OOTS #805 - The Discussion Thread

[The Giant]

New comic is up.

[AdInfinitum]

This is a perfect comic for us. Two long-running and much-missed running gags combined... Brava. Thank you, Giant.

[Menarker]

Hehe, payback that couldn't happen to a better pair. ^^

[Albion]

That was refreshing! Talking about the ending. Tasty little stuff. Makes it all worthwhile.

[Sunken Valley]

And people were asking after flumphs. :durkon::durkon::durkon: returns. Anti-durkon where are you?

[Kolero]

Excellent comic, I particularly enjoyed Elan's celestial tree sloth attack. Sometimes I forget he has spells.:smalleek:

(By the way the rss feed does not seem to have updated yet, normally it is almost instantaneous)

[The_Final_Stand]

So, why's Sabine suddenly very upset with Elan?

Is an (illusory) celestial tree sloth really that bad?

[Ghostwheel]

Somewhere between oh-so-cooll and frosted flakery. Nice one, Giant!

[Icedaemon]

Finally! The most competent member of the party (in non-plant-related issues, at least) is in the battle.

I still hope he will bring Malack into the Nale-stomping battle.


So, why's Sabine suddenly very upset with Elan?

Is an (illusory) celestial tree sloth really that bad?

1: She was made a fool of. Again, if only for a moment or two.
2: Celestials, especially summoned ones, are a nuisance more than a threat. An attack sloth (a non-giant-ground-sloth, at any rate) doubly so.

[Gift Jeraff]

Hahaha, nice. That's what they get for taking away that poor illithid!

Plus, they're indirectly responsible for Zz'dtri's grudge, which caused Haley to be petrified in the first place. So, really, this is only fair. :smallcool:
So, why's Sabine suddenly very upset with Elan?

Is an (illusory) celestial tree sloth really that bad?Qarr pissed her off last strip, and she said she was really in the mood to kill something.

[ref]

Hah, take that, Flum... Lawyers? Good! hehehe....

And it seems Elan is in trouble. Even if Sabine leaves for Haley, Elan doesn't fly...

[Ghostwheel]

Oh, yeah. Durkon to the rescue! Wait for it...

[thereaper]

"Celestial Tree Sloth attack!" :elan:

[Kolero]

So, why's Sabine suddenly very upset with Elan?

Is an (illusory) celestial tree sloth really that bad?

It's got to be cathartic for her, what with her previously expressed desire to kill something as soon as possible.

As for the sloth, I find it to be a little bit of an oxymoron to have a celestial version of a creature named after one of the deadly sins. :smallcool:

[Nightmarenny]

Hahaha, nice. That's what they get for taking away that poor illithid!

Plus, they're indirectly responsible for Zz'dtri's grudge, which caused Haley to be petrified in the first place. So, really, this is only fair. :smallcool:Qarr pissed her off last strip, and she said she was really in the mood to kill something.

That certainly didn't help but her problem with Elan is that he just cause a fight between her and Nale.

[Morquard]

Very nicely done again. Love how Sabine totally fails her will save against the illusion.

Now, I wonder how things will turn out for Elan, he already accumulated alot of negative levels there.

[MammonAzrael]

Hahaha...love the reversal! Go Flumph-lawyers!

[Feral Warpwolf]

Man I hope Elan will get out of this alive...!

First Page, Yeah!

[Phishfood]

As usual, I made the mistake of reading this and drinking coffee. Its a good thing I buy keyboards in bulk.

<edit>

Alas poor lizard man in the final panel, I'm sure your death will be horrifying.

<edit2>

There seems to be a recurring theme of stone people falling from high places now too.

[Sarone]

YES! BOOYAH!

Rich, dude, you are the man. Seriously, I've waited for something happen to the lawyers ever since they have been introduced. This is awesome. You are awesome!

Keep up the fire, Rich. You're doing a great job!

[faustin]

And people were asking after flumphs. returns. Anti-durkon where are you?

:smallredface::smallredface:Here
The lawyers-flumphs scene was priceless, I must say.

[kierthos]

Enter the Durkon.

No, seriously, he's going to be putting the hurting on something soon. Right after un-petrifying Haley.

[honigmuffin]

I kind of want a celestial tree sloth for my birthday. Maybe if I tell my friends and family right away, they manage to get one by Sunday…

[Tass]

Woot! Did we finally get rid of those idiot lawyers?


So, why's Sabine suddenly very upset with Elan?

He complicated her relationship with Nale.

[yanmaodao]

I'm surprised the lawyers don't have X's in their eyes!

[Killer Angel]

Oh, man... the Celestial tree sloth attack, is worth alone the whole strip. :smallbiggrin:

[Ron Miel]

That certainly didn't help but her problem with Elan is that he just cause a fight between her and Nale.

See panel 6. He makes things complicated for her.

I'm guessing that the problem is that Nale is obsessed with killing Elan. She wants to finish his vendetta so that they can move on with the relationship. Nothing personal against him.

[The Succubus]

:sabine::smallfurious:: "Summon Demonic Aye-Aye!"

[kierthos]

Woot! Did we finally get rid of those idiot lawyers?Nope. No X's in their eyes. They have enough levels in lawyer to soak the damage of a falling Haley-statue.

[faustin]

Sabine insinuation about making out with Nale in top of Elan´s dead corpse.....:smallyuk::smallyuk: puke: Sorry, I´m not Tsukiko.

[Lvl45DM!]

HAHA love the AOOwhiff sound effect! Hilarity or awesome in every panel giant

[Boogastreehouse]

Hmmm...

Two of the three petrified creatures in this comic have ended up falling on, or almost falling on, someone. Here (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0069.html)and here (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0805.html).

Makes me wonder who this guy (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0591.html) is going to land on...

...just a silly thought...

