Eugene and Unfinished business...

[Finwe]

Given Vaarsuvius' comment in comic 163, we know that ghosts not only exist in the OoTSivserse, but also retain their spell casting powers.


Ghosts are the spectral remnants of intelligent beings who, for one reason or another, cannot rest easily in their graves.

Being unable to enter the afterlife certainly would prevent Eugene from resting easy in his grave. I wonder why he doesn't become a ghost? There's all sorts of things he'd be able to do as a high-level spellcaster!

He could:

1. Assist the OoTS, obviously. He'd be able to tell everyone where to find each other, getting them back together more quickly, and he could assist them as a second arcane caster.

2. Help Julia in her studies. I'm sure that, with a high level mentor giving her specific attention, she'd level up relatively quickly compared to her classmates. This would definitely get her started in her career as a wizard much faster.

3. Go on other solo quests to generally thwart Xykon's plans. In fact, He doesn't even need to destroy Xykon, he just needs to "enact horrible vengeance." Perhaps there are other things could do to satisfy this requirement.

At the very least, it would beat sitting in the clouts, impotent.

[Llaqus]

Given Vaarsuvius' comment in comic 163, we know that ghosts not only exist in the OoTSivserse, but also retain their spell casting powers.



Being unable to enter the afterlife certainly would prevent Eugene from resting easy in his grave. I wonder why he doesn't become a ghost? There's all sorts of things he'd be able to do as a high-level spellcaster!

He could:

1. Assist the OoTS, obviously. He'd be able to tell everyone where to find each other, getting them back together more quickly, and he could assist them as a second arcane caster.

2. Help Julia in her studies. I'm sure that, with a high level mentor giving her specific attention, she'd level up relatively quickly compared to her classmates. This would definitely get her started in her career as a wizard much faster.

3. Go on other solo quests to generally thwart Xykon's plans. In fact, He doesn't even need to destroy Xykon, he just needs to "enact horrible vengeance." Perhaps there are other things could do to satisfy this requirement.

At the very least, it would beat sitting in the clouts, impotent.

One problem with this theory, Eugene is a stuck up, cranky, lazy old man who doesn't care about anyone but himself. Even if he wanted to get into heaven he's too lazy to do anything about it

[Finwe]

One problem with this theory, Eugene is a stuck up, cranky, lazy old man who doesn't care about anyone but himself. Even if he wanted to get into heaven he's too lazy to do anything about it

While he has proven himself to be stuck up and cranky many times over, he's never shown himself to be lazy. I can't really imagine a lazy person advancing very far in one of the most work-intensive classes there is. Eternal paradise is pretty much the most powerful enticement in existence, too.

[magic9mushroom]

The Blood Oath gets in the way, as was stated when Roy went to Heaven.

[Berserk Monk]

Maybe because Eugene felt as though his task was done. He did as much as he could and decided it was up to Roy to slay Xykon. (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0491.html)

[Molant]

I'm pretty sure he didn't do anywhere near as much as he could have done.

[Kish]

While he has proven himself to be stuck up and cranky many times over, he's never shown himself to be lazy. I can't really imagine a lazy person advancing very far in one of the most work-intensive classes there is. Eternal paradise is pretty much the most powerful enticement in existence, too.
"Lazy" isn't the word. He's perfectly willing to work. He's just not willing to work on one seriously long-term thing long enough to see it through, whether that thing is a blood oath of vengeance or a marriage. I'm sure there's some word for this, but I can't remember what it is.

His ego gets in the way of seriously trying to help the OotS. If Roy succeeds, after all, he's proven his point against Eugene, and, at least on one level, Eugene sincerely believes a fighter doesn't have a chance anyway. Eugene's best-case scenario involves Julia destroying Xykon.

[King of Nowhere]

Why not using Occam Razor and assuming that ghosts don't work that way, at least in oots?

I don't think that everyone that has an unfinished business will become a ghost. And V's boast about becoming a ghost was intended as last words, a last bluff/intimidate or at least to die in a cool manner. Against an opponent who has few skill points to put in knowledge.
We're not even sure that kind of ghosts really exist in this comic.
So Eugene didn't become a ghost because he couldn't, or he could but never consider the chance and now is too late. I don't think you can just decide to be a ghost.

Note: I'm using ghost as "that monster in the manual", not "the spirit of a dead in the mortal world, like Eugene visiting Roy"

[MReav]

He could:

1. Assist the OoTS, obviously. He'd be able to tell everyone where to find each other, getting them back together more quickly, and he could assist them as a second arcane caster.

He's a jerk who refused to help except in cases it would sate his ego.


2. Help Julia in her studies. I'm sure that, with a high level mentor giving her specific attention, she'd level up relatively quickly compared to her classmates. This would definitely get her started in her career as a wizard much faster.

Aside from the oath binding him to Roy for the most part (oldest living child), the wards on the school are stated to be "pretty good".


3. Go on other solo quests to generally thwart Xykon's plans. In fact, He doesn't even need to destroy Xykon, he just needs to "enact horrible vengeance." Perhaps there are other things could do to satisfy this requirement.

Eugene is not powerful enough to take on Xykon. At best he could annoy him.

[QUOTE=Finwe;5710408]At the very least, it would beat sitting in the clouts, impotent.

Eugene is a victim of his own jerkishness.

[Shades of Gray]

The last incorporeal beasties to threaten Xykon were promptly destroyed easily. Eugene would have maybe one round, and most illusions wouldn't affect Xykon (because of the high will save plus the undead immunities).

[Assassin89]

I think Xykon would find Eugene more as a nuisance than a threat. Xykon would probably magic missile Eugene into oblivion.

[Moriarty]

Given Vaarsuvius' comment in comic 163, we know that ghosts not only exist in the OoTSivserse, but also retain their spell casting powers.


do we know?

V could have been bluffing about the spellcasting ghost-powers, or it could be an elf-only thing in oots.

the only ghosts we have seen are the martys of the saphire guard and they were bound by the gate itself. if ghosts could simply decide to stay in the mortal realm, Soon could have killed Xykon after the castle blew up

[Optimystik]

About OotS and ghosts, we only know two things for sure:

1) Dead characters keep their class levels. (Eugene can use his magic, Roy and Horace retain their combat skills, etc.)

2) Dead characters can't affect the mortal world unless summoned or otherwise magically enabled. (Soon's epic Ghost-Martyrdom spell, Eugene's illusions work in the Azure summoning circle.)

Whether characters can become undead by themselves is highly unlikely. Vaarsuvius especially, despite being a powerful mage, has banned both necromancy and conjuration, making his claims extremely dubious.

Or, he could be telling the truth - his ghost would be angry and retain all his magic. Sadly, it would also be unable to use said spells in the living world.