Faced with unexpected clerical opposition, "Durkon" and his minions dispel all of the protections covering the Order, but also some of their allies. Vaarsuvius and Roy take advantage of the situation, but forget about the one key protection that was just dropped.
Cast
- The Order of the Stick
- Roy Greenhilt ◀ ▶
- Elan (also dominated) ◀ ▶
- Haley Starshine (also dominated) ◀ ▶
- Belkar Bitterleaf (also dominated) ◀ ▶
- Vaarsuvius ◀ ▶
- Durkon Thundershield (as vampire) ◀ ▶
- Mr. Scruffy ◀ ▶
- Blackwing ◀ ▶
- "Durkon" ◀ ▶
- Hilgya Firehelm (also dominated) ◀ ▶
- Minrah Shaleshoe ◀ ▶
- Kudzu ◀ ▶
- Creed of the Stone Vampire with Long Hair ◀ ▶
- Vampire Dwarf with Brown Beard ◀ ▶
- Vampire Dwarf with Red Ponytail ◀
- Vampire Dwarf with Gray Beard ◀
- Vampire Dwarf with Blue Curly Hair ◀ ▶
- Vampire Dwarf with Ponytail and Cap ◀ ▶
- Vampire Dwarf with Purple Dress ◀
- Vampire Dwarf with Blue Cap ◀
- Vampire Dwarf with Purple Boots ◀
- Two Vampire Dwarves
Transcript
- Panel 1, Page 1
Vampire Dwarf with Red Ponytail: Two clerics, Master? No wonder they have so many magical protections.
"Durkon": We'll be better off if I ignore what I know about them and just fight like they were any other high-level party.
"Durkon": Shut it down, all of their magic!
- Panel 2, Page 1
CotS Vampire with Long Hair: Greater Dispel Magic!
Vampire Dwarf with Red Ponytail: Dispel Magic!
"Durkon": Greater Dispel Magic!
Vampire Dwarf with Blue Curly Hair: Dispel Magic
Vampire Dwarf with Blue Сap: Dispel Magic!
- Panel 3, Page 1
Various magical effects are dispelled, "FWAK FWAK FWAK FWAK FWAK FWAK FWAK".
- Panel 4, Page 1
Vaarsuvius falls to the ground, "WHOMP!"
Vaarsuvius: Nnnh!
- Panel 5, Page 1
Blackwing: V, quick, the vampires' Protection from Fire spells—
Vaarsuvius: —were almost certainly dispelled as well, yes.
- Panel 6, Page 1
Vaarsuvius: Fireball.
V burns four vampires to death.
- Panel 7, Page 1
Vaarsuvius: Unfortunately, Sir Greenhilt, it appears my Stoneskin and Miss Firehelm's Death Ward were also—
Roy: Yep, got it. Everything's offline. Belkar, protect V.
Belkar: What? No way, we should be going after the clerics!
- Panel 8, Page 1
Roy: I am.
Roy throws his sword.
- Panel 9, Page 1
The thrown Greenhilt Sword impales the vampire dwarf with red ponytail, destroying her, "SHTURLK!".
- Panel 1, Page 2
As the vampire's body vanishes in a puff of smoke, the sword falls to the floor, "clank!"
"Durkon": Well, that was stupid, Roy, even for you.
"Durkon": You had one shot to throw your sword and you wasted it on an underling.
- Panel 2, Page 2
"Durkon": Now that you are unarmed, my minions will easily—
- Panel 3, Page 2
The sword disappears in green flames, "FWUMF."
- Panel 4, Page 2
And reappears in Roy's hands, "PWOK!"
- Panel 5, Page 2
Roy: You think you know us so well, don't you?
Throws his sword again.
- Panel 6, Page 2
The vampire cleric with blue cap is impaled by the thrown sword, "KRTHNK!"
- Panel 7, Page 2
The sword reappears in Roy's hands, "PWOK!" Elan, Haley, Hilgya and Belkar are dominated behind him.
Roy: But we still have a few surprises in store.
D&D Context
- Dispel Magic is a 3rd level spell which cancels magic effects which fail a contested to dispel them.
- There are three versions of the spell which can be cast: targeted, area, and counterspell. Since several of the vampire's allies had their protections dispelled, we can infer that one or more of the dispel magic spells cast by the clerics used the area of effect version which hit friend and foe alike.
- Use of this spell shows that the dwarven vampire clerics are at least 5th level.
- Greater Dispel Magic is a more powerful 6th level version of the spell. It is more likely to dispel any magic it targets.
- Among the ongoing protection spells canceled by the spells were: Protection from Law cast on Haley, Elan and Belkar, Protection from Evil on Minrah, Stoneskin, Death Ward, and Fly on Vaarsuvius, and Protection from Fire on the vampire spawn. Roy and Vaarsuvius are protected by Mind Blank, which was cast by Vaarsuvius at an effective caster level of 17. These effects are less likely to have been dispelled, and seem not to have been, as evidenced by the fact that they are among the few not dominated by the vampires.
- Use of this spell shows that the Ponchula is at least 11th level.
- Fireball is of course the staple 3rd level area of effect spell, 1d6 per level damage.
- Vampires Dominate with their gaze, as the spell.
- They are limited to one target within 30 feet per turn. Since the party seems to have been dominated all at once, or perhaps over the course of two rounds, multiple vampires must be doing the dominating. In particular, "Durkon" and the Long Hair vampire are shown with the glowing red eyes indicating they were using this attack. The other low level spawn may have also dominated some of the characters.
- If the PCs are forced to attack their friends, they may be entitled to a new saving throw +2 if the action is "against their nature".
Trivia
- A difficult to see Vampire Dwarf was killed by V’s Fireball spell. Another escaped it, and has not appeared since. The dwarf standing behind Roy is thought to be Vampire Dwarf with Brown Beard.
- This is the final appearance of several Vampire Dwarves destroyed in this strip. The ones who escaped the first fight with the Order first appeared in #1101 and #1102, and the two with the blue cap and the purple boots in #1116:
- Gray Beard
- Red Ponytail
- Purple Dress
- Blue Cap
- Purple Boots