OOTS #392 - The Discussion Thread

[The Giant]

New comic is up.

Also note the news item regarding the update for next Monday (or rather, the lack thereof).

[Maxymiuk]

Whoa. Loved the perspective shot when Elan and Torg jump out.

[IronSoldier820]

So refreshing to be back where we started, with an explanation for how it all happened this time.

[mooseofshadows]

wow great one there, liked the comment about them never crossing paths again, it's so true.

[Aurumvorax]

Wooooohoooo!!! Elan rocks!!! :swooning:
:thog: Thog brought breadcrumbs - PRICELESS!!! :smallbiggrin:

[Manga Shoggoth]

:thog: thog brought breadcrumbs!

I don't think there has been a better non-sequitor (at least, it is from Nale's point of view) in the comic so far.

[sun_tzu]

Don't think the loss of one catapult will make a big difference in the defence of Azure City come Xykon...But, badass entrance for Elan! Excellent!

[1337_master]

Greatest Storyline ever, Yet it's gone.

[faerwain]

And so the wheel of fate has made one circle...
This time I was really amused again. Can't pick anything special(except of course"Not like they are going to be invaded") but the strip felt good.
Hooray for dramatic conventions!!

[boytbpc]

I loved 'getting in touch with my inner-greeness'

Boytbpc

[LordVader]

Awesome comic
"its not like they're going to get invaded before they can repair it" LOL!!! also, CARRIER LOST++++++++

[Snake-Aes]

Use the Force, Elan....

Bwahaha :D I loved the irony in the invading bit too!

[Grey Watcher]

That was pretty cool.

I especially liked the panel of Eland and Thog swinging off the ship. Awesome composition. Anyone says Rich isn't really an artist, I'm pointing to that panel.

[TheoCryst]

"-so don't take it personally if I say that I sincerely hope we never cross paths again."

Dunno why, but that made me chuckle. Excellent comic (and loved the triple-length)!

[Telonius]

Wooo! Awesome. More reason for Miko to think OOTS are the bad guys, Thog continues his singing career (so is he going to take a level in Bard now, or what?), and Elan gets his awesome entrance.

[Xanthos]

Giant, you are my hero. :smallbiggrin:

As for the news post, I can understand never having played Monkey Island (I never have), but you've never *heard* of it, either? o.O

[ampcptlogic]

As to Thog singing, I somehow suspect he's totally tone-deaf.

[SCEPTRE]

"And remember Elan it doesnt matter if you win or lose. So long as you look really cool doing it."

Love it absolutly love

[nybbler]

The monkey island references were ... coincidental? Aaaaaaahhhhh.... hang on, that's another one for the "signs of the apocalypse" list.

[teratorn]

Ok, Elan's escape saga finished!!!! Now the real thing. And the final touches in the story where good.The breadcrumbs thing is priceless.

[WoDHells]

"It's not like they're going to get invaded before they can repair it"

Ouch!
:D

[Wooter]

I love you, Giant.

[Aldebaran]

Excellent strip

"thog like costume.thog get in touch with inner greennes"
...
"thog get in touch with outer greenness too"

Gotta love thog!

And the line about not attacking is cool either, as well as the star wars parody.

Anyways...
Thog for president!:thog:

[WampaX]

:thog: singing "I'm looking over a four leaf clover"

Classic obscura. :biggrin:

[Sir_Norbert]

Wonderful. I have to say, in the last hundred strips OOTS has risen to unprecedented levels of awesomeness. Farewell, Julio Scoundrél, we'll never forget you.

[Madmal]

So that's why Trog brought breadcrumbs...

mystery solved!

[Samiam303]

Woo! Stuff exploded! Great comic! :biggrin:

[Mauril Everleaf]

this was the first time that i got to read the comic as soon as it was posted.im very excited. i love when things come together for the oots. i just can wait for the ensuing battle to see who is going to be whacking at who. =D

[Allandaros]

The line about the kids is GREAT.

Also, I now want catapults that go "waTHUNGGGGG!" for my birthday. It is my new dream.

[Axorcist]

SO much suspence! My head is about to explode!

[InuSaga]

My favorite was the, "What are you kidding? I have a son/daughter in ever port. I'm just too lazy to figure out who should get it." I laughed out loud at this part.

[Kesnit]

That was pretty cool.

I especially liked the panel of Elan and Thog swinging off the ship. Awesome composition. Anyone says Rich isn't really an artist, I'm pointing to that panel.

I agree 100% That panel is amazing!

Now, I just have to survive the next two days to see how this battle plays out...

[Goldie1980]

OK, that was totally cool. I can't wait till the next one! :elan:

[Tomada]

I love you giant! tripple length and awaesome all in the same day!

[garylian]

Absolutely freakin' brilliant! Triple comic, and a great send-off! I loved the various cliches thrown about.

Giant, all I can say is, Screw Lexus. YOU'VE made this a December to Remember!

Have a great holiday, Rich!

[R.O.A.]

Think Thog will join the OOTS now he's Elan's ("not-Nale"'s) friend?

[Jonathan327]

This is up there in favorite strips ever.

[Puck]

You know, I didn't think you could actually turn Elan into a character that did something besides annoy me, Giant.

But you pulled it off.

[Jefepato]

For some reason I keep laughing at "time to buckle our swash!"

It's such an Elan thing to say.

[RecklessFable]

I can't believe I actually like Elan now. It can't possibly last... can it?

[Kadasbrass]

The captain doesn't want to cross paths with Elan every again? Please don't tell me this is the last we'll see of him :frown:

[Allandaros]

I can't believe I actually like Elan now. It can't possibly last... can it?

SSSSHHHH! Don't say anything, you might jinx it!

[Hototo]

Sweetness. Take that random offspring of Scoundrel. Elan is going to be amazing now, and either less or much more annoying to Roy.

[Illiander]

arrrg, and I'm going to be without internet untill the 5th, now I'll...

aaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrgggggg ggggggggggggggggggggggggg

[Deuce]

Very cool Giant! Color me impressed.

[Tabiani]

A triple panel comic!
And early!
And a stunning finish to the sequence!

I paticularly enjoy that the last few installments have been light on heavy-handed jokes based on specific out-of-game references and those that did make the cut were short, broad, or funny in their own right.

[DrowWolfrider]

If the Giant switches to V, Belkar, and Durkon I will explode and then be disintagated then etc.etc.

[Illiander]

oh, and in the panel where elan jumps out of the boat, his rapier's guard isn't coloured

and if no-one's mentioned this before, the last 3 panels (minus thog, I'd of preferred this to be exact, but oh well) are an exact duplicate of the panels fom last time we saw this scene, even down to the placement in the page, just those panels have been trimmed

[Rayek]

"It doesn't matter if you win or lose, as long as you look really cool doing it." is my new motto!

[fangthane]

Ok, I stand corrected. This exposition sequence had been running (in my opinion) a little long and feeling a little more attenuated than it needed be, but this one makes up for almost all of it and still manages to be quality in its own right. Definitely some great lines - "It's not like they're gonna get invaded before they can repair it, you know" among others. The fact that drama-motivated classes innately understand the cliches involved with their participation is beautiful, with lines like "The scene calls out to you" and "cradle my dying body" (which of course with resurrection isn't necessarily the end as such, but still, nice poke at the cliche)

I have to ask though... Why is room 13 on the second floor? Every place I've been, the first number corresponds to the floor number. Though I'd admit that from Haley's perspective, swinging through a first-floor window might not be that impressive so I can appreciate the need for artistic license there.

