It’s the staff that Malack had, that has all the special vampire-only buffs, like Protection from Sunlight.
Looks like Belkar missed a stealth check in that last panel.
Doesn’t it contain the spell that allows him to Day-Walk?
It’s the staff that Durkula “inherited” from Malack. You may recall that Malack died in the desert when Nale threw the staff into the distance at the same moment that Zz’dtri cast Dispel Magic on Malack’s Protection From Sun spell. Durkula has ostensibly been protecting himself from the sun with it ever since (because it does have Malack’s spare Protection from Sunlight spell).
Of course, he’s been telling the Order that he has been researching how to cast it upon himself, but that doesn’t mean that he hasn’t already mastered it. Also, although the Temple has plenty of windows, it shouldn’t be that difficult for Durkula to avoid direct exposure to the sun if Belkar has switched it with a different one.
I wonder if somewhere there’s a list of magical items held by each member of the Order…
At first glance, yes it does.
But consider: In the last panel, we see Belkar’s foot and cloak about to disappear from view. And presumably within Durkula’s line of sight. In the panel immediately preceding that, we see Belkar, apparently at that very same instant that Durkula has the opportunity for the Spot check.
HOWEVER, in the antepenultimate panel, Belkar is completely out of the line of sight of the corridor where the murder is taking place. It’s possible, but not likely, that when turning to skedaddle*, his foot would go in the direction opposite where he’s headed, enough to enter that line of sight. The hem of the cloak, more likely.
*incidentally, I don’t think he’s skedaddling; I think he’s planning to find an alternate route to the Great Nave.
Does Gontor Hammerfell automatically become a vampire now, or is some extra mojo required?
AIUI, Malack explained at the time of Durkon’s vamping that it’s about a three-days-in-the-grave process. Malack had a spell for accelerating it in Durkula’s case.
ETA: IN HIS STAFF!
Malack explained about the spell to hasten the process but he explained it to Durkon’s corpse. Durkon might have discovered it while examining the staff but we don’t know for sure.
Depending on the victim’s level and precisely how he died, he can come back as a vampire, a vampire spawn (a similar but weaker monster), or not at all. Gontor is probably high enough level, and he was probably slain by Constitution drain, so he’d become a vampire 1d4 days after burial (or quicker, with Malack’s custom spell).
Oh, and this strip makes clear that Hel’s purpose is not just to get a seat at the grown-up table of the Northern Gods. If that were what she wanted, then the stoners would be valuable allies. Instead, Durkula regards all that political talk as irrelevant, and kills Gontor the moment it’s clear he can get away with it. It looks like he really is planning on killing the whole lot of them, starting with the easy prey to build up his own power.
That or he was using Gontor’s blood to fuel up for something big like an attempt to Epic Mass Dominate* the other delegates.
*I never played D&D. I don’t know the spell names.
Unfortunately epic spells require an epic spellcaster - which means Durkula would have to have character level 20+, and while his effective level is probably over 20 due to his +8 from being a vampire, he doesn’t have access to epic spells just yet.
I’m sure Rich could spin off a “high priest only” ability, but most cleric spells are will-save, which the other clerics would have a good shot of passing (see the cleric duel between Redcloak and the Azurite priest)
Well, he really doesn’t have, and won’t have in the near future, the power to kill all the clerics at the Godsmoot – does he?
No, but a well placed Diplomacy or Bluff check here ; the odd unnoticed Domination there - he could get them to kill each other.
Anyone notice the strip title? “Welcome to the church”. That’s what Durkoff just did to Gontor: made him a follower of Hel. Welcome, Gontor.
Depends on when Gontor gets his spells back. How will a room full of clerics fare when the room they’re in suddenly turns back into a mountain?
Plus, if he knows all of the tricks Malack put into that staff, he can have a nice little coterie of allies in short order.
Yeah, gaining allies (or more precisely, absolute thralls) is what I meant by building up his power. D&D vampires can’t fuel more powerful spells by drinking blood.
And most of the priests in attendance would be exactly the wrong folks to try to dominate, since clerics get good progression in their Will saves and will be cranking their wisdom sky-high. Veldrina might be doable, since her class uses Cha instead of Wis, but even she would be a crapshoot. He might, however, use his Dominate ability on some of the bodyguards.
Did Belkar hear that explanation? He was there, even if dominated.
Yeah, apparently, Belkar heard it all.