Friendship is Dragons
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Page 1108 - Doom Stayer
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Just for clarification, the ninja dachshunds in the plaid lumberjack flannel, which plan are they? Not to be a pest but they keep making me break out in penguins and I'm not sure how much longer I can keep them here.
Plan*, and they are supposed to where midnight blues, not plaid lumberjack flannels. Those make everyone break out in pengiuns. The flannels, not the dogs.
Which one used the bucket of soapy frogs? I've always been partial to that one
(Singing) Plan One was really brilliant,
A lunar-powered death ray.
But the guy with the truck,
Who was gonna pick it up,
Didn't show up that day.
Plan Two involved a man-made asteroid
But it never got out of committee!
A lunar-powered death ray.
But the guy with the truck,
Who was gonna pick it up,
Didn't show up that day.
Plan Two involved a man-made asteroid
But it never got out of committee!
No, that’s plan (((. You're thinking of the one with Bigweld and the Magical Talking Fedora named Bubbles
No no no no no.
That's plan))). ((( is the flying cart made of stormy cotton candy.
That's plan))). ((( is the flying cart made of stormy cotton candy.
Seriously, I don't even know how we managed to attach penguins to balloons with flying monkeys inside of giant cheesegraters on a half baked egg salad sandwich.
Here I was just gonna go with plan aleph-null... Still trying to work out how to fit an infinite number of monkeys around a single typewriter, though.
You'd think screwing over an entire city, even by proxy, would screw them over.
I mean they can still blame Discord for it, and to be fair they'd be correct, but the populace would probably still be pretty pissed that the "hero" didn't save their city.
I mean they can still blame Discord for it, and to be fair they'd be correct, but the populace would probably still be pretty pissed that the "hero" didn't save their city.
Sounds like Cloudsdale feels entitled to being rescued there. If a populous is relying on a chaotic evil barbarian, they can't be surprised when she don't show.
"How could Rainbow Dash forsake us! That's such an evil... Oh. Guess we should of sent that coming."
Course we don't know if Discord is bluffing or not. In her situation, I'd probably pick loyalty to the party.
"How could Rainbow Dash forsake us! That's such an evil... Oh. Guess we should of sent that coming."
Course we don't know if Discord is bluffing or not. In her situation, I'd probably pick loyalty to the party.
What exactly did Cloudsdale ever do for Dash? I mean, it's where her parents live, where the school she got bullied exists... Not seeing much motivation for Dash to want to save it. We don't need no water♫
Well technically chaotic evil -is- the alignment of "I do whatever the hell I want, screw everything else." So being loyal to the group because she feels like it still fits.
Except since she's chaotic and evil she has to do what isn't expected and what would be considered evil. In this case it is expected she remain loyal to her friends no matter what and helping them against the BBEG despite the possibility of personal glory is good. In other words he's about to threaten her with the dreaded alignment shift.
I'd say she's still being 'evil' by being selfish. Rejecting the needs of the many and all that. Chaotic is "I do whatever I feel like." and Evil is "I don't care about consequences." So letting a town burn so she can help her party beat up someone she wants to hurt is chaotic evil.
Except helping her party beat up Discord stops Discord and keeps him from harming more people, so it is the greater good over saving just one town.
Chaotic Evil as an alignment isn't about being random or unpredictable. It's about prioritizing the needs of the self over the needs of the whole.
The result is a situation where organized society cannot exist, and where the strong benefit at the expense of the weak. Chaos, in other words.
The result is a situation where organized society cannot exist, and where the strong benefit at the expense of the weak. Chaos, in other words.
And that's why the alignment system is stupid, and is especially stupid in 4e. Social Darwinism isn't chaotic, and neither chaos nor evil are actual things which can motivate actual people.
There's a persistent misconception about alignment in D&D, where it's somehow assumed that everyone inherently champions concepts instead of just making decisions that trend toward certain results.
Alignment in D&D isn't about doing good, or doing evil, or being chaotic, or being orderly. It's about what the consequences of your actions are in the larger scheme of things, and how they apply to the world regardless of how you justify them to yourself.
A person who's convinced they're doing good by enslaving a tribe of goblins for forced labor is still doing (lawful) evil. Doesn't matter if the goblins are more selfish and harmful to the world at large, doesn't matter if the person tells themselves that they're just making the goblins pay back their social dues. The act of permitting the enslavement of a free-willed creature still has an impact on the world, and still sets a precedent that can be built off later. The person might be opposing a force of conceptual evil, and their actions might be intended with society's benefit in mind, but the act itself still registers as lawful evil.
