Cast[]
- Order of the Stick
- Minrah Shaleshoe ◀ ▶
- Mr. Scruffy ◀ ▶
- Bloodfeast the Extreme-inator ◀ ▶
- The Vector Legion
- Tarquin's Triceratops ◀
Transcript[]
- Panel 1
Minrah heals Belkar.
Minrah: I can't believe you guys fought a dragon, and won!
Belkar: What do you mean, "you guys"? You were in htere healing the whole time. And you did a thing with Sunny, right?
- Panel 2
Minrah: Oh, well, that's not really the same as actual fighting, though.
Belkar: Listen, "some healing" is a level of useful participation it took Elan more than one story arc to get to. You're fine.
- Panel 3
Minrah: Haha, OK, fair. I guess I'm still not used to being a support class instead of a warrior.
Belkar: Mr. Scruffy has our warrior needs covered. Fire dragon never had a chance against an ice cold killer.
Vaarsuvius: Belkar, I am...I sincerely apologize. I took the action I felt was necessary in the moment.
- Panel 4
Belkar: Ugh, not you too. Sure, you didn't do much, but you're saving your spells. And that guy seemed like he had a ton of spell resistance.
Belkar: But if you want to be useful, I'll need you to shrink Bloodfeast back down before we go.
- Panel 5
Vaarsuvius: Yes, that is the crux of the issue.
Vaarsuvius: When I dispelled the long-standing polymorph effect, I did so without having the means to restore it at hand.
- Panel 6
Belkar: You don't have the spell prepared?
Vaarsuvius: ...Yes, in a manner of-
Belkar: Roy said we were going to rest when we got to the Gate. Maybe we can talk him into squeezing it in now instead.
Vaarsuvius: Please listen! That is not the primary obstacle.
- Panel 7
Vaarsuvius: The spell I would require is one I do not know. It is not in my spellbook.
- Panel 8
Belkar: What? Is that a joke? I've seen you do the shapeshift thing before.
Belkar: You turned into a pink badger out in the desert, remember?
Vaarsuvius: I do, but I utilized a different spell.
- Panel 9
flashback to the desert in The Western Continent. Miron is seen casting a spell on Bloodfeast
Miron: Baleful Polymorph!
Vaarsuvius: The incantation that initially cursed your companion was a permanent transmutation that I never had a compelling reason to learn.
Vaarsuvius: The spell to which I do have access is measured in mere minutes.
- Panel 10
Belkar: Then.
Belkar: Cast.
Belkar: That one.
Vaarsuvius: No, you are not grasping the situation.
Belkar: I grasp that you're tap dancing all around the point. Spit it out!
- Panel 11
Vaarsuvius: We have been within this complex for more than seven hours at this point, with every indication that we have at least as much still ahead.
Vaarsuvius: The duration of my Polymorph would be insufficient for us to either retreat to the entranceway or reach our actual destination-
Vaarsuvius: -even if I made the strategically dubious decision to replace all of my high-level spells with that one.
- Panel 12
Vaarsuvius: I fear that the only realistic option...
Vaarsuvius: ...is to leave the dinosaur here.
D&D Context[]
- Baleful Polymorph is a 5th level spell that allows the caster to turn a creature into a small creature with 1 HD or less. The effect is permanent, until dispelled.
- Polymorph is a 4th level spell which allows the caster to turn one creature into another form of living creature. Unlike Baleful Polymorph, this spell has the duration of 1 minute per level.
Trivia[]
- Panel 9 is a flashback to panel 8 and 9 in #927.
- Belkar in Panel 8 is referring to #697.
- This is the final appearance to date for Laurin Shattersmith, the psion member of the Vector Legion. Laurin is in charge of the figurehead queen of the Empire of Sweat. She has appeared in twenty-two strips, beginning with #758.
- Likewise, this is the final showing of Miron Shewdanker, arcane spellcaster of the Vector Legion. Miron first appeared in #757, and has since appeared in fourteen strips. Miron shared charge of Tyrinaria with Tarquin, but now runs the Empire of Tears with the unnamed fighter member of the Legion. Miron's name first arose in the comics attached to the ransom letter he sent Haley which was revealed in #131.
- This is the final appearance of Tarquin's Triceratops. It first appeared in #910.