[Murdim]

Rich just jumped the shark with this last panel. There is unrealistic, there is unbelievable, there is suspension-of-disbelief-shattering and then there is... this. :smallyuk:

I mean, two more Lawful Good lawyers in the same comic? Come on. Celia was already one too many.

:smalltongue:

[KoboldRevenge]

Heh, Sabine cutting to the chase.

[Kato]

Thanks for the comic, Giant!

So... I think there was some mix up in that last line of panels... I guess the cast coordinator was exhausted or something.

[GalenDev]

I gotta say, this has to be the best use of the Plumphs I've ever seen. Well done, Giant!

[martianmister]

So... I think there was some mix up in that last line of panels... I guess the cast coordinator was exhausted or something.

Which part? :smallconfused:

[HornetsNest]

...Not sure if this should be a spoiler, but...

Has anyone considered that maybe Sabine just saved Elan from Nale? According to the IFCC, they don't want the OOTS killed yet - maybe Sabine's just pretending to try and kill Elan to keep Nale from getting suspicious, when in reality she's following the IFCC's order to keep the OOTS from dying.

Just a thought.

[hamishspence]

Adjourn is spelled differently from in the strip.

Good strip though.

[Kaytara]

So worth the wait. :D

Finally, the suffering of the poor Flumphs is over, and it is their turn to inflict it. :D

[Kareasint]

The Flumphs appear to be learning. They may want to get out of the court as soon as possible though. It's vicious in there.

Jones and Rodriguez now have a promising new career as "Fall Guys!"

[Incom]

"Celestial tree sloth attack!" for t-shirt status. Nicely done.

[Phishfood]

...Not sure if this should be a spoiler, but...

Has anyone considered that maybe Sabine just saved Elan from Nale? According to the IFCC, they don't want the OOTS killed yet - maybe Sabine's just pretending to try and kill Elan to keep Nale from getting suspicious, when in reality she's following the IFCC's order to keep the OOTS from dying.

Just a thought.

I like it.


The Flumphs appear to be learning. They may want to get out of the court as soon as possible though. It's vicious in there.

Jones and Rodriguez now have a promising new career as "Fall Guys!"

This I don't like. Start running, I'm getting out my gun.:smallmad:

[ref]

Makes me wonder who this guy (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0591.html) is going to land on...

Hey, that's Therkla's kickass headstone! Best for you if nothing bad happens to it, capisce?

[UtimaII]

I find the best humor is to use a running gag but then running it in a way that the audience did not expect it to. This strip qualifies. Nice job.

[Dandria]

Woot! Did we finally get rid of those idiot lawyers?

Lawyers never die. Never.

[The Pilgrim]

The return of Durkon, the Lawyers, and the Flumphs... epic indeed!!! :smallbiggrin:

[Deuterium Dawn]

Excellent switch on the flumph joke.

[Mutant Sheep]

Yay the flumps have returned! Praise O-Chul and his legion of Celestial Tree Sloths!

[DougTheHead]

Well, Durkon *wasn't* having any legal problems. The situation probably changed the moment his teammate dropped his other teammate on a pair of lawyers.

:durkon: But I dinnae know she was going ta fall on ye!

:lawyer: So you can definitively prove that you didn't lure me under your teammate so that he could drop your other teammate on top of me? Or would you just like to settle?

[Phishfood]

Well, Durkon *wasn't* having any legal problems. The situation probably changed the moment his teammate dropped his other teammate on a pair of lawyers.

:durkon: But I dinnae know she was going ta fall on ye!

:lawyer: So you can definitively prove that you didn't lure me under your teammate so that he could drop your other teammate on top of me? Or would you just like to settle?

That only applies to competent lawyers. Not these guys.

[ThePhantasm]

The sloth was pretty funny. And Durkon is back!

[Valley]

*THUUNK*

HEHEHEHE!

:smallbiggrin:

[Burner28]

Liked the last panel.:smallbiggrin:

[Grif]

Yay on the jelly... fish... like things.

(Never did learn their species name. Flumph right?)

[mistformsquirrl]

This is why OOTS is awesome. In one page we have a hefty increase in dramatic tension and at the same point it's friggin' hilarious. >_>

[Garwain]

So, did nothing break off of Haley? (As in SilverClawShifts campaign journal (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=116836))

[kojar]

He can escape if he has Gaseous form learned.

Its the only possible escape I can think of, well that or using a wand if he has enough in UMD. Haley can`t reach Sabine from that distance so its up to him.

[CoffeeIncluded]

Alright, Durkon is back and so will Haley! Hang in there, Elan! Also, really good use of illusions there.

[Roland Itiative]

Great comic.

When I saw the lawyers talking to Durkon, I expected his entry papers to get mentioned, but I loved the twist :smalltongue:

[McDouggal]

DURKON IS BACK!

That is all.

[pendell]

*Gasp* *Giggle* *Snort* *Choke*

BWAHAHAhAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHA!

Using the lawyers as flumphs?

Mr. Burlew, on a comedic scale of 1-5, this is a solid 10. Yes, you've broken my scale. So far as I'm concerned, this is your single funniest strip to date.


*Claps madly*

Respectfully,

Brian P.

[Vemynal]

I like Sabine's hate of Elan in this strip lol

[Deuce]

Well, Durkon *wasn't* having any legal problems. The situation probably changed the moment his teammate dropped his other teammate on a pair of lawyers.

:durkon: But I dinnae know she was going ta fall on ye!

:lawyer: So you can definitively prove that you didn't lure me under your teammate so that he could drop your other teammate on top of me? Or would you just like to settle?

"Ach, it's obvious that the lass was dropped by that demon up there - she even looks guilty as sin!"

[MesiDoomstalker]

Sabine insinuation about making out with Nale in top of Elan´s dead corpse.....:smallyuk::smallyuk: puke: Sorry, I´m not Tsukiko.

