OOTS #691 - The Discussion Thread

[The Giant]

New comic is up.

[pyrefiend]

Hey it updated when I was right here! Nice!

[MoriHikari]

hm...cant wait to see how this goes down...I bet elan finds it first

[AlfredAmeoba]

Ah, good dependable Elan. In his own special way.
Thanks! that comic just made my day.

[Silvermike]

It's alive!!

[Gamerlord]

HAHAH!


Good old elan, incompetent as always.

[derfenrirwolv]

hey! something to be thankfull for

And because someone will ask, Blackwing's eyes are lighting up because when a wizard casts a spell on himself, the familiar can share it. The bird probably has a higher spot check than V anyway...

[Woodsman]

Ha! I love how Roy is using Elan like that!

[Darius Midnite]

Brilliant tactic. :smallbiggrin:

[CoffeeIncluded]

So, is that a treasure chest, a rock, or the dungeon?

(Look at Elan and Haley in the first panel :smallbiggrin:)

[Jolee]

"Do not start that again."
Ooh is this a jungle book reference, or am I thinking of something else?

And Yay Comic!

[Ormur]

Wow, a semi earnest smile from Roy.

[Altaria87]

"Do not start that again."
Ooh is this a jungle book reference, or am I thinking of something else?

And Yay Comic!
No it's a reference to the strip where everyone says Blackwing doesn't exist.

Also, wow this comic turned up without me even seeing it :smallamused:

[Sewblon]

See, Elan does consistently find good things without effort. Is it me, or has Roy not had any emotions since the hiatus ended? That strip needed more Belkar.

[Kaytara]

YES!

Ooh, plot advancement. :D Roy is using everyone's assets. And being subtle about it. Nice. XD

Although...

:roy: "...the plan here is to split up and search the area..."

Split up? Split up?

Oh, Roy. :smallsigh:

[Hillary]

Good old Elan, I hope he finds it. That's actually very smart of Roy, using Elan. Although I agree, splitting up is a terrible idea. And poor V. Nobody remembers his/her familiar.

[xyzzy]

Wait, so... what happened to the worm? Did they just kill it while we weren't looking?

[whitemane]

WOOHOO!!! For Elan, stupidity is a class feature!!!

[AlfredAmeoba]

No it's a reference to the strip where everyone says Blackwing doesn't exist.

Also, wow this comic turned up without me even seeing it :smallamused:

Pun intended?

[SPoD]

Wait, so... what happened to the worm? Did they just kill it while we weren't looking?

It can be inferred from the first panel that Belkar eliminated the spice from his system, thus leaving the worm no reason to follow the party when they left it.

[WWBelkarD]

Yes, new comic!

I loved the use of Elan. He probably will find it first…

[Sewblon]

I didn't realize it until now, but I miss Team Evil.

[Kroy]

Ah yes, the rule of Cool. I wonder if the Giant is going to make Elan find the chest...

[Moff Chumley]

Roy's a badass, as we're reminded here. :smallcool:

[WNxArrakis]

Awesome. Elan's on a Desert Trip!

[Blanth]

YAY! We totally missed some action off panel for Belkar. No doubt more strips for the next book!

I'm glad they're letting Elan do something.

The only concern is, breaking the party up (just for a moment)... again? Dun dun dunnn...

[Siosilvar]

Awesome. Elan's on a Desert Trip! Adventure!

Fixed that for you.

[The Dark Fiddler]

Aww, I was having fun at all the "WHERE IZ COMIC" threads.

Good comic though. :smallbiggrin:

[devel31]

hehe, I have seen that strategy work before, although in a slightly different tune.:smallwink: Instead of just using true seeing, our wizard decided to mass summon monster I for Fiendish Hawks, I'm not really sure why he decided to research that in the first place, but it was his style. I think he probably used the spell once more in the campaign. :smalltongue:

[Zeta Kai]

WOOHOO!!! For Elan, stupidity is a class feature!!!

Not just any stupidity. Dramatically-beneficial stupidity. The latter is convenient. The former is usually not. And Roy is learning the difference.

[Zanaril]

Ooh! A treasure chest!

[Gnrlshrimp]

By the sound of it, even if Elan doesn't trip over the dungeon entrance itself, he may well trip over enough treasure chests to make the whole trip nicely profitable. His stupidity and its uses never cease to amaze me.

