Yeah, but I think dtilque was saying the bards could help break the domination of the elders inside the meeting.
Getting past the LDW and the Exarrgh might take some doing at first though…
The dwarf mob is numerous, valiant, and motivated. A few of those guys might do the job and take a hit for the team. (Actually, it beats surviving, in this scenario.)
Yeah, about three weeks ago or so.
[Moderating]
As someone who hasn’t seen Avengers: Endgame, I have no idea what Quartz is talking about, and so I’m not going to rule that as a spoiler (unless it’s just the idea of a whole lot of heroes rushing into battle? But that’s not exactly a spoiler, either). But just in case anyone who has seen it is tempted to explain, or to in any other way spoil the movie, don’t. Not only will it be a violation of board rules, but I personally would be quite annoyed by it, and an annoyed moderator is likely to moderate in ways you won’t like.
Hmm, yes, I’d forgotten he included supernatural ability there. I’d just remembered the prohibition on casting spells. But do Bard songs count as supernatural abilities? The SRD just calls it “bardic music”, and doesn’t use the word “supernatural” at all.
Oh well, you have to be 12th level Bard to perform that song, and I doubt any of them are that high, not even Squeaky.
Yes, but they’re going to have to do that eventually if they’re going to win this battle.
I’m not sure that all these new, likely low level, additions to the battle are necessarily a good thing. They’re more Domination fodder for the vampires, after all.
Being stoned isn’t fatal; it only lasts until the end of the meeting.
I wouldn’t expect them to all rush into the council chambers, but rather fight the vampires and minions who come out while the Order goes in.
“Supernatural” is a term of art in 3rd edition D&D, and comes up frequently enough that it has a standard notation: (Su) after the name of an ability (such as the Countersong or Inspire Courage uses of bardic music) means that it’s supernatural. Song of Freedom, meanwhile, is (Sp), or a spell-like ability (which is technically a different category). But if we assume that the vampire wasn’t talking in legalese, then it’s safe to assume that anything that applies to both spells and to supernatural abilities also applies to spell-like abilities.
But Song of Freedom takes a full minute to work and I’d assume you get petrified right away. You might be able to get away with a fast casting spell but not something that takes sixty seconds of “casting” (or playing)
Unless you say “Jehovah.”
This is interesting: in #1157, the vampire says, “The orange barrier at the foot of the stairs dispels all magic on anyone who passes through it.” Furthermore, “Within the boundaries of the blue barrier, anyone violating dwarven law is instantly turned to stone until the meeting is formally adjourned.” The laws “explicitly forbid attacking or using any spell or supernatural ability on any creature during a council meeting.”
So, some tactics that could sneak through:
-Casting a spell through the orange barrier. It just dispels magic on creatures, it doesn’t prevent a spell from going through it.
-Casting a spell through the blue barrier. It only petrifies those within its boundaries.
-From within the council chamber, casting an environmental spell (e.g., disintegrating the ceiling). It only prevents using spells on creatures, not on the environment.
I don’t think bardic music would be affected by the barriers at all.
No, it also blocks spells from outside. When V cast Forcecage on Gontula (1160, 6th panel), it didn’t penetrate the orange barrier.
That might work, but it depends on the meeting chamber being visible to someone outside that barrier. It’s quite possible it is not. There’s three rings of protection (1152, panel 3) for the meeting and we’ve only seen two. We have no idea what that third barrier is, but it could block line of sight from the door.
Depends on whether that violates Dwarven Law. If so, the caster would be petrified, probably before the spell can be cast.
The blue barrier blocks sound (1157, last panel), so that can’t penetrate from the outside. Any dwaven bards would have to get inside that to sing the Song of Freedom (assuming that doesn’t trigger the petrifying effect).
<stones Peter Morris>
Wouldn’t casting an environmental effect expressly to affect vampires still count as attacking?
“Hey, I’m just swinging my fists and if you HAPPEN to be standing there then it’s not on me that you got punched…”
I was responding to “It beats surviving.”
Just saw the new strip, and for some reason it bothers me that the Dorfbards use lutes. Very undorfy. They should have bagpipes, or a big brass band, or perhaps triangles. Strings aren’t dwarfish, there, I say it.
In huge metal boots 
What? The? Fuck? I can’t even begin to guess who that is. Thor, in a disguise? Any guesses anyone? And what does that speech balloon signify? Kraggor’s dead dead right? No chance of a comeback? EDIT: Could it be Loki?
Elan, as usual, is one of the best things in the strip.
Not that Burlew really ties himself to the D&D rules, but what’re the LDW and Exarrgh doing while Durkon’s getting rid of the Hold, or the dwarven horde is storming into the cavern? Not that I thought the worm would reply: “Unholy Blight. Quickened Cone of Cold. Nom! Nom! Nom!” But I thought it would do something.
Don’t want to wait two more weeks. Oh well.
On the one hand he seems to have finally decided on a regular schedule. On the other, it’s an extremely slow one. (Once a fortnight on the Monday.)
I honestly have no interest at all in finding out any more about Durkon’s extended relative, or any more tertiary characters.