I think your not thinking deep enough into this. Sabine IS a being of pure sinful lust and sex. There is so much things you can do ontop of a corpse.

[Tundar]

Wow Elan is using spells for offensive manouvres again.

[HandofShadows]

Elan is certainly becoming better. That was a very effective use of an illusion. As a note a sloth looks nice and pleasant, but those claws are really nasty if they can latch on to you. And it is always nice to see the the bad guys get crushed.

[whitelaughter]

The lawyer closest to Durkon looks like Belkar while being crushed.

Still more proof that Belkar is Evil.

[EDIT] Hmm, if Sabine kills Elan, he'll become a wight; Tsukiko might be interested in an ex-Dashing Swordsman wight.....

[Anarion]

I'm reminded of this
:vaarsuvius:"And once again, probability proves itself willing to sneak into a back alley and service Drama as would a copper-piece harlot."

That said, I am very happy to see Durkon back in the scene, and I enjoyed the twist on a classic gag. Alas, as one can see from the falling statute panel, the lawyers don't have the Xs in their eyes, so they quite clearly survived the falling statute.

[Inkling]

Is her hair going to crack off?

[WickedWizard17]

YES! HELLO, DURKON! LONG TIME, NO SEE! And now we can get some Haley action!!!! And LMFAO with the lawyers/flumphs. Now we just need to know how V's getting away from the Ranch Dressing Plane (he doesn't know Plane Shift, does he?) and what's going on with Roy and Thog (and Mr. Scruffy!)

Great comic, Giant! :smallbiggrin:


Is her hair going to crack off?

LMFAO THAT WOULD BE HILARIOUS.

And also, SIGH. It's been nearly one hundred strips since we've seen Team Evil! I miss them! Redcloak and Xykon and Monster-chan! That honoriffic works much better, dontcha think? :smallwink:

I'm totally adding "Celestial Tree Sloth Attack!" to my sig. It's almost as funny as "Super-advanced stealth flying dinosaur!"

[JSSheridan]

Thanks Giant!

[MoonCat]

GIIIIIAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANNNNNNNNNNNNNNNTTTTTTTTTTT


Flumphs! Durkon! Nale and Sabine on the edge of their tether with eachother!

I love you so much! Not in that way!

[Geigan]

Wrong characters in wrong scene. Casting director fail? :smallbiggrin:

[rewinn]

:sabine: is clearly one of those women who hate it when guys hang on them - that makes a sloth attack extra effective against her.

:elan: did her the ultimate diss - kiss'd her and dropped her - and therefore, from her POV, he must die. It is also the only way that her willingness to betray the IFCC in support of her love for Nale would not be compromised by her feelings for Elan.

She is one complicated little incarnation of illicit lust - which is the best kind!:smallamused:

[leakingpen]

I laughed, I cried, I got weird looks from the people in the office. Solid strip, thanks Rich!

[sparkyinbozo]

The true brilliance of the comic was adding another phrase to the gaming community:

Celestial Tree Sloth Attack!

[Raistlin82]

:sabine: is really mad at :elan: and he's in serious trouble. :smalleek:

My guess? Durkon (he's back! YAY!) stonetofleshes (I just made that word up) Haley, maybe Haley pulls out a bow from her pouches, Haley and/or Durkon attack Sabine, Sabine runs away, Elan falls, Durkon cures/stabilizes him.

[Wanda V'Orcus]

Thank you, Giant! :smallsmile:

Vive les flumphs!! :smallbiggrin:

Just one tiny thing -- in the last panel, "adjourn" is missing its "d"... :smallredface:

Cheers, JohnH / Wanda

[DougTheHead]

"Ach, it's obvious that the lass was dropped by that demon up there - she even looks guilty as sin!"

"Objection, your honor- the dwarf did not present this evidence to the court prior to the trial. Move to strike from the record. Also, that particular demon looks like it has never felt guilty about anything in its aeons of existence."

[Debatra]

Nobody seems to notice the other calback (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0478.html)?

[Timberboar]

Who's that dwarf? He looks vaguely familiar... Have we seen him before?

:smallwink:

[Neopolis]

So Durkon was supposed to ask the Flumphs how to invent the mass anti-negative energy spell? Curious!

[Who149]

There is nothing about this strip I don't like :D

Between the celestial tree sloth, to the flumph-Lawyer switch, it is all amazing

THANK YOU GIANT!

[t209]

Tune in next week if you want to see Haley come in with arrow-blazing when she rescue Elan.

[Giggling Ghast]

Wow. That was deliciously meta.

[smashbro]

Hah, take that, Flum... Lawyers? Good! hehehe....

And it seems Elan is in trouble. Even if Sabine leaves for Haley, Elan doesn't fly...

I hope that by now he realizes what spell he needs to have, just in case.

Feather Fall :smallbiggrin:

[ORione]

The flumphs will make better lawyers than Jones and Rodriguez.


"Celestial tree sloth attack!" for t-shirt status. Nicely done.

Seconded.


Nobody seems to notice the other calback (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0478.html)?

Oh, you're right! Elan learned that trick from V.

[Whiffet]

YES! YES! YES! YES!

Sorry, I'm just really happy right now. I love so many things about this comic that I don't know where to begin.

[Karoug]

We apologise for the fault in the flumph-lawyer panel placement. Those responsible have been sacked.

[Particle_Man]

Adjourn is spelled differently from in the strip.

Good strip though.

Flumphs can't spell, apparently. :)

[faustin]

I hope that by now he realizes what spell he needs to have, just in case.

Feather Fall

If Elan knows Feather Fall, why he didn´t jump before from the rooftop?

[Turgon9357]

Notice that Haley has had a potion in her hand ever since here (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0789.html).

Wonder what it is. It seems likely that it will play a role in the battle.

[Particle_Man]

The true brilliance of the comic was adding another phrase to the gaming community:

Celestial Tree Sloth Attack!

