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They're definitely playing pathfinder, not 3.5
- The world is a prison for a giant world eating abomination
- There are nut cases trying to let that thing out (Blackflame adept/holey brotherhood)
- and no one can make concentration checks!
They're definitely playing pathfinder, not 3.5
- The world is a prison for a giant world eating abomination
- There are nut cases trying to let that thing out (Blackflame adept/holey brotherhood)- and no one can make concentration checks!
World is prison for some deity/cosmic entity (and cultists that want to release it) is much older setting theme than Pathfinder.
Midnight, Oathbound, IIRC Ptolus to nam a few 3.0/3.5 settings that are based around that.
They are in a pyramid of mega illusions and there are mysterious, non-explody runes on the walls. My gut reaction is, "That's not really them..."
Good call.
@Drejk: I think it was the Sumerians and even Native Americans that have legends of a Great Beast/Demon being Sealed in the Earth. In fact that plays into their versions of the Apocalypse as they believe the world is destroyed when the beast breaks free then the Great Spirit/Gods and Ancestors defeat it then recreate the world as its prison.
They're definitely playing pathfinder, not 3.5
- The world is a prison for a giant world eating abomination
- There are nut cases trying to let that thing out (Blackflame adept/holey brotherhood)- and no one can make concentration checks!
I don't think that what Roy did in that last fight was about concentration checks, maybe Roy just has been training to get Mage Slayer feat from Complete Arcane. AKA eff your defensive casting, eat my AoO.
Well, looks like somebody got Inceptioned.
I don't think that what Roy did in that last fight was about concentration checks, maybe Roy just has been training to get Mage Slayer feat from Complete Arcane. AKA eff your defensive casting, eat my AoO.They're definitely playing pathfinder, not 3.5
- The world is a prison for a giant world eating abomination
- There are nut cases trying to let that thing out (Blackflame adept/holey brotherhood)- and no one can make concentration checks!
I thought it was just a well-timed and well-rolled series of readied actions. Undead-bane sword that pierces the lich's DR (despite slashing not normally doing that) wielded by a two-handed fighter with a decent strength, probably loading on the Power Attack, and a series of "I ready an action to attack him when he casts", and it seems like a reasonable outcome to me.
Wouldn't be surprised, but also within the realm of possibility for the game/ruleset - even if not (yet?) possible for Roy himself. I imagine anything that was too much out of the expected limits of the provided reality, it might break the illusion >_>
I think it was all part of the illusion. Not something he could actually do. More like wish fullfillment. Proving he can beat Xykon. V. returning at the right moment.
And in Roys perfect world Belkar finally died, that's understandable. But what does Roy subconsciously have against poor mr scruffy...
Bella Sara Charter Superscriber
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Yeah, I'm worried about what (if anything) Roy killed when he thought he killed Xykon given the dialogue. The one saving grace is the fact that his sword is sheathed (but, on the other hand, the panel is also cut in a way that we can't see what is to the right of Roy...).
I think they are just standing there drooling. All the action is internal, not external.
Agreed. And we don't know that this is Roy's illusion, specifically. All four seem to be affected, and they almost all have facial expressions to match with the last panel showing the illusion.
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Bella Sara Charter Superscriber
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Xykon's last speech bubble ("Wait..Roy") isn't really something he would say, but, then again, it would be consistent with Roy's dream scenario that is playing out. But for that, I wouldn't be concerned. Still, the fact that his sword is in its sheath, plus the other items noted abvoe, strongly suggests that no one has moved since the spell began to take effect.
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I don't think that what Roy did in that last fight was about concentration checks, maybe Roy just has been training to get Mage Slayer feat from Complete Arcane. AKA eff your defensive casting, eat my AoO.They're definitely playing pathfinder, not 3.5
- The world is a prison for a giant world eating abomination
- There are nut cases trying to let that thing out (Blackflame adept/holey brotherhood)- and no one can make concentration checks!
I thought it was just a well-timed and well-rolled series of readied actions. Undead-bane sword that pierces the lich's DR (despite slashing not normally doing that) wielded by a two-handed fighter with a decent strength, probably loading on the Power Attack, and a series of "I ready an action to attack him when he casts", and it seems like a reasonable outcome to me.
** spoiler omitted **
He was training for taking a feat with his grandfather up in heaven:
It's quite possible. I could still see this...
On the other hand Belkar's heroic death could be Roy's fantasy - making it heroic would serve to suppress LG fighter's guilt from wishing his companion dead.
That makes sense. Just like they don't know about Kimiko (I think that's Xykon's theurge's name?). The other possibility is just that Roy was just giving everyone what they wanted, ultimately.
I'm not actually saying you're wrong. I'm just showing another possibility. :)
I note that Vaarsuvius's desires are not represented. Thus, it is either not representative of everyone's desires or (and this seems far more likely), V was not really there and is still on his way.
Here's hoping Vaarsuvius partially redeems himself by rescuing the Order of the Stick!
PS: Wouldn't it be interesting to see the Linear Guild caught in the same trap and see what their "happy ending" looks like? Makes me -really- wish Thog was there. I think his desires might look suspiciously like Elan's.
Heh, yeah. :)
I'm pretty sure V wasn't really there, too.
It's also funny because he's really generically portrayed here... I don't think his own comrades "get" him. (Using "him" generically, of course.)
Spoilered stuff about Roy' knowledgeI thought Roy witnessed most of the events surrounding the sexy shoeless god of war plotline as a ghost, so he would have familiarity with the players.
