Level 9: #4
Chapter: Comic, Level 9 — Hotel Califormian
The polls are closed. Thank you very much for everyone who voted! The results will be revealed with the next strip.
Rusty & Co.
Monstrous Misadventures! Updated every Wednesday at noon, EST.
I think Patina should be one of the two & then we just need a good talker. Normally that would be Roxanne, but shes needed to play the princess. So maybe Y.T. the Lamia or Dorilys for fun.
Let’s send Patina of course, but also Trapweaver!
A.) Because they’re friends with Patina
B.) They’re another arthropod friend!
C.) A spider among ants is classic 🙂 (Myrmarachne anyone?)
I’m thinking Madeline and Derek for Rusty’s team: both paladins and clerics are good against undead.
Stabs and Y.T. for Mimic’s team, they’re both familiar with subterfuge and working on the seedier side of things.
And then Roxy and Ropspierre for the palace team.
The issue is, the antfolk are a matter of diplomacy not of smiting evil. Having some smiting up in there might be useful, but 1. the antfolk might be spooked if they assume the paladin is there to exterminate them because of their necromancy and
2. Derek is probably better in the castle, while Madeline is more likely to jump to smiting instead of trying to finnagle the artifact into the party’s hands. I could see one of Dorilys/Derek going with Rusty, while the other stays in the castle though.
For slums and black market action, you really need a Doogan with you, so Stabs must be one of Mimic’s friends on this mission. Prestige can help for handling the dangerous magic item and whatever other magic its new owners might have.
Cube will need muscle to protect the palace, and who’s better for the task than a Paladin? (I mean, if you look into the etymology, “palace” and “paladin” are sister words.) Robespierre would work well there too.
For the Palace job I want the team of Cube, Madeline, and Robespierre. Not only because that’s the best defence I can imagine, but imagining Madeline and Robespierre talking and planning strategy is comedy gold!
Unfortunately plot details require Madeline to talk about her post death trauma and that conversation being spread around the party. And neither Cube or Robespierre are what you’d call great conversationalists.
This is like the siege of Narshe all over again.
Phoenix Cave, is that you?
Eh, the siege of Narshe just had different teams on opposite sides of the same map. This is more like the party getting split after the Lete River, except it’s actually deliberate.
(Incidentally, it kind of ruined that scene for me when I took a close look at the map and realized that the geography almost makes sense, except that the Lete River is somehow flowing uphill.)
A quick question: should we assume that anyone we pick is going to be on the “party’s side” (within reason, the Viscount or Calamitus would just be stupid picks)? Say, if we pick Drago to help, then while he is told about the artifacts, we don’t need to worry that he will betray us and steal the artifact for whatever nefarious purpose he might have.
First, the general no’s:
*Madeline is a delightful character, but she’s too likely to accidentally mess things up with the black market and for finding the Spy. Plus, if the antfolk are partially evil/neutral then that also can go south quick if she mixes things up.
*Slobber has good power, but he’s more heavy muscle than anything else. He could have a nifty trick or two in the black market, but we need someone crafty for that. Robespierre is a better choice for Cube than Slobber, because he’s got raw power and something resembling tactics.
*Roxy should stay here. That’s like…her main role at the moment. However, she could help out with the castle as long as we assume no one will discover she’s not the princess.
Moving on…
*An all-nonhuman team for Rusty? Rusty, Pantina, and YT. Then again, they probably won’t mind a humanoid too much? Rusty is going to need someone to be diplomatic, and having YT be the only character who speaks proper Common may be an issue.
*I feel like having Dinkum (write in) and Stabs would work for Mimic. Then again, Presti may just so happen to know about the Belt of Genre changing. You could reason that Plaidbeard can be hired to chip in, but he’s more likely to be encountered either way (whether selling it or after it, I don’t know.)
*Cube is going to need a pair of people who can both work in battle and who know what they’re doing. Derek or Dorilys is a great choice for both goals, while Robespierre has enough might to kick all booties.
Unrelated: it would be funny as hell to see Golden Gus be in the black market. Anyone want to see that?
Man, Drago would be an absolute delight to see working with Cube. He might also be able to take Stabs’ place in the black market. Brains and muscle in one package? That’s a strong contender right there…
The elected characters will still be acting according to their own natures and goals. Drago, for example, would certainly work to keep his own plane of existence from being destroyed, but he may or may not work nicely with others towards that goal, depending on what he thought of their approach.
One thing I’m thinking is that anything logical is also likely to be anticipated by the Legion of Evil Dudes (No copyright infringement there!)