I am somewhat amazed. I was certain someone would have posted stats for it by now.

[Particle_Man]

Its the only possible escape I can think of, well that or using a wand if he has enough in UMD. Haley can`t reach Sabine from that distance so its up to him.

Haley has a bow to annoy Sabine, and we have already seen that Elan has some nice soft lawyers to fall on.

[Crisis21]

'Celestial Tree Sloth Attack' is my new favorite quote from the comic.

Thank you Rich! :smallsmile::smallbiggrin:

[ArcaneSaint]

Elan has made himself useful after all. V told him to bring Haley to Durkon to un-petrify her, and he did. And once Durkon gets Haley back to normal, they outnumber the Linear Guild (At least for now, until Durkon's opposite reveal her/himself).

@Torgun: I wonder what is was too, she took it out of the bag when they were preparing themselves for battle, so probably a buff of some kind. Something to increase her accuracy perhaps? (or whichever stat increases accuracy, dexterity?)

[Kancsar]

hoorah we finally get to see Durkon. the fact that we first see him with the Lawyers suggests the anti-Durkon hasn't appeared yet? Durkon and Haley and Elan should beat Nale and Sabine, even before Malick goes all Death Domain granted power on people.

Celestial animal named after deadly sin - FTW!

[SamBurke]

Haha! Now the plot is tieing back. And we can close those theory threads about the flumphs...

[Draz74]

We apologise for the fault in the flumph-lawyer panel placement. Those responsible have been sacked promoted.

Fixed that for you.

[ref]

The flumphs will make better lawyers than Jones and Rodriguez.

Are you sure those Flumphs can get better than 5-147?

Also, it's obvious that Hell hath no fury like a succubus scorned.

[Snails]

This comic is golden for character development.

Sabine is not angry at Elan. Yes, she would enjoy killing him, but that just something to relish, not something to get mad about.

But what she is really saying is:

"I am tired of you making things complicated for me, Nale"

After her upseting conversation with the imp, Sabine is taking her frustrations and fears out on Nale's lookalike.

[St Fan]

...Not sure if this should be a spoiler, but...

Has anyone considered that maybe Sabine just saved Elan from Nale? According to the IFCC, they don't want the OOTS killed yet - maybe Sabine's just pretending to try and kill Elan to keep Nale from getting suspicious, when in reality she's following the IFCC's order to keep the OOTS from dying.

Just a thought.

The IFCC want Vaarsuvius to survive. They don't give a devil-rat's ass about whether Elan or the rest of the OotS survive.

[Frozen_Northman]

I suppose the lawyers could try filing a claim against Haley for personal injury...

But their claim would no doubt be found to fall outside the Statue of Limitations.

[the_tick_rules]

Someone else gets landed on, awesome.

[kojar]

YES! HELLO, DURKON! LONG TIME, NO SEE! And now we can get some Haley action!!!! And LMFAO with the lawyers/flumphs. Now we just need to know how V's getting away from the Ranch Dressing Plane (he doesn't know Plane Shift, does he?) and what's going on with Roy and Thog (and Mr. Scruffy!)

Great comic, Giant! :smallbiggrin:



LMFAO THAT WOULD BE HILARIOUS.

And also, SIGH. It's been nearly one hundred strips since we've seen Team Evil! I miss them! Redcloak and Xykon and Monster-chan! That honoriffic works much better, dontcha think? :smallwink:

I'm totally adding "Celestial Tree Sloth Attack!" to my sig. It's almost as funny as "Super-advanced stealth flying dinosaur!"

Conjuration is V`s banned school.

Oh and I for one would like to continue with the oots rather that teem evil

[Hopeless]

There's so many responses that could be made for this strip.

1) Somewhere out there someone is looking down on this and yelling "YES!"
2) Doctor Who version would be a simple "Excellent!"
3) I suppose the Star Trek version would be "Make it so!" but thats a little bit out there just like the show...
4) You know flumphs out there are probably saying "Its about time!" and thats just for the appearance... and probably ignoring the fate of the lawyers.
Me I'm wondering how the leads from the Defenders show would react to this maybe even the one with Shatner as well!

[kojar]

Haley has a bow to annoy Sabine, and we have already seen that Elan has some nice soft lawyers to fall on.

What could Haley do with a bow that would provoke Sabine without hitting her? A few more moments and Elan would be dead and Break enchantment takes one minute (The giant said something about Zz`dtri`s original version`s author not reading the spells cast time) She can deal with her later anyway.

[Rules Lawyer #1]

Awesome comic is awesome!
My favorite panel was the Haley statue returning to normal size with the expression of surprise frozen on her face!

[AbuSpud]

Another win! Haley had better get rid of Sabine before Sabine becomes the competition in too many senses!

Typo alert: 'adjourn' in last panel.

[FujinAkari]

It was an awesome strip, although I thought Haley had to be thrown onto a firm surface, not just thrown?

[Calanon]

My reaction when i saw the new page was up (http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=Xe4aLLCFqWY)

btw. Celestial Tree Sloth FTW

[faustin]

Sabine is not angry at Elan. Yes, she would enjoy killing him, but that just something to relish, not something to get mad about.

But what she is really saying is:

"I am tired of you making things complicated for me, Nale"

After her upseting conversation with the imp, Sabine is taking her frustrations and fears out on Nale's lookalike.

Actually, as someone aid before, Elan has made a fool of her twice in only five strips (in the very face of Nale, nothing less), so she has at least good motives to be very upset with the bard.
And the chat with Qarr hasn´t done any good to cheer her up, either.

[AbuSpud]

...Alas, as one can see from the falling statute panel, the lawyers don't have the Xs in their eyes, so they quite clearly survived the falling statute.

They have at least one more fall to break :smallyuk:

[Whiffet]

It was an awesome strip, although I thought Haley had to be thrown onto a firm surface, not just thrown?

