The battle between Roy and Xykon concludes.
Cast
Transcript
- Panel 1, Page 1
Roy and Xykon fly on the headless Zombie Dragon, arrows from the battle fly below.
Xykon: Look, kid. I'm gonna let you in on a little secret.
- Panel 2, Page 1
Xykon: I know those paladins have filled your head with that "end of the world" nonsense, but I'll level with you:
Xykon: I like the world. Some of my best evilness took place here. I wouldn't mind ruling it, in fact.
Xykon: I'm certainly not about to destroy it unless I get really REALLY bored.
- Panel 3, Page 1
Xykon: And I see you're pretty committed to the whole hero bit, which is OK. Good heroes make great villains, you know?
Xykon: But the thing is, you're just not playing in my league right now. I'm what, seven levels higher than you?
Xykon: Eight?
Xykon: More?
- Panel 4, Page 1
Xykon: So how about we just call this thing a mulligan? I set you down someplace, and you go off and train for a few years.
Xykon: Fight a bunch of random encounters, maybe an adventure path or two, have some fun with it.
Xykon: Then you come back, hack your way through my minions, and we have ourselves a good final tussle, Hollywood style.
- Panel 5, Page 1
Xykon: It'll be a hell of a lot more satisfying for both of us, if you ask me.
Roy: ...
Roy: Are you joking, or are you that stupid?
- Panel 6, Page 1
Xykon: Excuse me?
Roy: My father swore a Blood Oath of Vengeance against you! That binds me to destroy you!
Xykon: Yeah, fine, but there's no expiration date on one of those. It'll keep.
- Panel 7, Page 1
Roy: And what about all of the innocents you kill between now and then?
Xykon: Well now, hold on. Is this about beating me because I'm evil and dangerous and yadda yadda yadda—
- Panel 8, Page 1
Xykon: —or is it about beating me because Daddy will be proud of you if you do?
Roy: I'll be the first to admit that I got into this quest for all the wrong reasons, but none of that matters now.
- Panel 9, Page 1
Roy: You're a threat to the entire world, not just me and my family.
Roy: But like it or not, you're still MY responsibility. Because I'm the only one here who's willing to be responsible.
- Panel 10, Page 1
Roy: If I don't beat you here and now, then soon this screwed-up nonsensical world won't exist anymore.
Roy: You might not be out to destroy the physical planet, but living under the heel of a walking villain cliché like you will destroy its soul.
- Panel 11, Page 1
Roy: There won't be any place left for introverted dwarves. Or androgynous elves. Or idiotic bards or greedy rogues... or sexy sylphs.
Roy: Or hell, even raging narcissistic paladins.
Roy: Bloodthirsty halflings will probably get along fine, though.
- Panel 1, Page 2
Roy: So, in summary, it's a dirty job, but some PC has to do it.
Roy: Enough with the speeches. Let's get down to brass tacks.
Xykon: Actually, I was thinking—
- Panel 2, Page 2
Roy slashes Xykon as green flames erupt from his sword, "SLASH!"
- Panel 3, Page 2
Xykon: HEY! I was trying to—
Roy slashes Xykon again, "SLASH!"
- Panel 4, Page 2
Xykon :Stop that! Geez, I'm trying to—
Roy slashes Xykon again, "SLASH!"
- Panel 5, Page 2
Roy slashes Xykon again, "SLASH!"
- Panel 6, Page 2
Xykon: Well, OK, then.
Xykon: If that's the way you want to be, no skin off my nasal cavity.
Xykon: I should point out three factors that I think you failed to fully consider, though.
- Panel 7, Page 2
Xykon: Factor One:
Xykon lifts off the Zombie Dragon into the air above them, causing Roy to swing and miss, "whiff!"
Xykon: I can fly under my own power, thanks to the Overland Flight spell I cast this morning.
- Panel 8, Page 2
Xykon: Factor Two:
Xykon: A zombie dragon that lacks a bite attack isn't especially valuable to me.
- Panel 9, Page 2
Xykon: Factor Three:
Xykon: Meteor Swarm.
Roy and the Zombie Dragon are hit with the Meteor Swarm, breaking apart the dragon.
- Panel 1, Page 3
Xykon flies away as Roy is left in free-fall amidst the detritus of the dragon.
D&D Context
- PC = Player Character, as opposed to monsters and Non-Player Characters run by the Dungeon Master.
- Overland Flight is a 5th level Wizard/Sorcerer spell. It has a much longer duration than the 3rd level Fly spell, at 1 hr/level. At Xykon's high level, that means he can fly at will for at least 21 hours per day.
- Meteor Swarm is a powerful 9th level spell. Depending on whether Xykon's ranged attacks hit for each of the four meteors as well as Roy's possible Reflex saving throws for each meteor that missed him, Roy could take as much as 32d6 damage from the swarm (average 112 HP). It is likely that at least some of the meteors missed and Roy made at least some of his saving throws against the fire damage as Roy is still alive after taking the strike (as well as three arrows and a Finger of Death previously in the battle).
- If Xykon is at least 7 levels above Roy, and he is at least level 21 (due to his ability to cast an Epic Spell), that suggests Roy is approximately 14th level at the time of this strip. This would be corroborated as a fact by Eugene Greenhilt in #485.
Trivia
- This is the final appearance of the Zombie Dragon which Xykon animated from the corpse of the silver dragon who had occupied the library of his tower in the Southern Mountains. The Zombie Dragon made eleven appearances, first appearing in #195, Book Nook, as a silver dragon corpse, and making its first undead appearance in #300. It appears while still living in No Clue for the Paladin Blues.