I noticed a long time ago that different energy types had unbalanced return on investment. To equal a fireball or lightning bolt (both 3rd level spells) with cold damage, you need a cone of cold (5th level spell). There was a feat in Complete Arcane called “Energy Substitution”, which proved extremely worthwhile for any spontaneous arcane caster.
And because no one uses sonic damage (least damage against non-resistant targets), no one shields against sonic. So which is the chicken and which is the egg?
Most monsters were written without even taking sonic damage into consideration. At the time, not many direct damage sonic spells were published yet. (Exceptions include Destrachan and the Shout spell.) As more sonic spells were added, publishers realized that putting the damage on par with other spells would make the sonic spells too desirable. As I recall, the original published version of the Energy Substitution feat allowed sonic damage, but they revoked it in errata.
The egg came first. Eggs existed for millions of years before chickens.
Monsters are the egg. Sonic spells are the chicken. I should have been more opaque on that point. Plenty of monsters were published in the core rules, but only a few relatively unimpressive sonic damage spells (mainly to give bards some artillery), and only one monster that addressed sonic damage in any way.
Okay, I was pretty sure this was a PG comic, BUT
Talk of pajamas followed by “no innocents”? For a very quick moment, I was wondering what would require Presti to go au naturalle…
The details are nice, I can appreciate while panels 4 & 6 are almost the same, they are not copies. The “zap lines” coming off her finger and the amount her eyes are open varies. Very well done.
I noticed that too, and I think it was completely redrawn, actually! It’s hard to see most of her but the hair/sleeve are definitely different. That’s some nice polish.
It’s interesting, I’m actually wondering if *parts* of the line art were reused, and then remixed. For example, her off hand looks *exactly* the same, as does her facial outline and collar, but her sleeves have different wrinkles… the pajama wrinkle lines on her torso look the same but are colored differently.
It’s like minimal reuse to save a bit of time and improve consistency, but enough redraw/recolor effort to reflect that she moved between the two panels rather than just standing… frozen in place.
If it were any other spell I’d call two of them overkill, but since it’s Ice Storm, best I can call it is “needing more time to come up with a better idea”
Yeah, Ice storm is really not that good. It’s nice if you want to cover a large area, like the basement, but even factoring vulnerability, it’s not even sure those lava golems were taken out by two.
lava golems + cold = granite golems (or basalt ones, depending on the lava type)
granite golems + bludgeoning = slightly puzzled granite golems, I guess? That wasn’t covered in my curriculum.
Ribcage, on the other hand… probably has Protection from Cold, since she’s attached to the unit the enemy will use cold spells against. Might still be cracked by the physical damage, though.
What if they use some of that powder to create ice elementals? Then Presti will need a fireball to melt the ice elementals. Then she’ll need a lightning bolt to zap the water elemental. Then she’ll need wind to blow the steam elemental away. And then she’ll have wind elementals blowing volcanic ash all over the place.
It’s like playing elemental rock-paper-scissors-rope-log.
Ah, Presti understands that when you attack an enemy, always double-tap at a minimum, and then follow up as necessary. It’s important to practice good fire control!
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Oh! She knows the importantness of a Double Whammer! XD
OTOH, we may end up seeing Dorilys toppling a tower on something or someone precisely because Prestige is out of Ice Storm.
Oh, Presti… that’s was cold…
At least she chose an ice spell.
Nasty spells are so much worse.
Hopefully this freezer up to help Dorilys and Cube.
That would be slick
Double-tap! Hit ’em a second time to make sure they don’t get up. As zombie efreets or elementals or Baked Alaskas or whatever.
Oh look, she’s making lava sculptures for the castle garden
No Presti, three Ice Storms is “safe”. Remember, if two attack spells is overkill, three is guaranteed kill.
Also a guarantee she will need at least one later.
There is no overkill, there is “roll for initiative” and “I’m out of spell slots.”
I noticed a long time ago that different energy types had unbalanced return on investment. To equal a fireball or lightning bolt (both 3rd level spells) with cold damage, you need a cone of cold (5th level spell). There was a feat in Complete Arcane called “Energy Substitution”, which proved extremely worthwhile for any spontaneous arcane caster.
Fire and lightning are the most commonly resisted elemental damage types. This, presumably, is also why sonic spells do the least damage.
And because no one uses sonic damage (least damage against non-resistant targets), no one shields against sonic. So which is the chicken and which is the egg?
