Did anyone else...

[Connington]

..Feel a twinge of sympathy for the dinosaur?

I mean, there's a pretty good chance that it will be taken down by the mob of soldiers or forced to fight one of its fellow dinosaurs. Ok yeah, that's exactly what happened to the soldiers Dukula dominated and I should empathize more with actual fictional human beings, but they were being dominated by an evil character, not deciding to side with a halfling that they trusted to get numnums for them.

I'm not saying that it's a huge dealbreaker for me or anything, but I'm getting a teeny bit sad looking at this comic.

[Kish]

The dinosaur is now facing an army of yummy mooks, and/or possibly a single other equally powerful dinosaur, instead of a group of level 15+ adventurers, two of whom have demonstrated distinctly sadistic tendencies and any of whom is capable of seriously hurting it. The dinosaur's situation has been significantly improved.

[Reathin]

The dinosaur is now facing an army of yummy mooks, and/or possibly a single other equally powerful dinosaur, instead of a group of level 15+ adventurers, two of whom have demonstrated distinctly sadistic tendencies and any of whom is capable of seriously hurting it. The dinosaur's situation has been significantly improved.

This.

Also, there's the nice little treat that it knows and likes Belkar, so instead of working for those guys who locked it in a cage, hey, there's that jolly halfling who's fun to work with and encourages rampant slaughter fun time!

I mean, the moment Tarquin and friends feel directly threatened by the thing, it's right back to the "scary adventurers attacking me" stage, but that might not happen if Belkar "aims" properly.

[denthor]

The dinosaur is now facing an army of yummy mooks, and/or possibly a single other equally powerful dinosaur, instead of a group of level 15+ adventurers, two of whom have demonstrated distinctly sadistic tendencies and any of whom is capable of seriously hurting it. The dinosaur's situation has been significantly improved.

Which two have demostrated Sadistic tendencies? Belkar in the past who might the other be?

Other than that I agree with you the dino is in a much better world and will be released afterwards not locked up.

Got nija'd twice!!

[Gray Mage]

Which two have demostrated Sadistic tendencies? Belkar in the past who might the other be?

Other than that I agree with you the dino is in a much better world and will be released afterwards not locked up.

Got nija'd twice!!

Durkon killing Z would be my guess. He looks very happy when twisting Z's neck.

[Kish]

Vaarsuvius.

(You don't have to look at anything currently being, ah, debated, or even the torturing-Yukyuk strips. Just go way, way back, to Evan's Spiked Tentacles of Forced Intrusion.)

[King Raven]

If you ask me that dino looked pretty happy in that later panel. Also most dinosaurs have fairly good movement speed, so if it needed to flee it could.

[Cerussite]

The dinosaur is now facing an army of yummy mooks, and/or possibly a single other equally powerful dinosaur, instead of a group of level 15+ adventurers, two of whom have demonstrated distinctly sadistic tendencies and any of whom is capable of seriously hurting it. The dinosaur's situation has been significantly improved.

Make that THREE sadistic ones: Belkar and V are definitely in (see the stunt with the latest LG kobold for example), and Vampire!Durkon wanting to drink Nale's blood before killing him just for the evulz also gets him a place in the list.

[Connington]

I'm just not sold on the premise that the Order would be more dangerous to our big friendly dinosaur than an entire army, at least one (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0910.html) dino its own size, and three fully healed high(er) level characters. Especially considering it seemed to be handling Roy just fine.

I'm not necessarily saying that its going to be killed just like the dominated soldier, it was just my first reaction.

[Imgran]

Make that THREE sadistic ones: Belkar and V are definitely in (see the stunt with the latest LG kobold for example), and Vampire!Durkon wanting to drink Nale's blood before killing him just for the evulz also gets him a place in the list.

Not sure I agree. From Durkon's perspective, killing Z permanently eliminated a major threat both to him, and longterm to the Order, to which, still being Lawful, he was still loyal. Threatening to drink Nale's blood was pragmatic -- it took a still-extremely-dangerous opponent off balance and forced him to retreat instead of attacking. In a word, threatening to drink Nale's blood, chilled said blood to the point that Nale retreated from a fight he may have had a chance to win.

Besides, I'm not sure a vampire threatening to drink blood is really any more sadistic than me threatening to eat a hamburger. it's just what they do.

[Jay R]

Besides, I'm not sure a vampire threatening to drink blood is really any more sadistic than me threatening to eat a hamburger. it's just what they do.

Unless the cow is still alive, there is a small but significant distinction.

