OOTS #683 - The Discussion Thread

[The Giant]

New comic is up.

[Mr. Mud]

Glad to see another update :smallsmile:...

Heh... DruidCon... But really nice comic.

@V: "Yes First!" and "Wahoo! First post/page!" are considered contraband in this thread :smalltongue:. I'm sure someone will link the rules in a second.

EDIT2: You know there hasn't been a double pager in quite a while... :smallwink:

[Eloel]

Desert Random Encounters! Yay!

[Bowen Arrow]

V is half camel? Help me out folks; I just don't remember this referenced before.

And yay!!! I do so enjoy a good action sequence!

[Pronounceable]

Moral of the story: Don't piss off the cleric.

[Issabella]

I wonder if those are random bug folks or Thi-kreen?

[Ave]

I don't get the camel joke either.

[Eloel]

V is half camel? Help me out folks; I just don't remember this referenced before.

And yay!!! I do so enjoy a good action sequence!

V is a half-camel (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0087.html)

[hamishspence]

Way back in Dungeon Crawling Fools, when they find a loo, and V's excuse for "not going" is that V doesn't need to, for long periods.

And Elan gets the idea that V is half-camel then.

EDIT:

Ninjaed.

[Surfing HalfOrc]

OK, I'll be the one to ask: What are those things?

[Werbaer]

V is half camel? Help me out folks; I just don't remember this referenced before.

here: Strip 87 (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0087.html)

edit: oh my. 3 answers within a minute.

[Big Hungry Joe]

I dig the extra arms on the bugfolk.

And the bola joke is sweet; I thought it was trending towards Belkar copping an icy burst off Haley.

[Cracklord]

Durkon one
Belkar back to nil.
heh heh heh. I love this comic.

[Astrella]

I don't get the camel joke either.

I refer you to this comic (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0087.html).

[hamishspence]

OK, I'll be the one to ask: What are those things?

Four arms, medium size- probably thri-keen, if we assume Rich is unlikely to go too far afield (they are in MM2)

There are others (those outsiders in the Monster Manual) but these aren't really associated with desert.

[Optimystik]

Thri-keen was my guess as well...

Belkar probably won't be captured, but there's always the chance he ends up in trouble because of Durkon, causing the Dwarf to feel guilty.

[Captain Alien]

Woah! This one was great! I love V's line:

"You are a bottomless pit of self-reference, are you not?"

And the last panels are really funny. I missed some action in the last strips, so this looks really interesting.

[Shale]

THINGS I DID NOT NEED TO THINK ABOUT: Belkar's testicles.

[hewhosaysfish]

Is that Haley's long lost sister being abducted in panel 7?

[DrGonzo]

Mmm.. Ballsweat..

[Mauve Shirt]

Heehee. Love V's line. "You are a bottomless pit of self-reference, are you not?"
And Belkar picks a fight with another team member. I wonder if this will become a running gag.

[mec]

Even more funny: Belkar could cast "Endure Elements" himself, if he could raise his wisdom high enough to cast a first-level spell in his primary class!

[Carteeg_Struve]

Good title. I can picture the bola being swung back and forth and having the cat lunge. :smallbiggrin:

[PCofDoom]

Woo new comic! I checked again after checking like 5 minutes ago and there it is! :D

Anyway awesome as always. I'm just hoping Belkar won't get caught by the bandits and will have to be rescued by the team, that would really repeat itself. xD

[petersohn]

And yesss! Roy fighting again!

[Optimystik]

Even more funny: Belkar could cast "Endure Elements" himself, if he could raise his wisdom high enough to cast a first-level spell in his primary class!

Unfortunately, he's not wise enough to realize that. :smalltongue: Talk about self-defeating...

[hamishspence]

I'm wondering if those steeds are ankhegs- while they appear to carry multiple riders and look very big for Large creatures, it is the simplest explanation.

[Blaznak]

The Comeuppance line and the Bola line were both excellent.
Its like getting two strips in one!

[Belkster11]

Yay! The first time they'll have a big random encounter together since...ever. XD

[Starscream]

I love Belkar so much recently. Is this Rich's way of making sure we all cry when he dies? Because it's working!

[Arakune]

Belkar being belkar is belktastic!

[Belkster11]

I love Belkar so much recently. Is this Rich's way of making sure we all cry when he dies? Because it's working!

I believe so.

I wonder if we'll have a eulogy for Belkar like we did Roy?

[Optimystik]

I believe so.

I wonder if we'll have a eulogy for Belkar like we did Roy?

Rot, rot, rot in the ground because the party hates you!

[Owl]

Let me tell you, a trouser full of nutsweat is a damned unpleasant experience, and well worth killing over.

[Belkster11]

Rot, rot, rot in the ground because the party hates you!

No, I doubt they'd be THAT mean. :smalltongue:

[The Vorpal Tribble]

Best comic in a long while :smallamused:

[i6uuaq]

Wait, Belkar's in trousers? That's news to me...

[CapedLuigiYoshi]

V's line is truly the best.:smallbiggrin:

[Platinius]

Belkar does have the endurance Feat from ranger class along with a high con, though the heat is very irritating he should be able to fight without problems.

[Dark Faun]

Good comic! I like Belkar getting an, as he says, entirely justified comeuppance. :smallamused:

[Mesiolan]

The Belkster is awesome. I assume the bug-man lives longer if he/it continues to whirl the bola...

