Level 7: #79
Chapter: Comic, Level 7 — Circus Minimus
Update: 3/11: Sorry, 7-80 will be late. Still needs more blood and grit and all that. But the Madeline wallpaper is now available. Thanks for your patience.
Rusty & Co.
Monstrous Misadventures! Updated every Wednesday at noon, EST.
Panel 6 deserves to be a wallpaper all by itself. New vote incentive maybe? That is hands down one of the more badass scenes I’ve seen in any of the webcomics I read. Well done!
I think the player rolled THREE natural 20s, pulling that off.
Yes to this, and yes to the wallpaper.
this girl MUST have levels of sohei monk and improvised weapon to pull this crap off….
I’m going to second that. I would love to have a wallpaper of it.
Same as TheRedwolf said
Mimic’s faces just makes that panel even better.
Well, of course – just look again at which part of Maddie that he’s been squeezed up against!
First Roxie’s bottom, now second base with Maddie; Mimic’s a Playa!
Oooooo. Maddie looks mad. Those eyes are promising a world o’ whuppass.
Now we know why Maddy keeps her eyes closed.
::shudder::
I don’t think Maddy can really rage. To me she looks more like a teacher who just took a toy away from a misbehaving student. More disapproving or disappointed than vengeful.
Frankly, having the most hopeful, trusting, gosh darn beatific being in the known cosmos disappointed with one sounds like a far, far worse thing than mere ‘vengeance’.
It would be like if Mister Rogers said ‘I wish you had not done that.’.
Madeline is burning with righteous anger.
I would say this is why Maddy is my favorite of the party’s companions, buuuuut my favorite is a constantly shifting thing, so. Favorite for the moment.
Looks like Maddie’s pitchfork has seen better tines.
… OW.
Trident of Warning, Madeline can’t lie, she said it so it’s true.
Oh, go fork yourself.
About now is when the power metal should start playing.
Someone keep Rusty back, this is Maddie’s moment.
her armor and trident are all melted – just how many hitpoints does she have? We need a flashback to see how she survived the lava!
I think the usual 3.5 rule is: you touch lava, you die, unless you are flat-out immune to fire.
Is Maddie some sort of shape-shifted fiend?
Actually, the rules for lava/magma in 3.5 are here: http://www.d20srd.org/srd/environment.htm#lavaEffects Lots of d6s of damage, but not necessarily instant death.
Of special note is the line “An immunity or resistance to fire serves as an immunity to lava or magma.” So if Maddie has just Fire Resistance 1, then she took no damage at all. Someone was just too lazy to add ‘or resistance, respectively’ to that clause.
Physical contact is 2d6 per round, full immersion is ten times as much
Not really. Partial contact with lava is easily survivable (only 2d6 damage, which is less than you’d take from a 1st level orc warrior swinging a greatsword), and becomes downright laughable with resistance to fire. If Maddie kept her head above the surface, she could easily survive a few rounds. Surviving a minute or two, though, suggests either fantastic luck with the damage dice, or a Resistance to fire.
As for her gear, well, it only takes damage when you roll a one on a saving throw, and lava doesn’t involve a saving throw or make sunder attempts, so any damage would be cosmetic.
Unless, you know, the DM uses common sense, but that’s the rules as they’re written
Well, depends on which system such a scenario would take its data from in a mechanical simulation. a Pathfinder paladin with a decent constitution could probably survive a few minutes of surface-level exposure with judicious application of Lay on Hands.
By cinematic standards though, Maddie’s just too damned stubborn to die.
The thing is Paladins get Resist Energy, which protects against the first 10 (up to 30 at 11th level) points of damage as a second level spell since it protects gear as well we might actually assume she has it active since it lasts almost 2 hours at 11th level and over an hour at 9th which is the first level she could possibly get it. So even if she took the full dip, she’s likely to only get minor burns..
Party is level 7, but yeah, I’m pretty sure some kind of Resistance magic is in play.
The monsters are level 7. Maddie could be higher.
“Yippee ki yay, mother …”
Pathfinder’s Advanced Players Guide lets Human Paladin gain +1 energy resistance per level as a favored class bonus in place of bonus skill points or hp.