Another interesting thing to note is that the only tower to have registered a definite hit on the Mechane (the one on the far right, just to the left of the gate) is also the only nearby tower which isn't on fire subsequently. Sort of amusing given Julio's comment, anyhow.
By the look of things though, there should likely be at least 3 or 4 catapults still in operation when Xykon arrives; one to the left of the door and (assuming symmetry) another 3 on the other side. Hopefully that'll constitute enough of an advantage for Xykon's army. :)

[Derrpe]

"It's not like they're gonna get invaded before they can repair it, you know."

That's pretty funny.

[Om]

Mr Giant you really are spoiling us with this triple update

[RMcL]

genius, gotta love the OOTS.

Thanks for the comic and the news giant. Wasnt expecting one monday, We all got something to do then huh? God Jul til alle!!!

[Wallyz]

Gotta ask- Death from above- is that a Narnia Reference (Horse and His Boy)?

[Lord Herman]

Woo! Another three-panel comic! Giant, you're the best!

[Captain van der Decken]

The never crossing paths again line was great. :biggrin:

In the panel Elan comes through the window, the way Nale is holding the dagger seems weird to me. Can't really say why.

[CatKnight]

The "..not like they're going to be invaded..." line was priceless, and I really enjoyed the pic with Elan and Thog jumping out of the airship.

[Zaria]

Hurray for the Dashing Swordsman!!

I loved the panel where they jumped from the ship, and especially Cap'n Scoundrell's parting words of wisdom. I just hope that Elan can think of a way to combat 3 opponents (because no matter how friendly Thog and Elan are, Thog is too loyal to Nale to side with Elan) since I don't think Haley will be up for a battle so soon after being traumatized.

Excellent work Giant, you are my hero.

[Sam de Cheese]

i totally understand how thog feels, my life has been much better since i got in touch with my inner green

[Sam de Cheese]

The "..not like they're going to be invaded..." line was priceless.

oh sweet sweet irony...

[Sam de Cheese]

mystic sam looks into his crystal ball and predicts: a scene involving Elan and Nale both trying to convince them that they are the real Elan, eventually involving the mark where nale's goatee used to be

[Sky_Schemer]

Wow. There is some truly breathtaking artwork in this one. Well done!

[Jarelk]

If you excuse me, I'm going to cry tears of joy now.

:thog:thog brought breadcrumbs!

[Newton Einstein]

And now we know the basics of the Story of Elan and Thog....two adventurers from opposite ends of the alignment spectrum who did not drive each other crazy (I must admit that "The Odd Couple" was a mental picture I had back a few strips ago).

While I still want to see this resolved and Haley get her speech back AND see how Belkar, V, and Durkon resolve their current issue...a part of me is wondering what Roy has been doing. Perhaps catching up on all of the sleep he missed when he had to pull all-night guard duty? Or composing a love letter to a certain Sylph who is away at Law School?

[charik]

If the Giant switches to V, Belkar, and Durkon I will explode and then be disintagated then etc.etc.

Actually, I'm expecting that, just to make us wait almost a whole week for the Battle Royale.

:julio: It's not like they'll be invaded before it's fixed.

:julio: It doesn't matter if you win or lose, as long as you look good doing it.

:thog: thog brought breadcrumbs!

[Dinosxanthi]

Awesome comic Mr."Don't-know-what-a-monkey-island-is".
I'll forgive this blasphemy, it seems that heretics can be great artists, it must be in the genes.

I love the short wall battle sequence, it kinda reminded me of Minas Tirith

Btw, the battle between Xykon and azure city can really exploit the battle of Minas Tirith. I can easily think of 3, no wait, 5 jokes about LOTR & the battle.
We only have to wait.

[Elftist]

And the line about not attacking is cool either, as well as the star wars parody.



Actually, the Giant has never heard of anything called "Star Wars" and he's certainly not referencing it with this plotline.

[TBone]

Death from above is very likely a reference to the old Battletech system, which is the basis for the Mechwarrior computer games. Death from above was one of the coolest, hardest, most impractical attacks one could make, which basically entailed using the jumpjets on your giant robot to jump on and smash the head of another giant robot. It usually resulted in severe damage to both robots, but it was awesome if you could pull it off. :D

Also, quality strip. Does anyone doubt that elan will work nale like a redheaded stepbrother with that +3 keen rapier? i mean, he crits on a 16+ now! with his charisma bonus to attack as well as his new weapon, hes gotten a +7 boost to attack and dmg rolls and will be a crit machine! WOO for badass Elan. Couldn't come at a better time either, because the business end of a lich's army is about to go down at Azure city.

[skinkatlarge]

Beautiful. I was thinking about the immanent invasion as soon as he said "they'll have it fixed in a week, tops", so I'd've rather the point wasn't hammered home with the next line, but that's a teeny quibble for an otherwise awesome strip.

I was wondering how the heck Elan knew where to find Haley - the answer left me perfectly satisfied. :)

My biggest lol took a beat after I read it, to remember why Thog brought bread crumbs. Heeheehee! Can't wait til the next one!

[Mr_Saturn]

So will Elan be much more cooler now? I hope so. :smallcool:

[Zephra]

So will Elan be much more cooler now? I hope so. :smallcool:


that would be so great!! also, he will be know how to act around haley! "does it look like she's swooning? try again!" now he knows how to do it!! tripple legnth to!!

[charik]

My biggest lol took a beat after I read it, to remember why Thog brought bread crumbs. Heeheehee! Can't wait til the next one!

I'm wondering if we didn't see :thog: on the airship earlier because he's been dropping breadcrumbs all the way, so :nale: will be able to find his way back to Cliffport to free :thog:.

[Alysar]

The line 'Death from Above" has probably been in use ever since they first started using airplanes to fight in wars.

[Martok]

Truly, OOTS has achieved a new level of awesomeness in the last month or so, and today's strip continues that trend! I have to say that I particularly loved Thog in this one. The "inner greenness" and "breadcrumbs" lines totally cracked me up. :smallbiggrin:

[Alysar]

I would have loved to see the "thog brought breadcrumbs" in #386

It would have been so bizarre and random, and then we would eventually see the reason for it.

[Swashbuckler]

Hooray for the Buckling of Swashes!! :biggrin:

[Duke of URL]

I love the short wall battle sequence, it kinda reminded me of Minas Tirith

Btw, the battle between Xykon and azure city can really exploit the battle of Minas Tirith. I can easily think of 3, no wait, 5 jokes about LOTR & the battle.
We only have to wait.

In that respect, I'm thinking more like Helm's Deep, rather than Minas Tirith. besides, you've got to leave some room for a huge climactic battle near the end of the entire run... don't blow it all now. :smallbiggrin:

[vbushido]

Gotta ask- Death from above- is that a Narnia Reference (Horse and His Boy)?


I think it's a general gaming move reference. First thing I thought when I saw it was the DFA maneuver in BattleTech, but I think D&D has a special move labeled Death From Above as well. Both describe damage caused when an enemy body falls on you (80 tons of mech can do mondo damage!). I think D&D it's half the falling damage (1d10 per 10 ft minus the first ten) gets absorbed by the "cushioning" body below. :smalleek:

Edit: Dang, you guys are quick. TBone, I have seen Death From Above in urban combat too. Just shoot the floor out from under your mech.