And YES, don't mess with the cleric.

[Neo Black]

Heh.. "You are a bottomless pit of self-reference, are you not?"Great line...

[Djibril]

Lol... Beetle-bailey..... love that:smallbiggrin:

[Cleverdan22]

Nice comic. Good to see the Order in their first encounter since reuniting.

[RdMarquis]

It would be very funny, and karmic, if Belkar spared that bolas weilding guy's life just so he could have someone to fan him. :smallamused:

[pendell]

*Snigger* serves Belkar right.

Going to be ticked if the slavers successfully capture the Order. The OOTS is what, level 13-14 at this point? Vaarsuvius alone should be able to go through these guys like a knife through butter.

Respectfully,

Brian P.

[Skios]

Somehow I doubt that this will be the end of Belkar. It would certainly be... unspectacular.

[Silverraptor]

This reminds me of some important advice.

"Don't piss off the Cleric!"

[Omergideon]

Much improved over the last couple of comics. It featured meany of my favourite elements, including....

1)A/2 references to past events with decent observational (not punny) humour. Half Camel indeed.
2)The practical war between Belkar and other party members is in full force (OK it isn't V but since Durkon helped out then anyway)
3)Action with Roy in charge. Oh how I missed this.
4)Finish on a strong joke with a multipanel set up.

In all seriousness the design of the slavers was something I really did not expect. I know bug like things in desert environments can be how DnD works though so it fits in well. They make a very welcome change from goblins, ogres, undead and the like. Also the character interactions between Durkon and Belkar were very well drawn out and played. It felt completely genuine. And the call back to a very old joke (from Durokans Dungeon no less) helps tie in the spirit of the event to something we haven't seen since before the Azure City arcs. For me the reuniting of the order is now complete and all is as it should be with them.

Plus the art design is very good. Mixing the differing shades of brown made a wonderful perspective effect and the spalshes of colour seem even more vibrant and visible. Except for Haley who blends, which is entirely right. And the effect on the spinning bola is brilliantly done to give a sense of movement.

Not perfect. The ensemble dynamic was missing Haley but I don't see anywhere she could slot in without it seeming unnecessary (such as the Roy giving orders moment) so I ignore it. Also nothing momentous enough happens for us to call it a classic strip. But it does everything right. And it even allows a potential avenue for Belkar/Durkon interactions to drive some character growth for the one character who has had so little (even if his character is such that he doesn't need/want it as much).

All in all this is a solid 4 star strip. Very good, but not a classic.

[Kashkalgar]

Bolas Do Not Work That Way! Good Night!

[Silverraptor]

Bolas Do Not Work That Way! Good Night!

Nobody Cares! Good Morning!

[Turkish Delight]

Nobody Cares! Good Morning!

Obviously The Guy Above You Does! Good Afternoon!

[SatyreIkon]

You're a vicious killer, Giant! Nearly made me suffocate from laughing about the Bola fan :smallbiggrin:

And Roy's in charge of slashing combat action once again. What could a humble body desire more? :smallwink:

[Killer Angel]

Bolas Do Not Work That Way! Good Night!

For all that matters, bolas don't even have a grip like that.
Clearly, these are an exotic model used by (thri keen?), and they also work like a fan. :smallbiggrin:

[fishboy]

Nobody Cares! Good Morning!

Well, in a forum for geeks someone always cares!

....and I came in here to say that bolas does not have handles, that thing's a flail :smallredface:

But as always: Great comic giant!

[Teddy]

Ahh, I've been missing honest combat with the entire order involved for some time. Good to see that they're back in business.

Now I want to see how Blackwing acts in combat, and how Roy's new cool move looks like, and how the desert creatures react to Haleys icy arrows, and Elan doing more healing, and...

[J.Gellert]

Hehehe, great one.

As for the beetle-people, they must be some obscure player-character-friendly race, that for the sake of remaining ECL 0, gave up the ability to use all four of their hands at the same time in battle.

[Turkish Delight]

I suspect that hidden within this random encounter with slavers the greater plot wheels have at last begun to spin again.

[Purple_cloack]

Great comic again, I also support the idea of those.. thingyes are Thri-Kreen. The big beetles are possibly Ankhegs, but I think that they dwell in forests, right? Those bugs would also be a Giant-Dire-beetles. :smallamused:

[Malkar Grumbo]

Is that Haley's long lost sister being abducted in panel 7?

You know, she does look a lot like Haley, now that you mention it. Maybe this lends credence to the idea Haley's father is free and/or ruling a kingdom in the desert land. Either that or she is that cousin Sheila that was mentioned before.

[otakuryoga]

just a lil nitpicking...6 of them? shouldnt that be 7? :belkar: should be demanding a heat resist spell for poor Mr Scruffy....forced to walk around wearing a fur coat in that heat 8(

[HOLEkevin]

Somehow I'm thinking Belkar isn't going to sit still quite long enough to get netted, especially when he could just kill the slaver and take his bola/fan for himself.

On the other hand, we may be looking at the beginning of a slaver side-quest, so who knows?

[Sijo]

Ah... now this feels more like OOTS! About time we got into the story itself (even if this proves to be just a random encounter.)

