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The Giant
2006-12-09, 06:53 PM
New comic is up.

Sorry about the delay; no excuses except for the fact that I wasn't happy with my first script and scrapped it.

Jonathan327
2006-12-09, 06:54 PM
Yes! Definitely worth the wait.

"yay! thog and not-nale on zany whirlwind adventure" is already one of my favorite quotes.

Fenix
2006-12-09, 06:55 PM
quick reply

i couldnt resist :)))

Khantalas
2006-12-09, 06:55 PM
hu... thog go mad and bend prison bars.


Now, how de we wait till Tuesday?

Ezbez
2006-12-09, 06:55 PM
And here people were thinking that we wouldn't hear the escape story for many more weeks... :smallbiggrin:

TigerHunter
2006-12-09, 06:57 PM
This was more than worth the delay. Now tell us more about the leprechaun costume!!!

Yogi
2006-12-09, 06:59 PM
I think this is the first time that Elan has to work with someone who is dumber than he is.

The Extinguisher
2006-12-09, 06:59 PM
Score 1 for the pyromancer! I finally guessed right on an important plot piece.
Hurrah for triple-comic!

This one wins a special place in my heart.

:thog: "prison changed thog quickly"

Lemmingboy
2006-12-09, 06:59 PM
As always, nice work. Yay!!! My insomnia wins again!

chionophile
2006-12-09, 07:00 PM
Thogariffic! :thog:

Frosty
2006-12-09, 07:04 PM
The exposition has been summoned!!

Estelindis
2006-12-09, 07:05 PM
Fantastic. Just brilliant! "My - my Haley!" - aw! :smallsmile:

Erek Garnsfel
2006-12-09, 07:06 PM
wooooooooooooooooooooot!!!!!!!

Guildorn Tanaleth
2006-12-09, 07:07 PM
Bwahahaha! Worth it! I didn't know that prison had such a drastic effect on half-orcs.

Although, why would Thog get mad that the metal bars punched a clown? Thog strikes me more as the kind of person who'd be scared of clowns.

silvadel
2006-12-09, 07:07 PM
Yes! Definitely worth the wait.

"yay! thog and not-nale on zany whirlwind adventure" is already one of my favorite quotes.

Someone watched shrek.

Duffren
2006-12-09, 07:07 PM
Who would have guessed Thog turned into the Incredible Hulk when he raged?
Hilarious.

Bor the Barbarian Monk
2006-12-09, 07:07 PM
Just when I thought there was going to be a Baldur's Gate II shtick, Rich went with the Incredible Thog.

Now to wait gleefully for the explanation of the leprechaun outfit. :smallsmile:

dreaming_pup
2006-12-09, 07:07 PM
I adore the darkening of thog's skin to equate his rage... that's absolutely wondrous :3

And I love that Elan is only concerned with saving Haley at the end of the comic. Yay!

Behold_the_Void
2006-12-09, 07:08 PM
Really, Thog has by far the best lines in this series.

TigerHunter
2006-12-09, 07:08 PM
It's funny. I played a trick on my friend by telling her it was up when it wasn't less than 5 minutes before I noticed this.

Kalbereth
2006-12-09, 07:08 PM
"Thog smash puny prison!"

Hehe. That was really hilarious. Nice one.

Platinum_Mongoose
2006-12-09, 07:08 PM
Woot!
Was that "ding" a ding of epiphany or a ding of leveling up? 'Cause it happened right after he mentioned new class abilites... Which can also be explained by using Thog. *Shrug.* Ah, well. Great flashback.

Wooter
2006-12-09, 07:09 PM
Ah, the Incredible Hulk and his purple pants..

Tomada
2006-12-09, 07:10 PM
Giant, thanks for realising that before I had to go out!

And Elan IS smarter than before! YAY ELAN!

Jefepato
2006-12-09, 07:10 PM
Wow. I guess Thog really never did rage before.

And Elan is a Bluffing god.

TigerHunter
2006-12-09, 07:10 PM
Ah, the Incredible Hulk and his purple pants..
Funny how he never rips his pants, eh?
I was hoping for a puppy illusion... :smallfrown:

fangthane
2006-12-09, 07:10 PM
Some very nice lines in there... And vindication for the 3-4 day crowd ;) Nice exploration of some of Elan's bardic options too.

Edit - I just realised, I actually won a bet in the Betting Agency, when and if it gets off the ground again :)

LaValle
2006-12-09, 07:11 PM
YESSSSS!!!! THOG SMASH!!!! This was so wicked. Thanks Giant! The purple pants were a masterfull touch.

Flabbicus
2006-12-09, 07:11 PM
Shawshank Redemption homage in the title of it, and spontaneously changing pant colors? How can that not be good?

Gopher
2006-12-09, 07:11 PM
That is awesome. I can finally stop checking the site for awhile. :)

Can't wait to see how things play out. Not much of a spoiler, but just in case:

I wonder if we'll actually get to see the whirlwind adventure, or if it will be glossed over.

Blood
2006-12-09, 07:11 PM
So...many...jokes...in...one...comic!!! Go Elan and Thog. It was a pretty good strip. The jokes could have been better, though.

K'tai
2006-12-09, 07:12 PM
New comic is up.

YES!!!!!YES!!!!!YES!!!!!YES!!!!!YES!!!!!YES!!!!!YE S!!!!!YES!!!!!YES!!!!!YES!!!!!YES!!!!!YES!!!!!YES! !!!!YES!!!!!YES!!!!!YES!!!!!YES!!!!!YES!!!!!YES!!! !!YES!!!!!YES!!!!!YES!!!!!YES!!!!!YES!!!!!YES!!!!! YES!!!!!YES!!!!!YES!!!!!YES!!!!!YES!!!!!YES!!!!!YE S!!!!!YES!!!!!YES!!!!!AMAZING AS USUAL!!!!!!!!!!:smallbiggrin: :smallbiggrin: :smallbiggrin:

musicnerd
2006-12-09, 07:12 PM
:elan:- But I have to get out of here! My evil twin brother is going to kill my- my Haley! And she's all unsuspecting and defenseless and, and, and Haleyish!

Me- squeee!

Wow, Giant, I am really enjoying this storyline! And of course, it's funny, too... :smallwink: Can't wait to see why Thog's in that costume!

jasonab
2006-12-09, 07:13 PM
New comic is up.

Sorry about the delay; no excuses except for the fact that I wasn't happy with my first script and scrapped it.

I don't suppose we could know what the original script was...

jason

Neopolis
2006-12-09, 07:13 PM
Pure brilliance. I always knew Thog and Elan would be cool together. One of the best comics in a while, one that actually made me laugh out loud.

faerwain
2006-12-09, 07:13 PM
Wow, the prison food must be full of vitamines..since when is Elan able to do convincing bluff dialogues? And who would have thought that we would see so much different emotions in such short time? Crying, furious..all from the person who we have thought to ever dance carelessly through life.
I have the nagging feeling Rich tries to trick us into taking the little minstrel seriously...

Woot for 3 strip overkill! Plot, gags,and movie references..totally worth the waiting!

EDIT: 8 people posting while I'm typing! We are all a little crazy around here, aren't we?:smallbiggrin: *goes to bed now*

skreweded
2006-12-09, 07:13 PM
Yay!!!

Prison change thog quickly.

:smallwink:

Now... why the leprecon suit?

(Ah... it was worth the wait!)

Trobby
2006-12-09, 07:14 PM
I think it's pretty obvious why Thog is in a Leprichaun costume guys...

OBVIOUSLY he couldn't just wander around naked. Sheese...:P

Heh...seriously though, that's one powerful half-Orc. O.o; Tearing dat' dere prison wall off and everything...

Hilbert
2006-12-09, 07:14 PM
Sweeeeet! :smallredface:

I like the little "idea lantern" in the last panel of the first page. :smallsmile:



:thog: prison changed thog quickly


Ingenious simplicity. :smallbiggrin:

SMEE
2006-12-09, 07:14 PM
Cthulhu! I loved the Hulk reference!
And Thog definitly got the best lines.

:thog: : how thog's pants turn blue?

Is just priceless.

Giant, you're great.

Selvan
2006-12-09, 07:14 PM
Wow, Elan must have spent some skill-ranks in 'bluff' if he get's away with this 'Vaporizing Flu' story.

Great Comic. Can't wait for the next one on Tuesday.

The_Old_Fox
2006-12-09, 07:15 PM
That comic was so full of :thog: one-liners that my head my very well explode.

The incredible :thog:
Nice

:thog: “If you wannabe thog’s lover, you gotta get with thog’s friends….”

Bloodred
2006-12-09, 07:15 PM
melovethog

Norenche
2006-12-09, 07:16 PM
:thog: how thog's pants turn purple?

priceless

Konrad
2006-12-09, 07:16 PM
Hail! First post ever here.
OOTS is really a good comic, but this strip was hilarious and sooo worth the wait!
"And those iron bars? Those iron bars ATE all of Nale's breadcrumbs! And then they punched a clown!"
Best lines ever

Khantalas
2006-12-09, 07:16 PM
:elan: Now let's go save Haley!

:thog: and nale.

:elan: Right, and nale.

No capitalization. Is it intentional?

Turcano
2006-12-09, 07:16 PM
:elan: And those iron bars? Those iron bars ATE all of Nale's breadcrumbs!
:thog: what?!?
:elan: And then then they punched a clown!
:thog: thog hate you, stupid metal bars!

That is pure, unadulterated comedy genius.

