OOTS #931 - The Discussion Thread

[The Giant]

New comic is up.

[Jett Midknight]

Wow, I checked just in time. Durkula going full attack on Lauren made my day.

[StClair]

Now that is Genre Savvy.

[Smolder]

:roy: Stop justifying your plot twists

Dang, that's what I spent the whole last week doing in the #930 thread...


BTW, I like that this comic features both Durkons.

[Kish]

Drat, Laurin got away.

[CoffeeIncluded]

Ok, this was fun to watch. And it seems like only Tarquin has personal history with Julio. I wonder if that'll change things with Laurin.

[bengator]

Drat, Laurin got away.

Not too far. She popped a few hundred meters away . . .

[angry_bear]

Never thought I'd say this, but Durkon kinda scared me there... Awesome.

[LimeSkeleton]

An angry Vampire Durkon is pretty scary.. :smalleek:

[Mr.Rictus]

Well, THAT happened. Go Julio go :D Frankly, at this point, Tarquin's only options seem to retreat or get skewered. (My soft spot for him as a character would rather the former, but I don't mind either way)
Quick note, apparently Laurin also had a backup getaway spell. And what was Durkon's spell/attack there?

[angry_bear]

Well, THAT happened. Go Julio go :D Frankly, at this point, Tarquin's only options seem to retreat or get skewered. (My soft spot for him as a character would rather the former, but I don't mind either way)
Quick note, apparently Laurin also had a backup getaway spell. And what was Durkon's spell/attack there?

Probably just the standard vampire slam attack. He's said a few times now that he's out of spells.

[heronbpv]

And I've just switched browsers...
Brilliant Giant, as seems mandatory so far :smallamused:

[pyrefiend]

I love how much better Julio is at punning than Elan.

[chrnno]

Ha that was a good one, 'flying in the face of tradition' indeed.

[Tass]

Hehe, defying stories makes a good story.

[Seto]

Yeeaah ! Go Durkon go, you rock !

[rgd20]

yeah, how did Lauren get away?

Bob

[Thanatosia]

I dunno what I love more, Roy's Calm acceptance of Elan just assuming the Order would fail ahead of time, or "Stop justifying your plot twist retroactively!"

[holywhippet]

I think Durkon was just using his energy drain attack.

I never realised you could perform a disarm action using a magic carpet as a weapon. Rule of awesome for the win.

[Subaru Kujo]

And what was Durkon's spell/attack there?
A slam to the tune of 2 negative levels.

Fixed for accuracy.

[Justyz]

I still think Julio gonna bite the dust...

[Shale]

Okay, that was great. The second Sending might be Elan's finest moment, Julio's puns were a cut above, and yay Durkon doing something!

[Jarzaz]

Awesome comic!

I'm assuming the mechene is providing shade for durkon to not be dustified?

[Thanatosia]

yeah, how did Lauren get away?
I didn't notice it at first either, but she reappears some distance away, so it's some sort of short-range dimension doorish escape psionic power (i'm not really familiar with psionic rules).

[MoonCat]

This is just... beautiful. In so many ways.

[NotNale]

I love the meta-conversation - the genre-savvy "unconventional" hero chooses to defy the convention of the genre. I think you broke the fourth wall there, giant. And I don't mean "broke the fourth wall" as in addressing the audience, but really "broke" it.

Great comic.

[Quild]

Not too far. She popped a few hundred meters away . . .

wow, you really have a good sight!

Or mine is terrible :(

[Shale]

Awesome comic!

I'm assuming the mechene is providing shade for durkon to not be dustified?

Yep, you can see the darker sand under him, V and Laurin compared to the more distant background.

[ChristianSt]

Go, Julio, go!

Julio Scoundrél is just awesome. :smallcool:
Can't wait to get the Kickstarter story :smallbiggrin:

[Lexible]

Yay!

Things I love about My Two Dads:

1. Blackwing in panel 4 gets an "Awww!" from me.

2. Scoundrél's puns are way more sophisticated than Elan's. Bonus points for precision pun in last panel.

3. Seeing Laurin *pop* way off in the distance.

4. Seeing Elan explain the nuance of his narrative mastery to Roy while resisting the "Now we're blood brothers! Hooray!" that I just know is there under the surface.


Am worried about Belkar, and Bloodfeast the Extreminator, though.

[Nightsbridge]

I don't think there's an assumption that the Order would fail. It's just, if the Order DID fail, the gate would blow up. And it doesn't hurt to have a backup plan, does it?

[Mike Havran]

Durkula isn't exactly...courteous :smalltongue:

Edit: Oho. And YET ANOTHER member of Team Tarquin is now pretty close to be out of Harm's Way! Yeah :smallsmile:

[AKA_Bait]

Excellent. Tarkie seems to be a somewhat common nickname for him I see...

[Lexible]

I never realised you could perform a disarm action using a magic carpet as a weapon. Rule of awesome for the win.

I saw that, too, but interpreted it as something like riding a mount with charge and trample abilities.

[liooil2000]

The sky appears to be even more dark, Tarquin and Laurin are both occupied at the moment, and no one in OoTS is at risk of dying in one round. Things are looking up somehow, great comic Giant!

[Zephyr1011]

Reason 56 why Psions are wonderful:

If in danger you can just teleport out of the way, but can easily return to the action or flee

[Ezekiel]

Yes yes yes yessssssss!!! This made my day :)

[Synesthesy]

Dashing Swordman R O C K S .

[Burner28]

Awesome. Just...awesome!:smallamused:

[Psyren]

GIVE ME MY STAFF!!!

Durkula is scary :smalleek:

[ti'esar]

Am I miscounting, or are there 26 words in Elan's second Sending?

Also, while I love Julio's punning, I laughed hardest at Roy in panel 8. Now I'm sure Rich is having fun with the people who flip out over plot twists.

Edit: I'm miscounting.

[littlebum2002]

When I first read the title, I thought:

"Oh, Tarquin and Julio must be a couple".

I immediately realized how silly that would be, but your subconscious does silly things like that sometimes.



Also, when I read the 2nd panel, I though:

"Wait, that's wrong, they did the sending BEFORE the explosion". Which, as a hunch, actually made a lot of sense. Until I read the 3rd panel.

[illyahr]

"Stop justifying your plot twist retroactively!"

Love it. Great work, Giant. :smallcool:

[WindStruck]

Tarquin looks completely floored. :smallbiggrin:

[Lord Torath]

Woo hoo! Now go grab your sword, Roy!

[Saturosian]

:roy: Elan, there was only going to be an explosion if we totally screwed up protecting the gate!
:elan: Well, yeah.
:roy: ...okay, I see your point.

:smallbiggrin:

ETA: I'm afraid V getting choked (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0657.html)half to death is becoming a *thing* with his/her character.
:smallconfused:

[Ghost Nappa]

I love how Julio is so dismissive of Tarquin that he calls him by a pet name.

[Gift Jeraff]

"Elan tha Bard"

Bard is capitalized. More proof that "Elan the Bard" is his full name.

[Yendor]

Am I miscounting, or are there 26 words in Elan's second Sending?

You're miscounting.

Even Elan can come up with a 25-word message on the fly. Suck it, Nale.

[pendell]

*Applauds madly*

Respectfully,

Brian P.

[RMS Oceanic]

Yeah, Elan will probably need a Thesaurus, Julio's puns are way better. :smalltongue:

Also, we've learned not to piss off vampires. :smalleek:

[Canuck617]

Page 2! Personal Best!!

Also, does EVERY female character have this guy's poster? Sure seems that way.

This duel is going to be fun. I'm loving it!!

I still think Julio lives.

Elan's line about a special hero is pure GOLD!! No, Platinum. No, more than that! Quick, what metal is worth more? (Unobtanium?)

[McStabbington]

Elan ftw. I was wondering how he convinced Julio to come, and it did not disappoint.