[KillianHawkeye]

Not sure I agree. From Durkon's perspective, killing Z permanently eliminated a major threat both to him, and longterm to the Order, to which, still being Lawful, he was still loyal. Threatening to drink Nale's blood was pragmatic -- it took a still-extremely-dangerous opponent off balance and forced him to retreat instead of attacking. In a word, threatening to drink Nale's blood, chilled said blood to the point that Nale retreated from a fight he may have had a chance to win.

Besides, I'm not sure a vampire threatening to drink blood is really any more sadistic than me threatening to eat a hamburger. it's just what they do.

While you are quite right on these points, you are ignoring the visible emotion on Durkon's face when he killed Z. He looked like he was enjoying it. Feeling pleasure at the suffering of others is the very definition of sadism.

[F.Harr]

Well, presumably the Dinosaur had a choice. It chose the animal-empithetic character over the character who called it "dumb". Also, I doubt that the other big dinosaur is its own species, so I doubt it'll feel bad about killing it. And people are not always kind to tamed critters, so I guess it has a chance at some measure of revenge. We'll see what happens.

[Turgon9357]

Come to think of it, a dinosaur vs. dinosaur fight sounds pretty rad.
In fact, a fight between that allosaurus and triceratops almost seems like a sudden, yet inevitable event. :smalltongue:

[KillianHawkeye]

Well, presumably the Dinosaur had a choice. It chose the animal-empithetic character over the character who called it "dumb". Also, I doubt that the other big dinosaur is its own species, so I doubt it'll feel bad about killing it. And people are not always kind to tamed critters, so I guess it has a chance at some measure of revenge. We'll see what happens.

Really? I wouldn't consider a dinosaur with an Int score of 1 or 2 to be capable of making meaningful choices, or to ever feel bad about killing anything for that matter.

[King of Nowhere]

the "yummy mooks" part is something where D&D lacks realism. Even something as big as a dinosaur like that should in real world die to a relatively small contingent of men, provided those men know how to form a wall of spears.

Too bad those soldiers are armed with swords. in that case yes, I would expect the dinosaur to make a slaughter even in the real world. before dieing anyway, either by cuts pileup from the mooks, or by some soldier who manage to impale his sword in its brain as he gets eaten, or simply for swallowing whole too many swords and other sharp metal bits and then die a few days later by internal hemorragia or by thetanus

[Talvereaux]

I feel worse for the 'yummy mooks' than I do for the dinosaur, personally.

Keep in mind no one working for Tarquin is doing so because they want to, but because he'll see their families tortured and killed if they even think about going out of line. The whole situation's lose-lose, and I get the impression that's supposed to be the idea, but the dinosaur's personal stake is significantly less tragic than anyone else's. (in addition to it being, you know, a dinosaur)

[ChristianSt]

... or simply for swallowing whole too many swords and other sharp metal bits and then die a few days later by internal hemorragia or by thetanus

Maybe the dinosaur is smart enough to first "peel" the yummy mooks :smallwink:? In any case death by overeating soldiers would be a pretty uncool end for such an awesome dinosaur.

[F.Harr]

Really? I wouldn't consider a dinosaur with an Int score of 1 or 2 to be capable of making meaningful choices, or to ever feel bad about killing anything for that matter.

Feel bad? No. Make choices? Yes. My mom's cat chose her.

[orrion]

Not sure I agree. From Durkon's perspective, killing Z permanently eliminated a major threat both to him, and longterm to the Order, to which, still being Lawful, he was still loyal. Threatening to drink Nale's blood was pragmatic -- it took a still-extremely-dangerous opponent off balance and forced him to retreat instead of attacking. In a word, threatening to drink Nale's blood, chilled said blood to the point that Nale retreated from a fight he may have had a chance to win.

Besides, I'm not sure a vampire threatening to drink blood is really any more sadistic than me threatening to eat a hamburger. it's just what they do.

Uh, Nale was a dagger stab away from death at that point, too. How could he have possibly beaten the full-health vampire?

[Gift Jeraff]

Not sure I agree. From Durkon's perspective, killing Z permanently eliminated a major threat both to him, and longterm to the Order, to which, still being Lawful, he was still loyal. Threatening to drink Nale's blood was pragmatic -- it took a still-extremely-dangerous opponent off balance and forced him to retreat instead of attacking. In a word, threatening to drink Nale's blood, chilled said blood to the point that Nale retreated from a fight he may have had a chance to win.

He was disappointed that he escaped, so he probably didn't want that to happen.