Manga Shoggoth
2006-12-09, 07:17 PM
Note to self: Next time, rip out lungs before reading comic. It might hurt less. At least it will eliminate the coughing fits.

Maaaan! There was so much to laugh at in this one - hopefully I haven't woken up the rest of the household. And Thog really does seem to be getting the best lines. At least, the best one-liners.

Samiam303
2006-12-09, 07:17 PM
I KNEW there was a reason I kept reading this comic... Heh, best comic in a good while. :biggrin:

kaairn
2006-12-09, 07:17 PM
OH DEAR GOD NO!!!!!! *runs screaming from Thog singing spice girl songs*:smalltongue:

Worth the wait giant, can't wait for the next episode and I am sure Elan has taken a rank of duelist with that ding:biggrin:

Radome
2006-12-09, 07:17 PM
Ah, that was so sweet when he said he had to save "my Haley" Good comic Giant.

The Vorpal Tribble
2006-12-09, 07:19 PM
Ok, at what point did Elan become halfway intelligent?

Eldritch Knight
2006-12-09, 07:19 PM
Bwahahahahahaha!!!!! Brilliant! Love the joke in the title too!!! I Love it! Keep up the excellent work, Rich!

Djagir
2006-12-09, 07:21 PM
It was scary enough just seeing Elan outwit one person. With Thog, you could sort of justify it. But outwitting three...now he's just getting impressive. :)

Khantalas
2006-12-09, 07:23 PM
Now I'm wondering how the Giant will make #400 rock if he uses up all the great ones now.

Mirage_of_Deceit
2006-12-09, 07:23 PM
Score 1 for the pyromancer! I finally guessed right on an important plot piece.
Hurrah for triple-comic!

This one wins a special place in my heart.

:thog: "prison changed thog quickly"

Hey Axel I didn't know you had an account here :P

Askenada
2006-12-09, 07:24 PM
I think far too many people mistake naivety for stupidity.

Also, I don't think Elan's had a reason to put thought and effort into being serious and accomplishing something. I see him as the person who would rather just goof off all the time, but that does not mean that he's incapable or worthless, simply uninspired. Note that when asked why he does certain things, I believe he states that its the bards way at least once.

Now he's inspired, so you can see what happens when he actually stops goofing off.

Also, very good comic. I think my favorite part was Thog noticing his magical color changing pants.

Warbanner
2006-12-09, 07:25 PM
I'm not sure which is better, the awesomely hilarious Hulk reference or the fact that so many people already dug it and noted it.

I'm betting we never do hear the story behind the leprechaun costume; it'd almost HAVE to take away from the absurdity of the outfit to explain it. That's just how humor works, folks. :smallcool:

Of course, now the question is, how does Elan save Haley? She's unarmed and unarmored, and they're outnumbered three to two (no way Thog or Sabine are gonna fight against Nale here). Could be a tough spot.

OmegaDonut
2006-12-09, 07:27 PM
It's true what they say...

http://i.thefairest.info/funniest_thumbs/49I0Sj.jpeg

Thomar_of_Uointer
2006-12-09, 07:29 PM
But... Leprechaun... And...

Oh, whatever. It's masterful, Giant, and we all are just anxious for the next one even though we want to see it all now. *sob*

captainswift
2006-12-09, 07:30 PM
Fan-frickin-tastic. Best jailbreak ever.

Frozen_Northman
2006-12-09, 07:30 PM
I find it quite easy to believe that Elan was able to do those Bluff checks. One was Thog. The other candidates were low-level flunkies in the Cliffport police department, who have previously been shown as not being the sharpest knives in the Weapon Emporium. Plus it makes for good comedy, and Elan excels in anything requiring theatrics.

Balathustrius
2006-12-09, 07:30 PM
:elan: "Wow, that IS good... Roy only gives me a half hour..."

Perfect.

RiderofStorms
2006-12-09, 07:31 PM
:smalleek: WOW! THAT WAS AMAZING!!! UTTERLY AMAZING!!! ^^ Thanks Giant!
THAT WAS SOOOOOO SWEET! But wow! Elan got like a +10 intelligent boost, so he can save Haley! I love the sudden use of "Big vocab" for Elan, and the fact that his idea is not a candle anymore but has been upgraded to a lantern! And wow! he even fooled the guards, and was brilliant about it! Go Elan! :elan: And Thog of course is as cool as ever! I loved the Hulk refrence in it ^^ Purple pants, and the ripping of the shirt, priceless. :thog:
Truly awesome comic Giant, thanks!

Coldin_Torrence
2006-12-09, 07:31 PM
Awesome. Simply Awesome. Elan may be smarter than he appears.

Corp
2006-12-09, 07:32 PM
Great comic. Thog natually kicked ass and worked well with Elan. Bars punching clowns...priceless :D

Fenix
2006-12-09, 07:33 PM
:thog: nale told thog "donīt drop soap"

priceless :smallbiggrin:

battleburn
2006-12-09, 07:33 PM
Hehehe, the incredible thog, the not telling about the leprechaun.
I really hope that just won't be explained further.

Erloas
2006-12-09, 07:34 PM
Ok, at what point did Elan become halfway intelligent?

Maybe he got some RP exp, leveled up and then got an ability boost and decided to put it to int. Changing him from helplessly stupid to just plain stupid (no longer helplessly so).

If he did level, I don't think he multiclassed, its possible but I doubt it. Since the "completely different set of class skills" clearly refers to Thog's skills and not his own, he uses his bard abilities a lot too.

Sebastian
2006-12-09, 07:34 PM
:thog: "THOG SMASH PUNY PRISON!!!"

:thog: "How Thog's pants turn purple?"

In a funny scale from 1 to 10 this comic is an 11. :smallbiggrin:

Illirion
2006-12-09, 07:36 PM
Wow,

That comic was so enjoyable that I just had to post here to let everyone know how great it was. Thog and Elan are funny by themselves, but this is too good to be true. Hope the next comics deal with how the lapricorn costume happened.

Giant I've been enjoying your comic for about a year now and stuff like this reminds me of why I'm doing it. Great man, just great.

Cheers,
Illirion.

DougWykstra
2006-12-09, 07:37 PM
:elan:: "I don't know the cigarettes-to-gold exchange rate, and I don't have any ranks in Craft (shiv)!"

lol

Aimbot
2006-12-09, 07:37 PM
:elan:- But I have to get out of here! My evil twin brother is going to kill my- my Haley! And she's all unsuspecting and defenseless and, and, and Haleyish!

Me- squeee!

Wow, Giant, I am really enjoying this storyline! And of course, it's funny, too... :smallwink: Can't wait to see why Thog's in that costume!

I think she'd take offense to that.

This week has been epic.

Lizard
2006-12-09, 07:37 PM
Owww...so we are let with cliffhanger for at least a week...

On other side, Thog and Elan together are so hilarious that I wouldnt mind 5-or-so strip long adventure of those two...

Maxymiuk
2006-12-09, 07:38 PM
One word.



EXCELLENT!


And wow, a joke on BG2 and The Incredible Hulk at the same time.

BiggusGeekus
2006-12-09, 07:40 PM
Very nice, Giant. Very nice.

mattdocmartin
2006-12-09, 07:40 PM
Woot!
Was that "ding" a ding of epiphany or a ding of leveling up? 'Cause it happened right after he mentioned new class abilites... flashback.
It was an idea...note the bulb above his head.

Wooter
2006-12-09, 07:42 PM
To be honest, when Elan had the idea lamp, my first thought was "he's going to call Alan Scott?

AtomicKitKat
2006-12-09, 07:45 PM
LOL@Thog Hulk.

Hilarious through and through.

1337_master
2006-12-09, 07:45 PM
:thog: The Hulk? wha- bu- th- Hulk?:smalleek:

Faramir
2006-12-09, 07:45 PM
I'd love to make a halfway intelligent comment here now that I've stopped laughing but I'm still too busy chuckling. I have to go read that again.

I sort of dislike the whole rating thing where people say "this comic wasn't as good as that comic" or "this is my favorite ever", etc. but IMO the recent run has managed to rank as perhaps the funniest ever.

Elan and Thog in The Road to Azure City. I can't wait.

Sebastian
2006-12-09, 07:45 PM
Heh...seriously though, that's one powerful half-Orc. O.o; Tearing dat' dere prison wall off and everything...

Half orc strength + Barbarian rage + bardic inspiration, that's a lot of bonuses.

oogabooga
2006-12-09, 07:46 PM
SO worth the wait. This one even topped the last one - I was gasping for breath all the way through. And now I have to go read it again, and then go to bed. :D

If this trend keeps up, I think it's safe to say the strip is in a run of awesomeness not previously seen...

Also, "though it would be nice to see more crayon drawings" was one of my favorites of the many jokes.

Rumda
2006-12-09, 07:47 PM
Best...strip...ever,

Flak_Razorwill
2006-12-09, 07:48 PM
I gave the biggest string of WTFs in my life because of this comic.

DougWykstra
2006-12-09, 07:48 PM
Oh, and for people wonder where the Leprechaun costume came from, I think that Leprechaun costumes, like Mallets (http://www.webcomicsnation.com/shaenongarrity/narbonic/series.php?view=archive&chapter=13021), just happen.

tgva8889
2006-12-09, 07:49 PM
:thog:thog smash puny prison!

I just love how this plays on the joke in Cast page.

Also:

:thog:how thog's pants turn purple?

So great...*tears form*...awesome...

