THE BELKAR PREDICTION (spoilers duh!)

[V Junior]

Belkar must have heighted his Wisdom score. His theory about the Mark of Justice cannot be far from the truth!

Look at it this way. OOTS is a game of cards, metaphoricly speaking. Rich has the cards; we are waiting to find out which cards he has got. There is the Haley/Elan card, the V gender card's in there somewhere, as is the MitD card... Yet, another has been revealed. Rich played this card last night, as Miko charged at Belkar. And there are no prizes for geussing what it is!

[Tornek the Unhygenic]

That... the MoJ is phony?

[Renegade Paladin]

No it isn't. Vaarsuvius saw it, we saw it, and if it was fake Belkar would know, because he had to sit through ten minutes of it being inscribed on his forehead.

[Demented]

Belkar rolled high on a Bardic Knowledge check.
But he doesn't have any levels in Bard.

So, naturally, the MoJ is real.

Edit:
However, it will also prove to be significantly less threatening to Belkar than previously expected.
At least momentarily.

[Silverlocke980]

I don't think that the Mark isn't real... I have a different idea.

What if Roy shouts the command word so Belkar becomes incapacitated and helpless? Miko's still-Paladin morals might keep her from killing a defenseless opponent...

(looks at Shojo) Oh.

On the other hand, what if the "command word" is, in fact, a release? Roy's smart enough to plan ahead to a situation where he needs his psychotic little buddy to kill someone in a city. So if he and Shojo set this up ahead of time, Roy can free Belkar for some murderin'.

And remember, he's beat Miko before. During their "big fight", he knocked her out cold, and could have finished her off. He didn't, only because he wanted to make her Fall- so, technically, Belkar is the best shot the party has at incapacitating Miko or outright killing her, if necessary.

(Though it won't come to that.)

[pendell]

If *I* were Belkar, I'd give the now-weakened Miko a heapin' helping of her own entrails, served up fried with country gravy (we can use some of the leftovers as giblets in the gravy) with a small parsley garnish, MoJ be ****ed.

I would figure that whatever harm the MoJ would cause me *can't* be more painful than being cut to bits by Miko's swords.

Or, alternatively, I would just use Halfling Jump to get out of her way and let her run! We can always hunt her down later. Good grief, how hard is it to find someone wearing Beige in Azure City?

---
What if Hinjo shouts, right now, STOP!

Would :miko: listen?

Hinjo could command her to hand over her sword, then report to the dungeons for trial. The charge is murder in the first degree.

That would set up a meeting with the Linear Guild quite nicely ..

---
BTW, posting a threat title in all caps grips me with a terrible urge to eviscerate people. Sadly, I still have a vestigial conscience :(. It'll take me at least 3 rounds to overcome it ... if *I* were the OP, I would take that as a cue to start running, very very fast.

:Rolling will save now:

Respectfully,

Brian P.

-- apprentice surgeon in the :belkar: fan club. Hot,steaming organs while-u-wait!

[Crazy_Uncle_Doug]

On the other hand, Roy's preparation in finding Xykon's next target was a bit lacking. Though he carefully prepared his question to the Oracle, he managed to outsmart himself. It's quite possible this is another of those situations where, in trying to cleverly keep a rein in on Belkar, he's managed to outsmart himself again. In this case, Belkar is hamstrung in a situation where Roy needs him the most.

[BrokenButterfly]

Somehow I don't see Belkar going in for the passive resistance approach do you? Sometimes it's stabbing or nothing.
I think that the MoJ is real but that Roy can disactivate it, obviously neglecting to inform Belkar of this fact.

[Yuudai]

bekar would kil her..he would not be able to help himself..

[Snake-Aes]

Detect Magic doesn't distinguish an arcane mark from a circle of teleportation neither a mark of justice. V never did anything beyond "Detect Magic"... it doesn't tell anything except that there's some random nifty mark in Belkar's forehead

[dragongirl13]

I doubt that the Mark of Justice was an illusion. V would have noticed that the aura around the rune was illusion and asked about it, ruining the whole plan.

[Jewel Thief]

No it isn't. Vaarsuvius saw it, we saw it, and if it was fake Belkar would know, because he had to sit through ten minutes of it being inscribed on his forehead.

I agree that the Mark of Justice is real, but I think Belkar was unconscious while it was being applied.

[Mad Scientist]

I'm confused - could Belkar just stab Miko in the foot or trip her so she can't escape? I know he can't kill her because killing her will activate the mark, but what about tying her shoe laces together or something non-lethal?

[Setra]

Just because the Mark is there, doesn't mean it will do as said.


You draw an indelible mark on the subject and state some behavior on the part of the subject that will activate the mark. When activated, the mark curses the subject. Typically, you designate some sort of criminal behavior that activates the mark, but you can pick any act you please. The effect of the mark is identical with the effect of bestow curse.

Since this spell takes 10 minutes to cast and involves writing on the target, you can cast it only on a creature that is willing or restrained.