Every team is going to need a wild card, every single one of them, to throw any counter-plans into disarray.
If you’re sending a diplomat to the bug cave… you also want someone who doesn’t know how or care how to find diplomacy in the dictionary,, and probably thinks the bugs are cute. So if you send… say, Derek or Dorilys or Patina, you’re also going to want to send someone like Slobber, or Dirk and/or Kris. Also, figure that something’s going to go wrong. You want muscle or cunning that can be counted on to do the right thing… or at least smash where you point them.
Likewise, if you’re going to go dealing with cutthroats on the black market? You definitely want Stabs there, no question. You’re ALSO going to want someone who nobody expects would be brought along and can keep their eyes on the prize. Derek, for example, would probably be the play that nobody saw coming from a mile away. Maddy would probably be a bad idea though. If your evil sense is constantly tingling, it’s hard to stay vigilant.
For the palace, however, you can’t really go wrong. The only people who seem like they can fit in well in the palace are Derek and Roxy. So in my mind, they’re right out of the running. Also, however, think of people who would look good in a royal-appropriate outfits. Cube’s already there, so that’s covered, but imagine seeing Maddy and Robespierre flanking him on either side, dressed to the nines in full tailored suits and dark sunglasses.
Excellent point. The main reason (mostly) everyone survived Grinner’s circus deminimus was because they had a wild card, or at least a few wild card abilities.
This is the best strategy I’ve heard of in all of the comments. We should definitely have a ‘wild card’ mentality.
You are all better people then me. I voted in the survey for the combination I thought would be funniest and assumed everyone else would be doing the same. Then I look in the comments and you are all actually trying to give mimic useful advice.
I envisioned Cube (who can’t communicate) trying to plan the palace defense with Slobber and Robespierre (who can’t understand).
I envisioned Mimic going undercover with Maddie (who failed a deception check against a tentacle) and Derrick (because I want him to be paired with Maddie).
I envisioned Rusty fighting undead with Y.T. and Dorilys who get increasing annoyed when his plan consists of “Eat X”.
I will admit, comedic possibilities are half the reason I recommended wild cards as well.
I picked people that we haven’t seen working together yet
I like the idea of Rusty, Patina, and Dorilys visiting the antfolk together. Dorilys’ cleric mojo might help safely contain the necromantic artifact, but she’s not the kind of cleric to go all smitey without serious provocation (such as the sort Mimic and the Doogans routinely provide,)
For the Black Market, how about Mimic, Stabs, and Byron the Minotaur? Some muscle always helps in such places, and Byron’s thoughts on the foibles of humankind (and mimickind, and halflingkind) are always entertaining.
In the palace, I would go for Cube, YT, and Presti. YT is sneaky, snaky, and devious, and Presti has magic, brains, and experience as an intelligence agent and tactician. Presti’s trouble is that the bad guys already know her as a core member of Princess’s circle, and will be alert to keep key information out of her hands, but a few good illusion and divination spells should tip the balance back in her favor.
I’m tempted to say save YT and Dorilys for cube’s team, purely so we can have an all green team!
But more seriously, let’s take a look at what each team needs.
For the anthill mission, we’ve got a necromantic artifact, and the ant people, so someone who knows either artifacts or necromancy or both, and someone who’s diplomatic enough to get the help of ant people who very well may be scared or wary of outsiders. Derek seems like a good choice here, he covers a lot of the bases, and isn’t hampered by his oath of nonviolence when it comes to undead. YT might be a good choice for second, given she seemed to have a knack for artifacts given the hipser vampire chapter. Alternatively a little brawn couldn’t hurt either, so either Slobber or Robespierre.
For the black market, you need someone that knows the black market and the seedier side of civilization. That’s Stabs all the way. She can either negotiate with whoever holds it, bribe them, or steal it. Plus, if needed, she’s good at shanking a sucker unseen. If it comes stealing it, some magical help wouldn’t be amiss. Perkins could be a big help here. Or you could send Slobber for some muscle, and just tell him to fetch the belt. As a bonus, Slobber already works for Stabs.
For the palace, there’s two very different needs. Finding the spy, and resisting the invasion. Brains and brawn. For finding the spy, Roxy is already in place playing princess. She’s got good disguise skills, bard magic, and knows people. Prestige might be another good choice here, she has magic and experience with dealing with sneaky types after dealing with the mindflayer mafia. For the brawn side, my first pick is Robespierre. Dude’s a tank, fairly smart for a barbarian, and has experience commanding a team. (The spiked cleat shoes for the halflings was a moment of brilliance.) I figure he could supplement the castle’s defense nicely.
