Ruck]

So did Rich in panel 15 of this strip. You will note the airship over the road with the slope going up and to the right out of the frame. The Airship did not hover over the temple to discharge the passengers, it hovered over the road, so we must believe that Durkon, Roy, Veldrina, Wrecna, and Belkar walked the rest of the way up the road to get to the top and be greeted.

Haha, I meant that the vampire being Gontor returning from the Mechane was the conclusion I drew, but that's a good point (and a good pun).

[Quibblicious]

Belkar is alive... for now.

I thought that the Goliath was the vampire, but you can actually see the vampire in cloud form on the goliath's left.
Two opponents, no weapon. Well...

I took the gaseous form of Gontorrhea (Hey, he is transmitted orally ) as him entering the temple, to bring his master the orb. The goliath is there to keep out anyone else.

Staff usage: We know that two vampires have been speed-vamped, and both have protection from sunlight. Not sure how many charges the staff has but we've seen no evidence that Durkula can recharge those two spells.

Now, he could have speed-vamped a dozen others and told them to stay indoors, but that remains to be seen.

[Spartakus]

Hahaha, I love this rant.

At first I thought Belkar should better get used to climb high mountains.
But then realized he would go another road. One paved with good intentions.
Yes I know that is for lawful people only.

[Ron Miel]

Question How does Belkar's ring of jumping work? Couldn't he clear each step on the climb with a single leap, or maybe two?

[Havelocke]

Heck, he could throw a snowball at the Goliath and crit-kill it in one shot if the fear of Halfling rock throwing is that impressive in the OOTS universe!

[alexandraerin]

Why is a vampire going UP the mountain?

Because it's there!

[Quibblicious]

Feather fall item bought offstage? Not going to feel bad about calling that one wrong.



It should stop him as much as it stopped Durkula: prevent possession, not bite or hammer attacks.

Unfortunately...this says a lot about Durkula, that he'd have a backup plan waiting for Belkar downstairs, just in case he survived the fall somehow. That's some serious contingency planning. Roy might be in more trouble than he thinks.

The vampire guards could simply to keep the rest of the Order at bay. There are a few potent high level characters right there within easy action range.

[Bobbybobby99]

I love it! (and good heavens that background is amazing)

[Idiotic_Bird]

Haha, i loved how we all assumed that Belkar died. Belkar's smart tho, arriving at the conclusion that Durkon must've vampirised the other dwarf dude. I hope Belkar gets to Roy and kills durkon

[Idiotic_Bird]

Question How does Belkar's ring of jumping work? Couldn't he clear each step on the climb with a single leap, or maybe two?

He gave it to Roy in the fight for Azure city. I don't remember him getting it back. Wait a sec...

[PallentisLunam]

So ... the quickest solution is if the item can be manually activated by Belkar. If so, all he has to do is hold on until he's right above the ground, then switch it on. Like a skydiver with a parachute.

Whatever it is, it's got to be a better item than the Ring of Feather Falling .

Why?

Because according to the text, the ring activates automatically if the wearer falls more than 5 feet.

This would be bad because if that mountain is 15,000 feet high (5,000 meters) (the average height of the alps ) and the ring activates after 5 feet (1.5 meters) -- then that means Belkar falls at 18 meters per second for six seconds, thus covering 108 meters of the 4998.5 meter drop. Having thus had a slow fall for six seconds at the start of the fall, he then proceeds to fall the remaining 4890.5 meters at normal speed, achieves terminal velocity, and hits the ground with the force of a small, fleshy meteor.

So whatever Belkar is using, it can't be the poorly-designed ring of feather falling. It must be some other item, perhaps homebrew.

Respectfully,

Brian P.

Umm, there is no limit on how many times a ring of feather falling can activate per day, nor is there a limit on how many times it can activate during a single fall. The only restriction on its activation is that the wearer fall 5 ft. Even under the effect of a feather fall spell the target still falls, therefore the spell effect keeps reactivating every 5 ft until the wearer reaches the ground. There is nothing wrong with a ring of featherfall.

Edit: And the minimum caster level to forge a ring is 12th.

[Blue Ghost]

Belkar is back in the game. Bad hobbits are hard to break.

[Shining Wrath]

Belkar is back in the game. Bad hobbits are hard to break.

Enjoy the Internet you just won. And congratulations on beating Rich Burlew to that pun - he's probably editing the next strip right now to take it back out.

Does this mean that halfling sex is sometimes hobbit forming?

[Ron Miel]

He gave it to Roy in the fight for Azure city. I don't remember him getting it back. Wait a sec...

He had months to take it back from dead Roy.

I think he had it when fighting the thieves guild.

[Jelly d6]

Guys, we miss very important information!

We know the hosts aren't protected by Godsmoot rules from the attacks of attending delegations. Are the participants not protected from being attacked by the hosts either? The latter seems slightly less possible because representatives of the voting gods have quite an important role, and I can think of more than a few scenarios where the hosts can badly mess with the voting process.

[Caractacus]

3) How did they know he was climbing back up?
Shouldn't they be guarding the entrance in case V & co figure this out and try to help?

Well, he IS standing right outside the entrance, so yes, they are guarding the entrance.
How did they know he was climbing back up? They didn't - they are guarding the entrance...

See here...

[Toper]

Ah, Belkar banter, I've missed you.

[KorvinStarmast]

Enjoy the Internet you just won. And congratulations on beating Rich Burlew to that pun - he's probably editing the next strip right now to take it back out.

Does this mean that halfling sex is sometimes hobbit forming?

It shire can be.

3) How did they know he was climbing back up?

Well, a gaseous form Vamp just floated past him on the way to the top as he was talking to himself.
We know from the fight between Roy and Durkula that a gaseous form vamp can talk. We also know that the goliath vamp was near the door, and the circle of truth, when Roy and Belkar and Veldrina, etc all walked in.

[PallentisLunam]

Guys, we miss very important information!

We know the hosts aren't protected by Godsmoot rules from the attacks of attending delegations. Are the participants not protected from being attacked by the hosts either? The latter seems slightly less possible because representatives of the voting gods have quite an important role, and I can think of more than a few scenarios where the hosts can badly mess with the voting process.

Wercan seems to indicate that attacking an individual of a different, officially represented, faith will remove the protections of the Godsmoot. So I think it's safe to infer that this applies to the hosts as well. And I think self defense would apply regardless. Even if the rules say so, who's going to stand by while a vampire kicks their ass?