[Gamgee]

He is so awesome. I even knew he would fly in the face of tradition. He's just that kind of hero. :smallcool:

[Shining Wrath]

Well, Durkon did something. I believe that Laurin decided two levels drained were enough, although she's a lot more likely to come back with reinforcements than Miron - or they'll return together. If they don't, it's Tarquin against the whole Order plus Julio.

And Tarquin has dropped the Greenhilt ancestral weapon right at Roy's feet.

Carpet Diem? Fly in the face of Tradition? Julio needs to raise his pun game if he's going to draw blood from a punster of Tarquin's quality.

Vaarsuuvius appears to be dismayed by the sight of Durkon manifesting his vampire powers. But V can now do that voodoo that V do, and there's exactly one target visible.

And Haley should be on her feet one round after Elan runs to her, while Roy is unlikely to leave Tarquin alone.

I predict Tarquin flees, vowing horrible vengeance.

[Breccia]

I don't care what anyone else says about the plot twists. "GIVE ME MY STAFF!" is 100% awesome!

[Shale]

Well, Durkon did something. I believe that Laurin decided two levels drained were enough, although she's a lot more likely to come back with reinforcements than Miron - or they'll return together. If they don't, it's Tarquin against the whole Order plus Julio.


Laurin only Dimension Door'ed away - you can see her in the background of that same panel, "pop"ing back out. She's not out of the fight yet.

[Feruk]

Durkon's expression is awesome. Good job, giant!

[Shining Wrath]

Elan ftw. I was wondering how he convinced Julio to come, and it did not disappoint.

And once again, the Giant knows what we're all saying out here on the boards, and a line of dialogue crosses the fourth wall; "I told him to get bent", but "only a special hero can defy stories themselves". Elan's plan worked because Elan understood how to appeal to Julio's ego.

[Lexible]

I believe that Laurin decided two levels drained were enough, although she's a lot more likely to come back with reinforcements than Miron - or they'll return together. If they don't, it's Tarquin against the whole Order plus Julio.

EDIT: ninja'ed! Have a look in the upper right corner of panel six: Laurin is still there and to be reckoned with.

[Nimin]

"Elan tha Bard"

Bard is capitalized. More proof that "Elan the Bard" is his full name.

Or that it's just his title.

[Shining Wrath]

Laurin only Dimension Door'ed away - you can see her in the background of that same panel, "pop"ing back out. She's not out of the fight yet.

Yep, there she is, as Durkon bends over. I missed that. Thanks.

If I were her, though, I'd be considering my options. Grabbing Tarquin and evacuating whether he wants to or not might be the smartest move.

Also, I believe the Mechane is crewed. And has siege engines. And that even an epic Psion would take significant HP damage if a catapult stone smacked her upside the head.

[Finwe]

When I first read the title, I thought:

"Oh, Tarquin and Julio must be a couple".

I immediately realized how silly that would be, but your subconscious does silly things like that sometimes.


Well, Tarquin never said how many husbands he's had, so the number could be non-zero. I could see them having met while they were both young and idealistic, bonding over their genre-savvyiess and mutual love of narrative conventions.

[Shining Wrath]

GIVE ME MY STAFF!!!

Durkula is scary :smalleek:

Vaarsuvius agrees. Check that expression.

[Mike Havran]

Vaarsuvius agrees. Check that expression.I don't think V actually cared about anything else than getting a little more air into her lungs.

[Shining Wrath]

Tarquin looks completely floored. :smallbiggrin:

Is he suffering from carpet tunnel syndrome?

[angry_bear]

Well, Tarquin never said how many husbands he's had, so the number could be non-zero. I could see them having met while they were both young and idealistic, bonding over their genre-savvyiess and mutual love of narrative conventions.

I don't even want to imagine Tarquin and Julio's dissection of slash fiction...

Just realized that Elan is the first protagonist to come up with an effective contingency...

[Nightsbridge]

It's a useful thing to exploit, as V doesn't seem to have the necessary feats to cast while speaking.

[Oryutzen]

So, I decided to register and comment, hey everyone.

Now this is what I call a comeback. I particularly like how it took that second sending to actually get Julio to come over. Plus, seeing Durkon starting to make up for his previous passivity is always welcome.


Also, I believe the Mechane is crewed. And has siege engines. And that even an epic Psion would take significant HP damage if a catapult stone smacked her upside the head.

Surprisingly, if I remember correctly the damage actually wasn't that much.

[littlebum2002]

Also, ever since Durkon got vamped, I never liked his new color, but he looks AWESOME in the dark.

[Shining Wrath]

Well, THAT happened. Go Julio go :D Frankly, at this point, Tarquin's only options seem to retreat or get skewered. (My soft spot for him as a character would rather the former, but I don't mind either way)
Quick note, apparently Laurin also had a backup getaway spell. And what was Durkon's spell/attack there?

Durkon applied Vampire slam attack and drained two levels from Laurin. If she was, e.g., level 23, she is now functionally level 21 - lost power points, BAB, Fort / Ref / Will, et cetera.

[Spoomeister]

Durkon did a thing! Yay! About time Durkon mixed it up hand-to-hand a bit, now that the shade of the airship let him close ranks.
Roy, as voice of the forum! Also yay!
Elan, with some foresight, insight and a flexible plan! Neat, yay!
A nice flourish to how and when Elan got Julio out to the desert! Especially yay!
Laurin's superior concentration as a psion, broken by a simple case of being starstruck! Boo!

All in all a great update. 931 does make 930 work a bit better. Still not a fan of that element but more able to go along with it now.

[Takver]

Oh man, I was dying for this update. It's mostly just getting us up to speed on how Julio got here, though.

Tarquin's still fighting with Roy's sword, but in the last panel he drops it. I wonder if Roy will get it back now. If he does, Tarquin's going to be a little short on weapons.

[Ellye]

Yay, right on time! Thanks, I needed this one.

[Shining Wrath]

yeah, how did Lauren get away?

Bob

Dimension Door or psion equivalent. You can see her "pop" back in right over Durkon's back in the next panel.

[Adeptus]

Awesomeness, and indeed very Terry Pratchett :elan:

[Oryutzen]

Laurin's superior concentration as a psion, broken by a simple case of being starstruck! Boo!

In other circumstances, maybe I'd agree, but this is Julio Scoundrél we're talking about. Dashing Swordsmen having a feat to break spellcaster concentrations through sheer sexiness wouldn't surprise me.

[Nightsbridge]

Well, Durkon did something. I believe that Laurin decided two levels drained were enough, although she's a lot more likely to come back with reinforcements than Miron - or they'll return together. If they don't, it's Tarquin against the whole Order plus Julio.

Vaarsuuvius appears to be dismayed by the sight of Durkon manifesting his vampire powers. But V can now do that voodoo that V do, and there's exactly one target visible.

It's a short ranged teleport, you can still see her in the next panel.

And is V dismayed by vampire powers, are they just breathing like someone who'd been choked till just then?

[Thelonius]

Wow. Elan story-fu beats his dad. Pure awesome.


Good Bards follow the rules of the stories.

The Great Bards make the rules.

[eras10]

If I were her, though, I'd be considering my options. Grabbing Tarquin and evacuating whether he wants to or not might be the smartest move.

Basically anything could happen, but my money is on this being the finale of this action sequence. Killing Tarquin would open a lot of Empire questions and complicate some ongoing plots (Haley's Dad, for one), and it doesn't sit well with various reasons Elan has to not want his father dead. And the Temporary Peaceful Resolution of Differences Scenario seems hard to remanufacture right now.

[faden]

For all the arguing about how many power points lauren has left, 2 level drain and losing 34 pp if over level 17 is a huge hit. I would guess at least 50-60 without arguing her level. Now if only she would wander back under the shadow for absolutely no good reason...