That, or time shenanigans mean she wasn’t in the lava as long as it appears…
You’re thinking of 4th edition. 3rd is cheesy about it; total immersion deals 20d6 damage (and has risk of drowning even if immune to fire), but simply touching the lava deals a mere 2d6 damage per round. Anyone with 5 fire resistance will barely feel it; 10 gives almost complete immunity. Or you could just have an absurd number of hit points, although you keep taking half the original damage for 1d3 rounds after you get out. Either way, there’s definitely no convection to worry about.
http://paizo.com/products/btpy8199?Fire-and-Brimstone-A-Comprehensive-Guide-to-Lava-Magma-and-Superheated-Rock
Um, -was- she in the lava? If she was below the cave rim, waiting for her moment, then thermal radiation, and maybe some small spits of lava, would have been enough to cause that damage.
Madeline steals the show (and Mimic), but I love Grinner’s expression in panel 1.
“you can’t do that” Always the best line after someone just did, and is now ready to kick your butt seven ways to breakfast. I don’t think I’ve ever seen Maddie look quite so pissed off, or badass before.
Also a sign that things rapidly approach the climax, since the villain is losing his cool.
More than that, Maddie seems to be losing her cool, which is REALLY a sign that things are about to get crazy.
Those eyes, man.
Maddie is blazingly furious but still in control of herself.
A dangerous combo.
Don’cha just love it when the baddie throws a tantrum by denying a feat that’s already been accomplished? Arguing with success is usually either the opening salvo to a good “lawyering”, or else the prelude to a petulant rant. Under the right circumstances, either one can be quite entertaining.
Somehow I hear Grinner speaking in the same voice that said “Inconceivable!” [Princess Bride]
To me, it sounded more like Calvin yelling at Hobbes:
“You. Can’t. *-DO-* That!!!?!”
agreed …truly epic!!!
Hell hath no fury like a woman scorched!
Note the big grin on Mimic’s face after Maddie rescues him (it?).
Maddie is about to add the word ‘SMITE’ to Grinner’s vocabulary…. A good tine will be had by all.
The Auld Grump
She just did, Grinner.
If Maddie’s steamed, then Grinner’s gonna be smoked.
I was gonna say Grinner’s gonna be punked. Either way, “Ask not for whom Hell trolls, for it, gnoll, is for thee.’
groan… takes 1d6 sonic dmg from horrible puns 😉 LOL
I’d say he’s well and truly forked.
ow’ow’ow’ LOL
I’m not sure what to say about that Maddie panel there.
Mimic with the gigantic grin, Maddie looking beyond badass giving Grinner the death eyes. I think this might actually merit the use of the word ‘epic’.
You need to make some sort of Maddie poster.
Sadly, it’s more common for players to insist that their characters are constantly wearing this expression. They don’t understand that it’s a million times more terrifying coming from somebody who’s ordinarily Little Miss Sunshine.
So remember, folks, keep smiling. Until you stop, and everybody takes three steps back.
Yes the glare of “when I’m finished with you, not even your family will recognise you” is best reserved for those times and best used sparingly. It really has a great effect when someone small or otherwise innocent uses it.
Yeah. That panel is by FAR the scariest thing I have ever seen in this comic.
true dat …it’s like when yoda drops his cane …you know sh*T just got real!!!
I just looked at her face again and it reminds me of Eren Jaeger from Attack on Titan:
http://198.61.179.185/media/photos/2013/11/dmncap00006.png
I think that his defining emotion is ‘rage’ so seeing the same expression on Maddie is quite shocking.
Panel five and six are honestly two of the best panels for Maddie yet. And while I’m not sure she’s capable of hate, she’s certainly liking Grinner very little right now.
That all said though, is it just me, or did Maddie’s melted boot-kneepad-thing switch legs between panels 5 and six?
What you think is the knee pad is actually the back of her left hand gauntlet.
Those eyes leave me with a sense of minor foreboding. Those are the type of eyes that lead the good guys to need atonement when they’re done with what they feel is needed next.
Now that’s a holy warrior who has been to Hell and back.
For someone who usually fight with closed eyes while exchanging niceties with her teammates, her pose is panel 6 is frighteningly badass.