[Amphiox]

the "yummy mooks" part is something where D&D lacks realism. Even something as big as a dinosaur like that should in real world die to a relatively small contingent of men, provided those men know how to form a wall of spears.

Too bad those soldiers are armed with swords. in that case yes, I would expect the dinosaur to make a slaughter even in the real world. before dieing anyway, either by cuts pileup from the mooks, or by some soldier who manage to impale his sword in its brain as he gets eaten, or simply for swallowing whole too many swords and other sharp metal bits and then die a few days later by internal hemorragia or by thetanus

Let's put it this way. In real life, bands of level 1 humans without any class specialization routinely killed mammoths, which are larger, heavier, stronger, smarter, and just as fierce, as Allosaurs.

Using rocks.

[Happy Gravity]

the "yummy mooks" part is something where D&D lacks realism. Even something as big as a dinosaur like that should in real world die to a relatively small contingent of men, provided those men know how to form a wall of spears.

Too bad those soldiers are armed with swords. in that case yes, I would expect the dinosaur to make a slaughter even in the real world. before dieing anyway, either by cuts pileup from the mooks, or by some soldier who manage to impale his sword in its brain as he gets eaten, or simply for swallowing whole too many swords and other sharp metal bits and then die a few days later by internal hemorragia or by thetanus

Let's put it this way. In real life, bands of level 1 humans without any class specialization routinely killed mammoths, which are larger, heavier, stronger, smarter, and just as fierce, as Allosaurs.

Using rocks.
I don't think D&D simulates real life very accurately.

Tarquin's 'charge with all the mooks dramatically!' tactic barely qualifies as a tactic anyways, especially faced with high-level adventurers and Grand Theft Allosaurus.

[Goosefarble]

You're, uh, you're really sadder about the dinosaur than the hundreds of sentient humans and lizardfolk that are going to die...?

[angry_bear]

You're, uh, you're really sadder about the dinosaur than the hundreds of sentient humans and lizardfolk that are going to die...?

Did the hundreds of sentient humans and lizardfolk get a touching black and white flashback panel? No? Then kill 'em all. :belkar:

[Happy Gravity]

You're, uh, you're really sadder about the dinosaur than the hundreds of sentient humans and lizardfolk that are going to die...?
I cried tears of blood for the demon roach in #833. Never forget. RIP, nameless snarky insect.

People's priorities are weird.

[theNater]

Keep in mind no one working for Tarquin is doing so because they want to, but because he'll see their families tortured and killed if they even think about going out of line.
There's no reason to believe that tendering a letter of resignation will result in the same penalties as killing the boss' son.

[angry_bear]

There's no reason to believe that tendering a letter of resignation will result in the same penalties as killing the boss' son.

He had the bounty hunters arrested because they gave him backtalk in front of Elan... It's a reasonably safe bet that he'd murder any soldier that tried quitting.

[Porthos]

I feel worse for the 'yummy mooks' than I do for the dinosaur, personally.

Keep in mind no one working for Tarquin is doing so because they want to...

This is an incredibly strong statement, IMO. I find it hard to believe that there aren't at least a few people in the army who aren't enthusiastically down with the program.

[Ghost Nappa]

I don't think D&D simulates real life very accurately.


Neither does the comic.

If anything, the comic accurately simulates D&D which has...uhhh...what was it again?


bands of level 1 humans without any class specialization routinely kill[ing] mammoths, which are larger, heavier, stronger, smarter, and just as fierce, as Allosaurs.

Using rocks.


No wait, that's that Real Life thing again. Hold on, I left my thumb tacks and sticky notes somewhere. Give me a moment while I find them...


You're, uh, you're really sadder about the dinosaur than the hundreds of sentient humans and lizardfolk that are going to die...?

The dinosaur is True Neutral while the Soldiers are Lawful Evil. Quid Pro Squid, my alignment straitjacket is telling me it's okay to look more badass riding a dinosaur on a splash page before I do something dangerous and stupid.


Look at your army.
Now look at :belkar:
Back to your army.
Now back to :belkar:
Now back to your army. Now back to :belkar:
Sadly, your army isn't :belkar: but if they started leading around housecats and took a bath once in a while, they could smell like :belkar:
Look up. Back down. The sun is setting. You're in the desert. You've been Con-drained, have like 100 free DR Vs. Arrows, and the :belkar: your army could smell like has just killed a man.

I'm on a dinosaur.

