Why does Xykon go easy on heroes?

[Gopher]

He offered to let Roy live during their fight, and in a more comic 653 implied he would've had reason to go easy on Vaarsuvius if he was a "knight-on-a-valient-quest". This kind of confuses me. Why does Xykon do this? For the challenge? Honor? A repressed desire to see the ultimate triumph of good?

None of those seems to be in character for Xykon. Any ideas?

[Mystic Muse]

to torture them for when they ultimately fail or so that they grow and he can have a decent fight.

[Kish]

Because he takes them less seriously than someone who wants to "challenge his rep."

[Deepblue706]

Roy's attempt at fighting Xykon is adorable. Like a tiny housecat that thinks it can eat your hand.

V's attempt is incredibly annoying, because he tried a "Scry-And-Die", which is as simple as teleporting into your enemy's base and and blasting them as they're unprepared (which is something that might work on dumb Big Bad Evil Guys, but not someone like Xykon). At this point, it's no longer about having fun, but instead someone is actually trying to ruin you, and in such a way that it's insulting to think people are getting the idea it would have ever worked.

[BlueWizard]

I see it that Xykon has yet to fully realize their power.

[Nerd-o-rama]

Xykon's bored, and since his death h can't really get pleasure out of anything but fighting and killing. If he can let heroes live to the point where they can offer him a more entertaining fight, he can be a little more entertained - and the best way he sees to get pleasure out of fighting and killing someone is if they're on some kind of righteous mission when he blasts them to death.

Also what Deepblue said about equating Roy to a kitten. D'aww.

[Mando Knight]

Xykon's bored, and since his death h can't really get pleasure out of anything but fighting and killing. If he can let heroes live to the point where they can offer him a more entertaining fight, he can be a little more entertained - and the best way he sees to get pleasure out of fighting and killing someone is if they're on some kind of righteous mission when he blasts them to death.

Also what Deepblue said about equating Roy to a kitten. D'aww.

This. He's already shown a fondness for setting up gladiatorial matches with O-Chul, and he really doesn't have much else to do. If the guy can't seriously pose a threat to you, you might as well get a bit of a kick out of toying with him.

...Actually, to reverse the kitten metaphor, it's like Xykon is a cat, and the fighters are mice. The mice don't really pose a threat to a cat, and the cat can kill the mouse whenever it feels like it, so it might as well just bat it around a while before killing it, just for fun.

[Kornaki]

Xykon's actually an incredibly smart fellow. By not remembering anybody he fights, he can become all of their personal rivals. So whenever any of them level up, he levels up. This is how he's gaining levels so quickly. Someone like V though doesn't qualify as a personal rival since V doesn't view Xykon as a personal rival (or wouldn't if this was just a way of proving his arcane strength), whereas someone like Roy does

[HamsterOfTheGod]

He offered to let Roy live during their fight, and in a more comic 653 implied he would've had reason to go easy on Vaarsuvius if he was a "knight-on-a-valient-quest". This kind of confuses me. Why does Xykon do this? For the challenge? Honor? A repressed desire to see the ultimate triumph of good?

None of those seems to be in character for Xykon. Any ideas?

The dealings Xykon has had with OotS are perfectly in character.

For Xykon, nothing short of his level is much of a challenge. When he does encounter a high level challenge, like soul spliced V, then he goes all out. And he revels in that sort of fight. But for lesser challengers, he prefers to watch them suffer, slowly if possible. And he prefers to make them suffer mentally.

When he first encountered them (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0104.html), Xykon was actually aware of them and had been subtly manipulating event (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0057.html) around them. He was using the members of OotS to serve his purpose. When they didn't serve his purpose, he was ready to let his minions kill them as he watched. He would have succeeded in doing that except for a rather ironic turn of events (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0114.html).

The next time, he encounters them, Xykon has much larger plans in mind than defeating the OotS. They are simply off his radar. In fact, the entire siege of the Azure City is something he delegates to Redcloak. And to Redcloak, the members of OotS are just another set of defenses to overcome. If Roy had not leapt up to meet Xykon, Xykon would have simply bypassed the member of OoTs altogether. It was in his next encounter, the one with the paladins guarding the gate with which Hykon was concerned. That was the one he had been preparing for for some time.

