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New strip is up!
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It's okay Redcloak. My DM never let me talked to my god either...
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I had a paladin that met his god once. He did a small test then rewarded me for being a good boi.
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I suspect Xykon is going to ruin things.
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I suspect Xykon is going to ruin things.
That guy!
*shakes pointer finger with other hand on hip*
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Yeah I think Xykon will ruin things just because he can.
Also YAY for Vid not being a jerk! :)
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Maybe the hard part will be convincing the goblin god. or maybe they will do that thing where at first he wants no part of it but then later in the story at a pivitol moment changes his mind.
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I guess we'll find out in the next strip! (Hopefully...)
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Is there a new strip?
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Wow. Redcloak is really missing the forest for the trees on that one.
I mean I get it...but you know...blinkered.
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Wow. Redcloak is really missing the forest for the trees on that one.
I mean I get it...but you know...blinkered.
I think he understands the situation rather well. The GODS are afraid of the Dark One's plan, and his comments about leverage are more on point then Durkon realizes.
They can kill all the mortals, but can they kill the Dark One?
RPG Superstar 2008 Top 32, 2011 Top 16
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Wow. Redcloak is really missing the forest for the trees on that one.
I mean I get it...but you know...blinkered.
I think he understands the situation rather well. The GODS are afraid of the Dark One's plan, and his comments about leverage are more on point then Durkon realizes.
They can kill all the mortals, but can they kill the Dark One?
They don't want to kill him, they need him. I'm thinking the Dark One will get the message from Redcloak, and make some tough demands to help the rest of the gods, which they reluctantly agree to, and which means some pretty heavy duty bad things to deal with a super empowered Dark One.
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They don't want to kill him, they need him. I'm thinking the Dark One will get the message from Redcloak, and make some tough demands to help the rest of the gods, which they reluctantly agree to, and which means some pretty heavy duty bad things to deal with a super empowered Dark One.Wow. Redcloak is really missing the forest for the trees on that one.
I mean I get it...but you know...blinkered.
I think he understands the situation rather well. The GODS are afraid of the Dark One's plan, and his comments about leverage are more on point then Durkon realizes.
They can kill all the mortals, but can they kill the Dark One?
I don't know if the Dark One would demand personal power so much as a "fair" deal for his peoples. Like being made a CRB Player Character race.
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Maybe Fyre. It might very well be.
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Maybe Fyre. It might very well be.
Does "Rovagug" = the "Snarl"?
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Their does seem to be similarities but It seems more like Tarrasque with more power. Since the Snarl isn't a god and doesn't do anything unless he escapes.
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Well whatever it might mean, I still think Redcloak is over thinking this...
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Note that Redcloak is speaking of himself and his plan. He does not mention the Dark One at all. This smells like awful hubris. He might even end up challenging Xykon at a pivotal moment. Forgetting that Xykon is the butch.
Maybe Oona will become the new chosen of the Dark One after Redcloak's inevitable death. Then the MitD might convince her to help save the world.
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Wow. Redcloak is really missing the forest for the trees on that one.
I mean I get it...but you know...blinkered.
I think he understands the situation rather well. The GODS are afraid of the Dark One's plan, and his comments about leverage are more on point then Durkon realizes.
They can kill all the mortals, but can they kill the Dark One?
Thor, at least, doesn't want to. Remember that if the gods pull the plug on the world, the Dark One may not be able to survive until the next one comes on line. And Durkon knows that, because Thor told him. So Redcloak doesn't have as much leverage as he thinks.
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Have thought the same thing, but I'm also considering that in-comic time, this conversation hasn't gone on very long, and Durkon has to prioritize what facts to give first. I'm thinking that Durkon plans to tell him the whole story, but that the comic so far has just been Redcloak reacting to what he's been told so far.
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I guess it is better than "The Goblin's Republic of Goblins" (especially with the singular/plural mismatch).
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I prefer "Goblins Ahoy!" ;)
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"Hobgobostan" is ace, though.
I'm not convinced Redcloak has his head wrapped around the problem. Durkon can't promise what Redcloak is asking, at least not in the time frame needed. He's not going to get anything if relies on the OotS to negotiate with the other world leaders.
He needs to be a good cleric and turn it over to his god. Commune, and explain the situation, and then the Dark One will need to open back up communications with the other gods.
But then there's Xykon.
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I'm not convinced this will work anyway. Mostly because there's still Team Lower Planes that people forget about. I mean I doubt they much care if the gods die...