Durkon's revenge on Belkar after what he did last strip was great. In fact just seeing Belkar suffer improves any OOTS strip for me (can you tell I hate his guts? :smallwink: )

I have to admit I cannot remember the half-camel reference. Not that surprising given the current quality of my memory.

So, what are the slavers supposed to be? Thri-Kreen are mantis warriors, not beetles. Though of course Rich decides what he uses and how he draws it.

[oball]

It's an ugly planet! A bug planet!

[the_tick_rules]

Heh, you go Dwarf.

[AxeD]

Ha Ha, don't mess with the party cleric! I hope Belkar has learnt this valuable lesson!

I've seen cases where the party cleric will refuse to heal a PC (who has annoyed him) until the PC makes a considerable donation to the cleric cleric's deity

Btw, did anyone else notice that Haley was suprisingly quiet in this comic?

[Turkish Delight]

Are Thri-Kreen in the same category as Mind Flayers? If someone uses the name, will the lawyers show up?

[Optimystik]

just a lil nitpicking...6 of them? shouldnt that be 7? :belkar: should be demanding a heat resist spell for poor Mr Scruffy....forced to walk around wearing a fur coat in that heat 8(

Perhaps Durkon was counting Mr. Scruffy, instead omitting V, who cast his own endure elements on Blackwing or himself. It would add another dimension of hilarity if Durkon warded the cat before Belkar. :smallbiggrin:

[Starbuck_II]

Are Thri-Kreen in the same category as Mind Flayers? If someone uses the name, will the lawyers show up?

No, Mind Flayers are in the SRD. Thri-keen are not.

They could be humans with insectiod template (that would make beetle humaniods).

[DnDgeek13]

so here is the question... do you think belkar will get captured?

[Tubal-Cain]

Perhaps Durkon was counting Mr. Scruffy, instead omitting V, who cast his own endure elements on Blackwing or himself. It would add another dimension of hilarity if Durkon warded the cat before Belkar. :smallbiggrin:

Well, Mr. Scruffy certainly doesn't seem to be sweating. Though he appears to be enjoying the bola fan as much as Belkar.

[rainbowjo]

You know, she does look a lot like Haley, now that you mention it. Maybe this lends credence to the idea Haley's father is free and/or ruling a kingdom in the desert land. Either that or she is that cousin Sheila that was mentioned before.

Or she could be a random nameless human with red hair : )

[fox1212]

Perhaps Durkon was counting Mr. Scruffy, instead omitting V, who cast his own endure elements on Blackwing or himself. It would add another dimension of hilarity if Durkon warded the cat before Belkar. :smallbiggrin:

As a matter of fact, cats' fur isolates them not only from the cold, but also from extreme heat. I've seen a cat sitting comfortably beside a blacksmith's fire.


Somehow I'm thinking Belkar isn't going to sit still quite long enough to get netted, especially when he could just kill the slaver and take his bola/fan for himself.

Yeah, right. And having do work himself?

[Malkar Grumbo]

Or she could be a random nameless human with red hair : )

You are probably right, I am most likely wrong.

[Selene]

Durkon, as always, is quietly awesome. :smallcool:

[Morty]

No, Mind Flayers are in the SRD. Thri-keen are not.

They could be humans with insectiod template (that would make beetle humaniods).

Actually, Mind Flayers aren't in the SRD either, hence the "squid thingy" when Elan met one.

[Malkar Grumbo]

Durkon, as always, is quietly awesome. :smallcool:

I agree, he is indeed awesome.

[hamishspence]

No, Mind Flayers are in the SRD. Thri-keen are not.

It is likely that neither are the Eye of Fear and Flame, the Huecuva, and maybe even the Death Knight.

Which may be why the books with them in, made an appearance when they did.

[Calmness]

You know, I'm really liking the art in these last few strips, it seems more detailed for some reason. Those Thri-Kreen look great.

[HandofShadows]

So much funny packed into a single page. The work of a master.

[zql]

dashing swordman's puns against beetles warriors are promising :smallsmile:

greetings from the land of boleadoras

[Draz74]

Loved the Half-Camel gag. (And the fact that it wasn't the punch line.)

Loved the fact that Belkar could have cast Endure Elements on himself (and Mr. Scruffy too for that matter) with a higher Wisdom. (Thanks, forum-fellows, for pointing this out.)

Loved the art. Didn't expect to see Thri-Kreen show up in the strip.

Didn't think Belkar had enough self control to maintain his "helpful" ploy to the extent of admitting that his comeuppance was justified. Heh, interesting.

Love having Roy back.

Mechanically, not including Blackwing and Scruffy in Endure Elements is a mistake. A small one, but a mistake. Optimizer says, Belkar should definitely get a Wisdom-boosting item, and he and V should cast EE on themselves instead of depending on Durkon, partly so they can Share Spells. (When was the last time we saw V actually use a L1 spell slot in combat, btw?)

Wondering how long-lasting the consequences of Belkar's sunburn will be. Oh, and why doesn't he at least put up his hood (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0107.html)?

[Aaron]

Random Desert Encounter! Horay!!!:smallbiggrin:

[John Cribati]

Oh, and why doesn't he at least put up his hood (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0107.html)?

Hoods, especially those of dark colors, have a way of making you hotter rather than cooling you off.

[Gullara]

Much improved over the last couple of comics. It featured meany of my favourite elements, including....