Given how he easily he killed Roy when he put his mind to it, it's not hard to understand why Xykon would have no reason to kill Roy if it wasn't an immediate danger or if it wasn't sadistic fun. He did the same with O-Chul. If anything Xykon was trying to play with Roy's mind when they had their encounter over the city. He did the same with Miko. That's Xykon's character. He is driven but also abusive and manipulative. He sees nothing wrong in mixing business (seeking to control the whole world) with pleasure (by playing with people's minds and torturing them).

[doodthedud]

He offered to let Roy live during their fight, and in a more comic 653 implied he would've had reason to go easy on Vaarsuvius if he was a "knight-on-a-valient-quest". This kind of confuses me. Why does Xykon do this? For the challenge? Honor? A repressed desire to see the ultimate triumph of good?

None of those seems to be in character for Xykon. Any ideas?

dramatic value?

I mean c'mon, if you're undead you have no needs......that's alot of free time and alot of boredom.

[tyckspoon]

Xykon's actually an incredibly smart fellow. By not remembering anybody he fights, he can become all of their personal rivals. So whenever any of them level up, he levels up. This is how he's gaining levels so quickly. Someone like V though doesn't qualify as a personal rival since V doesn't view Xykon as a personal rival (or wouldn't if this was just a way of proving his arcane strength), whereas someone like Roy does

Personal rivalry guarantees that your rival will be the same level as you in order to be the most dramatic and challenging (but still beatable) fight when you eventually settle up. Xykon is not a personal rival. He is a Big Villain, which operates under a different set of dramatic power-level rules. End-game villains start very high and remain at more or less the same power level while the heroes advance. That lets the heroes get an appreciable sense of how far they have come and, just as important, how far they have yet to go.

[Giggling Ghast]

Xykon is pretty genre-savvy. He knows he's the villain and he's more than willing to play the part. So he plays to type. He accepts that some ragtag bunch of misfits is going to show up and try to spoil his plans, likely during some all-or-nothing no-holds-barred epic battle, so he rolls with it. He was willing to let Roy live in the fight above Azure City 'cause, hey, why shouldn't the antagonist have a say in the choosing of his protagonist?

:xykon: Good heroes make for great villains, you know?

[PANdemonium]

At this point, I guess I'm really just touching on the same point that several others already made, but toying with the good guys is a source of entertainment for Xykon. I imagine he looks at them as playthings. Killing one of them is like ripping the head off of a GI Joe action figure: amusing at the time, but then he's lost a potential source for future amusement.

[Necrus Philius]

An intelligent fighter is a pretty awesome hero for a wizard to fight since they are a rarity (see thog). I mean a hero who takes a beating AND has meaningful dialogue and taunts? Yes please.

[Tempest Fennac]

I took it as being entirely because xykon wants a challenge regarding why he wanted to drop Roy off somewhere so that he could level up for a couple of years.

[ABB]

A hero attacking Xykon for being a villain is just doing his job. It's nothing personal, it's just the job. Xykon understands that.

Someone coming after his personally, well, while that might flatter Xykon, that someone wants to beat him because he's the toughest guy around, now that is personal, and Xykon gets personal in response.

BTW, can you even begin to imagine just how pissed Xykon would be if he found out that V didn't even bother to scry before teleporting in? I mean, Xykon was really pissed when he thought V was using "scry and die", but what if he found out V didn't even scry first? Man, can steam shoot out of a liche's ears in D&D?

[Spiky]

My assumption is that Rich has seen all of the Bond movies.

[Dark Matter]

Assume for the moment that Roy had actually done what Xykon suggested to him on that Dragon. I.e. Roy had gone off and leveled 8 more times thus making him epic and supposedly Xykon's level.

Roy comes back: "This time I'm serious about killing you and I'm your level too."

Xykon: "Really? Let's test that."

[One sided fight]

Xykon: "Whoops. Did I say 8 levels? Guess I was right when I said "more" since it was really 18 levels. But at least you made it fun."