She hits the wall with a little "bink!" in Panel 9. Apparently that counts.

[rbetieh]

I'm surprised the lawyers don't have X's in their eyes!

Last thing we need is Zombie lawyers.

[Onyavar]

Well, I had to think immidiately: Why the lawyers? Why not someone else?

BECAUSE! The lawyers will next disappear - only to be not available when the guards arrest Durkon for illegal staying in the EoB...

And then Durkon and the flumphs will both move to adjourn, and subsequently to the arena...

[The MunchKING]

Last thing we need is Zombie lawyers.

"You cut him in half and BOTH sides sue!"

[Timeless Error]

Hurrah! Durkon is back! And the flumphs!

Wait...but does this mean Jones and Rodriguez are dead?

EDIT: Heh...I like the "aoowhiff" sound effect in the 3rd panel.

And you can see mini-Haley starting to fall out of Elan's belt in the 6th panel!

[Toper]

But I wanted to hear the rest of Nale's quip. :smallfrown:

[rewinn]

hoorah we finally get to see Durkon. the fact that we first see him with the Lawyers suggests the anti-Durkon hasn't appeared yet?...

Unless ... the lawyers ARE the Anti-Durkon?

Durkon: wise. effective. doesn't have good hair.

The Lawyer Team: unwise. ineffective. good hair!

[brionl]

Flawyers and Lumphs and Tree-sloths...
Oh my.

[Vectner]

Giant, you made me laugh in a strip where you are trying to kill Elan! That's just not fair!

[ORione]

Unless ... the lawyers ARE the Anti-Durkon?

Durkon: wise. effective. doesn't have good hair.

The Lawyer Team: unwise. ineffective. good hair!

If you're right, I'd say Rodriguez is the anti-Durkon, because Jones is bald.

[Particle_Man]

What could Haley do with a bow that would provoke Sabine without hitting her? A few more moments and Elan would be dead and Break enchantment takes one minute (The giant said something about Zz`dtri`s original version`s author not reading the spells cast time) She can deal with her later anyway.

I expect Haley to hit Sabine with arrows, actually (she is likely high enough level to have a feat that lets her hit Sabine without risking hitting Elan), that will annoy Sabine enough to attack Haley or scare her enough to fly away. Either way, Elan gets dropped. Then Elan lands on the soft lawyers, safe.

[OoTLink]

lol awesome bit with the lawyers :D And suddenly Durkon and Haley are back in the story. yay!

I sense a sneak attack BITCH! coming soon.

[UrsielHauke]

Well played, Elan. Save Haley from Sabine while getting yourself off-panel at the same time. Getting smarter.

[Gd8908]

Celestial Tree Sloth Attack!!

[Psyren]

Finally. :smallannoyed:

The team really needs a Durkon signal.

[Snails]

I expect Haley to hit Sabine with arrows, actually (she is likely high enough level to have a feat that lets her hit Sabine without risking hitting Elan), that will annoy Sabine enough to attack Haley or scare her enough to fly away. Either way, Elan gets dropped. Then Elan lands on the soft lawyers, safe.

Also Elan has taken quite a few negative levels, but probably not much HP damage at all. He could easily survive a fall from a great height. (Really he should have looked down, noticed Durkon, and jumped).

[Adventurer]

...Did anyone actually understand what happened in the last panel? Why did the flumphs take the lawyers' place? Is it complete randomness or is there supposed to be a joke behind it?

[Kish]

...Did anyone actually understand what happened in the last panel? Why did the flumphs take the lawyers' place?
Because the lawyers took the flumphs' place.

[ThePhantasm]

...Did anyone actually understand what happened in the last panel? Why did the flumphs take the lawyers' place? Is it complete randomness or is there supposed to be a joke behind it?

It is a running joke that the flumphs show up when someone is falling. This is just a variation on the joke.

[MoonCat]

Whoa, we haven't seen Durkon since 2010. I cannot believe it. We'd better get some more of him again!


We apologise for the fault in the flumph-lawyer panel placement. Those responsible have been sacked.

I wanted them promoted!


It was an awesome strip, although I thought Haley had to be thrown onto a firm surface, not just thrown?

It was preemptive. The magic saw Joneses thick skull down there and figured "Oh hell, I'm not going to get smashed by that thing, I'm going to go bump into that wall instead".


"You cut him in half and BOTH sides sue!"

PRATCHETT QUOTE!!!!! (note, five exclamation points)

[fibonacciseries]

But I wanted to hear the rest of Nale's quip. :smallfrown:

I agree; after all, he was just on the brink of finishing it. It's really annoying to have it left as a cliffhanger. :smalltongue:

[WickedWizard17]

Whoa, we haven't seen Durkon since 2010. I cannot believe it. We'd better get some more of him again!

Whoa - it's been THAT long? When was the last time we saw him?!:smalleek:

[MoonCat]

Whoa - it's been THAT long? When was the last time we saw him?!:smalleek:

In Small Talk. I'll go look it up.

[Gnoman]

The IFCC want Vaarsuvius to survive. They don't give a devil-rat's ass about whether Elan or the rest of the OotS survive.

Wrong. They need the Order of the Stick to keep Team Evil from winning, because whatever their plan is, it relies on the conflict between the two sides continuing.

[MoonCat]

September 12th. Giant, you officially kept a main character off of the screen for over a year, by three days. :smalleek::smalleek::smalleek:

EDIT: Wait, that was a year ago? I was joinng the forum back then! :smalleek::smalleek::smalleek::smalleek::smalleek: :smalleek::smalleek:

[Gift Jeraff]

September 12th. Giant, you officially kept a main character off of the screen for over a year, by three days. :smalleek::smalleek::smalleek:Huh? #764 (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0764.html) came out on December 9th (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=179042).