[Rosnet]

I have no idea what's going on with the story anymore.

[Deathmachine]

Roy clearly shows why he is the party leader :smallwink:

[Zanaril]

YAY! We totally missed some action off panel for Belkar. No doubt more strips for the next book!

...It's nothing any of us want to see.

[Querzis]

...It's nothing any of us want to see.

Somehow, that just doesnt sound right when someone from the Crack Pairings thread say it.

[Owl]

"It didn't follow me back here, did it?"

:smallbiggrin::smallbiggrin::smallbiggrin:

[multilis]

Yet further proof that Elan is a clever secret agent for Snarl the Great. (He acts dumber than is believable yet succeeds, obviously he gets the happy ending because he is on the winning side. What is really surprising is how gullable the rest of OOTS are, believing whatever crap the gods tell them and suckering for Elan's bad acting)

[Hrairoo]

although all available resources might be necessary to find the gate, it is a bit risky, i'll agree, to split up the party when going head to head with a master illusionist...

i think roy might have to rely on elan's sense of drama more than ever out here. i get the feeling that the spellcasters won't play nearly as big a part as they normally do...

[Conuly]

I have no idea what's going on with the story anymore.

Roy's back, they decided to check out the remaining two gates to see if they're okay, Girard's is the one the Oracle said will be next targeted after Azure City (well, he more or less said that), the Order is in the desert wandering around hoping to stumble across (literally) Girard's Gate and let him in on what's happened since the Scribblies split up.

That sum it up for you?

[Snake-Aes]

So many little jewels :D

[Hann]

Yes! This comic gives me one more thing to be thankful for.

[Zanaril]

Somehow, that just doesnt sound right when someone from the Crack Pairings thread say it.
Hey, I'm off-duty when I'm in other threads. Not everything I say is a double entendre.

And seriously, if the guy I quoted really wants to see what Belkar was doing off-screen, then he's obviously misunderstood it. :smallyuk:

[recluso]

The fact Elan finds something while looking for something dramatically appropriate, makes me guess he found

*The* cliche for this: The top of a pyramid.
And course I trust Rich to give it some weird twist. Still - I say pyramid.

[Dark Faun]

And Roy shows us he has pretty good Intelligence and Wisdom once again. :smallbiggrin:

[Jolee]

No it's a reference to the strip where everyone says Blackwing doesn't exist.

Also, wow this comic turned up without me even seeing it :smallamused:

I know that, but does anyone else think that the line also a reference to the vultures from Disney's Jungle Book movie. I'm suggesting this because it seems like that line was delivered by Blackwing rather than V.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2jNKb26ShQ
For the line in question watch from 1:15 near the end.

[Mary Leathert]

Nice, it was useful to come here once more today.

Now I'm just left wondering what is in that treasure chest (or whether it actually is one). Hopefully the next comic will answer this.

[Dvandemon]

Woot:smallbiggrin: after days of checking over and over...

Updates make me wanna dance <('_'<)(^'_'^)(>'_')>(' ')( :)(..)(: )(' ')(>'_')>(^'_'^)<('_'<)

[Blade206]

The fact Elan finds something while looking for something dramatically appropriate, makes me guess he found

*The* cliche for this: The top of a pyramid.
And course I trust Rich to give it some weird twist. Still - I say pyramid.


Actually I have a different theory I am guessing he may have found

a mimic. After all, he did say he found a treasure chest:smallwink:

Hopefully we will know when the next comic strip is up :smallyuk:

[Elfin]

Nice to see Roy making Elan feel useful.
Also nice to see that Elan's still incompetent as always.

[Kastanok]

Awwwww :smallsmile: It's so nice to see Roy and Elan getting along. Anyone wanna go bowling later? :smalltongue:

*Resets 'Days Since Last Comic' sign* Any bets on how long until the next 'where is comic?' thread?

[Athaniar]

Ooh, interesting. Wonder if they'll find Girard immediately or if it's going to be some kind of Zelda-esque dungeon (I hope it's the latter).

[Teddy]

YES, NEW COMIC! :smallbiggrin:

"Syncronized spellcasting", loved that one. What else will there be in the OotS-lympic games?