[AngelicOne001]

I think HamsterOfTheGod said it pretty well. He basically manipulates, and when manipulating doesn't work, torture and play around, then eventually kill, unless V comes bashing in to ruin it :smalltongue:

[Optimystik]

My assumption is that Rich has seen a lot of Dragon Ball Z episodes.

Fixed. Vegeta, Cell, Buu, they all said an equivalent of "go and train, I'll wait."

And of course, there are the DBZ references in the comic...

[Reisender]

Fixed. Vegeta, Cell, Buu, they all said an equivalent of "go and train, I'll wait."

And of course, there are the DBZ references in the comic...
Really? I never noticed. Could you point them out for me?

[Timberboar]

Here's one.

http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0485.html

Second page, 3rd panel

[Blackjackg]

Xykon has said exactly why he allows the heroes to live and prosper. "Good heroes make great villains."

[Ancalagon]

Here's one.

http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0485.html

Second page, 3rd panel

A bit OT, but the most awesome on that is... there actually IS a secret martial arts teacher living in the afterlife from whom Roy learns new stuff and techniques that help in his quest once all seven dragonb... durkon resurrects him:
http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0600.html

[JT Jag]

Here's one.

http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0485.html

Second page, 3rd panelThe ironic thing is that Roy actually DOES end up training with the "old master" in the afterlife, in the form of his grandfather.

Edit: Ninja'd. Damn.

[Milandros]

It's ego too. Xykon has a huge ego (often comes with a huge charisma :) ).

Heros who challenge him tickle that ego. He gets to slap them around, show how magnificent he is, then they crawl away on their bellies, knowing that the only reason they lived is because he, Xykon, allowed their meaningless little existance to continue. Then he gets the reputation of having beaten the heroes and sent them scurrying.

On the other hand allowing young pup challengers to escape with their lives doesn't give him the reputation of being powerful or scary, just of being weak. He proves he isn't weak by making them suffer.

Xykon gets a great deal of pleasure from killing, it's true, but even more out of winning. An opponent who knows how badly he's been beaten is delightful.

[Sotris]

Fixed. Vegeta, Cell, Buu, they all said an equivalent of "go and train, I'll wait."

And of course, there are the DBZ references in the comic...Hmm. I wonder if, in the next strip, V sees O-Chul die while he is helpless (again), something snaps, and his hair starts glowing white...

...Or pink.

[Volkov]

Hmm. I wonder if, in the next strip, V sees O-Chul die while he is helpless (again), something snaps, and his hair starts glowing white...

...Or pink.
I'd never, ever, read OOTS again. I hate that show, that badly.

[Ancalagon]

... but you have to admit that a kamahameha would surely pose a threat to Xykon, no? Roy should learn that...

[Volkov]

... but you have to admit that a kamahameha would surely pose a threat to Xykon, no? Roy should learn that...

Every time I read anything relating to DBZ, my tolerance towards japanese cartoons drops ever further. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy their monster movies and video games, I just really, really hate their cartoons.

[Optimystik]

I'd never, ever, read OOTS again. I hate that show, that badly.

12-episode fights aside, DBZ wasn't all that bad. Save your seething hatred for DBGT. :smallyuk:


... but you have to admit that a kamahameha would surely pose a threat to Xykon, no? Roy should learn that...

He should learn it from Black Mage. :smallwink:
With any luck it would eat up his feelings for Celia...


Every time I read anything relating to DBZ, my tolerance towards japanese cartoons drops ever further. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy their monster movies and video games, I just really, really hate their cartoons.

If you're judging all anime by DBZ, you're really doing yourself a disservice. Try watching some good shows like D. Gray-Man, Death Note, Code Geass, Fullmetal Alchemist, and Elfen Lied.

That's like judging all American movies by Wayans Brothers films.

[Snake-Aes]

Every time I read anything relating to DBZ, my tolerance towards japanese cartoons drops ever further. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy their monster movies and video games, I just really, really hate their cartoons.

Sucks to be you. Were I to change the depth of such a bad feeling every time it's mentioned, I'd be in jail for some kind of psychotic streak long ago.

