View Full Version : Twice Blessed (Total Ripoff of OOTS?)
TheTenser
2011-11-01, 10:37 PM
So there is a new D&D webcomic called Twice Blessed: www.twiceblessedcomic.com
The main character is an idiot bard who only ever does anything useful completely on accident, and he is accompanied by a dwarf with a thick accent and a snooty wizard who is easily annoyed by his antics. It likes to make juvenile jokes about his "rod of wonder" and other D&D references.
So, anyways, it just seems like a rip-off of OOTS, except with worse writing and (marginally) better art. What do you guys think?
Trazoi
2011-11-01, 10:49 PM
It's hardly a rip-off of OoTS, at least in the dozen or so comics in the archive. The idiot bard, dwarf with an accent and pompous wizard are old fantasy cliches - that's why they pop up everywhere. So far it's not my cup of tea because it's nothing more that those fantasy cliches, but I wouldn't be painting it with the rip-off label.
Weimann
2011-11-02, 05:58 AM
Pompous wizards are fantasy tropes. Incompetent bards are more of an RPG meme, I think.
Besides, I haven't seen any proof that he's actually a bard, or actually incompetent. It's the easiest D&D comaprison to make, yes, but my first thought was some kind of duelist, and we've not seen enough of the comic to make any judgements on his "competence" yet, whatever that means.
So far, the comic is by no means earthshaking, but the art style looks solid and I like the Russian dwarf. I'll have to see more of it to make up my mind on it. Might check back on it at a later date.
Surfing HalfOrc
2011-11-02, 06:41 AM
Rip-Off of OotS? Nah. The characters have been done countless times before in comics, novels, and adventures.
Juvenile? Yeah, but that's not necessarily a game ender. Cade reminds me of one of my first characters, Justin Tyme. I created Justin while in Junior High, (which I attended between 1978-1981, so I was using 1st Edition Rules), and I still remember him trying to pick up girls in about the same manner, and with nearly the same results. Yeah, Jr. High boys aren't exactly smooth with the ladies! :smallbiggrin:
The dwarf's not scottish, so, you know, points for that.
Anyway, those characters have no more than the most superficial possible resemblence to OotS. Unless... is this a sneaky way of getting people to read the comic? Are you affiliated with it?
Because that would be a great marketing strategy. Hm, I need to think of something that I can claim my work is ripping off...
gadren
2011-11-02, 07:02 PM
Hey, this is Mike Haneline, the actual writer of Twice Blessed.
I'm glad everyone beat me to it, but no, I did not rip off Order of the Stick.
Also, for the record, Cade is a Paladin/Bard (or a Bard/Holy Liberator if you don't want to break any 3.5 rules), though I tend to play up the paladin part more. His class isn't terribly important to the story, honestly.
I would just like to point out that we just got started, and our story pacing is admittedly a bit slow since Gen and I are just getting into this for the first time.
If you are curious was the story is actually about...:
The primary arc focuses on Cade and another character who will be introduced in chapter 2, Delbin Black. Black is a disciplined, ruthless assassin and master swordsman who accepts a contract to kill Cade. Unfortunately, before he can, the two end up with a curse that basically acts like a powerful two-way version of the shield other (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/shieldOther.htm) spell, meaning that if Cade dies, Delbin, dies, and vice versa. So, they (and their friends) have to figure out a way to get them un-cursed, and along the way, they get tangled up in things that are much more dangerous...
That's the distilled version of it anyway. Don't want to give away too much, but there's a lot more set to go on, and other characters are intricately involved. You've already met Melchior the mage and Vadim Valntipur the dwarf warrior, and it won't be long before you meet Pella the pixie arcane archer, Rua the "witch", and others who all have their own plots going on that affect the main plot.
You guys know nothing! Of course it's a ripoff of OotS! It's a webcomic, and in D&D! It even have bard as a protagonist!And a dwarf! Coincidence? I think not!
Have you seen Die Hard? It's a rip off of OotS - the protagonist is BALD and badass!! Jeez, people can't think of anything new? Where the world has got to
And Harry Potter is a rip off Twilight!
Reaaly, one of these threads again?
Anyways - this Twice Blessed seems interesting. Bookmarked and waiting for more.
KillianHawkeye
2011-11-02, 07:54 PM
Incompetent bards are more of an RPG meme, I think.
Bards have been incompetent at least since Final Fantasy 2/4j.
Bards have been incompetent at least since Final Fantasy 2/4j.
I would counter-argue that bards are considered incompetent largely because of Final Fantasy 2/4's spoony bard.
Anyway.
Hi, Gadren! Sounds like a good root for a 'buddy cop' fantasy. I'll be someone keeping an eye on it.
gadren
2011-11-03, 08:56 AM
I would counter-argue that bards are considered incompetent largely because of Final Fantasy 2/4's spoony bard.
Anyway.
Hi, Gadren! Sounds like a good root for a 'buddy cop' fantasy. I'll be someone keeping an eye on it.
LOL, I suppose it is.
"One's a swashbuckling lady's man half-elf. The other is a humorless undead assassin. Together, they fight crime!"
*cue catchy theme song*
Valameer
2011-11-03, 09:13 AM
Thanks, TheTenser, for introducing me to this promising web comic! It looks good so far. And I wouldn't have found it without you. Also, have you ever considered a career in marketing?
Luzahn
2011-11-03, 10:12 AM
LOL, I suppose it is.
"One's a swashbuckling lady's man half-elf. The other is a humorless undead assassin. Together, they fight crime!"
*cue catchy theme song*
Hm. Reminds me of Jarlaxle and Artemis Entreri.
Nerd-o-rama
2011-11-03, 11:31 AM
I'm not going to call this comic original, but I'm not going to call OotS original either. OotS set up camp right next to the Well Of Overused Fantasy Plot Devices for all its story and character needs and is quite happy there - you can't blame other stories from coming and watering at the same well, it's the one all fantasy uses.
That said, this Twice Blessed comic has some promise; even if I'm not fond of things that take their time getting to the main premise, that seems to be almost an inevitability in plotted webcomics. I'll keep an eye on it.
Oh, and there's a feat in D&D 3.5 that lets you be a Lawful Good Bard/Paladin and stacks the class levels for some features, if gadren was curious. You have to start as a non-Lawful Bard and "convert" to take the feat and Paladin levels, technically, but I'd rather just houserule out the alignment restrictions anyway. Devoted Performer, I think, from Complete Adventurer.
H Birchgrove
2011-11-03, 11:36 AM
LOL, I suppose it is.
"One's a swashbuckling lady's man half-elf. The other is a humorless undead assassin. Together, they fight crime!"
*cue catchy theme song*
I'd watch it. :smallsmile:
gadren
2011-11-03, 10:57 PM
Hm. Reminds me of Jarlaxle and Artemis Entreri.
Doh! I guess.
But Cade is actually not particularly clever, or resourceful, or powerful, or skilled, or in general as big of a Marty Stu as Jarlaxle is. Cade is mostly just lucky.
(Don't get me wrong, I love Jarlaxle and will probably read anything he's in because he is amusing as hell, but he is like the high-king of Marty Stu's everywhere.)
Tirian
2011-11-04, 12:35 AM
I would counter-argue that bards are considered incompetent largely because of Final Fantasy 2/4's spoony bard.
A few years before that, bards were surprisingly useless in The Bard's Tale. Personally, I'd go further back to the minstrels in Monty Python and the Holy Grail, even though they came to some use in the end (http://youtu.be/enSYlCEz5VI).
Nerd-o-rama
2011-11-04, 09:18 AM
A few years before that, bards were surprisingly useless in The Bard's Tale. Personally, I'd go further back to the minstrels in Monty Python and the Holy Grail, even though they came to some use in the end (http://youtu.be/enSYlCEz5VI).
Yaaay! fillertext
You know, I just noticed that the OP has only ever made one post. Either he really hates this comic, or he actually is a marketing genius.
Lizard Lord
2011-11-04, 12:29 PM
Oh, and there's a feat in D&D 3.5 that lets you be a Lawful Good Bard/Paladin and stacks the class levels for some features, if gadren was curious. You have to start as a non-Lawful Bard and "convert" to take the feat and Paladin levels, technically, but I'd rather just houserule out the alignment restrictions anyway. Devoted Performer, I think, from Complete Adventurer.
There is also the Chaotic Good Freedom Paladin Variant.
blackjack217
2011-11-04, 01:55 PM
You know, I just noticed that the OP has only ever made one post. Either he really hates this comic, or he actually is a marketing genius.
