Durkon demonstrates one of the lesser-known uses of Control Weather.
Cast
- Durkon Thundershield ◀ ▶
- Vaarsuvius ◀ ▶
- Julia Greenhilt ◀ ▶
- Leeky Windstaff ◀ ▶
- Leeky's Trees ◀ ▶
Transcript
- Panel 1, Page 1
There is a trapdoor in a roof.
- Panel 2, Page 1
Julia comes up through the trapdoor.
Julia: So long, whatever-the-hell-your name-was, you asymmetrical runt. Have fun searching the warehouse.
- Panel 3, Page 1
Julia: Now I just need to find some help that's more competent than Roy...
Julia: Shouldn't be TOO hard...
Julia: Hey! You there!
- Panel 4
Durkon: (unintelligible)
Julia: I need help, or the police, or something. I just escaped from, like, the lamest criminals ever. They had me held hostage for weeks in there.
- Panel 5, Page 1
Durkon: (unintelligible)
- Panel 6, Page 1
Julia: Helloooooooo?
Julia: This is a life or death emergency, Whiskers. Specifically, MY life or death.
Durkon: (unintelligible)
Julia: Are you just going to stand there muttering to yourself?
- Panel 7, Page 1
Durkon: (unintelligible)
- Panel 8, Page 1
Julia: Look! Boobs!
Durkon: (unintelligible)
Julia: Don't you like boobs? Don't you want to pay attention to the girl with the boobs?
Julia: C'mon, this always works with my teachers...
- Panel 9, Page 1
Julia: Fantastic. So I engage in a daring solo escape only to find myself on a rooftop with a catatonic gay dwarf.
Durkon: (unintelligible)
Julia: My life never ceases finding new and exciting ways to disappoint.
- Panel 10, Page 1
Julia: What the hell are you saying over and over that's more important than looking at my ta-ta's, anyway?
Durkon: (unintelligible)
- Panel 11, Page 1
Durkon: ...weathercontrolweathercontrolweathercontrolweathercontrolweathercontrolweathercontrolweather—
- Panel 12, Page 1
Durkon's eyes glow white.
- Panel 1, Page 2
A massive lightning bolt tears across the sky of Cliffport.
- Panel 2, Page 2
Leeky: Don't worry, my wooden friends! You are well-protected against any lightning attacks!
Leeky: Besides, that bolt struck at least four miles out to sea anyway.
- Panel 3, Page 2
Julia: HOLY CRAP! Did you see—
Durkon: —two Miss'ssippi, three Miss'ssippi, four Miss'ssippi.
Durkon: Now.
- Panel 4, Page 2
A massive sonic boom shatters Leeky's awakened trees, "BOOM!"
D&D Context
- Control Weather is a 7th level cleric spell which allows the caster to summon a variety of weather effects as well as cancel out natural weather effects. The spell takes 10 minutes to cast, which is why Durkon had to chant the incantation for such a long time. It shouldn't actually be able to do what it did in the comic — causing lightning to strike instantaneously — because the weather is supposed to change gradually, and the caster has no control over the specifics of the new weather, such as when and where lightning strikes. Having a control weather spell cause sonic damage from the thunderclap is not explicitly mentioned in the spell description, but certainly could be allowed by the Dungeon Master. In-comic, the unusual effects of this use of the Control Weather spell are explained in the very next strip as Thor fudging the rules on Durkon's behalf.
Trivia
- A common method for determining the distance of a lightning strike is counting the number of seconds between the flash of the bolt and the sound of the thunder. Sound travels approximately one mile every 5 seconds. It should have taken 20 seconds for the sound of thunder to reach the trees if the lightning were 4 miles out.
- Saying the word "Mississippi" after each number in a count is a method of approximating the passage of time in seconds.