[Ragn Charran]

Xykon is pretty genre-savvy. He knows he's the villain and he's more than willing to play the part. So he plays to type. He accepts that some ragtag bunch of misfits is going to show up and try to spoil his plans, likely during some all-or-nothing no-holds-barred epic battle, so he rolls with it. He was willing to let Roy live in the fight above Azure City 'cause, hey, why shouldn't the antagonist have a say in the choosing of his protagonist?

:xykon: Good heroes make for great villains, you know?

This. Xykon is as plot and role aware as Elan, he knows he needs to make the final battle a good one. So he lets guys like Roy off the hook, if they'll take it, so the final battle is good. And entertaining for us.

In a way, it's another reason to be pissed at V - for trying to ruin the established grand finale idea with a cheap bazooka-in-a-corridor tactic.

[Ancalagon]

He should learn it from Black Mage. :smallwink:
With any luck it would eat up his feelings for Celia...

Nah, she's not that bad. As long as she keeps herself out of his profession (you know, an active role in adventuring and plotting) she's perfectly un-annoying and cute. ;)

I doubt Roy would make those sacrifices needed to get the Hadoken. A normal bazillion-gekidama-phlogiston-improved kamehameha will do just fine. Xykon is barely out of the normal scouter-levels, so he should easily be disposable with that... :)

[Volkov]

12-episode fights aside, DBZ wasn't all that bad. Save your seething hatred for DBGT. :smallyuk:



He should learn it from Black Mage. :smallwink:
With any luck it would eat up his feelings for Celia...



If you're judging all anime by DBZ, you're really doing yourself a disservice. Try watching some good shows like D. Gray-Man, Death Note, Code Geass, Fullmetal Alchemist, and Elfen Lied.

That's like judging all American movies by Wayans Brothers films.
I am put off by the art style, the eyes are too large, the noses are too small. And the mouths suddenly expand every time they talk. Not to mention that my idea of cartoons is Looney Toons. Anything different is blasphemy as the spell.

[Optimystik]

I am put off by the art style, the eyes are too large, the noses are too small. And the mouths suddenly expand every time they talk. Not to mention that my idea of cartoons is Looney Toons. Anything different is blasphemy as the spell.

Not all animations are cartoons. It doesn't appear you're willing to be convinced, however, so I won't bother trying. But you're more than a few decades behind the rest of us if Looney Tunes is the extent of your development in the animation world.

[Ancalagon]

Not all animations are cartoons. It doesn't appear you're willing to be convinced, however, so I won't bother trying. But you're more than a few decades behind the rest of us if Looney Tunes is the extent of your development in the animation world.

I heard they are able to animate 3D-things as well these days. What's that new movie they just made? Toy Story or something?

[Dagren]

This. Xykon is as plot and role aware as Elan, he knows he needs to make the final battle a good one. So he lets guys like Roy off the hook, if they'll take it, so the final battle is good. And entertaining for us.See, I wouldn't say that was particularly genre savvy myself. A villain who was truly genre savvy would kill the hero off when he had the chance, not let him live to get more powerful. (and become more of a threat)

[Snake-Aes]

See, I wouldn't say that was particularly genre savvy myself. A villain who was truly genre savvy would kill the hero off when he had the chance, not let him live to get more powerful. (and become more of a threat)

it's not genre-worthy if it's not an epic battle. Killing him rightout is not an epic battle.

A Smart Dark Lord would kill him rightout, not a genre-savvy villain.

[Dagren]

it's not genre-worthy if it's not an epic battle. Killing him rightout is not an epic battle.

A Smart Dark Lord would kill him rightout, not a genre-savvy villain.Eh, I guess we're thinking of different meanings of genre savvy. When I think genre savvy, I think that Xykon should realise that, by conventions, the good guy usually wins, if given half a chance, so he should do his best to make sure Roy doesn't have even the slightest chance, rather than specifically and explicitly allowing him to go off and get more powerful. Now, if you want to argue that he wants Roy to do this because he thinks he'll already have won by the time he gets back that would work, but I don't see why he should care about there being an epic battle between them. (Indeed, it would be better for him if there wasn't, since such a battle would implicitly have a good chance of him being beaten)

[Ancalagon]

I think Xykon would not mind dieing in a really epic battle while he's doing villian-stuff verus a good hero. He'd like that (and of course he'd know he'd regenerate should he lose).

