Python 1
This too shall pass.
Newkirk frowned as another sliver of the future was revealed to him. At this point divination was merely granting him glimpses into weaknesses he was already aware of, he was gravely tempted to give up. There was, however, still a possibility of useful intelligence from it.
Yorck looked at him with a playful, teasing grin that he remembered from long nights working together - and he shook himself free of that memory, so that he would not be tempted to underestimate her.
She let that facade fade into a knowing smile and attacked - sending a line of fire that seared its way across the floor directly at Newkirk. He leapt through the rising flames, extended a hand with fingers spread, and projected a spray of lava at Yorck.
The sorceress ducked under it coolly, tracing a complex figure-eight pattern with her wand. A burst of gunfire from Silvertown turned into lead droplets that splashed harmlessly off Yorck's heatproof robes.
Beckton squeezed off a Magic Missile, which was equally ineffective.
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Comments (3 so far!)
HSAR
Yorck then uses Shield, a spell mentioned previously, to protect herself from Silvertown's fire. She casts it in a different way to Newkirk - requiring a wand where he did not - but it is the same spell.
Not mentioned previously is Shield's innate ability to protect against all Magic Missile damage - natural, given the ubiquitous nature of Magic Missile as an offensive spell. This is particularly significant because Beckton had kept the Magic Missile rounds given to him in "Frenchman Flat" (#41647) and had loaded them into the special magazine noted in "Platinfuchs" (#42061) with the intention of using them against Yorck here.
Beckton is aware of the fact that Magic Missile is ineffective against Shield and tries only one round to test the unlikely possibility that Yorck's implementation of Shield is deficient in this regard. It is not.
Operation Python 1 was conducted by the predominantly-Australian Z Special Unit, landing commandos and supplies in Borneo in preparation for later operations in the area.
- #3958 Posted 6 years ago
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Robert Quick
2 v 1 duel seems unfair but perhaps given the circumstances, it's required. I appreciate your comprehensive explanation and uses of magic. I'd forgotten that shield could just absorb all of a magic missile attack. That being said, shield doesn't last very long and requires the expenditure of a spell slot so it's not infinite defense either. So we'll see who has more ammunition.
- #4012 Posted 6 years ago
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0
Inspired by (sequel to):
Newkirk cast a critical glance over Yorck. She had changed a great deal in the years since they had …
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HSAR
I would like to forewarn my readers that I may have to issue a retraction on the point of the unavoidable nature of prophecies given from divination, but not yet.
Yorck's spell is Aganazzar’s Scorcher, a second-level spell dealing 13.5 damage in a straight line. Creatures within the line may attempt to react in time, which upon success will halve the damage taken.
Newkirk replies with Burning Hands, a first-level spell dealing 10.5 damage in a cone. As with Yorck's spell, targets may save for half damage. This spell is considerably more common than Yorck's.
The results of both magicians' attempts to dodge the attacks are not clearly stated but can be inferred, although note that both have scored damage - this is due to deliberate use of spells that must deal damage, as both have anticipated that divination has revealed clearly the opening round of the duel.