Next-strip predictions

[KorvinStarmast]

I think Redcloak and TE are going to be frustrated that they didn't find the Order

RC then casts some divination that gives him a hint to the doors' gimmick

FWIW, in 1247, I don't think we'll get a flash back to TE just yet.

Given the events of 1246, my guess is that V, Haley, and Belkar end up off screen, and we see on screen Minrah, Durkon(Statue?), Roy(still out?), Elan, and Sunny. (And maybe Franklin slowly crawling across the floor toward a wall). We also see Bloodfeast Extreminator because we last saw Bloodfeast holding onto Mr Scruffy's tail (Bloodfeast is now outside of the bag) and Sunny just turned his AMF eye back into the main, central area of the room.

A two quataloo bet on the Return of Bloodfeast option. (Here's hoping!)

[Dion]

After jumping through the hole, Serini lands on a flumph!

[KorvinStarmast]

"I will not fall for your clever word games, trickster!"
~Last panel of strip 1247~
Given where Sunny's central eye is now facing, I think that he just did.

[RatElemental]

I'm gonna throw in a prediction that Elan heals Sunny (or offers to but can't because the AMF) next strip.

[brian 333]

My prediction accuracy remains at 100%! Maybe one day I'll get one right.

It is fairly obvious that Serini is leading them into a trap or ambush, which we will see in 1247. The question is, when will Durkon be freed, and why does he keep getting stoned?

[KorvinStarmast]

The question is, when will Durkon be freed, and why does he keep getting stoned?

Because everybody must get stoned.
(Reference is a song lyric by Bob Dylan)

[brian 333]

Because everybody must get stoned.
(Reference is a song lyric by Bob Dylan)

[whisper] Pssst! Your age is showing! [/whisper]

[Riftwolf]

Because everybody must get stoned.
(Reference is a song lyric by Bob Dylan)

Isn't it 'everyone wants to get stoned'? I've been mishearing that song for years...

Next strip prediction is V, Haley and Belkar giving chase.

[KorvinStarmast]

Isn't it 'everyone wants to get stoned'? I've been mishearing that song for years.

You have indeed been mishearing it for years

Spoiler: Rainy Day Woman ...

Show

Well, they'll stone you when you're trying to be so good
They'll stone you just like they said they would
They'll stone you when you're trying to go home
And they'll stone you when you're there all alone
But I would not feel so all alone
Everybody must get stoned

@brian333: yep, I keep trying to turn blond on blond but all I get to is silver on gray.

[Peelee]

You have indeed been mishearing it for years

Spoiler: Rainy Day Woman ...

Show

Well, they'll stone you when you're trying to be so good
They'll stone you just like they said they would
They'll stone you when you're trying to go home
And they'll stone you when you're there all alone
But I would not feel so all alone
Everybody must get stoned

@brian333: yep, I keep trying to turn blond on blond but all I get to is silver on gray.

Psh. Next you'll be trying to convince me that Jimi Hendrix didn't actually want to kiss this guy.

[brian 333]

Psh. Next you'll be trying to convince me that Jimi Hendrix didn't actually want to kiss this guy.

Literally fell out of my chair laughing when Robin did that on SNL.

Whatever happened to funny? We used to have that in the old days.

[Fyraltari]

Literally fell out of my chair laughing when Robin did that on SNL.

Whatever happened to funny? We used to have that in the old days.

Aristotle? Is that you?

[brian 333]

Aristotle? Is that you?

No, but I did catch his act when he was working open mike nights in Athens. Too many Persian jokes for my taste.

Back to predictions: Serini is leading them to the monster that she was waiting for Xykon to stumble into.

[KorvinStarmast]

No, but I did catch his act when he was working open mike nights in Athens. Too many Persian jokes for my taste.

Back to predictions: Serini is leading them to the monster that she was waiting for Xykon to stumble into.

I don't think that she wants them dead. I think that she wants them "somewhere else" based on what she's done so far.

[RatElemental]

I don't think that she wants them dead. I think that she wants them "somewhere else" based on what she's done so far.

She certainly doesn't seem to mind them being dead. The afterlife is technically about as far away from her gate as they can get, too.

[KorvinStarmast]

She certainly doesn't seem to mind them being dead. The afterlife is technically about as far away from her gate as they can get, too.

If she wanted them dead she'd be using different tools than she's using now.

[brian 333]

'Except for #8, right?'

When plan A failed she became less reluctant to use lethal force.

I don't think killing is her goal, but it may be necessary if she is going to win this one.

[Psyren]

She certainly doesn't seem to mind them being dead. The afterlife is technically about as far away from her gate as they can get, too.

I don't think she wants them dead. Slitting the paladins' throats, burning the bodies and scattering the ashes would be a lot less complicated than amnesia juice.