But he can't recall any of that now that he's alive... at least not directly. He just has vague ideas and impressions.
EDIT: to be clearer
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Bella Sara Charter Superscriber
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Spoilered stuff about Roy' knowledgeI thought Roy witnessed most of the events surrounding the sexy shoeless god of war plotline as a ghost, so he would have familiarity with the players.But he can't recall any of that now that he's alive... at least not directly. He just has vague ideas and impressions.
EDIT: to be clearer
Huh, I completely forgot about that. Thanks for the reminder. Seems like the illusion might be able to access those vague ideas and impressions, but still, I completely forgot about the whole mindwipe effect of the Raise Dead.
Xykon and redcloak are probably near by, or the runes wouldn't know to show redcloak with an eyepatch.
Interesting. Did no one know about that? I forgot when he got it.
EDIT: that lends credence to my theory that Xykon and Red Cloak were the ones that activated the runes by opening the door.
Interesting.
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Given that the title of the Strip is "Happy Ending," I'm guessing that this is Elan's illusion.
See the Oracle's answer to his question: OOTS 331
-Aaron
Interesting. It actually would make sense, then, that Roy got his happiness, given Elan's vision. However, Roy has to be seeing this too, because otherwise he wouldn't have been smiling while saying Xykon's name.
What of the panel of HaleyXElan and RoyX<Insert his GF's name here>?
What of the panel of HaleyXElan and RoyX<Insert his GF's name here>?
That would totally be something Elan would imagine, I'd say. He loves Roy and wants what's best for him, too.
EDIT: to be clear, I'm presuming this is Roy's illusion or a fusion of Roy's and others' illusion. But I could see that created by Elan. :)
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Celia.
Personally I haven't a clue as to exactly what's going on, unless the "illusion" they're experiencing is generated by the "runed" corridor as some sort of mind-scan test by the pyramid's defensive magics to weed out anyone who shouldn't be allowed access to the gate.
I wonder if the spell they are under was triggered way back when Haley was attempting to disarm Obvious Door's traps?
Not sure if I would like to have that much of the strip having been a spell-induced dream sequence...
I suspect the illusion is entirely within the minds of the OotS and the pyramid-structure isn't getting anything from it at all. That's usually how illusion magic works, using the characters' information against them, while the caster knows nothing in specific.
I wonder if the spell they are under was triggered way back when Haley was attempting to disarm Obvious Door's traps?
Not sure if I would like to have that much of the strip having been a spell-induced dream sequence...
It wouldn't have been that far back. Durkon wasn't dead yet, and Roy's mind wouldn't have gone that dark, as we can tell from the illusion panels themselves. Besides, we've seen Durkon without the OotS, so, it wouldn't function that way.
They would have had to enter the door first, which only happened after they learned of Durkon's death, and looks like it was close to the end of the hallway.
EDIT: basically, it wouldn't be more than two to four comics, total, because V's stuff, Durkon's stuff, and everything outside of the door and everything not involving OotS itself would still be canon.
Really, I think it's only the last two strips directly involving OotS.
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The point is Girard's Illusions are active and enormously powerful.
The whole Damn thing is very well done. Down to
I do not see the point of these recent strips and that makes me really worried, because Rich does everything for a purpose.
.... and that's why the eventual reveal of just what's really been going on is always so much fun.....
Personally I haven't a clue as to exactly what's going on, unless the "illusion" they're experiencing is generated by the "runed" corridor as some sort of mind-scan test by the pyramid's defensive magics to weed out anyone who shouldn't be allowed access to the gate.
I think it is likely that the illusion is intended to keep intruders standing there, enjoying their illusory desired futures, until Girard's guards (now long dead, thanks to Vaarsuvius) seize them.
The important questions are, A) what is the spell's duration? and B) does it reset? If the duration is long enough, the OOTS could starve to death while enjoying their happy-ever-after. If it does not reset, it wouldn't also catch the Linear Guild and Nale could just kill them one at a time.
So. There's more, and it's weird.
I have no clue what the purpose of this one is, except that Elan is imagining his father getting married to his mother (I infer, as she is blonde).
I'm also starting to suspect that most of this is Elan's fantasy, actually, that the others are just kind of sharing in...
... except, no, that doesn't make sense, because Belkar wouldn't have been killed in Elan's fantasy.
Okay, no, I'm still not entirely sure. Seems like a combined construct, but I'm not sure what the point of telling us all that's in their mind is, unless it crushes them to find out it was all fake, later.
In fact, as I type, I feel more and more strongly that this is being shown to set up emotional character development later. And I'm really curious what Belkar is seeing right now.
In fact, as I type, I feel more and more strongly that this is being shown to set up emotional character development later. And I'm really curious what Belkar is seeing right now.
That's my feeling too. If we get a strip devoted to each party member it will be partial confirmation.
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... except, no, that doesn't make sense, because Belkar wouldn't have been killed in Elan's fantasy.
we also know that Elan is a Bard & almost as Genre Savvy as his father.
Everybody knows that at least one of the companions in a group like this has to die, permanently before or during the final climactic battle; and it's usually the token 'bad boy'.Knows this. He might not like it, but he knows this is the only way it would happen.
edit: I didn't realize it until I double checked the page in question but Tarquin is actually used as the example! How bad-ass is that?!
"Roy, you beat Xykon, got your dad's approval, and proved to the world that fighters don't suck"
Bwahaha! :D