Belkar may have more time then we think.

[Seraphem]

This is not about nit picking the prophecy into saying he won't die, that's a whole nother thread. This is about timing.

Ok so the prophecy says he will "Draw his last breath - ever - before the end of the year." And then shortly after being rez'ed Roy says he's got about 7 weeks left, obviously meaning New Years is 7 weeks from that strip.

Here's the deal though, the Oracle never said what year (no no I know he meant the current one, but by which calender) The Oracles valley seems to be fairly close to Azure city, what if he uses the Azure city calender instead of the Northern one Roy assumed? The new year on that one is several months after the one Roy stated as being 7 weeks away.

Just a thought.

[neoseph7]

In all likelyhood, Belkar's death will be about the same time as the final showdown (assuming that's how the story ends. My money is on Eaten by the MitD). At which point it wont really matter which calender they're running on since the story moves at the speed of plot.

[Watcher]

Roy said seven weeks, (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0666.html) so that's basically Rich coming out and saying that it was the amount of time that everything points to. There's not much reason for him to put a non-dramatic twist in that says the main character did the math wrong or is using the wrong calendar, especially when he's a smart character.

[factotum]

In addition, the first time they met the Oracle he mentioned that Belkar should savour his next birthday cake, meaning clearly that he wasn't going to get another one--thus Belkar is going to die within two years of that meeting, which was a goodly long time before the Order reunited on the island.

[Dr.Epic]

I think the speculation the Oracle was going by a different calendar than Roy has been suggested. It's still a possibility.

[ThePhantasm]

I think the speculation the Oracle was going by a different calendar than Roy has been suggested. It's still a possibility.

It is still a possibility, but not a big one. It seems like the reason Rich made Roy say this was to clear up questions about how much time Belkar had left anyways. . . not try to throw us a red herring.

[KoboldRevenge]

I say we should....Count The number of weeks that belkar has by the number of posts that this thread gets! It's already got 5 so thats a nice start.

Ooo 7! :smalltongue:

[M.A.D]

It doesn't matter how many weeks does Belkar have left. We all know that he's not in mortal danger as long he hasn't got a birthday cake to enjoy

[Dalek-K]

It doesn't matter how many weeks does Belkar have left. We all know that he's not in mortal danger as long he hasn't got a birthday cake to enjoy

Good point...

[Yendor]

Rich has already clarified this here (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=8569129#post8569129):


The Oracle is using the Southern calendar in his prediction to Roy. Meaning that the "seven weeks" Roy talks about is the time until the new New Year, exactly one year from the celebration seen back in Azure City.

[Ridureyu]

Yeah, he didn't say which year, so it could be a HUNDRED THOUSAND YEARS FROM NOW!


Naw. It's gonna be seven weeks, comic-time. More than that in real-world time, probably. Anyway, I believe that Belkar will likely:

A: Break his neck falling down the stairs

B: Sit down and have a quiet heart attack

or

C: Poke the God of Chaos with a spoon.

[Nimrod's Son]

Even if Rich hadn't come out and said the Oracle was using the same calendar, it was pretty obvious anyway. The Sunken Valley is right next to Azure City. Why would the Oracle be using the Northern calendar instead?

[Draxx]

God I hope not.

[Keejus]

Guys, guys, I got it!

Belkar is going to become a lich!

Liches don't breathe, and they can't taste cakes!

[npc revolution]

Guys, guys, I got it!

Belkar is going to become a lich!

Liches don't breathe, and they can't taste cakes!

You're not the first to suggest this. It works, I guess. But there are some other vague Oracle-lines that say he's "Not long for this world".

[Forum Explorer]

Girad's dungeon is actrually the Tomb of Horror's and Belkar gets hit with a sphere of annihilation.

[KillianHawkeye]

Guys, guys, I got it!

Belkar is going to become a lich!

Liches don't breathe, and they can't taste cakes!

You're not the first to suggest this. It works, I guess. But there are some other vague Oracle-lines that say he's "Not long for this world".

Except for the part where you need to be a moderately powerful spellcaster, which Belkar isn't.

Even if his Wisdom score was high enough to cast Ranger spells, he'd need to be at least a 22nd level Ranger and spend one of his feats on Craft Wondrous item before he can make the required phylactery. Each Lich needs to make their own phylactery.