Most monsters were written without even taking sonic damage into consideration. At the time, not many direct damage sonic spells were published yet. (Exceptions include Destrachan and the Shout spell.) As more sonic spells were added, publishers realized that putting the damage on par with other spells would make the sonic spells too desirable. As I recall, the original published version of the Energy Substitution feat allowed sonic damage, but they revoked it in errata.
The egg came first. Eggs existed for millions of years before chickens.
“The egg came first. Eggs existed for millions of years before chickens.” Exactly! I’ve been saying that for years.
Wasn’t quite my point in this post… You win some, you lose some.
Monsters are the egg. Sonic spells are the chicken. I should have been more opaque on that point. Plenty of monsters were published in the core rules, but only a few relatively unimpressive sonic damage spells (mainly to give bards some artillery), and only one monster that addressed sonic damage in any way.
I’m sure dinosaurs existed before spells were a thing so they came before the egg.
Okay, I was pretty sure this was a PG comic, BUT
Talk of pajamas followed by “no innocents”? For a very quick moment, I was wondering what would require Presti to go au naturalle…
Ice, ice, baby!
Powerful mages use force. Clever mages use misdirection. Smart mages use misdirection, then force.
Desperate mages use force, then Expeditious Retreat, then misdirection.
Distracted mages bring down the castle. So don’t let your mage get distracted.
Or they get their cleric friend to do the work.
The details are nice, I can appreciate while panels 4 & 6 are almost the same, they are not copies. The “zap lines” coming off her finger and the amount her eyes are open varies. Very well done.
I noticed that too, and I think it was completely redrawn, actually! It’s hard to see most of her but the hair/sleeve are definitely different. That’s some nice polish.
It’s interesting, I’m actually wondering if *parts* of the line art were reused, and then remixed. For example, her off hand looks *exactly* the same, as does her facial outline and collar, but her sleeves have different wrinkles… the pajama wrinkle lines on her torso look the same but are colored differently.
It’s like minimal reuse to save a bit of time and improve consistency, but enough redraw/recolor effort to reflect that she moved between the two panels rather than just standing… frozen in place.
(no worries, I’m not quitting my day job)
I would have expected the magical darkness to still be in panel 3.
Presti bought some time to let the spell expire. Or dispell it.
now shatter the statues with SHOUT
If it were any other spell I’d call two of them overkill, but since it’s Ice Storm, best I can call it is “needing more time to come up with a better idea”
Yeah, Ice storm is really not that good. It’s nice if you want to cover a large area, like the basement, but even factoring vulnerability, it’s not even sure those lava golems were taken out by two.
The nice thing about Ice Storm is that it’s part elemental (ice damage), part physical (bludgeoning damage), which makes it much harder to resist.
It also has something poetic:
lava golems + cold = brittle statues
brittle statues + bludgeoning = golem dust
Besides her damage is plot determined.
lava golems + cold = granite golems (or basalt ones, depending on the lava type)
granite golems + bludgeoning = slightly puzzled granite golems, I guess? That wasn’t covered in my curriculum.
Ribcage, on the other hand… probably has Protection from Cold, since she’s attached to the unit the enemy will use cold spells against. Might still be cracked by the physical damage, though.
Always double tap to make sure.
What if they use some of that powder to create ice elementals? Then Presti will need a fireball to melt the ice elementals. Then she’ll need a lightning bolt to zap the water elemental. Then she’ll need wind to blow the steam elemental away. And then she’ll have wind elementals blowing volcanic ash all over the place.
It’s like playing elemental rock-paper-scissors-rope-log.
I think she did something about the heat issue in the basement……
Yeah, she turned it into a big freezer! Now the Princess can keep her drinks cold.
On the really good side, she avoided the impulse to monologue. Always wise.
Ah, Presti understands that when you attack an enemy, always double-tap at a minimum, and then follow up as necessary. It’s important to practice good fire control!
The spell so ice she cast it twice
Remember children, always double tap.
Uh oh, maybe the comic artist was down there and accidentally got frozen as well?
Someone has clearly had a “bad experience”…
Let’s hear it for being thorough and doing the job right the first time.
PRESTI HAMMER! PRESTI HAMMER! PRESTI HAMMER! PRESTI HAMMER! Rubber Band of Doom! PRESTI HAMMER! PRESTI HAMMER! PRESTI HAMMER! PRESTI HAMMER! PRESTI HAMMER! PRESTI HAMMER! PRESTI HAMMER!
GOD wizard, GOD Usopp, no difference