Anyone NPC feeling like cracking jokes about her choices of weapon now?
Stick a fork in ‘im. He’s done.
applauds
Look who’s grinning now.
Mimic. Maddie is too pissed off to grin.
Her biggest challenge isn’t going to be ripping Grinner a new one, but keeping to her Paladin-y vows whilst doing so.
Green Skin and stitches typically indicate some form of Neco-magic. So if he’s not technically undead, he may be close enough for Paladin Work. Also, he’s pure evil.
I don’t think Grinner is undead.
I note that his hide sort of has a bit of a “patchwork” look to it, but I don’t really see that he was ‘stitched back together”. More like he had body parts ripped off of him / pulverized by Robespierre regenerated and the fur either can’t grow back, or hasn’t grown back yet.
He’s definitely evil, though. No doubt about that.
Flesh golems are the usual example for that… they look undead, but aren’t – and they lack all the usual vulnerabilities of undead.
Probable retort:
“Oh yeah? Hang around and find out what else I can’t do — to you!”
Or she could go all “Ash” on him:
“I am here to kick ass & chew gum…
…& I’m all out of gum!”
Ash is a bit too chaotic (he also never used the “kick ass / chew gum” line — that was John Nada / Roddy Piper in “They Live”, and also used by Duke Nukem).
I think Maddie’s retort is going to be quick and definitive. I don’t think there’s going to be enough of him left to resurrect once she’s done with him. 😛
Who needs a retort when you can cut someone to shreds?
With a pitchfork/trident? I would LOVE to see that.
Madeline is a total badass!
In fact, I think she just out-badassed CUBE.
Am I the only one who actually likes the supporting cast way more than Mimic, Rusty and Cube?
I’d be super into a comic starring Maddie, Stabs, Presti and Roxanne.
Not me. This has been a fun return visit from the guest-star squad, but I’ll be glad for something a bit jauntier with our wacky trio.
Indeed, the guest squad is cool, but I know these guys would get stale fast if the comic centered on them…
I would totally love a side comic with Maddie as the star. She deserves it. Maybe a running thing like the one proposed for the evil mini-maddie.
I agree completely, the ladies really make this series for me.
The Cube is a joke character who never did anything for me, and Rusty’s limited vocabulary limits his usefulness as a character – he’s roughly equivalent to Scooby-Doo, though more endearing. Mimic is the only one of the original Co. who I care deeply about, whereas Maddie, Roxxy and Princess are all great characters, and Presti and Stabs are okay. I have not minded a bit having the focus on them, and I look forward to future arcs introducing more great characters and then giving them extra attention (they needn’t always be heroes; from this arc the obvious standout is Wossername, who I would definitely not mind seeing again several years down the road).
Grinner is so forked…
That panel is just effen awesome.
And that glare makes me wonder… are we about to find out what happens when Maddie fights with eyes open ?!
I know it is just an illusion of perspective, but it looks to me like Maddie’s chestplate melted and merged into a Uniboob. 😛
Not wanting to wait for a wallpaper version, I’m working on a fan-art version of pissed-off maddie. here is the WIP. What do you think of it ? and if the author is reading the comments, do I have the greenlight to continue ? Comments and criticisms are welcomed.
http://hieronymushoefer.deviantart.com/art/madeline-the-paladin-WIP-516669679?ga_submit_new=10%253A1424985146
You don’t need my permission, man. Full speed ahead. It looks great!
VonHoefer
First let me say that I am very impressed with the verisimilitude of your rendition of Maddy. I am in admiration of your artistry and ability.
But there is something missing in your version that Mike has captured in subtle ways. The angry twitch of Maddy’snose. The sideways glare, the anger expressed in the very short, horizontal mouth unlike any mouth we have seen before on our favorite Paladin….
You have captured the woman, but not quite nailed the mood.
But you did get one thing right, your Maddy does not have a uniboob. Sorry Mike, it is the one flaw in a near perfect panel.
9kps
> RedEye.
Indeed, I do think it’s lacking too : she is not angry enough yet.the trouble to go from the original style – cartoonish, thus with emphasis on the expressions- to mine – more classical. it’s a work in progress, i can still modify that.
It looks to me as though the original Maddie’s upper torso is more in-profile.