Thanks for the fact check Porthos

[AdmiralCheez]

The hero who defied stories themselves would certainly be an accomplishment worthy of legend. Can't blame Julio for wanting to get in on that, especially when he could also defy Tarquin's mastery of story structure at the same time.

[Psyren]

Just to note, the wise/1337 mentor doesn't always die. For example, Hiko Seijuro from Rurouni Kenshin is still kicking, and so is Urahara from Bleach. From the West, we have Iroh from Airbender, and Moiraine from the Wheel of Time.

[Takver]

Wait...Xykon is ALSO an evil villain bent on conquest, but I wouldn't want Julio to try to fight him! Julio is perfectly matched for Tarquin, but not at all for Xykon. What if Xykon had been a part of the fight for this gate?

[mhsmith]

Given how back and forth a lot of battle scenes in this strip end up being, I'm VERY interested to see what kind of comeback Team Tarquin can try and mount in 932...

[Shining Wrath]

Wow. Elan story-fu beats his dad. Pure awesome.


Good Bards follow the rules of the stories.

The Great Bards make the rules.

^THIS. And Julio, as a Dashing Swordsman, makes the stories that the Great Bards tell while they are making the rules.


Learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist. - Picasso

[Khiron]

Hmm, unless something drastic happens I think the Order has this in the bag That being said, I don't know everything about Tarquin's combat ability, but it looks like JS is keeping pace with him.

[faden]

Also, I believe the Mechane is crewed. And has siege engines. And that even an epic Psion would take significant HP damage if a catapult stone smacked her upside the head.

I was thinking that too. Also compare Tarquin's mooks getting slaughtered versus these guys who are much more protected, but still a huge force yet to come into play.

[Smolder]

Hmm, unless something drastic happens I think the Order has this in the bag That being said, I don't know everything about Tarquin's combat ability, but it looks like JS is keeping pace with him.

Both Laurin and Miron could 'port back into the battle at any time.

(or they could keep their distance and lob spells at the Order like they should have the whole time)

[Shining Wrath]

Just to note, the wise/1337 mentor doesn't always die. For example, Hiko Seijuro from Rurouni Kenshin is still kicking, and so is Urahara from Bleach. From the West, we have Iroh from Airbender, and Moiraine from the Wheel of Time.

And Gandalf was insufficiently dead. And Merlin didn't die, he just got trapped, and might come back - did, if you're read Lewis' That Hideous Strength.

The genre convention can be defied.

[gkarrish]

Was that a pun when Julio told Tarquin to "cut me some slack?" Tarquin whiffed with Roy's sword in that frame, rendering him rather slack at his cutting.

Generally Tarquin has no trouble with wordplay, but in this case it seems rather pun-ishing.

[BadAndyMk3]

The best thing in the strip was the *pop*. :-)

The only problem is now Julio is going to die.. of DOUBLE-SUBVERSION.

[fibonacciseries]

I love Roy in panel 3. Especially because that's exactly what I thought when I read panel 2.

[Porthos]

It really is cute to see Blackwing trying desperately to save V. :smallsmile:

[rabidfirefly]

seems like Teleport Trigger to me.
its like contingency, but you only teleport.

[GCI-Flynn]

It was nice to see the Durkon that was in the flash back sending panels... made me feel nostalgic. :smallsmile:

[Shining Wrath]

Hmm, unless something drastic happens I think the Order has this in the bag That being said, I don't know everything about Tarquin's combat ability, but it looks like JS is keeping pace with him.

If Elan were here he'd be having a conniption fit.

http://www.giantitp.com/forums/images/smilies/oots/elan.gif"Whenever you say it's in the bag, that means it's not in the bag at all!"

[Werbaer]

Great story progress, and lots of nice small details. For example
- Julio has different colthes in panel 2
- Blackwing trying to move the whip in panel 4
- showing the difference between living and undead Durkon in the same strip
- Julios pigtail floating in the wind when he manoeuvers
- the redish background in panel 2 hints on him already being at the western continent

[Shining Wrath]

Was that a pun when Julio told Tarquin to "cut me some slack?" Tarquin whiffed with Roy's sword in that frame, rendering him rather slack at his cutting.

Generally Tarquin has no trouble with wordplay, but in this case it seems rather pun-ishing.

Perhaps Tarquin lost the thread of the story?

[WolvesbaneIII]

I enjoyed this one very much.

Vampire Durkon is amusing.

Vampires can't enjoy beer right? Start of Durkness approaches. Ugh. :xykon:

[factotum]

I didn't spot Laurin popping back in the background of that panel, so I was thinking the Chekov's Gun of her favour wasn't going to be triggered...however, it would be pretty incredible for the Order to lose from here; even if we discount Roy and Belkar due to their injuries, they now have five effective combatants (well, OK, four and a half, Elan is still only semi-competent) versus Team Tarquin's two. I therefore am struggling to figure out where it goes from here, but I'm sure Rich has something unexpected planned.

[Breccia]

So let's review:

Durkula when in no danger:
"Yer blood...now THA I may just taste a bit first." Standing with no combat stance, one hand only on the staff, smiling wickedly.
Result: *POP* "Ech, tha works, too." Dismissive pose.

Durkula in actual danger:
"GIVE ME MY STAFF!" All-caps raging, grappling/energy draining, full-on fang-baring snarl.
Result: *POP* Wordlessly getting staff, still visibly upset/angry.

Do Not Taunt the Happy Fun Vampire.

[Oryutzen]

Well, at least for this round, Laurin seems to be out of the picture, as I don't think most psionic powers can reach that far, and she'd need to port back in to get back in range in a decent time.

[Vedhin]

Do Not Taunt the Happy Fun Vampire.

If Happy Fun Vampire begins to smoke, seek shelter. Happy Fun Vampire also should seek shelter.

[Harbinger]

Durkon's a scary dude. Have we ever seen him looking quite so... vicious? :smalleek:


Vampires can't enjoy beer right? Start of Durkness approaches. Ugh. :xykon:

Oh, crap. I didn't think of that. Hopefully it'll be played for comedy, because if not...

[Matt620]

Well, I guess that ends how the Order gets out of that one. Kinda annoyed that Durkon survived, but I shouldn't be surprised.

Hope that's not the end of Laurin and Miron: I like them.

[Shining Wrath]

So let's review:

Durkula when in no danger:
"Yer blood...now THA I may just taste a bit first." Standing with no combat stance, one hand only on the staff, smiling wickedly.
Result: *POP* "Ech, tha works, too." Dismissive pose.

Durkula in actual danger:
"GIVE ME MY STAFF!" All-caps raging, grappling/energy draining, full-on fang-baring snarl.
Result: *POP* Wordlessly getting staff, still visibly upset/angry.

Do Not Taunt the Happy Fun Vampire.

Do you suppose he felt more threatened by Laurin than Nale, especially given the circumstances? The. mind. boggles. :smallamused:

[Yoyoyo]

His vocabulary is terrible. Too funny.

Get him, Julio!

[StreamOfTheSky]

1. Wow, that was a dumb rationale. I hope he dies now just for the Darwin Award (though I'm sure he's already got lots of offspring...)

2. Wow, Durkon sure is active and aggressive when it's HIS neck on the line...

3. What'd Laurin do? Teleport? Dim Door? (Psionic version of, of course)

[Paseo H]

One thing I'm still confused about...

Why would Laurin dislike Durkon? At the very least, she had to know that he had nothing to do with Malack's death. If she knew that he was Malack's thrall, shouldn't that mean she'd like him?

Also, now I'm idly wondering how Rorschach and Malack would get along.

[Johkmil]

The Genre Savvy is strong in this one. Heroic orchestral music is practically flowing from the last panel. So much good in one page!

[Turgon9357]

And is V dismayed by vampire powers, are they just breathing like someone who'd been choked till just then?