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The Friends still have time on V's actions, which WILL come up at critical moments.
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I see two possibilities:
1. Durkon has to make the saving throw or die.
2. This is exactly what Thor wanted. Red Cloak just gave him the energy of a 9th level spell from the Dark One, just like Thor asked for. That might not be what Red Cloak intended, but if Thor can step in to save Durkon and take that energy, then it's a win.
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There might be something else depending on how things go down next update. Redcloak may very well agreed to Durkon's plan but used Implosion due to say Xykon showing up off screen(Or Oona) he had to zap Durkon or else have to deal with Xykon. With the Implosion, he has cover.
Or perhaps Redcloak imploded himself to talk to the Dark One, gambling on Durkon being willing to Rez him.
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** spoiler omitted **
Regarding your #2, it seems too early for that. Both in terms of dramatic purposes and also Recloak's target of the spell. Maybe? I'm referencing the 7th panel of this comic when I refer to the spell's target.
(But on the other hand, regarding your #1, requiring a dwarf cleric to fail a Fort save doesn't seem like the best strategy.)
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All I know is Redcloak could have just cast Miracle and asked his god what he thought. :P
But that's just me.
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That definetly would of required on heck of a bluff check to pull off red cloak probably has it maxed tho.
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All I know is Redcloak could have just cast Miracle and asked his god what he thought. :P
But that's just me.
If he has that spell prepared. Remember, he's adventuring every night behind those doors, so having a spell that can "save or die" up to 4 targets with a saving throw based on being a level 9 spell is a pretty good prepped spell for him.
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Eh. Good point Fromper...but I still think he could have had it prepared just in case...
Pretty sure the reason for Redcloak's effective betrayal (one way or the other) is in the title, "Compromised" - as in, "Redcloak is compromised, and thus..."
But the question, if any of you know, is how Redcloak is "compromised."
My (very vague and not-well-supported) guess?
Something to do with the fiendish triad.
I honestly don't know, though.
So, I know strength or whatever, but...
After all this, I don't understand why malaugrym with one feat isn't more popular (or at least isn't cited somewhere up top).
I get that it's questionable whether such a thing would be made up by Rich or not, buuuuuuuuuuuut...
These shapeshifters were, both physically and mentally, superior to many, if not most other races. They possessed an uncanny, malicious intelligence and a remarkable charismatic presence, despite the abhorrent appearance of their natural form. They were also astoundingly agile, far beyond the ken of the regular human, as well as, to a lesser extent, being stronger and more hardy than one.Fast Healing
Malaugrym were notoriously quick to recover from wounds, which, with time, seal up on their own.Damage Reduction
Malaugrym were immune to all weapons, save for those that were magical or made from silver. Magic weapons behaved as regular ones would, harming them, and ones of silver were particularly devastating, and left wounds the malaugrym could not heal naturally, but required magical attention.Poison Immunity
These creatures were immune to all poisons.Spell Resistance
A malaugrym had the ability to resist magical attack, particularly from less experienced casters.
In an older source,
cast-spell-minimize:Shadowmasters,a.k.a. the Malaugrym
TERRAIN: Any (Demiplane of Shadow)
FREQUENCY: Very Rare
ORGANIZATION: Clan
ACTIVITY CYCLE: Any
DIET: Omnivore
INTELLIGENCE: Average to Genius
TREASURE: R (personal), H (lair)
ALIGNMENT: Chaotic evil
No. APPEARING: 2d6
<snip>
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Surprise
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Immune to poison, silver/magical weapons needed to hit
MAGIC RESISTANCE: 25%
SIZE: The Shadowmasters, also known as the Malaugrym, are a clan of shape-shifting humans who make their home in the Castle of Shadows on the Demiplane of Shadow. Further, they travel to Toril whenever they can. There they seek to use their shape-changing powers to dominate and rule all the Realms.These beings have total control of their bodies and can change or morph portions of body, and can appear literally as any living thing-perhaps as a horrible nonhumanoid creature. The only nonmagical way to tell a malaugrym is by the golden light that shines in its eyes.
DMs should make Wisdom or appropriate proficiency checks with penalties suitable to the circumstances.