[Dvandemon]

The title definitely fits and Roy is being a little... i forgot the word but srsly the way he explained it to Elan it made perfect sense; but his real reason sounds increasingly hurtful

also transmitting joy to all posters, please stand by

t(-==========:smallbiggrin:=<3

[derfenrirwolv]

but his real reason sounds increasingly hurtful

TELLING someone their an idiot is hurtful whether or not its true

THINKING someone is an idiot is only hurtful if its not true.

Elan is an (lovable) idiot, so thinking it isn't a problem. Roy is also going out of his way not to say as much, and did so rather effectively.

[Mauve Shirt]

Aw, that's cute. :smallsmile:

[Ceric]

I'm sorry to say I haven't been liking the last few comics, but this one made me laugh. :smallsmile:

[The_Ferg]

There's no telling how many times I've had my players stumble over stuff like this. They can't seem to find things otherwise. Great strip!

[Wanderer]

DON'T SPLIT THE PARTY!

That is all.

[Yiuel]

Roy certainly knows how to kill a heartwarming scene. "Hell no." I liked it very much.

[delguidance]

In an old fashioned gaming way I think the treasure chest is the reward for getting past the purple worm. At least that was the first thing I thought.

In realisty it's probably the entrance or a mimic or a trap like someone said.

[Acero]

the order is working efiiciently...something is wrong

[Jokasti]

Nice comic....
Absence makes the heart grow fonder.

[Nathan W]

Whats the book near :elan:'s feet in panel 9?

[Nate the Snake]

the order is working efiiciently...something is wrong

:smallbiggrin:

But seriously, of course something is wrong. Nothing ever happens otherwise.


Whats the book near :elan:'s feet in panel 9?

Belkar's Monster Manual from the previous strip?

Edit: Yay, Halfling ITP! :smallcool:

[Dreadnought]

Oh - it's the worm that didn't follow Belkar back.

That's a relief considering the images his statements originally brought to my mind...

[DBear]

Ok, I know that Durkon uses Divine magic while Vaarsuvius uses Arcane magic, but would that be the only reason Durkon's True Seeing is white while V's is purple?

[Demented]

Belkar's Monster Manual from the previous strip?

Edit: Yay, Halfling ITP! :smallcool:

No. See: First panel of 691 and all the panels with Roy in it in 690.
It's probably a rather large sextant instruction manual.

[derfenrirwolv]

The book is the astronomy charts roy is using to navigate through the dessert.

[Trixie]

It can be inferred from the first panel that Belkar eliminated the spice from his system, thus leaving the worm no reason to follow the party when they left it.

So... they split in the equivalent of magical minefield...

...and let go all these easy XPs? :smallconfused:

Wow, bad thinking.

Also - why one square mile? It's not like the hole can be moved.

[Nate the Snake]

Ok, I know that Durkon uses Divine magic while Vaarsuvius uses Arcane magic, but would that be the only reason Durkon's True Seeing is white while V's is purple?

No, it's because Durkon's spells are always white and V's are always pink/purple. The colors differentiate the casters, not the sources of magic.


No. See: First panel of 691 and all the panels with Roy in it in 690.
It's probably a rather large sextant instruction manual.

Oh, I didn't see that. :smallredface: That makes more sense.

[dogmac]

Awwwwww... Haley and Elan are all lovely dovey in panel 1.

And yes, I too will be exceedingly surprised if Elan doesnt' find it. Although, i have to say, Roy's theory about the most dramatic place for a dungeon would work too.

[SaintRidley]

You would think they'd have learned about splitting the party when they just got out of a book called Don't Split the Party.

[Zanaril]

You would think they'd have learned about splitting the party when they just got out of a book called Don't Split the Party.

It's only by a mile. In a large, flat area you can probably still just about see each other over that distance.

[Sijo]

Actually, the whole "dramatic place to build a castle" thing could have worked, considering this *is* a webcomic and the characters (sometimes) are aware of it.

...Something about the boards struck me as odd today, and then I remembered- I disabled the signature viewing since the crack pairing ones were making me sick. Too bad, because some of the other sigs here are very creative, but really, I don't want to see people like Xykon paired with anybody. :smalleek:

[RdMarquis]

I love that Roy really does have a good deal of faith in Elan's ability to find the entrance, but not because of any sort of skill that the bard has (unless you count blind luck).