Is it possible that V hadn't noticed that Durkon had changed? That'd be a pretty pathetic spot check roll, but then again, look at what adventuring party we're talking about.

If so, here, V, having another heaping scoop of guilt.

[DaggerPen]

:roy:: Elan, there was only going to be an explosion if we totally screwed up protecting the Gate!
:elan:: Well, yeah.
:roy:: ... OK, I see your point.

That plus "retroactively justifying your plot twist" = pure gold. Don't feel to bad, Roy - it was the second to last Gate, of COURSE it was going to be destroyed. And I LOVED Durkon finally using that slam attack, plus Julio's higher caliber puns.

Fantastic. Just fantastic.

[Edric O]

So, I guess we now have confirmation that Durkula loses his accent when he's not actively trying to put it on, eh?

[Harbinger]

One thing I'm still confused about...

Why would Laurin dislike Durkon? At the very least, she had to know that he had nothing to do with Malack's death. If she knew that he was Malack's thrall, shouldn't that mean she'd like him?

Also, now I'm idly wondering how Rorschach and Malack would get along.

I don't think she specifically dislikes Durkon, but he is her enemy.

Also, I think Malack would fall firmly on the "black" end of Rorschach's black-and-white morality considering he was plotting genocide.

[JSSheridan]

Thanks Giant!

[Esprit15]

Tarkie? Something tells me that Julio and Tarquin go back a LONG way. Early party mate? Sibling? Rivals? Some/all of the above?

[Shining Wrath]

1. Wow, that was a dumb rationale. I hope he dies now just for the Darwin Award (though I'm sure he's already got lots of offspring...)

2. Wow, Durkon sure is active and aggressive when it's HIS neck on the line...

3. What'd Laurin do? Teleport? Dim Door? (Psionic version of, of course)
(1) I think that to a Dashing Swordsman that's Einstein-level brilliance. Do not presume to teach narrative logic to Julio Scoundrel!
(2) Almost as though he's evil ...
(3) You can see her popping back into view over Durkon's back as he reaches down for the staff.

[Smolder]

So, I guess we now have confirmation that Durkula loses his accent when he's not actively trying to put it on, eh?

In my head, he's a lot more profane too. I read his line as "GIVE ME MY F-ING STAFF, B--!" Probably just me, but I think it fits his new personality.

[Paseo H]

I don't think she specifically dislikes Durkon, but he is her enemy.

She seemed pretty angry about him having Malack's staff.


Also, I think Malack would fall firmly on the "black" end of Rorschach's black-and-white morality considering he was plotting genocide.

Yes, exactly.:smalltongue:

[BroomGuys]

"Fly in the face" is a classic. It's so unapologetically silly.

[konradknox]

HOW IS IT 5 PAGES within like 10 minutes of new comic???

Oh and. OMG.

[veti]

If Happy Fun Vampire begins to smoke, seek shelter. Happy Fun Vampire also should seek shelter.

But not the same shelter. Otherwise, you'll be exposed to HFV's secondhand smoke.

Thank you thank you, I'm here all week.

[Porthos]

HOW IS IT 5 PAGES within like 10 minutes of new comic???

Oh and. OMG.

Because it's an hour and ten minutes. :smallwink:

Still a lot posting, though. :smalltongue:

[Paseo H]

I think it's been more than ten minutes. However, I'm pretty sure I'm far from the only one who was checking for it multiple times a day, especially since it promised to be interesting.

[Oryutzen]

I thought it was slow today. Then again, I usually realized there was a new post the next day, when there was already like ten pages and up.

[ghoul-n]

Give Me My Staff.

D:

[HeeJay]

Also, does EVERY female character have this guy's poster? Sure seems that way.



I'm pretty sure Tsukiko had Dracula's poster instead.

[Shining Wrath]

I enjoyed this one very much.

Vampire Durkon is amusing.

Vampires can't enjoy beer right? Start of Durkness approaches. Ugh. :xykon:

Vampire Malack could enjoy Bloodwart tea (note the critical 'a', not 'o'). Therefore, I imagine Vampire Durkon can enjoy Bloodbrew Beer.

[adulus]

There's no way Laurin is gonna stay gone. She won't put her own neck out too far for Tarquin, but if they're locked down like this she can just portal back a few hundred more soldiers.

[Shining Wrath]

Question that just occurred to me: What will V do once V has taken a few sweet sweet breaths of fresh air?

I'm thinking it involves Laurin. And flames; possibly disintegrate.

[Magesmiley]

I have to admit, I was more than a bit bothered by Durkon's reaction. I don't think we've ever seen him truly angry before. I think this might be the first taste of a much darker, angrier Durkon.

That said, Durkon's expression in the panel where he is attacking Laurin might be a good candidate for a smiley.

I suspect that Haley and V are going to make Laurin's life a bit tougher. Dimension Door doesn't put her beyond their range. Well, tougher or possibly shorter.

[Lheticus]

"Only a true hero can defy stories themselves"...

Ordinarily, I'd just say that's pretty deep, but coming from ELAN?!

...Keep up that sort of thing, Elan, and I may start expecting legitimately great things from you. ^_^

[Porthos]

There's no way Laurin is gonna stay gone. She won't put her own neck out too far for Tarquin, but if they're locked down like this she can just portal back a few hundred more soldiers.

She's not even gone. Take a close look at Panel 6. She just Dimension Doored away from the angry vampire. :smallsmile:

[Poppy Appletree]

Comic title: "My Two Dads"

The personal history between Julio and Tarquin is that they used to be lovers. Calling it. :smallwink:

[Shale]

There's no way Laurin is gonna stay gone. She won't put her own neck out too far for Tarquin, but if they're locked down like this she can just portal back a few hundred more soldiers.

Assuming that level drain didn't cost her Wormhole.

[Draz74]

:roy:: Elan, there was only going to be an explosion if we totally screwed up protecting the Gate!
:elan:: Well, yeah.
:roy:: ... OK, I see your point.

Fantastic. Just fantastic.
Classic Roy, for sure. I especially enjoyed the ambiguity in what he was saying. Is he acknowledging that the OotS probably was going to majorly screw up, or just acknowledging that they would most need the help if they screwed up? My guess is both. :smallbiggrin:


Elan ftw. I was wondering how he convinced Julio to come, and it did not disappoint.


And once again, the Giant knows what we're all saying out here on the boards, and a line of dialogue crosses the fourth wall; "I told him to get bent", but "only a special hero can defy stories themselves". Elan's plan worked because Elan understood how to appeal to Julio's ego.
Yeah, about this. I wondered after #930 why Julio had actually shown up -- but then I basically convinced myself that it was because he actually believed his own "advice": "It doesn't matter whether you win or lose, as long as you look really cool doing it! (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0392.html)"

But no. Apparently he's a hypocrite, at least when his own life is on the line (which I guess is understandable). He came because Elan played, not to his loyalty or even to his physical vanity, but to his ego.

Ah well. He's fun to watch, even if this just cements that I don't have any affection for Julio personally.


And Gandalf was insufficiently dead. And Merlin didn't die, he just got trapped, and might come back - did, if you're read Lewis' That Hideous Strength.
Well heck, even Obi-Wan was "insufficiently dead."


The only problem is now Julio is going to die.. of DOUBLE-SUBVERSION.
I'm not ruling it out.


Hope that's not the end of Laurin and Miron: I like them.
Well, I'm pretty sure Miron will be ok.


1. Wow, that was a dumb rationale. I hope he dies now just for the Darwin Award (though I'm sure he's already got lots of offspring...)

Indeed (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0392.html) ...

[Oryutzen]

Comic title: "My Two Dads"

The personal history between Julio and Tarquin is that they used to be lovers. Calling it. :smallwink:

This made me realize, whatever small chance of the titles spelling out something (Go Through Overshadowed (sumthin)) is now officially dead.