Also:

"The Vaporizing Flu?"

:elan:"Oh, yeah, very dangerous! Fever, vomiting, then poof! You just vanish."

Man, that's one awful disease.

EthanAlshire
2006-12-09, 07:50 PM
no excuses except
... that this is the longest comic to date (I think).

I liked the 'opposite ends of the alignment spectrum' bit.

Crusher
2006-12-09, 07:51 PM
Oh, this was just magnificent.

In a recent episode of Studio 60, John Goodman plays a country judge. One of the show regulars is brought in front of him, charged with a variety of minor-ish crimes and is wearing a shepherd outfit. After some wrangling, the judge asks him what exactly happened.

The guy says something like "Well, it all started a week ago..", and the judge cuts him off, saying "Son, if this story doesn't start with why you're wearing a shepherd outfit, it better be one heck of a story."

The fact that the Giant hasn't even started explaining how they got to Azure City so fast or the Leprechaun suit makes my funnybone giddy with the potential humor to come.

Jeff_the_pirate
2006-12-09, 07:54 PM
You'd think they would have put Elan in an anti-magic cell, since Nale is a known spell-user and that qualified him for gagging at the scene of the crime.

Very Very Very Funny strip though :smallbiggrin:

Tussy the Druid
2006-12-09, 07:59 PM
Wow. I laughed at least 5 times during that sequence. Thog, i love you.

Querzis
2006-12-09, 07:59 PM
nale told thog ''Dont drop soap''

Priceless.

Anyway I'm beginning to wonder how Elan expect to save Haley, she is unarmed and Thog is obviously still loyal to Nale. If he get angry, he can easely take care of Elan even if he dont have a weapon. Its a 3vs2 and except if the rest of the order come in the room, Elan and Haley wont stand a chance.

Wizzardman
2006-12-09, 08:00 PM
You'd think they would have put Elan in an anti-magic cell, since Nale is a known spell-user and that qualified him for gagging at the scene of the crime.

Very Very Very Funny strip though :smallbiggrin:

Meh, they probably didn't feel like bothering, since he's just a bard.

Still, great strip. Loved it. Can't wait for the next one--although I'm really looking forward to the Nale-Elan-Haley-Succubus confrontation, so I'm hoping the flashback doesn't last too long.

Suki_the_Pure
2006-12-09, 08:01 PM
"My Haley". Awesome! Go save your lady... erm, Rogue!

Perhaps it's being stupid that gives Elan the ability to manipulate others' stupidity. He tells a story that HE would buy, and the more idiotic idiots around him buy it with add-ons.





Awesome!

Arian
2006-12-09, 08:02 PM
Just when I thought there was going to be a Baldur's Gate II shtick, Rich went with the Incredible Thog.

Possibly an Interesting Synergistic Combination of Both (TM).

(Take one Minsc. Add one Hulk. Mix liberally.)

LCR
2006-12-09, 08:02 PM
Great. If only I wasn't this drunk. I can hardly write anything.

Old Book
2006-12-09, 08:03 PM
Great comic.

Elan always had good moments when it came to Bard Stuff, understanding plot or story or how adventures have to work. Look at origins of the PCs: Without Elan's knowledge, Roy would never have recruited the Order of the Stick. As a Human Bard, he's getting a few skill points every level, and his base CHA is 18; no surprise that he can pull off a good Bluff now and then. Good for Elan. :)

He and Thog should make a great team.

Khantalas
2006-12-09, 08:04 PM
Meh, they probably didn't feel like bothering, since he's just a bard.

Nale is not a bard, he's a terribly nerfed Fighter / Rogue / Sorcerer.

Sliverghost
2006-12-09, 08:11 PM
Man that was worth the wait u go rich...do we have to wait till munday =(:smalleek::smallfrown::redface: man i hate weekend cliff hangers sooo much:smallsigh:well great comic still...there is going to be more backstory... right?:smalleek: but tottally worth the wait ;):smallbiggrin:

Atheist_Cleric
2006-12-09, 08:13 PM
"My Haley", eh? Looks like each strip with Elan in jail and escaping adds another hint that he may have finally caught on. Great strip, Thog's raging was scaaaaary...lets just hope he never does it in combat against the OOTS.

Snake-Aes
2006-12-09, 08:17 PM
I-LOVE-IT
Elan is my hero!!!

Rich, I love you =*

Megalomaniac2
2006-12-09, 08:17 PM
The best. The absolute best. Strip. Ever. There are simply too many Lol moments, character development points, and excellent plotting to discuss here. There could be a "Best Strip Ever Poll" tomorrow and this would get my vote without the slightest hesitation.

Can't wait to see Pompeey try to get in their way... I can only assume that he was dealt with during the escape because otherwise he would have warned Nale.

theKOT
2006-12-09, 08:20 PM
What fun! Sure, this comic probably didn't need to be triple-length, but a lot of the humor is in the dialogue and it turned out great. The rythm of this strip is wonderful; Thog and Elan really play off of each other well. That said, it was a bit predictable, a tad drawn out, and it really stretches the limit of believability. Still, one of the funniest strips in a while warranting an 8/10

Who else still hopes we see an explanation for the Leprechaun thing?

KillerCardinal
2006-12-09, 08:22 PM
Hehehe, this is actually the fist time that I have literally laughed out loud during a comic. Most were internal laughs.

Loved the "If you wanna be thog's lover ..."!

eilandesq
2006-12-09, 08:23 PM
To paraphrase the legendary Principal Snyder of Sunnydale High: "In case you haven't noticed, the police of Cliffport are *deeply* stupid." Give Elan credit for coming up with an approach that dealt with the limitations of both Thog and his captors. Now--for the rocket skates and the leprechaun costume. . .:smallcool:

humanpylon
2006-12-09, 08:23 PM
What fun! Sure, this comic probably didn't need to be triple-length, but a lot of the humor is in the dialogue and it turned out great. The rythm of this strip is wonderful; Thog and Elan really play off of each other well. That said, it was a bit predictable, a tad drawn out, and it really stretches the limit of believability. Still, one of the funniest strips in a while warranting an 8/10

Who else still hopes we see an explanation for the Leprechaun thing?

I've been curious: What does theKOT mean or stand for?

Felinoid
2006-12-09, 08:24 PM
Plain exposition that seems a little long at first glance, but plenty of good jokes to make it a solid contribution.

Haeleth
2006-12-09, 08:25 PM
Wait...Elan was useful in a situation?!?!?! Shame Roy wasn't there to see it...

Moomintroll
2006-12-09, 08:27 PM
"And then they punched a clown!"

What else need be said?

Belkar's Left Foot
2006-12-09, 08:28 PM
Hey, long time reader, registered in honor of this triple comic. :smallbiggrin:

So all we need to know now is how exactly Elan gets his new clothes and rolled a natural 20 on his awesomness factor.

That and The incradible thogs awesome leprchuan suit of might!

:thog: how thog's pants turn purple?

Great work giant!

Shott
2006-12-09, 08:39 PM
oh no! nale get lost in witches forest! :thog:

This is easily more than amzing. You are a tiny refreshing god, Giant.

FlawedParadigm
2006-12-09, 08:40 PM
I'd not have credited Thog with the intellect to know what a lover was. Heh. Oh, and the lantern over Elan's head? Priceless. Please do that again in the future. Hooray for avoiding anachronisms!

Just out of curiosity, was the original script in any way amusing? Like, perhaps enough to be included as bonus material in whatever book this ends up in?

Now if :thog: and :belkar: could get a strip together (not "do" a strip together), I'd be in nirvana.

Xenon
2006-12-09, 08:45 PM
and the giant scores a critical funny.

so thog is the incredible hulk now? it frightens me the brainpower those two have....

Adeptus
2006-12-09, 08:46 PM
Whoa!

Elan is being all smart and effiscient. Did the cruel world just break our happy and innocent bard?!? :smalleek:

I guess we all have to grow up (if only just a bit) sooner or later. We still love you Elan.

overtenemy
2006-12-09, 08:58 PM
On the topic of BG II, I'm pretty sure that's exactly how you break Minsc out of his cage. :X
(just replace Nale with Dynaheir and lost with dead)
Hey I guess it's not so exact after all. O.O

Grey Knight
2006-12-09, 09:06 PM
When I got to the part about the Vaporizing Flu, I felt a disturbance in the Force; as if a thousand GMs cried out for joy and suddenly began scribbling ideas...

armatil
2006-12-09, 09:07 PM
argh.. knock it off, giant - you're killing me :D

"thog rage! thog smash puny prison!"

nothig beats coming home in the middle of the night from several hours of proper D&D action to find the latest OotS online and subsequently laughing until it hurts. :)

Matuse
2006-12-09, 09:14 PM
Easily the best strip of the entire series.

El Jaspero, the Pirate King
2006-12-09, 09:15 PM
me love thog!

Seriously. Thog is some kinda genius.

Iranon
2006-12-09, 09:15 PM
Since Thog has shown some rudimentary taste where music is concerned, does anyone care to speculate about his motivation for singing ...that?

Maybe he is more cruel and devious than we think!

BlueWizard
2006-12-09, 09:16 PM
Thog has to join the group now!

LurkerBeneath
2006-12-09, 09:18 PM
I've been curious: What does theKOT mean or stand for?
The King of Town (http://homestarrunner.com/vcr_kot.html) is a character on http://homestarrunner.com/.
-LB

dragon95046
2006-12-09, 09:21 PM
If this is the caliber of comic you were working on, Rich, I would have been happy to wait til NEXT FRIDAY! This was awesome and makes the previous comic (awesome in it's own right) seem barely laughable.