[Mugen Nightgale]

Awesome
Omg Dashing Swordsman's power source is Plot. That's gotta be overpowered. Yet I find it uber cool.

[Ted The Bug]

First really good joke in a while...me gusta.
Also, great to see that Rich is Ok!

[itaibn]

What happens next is obvious: Elan finds the dungeon in the most dramatic place possible, to the extreme surprise of Roy.

[Hithros]

Another use for familiars...
And Elan.

Wouldn't it be slightly pointless to disguise the dungeon if anybody could smack into it? Granted, it's in a giant desert...

[Kish]

So... they split in the equivalent of magical minefield...

...and let go all these easy XPs? :smallconfused:

Wow, bad thinking.
You seriously expected them to kill the purple worm after Vaarsuvius charmed it? Belkar's not the leader, and not even he actually suggested that; everyone but Roy was talking in terms of getting away from it.

[Nevitan]

Well that was nice of Roy. :smallsmile:

[deworde]

Awesome to see Roy leading properly. Although I'd to see old V's reaction, "My awesome arcane abilities will sol...""Ow, I bumped into a treasure chest!"

[Silverraptor]

Being dead has sure changed Roy for the better. I hardly recognize him anymore.

[JeffLebowski]

Wow, I LOL'd twice. Love that edgy Belkar humor. Good sh*t.

[the_tick_rules]

Go Elan, Go Elan, you're helpful.

[derfenrirwolv]

and let go all these easy XPs?

They got xp for the worm when V charmed it. It D&D you have to defeat something, not kill it. It doesn't matter whether you turn its body to stone or enslave its mind, either way its out of your way

[DnDgeek13]

it is obvious that even with two spellcasters, a trained thief, and a psychotic bloodhound on the loose, Elan is going to find it

[SPoD]

Also - why one square mile? It's not like the hole can be moved.

It's likely a square mile because sextant navigation isn't accurate enough to pinpoint positions more precisely than about a mile. Roy has coordinates, but that only gets them to the general area; it could be anywhere within that area.

[TDG]

Personally I'm hoping Blackwing finds it

:vaarsuvius: My familiar has located something suspicious
:roy: Familiar? What familiar?


(:mitd: Hey! That's my line)

Probably not though as today's comic seems to have already rehashed the Blackwing stuff

[Elhoim]

YAY! We totally missed some action off panel for Belkar. No doubt more strips for the next book!

I have that kind of action every day. Nothing to make a strip about ;)

[ThreadKiller]

Woot, new comic! Thanks, Rich :smallsmile:

[Aaron]

:elan: Hey, I found a treasure chest!

Treasure hunting, it's just too easy.:smallwink:

[[TS] Shadow]

You're lucky this one was awesome, Rich. We were about to form a mob demanding an update... :P

[ref]

I'm betting on :vaarsuvius: to find it.

[Blaznak]

I love the "just like in the Olympics" quip. I thought it was probably the funniest non sequitur in a long time! Hee hee!

[deuxhero]

Odd that neither of them are seen handling the component. When was the last tiem a spell was cast with an expensive component (or focus for that matter) other than resing (where the diamonds were in place)?

[_Zoot_]

Thats a great comic, my money is on :elan: finding it!

[HOLEkevin]

I feel bad, but I had completely forgotten what it was they're looking for. (I guess it's the dungeon!)

[ChandraD]

I know that, but does anyone else think that the line also a reference to the vultures from Disney's Jungle Book movie. I'm suggesting this because it seems like that line was delivered by Blackwing rather than V.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2jNKb26ShQ
For the line in question watch from 1:15 near the end.

Sounds like the vultures to me too. However, there's no reason why the line can't be a double reference from OTTS & Jungle Book.

[Inhuman Bot]

I.. Laughed at OotS? :smalleek:

That's a first in a long time. A pleasent surprise. :smallsmile:

[multilis]

Odd that neither of them are seen handling the component. When was the last tiem a spell was cast with an expensive component (or focus for that matter) other than resing (where the diamonds were in place)?
Not last time but true seeing http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0428.html

[infiniteviking]

Yay new comic! And yay Elan. :D :D :D 'Synchronized spellcasting', heeee.~ And yay Roy's expressions in the last few panels.