[Goosefarble]

Look at your army.
Now look at :belkar:
Back to your army.
Now back to :belkar:
Now back to your army. Now back to :belkar:
Sadly, your army isn't :belkar: but if they started leading around housecats and took a bath once in a while, they could smell like :belkar:
Look up. Back down. The sun is setting. You're in the desert. You've been Con-drained, have like 100 free DR Vs. Arrows, and the :belkar: your army could smell like has just killed a man.

I'm on a dinosaur.

I think this is possibly the best thing anyone's ever said.

[littlebum2002]

sympathy for the dinosaur


Please allow me to introduce myself
I'm a reptile of smell and taste

I've been around for many a strip
Stole many a man's arms and waist

I was around when Enor
Had his moment of doubt and pain....


(Eh, I'm getting bored)

[Joe the Rat]

What's going through Big Al's little brain?Raar! I'm an inexplicably gargantuan Allosaur! I like it when I get to eat things, but the blood-scented rat-things keep me trapped in a magic stick forcefield, and poke at me at random until I start doing things like not eating them and letting them ride on my back. They make specific weird noises and expect me to do certain things, or else they poke me. And they only let me out once a week to chase oily rat-things around the playpen.

Here's a tiny rat-thing and an old smelly one. The smelly one is making clicky noises on the magic stick forcefield. The little one... seems friendly. He wants to let me out! He wants me to eat blood-scented rat thing crunchy rolls! I can feel it! Hooray!

...


Rar. Now I've got a crunchy blood rat-thing on my back, and a bunch more around me that I can't eat. They put a thing in my mouth and it hurts if I don't move my head the way the rat-thing on my back wants me to. Looks like Gary has one too. So many rat-things means the rat-things are going to fight. I get to eat! but crunchy rat-things make my tummy sour. Maybe I'll just chew on them.

So they only want me to chew on that one? Not very filling. Ow! okay, I'll run through the sun-on-the-ground and bite him. Hot! Hot! Chomp! Mmm, kind of savory. Oh! It's the nice tiny rat thing! He want's me to drop this one. Hi! I like you, tiny rat-thing! You were nice to me. What? You want to go kill the blood-scented rat-things? The ones that poke me and make nasty squawky noises and keep me in the magic stick forcefield? OH YEAH! Hop on... and your little friend.
...Something like that.



Look at your army.
Now look at :belkar:
Back to your army.
Now back to :belkar:
Now back to your army. Now back to :belkar:
Sadly, your army isn't :belkar: but if they started leading around housecats and took a bath once in a while, they could smell like :belkar:
Look up. Back down. The sun is setting. You're in the desert. You've been Con-drained, have like 100 free DR Vs. Arrows, and the :belkar: your army could smell like has just killed a man.

I'm on a dinosaur. One more for the collection.

[theNater]

He had the bounty hunters arrested because they gave him backtalk in front of Elan... It's a reasonably safe bet that he'd murder any soldier that tried quitting.
They were arrested for challenging his authority. While quitting(throwing down one's sword and abandoning one's post) is such a challenge, resigning(writing a letter along the lines of "I've determined soldiering is not the career for me; please consider this my two week's notice") is not.

[Ghost Nappa]

Please allow me to introduce myself
I'm a reptile of smell and taste

I've been around for many a strip
Stole many a man's arms and waist

I was around when Enor
Had his moment of doubt and pain

Made damn sure that Team Tarquin
Washed their hands and sealed their fates

Pleased to eat you,
Hope you guess my name.
But what's puzzling you
is the nature of his game: :redcloak:

I stuck around Draketooth's Rubble
When I saw it was time for a change.

Killed the rider and his comrades
Nale screamed in vain.
I was rode like a tank
With a PC's Rank
When the :belkar: raged
and the bodies stank

Pleased to eat you,
Hope you guess my name.
But what's puzzling you
is the nature of his game: :redcloak:

I watched with glee
While your advisors and advisorees
Fought for ten hours
For the Eastern Gods de-made
I shouted out,
"Who killed the Roman Deities?"
When after all it was
The Snarl and me!

Let me please introduce myself
I'm a Reptile of smell and taste
And I laid traps for the pterosaurs
Who got killed before they made parlay!

