OotS 448

[Celebrim]

With respect Klaus, would you allow your PCs (or NPCs) to opt to fail saves while they were Confused?

If they had recieved the result 'acts normally', then sure. Otherwise, no.

I also concur that this was a wasted oppurtunity to show .... Xykon's competancy.

The sapphire guard turned out to have the 'COBRA' problem. It's hard to make GI Joe look cool when thier enemies are so incompotent.

Presumably this is the world's premier order of Paladins, charged with nothing less than protecting the world against something even the Gods are afraid of.

I fully expected Xykon to wipe the floor with the NPC's as easily as he wiped the floor with Roy - a quick calculation of the CR/EL would have told you that. I figure Xykon's Charisma is around 30 and the save DC of the symbol was around 28. But I also think that it went a little too easily even at that. Xykon basically won on round one and there is no evidence anyone attacked him between the end of round 2 and the end of the fight around round 5 or 6. IMO Xykon probably should have taken 6-10 attacks on round one and nearly as many on round 2 before the violence spread through the room. He should be showing the cracks at this point, especially since the first few panels establish that the leaders are sufficiently compotent to overcome his AC and other defences.

 

[carmachu]

That comic SO rocked. I love when teh bad guys win one...

 

[moritheil]

Xykon throws the ball.

Scarface goes "huh?"

Xykon explains about the Symbol of Insanity.

Scarface goes "We've prepared our entire lives for this moment! Don't you think we'd be prepared?", showing that most of the paladins made their saves, and those that didn't are being subdued through Hold Person, Calm Emotions and whatnot.

Xykon: ">sigh< Guess Paladins really ARE no fun at all..."

Panel of Xykon shapechanged into a Red Dragon (complete with wee crown on his head), burning and clawing and biting every paladin in the room).

Panel of Xykon back in lich form: "I take that back. Paladins ARE fun after all!"

Shows Xykon is silly, shows the Sapphire Guard are (were) competent, shows Xykon is still a badass spellcaster, shows that Xykon is a silly badass spellcaster.

I agree. This one could have been done better.

 

[Grog]

If by "badly written" we mean "got the rules wrong" and if by "got the rules wrong" we mean "got the rules right"... yeah, that was badly written.

And the fact that the rules specifically state that Symbol spells can't be used offensively, like Xykon clearly did here...?

 

[Jdvn1]

hard to believe Xykon can't cast defensively

Regardless, could've been a held action.

 

[Dark Dragon]

And the fact that the rules specifically state that Symbol spells can't be used offensively, like Xykon clearly did here...?

Sure? Let's look at the srd:

Symbol of Death

Necromancy [Death]
Level: Clr 8, Sor/Wiz 8
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 10 minutes
Range: 0 ft.; see text
Effect: One symbol
Duration: See text
Saving Throw: Fortitude negates
Spell Resistance: Yes

This spell allows you to scribe a potent rune of power upon a surface. When triggered, a symbol of death slays one or more creatures within 60 feet of the symbol (treat as a burst) whose combined total current hit points do not exceed 150. The symbol of death affects the closest creatures first, skipping creatures with too many hit points to affect. Once triggered, the symbol becomes active and glows, lasting for 10 minutes per caster level or until it has affected 150 hit points’ worth of creatures, whichever comes first. Any creature that enters the area while the symbol of death is active is subject to its effect, whether or not that creature was in the area when it was triggered. A creature need save against the symbol only once as long as it remains within the area, though if it leaves the area and returns while the symbol is still active, it must save again.

Until it is triggered, the symbol of death is inactive (though visible and legible at a distance of 60 feet). To be effective, a symbol of death must always be placed in plain sight and in a prominent location. Covering or hiding the rune renders the symbol of death ineffective, unless a creature removes the covering, in which case the symbol of death works normally.

As a default, a symbol of death is triggered whenever a creature does one or more of the following, as you select: looks at the rune; reads the rune; touches the rune; passes over the rune; or passes through a portal bearing the rune. Regardless of the trigger method or methods chosen, a creature more than 60 feet from a symbol of death can’t trigger it (even if it meets one or more of the triggering conditions, such as reading the rune). Once the spell is cast, a symbol of death’s triggering conditions cannot be changed.

In this case, “reading” the rune means any attempt to study it, identify it, or fathom its meaning. Throwing a cover over a symbol of death to render it inoperative triggers it if the symbol reacts to touch. You can’t use a symbol of death offensively; for instance, a touch-triggered symbol of death remains untriggered if an item bearing the symbol of death is used to touch a creature. Likewise, a symbol of death cannot be placed on a weapon and set to activate when the weapon strikes a foe.