Good work.

Tleilaxu_Ghola
2006-12-09, 09:23 PM
Best line EVAR: :thog: "How thog's pants turn purple?"

metalphil
2006-12-09, 09:25 PM
:thog: "how thog's pants turn purple?"

Haha.. beautiful.

[edit] Apparently the person above me thought the exact same thing. Didn't mean to be repetitive.

LurkerBeneath
2006-12-09, 09:28 PM
When I got to the part about the Vaporizing Flu, I felt a disturbance in the Force; as if a thousand GMs cried out for joy and suddenly began scribbling ideas...

Similar ideas have been around since 2003 at least. Dungeon #97, Shackled City Adventure Path, Life's Bazaar, Jzadirune, The Vanishing
-LB

dragon95046
2006-12-09, 09:30 PM
Since Thog has shown some rudimentary taste where music is concerned, does anyone care to speculate about his motivation for singing ...that?

Maybe he is more cruel and devious than we think!


It got stuck in his head when Elan was singing it.

not-:nale:: I even tried singing Spice Girls if they didn't let me free.

And if he wants to sing it out loud, who is gonna stop him?

garylian
2006-12-09, 09:30 PM
Absolutely Frickin' Brilliant!

Spice Girls. Thog sings a Spice Girls song. *gasp* *wheeze* *cough*

Wow.

And Elan was brilliant when he had to be. Just did a great job of winging it.

I can't wait for the rest of this story.

Kudos, Giant.

knownaspirate
2006-12-09, 09:31 PM
yay!

man i'm totally stoked!
go elan!
woots!

Zaria
2006-12-09, 09:33 PM
Hurray for Elan and Thog!! I bet those bars are sorry they ate the breadcrumbs now!

Daran
2006-12-09, 09:34 PM
Hey, my first post.

Been reading since the Start.
That was one of the best comics so far. Keep up the good work :smallwink:
I even chose Elan's line below as signature :smallbiggrin:

warmachine
2006-12-09, 09:41 PM
The script has been rushed to the point where artistic license has been abused. In a town where divination magic is not accepted in court because it can be faked with illusions, the guards seem untrained to handle them. Now, an insufficiently funded town guard that can't afford a strong jail, let alone anti-magic fields, is reasonable to assume. Similarly, poorly paid guards that don't care enough about their jobs to bind the hands of a suspect spellcaster is plausible. Guards that believe that decorations require jail doors to be ripped apart and mangled? Um, no. That it costs 2000 GP? They're not going to believe anybody pays that much at all, especially for an badly underfunded department. They're not going to believe anyone bothers redecorating a prison in the first place. They'd be surprised if it got cleaned on a regular basis.

Elan could easily handle the guards with other magic, such as Invisibility Sphere, Sleep, Darkness, Charm Person or Modify Memory, without a moronic story. Indeed, the last two could easily create comic dialogue.

Overall, a good episode except for the unbelievably moronic guards. A shame as, with high level bardic magic, the standard, dumb guard could still make good but plausible comedy.

charik
2006-12-09, 09:41 PM
wOOTS!
:thog: why thog angry?
:elan: Um, no reason.

Best couplet ever.:smalltongue:

ElfLad
2006-12-09, 09:41 PM
Thog and Elan's Excellent Adventure!

*air guitars*

Kesnit
2006-12-09, 09:44 PM
:elan: Aww, man! That illusion NEVER works!

I loved Elan's bluff checks with the guards. I guess that proves his 18 CHA isn't only "under the hood." :smallbiggrin:

knownaspirate
2006-12-09, 09:44 PM
The script has been rushed to the point where artistic license has been abused. In a town where divination magic is not accepted in court because it can be faked with illusions, the guards seem untrained to handle them. Now, an insufficiently funded town guard that can't afford a strong jail, let alone anti-magic fields, is reasonable to assume. Similarly, poorly paid guards that don't care enough about their jobs to bind the hands of a suspect spellcaster is plausible. Guards that believe that decorations require jail doors to be ripped apart and mangled? Um, no. That it costs 2000 GP? They're not going to believe anybody pays that much at all, especially for an badly underfunded department. They're not going to believe anyone bothers redecorating a prison in the first place. They'd be surprised if it got cleaned on a regular basis.

Elan could easily handle the guards with other magic, such as Invisibility Sphere, Sleep, Darkness, Charm Person or Modify Memory, without a moronic story. Indeed, the last two could easily create comic dialogue.

Overall, a good episode except for the unbelievably moronic guards. A shame as, with high level bardic magic, the standard, dumb guard could still make good but plausible comedy.

i think you're looking wwaaayyy to far into it.
it's funny. lighten up.

and as for elan using different spells on the guards. i think there was a post elsewhere about how elan has really useless bard spells. and when he uses said bard spells it makes for laugh worthy results.

Jared_Arcane
2006-12-09, 09:46 PM
Freakin' awesome. I can't wait to try out this routine the next time my half-orc barbarin is stuck in a jail. Spice Girls. They're not just for breakfast anymore.:smallwink:

Mewtroid
2006-12-09, 09:46 PM
I'm not even going to bother reading through this thread, it'll probably double in size while I do that.

This comic is awesome in comic form. Like, pure awesome. Essence of awesome. Awesome with all the inactive ingredients removed, leaving the active ingredient of win.

Or something, I'm stupid, sick, and tired.

Quantum Toast
2006-12-09, 09:50 PM
Is it just me, or has Elan's Intelligence tripled in the last few strips? :wink:

Solara
2006-12-09, 09:51 PM
Oh my God. It's very rare that I literally 'LOL' at a comic, but this one got me multiple times. :smallbiggrin: I'm sure that had a lot to do with the number of lines Thog had, though the other jokes were hilarious too. This whole arc has been great, but even so this is easily my favorite strip in a long, long time.


Guards that believe that decorations require jail doors to be ripped apart and mangled? Um, no. That it costs 2000 GP? They're not going to believe anybody pays that much at all, especially for an badly underfunded department. They're not going to believe anyone bothers redecorating a prison in the first place. They'd be surprised if it got cleaned on a regular basis.

Heh. Seems like there's always somebody that's going to find a reason to hate a comic no matter what, but if you're going to get mad about the 'realism' of one TV reference why didn't you complain about how thog's pants changed color too?

Belkar's Left Foot
2006-12-09, 09:55 PM
I can hardly wait to see what thog and Elans adventure is!

(will have to take sedatives to make sure I don't go insane waiting for the next comic)

:thog: Thog smash puny sanity!

Erloas
2006-12-09, 09:57 PM
Overall, a good episode except for the unbelievably moronic guards. A shame as, with high level bardic magic, the standard, dumb guard could still make good but plausible comedy.

Well as has been very well demonstrated the last times the Cliffport police were around, they are not just stupid, they are very stupid.

the_tick_rules
2006-12-09, 10:01 PM
good to see the comedy aspect has returned in full swing, hulk refrences was great. elan has one good bluff/diplomacy check don't he . but of course the guards are like low-level warriors, they're sense motive is minimal.

Miarae
2006-12-09, 10:02 PM
Brilliant comic! Well worth the wait, I literally LOL-ed! Not so good for neighbours, considering it's 4 am. Ah well, they're not worth it if they don't read this wonderful comic :thog:! I can't wait to see monday's comic, wonder if we'll (ever) find out why Thog's in a leprechaun costume. I love him. And Elan for that matter. "My Haley", awwww! And he finally figured out the Disguise Self. I'm so proud! He's all grown up...

Suki_the_Pure
2006-12-09, 10:02 PM
Is it just me, or has Elan's Intelligence tripled in the last few strips? :wink:

I'd say it's Thog being the only somewhat-main character in the strip, so Elan seems smarter by comparison, the pressure of his situation forcing Elan to use his head more than would otherwise be necessary with the other Order members around, or a combination of the two.

Blaznak
2006-12-09, 10:02 PM
Prison changed Thog.

This is really becoming some of Giant's best work in a very long time. Now this is coming from the guy that gets creeped out by 'false identity' stories, so I'm pleasantly surpised at how much I'm really enjoying this!

Well done and BRAVO!

tcjsavannah
2006-12-09, 10:06 PM
it thog's world now. it happy place.

Holy_Knight
2006-12-09, 10:06 PM
Literal LOL at Thog as the Incredible Hulk. Great stuff. Elan lamenting about that illusion never working is pretty funny too, not to mention everything else.

And how cute was it that he called her "my Haley"? Awwwww... :smallsmile:

SPoD
2006-12-09, 10:15 PM
The script has been rushed to the point where artistic license has been abused. In a town where divination magic is not accepted in court because it can be faked with illusions, the guards seem untrained to handle them. Now, an insufficiently funded town guard that can't afford a strong jail, let alone anti-magic fields, is reasonable to assume. Similarly, poorly paid guards that don't care enough about their jobs to bind the hands of a suspect spellcaster is plausible. Guards that believe that decorations require jail doors to be ripped apart and mangled? Um, no. That it costs 2000 GP? They're not going to believe anybody pays that much at all, especially for an badly underfunded department. They're not going to believe anyone bothers redecorating a prison in the first place. They'd be surprised if it got cleaned on a regular basis.

