OOTS #1178 - The Discussion Thread

[Fyraltari]

I like that Jenna is giving the go instead of Thirden. She's not his apprentice anymore.

If you think that's something, just wait until Elevenrin's reaction!

Boo, boo!
Edit: Ninja'd, amazingly enough.

I doubt it. Presumably they moved back to the temple to make the next couple of winding-down strips work better, this strip doesn't feel like a good "end of book" strip to me.

Agreed.

I figured they dragged Statue Durkon to the temple because of the blue barrier. I figured that if it counts for spells and supernatural abilities, then also for spell-like abilities, such as song of freedom. But no, it was merely to stage a better chapter break. But then I wonder how the rest of the council was freed. The background seems to suggest they were still in the meeting room?

The Barriers went down when the meeting was suspended.

Edit: Shinobi'd.

[Peelee]

Boooo. Especially since the opportunity was right there for you to point out I wrote Tenrin when I meant Thirden. (Which, come to think of it, leads to its own set of jokes about numerically named dwarves.)

If you expect me to ever pass up on a Spinal Tap joke, you're going to be as disappointed as David St. Hubbins was over the cover of Smell the Glove.

Boo, boo!

I knew I should have had the puppet show first...

[Fyraltari]

The orange barrier is gone, so spells can be safely used now. The blue barrier only stops spell effects from going through it.

No, that's the other way around.

[Ruck]

If you expect me to ever pass up on a Spinal Tap joke, you're going to be as disappointed as David St. Hubbins was over the cover of Smell the Glove.

You know, come to think of it, we haven't seen a drummer Bard yet...

[chy03001]

I love that Elan is considered a genius in his class circle.

[Peelee]

You know, come to think of it, we haven't seen a drummer Bard yet...

With all the Disintigrate spells flying around this world, is that really any surprise?

[Fyraltari]

If you expect me to ever pass up on a Spinal Tap joke, you're going to be as disappointed as David St. Hubbins was over the cover of Smell the Glove.


I knew I should have had the puppet show first...

[Garwain]

The Barriers went down when the meeting was suspended.

Edit: Shinobi'd.

Except that the meeting isn't technically adjourned! Where do we read that a suspension of the meeting (due to a broken table) would cause the barriers to be lifted? This is the part I'm missing apparently.

[Sniccups]

You know, come to think of it, we haven't seen a drummer Bard yet...

There was one (a dwarven one, no less) in AMFES Spring 2. Not in the comic, of course, but we have a drawing of one at least.

[TheNecrocomicon]

Freedom! Love that bard song.

"Freedom, freedom, freedom, you gotta give what you take ..."

[Ruck]

Except that the meeting isn't technically adjourned! Where do we read that a suspension of the meeting (due to a broken table) would cause the barriers to be lifted? This is the part I'm missing apparently.

We see that the barriers are no longer there.

[Resileaf]

Except that the meeting isn't technically adjourned! Where do we read that a suspension of the meeting (due to a broken table) would cause the barriers to be lifted? This is the part I'm missing apparently.

Doesn't really matter what rules state that, because we can clearly see in the comic that the barriers have been lifted.

[Fyraltari]

Except that the meeting isn't technically adjourned! Where do we read that a suspension of the meeting (due to a broken table) would cause the barriers to be lifted? This is the part I'm missing apparently.

Durkon wasn't unpetrified because it wasn't adjourned but the protections are down because it was suspended. If you look closely at the second page here, you can see the moment the blue shading disappears, it's particularly visible on the Exaargh's and the chairman's beards.

[2D8HP]

Elan is right about the hostile environment, look at Belkar's facial expression!

[Peelee]

It's his most famous one, but I'm a sucker for anything by Christopher Guest.

[Mad Humanist]

So the hammer? Is it going to magically appear in Durkon's hand or is that a loose plot thread created by Elan's theatrics?

[Zhorn]

There's something I just love about bard just GETTING other bards

[Peelee]

So the hammer? Is it going to magically appear in Durkon's hand or is that a loose plot thread created by Elan's theatrics?

Page 2, panel 8. It landed by Durkon's feet. I'm sure if they got Durkon, they got the hammer. It's just out of frame somewhere.

[Resileaf]

Page 2, panel 8. It landed by Durkon's feet. I'm sure if they got Durkon, they got the hammer. It's just out of frame somewhere.

Or if Rich doesn't want Durkon to have such a powerful artifact for the future, it will be claimed by the church.

An unforgivable crime towards a PC.

[hroþila]

Nice of Elan to facilitate one last scene with Hilgya, presumably.

[Mad Humanist]

Page 2, panel 8. It landed by Durkon's feet.

Yeah I know that.

I'm sure if they got Durkon, they got the hammer. It's just out of frame somewhere.

Sounds plausible but we don't know for certain as far as I can see.

[Lkctgo]

Hmmm now I'm imagining a group of high level gatecrashers to these events. For e.g. a party of 6 will have 5 people use domination effects (get petrified), 1 breaks enchantment (gets petrified), they do this continuously until everyone is dominated.

[ratfox]

"Certified bardic genius"

[gallagher]

Yes, certified bardic genius. It is indeed a perfect chapter break for the circumstances. Now I feel better that all my OOTS friends are safe for the moment and everything worked as best it could for now. Marvelous use of stage and surroundings, Elan. You deserve a trophy.

Great comic, as usual!

[Schroeswald]

Elan gets some respect, maybe he and Haley will retire to the dwarven lands to be with those who respect him (and she who Haley respects).

[JumboWheat01]

Rockin' that Freedom.

[Psyren]

Elan and "genius" are two words I never expected to see juxtaposed in this comic.

[Lyracian]

Is that the end of "Utterly Dwarfed"? Will Elan be right...

[NobleCuriosity]

While I don’t think it beats Elan’s country music Song of Freedom (which, in my opinion, is a serious contender for the funniest single panel in the entire strip), that hippie song of freedom panel was pretty sweet. I like how Rich is giving us some genre clues for how these songs actually sound.

Edit: Forgive my ignorance, but how do I link comics? The forum rules don’t say how. I’m on mobile right now, if that matters.
Edit 2: Thanks, Fyraltari. But it still doesn’t seem to work. It displays link-text formatting, but it links to a “server not available page” regardless of whether I include the http:// or not. Do you know what’s up with that?

[C_Myriel]

Rules are fuzzy on what spell effects end when the caster is destroyed vs. what aren't, so it could be a legitimate inconsistency. It's also possible that when Durkon's personality took back control of the vampire body, he dismissed the Dominate effect as a free action at the same time dropped the Anti-Life Shell and let Belkar stab him.

RAW is pretty clear afaik, spells don't automatically end upon the death of the caster unless they their duration is Concentration (as a caster obviously can't concentrate on anything if they are dead). Dominate Person lasts 1 day per caster level, and in addition since it does not have (D) in its duration, Durkon* would have needed to cast dispel magic (albeit auto-succeeding on a dispel check) to break the spell.

That said, the comic isn't following DnD rules to the letter. The above interaction with Dominate Person is (imo) dumb and very counterintuitive.