Alignment in D&D isn't about doing good, or doing evil, or being chaotic, or being orderly. It's about what the consequences of your actions are in the larger scheme of things, and how they apply to the world regardless of how you justify them to yourself.
A person who's convinced they're doing good by enslaving a tribe of goblins for forced labor is still doing (lawful) evil. Doesn't matter if the goblins are more selfish and harmful to the world at large, doesn't matter if the person tells themselves that they're just making the goblins pay back their social dues. The act of permitting the enslavement of a free-willed creature still has an impact on the world, and still sets a precedent that can be built off later. The person might be opposing a force of conceptual evil, and their actions might be intended with society's benefit in mind, but the act itself still registers as lawful evil.
... that this GM is a jerk (I think it's Manny from D&D aangvanced given how he's trying to split up the players and not their characters). With a good GM and good players alignment is a guideline to help give your player direction, as much as the backstory. To a jerk GM or a jerk player alignment is something to argue about and screw over others. That's what he's going to do.
Interesting that this interaction is between Dash and Discord!DM in his capacity as DM, rather than in his in-character capacity.
Yeah, it's a subtle hint that this Discord is trying to break the players, not the characters.
It's pretty clear Discord wants her to take off instead of stick around. The question is how far he'll go to make that happen.
Maybe, if she wants to fight so much, cursing her to lose her fighting spirit would have the same end result?
Maybe, if she wants to fight so much, cursing her to lose her fighting spirit would have the same end result?
My guess right now is he's jut going to make it more and more clear that he intends to force her to screw over everyone else and she decides that she's out rather than even try to play with an obvious cheater and asshole.
I'm pretty sure RD has him pegged as not caring about running a game, he's just there to make a bunch of people miserable for his own sick amusement. And she's not going to want a part of that.
I'm pretty sure RD has him pegged as not caring about running a game, he's just there to make a bunch of people miserable for his own sick amusement. And she's not going to want a part of that.
Pretty sure Dash just stabbed herself on a tine of Morton's Fork. No matter what she chose, DMcord could justify it as abandoning Loyalty.
Maybe, but like Dash pointed out, unlike in the show, FiD!Dash is only loyal to the party and has no loyalty to Cloudsdale nor ever pretended to have it.
Ironically this could have worked with early days Rarity if the choice was between the group and the Guild.
Ironically this could have worked with early days Rarity if the choice was between the group and the Guild.
Good move by Dash. A tad more meta than I would like, but then she's never been that deep into the roleplaying side.
Now, Discord's next move will show whether he's clever and can work around a pony dodging the trap or if he has to pull a DM fiat and make things happen. Aside from his taking things personally with Fluttershy, I feel he's down a great job at reading and fairly trapping the other players.
Now, Discord's next move will show whether he's clever and can work around a pony dodging the trap or if he has to pull a DM fiat and make things happen. Aside from his taking things personally with Fluttershy, I feel he's down a great job at reading and fairly trapping the other players.
Taking all bets, Discord's trick is to do a total alignment swap to Lawful Good. ;p
I'd consider that straight up cheating because thats permanently altering a character without any sort of input from the player, and far outside Discord's jurisdiction.
If he did that even -I- would probably flip off Discord and start a party riot to get him thrown out of the house on his ass.
If he did that even -I- would probably flip off Discord and start a party riot to get him thrown out of the house on his ass.
Who said “permanent” ? It would basically be the same as a Helm of Opposite Alignment.
Which is as good as permanent. The victim sees the new outlook as genuine and does not want the helm removed.
That and, besides which, it's a cursed item.
That and, besides which, it's a cursed item.
I expect he's going to leave her in there saying he's going to "Call her in when it's time to come back" and then just go back to the group and claim she ditched them. She'll end up spending the rest of the night playing videogames until one of the other players walks in and figures out what's really going on.
A somewhat less OOC response is that DiscordDM can let RD's player have what she wants: a full-on, no-holds-barred fight to the unconsciousness with DiscordCharacter.
DiscordCharacter can then throw curses at RDPC until one of them sticks, as long as Discord has unlimited capacity to do so. The curse then becomes less a punishment for falling into the trap and more of a consequence for picking and losing a fight you weren't intended to try solo.
DiscordCharacter can then throw curses at RDPC until one of them sticks, as long as Discord has unlimited capacity to do so. The curse then becomes less a punishment for falling into the trap and more of a consequence for picking and losing a fight you weren't intended to try solo.
...Question: Would "punching Discord in the face" be considered breaking the rules?
Okay. Wasn't sure if punching a god fell under breaking the "Everyone has to play, or the game is over" rule or not.