The reference is to a TV show called "Trading Spaces", wherein the designer comes in and redesigns the home in two days for $2000. Note that the TV SHOW pays the money, which employs the interior designer, not the the homeowner. Elan is saying that people are coming in to pay for the redesign, and for an underfunded police department, THAT would make perfect sense. "Hey, good work, Warden, you found people willing to pay for our badly-needed upgrades."

Or, it was just funny and the level of believability you are talking about doesn't matter to 99% of the readers.


Elan could easily handle the guards with other magic, such as Invisibility Sphere, Sleep, Darkness, Charm Person or Modify Memory, without a moronic story.

That "moronic story" is known as a joke.

At any rate, we have no evidence that Elan knows any of those spells. In fact, I would bet Elan doesn't know ANY Enchantment spells whatsoever--because NALE knows enchantment spells, and they're opposites. Within the realm of bardic magic, illusion and enchantment are the two possible routes. Elan clearly prefers illusion.

And yeah, Rich could have given him some powerful bard spell now, but remember if he does, he has to deal with the fact that Elan can cast that spell without preparation from now on. I'd rather he escape prison this way then watch Rich constantly need to explain to the nitpickers why Elan didn't cast "Invisibility Sphere" in every single battle.

Aevii
2006-12-09, 10:17 PM
I'd say it's Thog being the only somewhat-main character in the strip, so Elan seems smarter by comparison, the pressure of his situation forcing Elan to use his head more than would otherwise be necessary with the other Order members around, or a combination of the two.
Well, since they're PCs I've always had the players in mind instead of the characters when it came to the OotS-the primary reason I don't like Belkar.

Elan's player came across as someone who didn't take the game seriously so much as enjoying the time he was spending with the playgroup until he had something interesting/important (Haley) to pursue.


It's just a game until you run into something important to you

Tach13
2006-12-09, 10:26 PM
After reading the thread, there's two things I don't understand. First, how can anyone choose a favorite line with the incredible number of killer lines in this strip? Pants color, spice girls, changed quickly, and so many more. It was an incredible strip. Which brings up the next point, if you didn't enjoy this, then perhaps humor isn't for you. 'Cause this was funny as anything I've seen in awhile. Great work Rich, thanks.

Angela Christine
2006-12-09, 10:53 PM
Heeee! :smallbiggrin:



Elan's Bluff seems far fetched, but it wasn't the first thing he'd tried. Earlier he'd tried diplomacy, singing, illusions, the truth, crying, and everything else he could think of, and failed. He was due for a good roll, maybe even a natural 20. :smallwink:

I'm not sure if Elan is really getting smarter, or if he is just being forced to use his own mind since he doesn't have Roy to use as a mental crutch. Remember #75?


:haley: Oh man! I can't believe you and Vaarsuvius forgot to help Durkon!

:belkar: What an Epic-level screw up.

:elan: Good job, you two.

:roy: Wait, us??? As I recall, all five of us were in the room, and NONE of us remembered to bring him along.

:haley: True. But the three of us are so consistently and staggeringly irresponsible that it is utterly unreasonable to expect us to have been paying any attention in the first place.

:belkar: Damn straight.

:roy: That . . . is actually a very valid point. You're right. My bad.

Good times. Elan isn't expected to do any hard thinking, beyond thinking up rhymes and making the occasional bardic knowledge check. He's pretty, nice, and fun to be with, and other people are willing to do his thinking for him. He's a bimbo.

Now, possibly for the first time in his life, he is in a situation where the only people around are hostile to him. He is all alone, and nobody is comming to help. He has to rely on his own abilities. Trial by fire. That sort of thing tends to bring out the best in you, or destroy you. And Elan is too cute to be destroyed.




I'd not have credited Thog with the intellect to know what a lover was.

Given his reaction to "pretty" girls, I don't think he does (unless he's gay). He's just repeating a song he heard, without needing to understand it. (Does anyone understand that song?) Nale and Sabine might call eachother "lover" . . . but Thog might think that means "really good friend". :smalltongue:

Aeek
2006-12-09, 10:54 PM
Elan may be smarter than he appears.

Otherway round, Elan can appear to be smarter than he actually is.
He's a bard. He doesn't have to understand what he's saying, just that its the "right" thing to say.


Wait...Elan was useful in a situation?!?!?! Shame Roy wasn't there to see it...

He was brilliant in the Dirt Farmer sidequest in the Ogre Cave.
And Roy wasn't there to see it. Illusions that time too.

krossbow
2006-12-09, 11:08 PM
Heh. This is one of those comics that you have to read over a few times just to catch all the jokes.

I loved the opening "Aw man! This NEVER works!" line. Priceless. Heh, and does it ever?:smallwink:


My favorite part though is "And then they punched a clown!" I fell out of my chair at that point.



Go Elan! I agree with others on Elan's motivation. He leaves it up to others to do the hard stuff; he's never really grown up. This situation has forced him to actually try and pull his weight and accomplish things for once. Elan's not stupid; he just doesn't need to try, and he likes it that way. He's a pure soul, he would like to believe in the best in everybody, and try to hope for the best as opposed to goign into situations planning for the worst and such.


God, I can't wait till tuesday; thog and Elan on a journey together is dream come true; though really, the way he manipulates thog is eerily like how Nale does it...

Zalathar
2006-12-09, 11:17 PM
Absolutely fantastic. I really enjoyed that, it was well worth the wait.

neriana
2006-12-09, 11:27 PM
Totally hilarious. Elan and Thog together -- could it get any better?

I think love is making Elan smarter. And Haley stupider. If "stupider" is a word.

keri
2006-12-09, 11:32 PM
God, I can't wait till tuesday; thog and Elan on a journey together is dream come true; though really, the way he manipulates thog is eerily like how Nale does it...

oooh... good point.

Allandaros
2006-12-09, 11:35 PM
God, I can't wait till tuesday; thog and Elan on a journey together is dream come true; though really, the way he manipulates thog is eerily like how Nale does it...

Well, he and Nale ARE brothers. And I'm sure there's a bit of CG/LE cross-pollination. I find that the two are curiously similar at times.*

Although I have to confess that I'd be happier if the leprechaun suit was left unexplained, and we get to see some thrillin' heroics on Tuesday.

*pounds fist on table*

Thrillin' Heroics, consarn it!!

*The question as to which alignment I identify with more is left as an exercise for the reader.

Moebius
2006-12-09, 11:35 PM
Wonderful, wonderful comic. Aside from all the gags, Elan's crying fit - and subsequent 'pull himself together' moment - really worked.

On the question of Elan's sudden increase in intelligence - remember comic #119 (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0119.html):

'Roy, you may know strategies, and tactics, and basic math, and everyday common knowledge, but *I* know theatrics.'

The situation involved theatrics. (If turning an NPC into the Incredible Hulk isn't theatrics, what is?) Therefore, Elan gets a hefty Circumstance bonus.

Mr.Burn
2006-12-09, 11:41 PM
Thog had a Natural 6 on his Berserk :P ...if he has any barbarian levels,
But I must say thats some sharp smooth talking from Elan, ... ok Thog isnt to bright and persuaing him would need like a 2+ on a D6 roll, but praises for Elan that he actally thought about it... neve knew he was good at mind games :P

:elan: "dose this mean I invested last level points in to intelect?"
:roy: "no it just means you got a critical strike on your luck roll..."

ye, 119 was gret, but the part that cracked me up was Belkar and his Spot checks, Id buy a D60 or something :P

EDIT: correction Thog started with a lvl 1 barbarian then went 2 point in fighter: forgot >_>

Nashua
2006-12-09, 11:42 PM
I need to remember to stop drinking beverages when I read OOTS. I narrowly avoided an accident with this one. Especially the clown part.

Bakta
2006-12-09, 11:45 PM
I'd just like to say that I find the lowermost lefthand panel quite disturbing :smalltongue:.


One would almost think that Thog is well ... nvm.

krossbow
2006-12-09, 11:54 PM
Lets see... asumming Thog has great rage from barbarian, and gets a +6 to strength... and as a half orc, something like 20-22 strength naturally at this point... ends up as about 26-28 with rage.

so, a +8-9 strength modifier, plus a +2 from Elan's song... He has something like a +10-11 to add to his strength check. Hmm, time to check the break DC's for metal bars to see what he had to roll.

Zeb The Troll
2006-12-10, 12:13 AM
Okay, in addition to what's already been stated, I loved how Thog's skin changed color during the transformation to the Incredible Thog. In the panel where Elan is singing "Bend, bend, bend, bend the prison cell bars" and Thog's clothes start to tear, Thog's skin color is slightly darker than in the panel before, Then in the next panel after the Hulk'ing is complete and he's wearing purple pants, his skin is much greener. Then, of course, followed by the two panel cool down where it changes back to plain ol' Thog green.

Much gasping and wheezing indeed. I laughed my tush off at this one. :smallcool:

Sunflower
2006-12-10, 12:13 AM
Definitely worth waiting for! Elan and Thog are so hilarious together, I can't wait to see more!

And I see what you mean about that one panel... :smallbiggrin:

Thortok2000
2006-12-10, 12:24 AM
What I liked most about this strip was seeing bardic skills at work and actually USEFUL. It's amazing how much of a rarity that is.

And I'm not sure if Elan's any smarter, or if it's just that compared to everyone else in today's strip, he's smart. A little of both is my opinion.

Mr.Burn
2006-12-10, 12:24 AM
Lets see... asumming Thog has great rage from barbarian, and gets a +6 to strength... and as a half orc, something like 20-22 strength naturally at this point... ends up as about 26-28 with rage.

so, a +8-9 strength modifier, plus a +2 from Elan's song... He has something like a +10-11 to add to his strength check. Hmm, time to check the break DC's for metal bars to see what he had to roll.