So I was on the forums then I looked around and saw I was suddenly on a webcomic. It would take some kind of marketing genus to.... TENSER!
gadren
2011-11-04, 09:49 PM
There is also the Chaotic Good Freedom Paladin Variant.
Or, you know, Holy Liberator, like I said in the first place ;)
....
Also, for the record, Cade is a Paladin/Bard (or a Bard/Holy Liberator if you don't want to break any 3.5 rules)...
Honestly, if you are multiclassing in paladin but are CG, holy liberator is the way to go anyway. It has most of the crunch that paladin's get for levels 1-20 plus some other good stuff.
Shpadoinkle
2011-11-04, 09:53 PM
Holy crap! Do you mean to tell me that common stock characters have been used by more than one person?!
THIS IS PROOF THAT THERE IS NO GOD!!!
gadren
2011-11-05, 11:45 PM
Holy crap! Do you mean to tell me that common stock characters have been used by more than one person?!
THIS IS PROOF THAT THERE IS NO GOD!!!
I try to play with most of the stock stereotypes...
Lord Raziere
2011-11-06, 09:38 AM
Wow.
Cade is Walking Lucky. Every move he makes, somehow turns out well for him even if he didn't mean it.
Weimann
2011-11-08, 08:43 AM
Hey gadren, you should put a link to your comic in your signature.
gadren
2011-11-10, 02:05 AM
Hey gadren, you should put a link to your comic in your signature.
You're right. Done ;)
Wow.
Cade is Walking Lucky. Every move he makes, somehow turns out well for him even if he didn't mean it.
Well, that's not entirely true. It can also turn out really badly for him. You know how in most stories, if there is a one-in-a-million chance of something happening, it's like guaranteed? Well I basically decided to play off that and turn it up to eleven. Instead of it being all just a coincidence, it is actually Cade's "blessing" at work.
KillianHawkeye
2011-11-12, 05:51 AM
Bards have been incompetent at least since Final Fantasy 2/4j.
I would counter-argue that bards are considered incompetent largely because of Final Fantasy 2/4's spoony bard.
I don't think you can counter-argue with the same argument that I used in the first place. :smallconfused:
Anyway, nice comic.
Lord Raziere
2011-11-12, 10:46 PM
Well, that's not entirely true. It can also turn out really badly for him. You know how in most stories, if there is a one-in-a-million chance of something happening, it's like guaranteed? Well I basically decided to play off that and turn it up to eleven. Instead of it being all just a coincidence, it is actually Cade's "blessing" at work.
So he is Walking Luckwarped.
You are an evil man sir.
(Luckwarped is when you get both extremely good luck and extremely bad luck, not just one or the other, without both canceling each other out.)
gadren
2011-11-15, 09:54 AM
So he is Walking Luckwarped.
You are an evil man sir.
(Luckwarped is when you get both extremely good luck and extremely bad luck, not just one or the other, without both canceling each other out.)
Interesting. Is the Luckwarped concept from a specific game or series, or did you just make that up on the spot?
Lord Raziere
2011-11-15, 10:03 AM
My own word. came up with it years ago to describe my life. I find the concept that I made it up on the spot insulting.
gadren
2011-11-16, 01:30 AM
My own word. came up with it years ago to describe my life. I find the concept that I made it up on the spot insulting.How is it insulting?
Nerd-o-rama
2011-11-18, 10:40 AM
There's also a game I'm playing where that concept is one character's "superpower" (that, and piloting a bitchin' space plane and being named after a pastry).
I think they call her a probability nullifier, though.
Lord Raziere
2011-11-18, 10:43 AM
How is it insulting?
….forget it. forget I said anything.
Weimann
2011-11-18, 05:46 PM
This dwarf guy just gets better.
gadren
2011-11-22, 11:37 PM
This dwarf guy just gets better.
Indeed he does! To which Vadim highlight are you referring specifically, though, if I may ask?
Eigenclass
2011-11-23, 05:11 PM
Not at all a ripoff! The more fantasy-gaming webcomics out there, the better!
However, with a certain character archetype, one has noticed that authors tend to "identify" with the characters they create. Such characters are extremely charismatic or extremely noble, or exemplify some other trait that the authors either believe they have or would like to see in themselves. They might have powers/abilities/friends that allow them to act with careless regard to consequences, being occasionally oblivious of them in fact, and still have it somehow work out.
Most of the time, this makes for extremely limited character development and makes plotlines seem deus ex machina and sort of uninteresting.
Now I'm not saying this applies to Cade or Twice Blessed in any way, but I am sort of non-commitally implying it in a circuitous way that I hope will not give offence. :-)
@ Trazoi:
but I wouldn't be painting it with the rip-off label.
Em, I'm pretty sure that's not how labels work:
This is paint:
http://bonnermusic.files.wordpress.com/2011/10/paint_brush.gif?w=365&h=502
And this is a label (technically several):
http://www.makelabel.com/images/label_rolls_backlit_circle.jpg
The takeaway here is that you can't actually paint with a label.
*Not in fact a spoiler.
gadren
2011-11-26, 10:19 PM
However, with a certain character archetype, one has noticed that authors tend to "identify" with the characters they create. Such characters are extremely charismatic or extremely noble, or exemplify some other trait that the authors either believe they have or would like to see in themselves. They might have powers/abilities/friends that allow them to act with careless regard to consequences, being occasionally oblivious of them in fact, and still have it somehow work out.
Most of the time, this makes for extremely limited character development and makes plotlines seem deus ex machina and sort of uninteresting.
Now I'm not saying this applies to Cade or Twice Blessed in any way, but I am sort of non-commitally implying it in a circuitous way that I hope will not give offence. :-)Yeah, the self-insert author avatar. Also known as the Mary-Sue (or Marty Stu). Cade is a parody of the Marty Stu, as I lampshaded pretty early-on with the conversation between Brevis and Loquais (the drow twins). If you are really curious about Cade's relation to me (the author) read the spoiler below, but it might give away future plot:
Cade actually was a Marty-Stu of mine from my younger years. He was a D&D character of mine in multiple campaigns, and I wrote several (bad) short stories about him as a teenager. Cade was everything I wish I was back when I thought that the most important things in life were sex and popularity (two things I was getting none of.) Cade actually shaped a lot of who I am today, and eventually helped me realize what really was most important in life. (How a fictional character I made up did that is a much longer story, that maybe I'll put down some day.)
At any rate, as I matured, Cade became a joke. He is like a nicer version of Gaston from beauty and the beast, Glorius Maximum from a Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Metroman from Megamind, or the fake personas of Jacomo from The Court Jester or Flynn Rider from Tangled. He is cheesy and WAY over the top, and the other characters are well aware of it. He is a giant ham. When he enters the room you should step back, because he TAKES LARGE STEPS. He is a lover of beauty, and a beauty of a lover :cheesywink: ... you get the idea.
At any rate, there is depth below all his layers of cheese, it just might take a while to see it.
H Birchgrove
2011-11-29, 02:19 PM
But an Author Avatar doesn't have to be a Mary Sue or Gary Stu per se, right? It's only when the character is clearly made to be perfect (or possibly just heroic, or a make-believe character, considering the criticism against Conan the Barbarian and James Bond). :smallconfused:
Then again, I don't see why it would be a problem if I created a Barbarian Hero based on my personality, as long as he wasn't perfect all the time. Far from it, in fact. :smallsigh:
Nerd-o-rama
2011-11-29, 03:59 PM
To randomly chime in, a lot of Dan Simmons's short stories star obvious author inserts (ruggedly intelligent Coloradans who like mountain-climbing), but none of them are Gary Stus.
Cade sounds like he was one, though, and I guess that's the point of the anecdote.
gadren
2011-11-30, 12:45 AM
For the record, the term Mary Sue was first coined by Star Trek fans to refer to any main character in a fan fic that was an author-insert. These characters often (but not always) had the characteristics we associate with Mary Sue's today, and the term kind of mutated.
TV Tropes gives a better history of the term:
"The name "Mary Sue" comes from the 1974 Star Trek fanfic "A Trekkie's Tale". Originally written as a parody of the standard Self Insert Fic of the time (as opposed to any particular traits), the name was quickly adopted by the Star Trek fanfiction community. Its original meaning mostly held that it was an Always Female Author Avatar, regardless of character role or perceived quality. Often, the characters would get in a relationship with either Kirk or Spock, turn out to have a familial bond with a crew member, be a Half-Human Hybrid masquerading as a human, and die in a graceful, beautiful way to reinforce that the character was Too Good For This Sinful Earth. (Or space, as the case may be.)