1)A/2 references to past events with decent observational (not punny) humour. Half Camel indeed.
2)The practical war between Belkar and other party members is in full force (OK it isn't V but since Durkon helped out then anyway)
3)Action with Roy in charge. Oh how I missed this.
4)Finish on a strong joke with a multipanel set up.

In all seriousness the design of the slavers was something I really did not expect. I know bug like things in desert environments can be how DnD works though so it fits in well. They make a very welcome change from goblins, ogres, undead and the like. Also the character interactions between Durkon and Belkar were very well drawn out and played. It felt completely genuine. And the call back to a very old joke (from Durokans Dungeon no less) helps tie in the spirit of the event to something we haven't seen since before the Azure City arcs. For me the reuniting of the order is now complete and all is as it should be with them.

Plus the art design is very good. Mixing the differing shades of brown made a wonderful perspective effect and the spalshes of colour seem even more vibrant and visible. Except for Haley who blends, which is entirely right. And the effect on the spinning bola is brilliantly done to give a sense of movement.

Not perfect. The ensemble dynamic was missing Haley but I don't see anywhere she could slot in without it seeming unnecessary (such as the Roy giving orders moment) so I ignore it. Also nothing momentous enough happens for us to call it a classic strip. But it does everything right. And it even allows a potential avenue for Belkar/Durkon interactions to drive some character growth for the one character who has had so little (even if his character is such that he doesn't need/want it as much).

All in all this is a solid 4 star strip. Very good, but not a classic.

I concur ...

[Qrod]

The giant has writer's block and is forcing out comics. It's almost as if he finds this less fun than he used to...

[Athaniar]

http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/xph_gallery/46026.jpg
http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/cpsi_gallery/96402.jpg
The second one looks strikingly similar to those in the comic. Yep, I think they are Thri-kreen.

[Antrozous]

So...
Who wants to add Thri-Kreen to the OOTS Crack Pairing thread?

[Doc Filth]

If they *are* Thri-kreen, they aren't using any of their standard weapons (a two-bladed polearm and a crystal throwing wedge). But I can't think of anything better...

[Elfin]

Awesome. My favorite desert strip yet.

[KeiranHalcyon]

I suspect that hidden within this random encounter with slavers the greater plot wheels have at last begun to spin again.

Indeed. Who wants to place bets that Haley's Dad is involved?

Also, I love how Mr. Scruffy is also enjoying the breeze.

[Ikialev]

Human bugs from underground now?

And I like Elan's reference to himself about V being halfcamel.

[valce]

Where's the half-camel gag come from?

[Tiktakkat]

just a lil nitpicking...6 of them? shouldnt that be 7? :belkar: should be demanding a heat resist spell for poor Mr Scruffy....forced to walk around wearing a fur coat in that heat 8(

Yeah!

Equal rights for Mr. Scruffy!
Starting with a Mr. Scruffy Smilie. The :roach: have one, and Mr. Scruffy is way cooler than they are.

[Nights1stStar]

Where's the half-camel gag come from?

http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0087.html

[Nights1stStar]

Excellent comic. There were four jokes before the bugs even popped up: "Druidcon", "blows to the head", "stupid entirely justified commeuppance", and "bottomless pit of self reference". TV industry, eat your heart out. Burlew's the one who writes the best banter lines.

And yes, before anyone asks, Belkar would completely do something like that. Dangerously clever slavers too. I foresee lots of laughs at Belkar in the future, and not laughing with him, but laughing at him.

[Taekwondodo]

*wonders why Elan want to talk to camels*

No! Bad brain! ... excuse me a moment while I pour acid in my ear...
Aaaarrggh!

So, anyway. Yay action! And Mr Scruffy's face in the last panel.:smallbiggrin:

[Elan's Modron]

I continue to love this new OotS continent- the color-scheme, the nuances -both big and small - that show that we're somewhere else (thri-keenesque raiders bursting out of the sand)-
Also, I love how all the main characters seem to be perfectly themselves, yet even more so.

Lots of funny, and now- ACTION! Hot sweaty desert action, no less.
(Belkar's line about what kind of sweat his trousers are now full of proves that although B. might not be much good at basic Ranger feats, skills, and spells, his joke-feat Craft Disturbing Mental Image has not gone unwasted...)

[Zanaril]

*wonders why Elan want to talk to camels*

No! Bad brain! ... excuse me a moment while I pour acid in my ear...
Aaaarrggh!


Lots of funny, and now- ACTION! Hot sweaty desert action, no less.

Now I know you people are just doing this on purpose.

[Allerdyce]

I daresay these slavers are pretty clever. New continent = awesome adventures, apparently.

[David Argall]

Wait, Belkar's in trousers? That's news to me...

You had better hope so, or at least remember not to look up. Recall that Belkar has that ring of Jumping...

Now what is going on here? It could just be a random encounter where we just get a page or two of jokes, but the reference to slavers hints at something longer term.
The whole party gets captured? A 13th+ level party gets taken out by a bunch of slavers? It's more than a little of a stretch. They should mow thru anything reasonable. Anything that should actually challenge them should be off ruling cities. [Technically, slavers would be distinctly unlikely to attack caravans. They attack villages where the merchandise stays in one place and you don't have to hope they come to you. Now they could be after the other goods, and slavery is just a sideline, but as a chief motive, slavery won't do here.]
On the other hand, having the party captured does have plot utility in explaining why the party is taking a detour from going right to the gate and dully sitting there waiting for Xykon. And this would hardly be the first time a fight has not gone the way it should.

