OOTS #1215 - The Discussion Thread

[kenlund]

I suspect they warded themselves to reduce fall damage perhaps?

I was assuming they would be using "Cleric's Feather Fall" like when Elan was dropped from a high height by Sabine. LOL
But, they didn't seem to take too much damage from that fall, so it seems like something else prevented some damage.

[Emperor Time]

It great it didn't end up worse than what did happen which could have happen easily. Also that the maximized fireball was not enough to finish off our clerics. But Xykon might be able to attack them even more before they can escape which might be enough to easily kill them.

[Bunny Commando]

Geez, Minrah is a lot tougher than I thought she'd be. That's a lot of damage she's tanked to apparently still be standing.

Doesn't protection from fire only reduce the damage by half or does it completely negate it? EDIT: Completely negates it. Okay.

Minrah was a Fighter before joining the clergy of Thor, so she should have more HP than a single class Cleric.

[Turin_19]

I laughed out really hard at this one! hahahaha

Amazing strip!!

[Estelindis]

Feeling a lot more hopeful now that the clerics might escape, but it's still far from certain.

[ShurikVch]

Well, at least, all the insects which bothered Minrah are all gone now...

[Quizatzhaderac]

Always great to see a hammer to the face.

I'm going to say that Durkon didn't hesitate to jump of the cliff because 1) He's just that determined 2) He understands how much more dangerous being on top of the cliff is. Also, I'm wondering it Xykon could fly downward at terminal velocity if he wanted to.

The free-fall dealing with the midges is a nice touch.

So I'm thinking if I ever made a 3.5 caster I'm going to take the feat energy substitution (sonic).

Also, Xykon is being hypocritical as he has immunity/ damage reduction against six damage types.

[Psyren]

But how can Durkon effectively run away while dragging those massive orbs of his?

Glad they thought the buffs through better than the negotiation.

[Crusher]

Hah! The punchline, particularly with the strip title, actually got me to LoL.

[PraetorDragoon]

Now, the intersting part will be seeing what Redcloak will tell Xykon. After all, Xykon might not be too interested into hunting down two random dwarf clerics.

[hamishspence]

Also, Xykon is being hypocritical as he has immunity/ damage reduction against six damage types.

Immune/reduction to 6 types? Depends if you're only counting energy, or if you count physical types as well.

Cold and electricity for being a lich, fire for his magic item (seen in the last battle with V) - what else?

Poison isn't an energy type in 3.5, though it is in later editions.

Negative energy functions slightly differently to regular energy - but he does get healed rather than harmed by negative energy spells, as all undead do.

That special "positive energy dagger" from SOD, that grants the ability to Sneak Attack Undead is something Xykon claimed to be immune to - but I'm not sure if he's immune to regular positive energy - Heal spells and cure light wounds.

I'm pretty sure he's not immune to Sonic or Force.

Of course, if you're counting "bludgeoning, slashing, and piercing" as damage types - then he does always get reduction against two of those, and against one more if the bludgeoning weapon is not magical.

So - cold, electricity, fire, negative energy (in the form of Inflict spells and the like), piercing, and slashing, does come to 6.

[Ron Miel]

The line of sight issue may be easier now as well

What issue is that?

[littlebum2002]

Now I have that LCD Soundsystem song stuck in my head

[Resileaf]

Good old Cleric's feather fall! Never fails!

[Windscion]

Apparently Xykon missed Minrah's quote.

Nice. As Minrah said this is "a bad plan we planned for!"

[137beth]

Yea, who would think to ward against FIRE when going up against the guy who loves casting Meteor Swarm?

[ForgetsHisUID]

Good old Cleric's feather fall! Never fails!

Nah, nobody there to cast any healing spells, and they didn't cast any, either. Durkon fell back on an even older trick: The Fighter's Feather Fall! (Namely: Have enough hit points that you don't die from the fall. Drink a potion later.)

[Yendor]

Well, that went better than expected.

Love the detail of Xykon casually tossing the statue head over his shoulder.

[Worldsong]

Nah, nobody there to cast any healing spells, and they didn't cast any, either. Durkon fell back on an even older trick: The Fighter's Feather Fall! (Namely: Have enough hit points that you don't die.)