Even back then, there wasn't a total consensus on what was or wasn't Mary Sue, since it's not always immediately obvious which character is an Author Avatar. As this essay reveals, suspiciously Mary Sue-like characters were noted in subscriber-submitted articles for 19th-century childrens' magazines, making this trope Older Than You Think.
The prototypical Mary Sue is an original female character in a fanfic who obviously serves as an idealized version of the author mainly for the purpose of Wish Fulfillment. She's exotically beautiful, often having an unusual hair or eye color, and has a similarly cool and exotic name. She's exceptionally talented in an implausibly wide variety of areas, and may possess skills that are rare or nonexistent in the canon setting. She also lacks any realistic, or at least story-relevant, character flaws — either that or her "flaws" are obviously meant to be endearing.
She has an unusual and dramatic Back Story. The canon protagonists are all overwhelmed with admiration for her beauty, wit, courage and other virtues, and are quick to adopt her as one of their True Companions, even characters who are usually antisocial and untrusting; if any character doesn't love her, that character gets an extremely unsympathetic portrayal. She has some sort of especially close relationship to the author's favorite canon character — their love interest, illegitimate child, never-before-mentioned sister, etc. Other than that, the canon characters are quickly reduced to awestruck cheerleaders, watching from the sidelines as Mary Sue outstrips them in their areas of expertise and solves problems that have stymied them for the entire series. (See Common Mary Sue Traits for more detail on any of these cliches.)
In other words, the term "Mary Sue" is generally slapped on a character who is important in the story, possesses unusual physical traits, and has an irrelevantly over-skilled or over-idealized nature.
Over time, a male variant started to see use. Marty Stu (also known as Gary Stu, for those who prefer rhyme to alliteration) wasn't really that much different from Mary. Also an Author Avatar, it usually had implications of being a male crew member that tended to completely outshine established canon members in their roles and often become the best starship captain, ever. See The Ace. Since the female characters of Star Trek were all in secondary roles at best, the relationship angle was generally disregarded as being any sort of qualifier. Because of the not-entirely-unjustified perception that Most Fanfic Writers Are Girls, Marty Stu didn't really catch on for a long time."
Morph Bark
2011-11-30, 03:39 PM
You guys know nothing! Of course it's a ripoff of OotS! It's a webcomic, and in D&D! It even have bard as a protagonist!And a dwarf! Coincidence? I think not!
Have you seen Die Hard? It's a rip off of OotS - the protagonist is BALD and badass!! Jeez, people can't think of anything new? Where the world has got to
And Harry Potter is a rip off Twilight!
And Samuel L. Jackson obviously ripped off his look from Roy. He's black and bald and badass after all! He even wielded a sword!
Still, I have to say that the dwarf and the mage make it seem a little bit interesting. If the focus won't be too much on Cade, I think I will like this. While I often like the comic relief type of character the most in a series, they are incredibly hard to pull off right as a main character, or they need to have several other equally important main characters beside them (as in LotR) or have qualities that make them stop just short from being over-the-top in comic relief and have their redeeming factors (which may not necessarily be morally redeeming, as in the case of Jack Sparrow).
H Birchgrove
2011-11-30, 03:58 PM
Thanks Nerd-o-rama and gadren!
I think the only (relevant) difference between the Mary Sue/Marty Stu type and The Ace type is that readers/viewers/(players?) like The Ace, and therefor "forgive" him or her for being unrealistically awesome. So fans of Doc Savage, James Bond and Buckaroo Banzai will think of them as Aces, while haters will think of them as Marty Stus.
(But there can only be one Ace Rimmer (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ace_Rimmer#Ace_Rimmer)... What a guy! (http://youtu.be/gXYfnWRp1Q0) :smalltongue: )
gadren
2011-11-30, 08:27 PM
Thanks Nerd-o-rama and gadren!
I think the only (relevant) difference between the Mary Sue/Marty Stu type and The Ace type is that readers/viewers/(players?) like The Ace, and therefor "forgive" him or her for being unrealistically awesome. So fans of Doc Savage, James Bond and Buckaroo Banzai will think of them as Aces, while haters will think of them as Marty Stus.
(But there can only be one Ace Rimmer (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ace_Rimmer#Ace_Rimmer)... What a guy! (http://youtu.be/gXYfnWRp1Q0) :smalltongue: )
If we are talking tropes, "The Ace is rarely the protagonist, typically acting as the living embodiment of Always Someone Better instead. They'll drive the protagonist to greater efforts (either out of envy or by inspiring them). As such, if they're a main character, expect them to be either The Rival or The Mentor. If they're a minor but reoccurring character, then they'll almost certainly be Hero of Another Story."
Nerd-o-rama
2011-11-30, 08:30 PM
Indeed. When The Ace is the main character, it is usually because you are, in face, reading Mary Sue fanfiction where the author has inserted or possessed someone with himself or herself as both viewpoint and solver of all problems.
Or you're reading Heroic Fantasy. At least The Aceness is usually made up for there with some Sophoclean tragic flaw or just a general tendency to cause more problems than you solve.
gadren
2011-11-30, 08:46 PM
Still, I have to say that the dwarf and the mage make it seem a little bit interesting. If the focus won't be too much on Cade, I think I will like this. While I often like the comic relief type of character the most in a series, they are incredibly hard to pull off right as a main character, or they need to have several other equally important main characters beside them (as in LotR) or have qualities that make them stop just short from being over-the-top in comic relief and have their redeeming factors (which may not necessarily be morally redeeming, as in the case of Jack Sparrow).
There are six main protagonists, two of which are about 20% more "main" than the other 4. (Like, if we are talking about importance to the plot, and compared Twice Blessed's plot to Lord of the Rings, Cade and Delbin would be as important as Frodo and Sam, and the other four are at about Aragorn level of importance. Melchior maybe a little bit more, but not in a way you'd expect.)
They are:
1. Cade Masters, Paladin/Bard
2. Delbin Black, Assassin
3. Melchior Latese, Wizard
4. Vadim Valntipur, Fighter
5. Pella Brightwing, Arcane Archer
6. Rua Rundamair, Witch
There will be plenty of other important recurring characters too. You've already seen Mig the Kobold bounty hunter, and the drow twins Brevis and Loquis.
mikeejimbo
2011-11-30, 08:49 PM
Hahaha noodle incident. Nice one.
Howler Dagger
2011-11-30, 09:24 PM
I think I will be keeping up with this from now on.
H Birchgrove
2011-12-01, 01:58 AM
How do you fantasy authors come up with such great, fitting names for your characters? Seriously, I'm terrible at that. I will probably end up naming an Elven Wizard "Bertil Jönsson" and a Dwarven Crusader "John Edgar Bullock". :smallsigh:
If we are talking tropes, "The Ace is rarely the protagonist, typically acting as the living embodiment of Always Someone Better instead. They'll drive the protagonist to greater efforts (either out of envy or by inspiring them). As such, if they're a main character, expect them to be either The Rival or The Mentor. If they're a minor but reoccurring character, then they'll almost certainly be Hero of Another Story."
Indeed. When The Ace is the main character, it is usually because you are, in face, reading Mary Sue fanfiction where the author has inserted or possessed someone with himself or herself as both viewpoint and solver of all problems.
Or you're reading Heroic Fantasy. At least The Aceness is usually made up for there with some Sophoclean tragic flaw or just a general tendency to cause more problems than you solve.
Assuming Tarzan, Conan, Doc Savage, James Bond* etc are all Marty Stus... How come they are or at least were popular? Can a Marty Stu be (relatively) well-written and meaningful? Or do their perfectness simply appeal to fans who enjoy the escapism for the same reasons as the creators? (Assuming they didn't just create them to get food on the table, as was probably the case for many pulp heroes and pulp writers.)
* Ian Fleming's original James Bond of the books could be seen as a hero with a tragic flaw. He do angst at times over the morality of his profession, he is not invincible, and he has been compared with Greek mythological heroes like Achilles and Theseus.
BTW, with the risk of getting side-tracked, TV Tropes has a habbit of being quite specific over how a trope works or is identified, and then uses (or misuses) it for several characters and/or stories. For example: If a "Heroic Sociopath" is supposed to be 1. Chaotic Evil or the very least Chaotic Neutral and 2. over-the-top humerous, then why is it used for characters like Batman (Post-Crisis), Rorshach (Watchmen), Mike Hammer, etc? Batman is supposed to be good (nevermind whatever lulzy alignment charts says) and cool one-liners ain't the same as being over-the-top. (Compare with Belkar Bitterleaf, who is a perfect example of how a Heroic Sociopath is supposed to be according to the main "Heroic Sociopath" article.)
