Rusty & Co.
Monstrous Misadventures! Updated every Wednesday at noon, EST.
Follow Rusty & Co.!
BOOKMARK
Click "Tag Page" to bookmark a page. When you return to the site, click "Goto Tag" to continue where you left off.
Click "Tag Page" to bookmark a page. When you return to the site, click "Goto Tag" to continue where you left off.
*sigh* I hate hero on hero fights. It just makes everyone look arrogant and foolish.
Yeah, no kidding. (hashtag Captain America: Civil War)
See, Stabs is more of a protagonist than a hero.
Look at it from Stabs’s point of view. Two of her family shows up in a dungeon, doing nothing wrong, get confronted by an officer of the law, and based solely on a prophecy and the fact that their names *might* be Doogan, he demands they all surrender to arrest.
Keep in mind they’re all *rogues* – chances are, even if Derek is Lawful Reasonable, there’s plenty of stuff on their rap sheets to ensure a conviction for *something* even if it’s not the release of the prisoner as told by prophecy. Plus, Derek’s a cop, and Stabs doesn’t like cops. Remember her reaction to Prestige Perkins the first time they met?
Stabs is not going to let that just up and happen to her kin. She’s a Chaotic Good(?) being confronted with an authority figure attempting to force his authority on her on unreasonable terms. The smartest thing Derek can do is disarm this fight by remanding the other two to Stabs’ custody and not pressing charges. This *might* earn her respect enough to get her to break off, and maybe even apologize.
Luffy vs. Usopp worked by playing up the tragedy of the situation.
Oh, Derek is Wonder Woman.
That explains why he’s liked so much.
BUT!
Does that mean Madeline is Steve Trevor? This doesn’t bode well for the story…
Maybe, I like the thought of Mimic being Etta Candy.
Yeah, that does sound cool. But then, who’s Cube? And what other characters fit with which Wonder Woman characters?
Isn’t it obvious? Cube is the Invisible Jet!
Yes the evil to be unleashed is clearly Derek himself.
That’s actually an interesting thought. If Stabs goes hard enough it might make him break his oath, which could have interesting consequences.
Hey, this is D&D, not Exalted. Where’d he get that orichalcum smashfist?
His DM thought it was cool and imported it into the game as an artifact.
Who cares, it’s cool without being stupidly powerful and abusive. I dig it.
Eat arm?
(Also, the TWC incentive isn’t working for me, anyone else having this problem?)
I don’t see it anymore either. I wouldn’t be surprised if it was taken down, because Patreon is better for stuff like that. Besides, It’s been the same thing for a long time.
Before it was broken, now it is gone. If it was intentionally removed, the sidebar should be updated to remove the false advertising.
Awesome comic btw!
It’s fixed. Thanks.
How cute. Derek fights with his eyes closed too.
Well spotted!
+1
HOW DID I MISS THIS!? And you’re right, that’s awesome and adorable.
He has been wearing the obviously magically transforming arm guard all along. One wonders if it’s bespelled to change at need … i.e. it is capable of sensing danger and warning its wearer … or if he needs to use a command word or gesture. If the latter, Derek is pretty fast on the uptake. Good perception and reaction rolls?
Keep in mind. He’s blocking hits from a Halfling Rogue. She has wooping DEX, and yet Derek is blocking everything Stabs has.
That is GUTS
Well, he is an outspoken pacifist. This could mean minmaxing in favour of defence.
Strength increases base attack bonus, not dexterity.
Not for most rogues. Most use feats or class features to get dex to attack.
Weapon Finesse may be the FIRST feat any rogue choose.
It’s in the priority list before Two Weapon Fighting (It’s better to score just one hit, than try and fail two hits)
Pathfinder went to even just give it for free to the Unchained Rogue. With mixed reception.
Forget guts! Derek’s got brass!
Perception and danger sense are wisdom based, so you’d expect a cleric to be pretty good at that. Pretty good reaction times, though… high-dexterity clerics aren’t so common.
I wonder if what we are seeing is what derek naturally has on or is?
Golems can be enchanted to look differently, or like folks, and can be enspelled for magic, if not abilities.
On the flipside, that may the bracers he has activating, as you note the upper arm armor fading into view from the wrist and lower arm here very much more solid. It’s likely that the bracers are likely reactive armor to danger. And well, fortification takes make forms too, he doesnt have to be the quickest, just keen enough to catch it. or magic that gives him insight to a player doing something, which there is a bunch of clerical magic that can.
Fortifying protects against the extra damage from Sneak Attacks. Even if he has Ultra-Fortified with 100% protection from sneaks, he would still suffer 1d3 scratch damage.
He is protecting himself FULLY, from a rogue, who tried to get him flat footed.
So, boys and girls, this is Derek the Cleric for us all. He may be the only man in the world at the level of our beloved Madeline, the Paladin.
If thats adamantium, that would easily shield from the plink, as in both 3.5 and pathfinder, or there are a couple of spells, if bound into things, would work the same. As odds are those are non-magical daggers, and enough to counter that kind of scaled plink, rapid throw or no.
Not including to easy to access 4th level stoneskin, if not others.
Now we know why he wasn’t worried about Robbie. Presumably Dorilys didn’t know? Else I don’t see why she wouldn’t have just let Derek handle Robbie. Though since they’re both working at the games, you’d think Derek would have had the chance to brief Dorilys on defensive equipment.
Man, Doomfist has been out for one day and the knockoffs are already out in force.
This must be the work of an enemy Stand!
Trying to backstab the obviously good cleric. Definitely a great idea, Stabitha -_-
At least now we know why he was socalm when the trollthreatened him
Who said that Stabs is good, to begin with?
But she cannot be evil either, or Madelin would have smote her. And even for someone neutral, assaulting a good cleric is dumb, especially without any magic of your own, they’ll steamroll you. He was the one who resurrected Madeline, so he’s obviously no novice. All it takes him to incapacitate her is a single Hold Person. Or he feels nasty he could curse her. Also, what if his vow does not apply to creatures he can summon?
While it’s nice to finally see some of what Derek can do, it’s a little sad to see Stabbs get Worf’d.
Sic Rusty on ’em!
“Eat arm?”
Magic items can resist a rust monster’s touch attack ;>
Besides, (although unlikely, I know) it might also be a manifestation of a force effect, like vambraces of armor or a magic vestment spell cast on the armband.
Uh guys? That’s his Vow of Peace in action, he gets a +2 Deflection bonus to AC which is why he’s able to move so quickly, he gets a +2 bonus to Natural Armour, hence the magical gauntlet and he gets +2 Exalted bonus which explains the golden colour. Also the first weapon Stabs used broke on contact.
If Derek fights back, he’s going to end what was possibly years of peaceful resolving of issues in favour of something far bloodier.
Natural armor would make his skin harder, rather than creating a metal armor around his arm. It’s more likely a spell or magic item.
Also, no need for blood: Hold Person > Stone Shape the floor into shackles to bind the misguided schmuck > Peace through superior magical power achieved, no blood spillt.
He’s a cleric, a.k.a. a doctor, right? So we know how he got the arm if you consider how doctors usually charge…
So you’re saying he’ll eventually have a leg up in this fight?
Is that how plot armor works?