[Fyraltari]

I don't think she wants them dead. Slitting the paladins' throats, burning the bodies and scattering the ashes would be a lot less complicated than amnesia juice.

She doesn't want to kill them. But it seems to be an acceptable result if she can't non-lethally subdue them.

[RatElemental]

She doesn't want to kill them. But it seems to be an acceptable result if she can't non-lethally subdue them.

This. Hence my wording it as her not minding them being dead, rather than her wanting them dead.

[Dion]

'Except for #8, right?'

Disintegrate is no different than turning someone to stone and smashing them.

Glue fixes it.

Probably.

[Psyren]

She doesn't want to kill them. But it seems to be an acceptable result if she can't non-lethally subdue them.

For her, maybe (hard maybe), but it doesn't seem to be for Sunny.

[a_flemish_guy]

okay let's see

serini, haley, vaarsuvius and belkar have gone down the hole, V has been hit by one of sunny's beams and we don't know the aftermath, it's been theorised that this could've been the sleep beam which doesn't have any effect on V but seeing as how that's the literary equivalent of nothing happening I rather doubt that (would any DM worth it salt even call that out in game except as a way to short-term prank the party? the elf is hit by a beam from the beholder [collective gasp], it's the sleep beam!
considering the cliff-hanging nature I rather doubt we're going to see them in the coming strips unless interjected with the others

on this side of the hole we have sunny, elan and minrah as free-moving actors, we also have mimi the trapper and franklin the piercer who'm I'm going to count out for now as gimmicks that've done their job, and then there's durkon who turned to stone and roy whose been poisoned

the number 1 problem is durkon, flesh to stone's a really strong spell and AFAIK permanent unless dispelled with a stone to flesh spell or the freedom spell/ability? (I knew of the first from mechanics and the 2nd's been demonstrated before), now luckily elan knows the freedom-spell because he's used it on belkar to get him out of the epic illusion, my first thought that he'd trick sunny in using his anti-magic eye to dispell the effect, but I'm not sure this'll work

number 2 is roy, luckily as a bard elan's versatile in that he has limited spells per day but it doesn't matter which spells those are, neutralise poison has been hanging over the fireplace for a couple of years now, time for it to get shot, yes, elan healed V with it in this fight but I think that's a distraction

number 3 is minrah, she's the blank, the big unknown, the pebble turning into the avalanche because I have no idea what she's capable off (a bit exagerated, we know from her portrayal that she means well but if she were to throw a wrench in the gears I wouldn't be surprised but I'd also be happy if she didn't)

number 4 is elan and sunny, now sunny's been described as "an unexpected ally", he's also shown to be good-natured but easy-going and not rather smart, in a way he's elan like he was in the beginning, he's also shown a weakness to elan's bardic performance

so what'll think will happen: elan will talk to sunny, about who they are, about their adventures, about who he is, at some point he'll make a reference to him freeing belkar with the freedom spell, afterwards he'll remark on therkla and how that's inspired him to learn neutralise poison and so forth
eventually sunny will ask why he's telling all this and then minrah will remark "to distract you from the fact that you're surrounded" with roy and durkon looking good but really not happy
this was of course not elan's purpose and he spends the next few turns both talking down sunny as his allies

[Lexible]

Trapper. The next strip (or maybe the one after that) will feature a trapper.

[Metastachydium]

Trapper. The next strip (or maybe the one after that) will feature a trapper.

Make that a balhannoth. Or a tunnel terror! This place is supposed to contain tough stuff!

[Lexible]

Make that a balhannoth. Or a tunnel terror! This place is supposed to contain tough stuff!

Piercer, lurker above, … the next monster in this sequence is trapper (mayyybe roper... and even less mayyyybe mimic). This is 1st ed callback stuff here.

[Metastachydium]

Piercer, lurker above, … the next monster in this sequence is trapper (mayyybe roper... and even less mayyyybe mimic). This is 1st ed callback stuff here.

Mimi's likely a mimic, so you might be right there. (A balhannoth would still be cool though.)

[Ionathus]

She doesn't want to kill them. But it seems to be an acceptable result if she can't non-lethally subdue them.

Agreed. She took numerous precautions to spring a nonlethal trap when a lethal one would've been much simpler. But as the battle goes on longer and her chances of stopping them get slimmer, well, they have glue at home.

She certainly doesn't seem to mind them being dead. The afterlife is technically about as far away from her gate as they can get, too.

Nice one

[KorvinStarmast]

Mimi's likely a mimic, so you might be right there. (A balhannoth would still be cool though.)

Or a catoblepas?

[Metastachydium]

Or a catoblepas?

The catoblepas has a special place in my heart. I know of its original from Flaubert. But isn't that one more of a swamp thing?