All archmagi are gullible (5/31/12)

[The Traveler]

http://dominic-deegan.com/comics/20120531.gif

Oh, what (likely simple) spell is he supposed to have missed to allow this to have not really been Miranda?

[TerminusEst13]

I have no clue what's going on anymore.

[TheBlackPaladin]

http://dominic-deegan.com/comics/20120531.gif

Oh, what (likely simple) spell is he supposed to have missed to allow this to have not really been Miranda?

Well one of Miranda's most well known(To us anyway) tricks is a trap wrapped in an illusion that she is able to act through. I'm pretty sure the reason the King and Windy there didn't know about it is because she doesn't leave anyone to tell the tale about it... Save TIM, but I doubt he'd figure to tell them that "oh hey, btw, you know that old Archmage woman? Be careful, bitch likes to wrap traps in illusions".

[Reaver225]

ISN'T HE A SEER

[bahamutkod]

God DAMMIT, Mookie...

-King preceeded Miranda's title as archmage, has been built up to be as strong or presumably stronger than Miranda in terms of magic. Also one of the most capable seers in history according to those books you shoehorned him into.
-Wouldn't that mean he had some idea of what Miranda was capable of in general since she took over his job, so he could prepare for illusory effects?
-For that matter, how DO illusory effects work on a BLIND MAN? Particularly if that effect is classified as a MIRAGE which by definition is a trick of the eye?
-How is it that enchantment is supposedly so rare and powerful it can bind not just one but all the most powerful magical creatures of a high powered mage guild yet he hasn't tried to simply say "fuck you, give me your mind" to Miranda? Already two of the four archmages under his control are dead so he could use the equivalent power to dominate Miranda's mind.
-You overuse illusions, Mookie. Not even a blind man couldn't have seen this coming--which is precisely the problem with the premise of today's comic.
-There can be no intrigue, no tension, if the most powerful bad guy of your story can be so consistently and easily befuddled by what amount to parlor tricks.
-"trap spell" has no damned meaning because you never established magical rules. You clearly ripped it off from Yu-Gi-Oh or some such thing.

Seriously, there are any number of ways Miranda might have had to do something clever or interesting or even morally ambiguous to prepare for the king's schemes. For instance, mind-controlling some poor schmuck or even volunteer mage, transmuting them to look like her so they can sacrifice themselves, allowing her to get the drop on the king. That would have shown the desperation of the heroes as well as the power of the king since they had to go to such extremes just to have a prayer of getting the drop on him.

In closing... Mookie, you are a literary terrorist and Dominic Deegan: Oracle for Hire is the equivalent of literary cancer.

Edit: VVVV Anthrax. Literary Anthrax. And a dirty bomb while we're at it. Thank you.

[LordGolbez]

That was a mangled metaphor. You should have said literary anthrax.

[Lumino]

Well that seemed unnecessarily antagonistic. Points for prose though.

I'm expecting Miranda's 'Magic Items' to make a show rather soon. Something about that increased magical energy. And, while I would like to see Miranda die so the Deegan's don't have that 'I Win' button (Plus that would set up some serious credentials as a Badass I think), I don't think this trick was as much of an ass pull as you'd suspect.

Firstly: He stated that he'd rather Miranda follow him willingly. For whatever reason, we don't know, maybe the magical fluctuation gave her enough power to keep him from enchanting her? Keep in mind, when she tried to cast a very basic spell on the Planar Crone, she wound up causing a tremendous explosion due to the magical fluctuations. Maybe it kept increasing? Who knows?

Maybe he's just a damn racist that thinks the Circle should be all humans? (A racist villain wouldn't exactly be a shocker.)

Then there is the point that illusion magic is not merely visual. Miranda's illusion with TIM could speak, touch, and I bet even be smelled. I like to think of higher illusions as direct sensory manipulation, not just smoke and mirrors.

Also, the King COULD tell. As soon as the attack finished, he was instantly aware that it was way too easy. That means he was ready for the attack, and likely dodged or negated it completely.

ALSO:

http://www.dominic-deegan.com/view.php?date=2011-04-20

Nothing in the comic ever mentioned the King as being a Seer.