As a result, her head seems turned further over her shoulder than yours is.
It’s a strange effect – the shoulders are turned-away to her right more than either her hips or her head.
I wonder if this contortion may help to convey the extremity of her ire…?
Even so, it seems as though her left breast might be closer to her armpit, & her right breast more visible.
I’m amused to note that in making her more human, you’ve not just repositioned her boobs, but reduced her cup-size.
🙂
I think the most “cartoon”-ish aspect of Maddie is her huge eyes.
In reducing them to a more human scale I feel as though you’ve lost some of the impact of her wrath upon the reader.
As far as “permission” goes, I give you full props for asking the Author.
Even when it’s not needed, the action of asking is a respectful thing to do.
Someone mentioned Princess Bride, and it made me think of something. In it, Inigo fought left-handed because if he used his right hand, the fight would be over too fast. I wonder if Maddie’s eyes are the same. She keeps them closed because otherwise its not fair, and unfair fights aren’t very Paladin-y. Also, Grinner is about to be smote with righteous fury, and probably extreme prejudice.
Barely any mention in the comments of resist fire/protection from fire? It’s been brought up in the comic a couple times that Presti had prepped one or more spells along that note, and it’s totally possible that instead of using them on herself she put at least one on Maddie.
Powder Keg of Justice time… and that fuse is looking awful short.
here the version with shades. i’ve corrected a bit her legs, and tried to be nearer to her current expression. Comments are welcomed.
http://hieronymushoefer.deviantart.com/art/Maddie-the-Paladine-shaded-WIP-516812839?ga_submit_new=10%253A1425047538
Like the changes. The mouth and eyes now both express rage
It’s a great picture & really captures Maddie. The only big difference is that in your pic she doesn’t have the wide open eyes that give the original it’s vibe. I don’t know how well those would translate over into a more realistic style.
The feet are too small.
Eat lock, Rusty! Eat Lock!
Yes she can, she has crazy bonuses for doing “Awesome hero stuff” and a magna prof armor.
and now, with colors ! done with sanguine. colors are a bit faded thanks to the scanner though.
http://hieronymushoefer.deviantart.com/art/Madeline-the-paladine-color-WIP-517023818?ga_submit_new=10%253A1425127964
Man, Grinner looks slightly ticked off.
Finally 😛
Aaaaand…. work is over. i think.
http://hieronymushoefer.deviantart.com/art/Madeline-Paladine-517125676?ga_submit_new=10%253A1425159863
Am I allowed to say she looks really hot?
Smoking hot.
Why did he say ‘hostages’, plural? Who is left?
Cube is still a captive, I believe.
maddie has her eyes open… oh crud, he’s screwed
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome?from=Main.CrowningMomentOfAwesome
I can’t help but notice the prongs on the pitchfork are partially molten in a way that it makes it look more trident-y, as if reality shifts to fit Madeline’s perception.
Maybe it’s a stretch, but I love that idea and it’s become my headcanon (unrelated to the one we saw three strips ago).
First off, badass page (not that it hasn’t been said, I just had to mention it too)
As far as Maddie being in the lava for however long, I think this is all happening right after her fight with Bootcut (like, litterally right after the tightrope launching) We just had an unmentioned “Meanwhile…” with everything else going on, so the slightly smoldering armor/hair and upward momentum could all be carried over from a tightrope fight that just happened below the overlook where Grinner was holding Mimic (we don’t have a complete cave map, and I like the idea of hat sort of coincidence) Or she had one hell of a ride ricocheting all over the place, through rings of fire & such.
With that look on her face, it almost looks like she is about to bust out some Haoshoku Haki from One Piece… <.<
Most. Awesome. Frame. Of Madeline. EVER!!!
I dont think I’ve wanted an update so bad before! I really wanna see Maddie bring some serious pain to Grinner!!
Grinner, I really suggest you get in touch with whoever pieced you back together the last time you crossed this party. Something tells me you’re going to need their services again in the very immediate future.
I think he’s going to join his buddy Calamitous in a similarly spectacular way.
Everyone chant with me: Blood and Grit, Blood and Grit, Blood and Grit!
Rule 0.5: Anything goes if it’s cinematic enough.