[Carl]

Gave me a big smile did this one. Especially Luarian's Distracted by the Sexy moment, that was just classic.

[DaggerPen]

Laurin's superior concentration as a psion, broken by a simple case of being starstruck! Boo!

In some fairness, I think we'd all be a bit "Wait, what?" if our teenage crush suddenly showed up and started wailing on our party warrior. Distracted just enough not to realize that things had suddenly gotten dark enough for the incapacitated vampire, at any rate.


I enjoyed this one very much.

Vampire Durkon is amusing.

Vampires can't enjoy beer right? Start of Durkness approaches. Ugh. :xykon:

:roy:: Okay, so once we're in the Dwarven Lands we can resurrect you-
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g68/Cats_Are_Aliens/Banners/DurkonVampire_zps6711c6b8.png: Resurrect? Why would I wan' tha?
:roy:: Wh - what? But you hate undead! You've always hated undead!
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g68/Cats_Are_Aliens/Banners/DurkonVampire_zps6711c6b8.png: Aye, but ye haf to admit, it's got some nice advantages.
:roy:: ... but you won't be able to drink beer anymore?
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g68/Cats_Are_Aliens/Banners/DurkonVampire_zps6711c6b8.png: ... Resurrection, ye say?


So let's review:

Durkula when in no danger:
"Yer blood...now THA I may just taste a bit first." Standing with no combat stance, one hand only on the staff, smiling wickedly.
Result: *POP* "Ech, tha works, too." Dismissive pose.

Durkula in actual danger:
"GIVE ME MY STAFF!" All-caps raging, grappling/energy draining, full-on fang-baring snarl.
Result: *POP* Wordlessly getting staff, still visibly upset/angry.

Do Not Taunt the Happy Fun Vampire.


If Happy Fun Vampire begins to smoke, seek shelter. Happy Fun Vampire also should seek shelter.

Perfect, both of you.


Is it possible that V hadn't noticed that Durkon had changed? That'd be a pretty pathetic spot check roll, but then again, look at what adventuring party we're talking about.

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l43/KoolKoal/SoulSplicedVLargeSmilie.png: Bah! Physical appearances matter little to me. (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0643.html)


This made me realize, whatever small chance of the titles spelling out something (Go Through Overshadowed (sumthin)) is now officially dead.

Oddly enough, "Go Through My Two Dads" would have been a valid sentence, if still utterly meaningless. :P

[Proud Tortoise]

This strongly reminds me of Terry Pratchett's Witches Abroad (which was one of my favorites btw :smallbiggrin:)

[Porthos]

As a couple of people have noted, that slam attack messed up the power points that Laurin had availiable as well.

Presuming she is at least level 17 and has at least a 20 in her key stat, she probably lost around 60 to 70 power points due to the energy drain.

Even for psions that's a bit much to lose at any one time. :smallwink:

Ignore this post as I shoulda double checked the SRD. :smallredface: She probably 'only' lost 34 points, if she was over 17th level.

See later post for full details. :smallredface: :smallsmile:

[BungleBee]

Nice boot to the face! Great job, Giant!

[Oryutzen]

One question, would power points lost to level draining stack with those spent in spells? Because if so, she's reeeally running low on juice right now.

[wingnutx]

Durkon is lucky that she dropped the staff before teleporting.

[Zubzub]

I like how Laurin refers to the staff as "my friend's staff" when she takes it, and Durkon goes all "MY STAFF" when he gets it back.

[Muenster Man]

Durkon is lucky that she dropped the staff before teleporting.

Durkon was very unlucky to drop the staff in the first place. It balances out, I guess

[Shale]

One question, would power points lost to level draining stack with those spent in spells? Because if so, she's reeeally running low on juice right now.

They lose PP, rather than maximum PP. So yeah, if she had 40 PP left, she lost them all.

[Wiffleboy]

Tarkie *skicker*

[SamBurke]

I have to say... that last panel was AWESOME. I had tears (literally) of how well that panel was written. I wanna go out and break some stories now!

[Shining Wrath]

As a couple of people have noted, that slam attack messed up the power points that Laurin had availiable as well.

Presuming she is at least level 17 and has at least a 20 in her key stat, she probably lost around 60 to 70 power points due to the energy drain.

Even for psions that's a bit much to lose at any one time. :smallwink:

Yeah, so she's probably trying to figure out if she can get out of here alive with Tarquin, or if self-preservation means decamping immediately.

One things for certain, she does not want to get within range of Durkon again. Next time it may be Fangs for the Memories.

[Snails]

Elan's instructions were downright clever. Sure, it does not cover all bases. But I do not think I could do better in a Sending.

[Zrak]

And Gandalf was insufficiently dead. And Merlin didn't die, he just got trapped, and might come back - did, if you're read Lewis' That Hideous Strength.

The genre convention can be defied.

On the other hand, if you read T. H. White, Merlin died before the whole thing started, since he goes in reverse. :smalltongue:

[Oryutzen]

Ah, so you lose both maximum and current points, thanks. In that case, considering some of the estimates that've been going around, she's almost certainly down to double digits.

[rs2excelsior]

Very nice comic. I am excited to see the Julio-Tarquin fight unfold.

And Vampire Durkon was just epic here.

[Shining Wrath]

On the other hand, if you read T. H. White, Merlin died before the whole thing started, since he goes in reverse. :smalltongue:

And *that* is epic-level genre defiance!

[Quartz]

It seems to me that Durkon did a Disarm on her, else she'd have disappeared with the staff. Do vampires automatically get the Improved Disarm feat?

[Oryutzen]

Jeez, so much narrative defiance. Makes you glad the laws of narrative don't have their own Inevitable to enforce them.
Or do they?

[Porthos]

As a couple of people have noted, that slam attack messed up the power points that Laurin had availiable as well.

Presuming she is at least level 17 and has at least a 20 in her key stat, she probably lost around 60 to 70 power points due to the energy drain.

Even for psions that's a bit much to lose at any one time. :smallwink:

I booped this up. Big time, actually. :smallredface: :smallredface: :smallredface:

That's what I get for not double checking. :smallredface: :smallsmile:


Negative Levels
Psionic characters can gain negative levels just like members of other character classes. A psionic character loses access to one power per negative level from the highest level of power he can manifest; he also loses a number of power points equal to the cost of that power. If two or more powers fit these criteria, the manifester decides which one becomes inaccessible. The lost power becomes available again as soon the negative level is removed, providing the manifester is capable of using it at that time. Lost power points also return.

So more like 34 points if she is indeed over 17th level.

Still a fair amount though. :smallsmile:

[Etheolin]

A comic full of AWESOMENESS, Giant!:smallbiggrin:

I do hope that Julio can defy the genre and make this story his own (and Elans!). I think that this is the big turn-around that the Order needed.

Durkon is VERY scary...:smalleek:

I doubt that this will be the end of Tarquin. I was re-reading the Hall of Illusion bit last night, and it seemed to me that the Order wouldn't let the evil Empire of Blood just be. They'd eventually go back after fixing Xykon/the Snarl. Sorta like Frodo and company having to fix Hobbiton at the end of the LotR saga.

[SavageWombat]

Notice that Elan played on Julio's ego because, as Rich stated, he's Chaotic Neutral, not Chaotic Good. He rushes to the rescue because there's something in it for him.

[Canisius]

Great fun - it seems this whole arc has had the Order temporarily gaining the upper hand, only to be slammed back down into desperation. I hope this particular crest has some closure.

Is it me, or is JS a better punster than Elan? Might be because his rep precedes him - the same puns coming out of Elan's mouth might seem dumb because, well, he's played as a pretty dumb bard.

My feeling is that Durkon has been sitting all this time thinking, "well, outta spells, can't match Tarquin in combat, and I'm only one dispel away from being charcoal". He got his darkness thanks to the Mechane, and now he can help!