Perhaps more reasonably, the slavers are chased off, but they take some prisoners, such as Belkar?, and the party sets off to do a rescue. This does seem a lot like Elan getting captured, and as Belkar points out, the story doesn't reuse plots.

[Dr Bwaa]

I love the rightmost Ankheg (if that's what it is), breaching like a whale out of the sand :smallbiggrin:

Great strip!

[hamishspence]

There are slavers, and there are slavers.

These are monstrous ones- assumptions based on "real slave raiders" may not apply here- if these are the equivalent in the OoTS setting of things like the Neogi.

Neogi are powerful monster slavers who would be quite happy to go for a party of 13th level adventurers as merchandise.

[Starscream]

http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/cpsi_gallery/96402.jpg
The second one looks strikingly similar to those in the comic. Yep, I think they are Thri-kreen.

I've never seen that picture of one before, only the first one. It's pretty awesome, what book is it from?

[hamishspence]

Complete Psionic- page 150- Thri-keen racial class.

[Optimystik]

[Technically, slavers would be distinctly unlikely to attack caravans. They attack villages where the merchandise stays in one place and you don't have to hope they come to you. Now they could be after the other goods, and slavery is just a sideline, but as a chief motive, slavery won't do here.]

On the other hand, if you kidnap people that are traveling from point A to point B, you can get a decent racket going. Their loved ones may not miss them for a long time due to the transit, and even if they do there are numerous other potential culprits like monsters and sandstorms to blame the disappearance on. So slavers exclusively attacking caravans isn't that far of a stretch.

[Ronfar]

Mr. Scruffy is adorable in that last panel, cuddling up to Belkar like that.

[veti]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but... ankhegs can't fly, surely?

So it must be something else. Giant beetles, possibly.

[Shale]

Where are they flying?

[hamishspence]

My guess is that Panel 7 was being interpreted as flying-

but the thing is, that its very hard to tell if the feet are touching the sand or not.

[Endarire]

"Mind Flayer" was in an old 3.0 SRD. Thri-Kreen have been published in so many books that I'm certain WotC can't make up their mind about them. (Certain bonuses change depending on the book.)

[hamishspence]

In 3.5:

Psionics Handbook
MM2
Savage Species
Expanded Psionics Handbook
Shining South

and a racial progression, a la Savage Species, for 3.5 Thri-keen is in:

Complete Psionic.

Edit:
I've just checked- its not in Psionics handbook, but is in all the others.

The stats are fairly similar for all except the Savage Species version, which does not have an Intelligence penalty.

The others all get +2 Str, +4 Dex, +2 Wis, -2 Int, -4 Cha

[PhallicWarrior]

Excellent comic, but I don't get the name. Why shouldn't you oscillate?

[Cracklord]

Rot, rot, rot in the ground because the everyone hates you!

Fixed it for you. :smallwink:

[Zanaril]

Can we request a large version of panel 5 to use as a desktop background? The small scale just doesn't do justice to how detailed it is. :smallsmile:

[Katana_Geldar]

10gp says Belkar gets captured and the party has to rescue him.

[Kurien]

I don't know... lately something has seemed off about the comic. The art looks the same, but the writing seems... different.
Maybe the Giant has in some way retired from the comic and the duty of creating has been passed to some new individual? Maybe the Giant died from his illnesses?
For instance, in 683, I doubt that swinging some bolas would produce any kind of breeze. I mean it's just a piece of rope, there's hardly any surface area for moving air, let alone in any particular direction like a real fan.

Anyway, I did notice that the Thri-Kreens (if that's what's everyone's calling them.) have two digits on their hands. *Point's to one of my avatars*
http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z215/Dinathirion/FormiaryxWorkerBackgroundSmall.png
I did it before the Giant!
Also, Mr Scruffy is enjoying the breeze in the last panel too!

[Katana_Geldar]

My Scruffy is wearing a fur coat, he'd be suffering the heat MORE than Belkar.

I half expect to see him lying on a tiled floor if they get to one.

[Bliu Skye]

So...this may be a complete and total coincidence (it likely is) but there is a character from a book series called The Wheel of Time called Aviendha. She has red hair, tan skin (at least her face, that is) and for the greater part of the series wore a dark skirt and a white blouse. The part that makes me wonder? She's an Aiel, a race that lives in a great desert.
And that girl under the net....:smallconfused:

Anyway, this strip is classic OOTS. However, I begin to wonder why Haley needed the revealing clothing if she knew that Durkon could ward her anyway?

[The MunchKING]

Anyway, this strip is classic OOTS. However, I begin to wonder why Haley needed the revealing clothing if she knew that Durkon could ward her anyway?

She's a girl. She wanted an excuse to go shopping. :smalltongue:

[Adeptus]

Hmm... what are those critters? I've reached the limit of my D&D lore (as a non-D&D roleplayer).

[Blue Ghost]

Ooh, slavers! This will be interesting. Where do you think these slavers come from, do you reckon? Think they are heading off to sell their slaves in Tyrinaria, or whatever the current political power is?

[lothos]

Is that Haley's long lost sister being abducted in panel 7?