Is personaly say he could Bend teh bars so he could squeezn between them at moste with a +10-11 mod ( asuming Elan actually had a song up)... unless you count the Incredibel Thog shift as a Potion of greater str, then perhaps...

:thog: " Thog no good in fancy number thingies"

I stand corrected

Stone Wolf
2006-12-10, 12:36 AM
According to the srd, you can bend or break iron bars by making a DC 24 Strengh check. Otherwise you'd have to beat a hardness of 10 for iron, which isn't a great option for most unarmed characters.

CatKnight
2006-12-10, 12:40 AM
Now that I enjoyed, especially Thog's singing :)

Beelzebub1111
2006-12-10, 12:42 AM
*starts singing*
Sometimes the world looks perfect,
Nothin' to rearrange.
Sometimes you just get a feelin'
like you need some kind of change.

No matter what the odds are this time,
Nothing's gonna stand in my way.
This flame in my heart,
and a long lost friend,
Gives every dark street a light at the end!

Standin' tall
On the wings of my dream!

Rise and fall
On the wings of my dream!

Rain and thunder, wind and haze
I'm bound for better days!
It's my life,
It's my dream,
Nothin's gonna stop me now.
*looks left and right*

Well...that was uncharacteristic of me. But it somehow seemed appropriate.

not-nale and thog, so different, yet so the alike

Mr.Burn
2006-12-10, 12:44 AM
I heard onec, that way back at 1 edition, half-orcs has soem racial abylity that grounded there int dwon to 1 but boosted a mod of +7-8 str for 2 turns, but they attacked anythign at site a that point so nobody technically used it, seeing the casters usually died in the proces.
Maybe thats it?

GenericFighter
2006-12-10, 12:44 AM
That was heeee-larious! (Am I the only one who got the Guns N' Roses joke? I can't be!)

Beelzebub1111
2006-12-10, 12:50 AM
Ooh! I noticed his stretchy purple pants and slightly greener tone to his skin. Hulk SMASH!

Tura
2006-12-10, 12:52 AM
Absolutely incredible. I laughed my heart out, even though I missed a couple a jokes. (So..many...)
What exactly was the Baldur's Gate reference? I barely remember the game, I think Minsc was strong, stupid and carrying an animal on his shoulder (a squirrel, was it?)... So where's the pun??

Orzel
2006-12-10, 12:59 AM
Excellent Comic.

My currently jailed bard/ranger will be causing hatred for iron bars tomorrow to his half-orc allies. But I'll be using kitties instead of clowns and pebbles instead of breadcrumbs.

Querzis
2006-12-10, 01:14 AM
What I liked most about this strip was seeing bardic skills at work and actually USEFUL. It's amazing how much of a rarity that is.

And I'm not sure if Elan's any smarter, or if it's just that compared to everyone else in today's strip, he's smart. A little of both is my opinion.

I really think its just the second, I mean did anyone actually read what Elan said? The story he came up with were all really dumb. As a matter of fact Elan was more stupid then usual in this comic but he got lot of skill in bluff, 18 charisma and the people he was talking to were really dumb!

By the way, yes the way Elan manipulate Thog is exactly like the way Nale manipulate the OOTS. But they are twins brother after all. Nale is more intelligent and Evil but otherwise they really act like each other. And I'm pretty sure Wisdom is the dump stat of both of them.

Mr._Wilson
2006-12-10, 01:19 AM
Oh come on, the vaporizing flu isn't that bad.

Great comic. Very, very funny, and I can't wait to read what those two crazy cats get themselves into on the way to rescue Haley....and Nale.

SteveMB
2006-12-10, 01:21 AM
Of course, now the question is, how does Elan save Haley? She's unarmed and unarmored, and they're outnumbered three to two (no way Thog or Sabine are gonna fight against Nale here). Could be a tough spot.

Hmmm...

Thog thinks that he's on an adventure with not-Nale to save Haley and Nale. From whom? Have we seen somebody on the scene of their arrival who is likely to show hostility to Haley and Nale...?

Mr.Burn
2006-12-10, 01:29 AM
Well Elan could use Charm person on Thog just making him compleatly inactive in the fight... still both Haley and Elan aren't perty well equiped... still Elan has a rapier, and Nale has a plain knife (( obviously cos it was just gona be used in a supris attack to it practically auto hit and wounds)) so in overall combat Elan would have the upper hand, ... still sabina is a spell caster.... they beter get some bad ass Spell resistance Check rolls

or

Thog fails a Intelect check roll, and thinks Sabina wants to attack Nale and Haley (( seeing thats what Elan said ther gona do "save haley and Nale") and preocupies her, and Elan still ahs the upper hand seeing he has a sword class weapon, and Nale has a knife, and bards are more capeble with Rapiers

CockroachTeaParty
2006-12-10, 01:32 AM
Thog continues to impress. He is quickly becoming my favorite Linear Guild member, by a longshot.

Laros
2006-12-10, 01:33 AM
Theory about Elan's new-found intelligence boost (limited though it may be):
Nale's Goatee is enchanted to enhance intelligence.
Sure, Haley being in jeopardy probably motivated him, but there is POWER in that Goatee.

MReav
2006-12-10, 01:40 AM
I don't think he's become intelligent. He's simply using his experience as an idiot, combined with love-induced focus, a decent wisdom and an awesome charisma, to manipulate other idiots.

That being said, there's some awesome roleplaying Experience to be gained from this (though I guess this is to make up for his lacklustre performance during the Cliffport activities)

Mr.Burn
2006-12-10, 01:42 AM
To manipulate idiots thers a requirament to nto be a idiot yourself, so basically that part fails

and I never Loce can be a feet bonus... gona have to exploit that :)

MReav
2006-12-10, 01:52 AM
To manipulate idiots thers a requirament to nto be a idiot yourself,

Not necessarily, one simply needs to be well acquainted with the mind of an idiot.

Xi-1
2006-12-10, 01:54 AM
I'm impressed with Elan, after all we know that love gives a +1 circumstantial boost, but all the same he came up with every conceivable plan concerning his class abilities (and exhausted them all) in under 40 minutes. That leaves plenty of time to find out which room Nale and Haley are at and go all Battousai on Nale. Elan further explored the other resources close at hand and probably figured that thog was due for a Rage Up. Oh, he was. We know Elan has seen thog in action before.

So now Elan and thog have plenty of time to nail Pompey on their way to get the rocketskates that Nale left for thog and rush on down to Azure City. We know this because Elan said that they were in jail for all of 40 minutes, so it's a matter of days to get to Azure City, and Elan still has that +1 bonus. And his anger isn't disappearing the way thog's did.

Keep up the good work, Rich.

Heh. And now there's another guy here using the samurai avatar, but I would really like to either change the colour of the guy's armour or put him in the robes that samurai wear. And give him a rurouni ponytail. You know where I'm goin' with this, except my character's hair is blonde. And his scar got healed.

Grey Watcher
2006-12-10, 01:55 AM
Wow... That was cool! Vaporizing Flu and all.

Though my personal favorite is "why thog mad again?" "No reason."

cthulhu_waits23
2006-12-10, 02:10 AM
Incredible comic. Well done.

skinkatlarge
2006-12-10, 02:11 AM
I've been re-reading the whole series and making a "best OotS Quotes" file; today's has by far the most entries. Just hitting a few...

Most underappreciated in the forum:
:elan: "Yeah, he died from the poor conditions here." Guard: "Another one?"

My favorites (hey I'm a superhero comics geek):

:thog: "thog smash puny prison!"

:thog: "how thog's pants turn purple?"

Makes me wonder if I'm missing another reference (something on TV I bet; just too specific to not be a joke):
:elan: "We're having a team of interior decorators come in and redecorate the prison in two days for 2000 gp."

Most "awwww":
:elan: "my- my Haley!"

And thog's horizontal nipples and belly button, and, and... heck, way too many to keep typing. Thanks, Giant!

K'tai
2006-12-10, 02:14 AM
Makes me wonder if I'm missing another reference (something on TV I bet; just too specific to not be a joke):
:elan: "We're having a team of interior decorators come in and redecorate the prison in two days for 2000 gp."

Extreme Home Makeover
or
Trading spaces

5tephen
2006-12-10, 02:16 AM
Ah, what wonderous fun.

I don't think we'll ever get the leprechaun suit explained though. It's just too funny to leave it a question.

shylocxs
2006-12-10, 02:26 AM
Oh, this was seriously one of the better ones. TY!

Suki_the_Pure
2006-12-10, 02:31 AM
Well, since they're PCs I've always had the players in mind instead of the characters when it came to the OotS-the primary reason I don't like Belkar.

Elan's player came across as someone who didn't take the game seriously so much as enjoying the time he was spending with the playgroup until he had something interesting/important (Haley) to pursue.


It's just a game until you run into something important to you

I'll probably get lynched for admitting it, but I don't play the game, so can't relate. ^^;;

Does sound plausible, though.

SDF
2006-12-10, 02:34 AM
:thog: "If you wan't to be Thog's lover, you gotta get with Thog's friends"

XD So random, so funny... I still want to see the explanation for the St. Paddy's day Thog.

Abd al-Azrad
2006-12-10, 02:37 AM
YES!!! I have no fear, as long as I have Thog around!

pita
2006-12-10, 02:49 AM
We definitely need a :notnale: smiley, which is basically Elan with the beard glued on and also a :notelan: smiley which is the shaved Nale.