Also noticed that both Durkon's staff and Roy's sword are back in play, for the moment.

[Shining Wrath]

It seems to me that Durkon did a Disarm on her, else she'd have disappeared with the staff. Do vampires automatically get the Improved Disarm feat?

Rule of Not Drawing Too Many Panels plus surprise due to Laurin being distracted by Julio. Just as by RAW Tarquin shouldn't drop the great sword just because he has Carpet Tunnel syndrome on his face, by RAW Laurin shouldn't drop the staff just because ~250 pounds of armored vampire landed on her back, slammed her twice, and drained two levels. But the Giant has shown things happening a little differently - people get knocked down, for example, by hard blows.

[Canisius]

Also, some great dialog by Rich: "you of all people should be able to see the shape of this".

A lesser, less genre-savvy villain may have said something stock like: "You know how this must end".

Now we're not even making direct references to Tarquin's LE "service to the story". It's just assumed.

[Grey Watcher]

So, did Laurin deliberately bail, or did she also have a Contingency Teleport set up?

[Mike Havran]

Is it me, or is JS a better punster than Elan? Might be because his rep precedes him - the same puns coming out of Elan's mouth might seem dumb because, well, he's played as a pretty dumb bard.
I think it's Julio's full ten levels of Dashing Swordsman while Elan has maybe two.

[Alex Warlorn]

So, let's see if Scoundrel can defy narrative itself.

[Snails]

Members of the Order drop things much more often than the RAW seems to suggest is likely, as well. That very reasonable dramatic fudge happens to be to the Order's advantage here. It is entirely fair.

[theinsulabot]

So, did Laurin deliberately bail, or did she also have a Contingency Teleport set up?

I am going with contingency teleport. I find it highly unlikely she would maintain the presence of mind to teleport while being grappled while not also snatching up the staff, rendering durkula nearly impotent, before doing so

[Oryutzen]

Then again, those things tend to teleport themselves around often. IIRC, Roy lost his sword when he got rammed by the triceratops, and yet when he was laying on the floor he still had it next to him, despite having been carried on the horn for a few seconds at least.

[Poppy Appletree]

So, did Laurin deliberately bail, or did she also have a Contingency Teleport set up?

She used Dimension Door to escape Durkon's attack, which was draining her levels.

[Snails]

I am going with contingency teleport. I find it highly unlikely she would maintain the presence of mind to teleport while being grappled while not also snatching up the staff, rendering durkula nearly impotent, before doing so

Contingency Teleport would have to be to a pre-chosen direction, selected when the Contingency was set up.

Choosing "400 yards north" is a legal, but crappy choice for destination (DDoor or Teleport). You can end up somewhere tactically worse then where you were already standing.

[nocker]

I have to admit, I was more than a bit bothered by Durkon's reaction. I don't think we've ever seen him truly angry before. I think this might be the first taste of a much darker, angrier Durkon.

That said, Durkon's expression in the panel where he is attacking Laurin might be a good candidate for a smiley.

I suspect that Haley and V are going to make Laurin's life a bit tougher. Dimension Door doesn't put her beyond their range. Well, tougher or possibly shorter.

Durkon is one mechane moving away from being painfully destroyed. A spellcaster-grade enemy has his only chance of continued survival in hand. His rather smart choice was to become a spellcaster's worst nightmare, right there: a grappling, level draining monster. It had the expected effect: Laurin's GET THE HELL OUTTA HERE instincts kicked off and he got his staff back.

It bears noticing that becoming a vampire increases all your stats, including a hefty +4 on Charisma. That and the +8 racial bonus to Bluff and Sense Motive means Durkon got suddenly very good at messing with people's heads, in a non-magical way. Lets see if this is more explored later.

EDIT:

She used Dimension Door to escape Durkon's attack, which was draining her levels.
This. Psions don't get so shafted by being in a grapple as spellcasters. Laurin made her concentration check and popped out.

[Aotrs Commander]

Elan's reasoning about defying the story was pure brilliance. One feels Granny Weatherwax would approve.

[Ted The Bug]

Ho dang, Roy's looking pretty beaten up. Julio had better not drop the ball.

[Oryutzen]

Durkon is one mechane moving away from being painfully destroyed. A spellcaster-grade enemy has his only chance of continued survival in hand. His rather smart choice was to become a spellcaster's worst nightmare, right there: a grappling, level draining monster. It had the expected effect: Laurin's GET THE HELL OUTTA HERE instincts kicked off and he got his staff back.

It bears noticing that becoming a vampire increases all your stats, including a hefty +4 on Charisma. That and the +8 racial bonus to Bluff and Sense Motive means Durkon got suddenly very good at messing with people's heads, in a non-magical way. Lets see if this is more explored later.


Not to mention the alignment shift to start making use of that ability.

[Orm-Embar]

Thanks Giant!

I notice "if'n" only counts as one word. :smallsmile:

Love how Julio Scoundrel rides that flying carpet like a surfboard.

And how Laurin used to have a poster of him.

Here's hoping Julio survives the epic pun throwdown.

[Silva Stormrage]

Okay I totally loved that explanation and this whole comic. Great work giant :smalltongue:

[Arcas Corricol]

Indeed surfboard smackdown aplenty, there will be flying carpets, light blades and lots of puns, very funny how Laurin had a poster of Julio Scoundrel. One part of my mind still tells me that Julio Scoundrel is nothing but an Obi-Wan.

[Lexible]

Comic title: "My Two Dads"
The personal history between Julio and Tarquin is that they used to be lovers. Calling it.

Alright: I'll suggest that either Scoundrél was Elan's Mommy, or is Elan's Mommy doing drag. :smalltongue:

[Canuck617]

These truly are some epic puns; I can't wait to see more.


I love how Julio is so dismissive of Tarquin that he calls him by a pet name.

1) I was thinking the same thing! Heh, Tarkie.

2) I finally saw the thing to which your name refers. Lololololololol!! (Just thought I'd share.)


I'm pretty sure Tsukiko had Dracula's poster instead.

You know, I was going to say something about Tsukiko, and after this post, I will next time. Although, nice callback to the Dracula reference. I didn't think of that.

[Poppatomus]

was "cut me some slack" a pun as well?

[Valanarch]

Great comic. Maybe Laurin can actually survive now.

[Aadst1]

I'm sorry, but my wife would like to know why I am sitting in front of my computer making "rock hands". Giant, I'm afraid I must hold you responsible :smallbiggrin:. FLY IN THE FACE!!!" Great work, as always!

Thank you!!!

[Knight.Anon]

Now that Durkon is free willed he doesn't have to use his inside voice.

Laurin keeps on making good moves.

Julio seems to be holding his own but Tarkie is just being polite for exposition's sake.

Now that Roy had finally taken the fetters off Elan, he's sure shake the very plotline of the adventure.

Three people that understand the secret powers of their universes and only 1d3 of them will live!

[Cuthalion]

That is awesome. :smallbiggrin: Scoundrél for the win! :smalltongue:

"Wait, is that Julio Scoundrél? I used to have a poster of him up on my-" :smallcool:

[Canuck617]

was "cut me some slack" a pun as well?

It would be a good one, but I think the puns are usually emboldened. I could be wrong though.

[Shining Wrath]

So, did Laurin deliberately bail, or did she also have a Contingency Teleport set up?

Look behind Durkon as he reaches for the staff.

[davidbofinger]

Yeah, Elan will probably need a Thesaurus

He could hire one off Doraleous and Associates.

[AstralFire]

To the extent the Star Wars analogies hold (to be very clear, analogy in this case is by reader input for comparison, as opposed to a reference, which would have been by the author*), Julio has just clearly established himself as Han Solo, not Obi-Wan.

You're all clear kid, now let's blow this thing and go home!

Never tell me the odds!