You know, she does look a lot like Haley, now that you mention it. Maybe this lends credence to the idea Haley's father is free and/or ruling a kingdom in the desert land. Either that or she is that cousin Sheila that was mentioned before.

My first thought was that she looks a lot like Haley, then that she looks even more like Haley's latent bisexuality depicted in strip 382 (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0382.html). The skirt and the skirt being ragged at the bottom. The colour of the skirt and boots are different, but the rest matches. She does look a lot like regular, non mental construct Haley though.

I certainly wouldn't put it past rich to have some complexity like that woman being related to Haley somehow. Perhaps even some mistaken identity later, which Elan would love as it fits the bardic tradition so well, though he might object that Nale and he have "already done it". Or she may just be a random person who looks like Haley to make us think she is significant :-) Or perhaps Rich just misses drawing women with long red hair since Haley had her haircut :-)

Will be interesting to find out....

Loved the strip's jokes too - Endure Elements and the "Fan Service" from the Slaver. The "half camel" was great and so was V's comment. Thanks Rich.

[The Pale King]

Bolas Do Not Work That Way! Good Night!
The comic does not have to follow DnD rules to the letter!

[Surfing HalfOrc]

Trousers full of nut-sweat? For some reason, I've always pictured Belkar in a kilt... Don't know why.

[bobothegoat]

Would I be going too far to suggest that it might have been funnier if Belkar had replaced the word "entirely" with the word "morally?" I can't be the only one who immediately thought about this, right?

edit: in light of Haley's long lost sister, I like to mention that Roy's long lost brother is also present, leading 2 camels.

[waterpenguin43]

Uh oh, I think they're gonna get their hands on Belkar and he's going to die, as his fate demands.

[Shmigor]

Ah, that's beautiful. I love logger at DruidCon. And I'm glad we've gotten to a Random Encounter... although it maybe won't be so random? Lead to something? Please?

[David Argall]

On the other hand, if you kidnap people that are traveling from point A to point B, you can get a decent racket going. Their loved ones may not miss them for a long time due to the transit, and even if they do there are numerous other potential culprits like monsters and sandstorms to blame the disappearance on. So slavers exclusively attacking caravans isn't that far of a stretch.

Now as victims for sacrifice, such might work, but as slaves, they are constant sources of messages home to tell about the operation, particularly since some of the victims are going to be quite rich and well able to buy their freedom from their owners. So the slaver is not going to maintain secrecy for long, and once discovered, the local governments are going to put a stop to them stealing their sla..., er, harassing their citizens.

As already noted, we are not talking of something extremely implausible. But for those of us who like to nitpick, it is a flaw.

[Solara]

Just to nip the "OMG Haley's long lost sister' discussion/derail in the bud.



Why would I possibly WANT this sort of speculation?

Sometimes, a cigar is just a cigar. Sometimes, characters that have a similar hairstyle just have a similar hairstyle. How many hairstyles do you think there are that can be drawn in stick figure style, anyway?

Thus saith The Giant. (in another thread)

[Bibliomancer]

Is Endure Elements copyrighted? I'm fairly certain that would be the correct spell to use.

Apart from that, serious semi-random encounters are always interesting. We haven't had one since Miko.

[geekwraith]

Ah, Giant, always crafting titles with the fans in mind. :smallbiggrin:

[Kelvin360]

Im starting to think that The Giant puts innocuous stuff in the comics to play with our minds. (i know -I- find it amusing)

[Kashkalgar]

The comic does not have to follow DnD rules to the letter!

Was referencing Morbo's line in Futurama...

Female announcer: "I'm sure those windmills will keep them cool."
Morbo: "Windmills Do Not Work That Way! Good Night!"

[Herald Alberich]

Now as victims for sacrifice, such might work, but as slaves, they are constant sources of messages home to tell about the operation, particularly since some of the victims are going to be quite rich and well able to buy their freedom from their owners. So the slaver is not going to maintain secrecy for long, and once discovered, the local governments are going to put a stop to them stealing their sla..., er, harassing their citizens.

As already noted, we are not talking of something extremely implausible. But for those of us who like to nitpick, it is a flaw.

How would the slaves send messages? And while yes, traders would be very rich, any wealth they have on hand will just be stolen, and I think the slavers would be smart enough to refuse the chance at wealth elsewhere - they have to know letting a rich slave go in exchange for a promise of gold once he gets where he's going is a losing deal, since he might not pay and he'll certainly tell whatever authorities he can find.

If he can find any authorities. For a local government to crack down on the slavers, it would have to exist and be stable long enough to devote resources to the operation, which doesn't happen often on this continent.

[ondonaflash]

Hmm... what are those critters? I've reached the limit of my D&D lore (as a non-D&D roleplayer).

I think they're Fomorians (the 3.5 ones). They were the Lawful exemplars I think, and they're known for enslaving other races. Also, they're Ant-Men.

[Watcher]

Excellent comic, but I don't get the name. Why shouldn't you oscillate?

He's like a fan, and to oscillate means to go from side to side, like some fans do, and if he stopped blowing on Belkar, he would come to his senses and slaughter him.

At least, that's what I interpreted it as.

[X2]

A fine return to form Rich! Keep it up!