[ArchaicTimeThrog]

I just started reading this comic, and it has already turned into one of my favorites. I can't help but compare it with 8-bit theater, which is very close to being deposed as my all-time favorite. Maybe in a few weeks.

I can't really name one particular thing that i liked about this comic, I just loved the whole thing. So much comedic genius.

Also, while The Giant may never have heard of Monkey Island, reading about it on the forums made me finally get out the copy that a friend gave me and start playing it. I beat it at about 2 this morning :smallbiggrin:

[skreweded]

The best one yet. I don't even have time to go over the little funny parts, usually there are one or two good ones that have me chuckle a little bit, but not today, whole thing, awesomely funny.

[TroyXavier]

Nice little wrap-up, Elan gets a cool new weapon, and hopefully we get an awesome fight now. BTW, the breadcrumbs reference.......just totally perfect.

[krossbow]

Oh boy; I just love Julio's line about having tons of illegitimate children. Priceless.

I'd laugh if there turns out to be a running joke where Julio's at all the bars before them, but runs off as soon as he hears the order is coming, just to avoid the cliched mentor death scene.


I'm guessing thog is going to lay the smack down on either Elan or Halye given Julio's foreshadowing and Elan's "How much damage could he do?" esque line. Heh, go thog!



I'm actually hoping this fight lasts till Xyclon invades, with both the brothers doing a double take at Xyclon and each other, trying to figure out whether to bail and try to stop xyclon or keep fighting.


Best comic since the prison break.
________
Oxygen Vaporizer (http://oxygenvaporizer.com)

[CGM3]

I have to ask though... Why is room 13 on the second floor? Every place I've been, the first number corresponds to the floor number. Though I'd admit that from Haley's perspective, swinging through a first-floor window might not be that impressive so I can appreciate the need for artistic license there.

Obviously, the inns in Azure City "sensibly" (:smallbiggrin: ) count the ground floor of a building as the "zeroth" level, and the room numbers are 01, 02, 03, etc. Then the level above that is the "first" floor, with rooms 11, 12, 13, and so forth. (The influence of the Guild of Redundantly Logical Mathematicians is felt everywhere in the Southern Lands. :smallwink: )

And on another subject, "Death from above" is a common motto amongst modern paratroopers and air forces. :smallsmile:

[Erloas]

I have to ask though... Why is room 13 on the second floor? Every place I've been, the first number corresponds to the floor number. Though I'd admit that from Haley's perspective, swinging through a first-floor window might not be that impressive so I can appreciate the need for artistic license there.


Probably because it is an Inn. The bottom floor is probably full of things like the dining room, bar, lobby, kitchen, owners room, laundry facilities and other such things. So then the rooms don't start until the second level.
Hotels aren't like that now, but they also don't usually have full bars and such in them unless they are really big, they go for rooms first and everything else second. Old Inns used to be more of taverns and restaurants first and rooms second.

[Lord Zentei]

Three strip update, woo hoo.


I have to ask though... Why is room 13 on the second floor? Every place I've been, the first number corresponds to the floor number. Though I'd admit that from Haley's perspective, swinging through a first-floor window might not be that impressive so I can appreciate the need for artistic license there.

Some countries (Denmark, for one) count floors from the first floor above ground level. So there is ground level, the next one up is 1st, the next after that is 2nd, etc.


Don't think the loss of one catapult will make a big difference in the defence of Azure City come Xykon...But, badass entrance for Elan! Excellent!

It's actually more than one: there are at least two towers on fire in the sixth panel of the second strip.

[Amotis]

Well after reading the new strip I am more convenced then ever. OOTS needs to be a film.

[Vargtass]

This installment was awesome!
So much goodness... and wasn't there an old module in Basic D&D called Dinosaur Island? We never finished that one, and now I think the Giant spoiled the final encounter... :smallfrown: Must have been decades ago.

[M._A._Foxfire]

The Captain's got awesomeness down pat.

I'm just commenting because I love the strip title. Ah, Deegan references.

[battleburn]

Wow, so many good quotes to choose from.
The good things in a list:

Explanation why Thog came along instead of leaving him out of the fight.
A plus 3 sword, a reason why Elan stands more of a chance.
A son and/or daughter in every port
practically admitting to stealing from all the ladies he courted.
"They'll have it ready in a week tops" in combination with: "It's not like they're gonna getn invaded before they can repair it, you know."
Feel the force Elan, the scene dramatics call out to you. raise the X-wing with your mind.
Mentor figures allways die. So true ;-P
Awesome freedive shot of Elan and Thog jumping from the ship.
Zooming out of the 386 last frame. "Thog brought breadcrumbs."This was awesome. I usually don't rate the comics, but...
No still won't, just gonna say that I loved this one. If I had a top 10, this wan would be in it!!

-Battleburn

[Zaruthustran]

Oh hell yes. We have a new winner for Favorite OoTS strip. That panel with the ropes and diving Elan is just plain awesome.

[Amaroq]

Brilliance, sheer brilliance!

Can't wait to see what happens next, and .. augh!! .. I'm moving! Won't have my new network connection up until next week!!!!!! :smallfrown:

[Smythe]

Also, quality strip. Does anyone doubt that elan will work nale like a redheaded stepbrother with that +3 keen rapier? i mean, he crits on a 16+ now!

Actually in 3.5 wouldn't he crit on 15-20? Keen Doubles the threat range which for a rapier is normally 18-20. See Keen Edge (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/keenEdge.htm). So he would really be ready to dish out some major damage to Nale in the upcoming battle.

As always a great strip Giant.

-Ed

[antkam]

Well after reading the new strip I am more convenced then ever. OOTS needs to be a film.

Specifically, the OOTS movie will be the spiritual heir to...The Princess Bride! I've waited 20 long years...

EXCELLENT work, giant!

[Renegade Paladin]

Oh, great. He had to go and bomb the catapults.

Ah well. At least he didn't get them all.

[Kilbia]

...as long as you look good doing it!

Such a pearl of wisdom for our troubled times. =)

And hooray for thoughtful Thog bringing breadcrumbs!

[fithi]

:smallbiggrin: Yay for :elan: and :thog:! I'm glad we got the explanation of how they got to Azure City, and oh, this is going to be fun with Xykon on the move. *evilgrin*

Looking forward to the next one, Giant!

[Behold_the_Void]

Absolutely loved this update, especially the jumping out panel.

[Dawnstrider_Moogle]

Everything about this was amazing. Brilliant artwork, Thog getting in touch with his inner and outer green-ness, Scoundrél and Elan forgetting the downside to being a sky pirate, the wokka-wokka-wokka-ness of "It's not like they're gonna get invaded before they can fix it or anything!"...oh, and discovering that Scoundrél and I are on the same wavelength (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=1699662#post1699662) XD

[Drascin]

I usually snicker or laugh to myself quietly at most strips, but there are very very few that actually provoke a burst of laughter.

Today's was one of them, mainly because of a single line:

:thog: thog brought breadcumbs!

So. Awesome. :smallbiggrin:

[Wizzardman]

Sheerly beautiful today. Excellent.

I can't wait for Friday's update.

[MonkeyHead]

great comic and plot line!

[Azzurus]

Not like they're going to be invaded anytime soon...
And NOW we're up to date!

[Blood]

A much better comic than lately, Giant - you wrapped up this annoying too-long sideplot, gave Xykon a way into Azure City, and had at least some mild jokes.

