NM
I agree. There’s a difference between saying there is no plot and saying the plot isn’t what some readers think it is. Burlew is certainly aware of this. He even had Tarquin lampshade the point.
Okay, that (and your following post) makes more sense. People expecting snappy story development are going to be disappointed because Burlew would rather go off on meandering tangents about what makes Elan, Elan.
I do agree that yet another intra-Durkon chat/memory fest is breaking up the action but not enough to actually be upset by it and hopefully he keeps up the pace through this encounter so it’s not such a big deal.
And I’d actually been hoping we’d get through the meat-space stuff quickly, so we could get on to the interesting part of what’s happening in Durkon’s head. We’ve known for a while that Durkon (the real one) is Up To Something, and I’d like to find out what.
Durkon’s Head would be more entertaining if, in addition to Evil Durkon and Good Durkon, we could have Fearful Durkon, Hungry Durkon and an obligatory Girl Durkon representing his interest in fashion.
But, since everything in his head happens at the speed of thought, nothing is going to get resolved or revealed until people get to actually, you know, do something.
But presumably OG Durkon’s trick, whatever it is, is going to cause Durkula to do something or not do something in the real world.
Wasn’t the last time we saw Xykon way back when they were sorting through a bunch of tombs? Or did I miss an interlude there?
Yeah. Back when O-Chul was watching MitD paint X’s on the doors.
I would love to get back to the monster in the dark, but I’m not terribly excited by the upcoming fight. The inter-durkon drama promises to be much more exciting.
No, no, no, no no no…
I notice the baby and Mr. Scruffy are unaffected. That must be because they weren’t targeted, right?
That’s some weak sauce for Belkar not to use his broach, knowing all about the Domination. Unless it’s only usable once per day or something. I’m also surprised Hilgya wouldn’t have a better save as a cleric.
Mr. Scruffy is safe since the effect is Dominate Person
Edit: I see in the panel where Durkon is using his gaze his eyes and glowing. In the next panel, his companion’s eyes are glowing so I guess multiple Domination attempts.
I presume its effect is negated by the dispel magics.
Yeah. How much damage does that Protection from Evil item do to Belkar while activated, anyway? Unless it’s extremely high, I can’t imagine it being worse than having his mind controlled by the enemy during a battle.
ETA: Do those Dispel Magics affect magic items?
Yes, but he knew it was negated and didn’t re-activate it. Dispel Magic is an instantaneous effect. There’s nothing preventing you from using magic after it’s been cast (unless you’re trying to use a magic item with limitations like ‘usable once per day’).
Edit: You CAN use Dispel Magic to suppress a magic item for a short time but there’s no reason why Durkon (much less his minions) would know about Belkar’s broach to directly target it. To answer Chorpler, yes but you need to consciously cast it at only that item.
I’m annoyed that there’s no newly-freed Allosaur chomping his way through vampire clerics. Also, why no Quickened, Max’d, or Empowered Fireballs coming from V? S/he’s got the spell slots, and it’s not like s/he’s casting something like Mage’s Sword instead with the slot.
Also, the vamp’s Dominate ability only has a range of 30 feet. The spawn get one too, but it only operates as though cast by a 5th level caster (and saves in 3.5 scale with the level of the person casting the effect.). I wouldn’t think the vamps on the dais (who, as full vampires, use their Dominate at, IIRC either 12th level or at their actual caster level) could reach people like Haley and Elan. Did everyone just roll a “1” or something? Well, except for Minrah.
IIRC, the spell-like effect bestowed by a magic item can be Dispelled, but it returns automatically after one round. Of course, Belkar’s got to want to grab the Pro. From Evil brooch to reactivate it…
I wouldn’t have thought that a thrown sword would be so powerful, and then I realized that Roy’s got a strength now that’s right up there with the mightiest of giants. Neat take on the “thrown weapon that magically returns to you.” Just never thought it’d apply to a two-handed sword.
Big strip; no wonder it took 10-11 days to put together. I guess we’re getting internal dialogue for the next one or two updates.
Well, remember, people. This is Roy and Durkon’s story arc. The others are supporting cast.
There’s no WAY this wasn’t coming down to a battle of wills between the two of them. Roy with his grieving for his friend and Durkula with his behind the scenes distraction of Durkon.
Game on.
The vampire don’t get Mr Scruffy as a freebie because he’s Belkar’s familiar?
I was thinking that could be the unexpected twist. If the vampires get familiars automatically when they dominate the main character, then they would be dominating Bloodfeast without knowing it (or even knowing that Bloodfeat was present). That might lead them to take some other action which would have unexpected consequences when it unknowingly included a dinosaur.
I’m guessing we get stick-on-stick battle for the next couple of updates.
I can see that. Though I wonder if V has a Quickened Dispel on tap, and would that be able to break the hold on any of the Dominated? Roy seems to have a handle on killing those on the dais.
Here’s one, that I don’t think will matter at all, but anyway: if Hilgya gets un-Dominated, then Turns (or Rebukes, whatever) Undead, what happens to the people Dominated by the now retreating undead? Does it break the Domination? Are the people affected at all?
I liked Roy’s command to Belkar to “protect V,” and Belkar’s predictable wanting to go kill something instead. Brought back memories, only this time, I think Belkar’d actually do what was best for everyone else.