* This means please spare me the "RICH IS NOT CONSTRAINED BY STAR WARS" browbeating; I know that Mr. Burlew is not.

[Canisius]

I am going with contingency teleport. I find it highly unlikely she would maintain the presence of mind to teleport while being grappled while not also snatching up the staff, rendering durkula nearly impotent, before doing so

I'm curious if this has to do with psionic powers vs wizard/sorceror spells.. I mean, if all she has to do is think of it...

[Joseph_Lavode]

Some fun negative levels for laurin, there. Also Durkon can be intimidating :smalleek:

[iyaerP]

I think Durkon was just using his energy drain attack.

I never realised you could perform a disarm action using a magic carpet as a weapon. Rule of awesome for the win.

Probably a bullrush knock down.

I dunno, this comic has seen plenty of disarms happen due to damage without there necessarily being an appropriate combat maneuver performed. Thog's rage comes to mind.

[Oryutzen]

I'm curious if this has to do with psionic powers vs wizard/sorceror spells.. I mean, if all she has to do is think of it...

Still, keeping the details straight may be a bit too difficult with a full-plated vampire clinging to her back and punching her. Plus, she doesn't seem to wield weapons in the first place, so instinct's also not helping.

[Canisius]

Now that Durkon is free willed he doesn't have to use his inside voice.

Possibly - I just think that's the Giant's way of illustrating: "LOOK! VAMPIRE POWERS!".

[Knight.Anon]

Laurin used a short range teleport, she popped up about 100 feet away from Durkon. If her limitless pool of power points is still flowing she'll keep on trying to neutralize V&D. It will be interesting to see what V does now that she's got her wind back. Blackwing was kind of useless he may as will pop out.

[Tragak]

He could hire one off Doraleous and Associates. But would it fare better than the Allosaurus did? :smalltongue:

[Lexible]

Possibly - I just think that's the Giant's way of illustrating: "LOOK! VAMPIRE POWERS!".

Speaking of vampire powers, I wonder why he didn't summon a swarm of scorpions or bats or whatever to assist the party a few strips back. While they probably would not have seriously harmed Team Tarquin, they might have inconvenienced them, and bought a little breathing room.

[Oryutzen]

Speaking of vampire powers, I wonder why he didn't summon a swarm of scorpions or bats or whatever to assist the party a few strips back. While they probably would not have seriously harmed Team Tarquin, they might have inconvenienced them, and bought a little breathing room.

Does he even know he can do that?

[theinsulabot]

you know, thinking about it, elan seems a little hypocritical. retroactively, elan encouraged julio to come and defy the narrative law that the older mentor figure would die. but 5 minutes later, he refused to explain the details of his plan because revealing it before hand, by narrative law would doom it to failure.


EDIT: actually, I just checked, and minor correction, it was just before having durkon send to julio, not after, FWIW

[AstralFire]

you know, thinking about it, elan seems a little hypocritical. retroactively, elan encouraged julio to come and defy the narrative law that the older mentor figure would die. but 5 minutes later, he refused to explain the details of his plan because revealing it before hand, by narrative law would doom it to failure.

Elan is Good first (including his dedication to saving the world/protecting the order), a Bard second, and Chaotic last.

[brionl]

My Two Dads was a TV show from the 80s (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Two_Dads).

Spoiler: They weren't a couple.

[DaggerPen]

you know, thinking about it, elan seems a little hypocritical. retroactively, elan encouraged julio to come and defy the narrative law that the older mentor figure would die. but 5 minutes later, he refused to explain the details of his plan because revealing it before hand, by narrative law would doom it to failure.

It takes a special hero to defy narrative. Elan doesn't consider himself much of hero (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0598.html); best to just roll with it and not make Julio's job harder.

[DigoDragon]

Loving Julio's puns, and the "defy narrative" comment.

[Math_Mage]

you know, thinking about it, elan seems a little hypocritical. retroactively, elan encouraged julio to come and defy the narrative law that the older mentor figure would die. but 5 minutes later, he refused to explain the details of his plan because revealing it before hand, by narrative law would doom it to failure.
Why tempt fate when you don't have to? Why pass up a good joke when you don't have to? Why assume everything Elan says to Julio must apply to Elan for it to be consistent? /shrug I don't think there's any hypocrisy there.

[KoboldRevenge]

I think the most tantalizing question is :Where exactly did Laurin pin up the poster? SPECULATION!

[Knight.Anon]

If Durkon used his Children of the Night power it can a long time for the incredibly underpowered cavalry to arrive. It would be chaotic, ineffective and even worse - hard to draw.

I'm hoping the crew of the Airship can put their ballistae to work, or let lose with Alchemists fire, but it would be a fatal endeavor for them as well, so time to let the high level peeps to rock the house.

Maybe Julio has an another? I was going to say hopefully she's hot, but then I remembered this is a stick figure comic and even gratuitous nudity wouldn't be gratuitous.

[CoffeeIncluded]

Okay, I have got to re-read Witches Abroad when I get home for Thanksgiving break.

[ooOoo]

To the extent the Star Wars analogies hold (to be very clear, analogy in this case is by reader input for comparison, as opposed to a reference, which would have been by the author*), Julio has just clearly established himself as Han Solo, not Obi-Wan.

You're all clear kid, now let's blow this thing and go home!

Never tell me the odds!


Also he's a scoundrel :smallbiggrin:

[runeghost]

seems like Teleport Trigger to me.
its like contingency, but you only teleport.

It was almost certainly Psionic Dimension Door (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/dimensionDoorPsionic.htm) which can be used as a Move action for an additional power-point expenditure. That's another 13 PP she's down, on top of whatever Durkon's drain cost her.

[Lexible]

Does he even know he can do that?

I always assumed it was standard vampire kit, right up there with turning gaseous and sucking blood.

[Bluepaw]

YES. Yes. Chalk another one up, perhaps strangely, to the strips that are really, deeply moving. There's something about the notion of recognizing the power of convention, of the narrative understanding that bends our actions and relationships towards it (how many couples have been broken up by comparing themselves to rom coms?), and then claiming the agency to say, no, we are not determined by our models and archetypes. There is always more, always openness toward what may be, always freedom "in the face of tradition."

Chalk it up to my being a doctoral student in religion & hermeneutics, maybe, or else to the fact that I've just had a couple of strong and delicious beers, but I'll stand by holding this strip up as providing one of the great insights of the comic.

[Necris Omega]

Vampire Death Noogie!

...I... I wouldn't make for a very good anime fight scene choreographer.

[AutomatedTeller]

that's a great update :)

[Knight.Anon]

Looks like Julio can pun defensively as well - "Cut me some slack"

[quasit]

Two slams to the tune of 2 negative levels a hit.
I think it's limited to once fer roun'.
(Thankfully, else a vampire using full-slam action would only need to hit 1/2 times someones current class levels to slay him, also penalties and/or his spellslots/power points burnt in the process...yikes).



Page 2! Personal Best!!

I still think Julio lives.

Elan's line about a special hero is pure GOLD!! No, Platinum. No, more than that! Quick, what metal is worth more? (Unobtanium?)
hmnnnn...worths his weight in Wish scrolls would do?:smalltongue:

[AstralFire]

Vampire Death Noogie!

...I... I wouldn't make for a very good anime fight scene choreographer.

Best post of the thread.

[Sylthia]

Julio Scoundrel sure likes to change his clothes a lot.

[kxm]

Awesome comic, love the Julio-Tarquin dynamic, and just Julio in general. And Elan, of course.

[CrispyCriminal]

Wherever Julio goes, shadows follow. Be it literal shadows, the past, or traditional story telling becoming a shadow of what it once was.

[Oryutzen]

I always assumed it was standard vampire kit, right up there with turning gaseous and sucking blood.