And it seems that Elan will probably be higher level than the rest of the party, and has a +3 keen rapier! Though Roy does have a +5 greatsword....

And, it was really long!

[Amon Star]

All I can say is that was triple length OotSy goodness! There was nothing that wasn't either funny or awsome. Thank you Giant, thank you. :smile:

P.S. Retorical question. Anyone want to guess Juloi's base class after his little 'confession'?

[5tephen]

That was, in all seriousness, one of the coolest things I have ever seen.

Superb!

[Tussy the Druid]

Please don't leave us with a cliff hanger over the holidays! When Julio made the comment about never seeing each other again, i immediatly thought of Obi-Wan, plus with the Padawon joke. Few star wars references, maybe Julio is a fan? :D

[Calin]

Grrr...so angry with you Giant! These last strips have been so good, leaving us at such cliffhangers each time, that it's like being taken to a wonderful cafe and being fed nothing but ice chips for hours as tray after tray of wonderful smelling food is delivered to nearby tables. We hunger for more! :smallsmile:

[Ettlesby]

Wow. This one is, like...awesomeness in comic form. As always, excellent work.

[TheEscapist]

Actually, the Giant has never heard of anything called "Star Wars" and he's certainly not referencing it with this plotline.

Okay, I've got nothing but respect for the Giant and his ability to churn out hilarious and epic material week after week. But that was funny. :smallsmile:

[Gamaliel_the_Bard]

THANK YOU!!!!

Wonderful job, beautiful perspective given to Elan's first Moments as a Dashing Swordsman.

Yeah, for Elan!

[Level-Up!]

:biggrin: That was awesome! I loved the children bit and the breadcrumbs line!
Awesome!

[Baru]

Things have come full circle. Destroying Azure's defences struck me as hilarity.
It seems as if the entire story of the comic is coming to a closure. The climax seems underway.

[Eriol]

As with others, I hope for at LEAST one strip of Elan/Nale banter before cutting back to Belkar/V/Durkon, but I somehow doubt it.


As for the Monkey Island thing... go find a copy of "The Curse of Monkey Island" and you'll get it all. You WILL enjoy that game I assure you. Get a guide if you want so you can blow past the puzzles if you wish, but the dialogue is pure gold.

[Dane_Bramage]

Great... just farking great. I must say that I love this comic. Probably the best bit of comic goodness on the 'net. I come back even on days when I know that there isn't an update and I still get a laugh.

Thanks for all the fun, Giant.

[Pronounceable]

Hooray for a mentor figure who knows the drill!

Hooray for irony!

Hooray for general awesomeness!

And of course:

me loves thog!

Thog is about to be on par with Redcloak for me...

[Grim Greyscale]

Does he get a bonus four attacks with that +3 Keen Rapier, now?

...

HA! Get it? Thri-Keen have four arms. Ahahahaha...

<_<

Be careful not to cut yourself on my razor-sharp wit.

[Dawnstrider_Moogle]

Does he get a bonus four attacks with that +3 Keen Rapier, now?

...

HA! Get it? Thri-Keen have four arms. Ahahahaha...

<_<

Be careful not to cut yourself on my razor-sharp wit.

You mean thri-kreen?

[Grim Greyscale]

I'm allowed to make typos if they increase my wit...

[fractal]

I'm allowed to make typos if they increase my wit...
After that pun, pressing keys at random might increase it. :smallwink:

[Grim Greyscale]

<_<

v_v

I really need to get better at this

[wowy319]

I just had an awesomegasm.

Here's what you need to do: listen to Trans-siberian Orchestra's Requiem (the fifth) and read this comic. enjoy the head-exploding flood of kickass.

[Lefty the Drunken Lush]

"Its not like they're gonna get invaded before they can repair it, you know."

Heh...

[Arancaytar]

Gotta ask- Death from above- is that a Narnia Reference (Horse and His Boy)?

No, that would be "The Bolt of Tash strikes from above".

I'm thinking more of Dominic Deegan's cat (http://dominic-deegan.com/view.php?date=2005-05-15).

[Lord_Kimboat]

Totally awesome comic giant. I feel like I got my Christmas Present early!!!:smallsmile:

[battleburn]

If one airship can do so much damage to the cities' defences, what will all those undead flying warriors of xycon do.
I fear for the city.

[Bilbo27]

I was just talking today about when we would get back to the storyline.
Thank you for answering my pleas Giant!

[Dawnstrider_Moogle]

<_<

v_v

I really need to get better at this

Dashing Swordsman might not be the class for you, I'm afraid.

Don't kick yourself over it though...no need for you to start pun-ting. :p

[CockroachTeaParty]

Artistically, the series continues to impress. That panel with Elan and Thog jumping down on the ropes was simultaneously awesome and hilarious, which is how I would describe OOTS in general. A fine piece of webcomic fiction, we have here.

[Xi-1]

Julio was DEFINATELY a Bard.
+3 keen rapier. perfect.

Eli: Wha? I was wondering where Avaara's rapier came from. Same place as that one, I expect. And now I've seen a kobold get vapourized.

[Amon Star]

Julio was DEFINATELY a Bard.
+3 keen rapier. perfect.

Really? Julio came across as a Charismatic Rogue to me. It seems to fit more with the whole Pirate them he had going.

[Xi-1]

Really? Julio came across as a Charismatic Rogue to me. It seems to fit more with the whole Pirate them he had going.

Charismatic Rogue is a base class? I've got to reread that handbook. Julio knows so much about theatrics I thought he had started out as a Bard, but he might as easily of started as a Rogue, multiclassing with Bard to get the knowledge (sounds like a charismatic Rogue).

[Amon Star]

Charismatic Rogue is a base class? I've got to reread that handbook.

LOL!


Julio knows so much about theatrics I thought he had started out as a Bard, but he might as easily of started as a Rogue, multiclassing with Bard to get the knowledge (sounds like a charismatic Rogue).

The knowledge of theatrics probably comes from his Prestige Class, or at least experience. Other than that and his charisma, I've seen nothing Bardic about him, but a lot of Rogishness.

[Grim Greyscale]

Dashing Swordsman might not be the class for you, I'm afraid.

Don't kick yourself over it though...no need for you to start pun-ting. :p

I don't think I'd meet the Prereqs anyway. Looks like another level of Ranger for me *sigh*

[TigerHunter]

I just had an awesomegasm.

Here's what you need to do: listen to Trans-siberian Orchestra's Requiem (the fifth) and read this comic. enjoy the head-exploding flood of kickass.
I downloaded that song just to do that... someone NEEDS to make this strip into a video set to that music.

[Morbidian]

Wow! That was great! I haven't posted here in approximately forever, but I had to comment how much I'm loving this story line.

So...I know you said the Monkey Island coincidences are just that...coincidences...but I gotta ask, is "I fenced the Devil-King of Dinosaur Island" by any chance a little reference to the old Devil Dinosaur comic? (Yes, I'm really showing my age here...)

[Xi-1]

LOL!



The knowledge of theatrics probably comes from his Prestige Class, or at least experience. Other than that and his charisma, I've seen nothing Bardic about him, but a lot of Rogishness.

You mean other than the fact that he has seduced women at a higher rate than Elan?

[kabbor]

Hurray for the Dashing Swordsman!!