Nerd-o-rama
2011-12-01, 03:58 PM
First, regarding TV Tropes examples: 90% of example-writers (Sturgeon's Law, don't blame me) don't read the articles, they just plug whatever they like, and no one ever deletes examples.
On the subject of Conan, Tarzan, and Doc Savage, I'd file all of them under Heroic Fantasy, actually, even though they're only loosely connected to the high fantasy I was personally thinking of. Pulp action fiction is heavy in parallels to fantasy and mythology - obviously, moreso with Conan, but you know what I mean. The closer you cleave to the Hero's Journey, the more likely you are to write a character who manages to go everywhere and do everything.
James Bond, though, is a legit Marty Stu who's just entertaining to watch. At least in the movies. Never read the books.
H Birchgrove
2011-12-01, 04:13 PM
Now I understand! Thanks Nerd-o-rama! :smallsmile:
gadren
2011-12-01, 11:30 PM
How do you fantasy authors come up with such great, fitting names for your characters? Seriously, I'm terrible at that. I will probably end up naming an Elven Wizard "Bertil Jönsson" and a Dwarven Crusader "John Edgar Bullock". :smallsigh:
Well, I use two techniques for coming up with names:
Technique 1: Brainstorm as many names as I can think of for the character rapid-fire, typing them all down even if I think they're stupid. Eventually a good one comes out. I find (IMO) that the best hero names are one syllable with a two-syllable surname, and that the best villain/anti-hero names are two syllables with a one syllable surname.
Technique 2: Blatant theft. So I guess in a small way the original poster was right. When I can't think of a name, I use someone else's. Sometimes I change it a little. For example, Vadim was the name of my Russian fencing instructor when I was a teenager. Whenever I hear Vadim the dwarf talk, I hear Vadim the fencing master's voice. Melchior is the name of one of the magi from the bible. Rua is the name of an Irish band I really like (and is also the celtic word for red). Pella originally was an NPC in a game I ran a few years back, and she was based on a girl I was very close with in art school who had the nickname Bella. So Pixie + Bella = Pella.
James Bond, though, is a legit Marty Stu who's just entertaining to watch. At least in the movies. Never read the books.
It is very difficult to pull of a Marty Stu that is actually fun to watch/read, but when it is done right I love them. Always been a James Bond fan. He's a bit more "human" in the books, and less Marty Stu-ish.
Jarlaxle is an example of a Marty Stu in fiction that I can't get enough of.
H Birchgrove
2011-12-02, 08:52 PM
:smallsmile: Thanks gadren!
gadren
2011-12-03, 10:01 PM
Alright, I think I stalled enough with Melchior's journal, I should probably start posting chapter 2 :elan:
gadren
2011-12-08, 01:48 AM
First page of chapter 2 is now posted, for those who are interested: http://www.twiceblessedcomic.com/?webcomic_post=19
Occasional Sage
2011-12-08, 03:58 PM
There will be plenty of other important recurring characters too. You've already seen Mig the Kobold bounty hunter, and the drow twins Brevis and Loquis.
I like "brief" and "loquacious" as name-starters for these two. Very fitting.
Surfing HalfOrc
2011-12-08, 04:48 PM
Hmm... Pella Brightwing reminds me of Escalla from the Paul Kidd Greyhawk novels, at least at first glance. Looking forward to this section!
gadren
2011-12-08, 08:39 PM
Hmm... Pella Brightwing reminds me of Escalla from the Paul Kidd Greyhawk novels, at least at first glance. Looking forward to this section!Oh yeah? What is Escalla like?
Surfing HalfOrc
2011-12-09, 07:03 AM
Oh yeah? What is Escalla like?
Cute, sassy, vain as a cat, smart, 10th level magic user, and a Princess in the Unseelie Court. Spells tend towards "insectile" (magic missiles are bees, can communicate with giant ants), and she has a tendency for using magic to create physical comedy (Grease is a favorite spell with her.)
She was a spy, captured by the Justicar (he goes by Jus). The Justicar is a large, muscular, shaven head ranger with a sentient hell hound pelt named Cinders. Cinders is still alive, can spew flames three times a day, and is fireproof. Jus and Escalla are now partners (and eventually become husband and wife) striving for Truth, Justice (and as many gold coins as Escalla thinks she can slip into her pockets without Jus noticing).
There were three books, all based on some of the early D&D Adventures (Modules): White Plume Mountain, Descent Into the Depths of the Earth, and Queen of the Demonweb pits. There were two short stories, Keoland Blues and one I don't remember the title to in Dragon Magazine. Keoland Blues had Escalla in it, the other was how Jus met Cinders, and how Cinders lost his insides.
They are a little hard to find these days, but I believe they were the most popular of the Greyhawk books published in 1999-2001 timeframe.
gadren
2011-12-11, 05:47 PM
Cute, sassy, vain as a cat, smart, 10th level magic user, and a Princess in the Unseelie Court. Spells tend towards "insectile" (magic missiles are bees, can communicate with giant ants), and she has a tendency for using magic to create physical comedy (Grease is a favorite spell with her.)
She was a spy, captured by the Justicar (he goes by Jus). The Justicar is a large, muscular, shaven head ranger with a sentient hell hound pelt named Cinders. Cinders is still alive, can spew flames three times a day, and is fireproof. Jus and Escalla are now partners (and eventually become husband and wife) striving for Truth, Justice (and as many gold coins as Escalla thinks she can slip into her pockets without Jus noticing).
There were three books, all based on some of the early D&D Adventures (Modules): White Plume Mountain, Descent Into the Depths of the Earth, and Queen of the Demonweb pits. There were two short stories, Keoland Blues and one I don't remember the title to in Dragon Magazine. Keoland Blues had Escalla in it, the other was how Jus met Cinders, and how Cinders lost his insides.
They are a little hard to find these days, but I believe they were the most popular of the Greyhawk books published in 1999-2001 timeframe.
Interesting. Pella is more like an easily excited miniature warrior princess.
Sedgewood
2011-12-11, 06:53 PM
LOL, I suppose it is.
"One's a swashbuckling lady... The other is a humorless undead assassin. Together, they fight crime!"
*cue catchy theme song*
Ahhh, so it's a LEXX ripoff. I see. :smallbiggrin:
factotum
2011-12-12, 10:49 AM
Strange that the country ha a different name (Caislean) but the town of Leicester still has that name! :smallwink: (And that presumably means the Romans must have existed in this world, given where the name comes from...).
gadren
2011-12-13, 12:23 AM
Strange that the country ha a different name (Caislean) but the town of Leicester still has that name! :smallwink: (And that presumably means the Romans must have existed in this world, given where the name comes from...).
Nice catch. I'm glad you are paying attention. You may notice a similar clue on the "The Blessed" page.
factotum
2011-12-13, 02:57 AM
...Archmage Plato, presumably? Didn't occur to me at the time that was the same Greek philosopher we know, but it's starting to make sense now. Have you actually got all the alternate back-history worked out here, or will you be making that up as you go along?
gadren
2011-12-13, 11:57 PM
...Archmage Plato, presumably? Didn't occur to me at the time that was the same Greek philosopher we know, but it's starting to make sense now. Have you actually got all the alternate back-history worked out here, or will you be making that up as you go along?
My story-telling method is typically work out the important points, and then just make sure the details fit as I go along. That goes for the main plot, side plots, backstory, etc. So Philospher/Mage Plato discovering magic, the disappearance of the city of Athens (a city named after a goddess that few remember), another city named after and with the ruins of a Roman outpost, and a map that should look very familiar to anyone who knows basic geography all are details that fit with the history of my world.
factotum
2011-12-18, 02:26 AM
Is it just me, or is there a slight problem with scale in these last two strips? Pella looked much smaller in the last panel of #21 than she does in the first one of #22, and then she shrinks again at the end of #22--although apparently intentionally this time, judging by the ghost-Pellas!
gadren
2011-12-18, 09:28 PM
Is it just me, or is there a slight problem with scale in these last two strips? Pella looked much smaller in the last panel of #21 than she does in the first one of #22, and then she shrinks again at the end of #22--although apparently intentionally this time, judging by the ghost-Pellas!
Pella is supposed to be shrinking intentionally in the last panel.