Agreeing with everyone about DON'T SPLIT THE PARTY AGAIN, though. Been there!

[RdMarquis]

You know, I think this thread is turning into a betting thread on who finds Girard's gate.

[HotAndCold]

I have that kind of action every day. Nothing to make a strip about ;)

If you're having that specific kind of action daily, you might want to look into a change in diet. :smalltongue:

[lothos]

I wonder if Roy's actions in this strip will lead to them making contact with Girard Draketooth in a non-obvious way.

Assuming Draketooth is still alive, he is probably already watching them (assuming they are in the right area). Roy's actions show his good alignment, caring about the dignity of other sentient beings.

I wonder if these actions might form part of what convinces Draketooth to help them..

Something else I've been wondering about is if the sky is an illusion over the whole desert...... so they are NOT at the co-ordinates they think they are. Probably not, but just something that's been at the back of my mind these last few strips.

[Iron Chariots]

You know, from the point of view of this being an RPG, looking for it in the coolest place makes a lot of sense. I mean, it's quite common for adventures to be designed to be as cool as possible (which often includes being in the coolest place possible.)

[Xentropy]

It's only by a mile. In a large, flat area you can probably still just about see each other over that distance.

Except sandy deserts aren't really that flat. Sand dunes can rise quite high, and shift around at that. Even making sure you're traveling in a straight line and keeping track of staying in an exactly one mile square is difficult. Add the fact that the gate is protected by a caster who specializes in ILLUSIONS and you can't even trust V's air support for keeping track of everyone's locations accurately.

Splitting up under these particular circumstances does not bode well.

[RickDaily12]

Hee hee. Typical Roy and Elan back there...:smallbiggrin:

-BTW, first time post, but long-time reader.:smallwink: I'd love to debate about predictions in the future of the Comic Strip.:smallsmile:

[Liwen]

Okay, this will be a recurring posting on my part from now on, but since we have officially entered Illusion Central, I have no choice but to assume everything we are now seeing could be a lie.

Also, about that treasure chest...

http://downlode.org/Creative/Writing/Notebook/Illustrations/itsatrap.jpg

[Sequinox]

It made me so happy so see Roy being nice to Elan.

[Dvandemon]

First really good joke in a while...me gusta.
Also, great to see that Rich is Ok!

Me too:smallsmile: i was starting to worry

[Herald Alberich]

I think I share Roy's doubts, but only in this case, because of the setting. It's hard to find dramatically appropriate scenery when everything looks the same.


Odd that neither of them are seen handling the component. When was the last tiem a spell was cast with an expensive component (or focus for that matter) other than resing (where the diamonds were in place)?

Showing components is more the exception than the rule. The diamond requirement for resurrection is famous, and a common obstacle, and was mentioned as far back as 286 (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0286.html). Other material components just don't get as much attention. Therefore, they'd only be distracting if shown. Check out forcecage (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0627.html) (1,500 gp of ruby dust), for example, or lots of the subsequent high-level Spliced spells.

[Axl_Rose]

I'm glad Roy didn't give elan another one of those :smallannoyed: eyebrow'd looks.

I was thinkin', "aww, poor Elan" when he suggested staying in one place and not getting in the way.

That was heartwarming.

Well, see you guys in another 2 and a half weeks!

[factotum]

It's likely a square mile because sextant navigation isn't accurate enough to pinpoint positions more precisely than about a mile.

Or it could be a limitation of the co-ordinate system Roy was given the location of the dungeon in. For example, in traditional "real world" navigation co-ordinates can be given in degrees (which would be precise to about 60 nautical miles), degrees and minutes (precise to a nautical mile) or degrees, minutes and seconds (precise to about 100 feet).

[nonamearisto]

HE'S ALIVE!!!

Seriously, great comic. XD

[Winged One]

Shadow;7400106']You're lucky this one was awesome, Rich. We were about to form a mob demanding an update... :P

Luck? Bah, that was pure skill. :smallsmile:

[Selene]

Belkar's Monster Manual from the previous strip?

He wasn't reading the MM. He was reading Dune. A character in Dune has a "poison tooth" he's planning to use on the bad guy when he leans toward him. Purple worms don't.

