oots 639

[Tuft]

Killing a bunch of evil dragons and their spawn = not evil.

And if "spawn" includes all sorcerers of black dragon descent and their families?

 

[F5]

V just needs to cast a wish ("I wish that any of the dragonspawn I just killed that wasn't evil and will not take revenge on me or my family for killing their family would be resurrected") and he's golden again.

Can't. The terms of the deal were that V couldn't use the soul splice to duplicate any divine spell effects. So, no mass-Res.

It goes to showcase one more thing, as well. How scary will it be if/when the three souls are unleashed without any kind of control reigning them in, once the splice is released? When one of them has an epic spell like "familicide" ready to hand, what have the others got up their sleeves?

 

[LoneWolf23]

Vaarzuvius Achievement Unlocked: Moral Event Horizon!

 

[Nymrohd]

Can't. The terms of the deal were that V couldn't use the soul splice to duplicate any divine spell effects. So, no mass-Res.

It goes to showcase one more thing, as well. How scary will it be if/when the three souls are unleashed without any kind of control reigning them in, once the splice is released? When one of them has an epic spell like "familicide" ready to hand, what have the others got up their sleeves?

Well the sorcerer probably has all the skills necessary to unleash the Snarl once and for all (since undo reality is his "thing".)

 

[Celebrim]

And if "spawn" includes all sorcerers of black dragon descent and their families?

Depends on another question we are entirely unable to answer - how fragile is free will? Does it survive when mixed with something else? Hellboy answers the question one way. Other authors would answer it in another.

There are lots and lots of ways that V's action can just go wrong, even if decide for simplicities sake that there are no black dragon sorcerers or that they aren't effected (for example, only relatives with the same subtype as the target individual).

She's just escalated this conflict just about as far as it can be escalated.

Suddenly, she's populated the nine hells with a whole outraged race of vengeful black dragons. At the very least, this is an action that Tiamat cannot overlook. Her very domain has been threatened. Death is not the end of anything in D&D. V also must hope that dragon's cannot become ghosts, and that none have the means to be restored to life. V also must hope that you can't survive this spell by throwing a natural 20, or by having a death ward in effect, because if you can, then there are likely to be survivors - very angry survivors. V must also hope that all those hybrids are unloved by the non-dragon relatives.

I should also say that for all my theorizing, Rich seems to have weighed into this with ideas of his own. The actions of the Dragon upon being restored to life are suggestive of the idea that even evil dragons aren't wholly evil and hense are probably free willed beings, capable of both good and evil.

 

[Noumenon]

I have a prediction to make, but sadly won't do it on a public forum incase it is true and forces a change.....

Thank you for your restraint, because one thing that makes me not want to click on threads like this is if I'm going to see a guess that's so clearly right it's like I've been spoiled for the rest of the storyline.

 

[Xyxox]

Who cares that the dragon was begging for mercy... It was evil; the MM sez so!

And think of all that XP!!

Not so fast! OOTS#634:

And third, you won't get any XP from anything you defeat while you're spliced

Well, you could, technically, but your effective level would be so high that it's pretty unlikely.

Nitpicker

But all those dragons vs. effective level?

Hmmmmmmmm...........

 

[Man in the Funny Hat]

And a bunch of half-dragons, and eggs.

And even the MM says that "Always Evil" only means "Almost always evil". When you're killing hundreds of people, that "almost always" case is bound to crop up.

Plot is immune to rules at the DM's/authors discretion. Personally, I think the MM is in error because I've NEVER agreed with that particular bit.

 

[Ambrus]

Personally, I think of Dragons as the latter sort of thing. They are incarnated engines of destruction, the animated will of a primal destroyer goddess. Though sentient, they are no more free willed than hurricanes or earthquakes.

We of the metallic persuasion take great offense at such small-minded stereotyping of our glorious and resplendent species. A few black eggs doesn't spoil the whole clutch.

 

[Quartz]

What does family mean? Could be as narrow as direct blood descendents (clearly not the case here)

Why can't it be the case here? Though I'd probably include siblings as well.