Level 5: #17
Chapter: Comic, Level 5 — Illithit Activities
Rusty & Co.
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So when are the two copyright lwayers from Order of the Stick going to show up and shut down the illithid nest?
Omerta. Don Pulpo’s dinner was probably Mr. Jone’s and Mr. Rodriguez’s latest fool pigeon. In fact … now what was I going to say?
*Mr. Jones’s
Actually it’d be Mr.Jones’
‘Johannes?’
No, because it’s not a plural, it’s a singular that happens to end in “S.” The “S-apostrophe” is used for possessives where the “S” has been added to a word to make it plural.
Actually, the correct possessive form of a name ending in -s is an open subject. Both ” Jones’ ” and ” Jones’s ” are valid; it’s a question of style and personal preference. See http://andromeda.rutgers.edu/~jlynch/Writing/a.html#apostrophe
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Typo’s. Sheesh.
No, it’s “typos.”
Jone Half-Orc?
Interesting. The blue suited squidface is reaching into his coat with his right hand, indicating that he’s probably right handed, yet in the last panel, he’s firing his wand with his left hand. Is he right handed but left eye dominant?
Also interesting…all the mind flayers in the last panel are firing with their left hands. Maybe part of ceramorphing makes you left handed?
Nope, but blasting away with your left hand lets the heroic protagonists narrowly escape with their lives!
They’re living with a little inaccuracy now, just so they can look badass when they announce that they’re not left-handed.
Also, I find myself hoping that Yuan-Tex wakes up soon and slithers away in the confusion. Yeah, she’s sneaky and underhanded and deserved that TKO from Presti, but to be lobotomized by the first illithid to get the munchies would be way too harsh…
I really don’t think these guys are as classy or as funny as Mandy Patinkin or Cary Elwes.
They would fire with their left hands because it would be easier to do so while maneuvering around a corner and lining up, similar to how all castle towers steps go up to the left so the defenders can use their right hands(many more people are right handed than left) around the corners freely and forcing any attackers to use their left.
I’m still learning the D&D stuff (I love my Pixie char) but I’m still quite the newbie: what is that shield spell she casted?
Assuming the Mind Flayers are firing “Magic Missile” spells, the spell “Shield” would be effective.
*edit to add*
However the spells they are casting are actually missing the target, and therefore aren’t likely to be “Magic Missile”.
Let just say it’s a special campaign spell, and she knows the *other* special campaign spell that can stop it. Possibly spontaneously created by Narritivium as the need arises.
“I cast ‘Special Campaign Missile’ at them!”
Perhaps “scorching ray”?
Still could simply be shield. Shield adds a deflection bonus to AC, which is added to Touch AC, which if those are ray spells would count towards the bonus.
When I DM, I tend to look at the Touch and Full AC slightly differently. For instance, an attack that if higher than the Touch AC, but is lower than the Full AC (thereby being a miss) I describe as deflecting off a shield, or being stopped by armor (or spells, etc). Could be exactly what is happening here.
Correction: Shield adds a Shield bonus, not effected vs Touch Attacked. Homebrewed it is.
Correction to the correction: The shield spell’s Shield bonus adds to AC vs. incorporeal touch attacks, since it’s a force effect.
At least, that’s the way it worked in D&D 3.5, when the game still resembled D&D; however, this comic seems to use the 4th Edition rules set, in which shield grants a power bonus to both AC and Reflex, which would be effective against just about any ranged attack.
McTaff, in what way does the spell effect depicted resemble magic missile? There are plenty of official spells, in both 3.5 and 4th Edition, whose effects are ray attacks, and against which the shield spell, or the force shield spell, could aid in defending.
The only reason I mentioned “Magic Missile” first was that it was the simplest, non-technical (i.e. Hollywood Physics) answer to a spell being cast, and being intercepted by a Shield spell. But, as I mentioned afterward, because they are missing, it can’t be Magic Missile.
As for ray attacks vs. “Shield” spell… Just sticking with “Shield” for now, as I’m unaware of any Force Shield spell in 3.0/3.5/PFRPG except for the Ring Of Force Shield which simply acts as a heavy shield – I do not believe 4e exists
1) Ray attacks make a Ranged Touch attack.
2) Shield spell does not provide Cover.
3) Shield spell provides a Shield Bonus to AC (only), but negates magic missiles.
As a Shield Bonus does not apply to Ranged Touch attacks, and you are not granted Cover, then anything that is a ranged touch is not interdicted by a Shield spell in any way.
I’m not aware of any other ray-based spells off the top of my head that require a roll against AC that are not a ranged touch and would be otherwise effected by a Shield bonus – at least in 3.0/3.5/PFRPG.
So I figured it was a case of Narritivium (or Applied Phlebotinum) anyway.
I might point out that “Shield of Faith” does indeed give a deflection bonus. However, since it is a cleric spell and Presti is a mage, she could only have access to it if she were using the spellcaster class form unearthed arcana, which is unlikely. Entropic shield gives a 20% miss chance, and is effective against Melf’s acid arrow, which seems to be favored by this group of illithids.
You may choose not to believe that unpleasant things exist, but I’d re-think that policy with regards to your next DTAP booster.
Meanwhile, I know that 4th Edition exists, because I have played it; so my extensive criticisms of its shortfalls are based on experience, not prejudice.
As far as my mention of force shield, I may be remembering a spell from a non-Core sourcebook, and may be remembering a spell correctly but not by the correct name; either way, I know there is a WotC-published 3.5 spell with the Force descriptor that would do what’s shown in this strip, and no, it’s not shield.
“Phlebotinum” is a substance, not an effect.
And this webcomic has consistently been shown to use the 4th Edition rules set where there is a difference, so I don’t think the 3E/3.5 nit-picking is really applicable.
Thanks for the answers. I was wondering, could it also be a Protection from Energy spell or a Resist Energy spell providing a reasonable Spell DR? I suppose that wouldn’t really look like a “shield” per say, though, since this spell kind of implies that a portion of the body is unprotected.
a) No, this spell pretty obviously helps her AC vs. ranged touch attacks.
b) The expression is “per se” — it’s Latin for “by itself.”
Unless she has the shield ward feat, which would allow her to apply her shield bonus to touch AC.
Mimic is Not Pleased.
It’s not like she could control it.
Mimic is not pleased because Presti dragged him into this mess.
What a really awesome post this is. Truly, one of the best posts I’ve ever witnessed to see in my whole life. Wow, just keep it up.