I loved the panel where they jumped from the ship, and especially Cap'n Scoundrell's parting words of wisdom. I just hope that Elan can think of a way to combat 3 opponents (because no matter how friendly Thog and Elan are, Thog is too loyal to Nale to side with Elan) since I don't think Haley will be up for a battle so soon after being traumatized.

Excellent work Giant, you are my hero.

Do you not recall that the Original Bucklers of Swash were the Three Musketeers? And was not their motto that, when one party drastically outnumbers the other, the advantage is with the outnumbered, as they have more targets to stick their swords into?

[Maerad of Pellinor]

Wooooooooooo!!! thog get in touch with outer greenness, too. :biggrin:

[Xi-1]

Do you not recall that the Original Bucklers of Swash were the Three Musketeers? And was not their motto that, when one party drastically outnumbers the other, the advantage is with the outnumbered, as they have more targets to stick their swords into?

"All for one and one stuck in the other guy."

That and any swordman worth his salt can easily take on at least three-to-one odds. When one of the opponents is armed with a dagger, another has claw attacks and energy drain, and the third is a might-not-be-friend with orcish strength, a keen rapier might be just enough. But I'd like to see Roy use that greatsword of his on Sabine again. Her damage reduction doesn't work on the Starmetal. Gotta love obscure alchemical metals.

EDIT: Wonder if there's a chance another Roy vs Sabine fight will carry a Fullmetal Alchemist, Buso Renkin, or any-other-anime reference. How does alchemy work in the DnD world anyway?

[Noneoyabizzness]

what sucvks is I now want this in a book format...

I need this in a book format...

Sir Giant, the book must come soon, post haste in fact.

[Xenon]

awesome comic, as always.

gotta love the one guy with eyepatch and peg leg :) just adds a proper sense of piracy to the crew... cant he afford a cleric?

considering nale outnumbers elan 3 to 2.. i suspect this is going to be a bloody fight indeed. ah well, at least they cant get lost now, thanks to thog! :)

[foxtrothacker]

loved it. one of hte best comics lately!

PLUS it was triple length and REALLY early!

Giant is my hero!

[Xaspian]

Everyone needs to get more in touch with their inner greenness.

"It's not easy being green..."

[Thexare Blademoon]

gotta love the one guy with eyepatch and peg leg :) just adds a proper sense of piracy to the crew... cant he afford a cleric?
Perhaps he can afford a cleric and just chooses not to bother, wanting to keep the pirate look?

In fact, maybe he doesn't even need the eye patch.

[Xi-1]

Perhaps he can afford a cleric and just chooses not to bother, wanting to keep the pirate look?

In fact, maybe he doesn't even need the eye patch.

Which movie had the spy who kept switching which eye his patch was on?

[Suki_the_Pure]

SOOOO fun. I loved this flashback. This page was especially sweet, as it came to a close and gets back to the current scene so we can finally see the face off between Nale and Elan.

[Felinoid]

Ah, this strip was truly a beauty to behold. Quips, jokes, groans, trampling over the rubble of the fourth wall, and even closure in this triple-length comic sprinkled with ambrosia. This one earns the last open spot in my top ten favorites.

[keri]

I just hope that Elan can think of a way to combat 3 opponents (because no matter how friendly Thog and Elan are, Thog is too loyal to Nale to side with Elan) since I don't think Haley will be up for a battle so soon after being traumatized.

oooh, i think :haley: will do just fine. she's not a damsel in distress by any means. in fact, i wouldn't be surprised if she helped do a great deal of damage in whatever sort of battle is about to ensue...

because :haley: rawks. maybe she's got a dagger strapped to her thong. if she's wearing one. :smallamused:

[calvinism]

Great strip. I loved the pirate with the peg leg. I was simply amused at the notion of a stick figure with a peg leg bigger then his other leg. Its kind of like visual sarcasm. I still can't get over my wonder on how the Gaint pokes so much fun of pen and paper roleplaying while at the same time giving it homage. His +3 keen rapier wit always stings so sweet.

[krossbow]

because :haley: rawks. maybe she's got a dagger strapped to her thong. if she's wearing one. :smallamused:


The probable place that a dagger would be strapped to on a thong (being the only real place it would go) would probably look awkward...





why do I now have meryl's words from metal gear solid stuck in my head?
"Girls have more places to hide things"

[denelian]

isn't "Death From Above" from Starship Troopers? (the movie, not the book. the only way the two are related is in naming...)

and Giant, you are a bad bad evil man! if i didn't love you, i would PROTEST bcuz your readers deserve an xmas comic. But, i DO love you, and i guess you deserve a xmas vacation :D

[Aasimar]

OH, MY, GOD!

(GOD in this case refers to Rich Burlew, not the mythical deity of various monotheistic religions)

That was one of the most awesome comics ever.

[teratorn]

because :haley: rawks. maybe she's got a dagger strapped to her thong. if she's wearing one. :smallamused:

Now that could start a new thread. What kind of lingerie and lingerie concealed weapons would Haley wear on a date?

[mikeejimbo]

I'm speechless.

[Mr._Wilson]

Another great comic, with so much going on that it's hard to pick out just one thing that stood out above the rest. Have a merry holiday Giant.

[Harr]

Awesome comic. Especially loved the upside-down perspective in the air-rope-panels... the breadcrumbs made me LOL as well.

[LurkerBeneath]

what sucvks is I now want this in a book format...

I need this in a book format...

Sir Giant, the book must come soon, post haste in fact.

If past books are any indication, we're not due for another splash page until #420 at least.
-LB

[Ingeloakastimizilian]

sweet. i quite enjoyed the breadcrumbs bit... Thog rocks :) and these guys: :roach: too.. have some happy holidays Rich, thanks for the triple panel to tide us over!

[Jared_Arcane]

"thog brought breadcrumbs." I almost peed myself laughing. Thanks, Giant, for another side-splitter!

[Winged One]

You'd think that Julio would know that saying "it's not like they're going to get invaded before they can fix it" substantially increases the odds of that happening.

[Donraj]

Well done. I loved the shot of Elan and Thog descending. Having Julio actually comment on how bringing Thog along was clearly a bad idea was a good move too.

[krossbow]

Hey who knows? Maybe the Saphire city's first line of defense will be halflings riding war dogs.


"Mean skeleton kill puppies! Thog Smash!"

[rosebud]

As mentioned, the perspective was fantastic. I'm surprised no one made reference to the lovely jewels double entendre.

As for Elan and Haley, I'm wondering if Elan's new class will cause him more problems (eg, Samantha (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0160.html) and the bardic code) or if he'll be faithful to his Buttercup, if they ever do hook up.

And it seems mighty convenient how Nale changed his uniform prior to our discovery of Elan's uniform change.

It will (hopefully) be fun to see Elan quiping away (and seeing the reactions of his fellow teammates).

[Aimbot]

A +3 keen rapier?
Look like Nale's going to get rapied.

[Wolfie_1066]

my god...i loved it :smallbiggrin: i cant wait to see what happens when elan and nale fight :smallamused: and when roy sees how competent elan will be

[Bruenor]

THis was Awesome...Loved thog as always...

[Half-Minotaur Monk]

Giant, this one was so fantastic, I had to sign up just so I could tell you that I loved it.

Muchos Kudos

[CorranH]

This installment was awesome!
So much goodness... and wasn't there an old module in Basic D&D called Dinosaur Island? We never finished that one, and now I think the Giant spoiled the final encounter... :smallfrown: Must have been decades ago.

There was one called Isle of Dread, never heard of one called Dinosaur Island.