Suki_the_Pure
2006-12-10, 02:52 AM
That'd be a Not Not-Nale. ^^

Pvednes
2006-12-10, 03:07 AM
Hahah, prison break! :D

Zone
2006-12-10, 03:09 AM
No levels in swashbuckler? Sad.

archon_huskie
2006-12-10, 03:16 AM
Could there be another meaning to Thog's statement "Prison changed thog?" Perhaps the though of Nale being in danger has pushed him into becoming . . . Good?

Perhaps there be another meaning to opposite end of the alignment. Perhaps thog is lawful?

Or my sleep deprived brain has made something up because it is tired.

Eldhrin
2006-12-10, 03:16 AM
Amazing!

Best Thog strip ever, also best Elan strip ever. Fantastic.

But after this I think Cliffport PD might be wanting to install an anti-magic field around their jail.

Pheldagriff
2006-12-10, 03:18 AM
I expect the next comic to start wih: "... and this is how we came here." leaving the rest of the story to our imagination

Jazzvader
2006-12-10, 03:43 AM
I think Thog's got some explaining to do.....................

Because how did Thog and Elan get their new clothes?


Amazing!

Best Thog strip ever, also best Elan strip ever. Fantastic.

But after this I think Cliffport PD might be wanting to install an anti-magic field around their jail.

I think so too.:elan::thog:


Could there be another meaning to Thog's statement "Prison changed thog?" Perhaps the though of Nale being in danger has pushed him into becoming . . . Good?

Perhaps there be another meaning to opposite end of the alignment. Perhaps thog is lawful?

Or my sleep deprived brain has made something up because it is tired.

I think it's all of them.......


I expect the next comic to start wih: "... and this is how we came here." leaving the rest of the story to our imagination

I don't think so somehow. I think it'll carry on with story and say that at the end or the start of the next one after that.

Suki_the_Pure
2006-12-10, 03:44 AM
Dude, "EDIT" is there for a reason.

Vindemiatrix
2006-12-10, 03:54 AM
That was just...that was just amazing. I think I'll have to reread it, because the full awesomeness of some things can't be comprehended all at once.

Demented
2006-12-10, 03:55 AM
Dude, "EDIT" is there for a reason.
When you decide to make a post just announcing "Quad post!", I reckon the edit key will be the last thing on your mind. ;)

Silmarwen
2006-12-10, 04:33 AM
The frightening thing, is that Elan is the most sane and wise person in these strips :smallbiggrin:

Movoza
2006-12-10, 04:33 AM
:smallbiggrin:

:thog: how thog's pants turn purplE?

there is only so many things i like about this comiC.

and thats a lot :smallcool:.

Winged One
2006-12-10, 04:44 AM
*Gazes in awe at the portal to the Elemental Plane of Awsome*

Absolute favorite line: "Is that...contagious?" "Yes, but only if you stand around in a place where a previous victim has died and ask questions"

B9anders
2006-12-10, 04:47 AM
That is just the funniest strip I have seen so far.

So many funny lines it's just untrue.

"If you wannabe thog's lover"
-
"Oh no. Nale get lost in witch's forest!"
-
"he died from the poor conditions here."
"Another one?"

hahahahahahaha!

The chemistry between thog and not-nale is just brilliant.

Delgarde
2006-12-10, 04:52 AM
The frightening thing, is that Elan is the most sane and wise person in these strips :smallbiggrin:


Don't know about most sane, but compared with Thog and the two guards, he's certainly proving himself the smartest. Yeah, very frightening...

B9anders
2006-12-10, 04:54 AM
The script has been rushed to the point where artistic license has been abused. In a town where divination magic is not accepted in court because it can be faked with illusions, the guards seem untrained to handle them. Now, an insufficiently funded town guard that can't afford a strong jail, let alone anti-magic fields, is reasonable to assume. Similarly, poorly paid guards that don't care enough about their jobs to bind the hands of a suspect spellcaster is plausible. Guards that believe that decorations require jail doors to be ripped apart and mangled? Um, no. That it costs 2000 GP? They're not going to believe anybody pays that much at all, especially for an badly underfunded department. They're not going to believe anyone bothers redecorating a prison in the first place. They'd be surprised if it got cleaned on a regular basis.

Elan could easily handle the guards with other magic, such as Invisibility Sphere, Sleep, Darkness, Charm Person or Modify Memory, without a moronic story. Indeed, the last two could easily create comic dialogue.

Overall, a good episode except for the unbelievably moronic guards. A shame as, with high level bardic magic, the standard, dumb guard could still make good but plausible comedy.

Life must be incredibly dull with that level of pedantry.

teratorn
2006-12-10, 05:43 AM
Flow my tears the bardman said. Elan was always sort of a cry baby, but I can't help feeling that the GIANT is trying to make the change even more striking. We are watching the birth of a new Elan. Trully memorable times to us OOTSers. And as a bonus we got the Thog lover line. That alone cracked me up. Worth the waiting.


Life must be incredibly dull with that level of pedantry.

Hey, I liked warmachine's comment. Made me think of :vaarsuvius:. This is one of the reasons I read the hundred messages people post in here. It's fun to watch the reactions, complaints and nit-picking. That one was amazing. V wouldn't do better.

Aurumvorax
2006-12-10, 05:49 AM
Awww man, Elan is getting all romantic super-hero, he cries, and then he gathers himself, and then he smashes the window to save his Haley-in-distress *drooling* Our little Elan is all grown up... :smallredface:
I enjoyed this strip Soooo much, I just don't want to quote them, they're too hilarious altogether and I don't to offend any of these marvalous quotes!!! :smallbiggrin:
...
What exactly was the Baldur's Gate reference? I barely remember the game, I think Minsc was strong, stupid and carrying an animal on his shoulder (a squirrel, was it?)... So where's the pun?? No, Tura, it was a hamster and his name was Boo :smallsmile: I assume, the reference is just the fact that in the very beginning of BG2 you needed to make Minsc mad, to make him rage :smallfurious: and bend the bars of his cell "Ah, the bars! They bend and twist with my berserker strenght! Minsc and Boo are free!! ..." (c) Minsc

Ronald_saveloy
2006-12-10, 06:27 AM
Bravo Rich, you made my day! One of the best strips ever. Anyway, I've got a question. At the end of the strip, :elan: says:

"Hilarity ensues when two adventurers from different ends of the alignment spectrum must work together in the feel-good comedy of the year."

I know, that this is the tag line frome a movie, but I don't remember, which movie it is. Can you help my?

I love :thog: interpretation of Spice Girl's Wannabe.

Nerd_Paladin
2006-12-10, 06:46 AM
Well, sorry, but color me dissapointed. So Elan escaped from jail via a sequence of DC 30 Bluff checks? Lame. The last panel was a good laugh though. Thog is so consistently funny that he should qualify as a minor artifact.

Silferdrake
2006-12-10, 06:59 AM
That was awsome, now I'm just waiting for:

:thog: don't make thog angry... you wouldn't like thog when thog is angry...

Yay for the incredible Thog!

Jazzvader
2006-12-10, 07:06 AM
The frightening thing, is that Elan is the most sane and wise person in these strips :smallbiggrin:

you got a point there

Noneoyabizzness
2006-12-10, 07:18 AM
ahh thogtastic

and nice to show elan using some cunning dang it. he's a bard.

unstattedCommoner
2006-12-10, 07:34 AM
Quite possibly the best strip to date. :smallbiggrin:


"Hilarity ensues when two adventurers from different ends of the alignment spectrum must work together in the feel-good comedy of the year."

I know, that this is the tag line frome a movie, but I don't remember, which movie it is. Can you help my?

That could be any feel-good comedy of the year.


I love :thog: interpretation of Spice Girl's Wannabe.
:thog: thog's magic song-playing device have many songs:
:thog: oops! thog do it again, thog play with your heart ...

Calamity
2006-12-10, 07:41 AM
Any comic with Thog and Elan co-operating is bound to be awesome, and this was awesome!

:durkon: and hilgya: "Go team Cleric!"
:elan: and :thog:: "Go team Fool!"

:thog: "if you wannabe thog's lover, you gotta get with thog's freinds..."

Kriel
2006-12-10, 07:56 AM
That was comedy gold, Rich! That, and that was extremely clever on Elan's part. I'm guessing he rolled a natural 20 on his Bluff check. That, or Thog's abysmal Intelligence and Wisdom gave him an unbelievably huge penalty to his save. Oh well. I can't wait to see how this turns out. By the way... how did Thog's pants turn purple?

The Hammer of Thor
2006-12-10, 08:03 AM
Love it. Not much on the internet makes me laugh, but this did.

Grod_The_Giant
2006-12-10, 08:06 AM
rofl. great comic.

Antina
2006-12-10, 08:19 AM
Well - ok - nice to know how they escaped.
Not a bad strip, but I hoped for more information about Haley or Xykon... .

Sometimes the predictions of what weīre going to get as "next strip" are better than what actually happens.

The Giant once said that he is doing exactly that on purpose because he hates us to have better ideas than him - or the same ideas at the same time as he has them.
I donīt think itīs worth changing every(good)thing just to get "the surprise"...

oogabooga
2006-12-10, 08:25 AM
Sometimes the predictions of what weīre going to get as "next strip" are better than what actually happens.