I'll try and have her fix it or fix it myself when I get the chance, but the main focus is on getting the next page done on time, at the moment.
Surfing HalfOrc
2011-12-18, 10:19 PM
I was wondering the same thing. I had Pella pegged at 18 to 24 inches tall, but she went from 18 inches to over three and a half feet tall down to six inches.
The really big Pella in the first panel was a bit confusing.
But I must admit I'm enjoying how this is starting.
EDIT: Hmm... Pella was at or near three feet in the first strip as well.
What is her "default" height?
gadren
2011-12-18, 10:26 PM
I was wondering the same thing. I had Pella pegged at 18 to 24 inches tall, but she went from 18 inches to over three and a half feet tall down to six inches.
The really big Pella in the first panel was a bit confusing.
But I must admit I'm enjoying how this is starting.
Pella can resize herself from as big as 4 ft to as small as 6 inches thanks to her magic amulet. The shrinking is the first time she has used it on panel, and if I was lazy I guess I could claim she's just been using it in previous, lol. I guess it would make sense to get bigger and THEN smaller to escape a grab.
But I'm aware that is just me being lazy. I will go back and fix it, promise.
factotum
2011-12-19, 02:50 AM
I think when he asked about the "default" size he meant "how big would she be without a magic resizing amulet"? My guess would be about the size she was in the dream sequence where she's posing over Cade's corpse...
Surfing HalfOrc
2011-12-19, 04:34 AM
I added the edit while Gadren was typing the reply to what I wrote above the edit. I'm also guessing she sees herself at 18" tall (45cm for our metric friends.)
gadren
2011-12-20, 03:39 PM
I think when he asked about the "default" size he meant "how big would she be without a magic resizing amulet"? My guess would be about the size she was in the dream sequence where she's posing over Cade's corpse...
Well her size height-wise is correct in Pella's daydream. (A little over 2 feet tall.) The size of her in... "other respects" in the daydream is reflective of wishful thinking on her part.
It should be noted that Pella is a Wood Sprite, which is actually a cousin/sub-race to pixies. Wood sprites are as to wood elves as pixies are to high elves/eladrin. Pixies are actually smaller, and the amulet that Pella uses is one normally used by fey ambassadors to achieve a size that allows them to more easily enter communities of various fey.
gadren
2011-12-21, 02:32 PM
Is it just me, or is there a slight problem with scale in these last two strips? Pella looked much smaller in the last panel of #21 than she does in the first one of #22, and then she shrinks again at the end of #22--although apparently intentionally this time, judging by the ghost-Pellas!
I just adjusted the scale on panel 1 of page 22. It should be closer to a correct scale now.
factotum
2011-12-21, 05:36 PM
Definite improvement. And for my next request...Cade in a bikini! :smallbiggrin:
gadren
2011-12-21, 07:22 PM
Definite improvement. And for my next request...Cade in a bikini! :smallbiggrin:
Well, when you guys all get to see more of Cade's ass then you ever wanted to see, you know who to thank now :smallwink:.
The Succubus
2011-12-21, 07:30 PM
That wouldn't happen to have been a carefully hidden Star Wars reference just in time for the Old Republic in today's strip, now would it? :smallwink:
gadren
2011-12-21, 11:49 PM
That wouldn't happen to have been a carefully hidden Star Wars reference just in time for the Old Republic in today's strip, now would it? :smallwink:
Nope, it is a blatant Star Wars reference because I like making geeky references. There are references to other series and books in the comic, too, but you will typically only notice them if you are a fan of said series.
factotum
2011-12-22, 02:50 AM
Can't be that blatant, because I'm not seeing it... :smallconfused:
Surfing HalfOrc
2011-12-22, 03:31 AM
Can't be that blatan, because I'm not seeing it... :smallconfused:
Princess Leah said something along the lines of "The tighter your grip, the more worlds slip through your fingers." This was when she was first brought on board the Death Star during Star Wars, A New Hope. She was speaking to Grand Moff Tarkin, who seemed to be the guy in charge of the Death Star, and seemed to "outrank" Vader.
The Succubus
2011-12-22, 04:53 AM
And that's one delicious internet cookie to the bike-riding orc.
factotum
2011-12-22, 07:17 AM
Well, that explains my confusion, because that quote was from the LAST strip, not the one that was current at the time I read The_Succubus's message!
gadren
2011-12-22, 10:14 PM
Well, that explains my confusion, because that quote was from the LAST strip, not the one that was current at the time I read The_Succubus's message!
There is actually a very subtle Star Wars reference in this page too, but no one will be able to recognize it until the next story page for context reasons.
Zaydos
2011-12-22, 10:23 PM
I must admit that I'm saddened that I don't get the reference this time.
Also I will admit that it's because of this thread and then the webcomic being advertised on the forums that I started reading the comic. If it had been one of the comics actually imitating OoTS I'd probably not have read it (the quality on those tend to be not so good, but then again I might just be comparing them more closely to OoTS). As is, I'll say the art is what really caught me, with the story not hooking me till the reference to Archmage Plato.
gadren
2011-12-22, 10:36 PM
I must admit that I'm saddened that I don't get the reference this time.No one does yet. Except me, but I know what is going to happen next.
Also I will admit that it's because of this thread and then the webcomic being advertised on the forums that I started reading the comic. If it had been one of the comics actually imitating OoTS I'd probably not have read it (the quality on those tend to be not so good, but then again I might just be comparing them more closely to OoTS). As is, I'll say the art is what really caught me, with the story not hooking me till the reference to Archmage Plato. Well I'm glad I hooked you!
gadren
2011-12-23, 02:13 AM
A lot of people have been apparently thinking that I am going to reference some skyrim meme because of the direction Pella's arrow is heading. ("I used to be an adventurer, but I took an arrow to the knee.")
I'd just like to state for the record that Twice Blessed does NOT do memes.
Lord Raziere
2011-12-24, 08:13 PM
Good. I don't do memes either.
The Succubus
2011-12-26, 02:54 PM
A lot of people have been apparently thinking that I am going to reference some skyrim meme because of the direction Pella's arrow is heading. ("I used to be an adventurer, but I took an arrow to the knee.")
I'd just like to state for the record that Twice Blessed does NOT do memes.
Does it do Snowspeeder references from Empire Strikes Back? :smalltongue:
gadren
2011-12-29, 02:32 AM
My apologies, today's post not only further delays the story but is also shameless. I blame that poster that said he/she wanted to see more Cade-flesh. :smalltongue:
I hope the alt text on Cade's pic is at least amusing.
Icedaemon
2011-12-29, 05:49 AM
While I would normally follow a webcomic with art of this level, the font used for the dwarf is nigh-horrendous to my eyes. A mixture of Greek and Cyrillic letters used to mark Latin letters that look similar, but sound nothing alike is annoying at best.
This might seem like just a pet peeve to people across the Atlantic, but to me it seems daft and ignorant. While I do not expect or even ask you to change this, I do hope that other people would refrain from going for that font.
gadren
2011-12-29, 09:48 PM
While I would normally follow a webcomic with art of this level, the font used for the dwarf is nigh-horrendous to my eyes. A mixture of Greek and Cyrillic letters used to mark Latin letters that look similar, but sound nothing alike is annoying at best.
This might seem like just a pet peeve to people across the Atlantic, but to me it seems daft and ignorant. While I do not expect or even ask you to change this, I do hope that other people would refrain from going for that font.
Where are you from?
Nerd-o-rama
2011-12-31, 09:45 PM
Where are you from?
I am gonna guess Greece or an Ostroslav-language-speaking country. Either that or he's studied a language with a Cyrillic alphabet, which would account for not liking the faux-Russian font.
Icedaemon
2012-01-01, 04:56 AM
Nerd-o-Rama is correct on the last account. I did study a tiny little bit of Russian at a point. I actually somewhat dislike the language personally and think the cryllic alphabet is unattractive, but this does not mean that I would not see such fonts as daft.
Then again, I do also believe that most Europeans with a reasonable education would know some Greek letters well enough to at least spot often-used ones such as gamma, sigma, phi and lambda.
gadren
2012-01-01, 12:14 PM
Does it do Snowspeeder references from Empire Strikes Back? :smalltongue:
Mayyyyybee.
Morph Bark
2012-01-02, 01:44 PM
Then again, I do also believe that most Europeans with a reasonable education would know some Greek letters well enough to at least spot often-used ones such as gamma, sigma, phi and lambda.