Also, V and Durkon are reminding me a bit of the Wonder Twins in panel 5. :smalltongue:

[Samuraiko]

I was a bit surprised that as Elan went running off, we didn't hear him singing off-panel, "Find... find... find the hidden entrance!"

The other mental image I had is virtually every 1980-1990 adventuring video game where treasure chests spontaneously appear in the midst of nature because that's where the adventurer just happened to be - ergo the party treasure for dealing with the worm. :)

Michelle
aka
Samuraiko/Dark_Respite

[Cicciograna]

I'm really, really proud of Elan!

[Onyavar]

Oh no, Elan has already learned to do nothing when the party is doing an important task. It's about time Roy changed his attitude about playing him down.

But I first thought Roy is honest about this. Because this suggestion on finding the dungeon with Elans bard senses sounded like the best of all these strategies to me.

Perhaps I was reading too much TV tropes recently.

[Djibril]

Somehow, that just doesnt sound right when someone from the Crack Pairings thread say it.

Yeah... I still fail to see why some people hate The Belkster... :smallannoyed:

[Shadowcaller]

Yeah... I still fail to see why some people hate The Belkster... :smallannoyed:

Maybe because he kills innocent people and is a overall homological maniac? While Belkar is funny, I can't just "like" a character like that.

[Hurkyl]

Because this suggestion on finding the dungeon with Elans bard senses sounded like the best of all these strategies to me.
Oddly enough if this were IRL I'd still (partially) agree with you.

It's certainly a good idea to have some of your number searching systematically -- as V and Durkon are doing.

I imagine Haley and Belkar will make a systematic sweep of the area, spamming search and smell checks.

But Elan is the only one tasked with the duty of paying attention to their surroundings -- so if there's anything strange or unusual offering a clue to the location, Elan's the one most likely to zero in on it.

[Hurkyl]

Maybe because he kills innocent people and is a overall homological maniac?
He's an abstract, crazed mathematical gadget for finding holes in space?

[Shadowcaller]

He's an abstract, crazed mathematical gadget for finding holes in space?

Yeah, that as well. :smalltongue:

[The MunchKING]

You know, from the point of view of this being an RPG, looking for it in the coolest place makes a lot of sense. I mean, it's quite common for adventures to be designed to be as cool as possible (which often includes being in the coolest place possible.)

And it's a desert, which tend to be really hot. Thus if you're building a house there, you want any inherent coolness you can get your hands on. :smalltongue::smalltongue:

[HandofShadows]

Great strip and everyone gets their own part to play.

[Djibril]

Maybe because he kills innocent people and is a overall homological maniac?

And your point is?:smallconfused:

[Sewblon]

Elan is the only one tasked with the duty of paying attention to their surroundings -- so if there's anything strange or unusual offering a clue to the location, Elan's the one most likely to zero in on it. Unlikely, Elan still has a wisdom penalty, and an intelligence penalty, basic common sense is Roy's thing.

[Sijo]

And your point is?:smallconfused:

Not getting to you, obviously.

But seriously, let's not turn this into another Belkar-doesn't-need-to-die thread, there's plenty already.

[Shadowcaller]

Not getting to you, obviously.

But seriously, let's not turn this into another Belkar-doesn't-need-to-die thread, there's plenty already.

Oh, I don't want Belkar to die, I just can't like him as a character, but yeah, this doesn't belong to this thread.

[Djibril]

Not getting to you, obviously.

But seriously, let's not turn this into another Belkar-doesn't-need-to-die thread, there's plenty already.

No need to :smallsmile: if it will be i only hope it will be hilarious :smallbiggrin:

What i don't understand, as you pointed out, i why some people don't like Belkar only cause he kills people (and by the way i can remember just the gnome and the prison guard, or would you tell me ghouls, bug-ish creatures and bandits are innocent?)

Miko was a stick up the ***, but she was an interesting character (as much as i don't like paladins), and for that matters Celia is too, but i like 'em both anyway.

C'mon Darth Vader used to kill A LOT of people (innocent mostly) and everyone is still loving him:smallsmile:

[RickDaily12]

Unlikely, Elan still has a wisdom penalty, and basic common sense is Roy's thing.

