A new adversary makes itself known.
Cast
- Vaarsuvius ◀ ▶
- Qarr (dimensionally locked) ◀ ▶
- Ancient Black Dragon ▶
Transcript
- Panel 1
Vaarsuvius: Your aerial elusions shall not keep you from joining your former master in his fabulous new career as a low-concentration saltwater solution.
Vaarsuvius: Disintegrate!
The disintegrate beam misses Qarr, "ZZZAPP!!", who performs aerial acrobatics to avoid it.
Qarr: Quit it!
- Panel 2
Qarr: Look, I'm sorry I said anything!
Qarr: Stop shooting me and I'll just fly away, OK?
Vaarsuvius: No, I think it is anything but, "OK", fiend!
Vaarsuvius: Disintegrate!
The disintegrate misses Qarr again, "ZZZAAPP!!"
- Panel 3
Vaarsuvius: Did you really think me that stupid? That I would throw my lot in with you for a few unproductive magical tricks?
Vaarsuvius: Disintegrate!
Qarr: Wait, elf, look be—Aaargh!!!
The disintegrate hits Qarr, "ZZAAP!!"
Vaarsuvius: I shall conquer this minor setback through my own diligence, devil, or not at all!
- Panel 4
Vaarsuvius: I am no fledgling human aristocrat, ready to risk damnation for fleeting dominance in this mortal coil!
Vaarsuvius: It would take a great deal more than a handful of misplaced acquaintances before I would consider allying myself with the...
Qarr: Be...
Something splashes off-panel, "SPLOOSH!"
- Panel 5
Water drips down from above V.
Vaarsuvius: ...forces of...
Qarr: ...hind...
- Panel 6
A drop falls on Vaarsuvius, "splnk!"
Vaarsuvius: ...darkness
- Panel 7
An ancient Black Dragon looms over Vaarsuvius.
Black Dragon: Say "Disintegrate" one more time, Vaarsuvius.
Black Dragon: For me.
D&D Context
- Disintegrate is a 7th level spell which deals 2d6/level damage in a confined beam.
- Qaar had to have made his saving throw in order to have survived the disintegration spell. V must be at minimum 11th level to cast the spell, but needs to be 14th level to have cast it four times (with one bonus spell for high Intelligence, likely 24), meaning it would do 28d6 damage on a failed save, and an imp can have at maximum 24 hit points. But with a successful Fortitude save, it would only take 5d6 damage, making survival possible. Qarr is a 8th to 10th level sorcerer, so he likely has hit points in excess of what is possible for a non-classed imp; even then, though, much of it would be d4 HD, which is unlikely to save him.
Trivia
- Vaarsuvius used the Disintegrate spell (twice) to kill the Black Dragon of Wooden Forest in #186.
- The title is a pun on the slogan of Maxwell House coffee, "Good to the last drop", in reference to the water dripping from the dragon before V notices its presence.
- This is the first appearance of the Ancient Black Dragon.