I’m not sure Madeline should be taken on any of them, given she’s still recovering from her revival.
Anyway, my final choices would be:
Rusty: Derek (holy magic, diplomatic) and YT (skilled with artifacts)
Boxford: Stabs (experience with the less than legal) and Slobber (Brawn, fetching skills, works for Stabs)
Cube: Roxy (good with people, bardic magic) and Robespierre (SMASH INVASION!!, knows and presumably trusts Roxy)
I must confess, it never occurred to me to have an all-green team to accompany Cube. I now know how I will vote when that survey goes live!
Alright, so we’re going to assume that these are happening simultaneously and thus the partners are exclusive.
Since that’s the case, it seems reasonable to plan these out all at once.
Lets start with cube: Derek and Prestige. Since cube’s assignment is local, picking people who are familiar with the castle should be valuable. Additionally, Derek likely cannot leave the castle on assignment given his position, so making use of him while keeping him local sounds logical. Since Cube’s assignment sounds like it’s going to involve an invasion defense, picking people with maximum firepower to support Cube also seems like a good choice. Also, I think some people (Say, Maddie) won’t need the details to help, whereas both Presti and Derek will want to be fully involved.
Mimic is going to be in a black market, so picking up people who won’t draw undue attention and can operate in that sort of environment would be key. Stabs and Roxie would be a good choice; they seem to work reasonably well together and cover both strategy and versatility, while being able to be stealthy. If they go for more of a bulldozer approach, swapping out Stabs for Robespierre would be ideal. Not only would having Roxie and her brother work together be fun. In the event that Roxie can’t leave (I feel that Derek’s kinda noted her presence isn’t 100% useful), Stabs and Robespierre! Mayhem ensues.
Now, to the actual question: Rusty! Given the previous suggestions, the pool here is more limited so we’re going with less obvious suggestions. Now this is kinda crazy, but hear me out on this one… Dorilys and Malevolus! Malevolus is a practical man, he’s stuck in jail and he doesn’t get anything out of the world being destroyed. He’s also got a pretty good sum of power, and might be quite useful in dealing with Necromancers. He might get some silly ideas, but between Rusty and Dorilys he’s likely to be rather easily kept in line.
I’d also love to see Y.T. in here somewhere, and she could easily swap in for Malevolus, Stabs, or Roxie in any of these combos.
Anyway, VERY much looking forward to seeing where this goes!
That’s an important point: Only two people may be told about each mission, but _if_ the invasion is an open attack on the palace, other allies present would still help.
Also, Derek and Roxy seem to be (partially) informed already?
The infiltrator may make it hard for other people to come to the right conclusions.
I can’t be the only one who thinks Zar, our friendly psion should go on one of the missions?
There may be metaphysical consequences if he does.
I just want to say, as a looooong time fan of this comic, I really like this vote-for-the-party idea. I wouldn’t want to see it for every story arc, but as something new to try it’s very clever and creative. Which sums up most everything I see in this comic, come to think of it!
Good luck to all our brave adventurers! And the not-so-brave ones, too!
Stabs and Patina for rusty. Ant folk caverns need people who aren’t going to be bending down all the time, and crawling speed is like half of normal speed and a quick get away may be necessary. And while Stabs thieving contacts may help with the belt from the black market, the ant caverns looks like its going to be a strait up heist. Sure we could use two doogans, but come on, rusty earned his date, lets make is special.
For mimic, Madeline and Roxy. Black market is mostly going to be a charisma job, so those three have the best stats. Also Madeline has experience with the belt and that may come in useful, she is also solid intimidation vs the less noble. Though I almost want to take Derek just for the irony with his last statement
Finally cube, defending against an assault is going to take FIREPOWER, Prestige and Robespierre for obvious reasons. Knowing there is an infiltrator does make a case for a Stabs, takes one to catch one and all that, but Prestige can set up alarm spells around the place to cover that, and she is the only one that can cast fireball.
And just like that, you have forced me to up my patreon pledge.
I have never been paralyzed with power before.
On that note, I really want to see more Derek/Madeline interaction, but my DnD instincts feel like they would be more useful being split up in castle defense (hello planar ally) and verge-of-corruption undead threat (can’t go wrong with an incorruptible paladin bolstering your fear saves)! But they are so cute together!