[Krytha]

The only way Elan would manage to not impress Roy at this point, is if Roy comes to save him and he accidentally stabs him instead of Nale. Ok, maybe thats not the only thing...

[CroydThoth]

This is probably a dumb question but why do people keep talking about "Death From Above"? I don't see that phrase anywhere in the strip.

[Wooter]

It's the title of the stip. Look to your left.

[Rick]

The descent from the airship panel MUST become a t-shirt.

[Fale]

I really like the art in this one. Really shows how far OOTS has come.

[Niveus Candidus]

Giant, I wanted to congratulate you on this subplot. This has been your best yet, even better than the original introduction of the Linear guild. As foir the coming fight, I don't think Nale has a chance. After the "Hero trains and gets better" storylines, villains always get whooped. Also, he's going to take Elan for granted and walk into a beating. And that sword is no screw driver either. It's not Roy's unique weapon, but it is certainly going to send shock waves and holes through Mr Goatee - who currently has a kitchen knife.

[reorith]

nice use of perspective :)

[rosebud]

Will people PLEASE stop saying Nale doesn't have a chance? We'll end up seeing Elan get skewered just to contradict everyone. (Of course, it will all be a dream.)

Just to counteract, I'll have to say that I don't see how Elan could possibly win. Nale is clearly going to impale both Haley and Nale, and Nale and Sabine will have a fight followed by a heavy makeout session over Elan and Haley's bloodied corpses. There, you happy? Phhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhpt.

:smallsmile::smallsmile::smallsmile: :smallsmile::smallsmile::smallsmile:

[Aiani]

I loved this entire strip. I especially enjoyed the shot of Elan and Thog swinging off the airship, that was beautifully done and I loved Captain Scoundrel's last bit of advice. Of course Thog getting in touch with his inner greenness was great, that goes without saying but for some reason I said it anyway.

[Brawl]

Breadcrumbs by Thog. is there something more to say? Mayby Azure City won't be invaded any time soon :)

[Atheist_Cleric]

Could go anywhere from here. We've got one last comic before the xmas break, only question is if the giant will make the next comic the big deciding brother vs brother scene....or switch back to the other OOTS, making us all eat our own fingers in anticipation. Also, this comic was indeed awesome, its good to know that Elan's rapier is a +3, if his charimsa score is 18 and now he uses that for a damage modifier...those two factors combined mean ouch time for Nale.

[The_Old_Fox]

I think "Death From Above" started way back in WW2 when some pilots would paint it, among other things, on the side or nose of their planes.

[Amon Star]

You mean other than the fact that he has seduced women at a higher rate than Elan?

You don't need to be a Bard to be a Seducer, just charismatic. It's the fact that Julio steals there jewels afterwards that makes me think Rogue. Ofcource, there's nothing stopping a Bard from doing this, but Rogue still seems more likely to me.


Now that could start a new thread. What kind of lingerie and lingerie concealed weapons would Haley wear on a date?

As you wish. :biggrin:

[Delgarde]

The line 'Death from Above" has probably been in use ever since they first started using airplanes to fight in wars.

It's the motto of the 101st Airborne Division, dating back to the second world war.

[Idless]

Thanks Delgarde... I was about to point that out...

besides
someone complained:

are an exact duplicate of the panels fom last time we saw this scene, even down to the placement in the page, just those panels have been trimmed

ah yes... that is, of course, the whole point. Ends meets... and we got 3 pages so 3 panels are very little, and they do the job so well

This time I laughed AGAIN at Nales wonderful comment, which I just KNOW is said overly laconic: "the Leprechaun Costume.... not so much"

that comment is a total favorite OotS comment ever!

But all three pages and the previous installments are brilliant as well.

and is Elan gonna kick as with a Keen +3 rapier?? that's a lot "to hit" and a Crit range of what? 17-20? 15% easier to confirm... geez! overpowahred!!11!!! and now he can use his 18 Charisma "to hit" thats a +4 instead of what? +1 or +2?

GOGO ELAN!

and remember, the shaoe changer came to kick Nales butt not Elans. Yet I think Thog is too loyal to Nale, he is there to rescue Nale remember? "I brought breadcrumps"

...Idless

[Caractacus]

Simply brilliant. Nice to see a sneak preview of Azure City's defences in action, too. :smallcool:

Thog is wonderful as usual - inner and outer greenness... :smallbiggrin:

During the big Xykon fight, I wonder if Julio will return at the last minute to aid the good guys like a certain Han Solo once did...

[Sod-Off-Baldrick]

testee testee

[DarkLightDragon]

((Sod-Off-Baldrick... That's BRILLIANT!))

I liked the last few panels.

[Sod-Off-Baldrick]

Yes, online y'all...

i welcome thee... ME!!

Just to put mr Giant on notice; i ADORE his OOTS-comics, addictedly clinging to my my pc 8244534 times a day hoping for updates. Keep up the top-job!!!

many greets from the Netherlands

(S.) Baldrick

[Cifer]

If one airship can do so much damage to the cities' defences, what will all those undead flying warriors of xycon do.
I fear for the city.
Actually, the one thing has nothing to do with the other. This airship had one of the protagonists, one of our favorite antagonists and a NPC of the "wise-mentor" type inside, fighting an unspecified number of unnamed guards.
Drama-wise, the opposition was outnumbered 3 vs. 0.

It's basically the inverse-Ninja law: One ninja is a deadly killing-machine. Fifty ninjas are cannonfodder.

[Tola]

Do you not recall that the Original Bucklers of Swash were the Three Musketeers? And was not their motto that, when one party drastically outnumbers the other, the advantage is with the outnumbered, as they have more targets to stick their swords into?

That's actually fairly sound logic. The more combatants there are, the more they get in each other's way, or hang back, not wanting to cause each other damage. Meanwhile the small group has total freedom to attack almost everything in sight.

[Sereno]

Fantastic comic, Giant! One of the best ever!!

Awesome, awesome and a little more awesome added in!!

Great jokes, beautiful panel composition ... just brilliant!!

"My place is to fly off into the night..."

"It doesn't matter if you win or lose -- as long as you look really cool doing it!" -- the new motto for my campaign!! :elan:

[GKBeetle]

You gotta admit, whether Elan wins or loses, he did look really cool making that entrance.

[Nightfall]

:thog: "thog brought breadcrumbs" STILL has me chuckling! I'm loving this storyline more and more. Great work, Rich! You are a master story-teller!

[Blaznak]

What a sweet way to bookend the adventure! I loved seeing the last panel from a more "Elan"-ish point of view than the last time we saw it. Nice.

This was a very good set of panels. Well done!

[CroydThoth]

It's the title of the stip. Look to your left.
I knew it was a stupid question. :(

[Thexare Blademoon]

and is Elan gonna kick as with a Keen +3 rapier?? that's a lot "to hit" and a Crit range of what? 17-20?I'm not sure how it is in 3.5, but in 3.0 I'm pretty sure that'd be 15-20.

[CGM3]

Do you not recall that the Original Bucklers of Swash were the Three Musketeers? And was not their motto that, when one party drastically outnumbers the other, the advantage is with the outnumbered, as they have more targets to stick their swords into?

That's actually fairly sound logic. The more combatants there are, the more they get in each other's way, or hang back, not wanting to cause each other damage. Meanwhile the small group has total freedom to attack almost everything in sight.