He may have a wisdom penality, but the flaw in your logic is, Search Checks are Intelligence Based, not Wisdom Based. Lol, I know, doesn't really matter for your argument...:smalltongue:

But, despite having low Wisdom and Intelligence, Elan really loves making Roy happy. If he feels that doing whatever will seriously help him bond better with Roy, I bet you he'd run around every square inch of that square mile, until he either hit something -which he did- and he would keep doing it until he finds the enterance something, despite probably not knowing what a square inch is and where the perimeters are on that:smalltongue:. I don't think Rich was trying to say another one of those "Elan is too dumb to do this" running gags. Instead, I think he's trying to say that Elan will have the most determination to do this, giving him an equally good chance to find something as the rest of the others. Hey, a few stubbed toes and a few dozen treasure chests won't hurt in the long run, right?:smallbiggrin:

Now, I just wonder how helpful Roy is going to be on this. Is reading more really going to help us...? I thought V shelved all those books under "Fiction".:smalltongue:

[Sebastian]

Elan is the comic relief, he can do anything as long as it is funny. :)

[Trixie]

It's likely a square mile because sextant navigation isn't accurate enough to pinpoint positions more precisely than about a mile. Roy has coordinates, but that only gets them to the general area; it could be anywhere within that area.

Sextants (especially on land and enhanced by magic) can be accurate to within 50-200 m, 1/400 of the postulated area.


They got xp for the worm when V charmed it. It D&D you have to defeat something, not kill it. It doesn't matter whether you turn its body to stone or enslave its mind, either way its out of your way

They didn't.

[Tobimaro]

:elan: "I'm participating!" :smallbiggrin:

Seriously, it's good to see that Roy is putting all of his resources to good use, even if Roy is leaving it to blind luck.

[Conuly]

But I first thought Roy is honest about this. Because this suggestion on finding the dungeon with Elan's bard senses sounded like the best of all these strategies to me.

Me too, to be honest. Deliberately hiding something in The Most Dramatic Spot, for some reason, strikes me as a Girard thing. We don't even *know* the guy and it strikes me as a Girard thing.

[Kish]

They didn't.
"They didn't" what? You're asserting that they didn't get XP for overcoming the challenge of the purple worm? Based on exactly what?

[theinsulabot]

the dungeon is covered by an illusion of nothingness. anyone shocked? show of hands? yeah me neither

[captin-caveman]

:elan:http://www.giantitp.com/forums/images/smilies/oots/elan.gif LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! sychronized spellcasting

[Omergideon]

Well this was certainly a reasonably decent comic. Not the best, but certainly of the general high quality that has been coming recently. But of course more detail is needed.

The Good:
1) As always the artwork is of a very good quality. I still find the desert scenes with the layering in the background to be very well done. There is nothing quite as eye grabbing as the giant worm but certainly it is well drawn with no major flaws that I could see. Of special note though there is a seperate beam of true seeing visible from each V's eyes which I think personally is a nice effect.
2) Plot progression is pretty good in this strip. It moves at a definite pace and no panel seems wasted. In some recent strips some jokes have been too long, or it seemed fillerish and padded out. But this strip has a constant speed and no waiting around. It certainly keeps things going well. Plus it indicates major events will be happening soon, compared to the relatively minor, but diverting, recent past.
3) The humour in the comic was nicely done. I think deft is the best word. There was nothing that I found outright hilarious but certainly enough small jokes to keep it entertaining and amusing. Almost every panel at the start has a distinct joke as well, adding to the good pace of the strip.
4) Elan. Just Elan. But to describe what I mean his character was simply perfectly pitched this strip. From the matter of fact we he decided to "stay out of everyone's way" to his elation when Roy trusted him it was wonderful characterisation. Even the quiet hand holding with Haley was lovely. Added to this is the interplay with Roy as well. It is a great character moment showcasing growth that we have seen take place and one of the most touching relationships in the order. But I admit brotherly like stuff moves me due to my own relationships with my brothers.
5) Related to the above is the sight of Roy's growth here. Once upon a time he would happily call Elan useless to his face. Then he would keep it quiter. Once he would leave Elan to Bandits. This strip showcases the way their relationship has changed over time. Roy has gone from seeing Elan as (frankly) an annoying comrade, to a real comrade, to something like the embarrasing brother to (now) a real friend and almost a younger brother proper. The growth has been gradual and very good to see. The real emphasis is when Roy responds to Elan's self depecation with "don't be ridiculous". This line shows how much things have changed.
6) And in a final note, my theory that Durkon now see's himself as the "Belkar control squad" seems more firm based off of the first panel. It's good to see small notes like that continue to build.

