Demon roach funeral

[tKircher]

How will this work, will it be a one-roach show from now on, or will the 12-legged hero come back after 100 days of eating infernal peanut butter?

[Optimystik]

Who cares? I never liked them anyway, especially when they started affecting the plot. (Telling the MitD to stomp, trying to warn Redcloak about the jailbreak, etc.)

[Silverraptor]

Who cares? I never liked them anyway, especially when they started affecting the plot. (Telling the MitD to stomp, trying to warn Redcloak about the jailbreak, etc.)

Hey, they were funny.:smallsmile: But affecting the plot wasn't.:smallannoyed:

[The Dark Fiddler]

Hey, they started as a gag character and evolved into more.

Like... I dunno... EVERYONE IN THE STRIP? :smallbiggrin:

[Snake-Aes]

Hey, they started as a gag character and evolved into more.

Like... I dunno... EVERYONE IN THE STRIP? :smallbiggrin:

They are coadjuvants. They are supposed to be used like miko and belkar did. They are supposed to make funny quips. But affecting the plot that directly? I dunno, there should be another alternative.

[The Dark Fiddler]

Well, I'm sure you could find alternatives.

Like, telling the MitD to stomp? He could have been upset enough to do it himself. Just for example.

[Nimrod's Son]

How will this work, will it be a one-roach show from now on, or will the 12-legged hero come back after 100 days of eating infernal peanut butter?
There are at least three demon roaches (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0543.html); there could be many more. It's kinda hard to tell them apart, after all.

[silvadel]

The roach in the first place only did that because Belkar abused the roach. Here however it was more erstwhile.

[Starscream]

I don't really think the roach in this strip affected the plot at all. Sure, he called out to Team Evil, but there's nothing to suggest they actually heard him.

And it's not as if O-Chul is going to sneak out. They will be perfectly aware of his presence pretty dang soon.

Really, the events of the strip would have played out exactly the same way if the roach hadn't been there at all.

[Raging Gene Ray]

For every cockroach you see in your house, there are hundreds you don't.
I'm pretty sure the death of this roach will have as much affect on the plot as the death of Hobgoblin Mook #3478. He'll be replaced the next time the strip needs a witty one-liner but can't interrupt the main characters' dialog.

[3Power]

It's probably not actually dead.

Case 1: The roach was brought here by a summoning spell (unlikely as such spells have a max duration) The roach reforms in it's original location upon "death."
Case 2: It was brought here by a calling spell, in which case it wouldn't disappear on death, meaning it would have had to use it's one time returning ability to "poof", in which case it may still be alive, though badly injured.
Case 3: Same as the above, but the giant is counting magical beasts with a planar template as outsiders for sake of what happens when they're killed, meaning it dissolved and will reform on it's native plane in 100 years.

[Frogpop]

Read SoD to find out where the roaches came from. That should help you in speculating where they go.

[Greep]

For every cockroach you see in your house, there are hundreds you don't.
I'm pretty sure the death of this roach will have as much affect on the plot as the death of Hobgoblin Mook #3478. He'll be replaced the next time the strip needs a witty one-liner but can't interrupt the main characters' dialog.

yeah but for every demon cockroach you see, you go to a mental institute. (no seriously, they can't be that common even in the strip)

[Ancalagon]

I like the symbol: Basically since the beginning the roaches have been around, whispering things into the ear of the creature. Now as the monster has to decide on its own, the whisperer isn't there anymore.

I do not know if that's intended, but I would not be surprised if it was. However it is: the removal of the roach is a very, very cool symbol.

[Azukar]

I like the symbol: Basically since the beginning the roaches have been around, whispering things into the ear of the creature. Now as the monster has to decide on its own, the whisperer isn't there anymore.

I do not know if that's intended, but I would not be surprised if it was. However it is: the removal of the roach is a very, very cool symbol.

I never thought of that little bit of symbolism... It's like the angel/devil-on-your-shoulder motif, and now the angel has skewered the MitD's devil :smallamused:

Good spot on that one, unless it was just me who let the subtext stay sub-text.

[pendell]

Huh. People complain about the roaches affecting the plot ... but if you remember, the demon roaches were instrumental to Miko escaping Xykon's forcecage, and no one complained about that.

There are two other incidents when the roaches have proven helpful:

A) Heating the stew Belkar was preparing for Monster-san.

B) In Origin of the PCs bonus strip

The roaches save Vaarsuvius' life. They flame the zombies coming to destroy paralyzed Vaarsuvius -- not out of any love for V, simply because V is their perch for watching the throne room battle


So far the roaches have proven beneficial three times, and no one complained about them affecting the plot then. Can't have it both ways. If they didn't prove to be evil once or twice we might get to forgetting that they are DEMON roaches.

And it's not really that they affected the plot. Everything they did could have been done by some other creature or contrivance in the strip. MITD could have stomped the ground out of pique without being prompted by any creature. Miko might have had flint and steel and tinder rather than having to use a roach. The roaches have not impacted the plot in any significant way ... they just serve as foils for comic relief, and I think they serve that purpose well. Team Evil wouldn't be nearly as funny without them.

Respectfully,

Brian P.

[Snake-Aes]

Huh. People complain about the roaches affecting the plot ... but if you remember, the demon roaches were instrumental to Miko escaping Xykon's forcecage, and no one complained about that.

There are two other incidents when the roaches have proven helpful:

A) Heating the stew Belkar was preparing for Monster-san.

