Rich Morris' Comics - YAFGC and The ComixBlog

So beholders intruded indeed like some sort of deus ex machina. This probably should be fairly obvious, yet I expected something less obvious By the way, if the beholders managed to defeat the drow army (at least part of it) and the royal guard, what are they doing with the orcs?

Power of the Daleks reference!

Well, I think the Queen may have a problem now. It will be interesting to see what she comes up with to handle it.

Beholders really do look like Daleks when firing their eye rays.

Canonically, the beholder mindset is very close to the Dalek's: narcissistic megalomania and genocidal xenophobia.

The beholders are probably tipping the balance, not winning the war. And they will definitely ask for something back.

One is _____ when _____:

Strategic You receive reports of a battle
Operational You can hear the battle
Tactical You are in the battle (and taking damage!)

I would note that the goddess said she was a strategic genius, but not a tactical one...

She's definitely making a tactical retreat there.

Mahri seems to be all about the convincing people to do things that are in her best interest on a long-term scale- which doesn't do you much good when there is a large and violent force that has already firmly decided that they don't like you.

More shortsightedness on Lolth's part.

... You know, the way she reacted reminds me very strongly of the worst moments of Alzaer'bith...!

Remember though, she's a goddess the fate of individual mortals or even cities are typically benieth her notice. Her usual attitude is that if you get killed then you deserve it for letting it happen. If Mah'ri falls then she doesn't deserve to lead.


Personally I'm wondering how 'Bith got the throne in the first place? Did she pull an unexpected fast one over her sister? Is that why Mah'ri got her to wreck herself instead of using others against her?

Maybe Mahr'i arranged for Alzaer'bith to get that throne, expecting her to make a dog's dinner of the job, which would allow her to swoop in and take a throne with full public approval. She'd have a blood link to the previous ruler, which is nothing to be sneezed at in a feudal society, and everyone would be able to see her superior diplomatic and political skills.

Considering Bith was shown as better at her job in the earlier strip, I'm wondering if she just got overconfident and careless.

Then again, Mahr'i really seems to have gotten that combo down too, if she didn't make any plans for how to deal with the beholders.

Ah well. Drow tartare anyone?

I thought that Beholders always set their "eyes" on "leave no evidence" or "statuary" when they were mad?!?

Beholders have access to a wide variaty of eye rays. Lesser beholders have such gems as Scorching Ray and various levels of Inflict Wounds or fun status effects like Exhausted and Sleep, more powerful beholders have the well known disintigrate and petrify rays but also have access to various forms of Charm, Inflict Wounds, Finger of Death and Telekinesis, amongst other spells. Some really powerful beholder lords also have an even wider range of spells at their disposal.

So yeah, while everyone knows about the disintigrate and flesh to stone eye rays, most people often forget that there are a whole bunch of other powers they can pull off.

Of course there's also the antimagic cone from the central eye, but Rich seems to have decided to axe that particular power.

I asked Bob about that in the Ask The Charcter section, he said he still had it. It might be a switch it on and off thingy.