(But I think even without the "regeneration-part" Xykon could appreciate an epic battle vs. a heroic...erm... hero. He probably knows he has to go one day, sooner or later, and he surely would like it to be later (MUCH later), but if he goes, then, please, let it be in an epic battle against a hero that's worth his status of Evil Overlord.)

[Snake-Aes]

Eh, I guess we're thinking of different meanings of genre savvy. When I think genre savvy, I think that Xykon should realise that, by conventions, the good guy usually wins, if given half a chance, so he should do his best to make sure Roy doesn't have even the slightest chance, rather than specifically and explicitly allowing him to go off and get more powerful. Now, if you want to argue that he wants Roy to do this because he thinks he'll already have won by the time he gets back that would work, but I don't see why he should care about there being an epic battle between them. (Indeed, it would be better for him if there wasn't, since such a battle would implicitly have a good chance of him being beaten)

I think Xykon just realizes Roy doesn't stand a chance as is, and epic battles are more entertaining. So, let him go I say.


OR

He's content with what he gets, and he *knows* it's a villain feature to have an adventurer up his rear.

[Dagren]

I think Xykon just realizes Roy doesn't stand a chance as is, and epic battles are more entertaining. So, let him go I say.Oh, I agree that's his probable motivation, I just don't see that as particularly genre savvy. Especially given that in all likelihood said epic battle will result in his final death.

[Optimystik]

I heard they are able to animate 3D-things as well these days. What's that new movie they just made? Toy Story or something?

Technically, Reboot was first. :smallwink:


it's not genre-worthy if it's not an epic battle. Killing him rightout is not an epic battle.

A Smart Dark Lord would kill him rightout, not a genre-savvy villain.

I'm with Dagren, a genre-savvy villain kills first (or tries to) and asks questions later. Bozzok fits that bill much better.

[Ancalagon]

I'm with Dagren, a genre-savvy villain kills first (or tries to) and asks questions later. Bozzok fits that bill much better.

But Xykon is so much more fun... really. Bozzok is just some side-villian here. Of course he's not as Badass as Xykon and of course he does not appreciate an epic end-battle as much...

[Optimystik]

But Xykon is so much more fun... really. Bozzok is just some side-villian here. Of course he's not as Badass as Xykon and of course he does not appreciate an epic end-battle as much...

But he is far more genre savvy; his mortality requires it.

If you want a more major genre-savvy villain, Nale fits the bill better too. He has all of Elan's dramatic instinct and far more cunning.

[Dagren]

Technically, Reboot was first. :smallwink:



I'm with Dagren, a genre-savvy villain kills first (or tries to) and asks questions later. Bozzok fits that bill much better.Yeah, Boz fits great. Remember when Celia rescued Haley? "See, THAT is why you kill the heroes when you get the chance!" I'd kind of forgotten about him though, which kind of shows that a genre savvy villain isn't necessarily better from an entertainment PoV.

[Querzis]

Eh, I guess we're thinking of different meanings of genre savvy. When I think genre savvy, I think that Xykon should realise that, by conventions, the good guy usually wins.

Xykon has been killing good guys left and right for almost a century now. None have won (well, actually, Lirian won the first time but she let them live). And he became so freaking powerfull that none of them pose a threat to him either.

He doesnt even get XP from a guy like Roy, better let them train so that Xykon can get a few levels. After all, at this point, Xykon doesnt get XP from anything else then the heroes who try to stop him.

Either way, the real answer to this thread is, like many people said before : :xykon: «good heroes make great villains.»

[Dagren]

Xykon has been killing good guys left and right for almost a century now. None have won (well, actually, Lirian won the first time but she let them live). And he became so freaking powerfull that none of them pose a threat to him either.That's kind of what Genre Savvy means, dude, that he realises that while the bad guys may certainly kill many they will eventually get defeated by genre conventions. The fact that he feels secure in his power, to me, points to the opposite, that he is in fact not genre savvy to any significant degree. Alternatively you might say that, while he realises that the bad guys meet there ends at the hands of heroes eventually, he doesn't realise that Roy is the hero in question, but again, if he were genre savvy I would expect him to recognise that Roy being an underdog rather than an epic like his other opponents should really put him on his guard. Maybe I'm just expecting too much of Xykon, who knows?