"Don't think of it as being hopelessly outnumbered! Think of it as a target-rich environment!" :smalltongue:

[Solmage]

The only thing worse than waiting for the next strip will be waiting for the next ultra-long weekend cliffhanger! ::eek::

[hgtff]

:thog: "thog brought breadcrumbs" STILL has me chuckling! I'm loving this storyline more and more. Great work, Rich! You are a master story-teller!


the second best line of recent times, behind only :

:thog: oh no! nale get lost in witches forest!

[krossbow]

I'm trying to remember which movie the explantation for outnumbering being bad came from...

"You see, when there's more than one person, no one fights at their best. They all hold back a bit, hoping for someon else to do, somone else to get killed. But a man fighting alone... that man knows he has no one else to count on, and thus fights with his all."



I also think that people chanting "OMG, Nale is teh pwnzored!!111" Is going to end up backfiring... It's not like Elan has gained more than the ability to add charisma to damage (or maybe charisma to AC) and a rapier. He's not Freaking Goku here, he can't godmode on a whim.

If nothing else, Thog would end up going berserk if Elan really whupped Nale that hard.

[Arancaytar]

Hurray for the Dashing Swordsman!!

I loved the panel where they jumped from the ship, and especially Cap'n Scoundrell's parting words of wisdom. I just hope that Elan can think of a way to combat 3 opponents (because no matter how friendly Thog and Elan are, Thog is too loyal to Nale to side with Elan) since I don't think Haley will be up for a battle so soon after being traumatized.

Excellent work Giant, you are my hero.

You are assuming Sabine will immediately side with Nale and Thog, foregoing the chance to smack Nale a good one.

But yes, in spite of Sabine and Nale having a bone to pick, and Thog being in his own little world (and without his axe), I suspect Haley and Elan will soon be needing that +2 circumstance bonus.

[Greebo]

But yes, in spite of Sabine and Nale having a bone to pick,
I think after Sabine is done with Nale, he won't have a bone to pick anymore... ;)

[vbushido]

To crunch out what that sword is worth to Elan:

+3 Keen Rapier

Rapier: 1d6 + STR (or DEX with Weapon Finesse), crit threat on 18-20

Keen: doubles critical threat range (on rapier, that's 15-20)

+3: adds +3 magic enhancement to attack and damage, also requires a masterwork weapon to enchant so it has increased hardness (reducing likelihood of sundering)

If Elan gets the prestige class ability to switch in CHA instead of STR for damage on the first level (and assuming a CHA of 18), his critical damage is 2d6+14.

:thog: Wow! That more than Thog normally do on hit!

[Movoza]

<sniggers>
<sniggers more>
<laughs out loud>

great comiC.
last pannel isnt finished for me for some reason though :S

[fangthane]

I'm trying to remember which movie the explantation for outnumbering being bad came from...

"You see, when there's more than one person, no one fights at their best. They all hold back a bit, hoping for someon else to do, somone else to get killed. But a man fighting alone... that man knows he has no one else to count on, and thus fights with his all."
For some reason I'm thinking it might have been something like 13th warrior, Zorro or something... My brain seems to be associating the quote with a Banderas movie but I could be mistaken. I suppose it could also have been in Cyrano de Bergerac or that cheese flick with that blond guy I hate (Lenny must die) starring as his own worst enemy.



I also think that people chanting "OMG, Nale is teh pwnzored!!111" Is going to end up backfiring... It's not like Elan has gained more than the ability to add charisma to damage (or maybe charisma to AC) and a rapier. He's not Freaking Goku here, he can't godmode on a whim.

If nothing else, Thog would end up going berserk if Elan really whupped Nale that hard.
I dunno if it's going to backfire as such, given that Rich specifically declines to change plot on the basis of spoilers posted here - but I'd agree that it's unlikely to be anywhere near as simple as Elan winning, appearing competent, or anything else. Will he do better than he would have done before? Assuredly. But if he were suddenly competent, heroic, intelligent and successful he wouldn't be Elan and he wouldn't be fun anymore. I have faith in the Giant to make things work out.

[Gret]

1. If this was near the end of OOTS why did the orical say that Xycon would go to Girad's gate.
2. What is this 'Monkey island' of which you speak?
3. When calculating Elan's crit. range everyone assumes that he isn't using CHA instead of STR or DEX.
4. Ellan will lose. I won't say why (it would take up too much space) but he will. One reason is that the hero always loses every battle until the end... when they have some extraordinary peice of luck. Best case senario is a draw and nale escapes. Worst case senario is that Elan spens so much time posing that Nale runs him through and escapes beacause Thog as forgotten which one is Nale and which is 'Not-Nale', or some other ubsurd plot devise.

[MaxKaladin]

Actually, I don't think Thog is going to help Nale.

I think Thog is going to present his breadcrumbs to Nale and proudly tell jim how he and Elan escaped from jail so they could come find him and give him the breadcrumbs. Nale is going to blow his top and chew Thog out royally for messing up his plan. Thog's feelings will be horribly hurt and he'll end up either not taking sides, or helping Elan.

I also figure there's a slim chance that Nale or Sabine could accidentally push one of Thog's "buttons" about puppies or something and that will be the breaking point that turns Thog against them.

Or I could be completely wrong....

[vbushido]

1. If this was near the end of OOTS why did the orical say that Xycon would go to Girad's gate.
2. What is this 'Monkey island' of which you speak?
3. When calculating Elan's crit. range everyone assumes that he isn't using CHA instead of STR or DEX.
4. Ellan will lose. I won't say why (it would take up too much space) but he will.

1. Doubtful this is anywhere near the end of OoTS.
2. Monkey Island is an old computer game.
3. CHA, STR, nor DEX is calculated into crit range. The crit range is established by the weapon of choice, modified by the Keen quality.

------
:smallsmile: Don't make me get the flying monkeys

[Rpgfish]

And now we can finally understand that the breadcrumbs are not totally random. What will happen to the poor breadcrumbs?

As for the Linear Guild, I think Nale is just going to escape with Thog and Sabine because the hobgoblin armies come marching in during the fight. Then they will probably pick up Pompey and sit in the background for a little while, until they get the chance to hit again.

[Bluesilver]

:thog: singing "I'm looking over a four leaf clover"




Excellent strip

"thog like costume.thog get in touch with inner greennes"
...
"thog get in touch with outer greenness too"

Gotta love thog!

And the line about not attacking is cool either, as well as the star wars parody.

Anyways...
Thog for president!:thog:
Star Wars parody?!

Awesome comic
"its not like they're going to get invaded before they can repair it" LOL!!!


Woo! Stuff exploded! Great comic! :biggrin:
I agree. I liked all of the stuff above. I'm glad that the Escape saga is over. Oh, yeah, liked the "breadcrumbs thing, too.

[Quaalsten]

Thog continues his singing career (so is he going to take a level in Bard now, or what?), and Elan gets his awesome entrance.

Sure: doesn't matter that he has a CHA around 6. He can still Inspire Courage! In fact, if he could somehow get Combat Expertise, he could take levels of Warchanter!