EDIT: Fun Fact: The record keeper for longest absence in terms of strip # is still V, I think. (#508 (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0508.html)-553 (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0553.html)) Just barely, though.

EDIT2: Nevermind. If you don't count flashbacks (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0628.html) or hypothetical scenes (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0634.html) (or the Durkon drawing), the longest absence is Elan and Durkon. (#599 (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0599.html)-646 (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0646.html))

[MoonCat]

Huh? #764 (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0764.html) came out on December 9th (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=179042).

EDIT: And the record keeper for longest absence in terms of strip # is still V, I think. (#508 (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0508.html)-553 (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0553.html)) Just barely, though.

Crap. Too much being European. I read that wrong.

[Who149]

You know, its nice to see Elan being resourceful. He seems to only do it when he's without a large team.

[Blisstake]

Huh? #764 (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0764.html) came out on December 9th (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=179042).

EDIT: Fun Fact: The record keeper for longest absence in terms of strip # is still V, I think. (#508 (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0508.html)-553 (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0553.html)) Just barely, though.

EDIT2: Nevermind. If you don't count flashbacks (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0628.html) or hypothetical scenes (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0634.html) (or the Durkon drawing), the longest absence is Elan and Durkon. (#599 (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0599.html)-646 (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0646.html))

Yeah, but I think this might be the longest absense in terms of real time.

[Lemur Bear]

I wonder what Durkon is researching...

Just missed the rule of threes on Nale getting cut off unless I Nale got cut off once the last time he was chasing Elan off a ledge. Regardless, I like the reversal of expectations with the lawyers getting crushed. The Flumphs usually get squished by a normal weighted character. Those lawyers got wrecked.

[Kyronea]

Here's a question: what happens to a person's soul while they're petrified? Does it count as dying and as a result they end up in their alignment-based afterlife?

Or does something else happen? Note, to be precise: I am asking about the time they are a statue, not if the statue breaks or something--that's an obvious death plus probably a need for True Resurrection.

[dtilque]

I suppose the lawyers could try filing a claim against Haley for personal injury...

But their claim would no doubt be found to fall outside the Statue of Limitations.

Groan! The problem with this board is that everyone has to be a Dashing Swordsman...

[Niknokitueu]

At last - an use for lawyers.

Loves ya, Rich!

Have Fun!
Niknokitueu

[DougTheHead]

View Post
We apologise for the fault in the flumph-lawyer panel placement. Those responsible have been sacked.
I wanted them promoted!


We apologize for sacking the people responsible for the fault in the flumph-lawyer panel placement. Rest assured, the people who sacked them have now been sacked.

[Werbaer]

I wonder what Durkon is researching...
mass protect against negative energy effects (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0672.html)

[FujinAkari]

Here's a question: what happens to a person's soul while they're petrified? Does it count as dying and as a result they end up in their alignment-based afterlife?

Or does something else happen? Note, to be precise: I am asking about the time they are a statue, not if the statue breaks or something--that's an obvious death plus probably a need for True Resurrection.

A character is not "dead" while a statue, merely alterered. Classically, they are still aware of what goes on around them and can still see and hear, but cannot move their eyes or, obviously, speak.

When Haley is Stone to Fleshed, she will retain all memories of her time in the stone.

((This causes a fairly frenquent "timetravel" issue in D&D games where people get petrified and released years / centuries later, they haven't aged but have likely been trapped in a cave for just about ever))

[Kyronea]

A character is not "dead" while a statue, merely alterered. Classically, they are still aware of what goes on around them and can still see and hear, but cannot move their eyes or, obviously, speak.

When Haley is Stone to Fleshed, she will retain all memories of her time in the stone.

((This causes a fairly frenquent "timetravel" issue in D&D games where people get petrified and released years / centuries later, they haven't aged but have likely been trapped in a cave for just about ever))

Wow...that's actually extremely horrifying. I imagine someone who gets stuck for centuries as a statue must be insane long before they're released...:smalleek:

[Phishfood]

lol awesome bit with the lawyers :D And suddenly Durkon and Haley are back in the story. yay!

I sense a sneak attack BITCH! coming soon.

Followed by "and I STILL don't know which arrow hurt her!"

[hamishspence]

A character is not "dead" while a statue, merely alterered. Classically, they are still aware of what goes on around them and can still see and hear, but cannot move their eyes or, obviously, speak.

When Haley is Stone to Fleshed, she will retain all memories of her time in the stone.

((This causes a fairly frenquent "timetravel" issue in D&D games where people get petrified and released years / centuries later, they haven't aged but have likely been trapped in a cave for just about ever))

"Classically" maybe- but not true in 3rd ed. The character is considered unconscious.


Petrified
A petrified character has been turned to stone and is considered unconscious. If a petrified character cracks or breaks, but the broken pieces are joined with the body as he returns to flesh, he is unharmed. If the character’s petrified body is incomplete when it returns to flesh, the body is likewise incomplete and there is some amount of permanent hit point loss and/or debilitation.

[faustin]

Another question: can Durkon remove the "Energy Drains" effects on Elan ( so he can still maintain his level)?

[kojar]

Another question: can Durkon remove the "Energy Drains" effects on Elan ( so he can still maintain his level)?

Of course he can, casting restoration 2-3 times should do it and then he could cast deathward on him for protection.

[PetterTomBos]

Perhaps the flumps (or their equivalents..) are the DMs way to balance out non-flying characters ? xD

[The Succubus]

Finally. :smallannoyed:

The team really needs a Durkon signal.

I just had a mental image of huge light shining on a cloud with a silhuoette of a tankard on it, Batman style.

[Asthix]

So does this count as fanservice? Cause I think the Giant just made lawyers into fanservice. :smallbiggrin:

[faustin]

I just had a mental image of huge light shining on a cloud with a silhuoette of a tankard on it, Batman style.

