Oots #456

[DreadPirateMurphy]

Why burn a slay living first if you have destruction? I could see trying poison or bestow curse first, but destruction is more likely to work vs. a high level cleric, and it would do more damage with a save. (Also, shouldn't we see the cleric's injuries after slay living? It still does damage.)

Good comic -- just nitpicking.

 

[Ridley's Cohort]

If we are hypothesizing that Blindness is a bad move, assuming that the opponent does not have Delay Poison up is surely a much worse tactical choice.

 

[Ridley's Cohort]

Do Clerics get any decent attack spells with Reflex-based saves?

Flame Strike? It has divine energy to partially bypass energy resistance/protection, but it still will take 4 Flame Strikes to even dent a buffed Cleric.

The really funny thing about this strip is how very plausible it would be to draw things out even further with yet more exciting and "flashy" spells as opening moves.

"Targetted Dispel Magic!"
"Targetted Dispel Magic!"
"Targetted Greater Dispel Magic!"
"Targetted Greater Dispel Magic!"

 

[Celebrim]

"Targetted Greater Dispel Magic!"

Considering how effectively clerics buff, this would also have almost certainly been the best openning move and might well have saved whoever used it from having to waste so many spells.

As for Blindness being a bad opening move, the Good cleric was counting on the fact that his enemy cleric would need to use touch attacks. I'd say Blindness is a pretty good opening considering it would give you total concealment.

 

[lukelightning]

That's why you should always carry a scroll of remove blindness, in braille.

 

[Henry]

That's why you should always carry a scroll of remove blindness, in braille.

Y'know, a potion would work much better.

 

[lukelightning]

Y'know, a potion would work much better.

Just make sure you can tell your potions apart by touch.

"I'll drink my potion of remove blindness...AAAAAAH! It burns! It's an alchemist's fire!"

 

[Henry]

Just make sure you can tell your potions apart by touch.

"I'll drink my potion of remove blindness...AAAAAAH! It burns! It's an alchemist's fire!"

Now THAT's where the braille comes in handy - just have to read one character, rather than the whole scroll.

"What is that, a "B"? must be my blindness potion.. aw, damn, that was my potion of blur! Well, at least they can't see ME well, either..."

 

[Son_of_Thunder]

Oh, I dunno. I've seen lots of high-level clerics not packing remove blindness.

However, it's a bad tactic for different reasons. You're a high-level cleric. You're facing another high-level cleric. The prize is the survival of your city.

You do not start with a 2nd-level spell.

You begin with one of the highest-level spells you have, in hopes of punching through his saving throws and incapacitating/killing him from the get-go.

That or, if you have 'em, toss a few saveless spells to soften him up before going for the big guns, in hopes of dropping his saves.

But either way, low-level spells that allow a save? Not the way to leave the starting line.

See this is one of my big hates about 3e spellcasting. In 2e my wizard kicked major keester in a mage dual. The rules were all you could have were your spells. You couldn't have any previously cast either so no contigencies. The DM didn't use initiative he used casting time. The other player thought to hit me with a high level spell but my measly 1st level magic missile went off before his and ruined his casting. Needless to say I won the dual.

One of the reasons I returned to 2e.

 

[Ridley's Cohort]

Considering how effectively clerics buff, this [Greater Dispel Magic] would also have almost certainly been the best openning move and might well have saved whoever used it from having to waste so many spells.

These buffs are highly likely:
Protection from Evil/Good.
Aid
Bear's Endurance, Owl's Wisdom, Eagle's Splendor
Delay Poison
Death Ward
Magic Circle against Evil/Good
Magic Vestment
Prayer
Dispel Evil/Good
Spell Resistance

These are also plausible:
Bless
Divine Favor
Divine Power
Neutralize Poison
Spell Immunity
Righteous Might

Removing 40%-50% of this defensive array on Round 1 is an extremely strong opening move if you expect the combat to last longer than 2 rounds.