Pleased to eat you,
Hope you guess my name.
But what's puzzling you
is the nature of his game: :redcloak:
Pleased to eat you,
Hope you guess my face.
But what's confusing you
is the nature of its race: :mitd:

Just as every cop is a criminal
And all the demons devas
Just call me "Allosaur-"
Cause I need Wild Empathy
So if you meet me
Have some courtesy
Have some sympathy
and some taste
Use all your well-earned Charisma
Or I'll eat all your bone marra'

Pleased to eat you,
Hope you guess my name.
But what's puzzling you
is the nature of his game: :redcloak:

Tell me zombie, what's my face? :mitd:
Tell me DM, what's my race?
Tell me, V, what's my fate?
I tell you one time, you're to blame!
OotS, OotS!
OotS, OotS!
OotS, OotS!
OotS, OotS!
...
Oh yeah, What's my name?
Oh yeah, baby, what's my name?
Tell me honey, what's my name?
OotS, OotS!
OotS, OotS!
...


I supposed you could ALSO do "Sympathy for the IFCC," but that's not what this thread is about after all!

Edit: Thanks to Guy_Incognito for the troubadours -> pterosaurs tip.

[Guy Incognito]

Made damn sure that Team Tarquin
Washed their hands and sealed their fates

Pleased to eat you,
Hope you guess my name.
But what's puzzling you
is the nature of his game: :redcloak:

I stuck around Draketooth's Rubble
When I saw it was time for a change.

Killed the rider and his comrades
Nale screamed in vain.
I was rode like a tank
With a PC's Rank
When the :belkar: raged
and the bodies stank


Pleased to eat you,
Hope you guess my name.
But what's puzzling you
is the nature of his game: :redcloak:

I watched with glee
While your advisors and advisorees
Fought for ten hours
For the Eastern Gods de-made
I shouted out,
"Who killed the Roman Deities?"
When after all it was
The Snarl and me!

Let me please introduce myself
I'm a Reptile of wealth and taste
And I laid traps for the ...

Well poop. I can't find a word to replace "troubadours."


I supposed you could ALSO do "Sympathy for the IFCC," but that's not what this thread is about after all!

"Pterosaurs?"

[Ghost Nappa]

I still think we should have saved that for "Sympathy for the IFCC."

Updated the song to the end...somewhat. I gimped a bit on the end where they all go "Ooo, who!" or whatever they're saying.

[littlebum2002]

Lol, are they actually saying " oots, oots"? That's hilarious, mainly because it would sound so stupid being sung but looks cool written down.

[Protecar]

Look at your army.
Now look at :belkar:
Back to your army.
Now back to :belkar:
Now back to your army. Now back to :belkar:
Sadly, your army isn't :belkar: but if they started leading around housecats and took a bath once in a while, they could smell like :belkar:
Look up. Back down. The sun is setting. You're in the desert. You've been Con-drained, have like 100 free DR Vs. Arrows, and the :belkar: your army could smell like has just killed a man.

I'm on a dinosaur.


Haven't logged in for a while but had to pop in just so I could say that you live up to your user name with a post like this. Keep up the hilarity :smallbiggrin:

"Hey Vegeta? Are we there yet?"
"Awww I totally killed that guy!"

[Bulldog Psion]

As George MacDonald Fraser put it in one of the Flashman books, "Save your sympathy for his enemies." :smallbiggrin:

Big Guy is having the time of his life from the viewpoint of a giant carnivorous fighting dinosaur. Slaughter, mayhem, power -- what a high point to die at, if die he does.

[Irenaeus]

Not really. My attitude towards dinosaurs is distinctly cold-blooded.

[Liliet]

Actually, tuning your empathy during big badass battles is a BAD idea. There's a reason why war is known to be hell. Roy is Lawful Good, he knows that people he kills and Durkon dominates have families somewhere and can be any alignment. Let's feel bad for him, he's a protagonist. Or let's forcibly turn off our brains and envision mooks as targets with bullseyes in lethal places like he probably does. It's war. War is hell.

So long as no-one starts angsting about killing the main villain because killing is horrible I'm okay with this story :smallyuk:

[Jay R]

The dinosaur is in no different situation than any horse in battle, or many of the soldiers.

[F.Harr]

Well, he's MUCH more likely to survive.

[Connington]

Okay, so the other Allosaurus proved less difficult than I anticipated. Now if it can just survive Tarquin and Company, our strong theropod role model will be safe.

[War-Wren]

Look at your army.
Now look at :belkar:
Back to your army.
Now back to :belkar:
Now back to your army. Now back to :belkar:
Sadly, your army isn't :belkar: but if they started leading around housecats and took a bath once in a while, they could smell like :belkar:
Look up. Back down. The sun is setting. You're in the desert. You've been Con-drained, have like 100 free DR Vs. Arrows, and the :belkar: your army could smell like has just killed a man.

I'm on a dinosaur.

I... I ca... can't breathe... so funny! :smallsmile:
I applaud you, so hard!