And a Steampunk Durkonmobile? :smallbiggrin:

[The MunchKING]

PRATCHETT QUOTE!!!!! (note, five exclamation points)

A Sure sign someone's not mentally Stable.

[EccentricFellow]

Some running gags run until they are at more of a limp, but I have to say that I like those tentacled pillows more and more every time I see them. :)

[Boogastreehouse]

I really like how adding just one tiny additional line near Sabine's eye manages to successfully transform the typical stick-figure expression of alarm into a full-fledged freak-out at having a creepy sloth hanging on you.

I think sloths are pretty neat, but clearly Sabine finds sloths (particularly celestial ones) to be absolutely horrifying.

[The MunchKING]

I think sloths are pretty neat, but clearly Sabine finds sloths (particularly celestial ones) to be absolutely horrifying.

Well she said it was HANGING on her.

If I remember my Sloth nature documentaries right (and I may not be) they like to hang on to thick tree branches by sticking their claws in them. And if she has DR/Good she may think a Celestial Sloth trying to stick it's claws in whatever part of her it can grab won't be blocked by her DR.

[Zorgophlats]

Durkon! Yes!

Lawyers! I knew there was going to be problem with Durkons' duration of stay.

"So, you have no legal troubles of any kind?"
"No"

...um... I guess that's the Giants way of telling me to shut up. ;)

[Shoelessgdowar]

I agree; after all, he was just on the brink of finishing it. It's really annoying to have it left as a cliffhanger. :smalltongue:

Don't you mean ledgehanger? He's on a ledge, not a cliff :smallbiggrin::smalltongue::smallwink:



Well she said it was HANGING on her.

If I remember my Sloth nature documentaries right (and I may not be) they like to hang on to thick tree branches by sticking their claws in them. And if she has DR/Good she may think a Celestial Sloth trying to stick it's claws in whatever part of her it can grab won't be blocked by her DR.

Hehehehe Tree Branches not on a tree tend to be called 'Sticks', and since everyone is a stick figure, Sabine is justified in thinking the Celestial Tree Sloth is going to get clawy and clingy... neither of which she wants.

BTW, for those who were commenting on length of absences, I believe Blackwing holds the record, but then I can understand how you guys can overlook him, everyone else seems to.

My guess is the potion is a potion of insight. Haley meant to drink it so she'd finally know what to shoot Sabine with... either that or it will be a potion of greater flight and she's going to be chasing Sabine around with a speed, maneuverability, and action bonus for once instead of the usual slower grounded disadvantage status she usually has against Sabine.

----------------------------------

Now... since it was requested, and I'm bored, presenting... the stats for the Celestial Tree Sloth

Hit Dice: 5d8+6 (29 hp)
Initiative: +0
Speed: 10 ft., climb 40 ft.
Armor Class: 12 (+2 natural), touch 10, flat-footed 12
Base Attack/Grapple: +2/+6
Attacks: Claw +6 melee (1d4+4)
Full Attacks: 2 claws +6 melee (1d4+4), bite +1 melee (1d6+2)
Space/Reach: 5 ft. /5 ft.
Special Attacks: Rend 1d4+6 ; Smite Evil Bite 1d6+7
Special Qualities: Low-light vision, Darkvision 60ft, scent, Single Action Only; Resistance to acid, cold, and electricity 5 ; DR 5/magic ; SR 10
Saves: Fort +7, Ref +3, Will +4
Abilities: Str 18, Dex 10, Con 14, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 10
Skills: Climb +12, Hide +7*, Swim +11
Feats: Great Fortitude, Power Attack
Environment: Warm forest
Organization: Solitary or pair

Combat
A celestial tree sloth attacks by biting and rending its
opponent with its claws.

Rend (Ex): A celestial tree sloth that hits with both claw attacks latches onto the opponent’s body and tears the flesh. This automatically deals an additional 1d4+6 points of damage.

Single Action Only (Ex): A celestial tree sloth has poor reflexes and can perform only a single move action or attack action each round. A celestial tree sloth can move up to its speed and attack in the same round, but only if it attempts a charge.

Smite Evil (Su): Once per day a celestial tree sloth can make a normal melee attack to deal extra damage equal to its HD against an evil foe.

Skills: celestial tree sloths receive a +4 racial bonus to Hide and Swim checks. *In areas of dense undergrowth, the celestial tree sloth receives a +4 racial bonus to Hide checks. A celestial tree sloth has a +8 racial bonus on Climb and can always choose to take 10 on a Climb check, even if rushed or threatened.

[137beth]

So the flumphs and lawyers come back in the same comic? Perfect.

[StrykerX]

Excellent comic, I particularly enjoyed Elan's celestial tree sloth attack. Sometimes I forget he has spells.:smalleek:

That's all right... so does he. :smalltongue:

[Particle_Man]

Now... since it was requested, and I'm bored, presenting... the stats for the Celestial Tree Sloth.

Thanks!

:smallcool:

[BIGMamaSloth]

sloths. Yes.

[Forikroder]

bravo giant, it always amazes me how effectively you can portray facial expressions using stick figures

[willpell]

I love the way the Celestial Tree Sloth looks as it's leaping into battle. One of the cutest things I've ever seen in this comic. Otherwise this comic is kinda meh IMO, but hopefully sets up some future epicness.


Anti-durkon where are you?

At this point I'm not at all sure there is an anti-Durkon. Nale wasn't expecting to encounter the OOTS, so he may just not have managed to recruit a divine spellcaster yet.

[Zorgophlats]

Nale: "Oh. This is just great. Now the dwarf's in the fight. Excuse me, sir? Yes you. Are you a religious person? What? You're an atheist? Well, that's sort of an opposite. Check this out, that Dwarf down there, he worships Thor, in a land that Thor isn't allowed to intervene in. And he called your momma a Lizard. Off you go.

Wait.