When I entered university, I was actually really surprised at how few people knew the names of Greek letters, having had Greek for five years.
gadren
2012-01-05, 01:35 AM
When I entered university, I was actually really surprised at how few people knew the names of Greek letters, having had Greek for five years.
I seem to be missing the cause-effect there. You studied Greek for five years, so you are surprised how few other people knew the Greek alphabet?:smallconfused:
Icedaemon
2012-01-05, 08:37 AM
It's not exactly unreasonable. University, often even secondary-school-level math and physics have a lot of greek letters used as symbols for this and that.
Morph Bark
2012-01-05, 11:58 AM
I seem to be missing the cause-effect there. You studied Greek for five years, so you are surprised how few other people knew the Greek alphabet?:smallconfused:
In my country it is required to have 2 years of Greek and 3 years of Latin in the type of school that prepares you for university. High school is split into varying levels, same with university. After those years, you pick either Greek or Latin for the next three years, so most people at university have had Greek for years, unless they finished a lower-leveled college-like education first and then went to university.
If you're not from Europe, it may be hard to understand, but even harder to explain it so you will. :smalltongue:
Surfing HalfOrc
2012-01-05, 08:47 PM
Who's that Pokemon? :smallbiggrin:
factotum
2012-01-06, 02:48 AM
Did someone mention something about Empire Strikes Back references earlier? :smallwink:
And yes, she may have dealt with that little problem, but it looks like Daddy is looming up in the background...
gadren
2012-01-08, 03:13 PM
Who's that Pokemon? :smallbiggrin:
http://www.twiceblessedcomic.com/whos_that_construct.jpg
http://www.twiceblessedcomic.com/whos_that_construct.jpg
It's Batman!
gadren
2012-01-08, 05:13 PM
It's Batman!
So, you're saying it can breathe in space?
So, you're saying it can breathe in space?
I don't doubt that an instant! However, it might still overheat from lack of air-cooling (http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff900/fv00863.htm).
Nerd-o-rama
2012-01-08, 11:10 PM
http://www.twiceblessedcomic.com/whos_that_construct.jpg
IT'S PIKACHU!!
IT'S PIKACHU!!
http://i.imgur.com/YsLkG.png
gadren
2012-01-09, 09:40 PM
http://i.imgur.com/YsLkG.png
BWAHAHAHAHAH!
MlleRouge
2012-01-09, 10:43 PM
...Requesting permission to use that picture as an avatar on an RP forum I'm playing at.
Also, nifty comic. I think I'm going to sit back a while and let some updates accumulate before following, though I rather like the art.
...Requesting permission to use that picture as an avatar on an RP forum I'm playing at.
If you're asking me, go ahead. I didn't make it, it's just one of these random pictures that float around the Internet.
MlleRouge
2012-01-10, 08:00 PM
If you're asking me, go ahead. I didn't make it, it's just one of these random pictures that float around the Internet.
I sort of assumed, but I figured I should ask to be safe :D I'm a boyscout like that
gadren
2012-01-14, 04:21 PM
This makes me so happy.
ANYWAY about Twice Blessed itself.
Enjoying it so far. I still hope to see more of those two Drow twins with the eye patches. Brevis and Loquais, was it? They must be total badasses. Just 'cos...eyepatches.
Aye.
Yes, I do plan to have more of Brevis and Loquais. I suppose they are badasses, but in a more sneaky fashion, one being a rogue and one being an assassin.
factotum
2012-01-15, 03:10 AM
Weird that Pella keeps her healing potions in her arrow quiver, but then, I guess she doesn't have much else to carry them in...
gadren
2012-01-15, 12:26 PM
Weird that Pella keeps her healing potions in her arrow quiver, but then, I guess she doesn't have much else to carry them in...
Yes, unfortunately pockets was not something we thought about character-design-wise until this came up. I'll have to make sure she picks up an Elhonna's quiver/handy haversack hybrid magic item or something. She needs to be light to fly around.
gadren
2012-01-21, 06:09 PM
So, Geni and I were having the conversation last night about who we would choose as the voice actors if Twice Blessed ever became an animated series (and money wasn't a concern).
This is who we came up with for the characters you've seen so far, (though I'm curious who you guys would pick?):
Cade Masters - Nathan Fillion
Melchior - Mark Hamill
Vadim Valntipur - We disagreed on this. Gen wants John Rhys Davies doing a Russian accent, I want Michael Fairman.
Pella Brightwing - Jewel Staite
Mig the kobold - Frank Oz
Thoughts?
factotum
2012-01-22, 02:37 AM
Isn't Claudia Black required to play at least one character by law? Or is that just for video games? :smallwink: She'd make a good Pella regardless.
I have no idea who Michael Fairman is, but I'm sure Rhys-Davies would do a good job. As for Cade, I'm not seeing Nathan Fillion there for some reason. Maybe Neil Patrick Harris?
Surfing HalfOrc
2012-01-22, 05:46 PM
Funny you should mention Nathan Fillion and Jewel Staite... When I read today's strip, I thought of Ron Glass (Rev. Book) saying that while the Bible opposes killing, it's a little fuzzier in the area of kneecapping someone... :smallbiggrin:
Occasional Sage
2012-01-23, 03:44 PM
Funny you should mention Nathan Fillion and Jewel Staite... When I read today's strip, I thought of Ron Glass (Rev. Book) saying that while the Bible opposes killing, it's a little fuzzier in the area of kneecapping someone... :smallbiggrin:
Second layer of reference, this was Captain Tightpant's line right before the bar fight in the pilot episode.
gadren
2012-01-23, 06:49 PM
Second layer of reference, this was Captain Tightpant's line right before the bar fight in the pilot episode.
Not word for word, but close, yeah.
gadren
2012-01-28, 10:49 PM
Isn't Claudia Black required to play at least one character by law? Or is that just for video games? :smallwink: She'd make a good Pella regardless. Claudia Black has too deep of a voice for Pella. There is a character named Rua who hasn't been introduced yet that Claudia would actually make a good voice for, though. (I had originally wanted Tara Strong, but Geni thinks everyone would just think that Rua is a Raven-clone if we went that route.)
I have no idea who Michael Fairman is, but I'm sure Rhys-Davies would do a good job. As for Cade, I'm not seeing Nathan Fillion there for some reason. Maybe Neil Patrick Harris?Watch this clip and picture Cade in Castle's place when he talks about how ruggedly handsome he is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7lM24CkSH8
factotum
2012-01-29, 02:51 AM
Watch this clip and picture Cade in Castle's place when he talks about how ruggedly handsome he is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7lM24CkSH8
Still not seeing it, and I think it's actually for the same reason you just shot down Claudia Black as Pella--I think Fillion's voice is too deep for Cade. Don't know why I think Cade should have a higher-pitched voice than that, I just do! (I think it's mainly the "Not the face!" line from earlier in the strip--I just can't help but imagine that in a falsetto screech).
Occasional Sage
2012-01-29, 06:21 PM
I just noticed that the ad banner doesn't have the dotted line showing us that Cade is, indeed, staring at the woman's cleavage.
I much prefer the "without" version; drawing an arrow feels like demeaning our intelligence.
gadren
2012-01-29, 07:30 PM
I just noticed that the ad banner doesn't have the dotted line showing us that Cade is, indeed, staring at the woman's cleavage.
I much prefer the "without" version; drawing an arrow feels like demeaning our intelligence.
Yeah, I actually had another big webcomics producer point that out to me and say "dude, we get. Don't be so heavy-handed." So I will go back and edit that out when I have a little spare time.
Occasional Sage
2012-01-29, 11:34 PM
Yeah, I actually had another big webcomics producer point that out to me and say "dude, we get. Don't be so heavy-handed." So I will go back and edit that out when I have a little spare time.
Your friend is a wise man.
Note that I'm still checking every update. Make what you will.
pasko77
2012-01-31, 02:49 PM
I like this comic.
I feel the author of this topic has been disrespectful to the author of the comic.
Maybe the title should be changed :smallcool:
gadren
2012-02-02, 12:36 AM
I like this comic. Thank you!
I feel the author of this topic has been disrespectful to the author of the comic.