The Giant once said that he is doing exactly that on purpose because he hates us to have better ideas than him - or the same ideas at the same time as he has them.
I donīt think itīs worth changing every(good)thing just to get "the surprise"...
No, he didn't say that. A lot of people seem to think that, but all he said was that he was TEMPTED to change things, which is why he doesn't read predictions. He's never actually changed anything just because someone guessed right.

Amon Star
2006-12-10, 08:33 AM
No need to apologize for being late Mr Giant, not when you give us triple OotSy goodness!


Ok, at what point did Elan become halfway intelligent?

When he realised :haley: was in danger.


You'd think they would have put Elan in an anti-magic cell, since Nale is a known spell-user and that qualified him for gagging at the scene of the crime.

Damn those budget cuts!


Anyway I'm beginning to wonder how Elan expect to save Haley, she is unarmed and Thog is obviously still loyal to Nale. If he get angry, he can easely take care of Elan even if he dont have a weapon. Its a 3vs2 and except if the rest of the order come in the room, Elan and Haley wont stand a chance.

:elan: probably hasn't thought that far ahead. He thinks doing the cinematic thing is enough to save the day.


Elan always had good moments when it came to Bard Stuff, understanding plot or story or how adventures have to work. Look at origins of the PCs: Without Elan's knowledge, Roy would never have recruited the Order of the Stick. As a Human Bard, he's getting a few skill points every level, and his base CHA is 18; no surprise that he can pull off a good Bluff now and then. Good for Elan. :)

Ahh, but if :roy: knew who he turned down to get the OotS, would he still be grateful?


Thog thinks that he's on an adventure with not-Nale to save Haley and Nale. From whom? Have we seen somebody on the scene of their arrival who is likely to show hostility to Haley and Nale...?

Good point.

PirateMonk
2006-12-10, 09:14 AM
*

Standin' tall
On the wings of my dream!

Rise and fall
On the wings of my dream!


"Delusions: There is no greater joy than soaring high on the wings of your dreams, except maybe the joy of watching a dreamer who has nowhere to land but in the ocean of reality."
-Despair Inc.

I just had to say that.

I've spent the past 40 minutes reading through every post, after coming home from a party last night and deciding I was too tired to fully appreciate the new OOTS.

My prediction:

2-3 more strips explaining the escape, travel to AC, and costumes (or at least :elan: 's), leaving 5-8 to wrap up the Linear Guild business, after which Miko arrives, shortly followed by Xykon & Co. for the Big 400.
If the leprechaun costume isn't explained, maybe:

:nale: : and... the leprechaun costume?
:elan: :well, it's a strange story, really, it-
:thog: :Thog smash little green man and-
:nale: :okay, i don't need to know this.




Great strip.

Edit-This has probably been said a few thousand times before, but we need an Irish Thog smiley.
Edit-I know this has been said a few thousand times, the 'zany whirlwind adventure' is the perfect place for bonus strips. Also, it might be fun to have one strip online where each panel shows them in an utterly absurd situation.

mikeejimbo
2006-12-10, 09:31 AM
Man, I love Elan.

"It's like I need an entirely different set of class skills!"

teratorn
2006-12-10, 09:41 AM
Hmmm...

Thog thinks that he's on an adventure with not-Nale to save Haley and Nale. From whom? Have we seen somebody on the scene of their arrival who is likely to show hostility to Haley and Nale...?

Well, let's see:

:thog: Oh No! Nale got lost in witch's forest!

Poor poor Nale, a badbad witch...

Earthstar_Fungus
2006-12-10, 09:47 AM
Ha, ha, ha! That was one of the few things on the internet to send me sniggering when I was supposed to be sleeping.

Azzurus
2006-12-10, 09:59 AM
:thog: why did thog's pants turn purple?

Best line ever!

TigerHunter
2006-12-10, 10:13 AM
Well, now we know Thog's alignment--if he's the opposite of Elan, who we know to be Chaotic good, then Thog is Lawful Evil.

Grey Watcher
2006-12-10, 10:17 AM
Well, now we know Thog's alignment--if he's the opposite of Elan, who we know to be Chaotic good, then Thog is Lawful Evil.

No, Thog's a barbarian (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0064.html) and therefore can't be Lawful (and still use his Rage at any rate). I think Elan's just referring to the fact that ones Good the other's Evil. I always thought Thog was Chaotic (being the Lawful Good Roy's Evil Opposite).

the_tick_rules
2006-12-10, 10:36 AM
i noticed some people ask why, with elan probably having invisibility at his level, didn't he use it to escape. most has already been said but i didn't notice anyone say invisible people are still corporeal. they'd ask thog where he went and thog tells them. plus, the way the strip did it is funnier, which in a comic strip justifies everything.

i also failed to mention the frequent mentions of the ineptitude of npc guards, how very true to most D&D games, they couldn't hold a rock if you glued it to their hands.

jaded_empath
2006-12-10, 10:57 AM
O_o

Wow.

That was huge (both in development of Elan's character beyond just comic relief, AND in sheer number of panels)

Rich? You ROCK.

"...renovations. We're having a team of interior decorators come in and redecorate the prison in two days for 2000gp"

I used to watch Trading Spaces ^_^

-"prison changed Thog."
-"We were only in there for 40 minutes."
-"prison changed thog quickly."

That is a surprisingly quick-witted rebuttle. :D

Again, Rich - YOU DA MAN, and thank you.

fractal
2006-12-10, 11:18 AM
Well, now we know Thog's alignment--if he's the opposite of Elan, who we know to be Chaotic good, then Thog is Lawful Evil.
No, Thog is merely from a different end of the alignment spectrum. Since Elan is Chaotic Good, that leaves 3 other "ends" to choose from. Chaotic Evil is a pretty safe bet.

Jarelk
2006-12-10, 11:42 AM
Though I secretly hoped for the battle, I love it:smalltongue:!
Just love it. Nice extra by adding a lantern instead of a lamp:smallbiggrin:.

neriana
2006-12-10, 11:47 AM
Thog is the opposite of Roy, not of Elan. Nale is the opposite of Elan.

Warrax
2006-12-10, 11:58 AM
This isn't fair...

I'm DYING with laughter every time I read the newest OOTS... first, the leprechaun costume; now, the Vaporizing Flu and "prison changed thog quickly."

Soooo funny...

zegma
2006-12-10, 12:01 PM
I Loved the Becomeing Hulk part. lol

"why are thog pants purple"

lol

Sebastian
2006-12-10, 12:19 PM
Now, an insufficiently funded town guard that can't afford a strong jail, let alone anti-magic fields, is reasonable to assume. Similarly, poorly paid guards that don't care enough about their jobs to bind the hands of a suspect spellcaster is plausible. Guards that believe that decorations require jail doors to be ripped apart and mangled? Um, no. That it costs 2000 GP? They're not going to believe anybody pays that much at all, especially for an badly underfunded department.

Obvously, you have no experience on how public amministrations works. :smallsmile:

Brawl
2006-12-10, 12:27 PM
Not fair - Prates of the Carribean ;] and Thog the Superhero :P owww i can't stop laughung.

Carrion_Humanoid
2006-12-10, 12:35 PM
Woot!
Was that "ding" a ding of epiphany or a ding of leveling up? 'Cause it happened right after he mentioned new class abilites... Which can also be explained by using Thog. *Shrug.* Ah, well. Great flashback.

It was a Idea DING with a torch above him.

Bruenor
2006-12-10, 12:38 PM
This Comic is Great, Thanks Giant. My first post too, Not long time reader, but for a while and finally decided to join. This place is Awesome...

:thog: how thogs pants turn purple?

:elan: And then they punched a clown!

Great stuff...

NotNale
2006-12-10, 12:39 PM
No, Thog is merely from a different end of the alignment spectrum. Since Elan is Chaotic Good, that leaves 3 other "ends" to choose from. Chaotic Evil is a pretty safe bet.
Actually, Fractal, I'm going to go with Chaotic Neutral, which I think is more the opposite of Lawful Good than is Chaotic Evil. I could be wildly wrong, but Thog doesn't seem evil as much as destructive. Other than the Celine Dion episode, that is.

fractal
2006-12-10, 12:43 PM
Actually, Fractal, I'm going to go with Chaotic Neutral, which I think is more the opposite of Lawful Good than is Chaotic Evil. I could be wildly wrong, but Thog doesn't seem evil as much as destructive. Other than the Celine Dion episode, that is.
That might make sense, except that Elan (always the most reliable source) thinks Thog is from an end of the alignment spectrum. Chaotic Neutral is partly in the middle, and certainly not a different end from Elan's Chaotic Good.

bosssmiley
2006-12-10, 12:45 PM
Revelation of Thog's love of Spice Girls: rage and betrayal fills my heart! :smallmad:

Thog Hulks out (complete with iconic purple pants): "Oh Thog (and Giant), how can I stay mad at you?" :smallsmile:

Win!

geez3r
2006-12-10, 12:59 PM
Best. Cross-over. Ever.

NotNale
2006-12-10, 01:47 PM
Maybe. I guess I think of the alignment spectrum as less of a continuum from evil to good with neutral in the middle than a polyhedron or some weird shape with good and evil, and law and chaos on opposite ends. As has been pointed out elsewhere, lawful good and lawful evil characters have almost as much in common as lawful good and chaotic good. That's why chaotic neutral made sense to me ... but I've been wrong before.

Jazzvader
2006-12-10, 01:48 PM
When you decide to make a post just announcing "Quad post!", I reckon the edit key will be the last thing on your mind. ;)

Actually I just started