B) In Origin of the PCs bonus strip

The roaches save Vaarsuvius' life. They flame the zombies coming to destroy paralyzed Vaarsuvius -- not out of any love for V, simply because V is their perch for watching the throne room battle


So far the roaches have proven beneficial three times, and no one complained about them affecting the plot then. Can't have it both ways. If they didn't prove to be evil once or twice we might get to forgetting that they are DEMON roaches.

And it's not really that they affected the plot. Everything they did could have been done by some other creature or contrivance in the strip. MITD could have stomped the ground out of pique without being prompted by any creature. Miko might have had flint and steel and tinder rather than having to use a roach. The roaches have not impacted the plot in any significant way ... they just serve as foils for comic relief, and I think they serve that purpose well. Team Evil wouldn't be nearly as funny without them.

Respectfully,

Brian P.

All the examples you listed fell under what I defined as "They are to be used and to make funny quips" :p The "Ah,crap" part for example was totally awesome.
But rightout interfering? They only did that once(telling :mitd: to stomp), which I'd rather see coming out of a pique, and that jailbreak scream too.

[Ikialev]

Nimrod's Son, there are at least six. http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0541.html
Also, the Roaches brought Acid Shark to Xykon. ^ That's kindofaffecting.

[alas_Lenore]

I love the roaches. :smallfrown:

[the_tick_rules]

There's another one.

[Mannryu]

Demon Roaches are cool but I wouldn't want to have them around here in my room or my house. I'd love to have them in school so they'd mess with my professors.

But altho only one of them died, we didn't see any other one for a looong time, did we? I wonder what happened to the rest of them ...

[Ancalagon]

But altho only one of them died, we didn't see any other one for a looong time, did we? I wonder what happened to the rest of them ...

Infesting the kitchen, probably?

[liooil2000]

How can the demon roach die? The cage bar O-chul used is probably not made of cold iron or silver(I don't know which is for devils and which is for demons). Unless, they don't have the same resistance that Sabrine has...

[Optimystik]

How can the demon roach die? The cage bar O-chul used is probably not made of cold iron or silver(I don't know which is for devils and which is for demons). Unless, they don't have the same resistance that Sabrine has...

Damage Reduction != Damage Immunity. You can hurt a demon with almost anything if you swing hard enough.

Not to mention you're probably right, and they have less DR than a succubus (who has 10/cold iron)

[Xandro]

I like the symbol: Basically since the beginning the roaches have been around, whispering things into the ear of the creature. Now as the monster has to decide on its own, the whisperer isn't there anymore.

I do not know if that's intended, but I would not be surprised if it was. However it is: the removal of the roach is a very, very cool symbol.

Well said.
Nothing to add.

[Alex Warlorn]

Well said.
Nothing to add.

Didn't think about it that way. But yes it is very cool. The remover of Monster-San's shoulder devil.

And for the record there are at least three demonic roaches (three being seen during O-Chul about to be tortured).

This reduces their numbers to two.

[Asta Kask]

What can you expect from a species that's practically born with a Red Shirt?

[Ancalagon]

This reduces their numbers to two.

I am not sure but I *think* I remember having seen more than three at least once. I doubt their numbers matter, they are roaches, so there are probably like... A LOT of them.

[Ikialev]

The cage bar O-chul used is probably not made of cold iron
Why not? cage bars are iron, and metal gets cold quickly.

[Optimystik]

Why not? cage bars are iron, and metal gets cold quickly.

If you're joking then disregard this, it's hard to tell with text... Anyway, cold iron refers to a special kind of iron mined deep underground and specially forged to maintain its delicate properties. Doing so allows it to be effective against chaotic Outsiders.

It's highly unlikely that O-Chul's prison is made of cold iron (for one thing, that would make it extremely weak, just as making it out of silver would) but even if the Roaches have DR, they can't have enough to matter against his attack.

[Silverain]

I thought if you "killed" an extraplanar creature, it would vanish and reappear back on its home plane. Isn't that what Haley said?
http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0399.html

I sort of figured that was where the roach that went *poof* went. Could be wrong though.

[shadzar]

I thought if you "killed" an extraplanar creature, it would vanish and reappear back on its home plane. Isn't that what Haley said?
http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0399.html

I sort of figured that was where the roach that went *poof* went. Could be wrong though.

There lies a funny thing about D&D. Celia said she cannot be brought back from the dead, and an outsider should be an extraplanar creature right?

The Miko breaks Sabine's neck and Sabine (an outsider) just stands back up.

The roach just goes ~poof~ when stabbed.

:smallconfused:

It is a bit of a flaw in D&D that added those bits to not be congruent. But would need to check DaRules.

Of course OOTS-verse could have good outsiders not return because they should have no reason to return that binds them to the earth, so Rich can get away with it in comic easily and without worry, to fix the dumb rules of the game itself. :smallwink:

[Pronounceable]

I'd say that roach gotta be proud for being impaled by O-Chul. I know I would.

[Rotipher]

There lies a funny thing about D&D. Celia said she cannot be brought back from the dead, and an outsider should be an extraplanar creature right?

Considering how long Celia was on the Material Plane in Dorukon's service, it's a fair bet she was brought there by Calling magic, not Summoning magic. An outsider who's Called to the Material Plane can usually be killed permanently there, particularly if he/she/it isn't especially powerful.

Haley, when she said an outsider would return to its home plane when killed, was probably thinking of outsiders brought to the Material Plane by Summon Monster spells. Those are the ones a non-arcanist like Haley is most likely to have heard stories of, or personally encountered, before.

[hamishspence]

according to Fiendish Codex 1, all demons are resurrected, even ones which are physically on the Material plane when they die. But, they are sometimes demoted in the process.

This is long-standing in the D&D novels- even if the fiend has gotten onto the material plane via some kind of Calling or Gate spell.