You can also set special triggering limitations of your own. These can be as simple or elaborate as you desire. Special conditions for triggering a symbol of death can be based on a creature’s name, identity, or alignment, but otherwise must be based on observable actions or qualities. Intangibles such as level, class, Hit Dice, and hit points don’t qualify.

When scribing a symbol of death, you can specify a password or phrase that prevents a creature using it from triggering the effect. Anyone using the password remains immune to that particular rune’s effects so long as the creature remains within 60 feet of the rune. If the creature leaves the radius and returns later, it must use the password again.

You also can attune any number of creatures to the symbol of death, but doing this can extend the casting time. Attuning one or two creatures takes negligible time, and attuning a small group (as many as ten creatures) extends the casting time to 1 hour. Attuning a large group (as many as twenty-five creatures) takes 24 hours. Attuning larger groups takes proportionately longer. Any creature attuned to a symbol of death cannot trigger it and is immune to its effects, even if within its radius when triggered. You are automatically considered attuned to your own symbols of death, and thus always ignore the effects and cannot inadvertently trigger them.

Read magic allows you to identify a symbol of death with a DC 19 Spellcraft check. Of course, if the symbol of death is set to be triggered by reading it, this will trigger the symbol.

A symbol of death can be removed by a successful dispel magic targeted solely on the rune. An erase spell has no effect on a symbol of death. Destruction of the surface where a symbol of death is inscribed destroys the symbol but also triggers it.

Symbol of death can be made permanent with a permanency spell. A permanent symbol of death that is disabled or that has affected its maximum number of hit points becomes inactive for 10 minutes, then can be triggered again as normal.

Note: Magic traps such as symbol of death are hard to detect and disable. A rogue (only) can use the Search skill to find a symbol of death and Disable Device to thwart it. The DC in each case is 25 + spell level, or 33 for symbol of death.

Material Component: Mercury and phosphorus, plus powdered diamond and opal with a total value of at least 5,000 gp each.

and:

Symbol of Insanity

Enchantment (Compulsion) [Mind-Affecting]
Level: Clr 8, Sor/Wiz 8
Saving Throw: Will negates

This spell functions like symbol of death, except that all creatures within the radius of the symbol of insanity instead become permanently insane (as the insanity spell).

Unlike symbol of death, symbol of insanity has no hit point limit; once triggered, a symbol of insanity simply remains active for 10 minutes per caster level.

Note: Magic traps such as symbol of insanity are hard to detect and disable. A rogue (only) can use the Search skill to find a symbol of insanity and Disable Device to thwart it. The DC in each case is 25 + spell level, or 33 for symbol of insanity.

Material Component: Mercury and phosphorus, plus powdered diamond and opal with a total value of at least 5,000 gp.


Works even in an offensive tactic very well. Plus: the caster is able to set the trigger as he desires, e.g. like 'activate when a creature of any good alignment is within range'.

I was a bit surprised about the 'short' fight of the guard, but not about the result.
But the story will go on (hopefully soon), and I'm waiting for the next comic

 

[Nail]

Xylkon's Cha is 36.

Cha 18 + 5(level 20) +6(Enhancement) +5(Inherent) +2(Lich)







That means the Symbol of Insanity has a save DC of (10+8+13) 31.


.....and that's *if* Xykon uses no other spells, feats, magic items, or other mechanisms to boost that DC.



The paladins were dead meat. We knew it. They knew it. Xykon knew it. He took them out with one spell. He "one-shot"ed all of them. That's what you expect when facing a battle against "mooks".

Yep. The Sapphire Guard were "mooks".

What's cool is the method. It had style. Evil, nasty, vicious, bad-ass, memorable style. Tell me you won't be talking about this for a while.

Excellent job, bud.

 

[Grog]

Sure? Let's look at the srd:

Okay.

You can’t use a symbol of death offensively;

Seems pretty clear-cut to me. The examples it gives are just that - examples. Not an exhaustive list. You can't use a Symbol spell offensively, as Xykon did here.

 

[Someone]

Well, it says so in the spell: "You can't use a symbol of death offensively" and offers one example of doing so, triggering the 'touches the rune' condition by inscribing it on a weapon and then striking an enemy with it.

 

[Nail]

A 20th level lich without at _least_ a DC 30 save on an 8th level spell simply isn't trying.

Agreed.