[Nimrod's Son]

My first thought was that she looks a lot like Haley, then that she looks even more like Haley's latent bisexuality depicted in strip 382 (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0382.html). The skirt and the skirt being ragged at the bottom. The colour of the skirt and boots are different, but the rest matches.
Apart from the hair. And the skin.


I certainly wouldn't put it past rich to have some complexity like that woman being related to Haley somehow. Perhaps even some mistaken identity later, which Elan would love as it fits the bardic tradition so well, though he might object that Nale and he have "already done it". Or she may just be a random person who looks like Haley to make us think she is significant :-) Or perhaps Rich just misses drawing women with long red hair since Haley had her haircut :-)

Will be interesting to find out....
There ya go, then. (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=127453) :smallwink:

[Selene]

Aviendha.

LOL! Now that you mention it... :smallbiggrin:

[factotum]

Maybe the Giant has in some way retired from the comic and the duty of creating has been passed to some new individual? Maybe the Giant died from his illnesses?


Nice try at hiding that, but I think you just took the prize--in a forum where most people seem to specialise in the care and nurture of epileptic trees, you got the most ridiculous one.

[Nimrod's Son]

Maybe The Giant NEVER EXISTED.

Oooh... goosebumps.

[Fishman]

just a lil nitpicking...6 of them? shouldnt that be 7? :belkar: should be demanding a heat resist spell for poor Mr Scruffy....forced to walk around wearing a fur coat in that heat 8(Actually, cats are evolved from desert animals and are perfectly happy with the heat as a result. Haven't you noticed how cats always gravitate towards warm places, like radiators and computers, and will occasionally set themselves on fire as a result of this tendency?


Now as victims for sacrifice, such might work, but as slaves, they are constant sources of messages home to tell about the operation, particularly since some of the victims are going to be quite rich and well able to buy their freedom from their owners. So the slaver is not going to maintain secrecy for long, and once discovered, the local governments are going to put a stop to them stealing their sla..., er, harassing their citizens.Attacking caravans is a fairly traditional slaver activity, really. I mean, caravans go missing all the time. The local government might want to stop this, or perhaps not really care enough, but the fact of the matter is that there is an awful lot of ground to cover in some very unpleasant territory, and caravan routes are rife with all manner of banditry, which is pretty much why caravans exist.

[David Argall]

How would the slaves send messages?
That is the easy part. "Master, I am an old man, worth maybe 10 gold as unskilled labor. But I have kin who will pay 1000 gold for my safe return..." The master takes it from there.[/QUOTE]


any wealth they have on hand will just be stolen,
Of course, but a wealthy merchant would not have all his wealth on him. He would own property in each city he traded in.



and I think the slavers would be smart enough to refuse the chance at wealth elsewhere - they have to know letting a rich slave go in exchange for a promise of gold once he gets where he's going is a losing deal, since he might not pay and he'll certainly tell whatever authorities he can find.
The slavers may be, but whoever they sell their merchandise to is much more likely to look at that nice big short term profit. What does he care that the slavers may be run out of business? He gets a lot of gold from that ransom. And while he may well have problems in collecting, kidnappers often enough collect their ransoms, and societies to rescue slaves by buying them from their captors were common for centuries, and likely existed long before that.


If he can find any authorities. For a local government to crack down on the slavers, it would have to exist and be stable long enough to devote resources to the operation, which doesn't happen often on this continent.
Caravans are big money makers for governments. They can be taxed heavily when they arrive. So there is very large incentive for the government of the day to protect them, and run off any slaver operations. This is the case even when the government is relatively short term.
Keep in mind here that slavery isn't very profitable, unless you get the slaves for almost nothing. Our merchant caravan has perhaps ten times as much value in loot as it does in possible slaves, and the loot is much less trouble to carry away.
While it can make for dramatic stories, our actual slavers were armies, who attacked villagers and other settled life. The victims were then sold and put into the slave caravan and taken to the sponsors of the army for sale.
So our caravan was in little danger from slavers.

[pjackson]

How would the slaves send messages? And while yes, traders would be very rich, any wealth they have on hand will just be stolen, and I think the slavers would be smart enough to refuse the chance at wealth elsewhere - they have to know letting a rich slave go in exchange for a promise of gold once he gets where he's going is a losing deal, since he might not pay and he'll certainly tell whatever authorities he can find.

Reality is different. See Julius Caesar and the pirates (http://www.livius.org/caa-can/caesar/caesar_t01.htm)

[Adeptus]

I think they're Fomorians (the 3.5 ones). They were the Lawful exemplars I think, and they're known for enslaving other races. Also, they're Ant-Men.

Hmm... maybe you have the name wrong. Fomorians are deformed giants of Irish folklore, and seem to be something similar even in D&D:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fomorian_%28Dungeons_&_Dragons%29

[hamishspence]

Formians is the name of the lawful antlike beings.

The pictures depict them with four legs rather than four arms, though.

[Lvl45DM!]

yeah formians are more centaurs that have an ant half instead of a horse half
and an ant half instead of a human half
:smallconfused: D and D is weird

[Wolf_Plague]

I love the rightmost Ankheg (if that's what it is), breaching like a whale out of the sand :smallbiggrin:

Great strip!
First thing I thought about was Shai-Hulud :smallsmile:

[Dinocarl]

It took me a long time and a lot of forum reading to realize that the bola was acting like a FAN, not hypnotizing them. Duh...