[Kornaki]

That's kind of what Genre Savvy means, dude, that he realises that while the bad guys may certainly kill many they will eventually get defeated by genre conventions. The fact that he feels secure in his power, to me, points to the opposite, that he is in fact not genre savvy to any significant degree. Alternatively you might say that, while he realises that the bad guys meet there ends at the hands of heroes eventually, he doesn't realise that Roy is the hero in question, but again, if he were genre savvy I would expect him to recognise that Roy being an underdog rather than an epic like his other opponents should really put him on his guard. Maybe I'm just expecting too much of Xykon, who knows?

You don't know how many level 14 fighter Xykon's chewed up though

[Gopher]

Xykon has said exactly why he allows the heroes to live and prosper. "Good heroes make great villains."

Ah, that must be it. I guess I should have gone back and read that comic.

Most of the other reasons people have given either 1. Are unique to Roy's situation and don't explain what Xykon said to Vaarsuvius or 2. Apply equally well to Vaarsuvius and don't explain why he didn't get the same deal.

Thanks to everyone who tried to answer.

[Dagren]

You don't know how many level 14 fighter Xykon's chewed up thoughAgain, to me genre savvy would imply that Xykon realise that Roy isn't just another level 14 fighter, he's The Hero™, and is destined to defeat Xykon. But as I said, maybe I'm just expecting too much of him.

[Stormageddon]

He's a bad&*# mofo and he knows it. He's classy and gets his kicks out of toying with the PC's as any big bad would

[BobVosh]

He is genre savvy (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/GenreSavvy). He just has a fatal flaw. (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/FatalFlaw) He desires epic, needs to stroke his ego, and just look totally badass (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/Badass).

Alternatively he is avoiding the dystopian future (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/EvilOverlord) that didn't occur through heroes. It almost always then has a prophecy of some assisstant pig handler (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/FarmBoy) going around doing stuff to kill you. Then he wins, without even a confrontation. Or a cheap one where he has to hit the weak point for massive damage.

This way he at least gets to fight in epic battle of epic destiny. (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/FinalBattle) And per D&D rules (which he seems aware of) he should win 50% of the time.

Btw this thread has far too few tvtropes links for the amount of genre talk going on. Started to fix it.

[Dr. Cthulwho]

He offered to let Roy live during their fight, and in a more comic 653 implied he would've had reason to go easy on Vaarsuvius if he was a "knight-on-a-valient-quest". This kind of confuses me. Why does Xykon do this? For the challenge? Honor? A repressed desire to see the ultimate triumph of good?

None of those seems to be in character for Xykon. Any ideas?

Entertainment and fun. He doesn't get as much if he just smooshes an obviously dedicated opponent in the first fight who is beneath him. So you let them go, let them level up to be a bit more of a challenge, let them come back and smack them down then.

More XP, more fun, and for an evil Xykon like character it gives them the chance to really gloat and rub in the fact knight-on-a-valiant-quest just doesn't have what it takes to stop you.

Plus as has been mentioned he is sufficiently genre savvy, and has some fun power based philosophy going on. He likes showing off, and being able to do that to an opponent that warrants it (the hero) is good for him.

[Querzis]

Again, to me genre savvy would imply that Xykon realise that Roy isn't just another level 14 fighter, he's The Hero™, and is destined to defeat Xykon. But as I said, maybe I'm just expecting too much of him.

...Why would he expect Roy to be the hero? Thats not being genre-savy, thats breaking the fourth wall. Xykon isnt supposed to know Roy is the protagonist of the story when he killed hundred of guys like Roy before.

[taigen]

Another element to consider is that most of the main characters in this story 'metagame'. While it is comedic, you can imagine all the characters haveing players, and there is tabletalk and real life feelings.

This whole arc with V is like a DM giving a character a solo arc, and a bunch of super uber powers to have during it. The DM expects him to go after the dragon, revel in his evil tendancies a bit, and everyone is happy.