Ack! I will postpone voting until tomorrow. And I’d love to vote Ezra and the Llamia into a team just to see the funny banter, but aforementioned vampire lady was directly responsible for the first rift, so that might not be her agenda.
This is practically begging for the return of Plaidbeard! Oh, Mimic, we found a friend for you…
I thought MImic blew him up with a Magic ICBM.
Remember the dwarf who gave them their first mission?
Cube ate him. Twice. And he got better both times.
I got my vote in early but reading over the comments it’s nice to see someone else thought to bring in Plaidbeard for Rusty’s Quest.
I voted for Calamitus (who better to work a necromantic artifact or shut it down) and Dorilys (who better to keep Calamitus in line). :p
We’re lucky Zar didn’t call Rusty “Mr. Monster”.
I’d want Stabs on castle defense… someone who thinks treacherous without actually being treacherous. And I’d pair her with Presty, who not only brings magic, but a terrifying creativity in how she uses it. They’ve worked well together before, of course.
The market mission could also use Stabs, but I’d settle for one of the other Doogans. Or possibly both, since expecting them to play by the rules is a bit of a stretch. And they’ll need some muscle for backup — probably Robespierre.
As for the ant quest, Maddy is the obvious diplomat. And as cute as it would be to send Patina with Rusty, I think I’d go with Dorilys…
I think sending both the paladin and the cleric on the same team is overkill. They do rather similar things, so they’re largely redundant. While encountering some undead is likely, it’s not even certain (there are spells in the necromancy school that do stuff other than create or control undead) and it won’t be the only obstacle on the mission, so I don’t think this calls for “send everyone who can turn undead”.
Stabs and her siblings are even more similar, to the point that I think with our limited character slots it would be boring to use more than one of them even on different teams, even if it would make tactical sense.
I think we should definitely send Madeline with Rusty. Let’s take a look at what her paladin capabilities can bring to the mission:
– She’ll be excellent at dealing with any undead they come across.
– While not too bright, she still has a paladin’s Charisma, which has got to be useful in a diplomatic situation.
– There was mention of the antfolk being “corrupted”. With her paladin ability to detect evil, Madeline is ideally-suited for figuring out which people-doing-bad-stuff are actually evil and need to be smited, and which people-doing-bad-stuff are merely misguided and can be talked out of it. She’ll also be great at doing both the smiting and the talking herself.
Now let’s take a look at the [i]disadvantages[/i] of sending Madeline:
– While good at putting down any undead [i]created[/i] by the necromantic artifact, she’s unlikely to have any understanding of the artifact [i]itself[/i].
– Madeline’s Intelligence is about on par with Rusty’s, even if her command of language is better.
To cover for those weaknesses, I would suggest Prestige as the final team member. She’s the obvious choice for both points, and she’s likely to be decent at diplomacy herself, even if that isn’t a traditional wizard trait.
Some people above me have suggested sending Patina with Rusty, and though I’m a bit disappointed I didn’t think of that (or really consider write-ins) before voting, after some consideration I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s not a good idea anyway. Sure, giving Rusty and Patina a reason to spend more time together would be cute, but it doesn’t make much sense from a tactical point of view. Rusty and Patina both do basically the same things, and with team sizes this small it’s more useful to send people who can fill different roles. If the realm were under attack by an army of iron golems, then sending as many rust monsters as we can scrounge up would be a good idea, but undead don’t typically rely all that much on metal weapons or armor. Half of the undead in the Monster Manual aren’t even smart enough to have a clue how to [i]use[/i] a sword if you gave them one.
A cleric like Derek or Dorilys could cover many similar roles as Madeline, but I do think that Madeline is more optimized for the roles she’ll be playing, provided the third character can cover her weaknesses, plus I just like Madeline and want to see more of her now that she seems to have at least partially recovered from her resurrection trauma. Though I swear it is a [i]complete coincidence[/i] that this proposed team just happens to include all of my favorite characters. (Rusty is also my favorite of the main monster trio.)
For Mimic’s team, Stabs is the obvious choice for black market dealings, and though it’s kinda random, I’m inclined to pick Yuan-Tiffany as the final team member so she has an excuse to appear again, and she has personal experience with magical artifacts completely changing her way of life…
For Cube’s team, I’m inclined to send Robespierre, partially because it seems like the mission that will have the most need of heavy muscle, and partially because it sounds amusing to see the rough barbarian defending the fancy castle rather than sacking it. I don’t have strong feelings about the final team member, and it’s pretty much a matter of who’s left. Roxy (if it won’t jeopardize her cover) or Derek or whatever.