It's possible that Belkar will become an undead, but it won't be a Lich.

[Keejus]

That was the joke >_>

[grimbold]

Roy said seven weeks, (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0666.html) so that's basically Rich coming out and saying that it was the amount of time that everything points to. There's not much reason for him to put a non-dramatic twist in that says the main character did the math wrong or is using the wrong calendar, especially when he's a smart character.

roy could have also been confused
i find this to be a very credible theory

[Querzis]

That was the joke >_>

Sarcasm doesnt work on the internet, never try it again. The internet remove the three biggest clues people have to detect sarcasm:

1.The tone of the voice.
2.The facial expression.
3.The assumption that the person you're talking to is sane.

No matter how ridiculous you thought your post was, there is bound to be someone somewhere who would have written the exact same thing without any sarcasm.

[Seraphem]

Rich has already clarified this here (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=8569129#post8569129):


Ah so we were right about the oracle using the southern calender, but were wrong about Roy assuming he was using the northern one.

Now the big question is how many weeks have passed in comic since then?

[Nimrod's Son]

Now the big question is how many weeks have passed in comic since then?
According to a recent-ish post by Rich, about two. Maybe about two-and-a-half by now, so Belkar's got five weeks left at most.

[Red XIV]

roy could have also been confused
i find this to be a very credible theory
Even though the Giant said that he wasn't?

[Phishfood]

Sarcasm doesnt work on the internet, never try it again. The internet remove the three biggest clues people have to detect sarcasm:

1.The tone of the voice.
2.The facial expression.
3.The assumption that the person you're talking to is sane.

No matter how ridiculous you thought your post was, there is bound to be someone somewhere who would have written the exact same thing without any sarcasm.

#3 there is a terrible assumption anyway.

OT:
Pretty sure rich has said that belkar will not be escaping his prophecy by becoming undead or a golem, although I can't put my hands on a link. We may of course see his afterlife as we did with Roy although I suspect not.

[Kish]

#3 there is a terrible assumption anyway.

OT:
Pretty sure rich has said that belkar will not be escaping his prophecy by becoming undead or a golem, although I can't put my hands on a link. We may of course see his afterlife as we did with Roy although I suspect not.
He did not say that, though it pains me to correct this particular manifestation of the Telephone Game.

The Oracle, however, did say "not long for the world," and, accordingly, I am unimpressed by arguments that presume Belkar will remain in the world in a different form.

[Deliverance]

Even if his Wisdom score was high enough to cast Ranger spells, he'd need to be at least a 22nd level Ranger and spend one of his feats on Craft Wondrous item before he can make the required phylactery. Each Lich needs to make their own phylactery.

Not in OOTS.

SoD spoiler:

Redcloak is the one that prepares his own Holy Symbol for use of Xykon as a phylactery. Moreover, Redcloak isn't epic.

Finally, Xykon doesn't have access to any magic power at any time during the process so there's nothing he can do to aid the process, when Redcloak makes the phylactery and converts him into a lich. Turning him into a lich is a way to get around Xykon being biologically stripped of his magic at the time and, in SoD, does away with the restrictive rules intended to prevent ambitious players from treating Lichdom as yet another ho-hum decision in favour of drama and being a life-changing experience (I fully approve).

[Mystic Muse]

Not in OOTS.

SoD spoiler:

Redcloak is the one that prepares his own Holy Symbol for use of Xykon as a phylactery. Moreover, Redcloak isn't epic.

Finally, Xykon doesn't have access to any magic power at any time during the process so there's nothing he can do to aid the process, when Redcloak makes the phylactery and converts him into a lich. Turning him into a lich is a way to get around Xykon being biologically stripped of his magic at the time and, in SoD, does away with the restrictive rules intended to prevent ambitious players from treating Lichdom as yet another ho-hum decision in favour of drama and being a life-changing experience (I fully approve).


The requirement is 11th level caster, and the caster level of a ranger is equal to half their class level, hence the 22nd level ranger figure. Casters such as clerics or Sorcerers have their level equal to their class level so an 11th level cleric could make a phylactery if they wanted to and had the proper feat or a way to replicate it.