Maybe the title should be changed :smallcool: Meh, don't sweat it. The inflammatory thread title probably gets my webcomic more attention anyway. :smallwink:
Nerd-o-rama
2012-02-02, 09:29 AM
I can pretty much tell you that it's the only reason I looked at this thread.
leakingpen
2012-02-02, 05:15 PM
Well, i read the thread a while back and didn't check out the comic, and then just checked it out today from an ad elsewhere. I dig it, and it is not a rip off of oots at all. I have to say, I like the writing, the character motivations have me intrigued (cade being the LEAST interesting character so far, just a foil for everyone else) and I LOVE the art. Makes me think of the old Dragon's Lair games! You are now on my RSS good sir!
gadren
2012-02-08, 04:48 PM
Well, i read the thread a while back and didn't check out the comic, and then just checked it out today from an ad elsewhere. I dig it, and it is not a rip off of oots at all. I have to say, I like the writing, the character motivations have me intrigued (cade being the LEAST interesting character so far, just a foil for everyone else) and I LOVE the art. Makes me think of the old Dragon's Lair games! You are now on my RSS good sir!
Great to hear it! What ad caught your attention, if I may inquire?
Surfing HalfOrc
2012-02-08, 07:39 PM
I like this comic.
I feel the author of this topic has been disrespectful to the author of the comic.
Maybe the title should be changed :smallcool:
I can pretty much tell you that it's the only reason I looked at this thread.
Considering The Tenser has only posted once on the GiantITP message boards, I'm thinking this was a clever marketing move by someone. Not sure who wrote the first post, but "This Sucks, Don't Read It" will often have the exact opposite effect.
As opposed to some self published books where the author clearly made up "reviewers" to talk up his book.
Anyways, great story so far, and I like the "cleaned up" version of the dwarf's speech patterns. I could read it, but it took some effort. Good decision.
factotum
2012-02-11, 06:05 AM
Something's a bit off on Pella's numbers there--if she genuinely weighed 10lb when she's six inches tall, I estimate she'd weigh approximately three and a half tons at 4' 6"!
Surfing HalfOrc
2012-02-11, 06:17 AM
Something's a bit off on Pella's numbers there--if she genuinely weighed 10lb when she's six inches tall, I estimate she'd weigh approximately three and a half tons at 4' 6"!
Mig's wanted ad is pretty close to Tuco Benedicto Pacifico Juan Maria Ramirez' Wanted Poster in "The Good, The Bad and the Ugly." I'm pretty sure that was what they were going for... :smallwink:
gadren
2012-02-11, 08:30 PM
Something's a bit off on Pella's numbers there--if she genuinely weighed 10lb when she's six inches tall, I estimate she'd weigh approximately three and a half tons at 4' 6"!
Magic does not always obey physics.
That being said, if you want to do the math for me to make the weights more reasonable for those heights, that's fine ;)
factotum
2012-02-12, 02:16 AM
Well, if the 95lb at 4' 6" is accurate, and she scales the same in all dimensions (which seems likely, she doesn't look fatter or thinner as she shrinks) then she'd weigh about an ounce and a half at 6" tall. Of course, she'd also freeze to death in pretty short order, but as you said, magic... :smallwink:
Occasional Sage
2012-02-12, 02:20 PM
"Worm-tech"?
gadren
2012-02-12, 04:11 PM
"Worm-tech"?
Yes. "Worm-tech." I'm going to let it be a surprise what that means, though I'd love to see people's guesses (though none will be right, I'm sure.)
Occasional Sage
2012-02-12, 05:40 PM
Yes. "Worm-tech." I'm going to let it be a surprise what that means, though I'd love to see people's guesses (though none will be right, I'm sure.)
Has anybody told you recently that you're a tease?
FatJose
2012-02-12, 05:51 PM
Yes. "Worm-tech." I'm going to let it be a surprise what that means, though I'd love to see people's guesses (though none will be right, I'm sure.)
I would say you mispelled Wyrm and the weapons of wyrm-tech can produce effects similar to dragon breath attacks...but...
Epileptic Tree Time
Worm-Tech is actually a term used for artillery powered by eldritch worms that produce small eggs or cocoons. When fired the cocoons/eggs explode on impact releasing destructive energy. He just used a low-powered round on the guy.
gadren
2012-02-12, 10:35 PM
I would say you mispelled Wyrm and the weapons of wyrm-tech can produce effects similar to dragon breath attacks...but...
No, I actually mean worm as in the phylum Annelida.
Epileptic Tree Time
Worm-Tech is actually a term used for artillery powered by eldritch worms that produce small eggs or cocoons. When fired the cocoons/eggs explode on impact releasing destructive energy. He just used a low-powered round on the guy.Nope! ;)
FatJose
2012-02-13, 12:25 AM
Maaaannnn.
I was hoping for worm-fornication powered weaponry too. Not enough of it in fiction, really.
Nerd-o-rama
2012-02-13, 09:24 AM
Maaaannnn.
I was hoping for worm-fornication powered weaponry too. Not enough of it in fiction, really.
There was enough in Fate/Stay Night for all time. There does not need to be more. Ever.
gadren
2012-02-14, 01:18 AM
Maaaannnn.
I was hoping for worm-fornication powered weaponry too. Not enough of it in fiction, really.
There was enough in Fate/Stay Night for all time. There does not need to be more. Ever.
Jebus Christo, this is a thing? :smalleek:
Occasional Sage
2012-02-14, 01:45 AM
Jebus Christo, this is a thing? :smalleek:
NO.
NO IT'S NOT.
Maybe it is, I don't know, but for the love of what's left of my sanity it isn't.
Nerd-o-rama
2012-02-14, 01:56 AM
Jebus Christo, this is a thing? :smalleek:
There were worms involved, and they powered things. I'm just going to leave it at that for the sake of abiding by the board rules.
gadren
2012-02-20, 12:17 PM
NO.
NO IT'S NOT.
Maybe it is, I don't know, but for the love of what's left of my sanity it isn't.
There were worms involved, and they powered things. I'm just going to leave it at that for the sake of abiding by the board rules. This is sounding like one of those 2G1C things in which I'll be happier leaving my curiosity unsatisfied.
ANYWAYS, chapter 3 has officially started. Go check it out. (http://www.twiceblessedcomic.com/?webcomic_post=39)
gadren
2012-02-23, 03:42 AM
Feel free to get any ghostbusters quotes out of your system regarding today's strip. (http://www.twiceblessedcomic.com/?webcomic_post=41)
Acanous
2012-02-23, 05:20 AM
I once played a luck-feat Cleric, but she was entirely different than Cade, closer to a luckomancer from Erfworld.
Fun comic though. I'll watch and wait for more :p
gadren
2012-02-25, 02:47 PM
Fun comic though. I'll watch and wait for more :p Glad you like it! :smallbiggrin:
gadren
2012-03-03, 04:38 PM
So, I'm curious if you guys get why its called Twice Blessed yet.
blackjack217
2012-03-03, 05:30 PM
So, I'm curious if you guys get why its called Twice Blessed yet.
Because Cade and our resident assassin's blessed qualities are going to react in an unusual way. Probably binding their fates together somehow. Thus making them "twice blessed" by the Gods.
factotum
2012-03-04, 02:26 AM
I was assuming it's because Cade either is, or will become, Blessed of two gods simultaneously.
On an unrelated note...is there a reason we haven't seen the purported protagonist since November (apart from momentarily in Pella's dream)? I realise you have to introduce all the characters and what-have-you, but we're getting into Girl Genius levels of sidetracked right now! :smallsmile:
Occasional Sage
2012-03-04, 04:48 PM
I was assuming it's because Cade either is, or will become, Blessed of two gods simultaneously.
I thought this was obvious quite a while ago.
gadren
2012-03-04, 08:06 PM
I was assuming it's because Cade either is, or will become, Blessed of two gods simultaneously.
On an unrelated note...is there a reason we haven't seen the purported protagonist since November (apart from momentarily in Pella's dream)? I realise you have to introduce all the characters and what-have-you, but we're getting into Girl Genius levels of sidetracked right now! :smallsmile:
It is actually impossible for any one person to become the blessed of two deities simultaneously, due to the Anti-Mary-Sue Pact made by the gods in 327 CE.
Also, Cade is due to appear very soon. It is worth noting that Cade is about as much the protagonist of Twice Blessed as Roy is the protagonist of OotS. Pella, Rua, Delbin, Vadim, and Melchior are big players in the story as well.
factotum
2012-03-05, 02:32 AM
Ah, my mistake...given the plot so far revolves around someone putting a price on his head, and he appears prominently in the advertising banner, thought he was the main character. If it's more of an ensemble piece, I'll treat it as such and see what happens next.
gadren
2012-03-05, 07:30 PM
Ah, my mistake...given the plot so far revolves around someone putting a price on his head, and he appears prominently in the advertising banner, thought he was the main character. If it's more of an ensemble piece, I'll treat it as such and see what happens next. Well, with the smaller banners I kind of had to focus on one character, and as you said, Cade's bounty is what originally draws most of the ensemble cast together so he became the natural pick for the banners.
leakingpen
2012-03-06, 02:21 PM
Great to hear it! What ad caught your attention, if I may inquire?