Okay, so BBcode doesn’t work. How about standard HTML? Does that work?
Well, does it?
The survey seems to miss the answer “anyone but Stabs”, which would be my pick. Her talents seem better suited for either of the other two missions.
My votes:
Team Rusty:
– Prestige P. Perkins (They’ll need a caster & she seems to get along with rusty)
– Yuan-Tiffany (“…corrupted by an artifact…” now where have we heard that before?)
Team Mimic:
– Plaidbeard (Familiar with artifact / Easy hilarity)
– either Stabitha or Dinkum (Black-market; ‘nuf said)
Team Cube:
– Madeline the Paladin (Who better for castle defense?)
– Dorilys Happ (A smart cube like Cube oughta be able to take advantage of her particular “gift”.)
I’m assuming Derek and Roxy will be at the castle anyway, continuing “operation princess”.
I would assume that roxy, if not in a team, would automatically stay in the castle. It stands to reason that 4 on castle duty would be good. Patrina and Y.T. for rusty, stabs and presti would be good at team mimic, plus they are pretty funny together. Robsppere and slobber with cube, for protecting the castle. Roxy and derick can help look for the spy. But this is bad if roxy as a 4th member is cheating.
Mike? I wondered how you were going to top yourself after that last adventure….
….I guess I don’t have to wonder anymore!
(champing at the bit for all this fun)
I submitted my votes. One of them might require some bribing, again…
My reason for choosing one of the Derro Carnies (specifically Card Shark, as alluded to above) is that Derro live underground, and so do ants, so he might be helpful with navigation.
It’s a terrible idea, mind you, but I at least think it’d be funny.
Zar mentioned to take someone we trust. So many posters seem to be ignoring that detail…
If Mimic and Plaidbeard are stuck together, I have absolute trust…
…that it will be hilarious!
My recommendations for anyone else voting:
Rusty – Derek and Madeline
Mimic – Stabs and Presti
Cube – Dorilys and Robespierre
That way, every team has a capable fighter, a capable mage, and at least one person who can keep their head together in tense situations. I myself voted Presti for Team Rusty rather than Madeline, but in hindsight I wish I’d voted Maddie instead as Presti will fare better on Team Mimic.
Madilne and Robbespierre should join rusty. If there’s anything rusty’s team needs it’s brains.
How can you not send Derek along with Mimic after that wonderful setup?
Anyway, here are my thoughts.
Rusty – Y.T. and Dorilys. They’re both no-nonsense yet understanding, and they also seem to have a good knowledge of artifacts.
Mimic – Got to go with Derek, to give him a karmic backlash, but also because I think a code of non-violence might actually be helpful in dealing with shady characters. The castle will require offensive capabilities, but defense is perfect for dealing with the black market. Obviously I’d add in Madeline for fun, but also because she might be a liability in the castle. Her direct approach may throw off any foes who expect a skilled negotiator.
Cube – I’d probably go with Presti and Stabs. Stabs for rooting out the informant, and Presti for combat, plus this leaves Roxy in place to help as well.
I lowkey want to see Ezra with the ant folk plot, though, just to see what would happen.
You are all missing a grand opportunity with the write ins to name characters that belong nowhere near this for the shenanagins. Vote Calamitus!
Hey, at least Calamitus is pro-continued-existence-of-the-world. You could do worse.
I went YT and Madeline. YT knows her way around reality-warping artifacts, and the paladin can keep them in-line. Plus I don’t think Maddy and Tiffany have ever interacted before.
If there is a similar vote for the other parties, I already know who my votes will be for Boxford: Plaidbeard and Dorilys. …I may be sensing a theme.
Madeline is actually one of the very few characters aside from Mimic that has interacted with Yuan-Tiffany.
Y.T.’s first appearance was a brief encounter with Mimic and Prestige, and she later played a bigger role in the vampire storyline, where, due to the party getting separated, she was with Mimic most of the time, but later did meet Madeline and even worked with her to defeat one of the vampires.
I don’t understand why everyone keeps citing Y.T.’s experience with magic artifacts as a reason to send her with Rusty, either. Sure, she has experience with the one particular magic artifact that belonged to her tribe, but there’s no indication that she has any knowledge of magic in general that would be useful for studying or dismantling an unknown artifact. At best, she has experience at living through having her way of life turned topsy-turvy by an extremely powerful reality-warping artifact, which frankly sounds more like the Belt of Genre Changing than some unnamed necromantic trinket.
