Oots #456

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

If Redcloak had 5 or more levels on the azure cleric Blasphemy would be an insta-win with no save.

A broken spell wouldn't make for a good strip though.

Like an extended summon monster VII, for example. We have not seen him cast an 8th-level spell just to get a cool mount. He's obviously no higher than 14th.

This is deliberately ironic, I believe.

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.

You can always Dispel that next round At least Poison has a chance of success; Blindness wouldn't.

 

[Sejs]

SPEAK Braille!?!

What does it sound like - morse code?

Guy A: Hey. Bump. Bump. Bump. No bump. Three bumps. Bump. Four bumps in a square.

Guy B: *chuckle* Yeah, I've heard they all look like that.

 

[Balgus]

Blindness isn't such a bad opener if you're trying to (1) test the waters for magical defenses or (2) save your best spells for fighting the army in front of you and healing the army in back of you.

Thats a huge mistake.. think about the next match befor ethis one is won...

Thats what the Lakers were guilty of when they had all those superstars. Thats why they could never be great.. lose focus.
Cant help th etrrops if you are dead.. which is exactly where he is...

 

[Plane Sailing]

It illustrates the difference between classic film conflicts (start with weak powers and work up to the big ones) and classic D&D conflicts (wheel out the biggest guns as soon as possible).

The only reason that I can think of in D&D for not wheeling out the big guns quickly is if you think the opponent is a speedbump and not the main enemy... Maybe both Redcloak and the cleric assumed that their opponent wasn't so tough, and so started off on the lower level spells

 

[Ry]

That would make sense except for Redcloak's

giant

demon

mammoth.

Although I'm partial to the explanation regardless.

 

[maggot]

The only reason that I can think of in D&D for not wheeling out the big guns quickly is if you think the opponent is a speedbump and not the main enemy...

That or fear of Spell Turning. It doesn't work against touch spells but does against blindness. Not that it's all that relavent in this case because I'm sure neither cleric has Magic or Luck domains.

 

[Pbartender]

That would make sense except for Redcloak's

giant

demon

mammoth.

Although I'm partial to the explanation regardless.

Simple... Redcloak was preparing to storm the breach in the walls, which is defended by enemy troops. Fiendish mammoths (elephants) are huge sized and get Trample. That's at least 2400 feet worth of 15 foot-wide 2d8+15 trampling damage, if the bugger doesn't do anything but double move (more if it runs). Plus, it'll have DR 5/magic, resistance 10 to cold and fire and spell resistance 16.

Against hordes of mooks, the thing is a practically invulnerable steamroller. If the Azurites were packed together, Redcloak had potential for mowing down nearly 1500 of them (at the absolute best) in three minutes.

the idea was to breach the defenses and decisively take the city in one heavy attack. That spell was perfectly suited for it.

 

[Ry]

Mine was meant as a response to Plane Sailing's:

The only reason that I can think of in D&D for not wheeling out the big guns quickly is if you think the opponent is a speedbump and not the main enemy... Maybe both Redcloak and the cleric assumed that their opponent wasn't so tough, and so started off on the lower level spells

 

[Pbartender]

Mine was meant as a response to Plane Sailing's:

In which case...

Azurite army as a whole == main enemy.
A single mid-level cleric == speedbump.

 

[Ry]

Right, but why did that cleric open with such a crappy spell? Redcloak obviously isn't a speedbump.