[eilandesq]

Hmmmm. . .After the flashback strips have brought us back to the present, I can see a scenario something similar to this:

:elan: Unhand her, you fiend!
:nale: I'm not touching her, you idiot.
:haley: [eyes narrow as she takes advantage of the flank Elan is giving her--speech still scrambled] Sneak Attack kick to the groin! Sneak Attack kick to the groin!
:nale: [eyes cross, dagger drops to the ground, he drops to knees]
:thog: thog think his anti-cootie shots not enough against that.
:sabine: [smirks] OK, I think you've learned your lesson--but if anyone's going to geld you it's going to be me. [moves over and grabs Nale, glaring at Haley] Later for you, slut. [flies out window]
:thog: nale wait for thog! nale need bread crumbs! [jumps out second story window]
:elan: Awww! I had my catchphrases all ready and everything! I was even better at that than at making maidens swoon!
:haley: [speaking normally] You took a Dashing Swordsman level?
:elan: Yeah--I met this sky pirate and--how do you know about that?
:haley: I went through a Munchkin stage a few years ago--outgrew it.
:elan: Captain Scoundrel taught me so I could save you-- [trails off, realizes that Haley is speaking normally and looking at him thoughtfully] Haley, you got your voice back!

:haley: [nods--seems to be looking at Elan a bit suspiciously] Elan--is there something you want to tell me?

:elan: [frowns, then brightens] I came to warn you that Nale had taken my place and was going to kill all of you--we need to--!

[Door of room opens, and Durkon comes through, still running away from Belkar--who is still in mid-song. They exit again. After a moment, Roy pokes his head in]

:roy: Which way did they go? [Haley points south, and Roy leaves, muttering to himself]

:elan: We should follow them! Roy might need some bardic magic to catch them! [he clears his throat and begins to sing] "Run, run, run, run and catch the homicidal halfling-"

:haley: [sighs in relief--it's really Elan] I've got a better idea. [leans in and kisses Elan, then leans back]

:elan: [little light bulb appears above his head as he looks at Haley] Suddenly, a lot makes sense. But what about the others--shouldn't we help--?

[Durkon moves by the open door, cursing in Dwarvish. Belkar zips after him, still googly-eyed and singing. Roy is close behind, teeth gritted in extreme annoyance]

:haley: [shakes her head] They'll get along fine without us. [kisses him again--Elan kisses back]

:vaarsuvius: [looks in, shakes head in mild disbelief] There are some matters that even a mind trained to master the arcane cannot comprehend.

[a small smile curls at a corner of V's mouth before the wizard departs to join the pursuit. The kissing continues unabated.]

[Yzorth]

I can't wait for friday's comic. I wanna see how all of this turns out. (Or, at least, starts to turn out. *shrug*)

[Electric]

I was always under the impression that only slashing weapons can be keened? A rapier is a piercing weapon last time I checked, although there may have been a rules ammendment that I have missed... Anyone have any thoughts/corrections regarding this?:smalltongue:

[Winged One]

Piercing weapons can be Keen, but not Vorpal. Bludeoning can't be either.

[Electric]

Ahar, thats right. I can't believe I mixed the two up... Snicker snack!

[krossbow]

This is the point at which the giant decides he hates us and delays his comic for two days again-- which causes it to be delayed Four days because of christmas. Oh the horror! >.<

heh, I hope it's up tommorrow and not delayed like the prison break one, though I'd wait a week if it was that good.
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[Vampire_Boy]

Huge Respect Point deduction to the Giant for not having heard anything of Monkey Island games. Your ignorance fills me with shame.

[denelian]

Do you not recall that the Original Bucklers of Swash were the Three Musketeers? And was not their motto that, when one party drastically outnumbers the other, the advantage is with the outnumbered, as they have more targets to stick their swords into?

That's actually fairly sound logic. The more combatants there are, the more they get in each other's way, or hang back, not wanting to cause each other damage. Meanwhile the small group has total freedom to attack almost everything in sight.

also, as was shown again and again and AGAIN in terry pratchets "Discworld books - when a Hero is outnumbered, the Hero wins. the more outnumbered, the better the chance of winning!

[Khantalas]

Number of enemies x Chances of victory / (Number of allies + 1) = c.

Yes, c, the speed of light.

[Roland_the_Paladin]

Interesting quote by Julio at the end...reminds me of an old David Lee Roth quote from the 80s..."It doesn't matter whether you win or lose, its how good you look doing it..." awesome comic, as always.

[Gret]

Yes but Terry Prattchet also shows that the chances of victory of the heros are only increased if it vital to the storyline (or at least improves it). And it has to be a last, desperate, million to one chance. I suspect that the chances of Ellan winning is around thirty to one against.
If I remember correctly the motto of the three musketeers was 'all for one and one for all.' In other words if one of us is captured we'll all commit suiside to help him. Then any of us who managed to escape will return and try to get revenge. Besides Elan has only one target to kill: Nale. Sabine still has dammage reduction and if he was going to atack Thog he would have left him behind.
Oh and... Why does everyone forget that V's advice was to kill Haley, not Nale

[Greebo]

I hate to point out to you that this is not the Prattchet universe, this is the Giant universe. Narritivium may very well work differently here...

[fangthane]

Oh and... Why does everyone forget that V's advice was to kill Haley, not Nale

Since I consider Pratchett to be an execrable writer (never could get into any of his stuff, for some reason) I'll ignore that bit rather than getting into a big argument ;)

What bothers me isn't so much that people forget V's advice (as you pointed out and are quite correct) but that people forget Elan's intention. He doesn't intend to kill Nale as such. In fact, I suspect that if he did, even he would be bright enough to realise bringing Thog along would be bad.

No, his intention is to save Haley. And, as an afterthought, the remainder of the OotS. If he has to kill Nale, I think for the first time he's actually ready to do that if he has to, but I don't think it's his intention. He certainly hasn't mentioned such a plan, anyhow. He wants Haley safe, that's all. And that, potentially, could be either a lot easier or a lot trickier than just killing Nale.

Remember though, it wasn't his brother's presence that drew him but the drama of Haley's situation.

[krossbow]

The question is, would Elan have it in him to kill Nale? He's not the cold-blooded type, and he had a hard time after being stabbed through the chest. He didn't even have to kill nale, just walk away, and he didn't do it.

Elan's not the type to slash people to solve his problems; he likes to talk things out. Even when fighting samantha, he seemed to be trying to explain things to here more than incapacitate her. Besides, Elan's definitely a momma's boy, and this "Would make mommy sad".


He will probably fight a bit, and possibly attempt to subdue him, but going in with the explicit purpose of killing nale? I don't think so.
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[Grey Watcher]

Since I consider Pratchett to be an execrable writer (never could get into any of his stuff, for some reason) I'll ignore that bit rather than getting into a big argument ;)

What bothers me isn't so much that people forget V's advice (as you pointed out and are quite correct) but that people forget Elan's intention. He doesn't intend to kill Nale as such. In fact, I suspect that if he did, even he would be bright enough to realise bringing Thog along would be bad.

No, his intention is to save Haley. And, as an afterthought, the remainder of the OotS. If he has to kill Nale, I think for the first time he's actually ready to do that if he has to, but I don't think it's his intention. He certainly hasn't mentioned such a plan, anyhow. He wants Haley safe, that's all. And that, potentially, could be either a lot easier or a lot trickier than just killing Nale.

Remember though, it wasn't his brother's presence that drew him but the drama of Haley's situation.

And therein lies the big conflict. I suspect... ...that the big fight isn't going to end up being between Elan and Nale (the latter has been caught unarmored, equipped with a sub-optimal weapon (he used to a longsword), and generally unprepared), but between Elan and Sabine, since they're at cross purposes at this exact moment (namely kill Haley vs. save Haley).