Besides, I want to see how a lamia would fit into other genres. It’s one of those creatures that you don’t normally see anywhere other than fantasy (and maybe horror – the main difference between those two genres is whether or not the protagonists are strong enough to beat up all the horrible monsters they come across).
I agree that I’d like to see YT as part of the group that goes with mimic.
I think that Madeline and GC could work well together, they could find creative ways to overcome obstacles. I loved the first chapter, where the party went past the monsters without challenge, but had difficulty dealing with simple things like stairs and a door.
What did the Pink Panther find at the colony of necromantic ant-folk?
? Dead ant, dead ant, dead ant dead ant dead ant… ?
I’d love to see YT again, but I prefer the idea of her being stuck working with mimic once more, if you haven’t decided yet who the other teams will be.
Heh, I can certainly imagine her reaction. “You again!?”
After looking at the cast page because I honestly don’t remember most of these people, why is Slobbers an Enemy and Robspierre an Other? Have a few people fallen through the cracks when updates happen?
1.) Stabs Doogan! Who better to slip in to small spaces, poke to death anything that attacks, slip a dagger into chitinous cracks if the ants turn hostile, or at least feed Rusty a few dagger treats if he needs a pick-me up?
2.) Derek the Cleric; to keep Stabs in line, offer potential diplomacy, counter necromantic yuckyness, and heal any boo-boos.
I went with Roxy and YT. Roxy because if anyone’s gonna be good at dealing with shifting genres, it’s the Bard. And YT because it’d be cool to see her again.
As much as I love Maddie, I feel like she’s a much better fit for Cube and a Hard Combat team.
Wait, crud, I read that survey wrong. Darnit. That’s who I wanted for Mimic’s team, not Rusty’s.
I’m going to be boring here, and say Mimic needs Stabs & Presti with him (them?). Stabs because you don’t delve into the black market without a Doogan, and Presti because “Locate Object” might just be a really useful spell to have (it won’t be that easy, it never is. But still good to have anyway).
I would choose the same, my reasonings being that Stab’s dagger skills and Presti’s magic should give them most of the fighting ability they need, while also both being familiar with the seedy criminal underworld. Stabs is good at bluffs, Presti can conjure illusions and wards. All Mimic has to do is listen, talk, and maybe shapeshift into a decoy belt just in case.
So, just out of curiosity, how many people actually changed their minds about who they were going to vote for in response to reading someone else’s post?
Because as much fun as it is explaining my reasoning for my picks, it really seems kinda pointless. I wasn’t moved by anyone else’s arguments and nobody else seems to have been moved by mine.
I think it comes down to whether you want to strategize like a serious RPG player or play this opportunity for all the comedy gold it’s worth. The former camp will pick boring but sensible options, while the latter will pick batshit crazyball options. The latter is arguably more in-keeping with this comic’s tone (pick the least fitting candidates possible and see how our heroes manage to swing it), but I for one went with the former camp. My picks for Rusty were Derek and Presti, but in hindsight I feel I should have picked Madeline rather than Presti so Presti could go with Mimic and Stabs.
Starting out fresh, my sensible recommendations would be:
Rusty, Derek, Madeline
Mimic, Stabs, Presti
Cube, Dorilys, Robespierre
As for crazyballs:
Rusty, Slobber, Anti-Madeline
Mimic, Plaidbeard, Calamitus
Cube, Malevolus, Drago Stromscale
Regarding your first point, you’re right that, practically speaking, I seriously doubt the author will let the world actually get destroyed and end the comic, regardless of how stupid our party picks are.
That said, I disagree that the “sensible” options are necessarily boring. For example, I hope to put Robespierre on the castle team both because that seems likely to be the mission most in need of heavy muscle, and because it sounds amusing to see the rough barbarian defending the fancy castle rather than sacking it. I also plan to vote Y.T. on the black market team, and though I do have some tactical justifications for this that I could expound on if asked, a large part of the reason is an excuse to see her again and curiosity as to how a lamia would fit into non-fantasy genres – though that’s contingent on her not being selected for Rusty’s mission, which unfortunately appears to be a popular choice (still, it would let us see her again, so that’s half of my goal achieved). My vote for the anthill mission (Madeline and Prestige) is the least out-there, but while neither character is a crazy pick by herself, having the two of them bounce off each other has got to provide some entertainment, given their personalities are basically opposite in many ways (oddly, despite that, they’re my two favorite humanoid characters).