Sounds more like the Barbarian's Feather Fall.

The Fighter's Feather Fall is blocking the ground.

[Quizatzhaderac]

Immune/reduction to 6 types? Depends if you're only counting energy, or if you count physical types as well.
......
So - cold, electricity, fire, negative energy (in the form of Inflict spells and the like), piercing, and slashing, does come to 6.

I was counting positive energy as whatever protected him from Righteye's dagger meant he wasn't as vulnerable to positive energy as he should be.

I wasn't counting negative energy as I consider it a freebie; everyone absorbs either positive or negative energy.

[deltamire]

Team Cleric, bustin' through! While I was still pretty freaked out about the possibility of them being turned into paste by Xykon, I thought they wouldn't immediately die - but wasn't quite sure how they'd do it. Wasn't expecting the ol' tank regular of 'screw it, I've got enough hitpoints to weather this', but certainly ain't complaining.

There's something very weird about not seeing Xykon's little boney feet poking out, though. I know it's because he's wearing a longer robe and he's flying, and it gives him a unique silhouette on top of his face shape for added Fear Factor. But it's still unnerving to see him hovering about. Like a roomba with evil intent.

[danielxcutter]

You know, if this was a game I was in and not a comic, I think I'd have ditched this table way before Durkon even blew the element of surprise, because the scales are so utterly imbalanced in favor to Team Evil I'm not sure if I'd have been arsed enough to even try. Xykon is resistant or immune to almost everything that isn't Durkon's hammer or Roy's sword and he has multiple competent allies that are also likely stronger than any given member of the Order. At this point I think the only valid method of taking him out would be shoving him through a Gate again.

[Squire Doodad]

Sounds more like the Barbarian's Feather Fall.

The Fighter's Feather Fall is blocking the ground.

Ahhhhh, good times...

[Grey Watcher]

Honestly it could also be taken as a compliment. Even an Epic Sorcerer Lich isn't happy dealing with Clerics because they're just so good at no-selling all your best tricks.

Excuse me, but that's "Epic Soresirer Litch."

[RMS Oceanic]

The Order of the Stick has now lost the element of surprise. And since the response of Team Evil to Durkon and Minrah has been disorganized and sloppy, it seems clear they were unprepared for outside attackers and would have been caught off guard pretty badly.

The problem with this, at least from Durkon's perspective, is that defeating Xykon and Redcloak is merely kicking the can down the road. And judging by how massively destabilized the Azure City Gobbotopia rift has become, the can isn't getting kicked very far. The only chance they have to address the underlying danger is with Redcloak's co-operation. So when Roy made it clear that attacking was Plan A, I can't blame Durkon for taking what he may have seen was his only shot at following his God's wishes. It's unfortunate it didn't work out, and it indeed makes Plan A harder, but someone has to look at the big picture here.

[Arkain]

I love how casual this all is.

[Kantaki]

I don't think there's a Protection from Street Pizza spell.

Not for the clerics, no.
V (and Xykon) on the other hand would have several options here.

[Ionathus]

This is the most I've laughed at a last panel since, I think, Loki's dialogue at the Council of Clans.

Glad to see they've gained a little bit of distance: hopefully this means they have some lead time to heal/think of something. My money's still on our mysterious Orange & Green capturing Team Cleric.

A+ page!

[Skull the Troll]

I suspect they warded themselves to reduce fall damage perhaps?
The line of sight issue may be easier now as well

Fall damage is notoriously non-lethal in 3.5. They have made a few jokes about it in the comic. The real issue here is how did they fall so much faster than her hammer??? Galleo is rolling in his grave right now.

[Bedinsis]

I've encountered a small technical issue:

I found out via facebook today that there was a new strip, though I visited the website through the standard giantitp.com website without following the facebook link.

Though when I arrived there 1214 was still listed as the most recent page.

When I clicked to get to get to page 1214 it still was listed as the most recent page.

It was only once I manually changed the url to 1215 that the website actually showed that that was the most recent page.

I thought it odd, so I thought it was worthwhile to share.

Also: when I visit 1214 again it is still listed as the most recent page and the "next page" button does nothing. Or that was at least the truth until I refreshed the page, since now everything seems to work.