That said, I think that Mr Scruffy is probably very hot, his poor little kitty paws must be burning! Contrary to some posts' claims, my cat (a Maine ****) does NOT like the hot summer days, far preferring snow and ice. At least Mr Scruffy is all white and comes from presumably hot southern lands.

I hope that Mr Scruffy will save the day, jumping up and catching the dangly bits and stopping the fan. If not, we might be subject to another bit of Roy soul-searching as he tries to decided whether to rescue Belk or continue the mission to save the world...

I also liked the Beetle Baily joke :smallbiggrin:

EDIT: Wow, the name of my cat's breed was filtered, how bizarre! Yes, I realize that word CAN be used as a racial slur, but it's far more commonly used in other contexts...

[hamishspence]

yeah formians are more centaurs that have an ant half instead of a horse half
and an ant half instead of a human half
:smallconfused: D and D is weird

The "The body of a lion, and the head of a lion, but not the same lion" quote from, I think Woody Allen, was quite funny.

Also the Simpsons parodied the same joke in one of the episodes.

That said, formians are more like ants with forelegs becoming arms, whereas thri-keen are more humanoid.

[Shale]

Maybe The Giant NEVER EXISTED.

Oooh... goosebumps.

:elan: DUN DUN DUN!

[Random832]

Maybe The Giant NEVER EXISTED.

Oooh... goosebumps.

Maybe WE don't exist.

[Tubal-Cain]

Maybe WE don't exist.

Of course you don't. You are all a figment of my imagination.

[Kelvin360]

Ah, the possibilities for the "would a figment do this?" jokes....and does he realize yet that most of our avatars have weapons?

[Tobimaro]

Bolas Do Not Work That Way! Good Night!

Methinks that the Rule of Funny trumps you. And this comic had plenty of it.

And I shall remember the "do not make the cleric mad" rule, especially in the party where I am the cleric. :smallbiggrin:

[Tyrrell]

If they *are* Thri-kreen, they aren't using any of their standard weapons (a two-bladed polearm and a crystal throwing wedge). But I can't think of anything better...

I can: Aspis ant people who first showed up in A1: Slave pits of the Undercity.

They're bug men, they're slavers and I think that they might have used Bolas (but it's been a few decades I could be wrong on the last point).

[Beren]

Was referencing Morbo's line in Futurama...

Female announcer: "I'm sure those windmills will keep them cool."
Morbo: "Windmills Do Not Work That Way! Good Night!"

Thank you for getting the joke. I thought it was awesome, but it doesn't look like anyone else got it. :smallfrown:

[Platinius]

Of course you don't. You are all a figment of my imagination.

To that I can only respond: cognito ergo sum

[Allan Surgite]

Of course you don't. You are all a figment of my imagination.
I think that you're all a pigment of my imagination.

Like, say, bleen and gurple.

You make really weird pigments.

[Itamarcu]

Hey! Wait a minute!
The guy in the 5th panel is Roy's twin, and the woman in the 7th is Haley's!
It all makes sense now!

Also, Am I the only one who noticed Roy's Out-Of-Panel talking is in a different color? in 273 (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0273.html) and 666 (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0666.html) the color is yellowish-orange, but here it's blue.
Wait, THAT'S the proof it's Roy's identical twin!!!

[Optimystik]

To that I can only respond: cognito ergo sum

"I'm noticed, therefore I am?"

I'm guessing you meant "cogito" there...

[Platinius]

:smallredface:
errare humanum est, in errore perseverare stultum
(to err is human, to insist on errors stupid)

[Hrairoo]

keep up the bottomless pit of selfreference oots!

haha, it's nice to see that they're not the only ones suffering in the heat...

[Doug Lampert]

To that I can only respond: cognito ergo sum

Yes, that I think you typed that establishes MY existence quite nicely. But it does nothing to show that you do. I could be wrong after all, and that quote could be all in my imagination.

[Nimrod's Son]

You are all a figment of my imagination.
I KNOW. ............

[GenericFighter]

How on Earth has this thread gotten to page six with out this (http://www.hulu.com/watch/17611/the-simpsons-giant-space-ants) being referenced?

[Platinius]

Yes, that I think you typed that establishes MY existence quite nicely. But it does nothing to show that you do. I could be wrong after all, and that quote could be all in my imagination.

To be able to be human, I need to be able to err add and to be able to err I need to be able to think, thus I think so I do exist.

[Doc Filth]

I can: Aspis ant people who first showed up in A1: Slave pits of the Undercity.

They're bug men, they're slavers and I think that they might have used Bolas (but it's been a few decades I could be wrong on the last point).

And suitably obscure. I like that! :)

[Lvl45DM!]

Platinius YOU know you exist but noone else can ever know that because theres no way we can KNOW you think

Scruffy will save belkar!

[Scarlet Knight]

Ah, Giant, always crafting titles with the fans in mind. :smallbiggrin:

GROOOOAN! :smallbiggrin:

[Selene]

I can: Aspis ant people who first showed up in A1: Slave pits of the Undercity.

They're bug men, they're slavers and I think that they might have used Bolas (but it's been a few decades I could be wrong on the last point).

There's a thread about that, if you're interested.

http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=7067457&postcount=1

[Platinius]

But you do know that I think, right? Therefore I must exist even for you.

The Belkster is in no danger he can't handle