The Bad:
1) There is one major issue I have with the pacing of the comic. It opens up with the worm gone, and barely a comment on the fact. It seems to me that strip to strip this weakens the opening by a considerable margin. It is thankfully not fatal, and helps with the brisk movement of the comic, but it does indeed feel like something is missing.
2) Granted this is an opinion, but the lack of action is a weakness. Totally understandable but when viewing the comic in isolation a weakness still. In context this would disaapear as an issue, but without the next strip to follow it up with the point stands.


So several major positives with the comic, and only one real major downside. I easily call this a 4 Star comic. Well done Giant. Well done.

[HandofShadows]

Unlikely, Elan still has a wisdom penalty, and an intelligence penalty, basic common sense is Roy's thing.

But Roy knows Elan has DRAMA on his side. :smallcool: The race does not always go to the swift or the fight to the strong. Roy is making the most out the teams abilites with everyone, if in a slightly unconventional manner. And it may well work out.

On a side note people searching for the gate are likely to know it covered by illusions and be perpared to deal with them (True Seeing spells and the like). The best illusion in this case may not to hide the gate, but to use the illusions to sucker people away from it's real location. The use of illusions is just another layer illusion. While the gate itself is not protected by illision, but a physical disquise to make it look plain or uninteresting. Of course I could be dead wrong. :smallbiggrin:

[Fitzclowningham]

I'm pretty sure none of them is going to find the entrance. Not for a while, at least.

The whole thing is a red herring. One of the simplest ways for Girard to hide the location of his gate would be to cast illusions that shift the position of the sun and/or stars. Most people take the operation of the heavens so much for granted they'd never think to try to disbelieve them. So, imho, Roy's calculations have brought them to a spot that's miles away from the gate.

[Beanie]

-Your post-

I must say, I rather enjoy reading your strip reviews. It's interesting to see a detailed and fully realized response. It also makes me ponder over my own specific reasons for liking (Or disliking) a particular comic, which I might not otherwise really think about consciously, and I find said examination is generally fairly rewarding. You know what they say about the unexamined life...

So, uh, keep up the good work!

[AyuVince]

Ooh, plot advancement. :D Roy is using everyone's assets.

Hehe. I'm sure Haley used Elan's "assets" in #690 pretty well, too.

I like the last panel. It's so typical for the OotS to achieve a goal merely by accident.

[Wind d8/d12]

The Bad:
1) There is one major issue I have with the pacing of the comic. It opens up with the worm gone, and barely a comment on the fact. (etc)

So several major positives with the comic, and only one real major downside. I easily call this a 4 Star comic. Well done Giant. Well done.

IMO the lack of seeing a joke doesn't take away from the presence of the joke. The worm is nowhere near the party because it's enjoying Belkar's <ahem> "leavings"
:belkar: "It didn't follow me back here, did it?"
Personally, I'm excited to see how low Belkar and Durgan's cooperation will go. Will Belkar be denied a heal next? And will Roy ever have to step in and set them both straight? I predict that V is going to get a break from development for a short time, considering s/he has been on a moral rollercoaster for a while.

[infiniteviking]

Oh no, Elan has already learned to do nothing when the party is doing an important task. It's about time Roy changed his attitude about playing him down.Agreed. Even if Roy's still skeptical, it's nice to see him being considerate of Elan's self-worth.


Me too, to be honest. Deliberately hiding something in The Most Dramatic Spot, for some reason, strikes me as a Girard thing. We don't even *know* the guy and it strikes me as a Girard thing.:smallbiggrin: LOL!

[awibs]

This one is, btb, especially hilarious to me.

also, this:


I'm pretty sure none of them is going to find the entrance. Not for a while, at least.

The whole thing is a red herring. One of the simplest ways for Girard to hide the location of his gate would be to cast illusions that shift the position of the sun and/or stars. Most people take the operation of the heavens so much for granted they'd never think to try to disbelieve them. So, imho, Roy's calculations have brought them to a spot that's miles away from the gate.

Is a PARTICULARLY good idea, I feel.