Combat: Malaugrym are strong, sturdy creatures, their shape-shifting powers granting them amazing fortitude. They regenerate one hit point per round after being damaged. They are also immune to poi-son and only silver or magical weapons harm them.(Silver weapons do maximum damage with any successful hit and they do not regenerate wounds inflicted by silver weapons.) One reason human malaugrym have such high HD and AC ratings is that they tend to constantly shift their shapes as combat evolves, even to the point of moving their internal organs out of their normal positions-making it extremely difficult to strike a killing blow against them.
They can fight with weapons normally-some are powerful members of PC classes (unlimited advancement as humans; none but the leader of the clan can cast gate or other interplanar magic) - or can fight using tentacles or pseudopods. Malaugrym receive a number of attacks in this manner as per their class and level, and a typical spiked tentacle or pseudopod does damage as a long sword (1d8/1d12).
And in the most recent source to Rich's release,
cast-spell-minimize:Malaugryms are perfect shapeshifters whose greatest delight is extending a jawed tentacle down a living captive’s throat and eating him from the inside out.
Also known as shadowmasters, malaugryms are creatures of pure evil native to some alien place. Consumed with a lust for power, they hungrily await any opportunity to venture to the Material Plane to extend their domination and acquire their favorite food. They use the Plane of Shadow to reach the Material Plane, leading to the (apparently mistaken) impression that they are actually native to that place.In their natural form (almost never seen), malaugryms are spherical creatures about 4 feet in diameter, with three long, powerful tentacles tipped by razor-sharp hooks, and a beaked mouth in the center of their bodies. Three large, round, golden eyes surround the beak. Their hide is rubbery and thick, mottled brown and green in color. They possess an innate levitation ability and hover in the air, tentacles coiling in constant motion. Malaugryms do age, but they do not seem to die of old age. Though they might otherwise be immortal, very old malaugryms are typically eliminated by younger, stronger malaugryms hungry for their place and status. Malaugrym speak Common and their own language.
COMBAT
Most malaugryms have one or two forms that they prefer. In many cases, they use a normal-seeming human form for day-to-day business on the Material Plane, and a more monstrous and powerful form in combat. They fight intelligently, and do not hesitate to flee a battle they are clearly losing. Malaugryms with at least a +6 base attack bonus can make multiple slam attacks in a round, with each additional attack at a reduced modifier (+6/+1, +7/+2, and so forth).Alternate Form (Su): Malaugryms can assume the form of any creature less than deity status or a single object, as the shapechange[/1] spell cast by a 20th-level sorcerer. When assuming the form of a humanoid creature, a malaugrym’s physical ability scores (Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution) are the same as in its natural form, not the average scores for a member of that race. In any form, a malaugrym’s true identity can be guessed by the golden light that glimmers in its eyes. A Spot check (DC 20)is required to notice this telltale gleam.
Silver Vulnerability (Ex): Silver weapons inflict the maximum possible damage against malaugryms. A malaugrym cannot heal damage caused by silver weapons naturally, including with its fast healing ability. Cure wounds spells and other magic heals this damage normally.
Spell Resistance (Ex): A malaugrym’s spell resistance increases by 1 for every character level it gains.
Skills: When using alternate form, a malaugrym receives a +10 circumstance bonus to Disguise checks, as with the [i]shapechange spell.
The main reason I'm surprised it's not addressed is that it shapechange ability and retention of the "golden gleam" regardless of form (and the fact that MitD has yellow eyes), as well as the ability to more-or-less replicate literally anything needed by the power of plot by a single feat.
Further, it's an omnivore (and can't be poisoned, so moldy cheeseburgers are a-ok), can be of genius intellect (if it tries), has a hideous base form, can fit in boxes without changing, are rare but not unheard of, and those of high wisdom (such as clerics, i.e. Redcloak) are noted as being able to tell what it is.
Additionally, as the mechanics of 2e, 3e, and 3.5e interact oddly (to say the least) and 2e creatures without updates are clearly represented in the comic, it seems that there is plenty of potential for such a creature to exist.
Do I think it's a malaugrym? No.
Why? A couple of reasons.
1) the very shapechange ability itself: it notes they retain their physical scores, which harms its ability to be the physical threat it seems sometimes
2) the 3e version is hardly "invulnerable" to anything not-silver, and Belkyr's daggers were magical (negating the 2e thing) and seem likely to do more than 15 damage per attack (negating the 3e thing)
3) the creature is only shown with two eyes instead of three
Still, it seems like a solid enough suggestion that I think it's a rather weird (and personally frustrating, considering it always leaps out to me even when I don't think it's the actual monster) that it simply isn't mentioned.