I wanna say wayward son's, but i really don't remember, lol.
Occasional Sage
2012-03-06, 11:47 PM
It is actually impossible for any one person to become the blessed of two deities simultaneously, due to the Anti-Mary-Sue Pact made by the gods in 327 CE.
That... is a very good pact.
factotum
2012-03-07, 02:29 AM
Given Cade's general incompetence, I'm not sure that making him Blessed of two gods simultaneously *would* make him a Marty Stu... :smallbiggrin:
Acanous
2012-03-12, 07:44 AM
Cade's got one blessing, the assassin the other, the two are life-bonded making the blessings act together.
My 2cp
Occasional Sage
2012-03-15, 08:24 AM
Nice quote from Knight's Tale today. That's one of my favorites!
gadren
2012-03-17, 11:10 PM
Nice quote from Knight's Tale today. That's one of my favorites!
Hah, glad you approve! I make up for my lack of actual writing talent by just throwing in pop culture references wherever possible :smallamused:
gadren
2012-04-08, 01:59 AM
On an unrelated note...is there a reason we haven't seen the purported protagonist since November (apart from momentarily in Pella's dream)? I realise you have to introduce all the characters and what-have-you, but we're getting into Girl Genius levels of sidetracked right now! :smallsmile:
And Cade is back! (http://www.twiceblessedcomic.com/?webcomic_post=54) Woooo....
Nerd-o-rama
2012-04-10, 11:49 AM
Incidentally, between noticing this comic and now I started playing a Bardadin build in a D&D game. I'd say I was inspired but mostly I just wanted to try a Snowflake Wardance+Divine Might two-weapon fighter and I rolled the insane stats needed for that.
Also it's Forgotten Realms and, well, Paladins of Sune.
factotum
2012-04-14, 06:24 AM
Why have I only just noticed Cade has pointed ears? Did his hat hide them the previous time, or am I just a muppet?
gadren
2012-04-15, 01:03 AM
Why have I only just noticed Cade has pointed ears? Did his hat hide them the previous time, or am I just a muppet?
He's had the pointed ears since page one ;)
I don't get the Muppet reference here...
factotum
2012-04-15, 06:40 AM
Maybe it's a UK thing--muppet = idiot in this context.
Acanous
2012-05-07, 02:36 AM
You know, there's a couple cursed items that could actually be pretty useful. Dust of Sneezing and Choking springs to mind, and the Belt of Gender Changing or Helm of Opposite Alignment could make for fun times.
factotum
2012-05-07, 03:55 PM
You know, there's a couple cursed items that could actually be pretty useful. Dust of Sneezing and Choking springs to mind, and the Belt of Gender Changing or Helm of Opposite Alignment could make for fun times.
Given that Cade's schtick is being extremely lucky, one assumes that whatever comes out of that chest will somehow benefit him, cursed or not!
http://www.twiceblessedcomic.com/?webcomic_post=35
Plus the prophecy shows that his head was blown off with an arrow (which means cursed items will be off the list).
Then again, it could be illusion spell of Cade.
factotum
2012-05-13, 02:16 AM
http://www.twiceblessedcomic.com/?webcomic_post=35
Plus the prophecy shows that his head was blown off with an arrow (which means cursed items will be off the list).
Then again, it could be illusion spell of Cade.
I'm not sure what was shown in that crystal ball is intended to be taken literally...I thought it was metaphorically showing the death and destruction that will occur when she meets up with Cade.
gadren
2012-05-13, 01:07 PM
Given that Cade's schtick is being extremely lucky, one assumes that whatever comes out of that chest will somehow benefit him, cursed or not!
Cade has absurd luck, but it can be both absurdly bad or absurdly good. OR sometimes both simultaneously.
Acanous
2012-05-13, 10:34 PM
you know, given that there's a prophecy slating Cade to be killed by an arrow, and his lck makes very unlikely things happen to him, I'd say that actually makes it improbable to have happen.
factotum
2012-05-14, 01:35 AM
Cade has absurd luck, but it can be both absurdly bad or absurdly good. OR sometimes both simultaneously.
So the whole thing with the note going onto the wrong chest is an example of him having absurdly bad luck? Of course, that doesn't mean he won't get a surge of absurdly *good* luck to prevent the cursed items doing him harm...
Occasional Sage
2012-05-31, 07:07 PM
Gadren, is the driver ok? I assume so since you call him a herp-a-derp, but....
gadren
2012-06-01, 01:25 AM
Gadren, is the driver ok? I assume so since you call him a herp-a-derp, but....
I honestly have no idea. I heard from a neighbor that the guy was immediately arrested for a DUI, but I didn't see it for myself.
factotum
2012-06-01, 01:50 AM
I find it strange that you have the electricity for an entire neighbourhood being carried on a single pole that can get wrecked by a car. Local electricity distribution cables in the UK are usually buried, I guess it's different over there!
One Question:
Are the Kobold race the only one to wield and master manufacture of firearms?
Occasional Sage
2012-06-01, 07:01 AM
I find it strange that you have the electricity for an entire neighbourhood being carried on a single pole that can get wrecked by a car. Local electricity distribution cables in the UK are usually buried, I guess it's different over there!
The vast majority in the US is above ground, the cables being strung on tall and generally quite solid poles. Most urban neighborhoods have redundant supply routes, but not all, and that becomes less likely as you move outwards. One car moving at a good speed can be a real problem
gadren
2012-06-03, 02:21 AM
I find it strange that you have the electricity for an entire neighbourhood being carried on a single pole that can get wrecked by a car. Local electricity distribution cables in the UK are usually buried, I guess it's different over there!
Power lines are underground in some places in the U.S. but in cities that have been around a while, it costs a lot of money to put the wires underground so we have the ugly things all over the place.
There are redundant lines. When the car accident happened, are power only briefly went out, then came back on again a minute later, only to go out again later. I assume that when they come to work on it, they have to shut off that entire section of grid to work on it safely.
gadren
2012-06-03, 02:23 AM
One Question:
Are the Kobold race the only one to wield and master manufacture of firearms?
No. They do have an affinity for it though. But the story behind firearms in TB will come later.
factotum
2012-06-15, 02:33 AM
OK, gnome guy clearly knows those two rings are from the cursed collection...did he manage to grab them back, or do we find out what they do when Cade puts them on? (Although that was a mighty big chest to just contain a couple of rings, and it's odd that the *proper* loot managed to come up as well even though there was no longer a sign on the chest containing them...).
gadren
2012-06-19, 01:12 AM
OK, gnome guy clearly knows those two rings are from the cursed collection...did he manage to grab them back, or do we find out what they do when Cade puts them on? (Although that was a mighty big chest to just contain a couple of rings, and it's odd that the *proper* loot managed to come up as well even though there was no longer a sign on the chest containing them...).
Garnett ("the gnome") knocked the rings out of Cade's hand in a panic, and is currently looking for them. You'll have to see what happens with that.
As for the cursed chest and legit items, you may remember that the porter says "Apparently Garnett wants to shower the hero with one more gift" (http://www.twiceblessedcomic.com/?webcomic_post=61), before picking up the cursed chest by mistake, meaning the "legit" rewards were already gathered.
Finally, there is more in the chest than just the rings. You'll see.
factotum
2012-06-30, 02:37 AM
OK, let's guess here: Cade and the assassin just got mind-swapped? Or are they just telepathically linked to each other now?
gadren
2012-07-02, 05:32 PM
OK, let's guess here: Cade and the assassin just got mind-swapped? Or are they just telepathically linked to each other now?
Nope. Neither.
factotum
2012-07-03, 01:33 AM
OK, then, judging from today's strip, the assassin dude is going to have a REALLY bad time if he succeeds in killing Cade... :smallsmile:
gadren
2012-07-08, 04:09 PM
OK, then, judging from today's strip, the assassin dude is going to have a REALLY bad time if he succeeds in killing Cade... :smallsmile:
Good call ;)
gadren
2012-07-20, 12:59 AM
Hey all, I started a new thread for discussion on this, in honor of our expanded creative team:
http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=13586674#post13586674
Please make any future posts about the comic on that thread.
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