There’s even some tactical justification for crazy choices in general, because, as some posters above have noted, the villains have been stated to be experts at predicting our moves, and so making deliberately-ridiculous moves is a good way to throw off their game. Still, there’s a limit to how far that goes – shooting yourself in the foot isn’t a good move simply because your opponent wasn’t expecting you to make it, unless your self-inflicted foot injuriry serves some tactical purpose.
My favorite humor is of the “huh, that’s weird and unexpected, but it makes sense if you look at it from the right angle” type, so I’m trying to encourage that in my character picks. (It’s also really the foundation of the comic, as a lot of the humor, especially in the earlier strips. derives from how the monster adventurers approach things in completely different ways than human adventurers would and that we normally wouldn’t think of, yet make sense when you consider the monsters’ capabilities.)
Besides, my favorite characters are unlikely to be boring no matter what mission I send them on 🙂
Hurrah for the choice of Drago for Cube; behind you all the way.
As to Madeline, I feel like she is an unsafe choice. She wants to blow anything and everything up, so she may not object to the destruction of the world. And she was the creation of people trying to destroy the world. Then again, she did seem to regret entering the world right when it was being destroyed, so maybe not.
I, for one, chose only after reading most of this comments column. I think I was most influenced by J’s talk about the need for a wild card. After seeing what people were saying, and which ideas moved me most, I made a list of characters that I was certain that I wanted on one team or another, whatever happened. Then I made two-slot sections for each of Rusty, Mimic, and Gelatinous Cube, each with a wildcard box to check. If there was no wild card, I would review my choices.
My must-haves were:
Prestige Perkins, Practiced Practitioner of Prestidigitation. I love Presty (character and costume design; the way she just takes things in stride, and the way she is freaked out by other things), and feel that she didn’t get a lot of time last chapter.
Dorilys Happ. For the same reasons that everyone loves her, of course. She just makes things happen, and makes a perfect straight man, she is so annoyed by everything.
Derek the Cleric. I was really impressed seeing Derek in action, and I feel that if he is not actively put to the fore, we wo’n’t be seeing in such extreme condiions for very long.
Drago Stromscale. I have got to have more Drago. His plots are good, his dialogue is entertaining, and the suggestions of Malevolus and Calamitus made me think about the potentials of a villain (he’s listed as ‘other’, but come on; he’s a villain by nature).
So, a ‘P’ and three ‘D’s. Right, who for the slots?
The first person I decided on was Drago. He is a natural for Cube’s team. He is a hard hitter for the defense, and devious enough for ferreting out the infiltrator (especially if that infiltrator is Anti-Madeline; I have a really strong suspicion it’s her). I’m pretty satisfied that he checks the ‘Wildcard’ box, too.
I looked at other people’s ideas for a while, and in the end, I put Madeline down for the other slot; you want someone really incorruptible to keep an eye on Drago, and her evil-sniffing will be further help with the infiltrator. Furthermore, she is another hard-hitter for the defense. I am kind of feeling like this mission does not offer Madeline enough scope (she is my favourite character in the whole comic), but at least it’s better than a nest of ants and corruption if her death memories start causing her trouble. And I have a sort of suspicion that the castle may turn out to be the most interesting part of this level after all.
I knew that Mimic should have Presti, as it just seems like common sense that if you are going to the black market, one of your companions should be a cop (especially a cop with a good history in bluff); more so if you are determined to have her in whatever happens. She’s certainly not a wild card, though, and neither is the other natural choice that everyone has been calling for on this mission, Stabitha. I would love to see her in action in her natural habitat, but the fact is that she’s not terribly unpredictable. Instead, for this team’s wild card, I plunk for Dinkum. He is evidently a member of the Black Market and should be a good guide there. He is able to go invisible for long stretches of time. And he is a gnome, enough in itself to make a wildcard of him. Finally, I find it hard to believe the enemy will be able to predict Mimic choosing him, of all people, so that even if he was a fairly predictable character, he would probably still qualify as a wild card, at least at first.
Rusty’s group came last, and basically ended up with my dumping both of my remaining must-haves on him. I had already been considering both clerics for that mission anyway, on account of what people were saying in the comments (notably Fortis on Derek for the mission). It isn’t that well-thought out, but my priorities are Mimic (most promising mission) and Cube (favourite party member, best place for Drago). People may say that sending two clerics is redundant, but I am not so interested in them as clerics per se, especially as we have not seen a lot of overlap of abilities between Derek and Dorilys, except for healing.
I am still open to other ideas. In particular, I think that a trip to the black market might quickly mean that a healer could be desirable, and it is probably safer putting the Belt of Genre Changing in Dorilys’s hands than in anyone else’s.
