In round three, Roy uses the Spellsplinter Maneuver to disrupt Durkon's casting, so Durkon switches to his inherent vampire powers.
Cast
- Roy Greenhilt ◀ ▶
- Durkon Thundershield (as vampire) ◀ ▶
- "Durkon" ◀ ▶
- High Priestess Rubyrock ◀ ▶
- High Priestess of Odin ◀ ▶
- Bodyguards:
Transcript
- Panel 1
Roy Greenhilt: This is silly. I'm the guy who used to carry you when we ran away, remember?
"Durkon": Yes, I clearly remember you leading us to flee encounters we should have bested easily.
- Panel 2
Roy: Durkon, please... I know it must have been confusing to wake up as a vampire, but you don't need to do this!
"Durkon": Confusing? Nothing could be simpler.
- Panel 3
"Durkon": I finally understand what all the humans are always talking about. Now I'm free to act on my needs and desires—
"Durkon": —to put myself first, without all those ridiculous dwarven traditions tying my hands.
- Panel 4
Cut to Durkon's thoughts.
Durkon: Dinnae listen ta 'im, Roy! I like havin' me hands tied!
Durkon: And I'm just now noticin' tha obvious allegorical construct!
- Panel 5
Cut back to the fight.
"Durkon": And what I want right now is for you to go away.
"Durkon": Destruc—
- Panel 6
Roy slashes his sword at "Durkon", "SLASH!", splintering his spell, "fizzle!"
- Panel 7
Bodyguard with Knight Helmet: Whoa!
Bodyguard with Side Shave: Was that the Spellsplinter Maneuver?!?
Wrecan: Impossible! There's not a Fighter alive that knows that move anymore!
- Panel 8
Roy bashes "Durkon" with his sword, knocking him back with an audible "WHUMP!"
- Panel 9
"Durkon": That's a nice trick you picked up.
"Durkon": I admit that I wasn't sure it would be effective against divine magic.
"Durkon": But you must admit that it would be far more effective—
- Panel 10
"Durkon": —against someone who can't fight!
"Durkon" grabs Roy, draining levels from him.
Roy: AAAHH!!
D&D Context
- Destruction is a 7th level spell which instantly kills the subject and destroys the remains. Roy was able to disrupt the spell casting, so it did not take effect at all.
- In the final panel, "Durkon" uses his vampiric energy drain attack (not the Energy Drain spell), which drains two levels from Roy and grants "Durkon" 10 temporary hit points. The title makes reference to these two levels drained.
Trivia
- "Durkon" previously observed Roy use the Spellsplinter Maneuver in #928. Roy learned the maneuver from his grandfather Horace Greenhilt in #600 while he was in Paradise.