But then the player gets big headed and is like 'hey, I got super powers, and no arbitrary time limit beside how much evil my character is willing to be responsable for, I am gonna teleport to the main boss and just take him out. How cool am I?

This pisses off the DM and so the Big Villian instead of being all dramatic flair and kid gloves becomes DM vengeance incarnate, and smacks the offending player/character down so they s/he never thinks of doing it again.

While it seems odd Giant having a DM/Player disagreement with a character he writes himself, it fits the theme of the comic and is a subtle lesson for us roleplayers.

-Taigen

[Mewtarthio]

I believe it's been explicitly stated that there is no metagame. The OotS-verse is just a world in which DnD 3.5 rules hold true (for the most part), alongside literary conventions.

[ericgrau]

This. Xykon is as plot and role aware as Elan, he knows he needs to make the final battle a good one. So he lets guys like Roy off the hook, if they'll take it, so the final battle is good. And entertaining for us.

In a way, it's another reason to be pissed at V - for trying to ruin the established grand finale idea with a cheap bazooka-in-a-corridor tactic.

This. It comes with the high charisma. Also keep in mind that Xykon is only doing this whole take-over-the-world thing 'cuz he's bored and needs a memorable shtick. Proper drama is a necessity. Remember this is the guy who keeps MitD in the darkness for years purely so he can have a grand reveal in the final fight some day, got Roy's dad into the whole blood-oath thing to get a crown just because it looks cool, and got bullrushed into oblivion by a fighter with a broken sword just because he was busy giving his villian speech. Ya, he's gonna let the hero go so he can have a more dramatic fight later.

[The MunchKING]

I'd never, ever, read OOTS again. I hate that show, that badly.

Pink is more of an FF9 reference.

DBZ had Yellow hair.

[Saph]

I can understand it, but it's a bit hard to explain.

It's about respect. Roy shows up as the hero on a valiant quest to destroy the BBEG. And Xykon, in a funny sort of way, respects that. He likes having heroes around acting heroic and trying to stop him, so that he can play the villain. And if there's one thing Xykon really enjoys, it's playing the villain.

V, on the other hand, teleported in using solo scry-and-die tactics. And the whole point about scry-and-die tactics is that they only work against targets who are weaker than you. To someone like Xykon, that's insulting. Just the implication that he could be taken out by such a cheap tactic is enough to seriously annoy him. It's disrespecting his status as the major villain.

So he has to kill V painfully and with extreme prejudice, just to make sure people take him more seriously in future.

- Saph

[JonestheSpy]

This. Xykon is as plot and role aware as Elan, he knows he needs to make the final battle a good one. So he lets guys like Roy off the hook, if they'll take it, so the final battle is good. And entertaining for us.


Ding Ding! We have winner!

I've actually wondered who has greater Knowledge(Metagaming) ranks, Elan or Xykon?

[SmartAlec]

I am put off by the art style, the eyes are too large, the noses are too small. And the mouths suddenly expand every time they talk. Not to mention that my idea of cartoons is Looney Toons. Anything different is blasphemy as the spell.

http://www.shortpacked.com/d/20080618.html

:smallbiggrin:

One wonders: to what extent is Xykon fighting to conquer the world in order to prove the validity of his personal philosophies?

[veilrap]

Every time I read anything relating to DBZ, my tolerance towards japanese cartoons drops ever further. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy their monster movies and video games, I just really, really hate their cartoons.

I hate to say it but hating their "cartoons" hardly makes much sense if you enjoy OOTS as most good anime have epic ongoing stories and character development that is on par with comics such this. DBZ and similar shows give the style a silly/bad rap.

[holywhippet]

I think it's all because Xykon is chaotic evil - emphasis on the chaotic. He is all about doing whatever whim grabs him. When someone who can't actually beat him shows up he might give them a chance because he figures it will be more entertaining.

Xykon isn't exactly bright - he sometimes comes up with interesting strategies like the insanity ball but in many cases it's Redcloak who comes up with the good ideas. eg. the 3 Xykon look a likes, the warding that zapped V. What Xykon does have is experience, so when Roy beheaded the undead dragon Xykon knew it wasn't a problem for him.