Bother, the poll is closed, and my votes ineffective.
Oh, well; it’s not as if both the people I was voting for didn’t have a lot of supporters already, anyway. And it’s the team I cared least about.
Oh, I guess Grawlf is the infiltrator, not Anti-Madeline. Too Bad; I would have liked her better.
Hmmm. Since it’s a case of necromancy, i think it’s best to have either derek or madeline join rusty. Also robbespierre for extra fire power in case negotiations go south (also hilarity ensues).
For mimic, stabs and dorylis. Having Street smarts and luck on your side is the key for this case (also more hilarity to ensue)
As for cube, well, we don’t seem to know exactly what to expect, so anyone goes (though for maximum comedy gold, slobber is a must have)
The real kicker is how unsuited the mains themselves seem to be for their quests. Ant-folk don’t seem like big metal-users, so Rusty is without his best trick, and risks going hungry to boot. Mimic’s favourite tactic is disguising himself as common, unassuming pieces of furniture, which is ideal for palace eavesdropping, not roaming the furniture-lite slums. And Cube might be a skilled swashbuckler, but he’s not much for engaging in witty repartee at a palace ball.
Haha, good point.
Still, we don’t know that for sure. We know nothing about these antfolk, except that they’re clearly smarter than the non-folk type of ants, so metal use isn’t out of the question (they’re already living in tunnels, so mining wouldn’t be a big stretch). Mimic more often contributes as the party’s diplomat and strategist than with his actual monster skills.
Still… suppose you’re right. How would it have been preferable to assign the characters? Mimic for the palace team, that’s obvious, as you pointed out. Then, to prevent sending Rusty on the anthill team, the only remaining option is the black market team, and I have to wonder what the merit of that is – sure, there will be a lot of metal items on sale on the black market, not to mention the coins being exchanged, but most of those will be completely unrelated to the McGuffin we’re after and belonging to people we’d rather avoid picking fights with. And then, by process of elimination, Cube would have to be sent on the anthill team, which we’re expecting to require diplomacy. I can’t see how that will work. Really, while Cube may not be perfectly-suited for the palace team, he seems even worse for both of the other missions. He might be of limited use in finding the infiltrator (though he could surprise us), but at least he has the other half of the mission covered.
Also… the psion who can see the future has recommended these picks. There may be a method to his madness.
I’d put Rusty in the slums and black market mission. He could eat thugs’ knives and armour and chew through locks, like the perfect substitute rogue that a rusty monster is. Best of all, it gives us a chance for another glorious “Eat Tokyo?” moment. 😀
Then Cube goes to the ant-hills. If the ant-folk make nice, neat 10-foot-wide tunnels, then he’d clean up, literally.
Of course, as a D&D player, I’m thinking of this tactically with an eye toward the expected situations. But the great thing about this comic is that it never, ever does what’s expected. 😀
I think they need some divine magic against the necromancy, and they do NOT need Madeline announcing it’s not nice to lie.
Dorilys vs. Derek is a question of whether his willingness to try diplomacy longer is counterbalanced by her greater combat usefulness (assuming they may have to fight non-undead antfolk).
But that’s true! It isn’t nice to lie.
Lying might be acceptable against evil people, just like beating those people up is also sometimes necessary even though beating people up in general is not encouraged.
But since the antfolk are described as being “corrupted”, they don’t seem to be truly evil for the most part. I’m hoping they can be reasoned with, and diplomacy requires not going in already thinking of them as the enemy. Lying is, at best, a last resort.
I missed the vote, but rusty and Patina sounds good. The last person should be someone with hands. Actually, one of the Doogans can probably find the illegal auction.
I reread the cartoon. The doogans are not spell casters so the artifact may have less effect on them.
Most artifacts don’t specifically affect spellcasters. If anything, spellcasters are often more resistant to mind-corrupting effects, due to their good Will saves. On the other hand, necromancy often has body-corrupting effects, for which you need Fortitude saves. The Doogans are rogues, which are only good at… Reflex saves. Good for dodging traps and dragon breath, not usually relevant for ominous artifacts of doom.
Prestige Perkins and Roxy for Rusty’s quest. Roxy’s a bard, they’re good at social situations, and Presty’s an illusionist. If you’re going to infiltrate a colony of necromantic ants, having someone who can disguise the party as locals and someone who can glib and lie and have a broad selection of useful skills is useful.
Oh crap, an RPG-style sub-party select!