Yea, but I'm not completely sure Durkon's fully aware of that, or remembers he can do it at the moment. It is one of the more obscure abilities from a creature he just became, so...

[Tre of the Wood]

I couldn't figure out what was so chilling about Durkon's outburst, then I saw it.


No accent.

[Math_Mage]

You know, I never noticed, but now I have to ask: given the accent mark in Julio's name, which syllable of Scoundrel is emphasized?

[Oryutzen]

You know, I never noticed, but now I have to ask: given the accent mark in Julio's name, which syllable of Scoundrel is emphasized?

The accent mark would make it Scoun-DREL, if it was followed.

[Hague]

Psionic Dimension Door can be augmented to act instantly. She burns a lot of extra PP but she needs to get out of there. I'm pretty sure Durkon got Laurin with two slams at once. Isn't that 4 negative levels? She's hurtin' pretty bad right now. The loss of that manifester level will definitely hurt her ability to affect Roy and V with her will-saved attacks. My guess is she spends the rest of the fight at that distance telling Tarquin to back off, probably calling in her favor.

[Canisius]

Still, keeping the details straight may be a bit too difficult with a full-plated vampire clinging to her back and punching her. Plus, she doesn't seem to wield weapons in the first place, so instinct's also not helping.

That's another question - if she "pops" out, with whatever psionic skill that duplicates Dimension Gate, she brings her clothes and stones along, for instance. Why wouldn't she bring a grappling vampire along?

I'm sure it's in some version of the D&D rulebook, but that's always a question when teleporting. Full disclosure: I spent way more time playing "Champions" than D&D. I wanna get back into it, but none of my friends are interested.

[Lexible]

You know, I never noticed, but now I have to ask: given the accent mark in Julio's name, which syllable of Scoundrel is emphasized?

EDIT: ninja'ed! Scoundrél: the acute on the e, "é" makes that the accented vowel. As in scoun-DREL.

[Oryutzen]

That's another question - if she "pops" out, with whatever psionic skill that duplicates Dimension Gate, she brings her clothes and stones along, for instance. Why wouldn't she bring a grappling vampire along?

I'm sure it's in some version of the D&D rulebook, but that's always a question when teleporting. Full disclosure: I spent way more time playing "Champions" than D&D. I wanna get back into it, but none of my friends are interested.

Only reason I can think of is that spells seem to consider whatever someone's wearing to be part of them, for mechanical reasons which may or may not have in-universe explanations, and she was teleporting only herself.

[Lexible]

I'm pretty sure Durkon got Laurin with two slams at once. Isn't that 4 negative levels?

You're pretty incorrect (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/vampire.htm). Two levels per round, max.

[zimmerwald1915]

EDIT: ninja'ed! Scoundrél: the acute on the e, "é" makes that the accented vowel. As in scoun-DREL.
Probably with a trilled "r" as well.

[ellindsey]

That's another question - if she "pops" out, with whatever psionic skill that duplicates Dimension Gate, she brings her clothes and stones along, for instance. Why wouldn't she bring a grappling vampire along?

Because her clothes are Objects, and a vampire isn't an Object so she doesn't bring it along. D&D rules aren't bound by your common sense or physics.

[Knight.Anon]

I wonder if the "special heroes" have their own vehicle - like some sort of bus? Or is that being too cynical?

:durkon: is going to have to learn slapstick - somebody is going to pick up the slack because the :belkar: train is leaving soon. Having the vampire template means he can afford to do physical comedy - beats standing there in the darkness .... staring. Being dead doesn't seem to stop :xykon: from having a good time. Maybe Liches are more fun-loving and irreverent.

It would have been funny if :roy: said "Deus Ex Machina" instead of "Plot Twist". I know he's wounded... but his standards used to be higher, what is he... Neutral Good? Being high level has changed him. And I don't mean just a higher base attack and more feats.

[Snails]

That's another question - if she "pops" out, with whatever psionic skill that duplicates Dimension Gate, she brings her clothes and stones along, for instance. Why wouldn't she bring a grappling vampire along?

She could have, if she wanted. She does not so want.

Durkon would get a Will save if he did not want to go along (likely, since he wants the staff sitting on the ground).

[Gusion]

New comic is up.

This one is okay. I still dislike that the Scoundrel had to be reintroduced at all, because I think that OOTS could still have handled it on their own, but at least it is a decent strip.

It, at least, makes me wonder what Laurin is going to do next. She should kill *someone*...

[Vaylon]

Yes, we get it, Elan: OotS isn't like other stories because it subverts common narrative tropes and is so, so meta! What do you want, a gold star?

I can't even begin to guess how much time has the comic recently spent congratulating itself about how meta and out-of-the-ordinary it is compared to all those other narratives -- but, frankly, it's getting more than a little tiresome. How about we just get back to, you know, telling a story? Or being funny, for that matter?

Geez, Belkar wasn't kidding when he said, "I'm the only funny thing left in this damn comic strip!"

[punch_bunny]

Aw, Tarquin's not punny right now - are we going to miss out on a lively exchange between two narrative pundits?

Elan is firing on all cylinders, from a quick-thinking confusion to a backup plan that works! I hope he keeps his comedic side through the character development. Maybe he'll make Julio illusions for Laurin if she steps back into the fray.

Durkon finally acts in this fight! Maybe now he can close with Tarquin and wrap this up.

Julio: he lives for the applause, plause, lives for the applause...

[Zach J.]

I think it's Julio's full ten levels of Dashing Swordsman while Elan has maybe two.

Not to mention his (likely) higher Intelligence.

[Timix]

I wonder how Julio will react to a vampire Durkon...

[Elystan]

Why are people saying Laurin got hit with two slams? I only see one.

[Subaru Kujo]

I think it's limited to once fer roun'.
(Thankfully, else a vampire using full-slam action would only need to hit 1/2 times someones current class levels to slay him, also penalties and/or his spellslots/power points burnt in the process...yikes).


Oh yes. You are right, looking over the MM again.

Dang I feel slow.

[deimos3428]

I hope at some point there is a full-size Julio Scoundrel poster, so we can all have one on our walls.

[Math_Mage]

This one is okay. I still dislike that the Scoundrel had to be reintroduced at all, because I think that OOTS could still have handled it on their own, but at least it is a decent strip.

It, at least, makes me wonder what Laurin is going to do next. She should kill *someone*...
Maybe if Durkon hadn't been about to go *poof*.

[Subaru Kujo]

I hope at some point there is a full-size Julio Scoundrel poster, so we can all have one on our walls.

I wouldn't be surprised if there'd be a wallpaper eventually (perhaps).

[One Step Two]

Alright: I'll suggest that either Scoundrél was Elan's Mommy, or is Elan's Mommy doing drag. :smalltongue:

There's some evidence that might be true, his mother does have a pony-tail, and has been known to wear a fake mustache. (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0751.html)

[Math_Mage]

There's some evidence that might be true, his mother does have a pony-tail, and has been known to wear a fake mustache. (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0751.html)
Although that would be hilarious, I'm not sure how she could have found time to become notorious enough to rate #32 among swordsmen of the century while raising Elan and running a tavern.

[SavageWombat]

I think the most tantalizing question is :Where exactly did Laurin pin up the poster? SPECULATION!

She used it to cover the escape tunnel into the Shawshank sewer pipe.

[Particle_Man]

Seeing Durkon pre-vampire made me realize I miss that version of Durkon.

Anyhow, great strip!

[Vinsfeld]

Starting to think that "The Bard" is Elan's real last name.

(Blue.... just to be safe)

[afbourque]

Although that would be hilarious, I'm not sure how she could have found time to become notorious enough to rate #32 among swordsmen of the century while raising Elan and running a tavern.

Remember, she's just as addicted to complexity as Nale . . .

[Arcas Corricol]

well, the chaotic good parent, long hair and the over complicated plan goes well with Elan's memories of his mother...