Can somebody explain how I found an atheist in a world where Gods intervene on a daily basis?"

[ORione]

I want a Celestial tree sloth familiar.

[dtilque]

Don't you mean ledgehanger? He's on a ledge, not a cliff :smallbiggrin::smalltongue::smallwink:

Actually, he's not on that anymore.



Now... since it was requested, and I'm bored, presenting... the stats for the Celestial Tree Sloth

Hit Dice: 5d8+6 (29 hp)
Initiative: +0
Speed: 10 ft., climb 40 ft.


That's one ultrafast sloth.

per Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sloth)


On the ground the maximum speed of the three-toed sloth is 2 m or 6.5 feet per minute

It doesn't give their climbing speed, but it isn't a whole lot faster. And yes, that's a two-toed sloth in the comic, but they don't move any faster than the three-toed variety.

[factotum]

It doesn't give their climbing speed, but it isn't a whole lot faster. And yes, that's a two-toed sloth in the comic, but they don't move any faster than the three-toed variety.

But it's a *Celestial* sloth and therefore doesn't need to follow the rules of its earthbound cousins! (Not to mention the fact that it's an ILLUSION anyway).

[J's]

But it's a *Celestial* sloth and therefore doesn't need to follow the rules of its earthbound cousins! (Not to mention the fact that it's an ILLUSION anyway).

He was referring to the guy who made up stats for this proposed species, not the illusion in comic. People did ask for some stats from people earlier for a <real> Celestial tree sloth.
He felt the movement speed was to high. But as long as it is slower than anything else on the field I think that would be good enough (please note, I have no knowledge of the D&D universe, I don't know if the 10ft per turn is fast or slow in comparison to all other classes/races).

[ORione]

He was referring to the guy who made up stats for this proposed species, not the illusion in comic. People did ask for some stats from people earlier for a <real> Celestial tree sloth.
He felt the movement speed was to high. But as long as it is slower than anything else on the field I think that would be good enough (please note, I have no knowledge of the D&D universe, I don't know if the 10ft per turn is fast or slow in comparison to all other classes/races).

Humans and most other medium-sized beings move at 30ft per turn. Most small beings move at 20ft per turn.

[Grumpy-Mcfart]

<snip>

Can somebody explain how I found an atheist in a world where Gods intervene on a daily basis?"

Gods like to see an atheist around.
Gives them something to aim at.

[rewinn]

... the stats for the Celestial Tree Sloth...
Well Done!

However, shouldn't the Special Attack have something more slothful? e.g. instead of rending, simply have the sloth cling to the target. Clinging prevents any use of the limb clung to - thus spellcasters cannot employ a gesture using that hand and two-handed weapons cannot be used. The victim may attempt to shake the sloth off, but any attack on the sloth has a 50% of hitting the victim instead. The sloth still gets a normal attack and so may eventually wear down the victim.


...yes, that's a two-toed sloth in the comic, but they don't move any faster than the three-toed variety.Perhaps in OOTSverse, the varieties are the 1-toed sloth and the 2-toed sloth. In a world where humanoids have 3 digits, a 3-toed sloth would appear to be a polydactyl.

[faustin]

Gods like to see an atheist around.
Gives them something to aim at.


Terry Pratchett is actually an atheist. But even the Gods like him... most of the time :smallbiggrin:

[MoonCat]

Gods like to see an atheist around.
Gives them something to aim at.

PRATCHETT QUOTE 2!!!!!

[dtilque]

However, shouldn't the Special Attack have something more slothful? e.g. instead of rending, simply have the sloth cling to the target. Clinging prevents any use of the limb clung to - thus spellcasters cannot employ a gesture using that hand and two-handed weapons cannot be used. The victim may attempt to shake the sloth off, but any attack on the sloth has a 50% of hitting the victim instead. The sloth still gets a normal attack and so may eventually wear down the victim.
Sloths will sometimes cling to a branch by digging their claws deep into the branch. This should be reflected in both damage and the difficulty in shaking the sloth off. And since it's a celestial being, infernal (or maybe all evil) beings should sustain extra damage for every round the sloth is clinging to them.

[Purgatorius]

Is panel 4 a reference to Prince of Persia (the computer game)?
"This whole place is made out of ledges!"

[Threadnaught]

10ft per round?

Well it's faster than a Dwarven Defender, but that's about it.

[Toper]

For the record, Nale's and Sabine's relationship is one of my favorite things in OOTS, and this comic is no exception. Petulant Nale is always awesome. "You never respect my process!"

[Shoelessgdowar]

Technically all speed is done in increments of 10 feet, so... unless it never moves, the slowest speed is 10 feet as 0 feet is the next speed down and 0 feet means never moving. Instead the fact it can only make a single action was used to infer its slowness. Also, all I actually did was dig up the D&D stats for a sloth and then added the standard Celestial Template to the Sloth. About the biggest statistical changes were the extra HD.

[Aurabolt]

So Sabine somehow failed a Will Save? She's a Succubus, right? I recall their Will Saves being very high, and if that was Minor Image, she somehow failed-at best- a DC 18 Will Save? And that's being generous because I'm claiming that Elan has a +6 to his Charisma. I'm very disappointed in her, especially considering the penalty Elan would have with something that silly? Hehehe.

[Hiro Protagonest]

So Sabine somehow failed a Will Save? She's a Succubus, right? I recall their Will Saves being very high, and if that was Minor Image, she somehow failed-at best- a DC 18 Will Save? And that's being generous because I'm claiming that Elan has a +6 to his Charisma. I'm very disappointed in her, especially considering the penalty Elan would have with something that silly? Hehehe.

...She has a +7, plus maybe a minor boost from class levels with weak will save progression.

[Aurabolt]

Okay, so at least a +10 due to class levels? That's at least half the die. I was just saying that she seems to be pretty weaksauce in a Save which should technically be one of her stronger qualities.