Anyway, this was a way-too-deep-dive into something that doesn't matter and that I don't have time for.
G'byyyyyyyyyyye~!
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So wait...were you suggesting our friend in the umbrella is a malaugrym...only to figure out it's not? I just wanted to be clear.
As for our friendly fiends...I dunno if they're ready to take on a true divinity, given how much 'heat' they took for the dragon bit.
So wait...were you suggesting our friend in the umbrella is a malaugrym...only to figure out it's not? I just wanted to be clear.
Not-so-much that I think it is, more that I'm surprised that it's not mentioned in the conversation at all.
As for our friendly fiends...I dunno if they're ready to take on a true divinity, given how much 'heat' they took for the dragon bit.
Eh. Their plans go substantially beyond that.
They want an end to benevolent divinity.(And all the celestial things, in general.)
I think that Redcloak's lack of agreement (his seeming inability to do so) does fit with the general pattern of some sort of binding agreement - something he literally can't say, "No." to - I don't know what it is, which is why I just put out the concept of the Triad.
It may not be them, and that's fine. Mostly I'm curious what, exactly, it is in his mind - that he clearly regrets - that's preventing him from agreeing to what he obviously perceives as the best chance. He knows Durkon's right.
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I have yet to figure out what is under the umbrella anything strong enough to do what it has done is sooo much bigger.
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It may not be them, and that's fine. Mostly I'm curious what, exactly, it is in his mind - that he clearly regrets - that's preventing him from agreeing to what he obviously perceives as the best chance. He knows Durkon's right.
If you've read Start of Darkness, then you know that he murdered his own brother to support the Dark One's plan.
It may not be them, and that's fine. Mostly I'm curious what, exactly, it is in his mind - that he clearly regrets - that's preventing him from agreeing to what he obviously perceives as the best chance. He knows Durkon's right.If you've read Start of Darkness, then you know that he murdered his own brother to support the Dark One's plan.
I have not!
That said, I am aware - but what is in the Dark One's Plan that he has not already gotten?
The entire purpose of the Plan (to the best of my understanding) was to hold the Snarl to be able to hold down the other gods into an agreement almost exactly like what Durkon is currently proposing.
That's what gets me. The plan is effectively accomplished without the specifics. I suppose this may be Rich's criticism of lawful (specifically lawful-evil) behavior and mindsets (he has criticized all of them, so this isn't so much a specific call-out, as it is exploring the dangers of yet another specific conceit), but it's still... odd.
EDIT: I mean, maybe it really is just "sunk cost fallacy"... but I don't know. It feels weird that it would just be that. I'uno. :)
I suppose we'll find out!
I have yet to figure out what is under the umbrella anything strong enough to do what it has done is sooo much bigger.
I feel like that's the reason most people are so firmly in the "it's a protean" camp - because in that case (literally) size-doesn't-matter, as it's always shapechanging.
It's technically a large creature, but that doesn't mean much, as it's specifically "young."
I don't feel that the protean is exactly the best fit, but I can't come up with a better one.
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Isn't a Protean more of a Pathfinder thing then a 3.5 thing?
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I am probably reading too much into this but I find Redcloak's correcting himself after saying "so I should" and saying "know my place" are more signs that he is chaffing under the Dark One's Plan and wants something for himself. Adding the fact that he is deeply afraid of Xykon might result that he decided to use the Dark One's plan for his own personal power. Using the threat of the Snarl for his own benefit rather than that of his god or his people. Which might explain Compromised.
Isn't a Protean more of a Pathfinder thing then a 3.5 thing?
Wrong one.
Protean in Pathfinder is a CN outsider who is a fundamental incarnation of chaos.
Protean in 3.X (and D&D in general, unless it was changed) is a fundamentally chaotic... shapechanger (which is it's own kind in 3.0 and a subtype in 3.5 - doppleganger, for instance, was a "shapechanger" in 3.0, but became a monstrous "humanoid (shapechanger)" in 3.5) called a "Hagunemnon (protean)" and was a, uh... aberration, I guess.
Anyway, it's here.
Here are shapeshifters, if you care.
Here's a snarky take on them in a random someone's read-through of the old ELH (has a lot of the entry crossed out for some unknown reason).
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Wow not the most attractive fella is he?
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The comic continues with predictable (but still fun) results.
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The comic continues with predictable (but still fun) results.
That doesn't make a whole lot of sense, to be honest.
Maybe I'm over-analyzing, but this was kinda disappointing.