Discord could go for the old "everyone has their price" and just pile up the rewards given for the Cloudsdale mission.
Or he could go "No matter what you do, I'm giving your party a chance to free you from the curse just after this, don't worry" and let Dash's confidence the party will succeed do the rest. Like someone else pointed out in an earlier comment section, RD's trust in her group might be turned into a weakness. If the villain is smart enough.
Or he could go "No matter what you do, I'm giving your party a chance to free you from the curse just after this, don't worry" and let Dash's confidence the party will succeed do the rest. Like someone else pointed out in an earlier comment section, RD's trust in her group might be turned into a weakness. If the villain is smart enough.
Because I seem to remember that happening.
Just because it has a face to punch doesn't mean punching it will have any effect. Deities usually DO have stats, but they also have things like Salient Divine Abilities. For example: (Deity's & Demigods, pages 35-44)
Annihilating Strike
Prerequisites: Divine rank 11, BAB +20, Str 25
When the deity strikes with a weapon or natural weapon, creatures must make a Fort save (DC 20 + the deity's rank + dmg dealt) or be reduced to -10 hp and killed outright.
Divine Dodge
Prerequisite: Dex 29
Any physical attack or targeted spell directed at the deity has a miss chance equal to 50 + the deity's rank. Area effects have a similar chance to be ineffective.
Similar to Blink, only the deity does not move to the Ethereal Plane but simply exits from reality for a brief moment. This never interferes with the deity's own attacks.
Divine Splendor
Prerequisites: Divine rank 16, Cha 26
Any mortal who approaches within 10 feet per divine rank of the deity in its natural form dies immediately, with no saving throw.
Hand of Death
Like Destruction, except no material componant. The mortal is allowed a Fort save (DC 20 + deity's Cha bonus + deity's divine rank). Even if the save succeeds, target takes 10d6 damage. If killed, the mortal cannot be raised or ressurected except by a deity of equal or higher rank using the Gift of Life or Life and Death salient divine ability.
Good luck with that face punch, Dashie.
Annihilating Strike
Prerequisites: Divine rank 11, BAB +20, Str 25
When the deity strikes with a weapon or natural weapon, creatures must make a Fort save (DC 20 + the deity's rank + dmg dealt) or be reduced to -10 hp and killed outright.
Divine Dodge
Prerequisite: Dex 29
Any physical attack or targeted spell directed at the deity has a miss chance equal to 50 + the deity's rank. Area effects have a similar chance to be ineffective.
Similar to Blink, only the deity does not move to the Ethereal Plane but simply exits from reality for a brief moment. This never interferes with the deity's own attacks.
Divine Splendor
Prerequisites: Divine rank 16, Cha 26
Any mortal who approaches within 10 feet per divine rank of the deity in its natural form dies immediately, with no saving throw.
Hand of Death
Like Destruction, except no material componant. The mortal is allowed a Fort save (DC 20 + deity's Cha bonus + deity's divine rank). Even if the save succeeds, target takes 10d6 damage. If killed, the mortal cannot be raised or ressurected except by a deity of equal or higher rank using the Gift of Life or Life and Death salient divine ability.
Good luck with that face punch, Dashie.
Note that while Discord has been described as a god or god-like, him being a literal divinity was explicitly dismissed.
Discord described himself as, to paraphrase, "as close of a god as possible on this plane."
Punching him will probably still do nothing, though.
Though I can't help but think the scene would have been even funnier if FiD referenced DS9 and had Discord be the one goading Dash to attack, only for her to do it, and have him comment on her being crazy enough to do that.
Discord described himself as, to paraphrase, "as close of a god as possible on this plane."
Punching him will probably still do nothing, though.
Though I can't help but think the scene would have been even funnier if FiD referenced DS9 and had Discord be the one goading Dash to attack, only for her to do it, and have him comment on her being crazy enough to do that.
Looks like Dash is going to do the same thing as Fluttershy, and only get a partial curse.
Time for a good ol' game of rock-paper-punch-you-in-the-face.
"I curse you to be my calamity, wrecking haavok on Cloudsdale until you are stopped... but the game goes on, the elements are still in play."
Just a guess after a reread and reading other's speculation based on canon events (which I am not familiar with)
Just a guess after a reread and reading other's speculation based on canon events (which I am not familiar with)
Also, there's some podcast-ery stuff coming down the pipeline, but a grueling week of work and studies has cut into my editing (and sleep) time, so it'll be a little later than usual. Look for a new episode of Tales of New Dunhaven probably tomorrow morning Pacific Time, with links to come in the next update.