Like the effect of bestow curse, a mark of justice cannot be dispelled, but it can be removed with a break enchantment, limited wish, miracle, remove curse, or wish spell. Remove curse works only if its caster level is equal to or higher than your mark of justice caster level. These restrictions apply regardless of whether the mark has activated.

[[Insert Neat Username Here]]

I'm confused - could Belkar just stab Miko in the foot or trip her so she can't escape? I know he can't kill her because killing her will activate the mark, but what about tying her shoe laces together or something non-lethal?
"Lethal Damage" does not refer to a killing blow. Belkar could do only 1 HP of damage and still set off the mark. He can, however, choose to deal nonlethal damage, which is damage that, when added up, could only knock someone out.

EDIT: Tripping or grappling her, however, would work. He just can't stab her.

[Tornek the Unhygenic]

I doubt that the Mark of Justice was an illusion. V would have noticed that the aura around the rune was illusion and asked about it, ruining the whole plan.

Maybeit's not a MoJ...

[Jorkens]

;1939657']"Lethal Damage" does not refer to a killing blow. Belkar could do only 1 HP of damage and still set off the mark. He can, however, choose to deal nonlethal damage, which is damage that, when added up, could only knock someone out.

EDIT: Tripping or grappling her, however, would work. He just can't stab her.
Bear in mind, too, that he probably wouldn't need to do a great deal of nonlethal damage given that Miko's recently been impaled... I wonder if he's still got that lead sheet?

[ArtDandelay]

I fear that our good friend :belkar: is in considerable danger. I hope he enjoyed his last birthday cake.

[K'tai]

The MoJ is real, The Giant showed it to us, or rather V did. I do think, however that Shojo's death might have erased it. If that's true then the Belkster is gonna kick Miko. Hard. Once he realizes he can.

[Renegade Paladin]

Why would Shojo's death erase it? He wasn't the caster, and even if he was the spell doesn't go away with the caster's death.

[Raxtenko]

The MoJ is real, The Giant showed it to us, or rather V did. I do think, however that Shojo's death might have erased it. If that's true then the Belkster is gonna kick Miko. Hard. Once he realizes he can.

And your reasoning for this is what?

[donkyhotay]

I doubt belkar will kill miko for the same reason he didn't when he did before. He wants to mess her up. Sure he has seen her lose her paladin powers, now it's time to push her even further and see if he can change her alignment. Belkar is stab-happy fool but he seems to me to be able to hold his homicidal tendencies when he has an even MORE evil goal in mind.

[Duke of URL]

;1939657']Tripping or grappling her, however, would work. He just can't stab her.

:belkar: You guys are seriously cramping my style...

[Shapechanger]

We can only wait and see. There are too many possibilities, methinks.

[Belphegor]

Hmmm... lead sheet ftw.

But could he deal lethal damage before the Mark of Justice is activated?
IMO he is gonna let her pass.

[PiperlyonWiz5]

it might be miko since she is rushing tword him

[Spider_Jerusalem]

Well... V did cast dispel magic on him. And dispel magic can dispel mark of justice(correct me if I'm wrong). And you make one check for each spell on the area. So, it's fairly possible that, even if Belkar had that mark, V accidentaly dispelled it. I'd bet on that. I guess the giant didn't make all that charm person thing just for laughs. Of course, I may be wrong.

[Niburu]

I believe it COULD be a fake. It could be an illusion (I always loved illusions) but it might be real, we will have to wait.

Nice card metaphor by the way.

[V Junior]

Oh, just read #409. And I got an idea. WAS THAT KICK LETHAL DAMAGE???? If it was, then... boop.

BELKAR UNLEASHED!!!! RUN RUN HOBGOBLINS!!!! RUN!!!!!

Ahem... Hinjo and Roy weakened Miko, but... was that kick sending her into negatives? Or worse? Heh, she might come back round into positives, yes, it doesn't make any sense...

Spider? DETECT MAGIC, not DISPEL MAGIC!!!!!

[Matrix Dragon]

Not only did we see the MOJ, we saw it on his FOREHEAD. If it was fake, they would have put it somewhere where Belkar himself could see it in order to mess with him.

[Grizzt]

IMO, the MoJ could be anything. It could even have two uses: a release and Pain. I think that this particular MoJ is only activated by Roy himself. If he wants Belkar to kill Miko he wont activate it or he will stop it

First post on my new PC wow

[FlawedParadigm]

An interesting thing about the Oracle...Belkar asked if he would directly or indirectly cause the deaths of the mentioned people, as I recall.

Could he be about to indirectly cause Miko's death through those willing to defend him as being the "lesser evil"?

[PiperlyonWiz5]

and lo the prophacy is fufiled

[BrokenButterfly]

Oh, just read #409. And I got an idea. WAS THAT KICK LETHAL DAMAGE???? If it was, then... boop.

BELKAR UNLEASHED!!!! RUN RUN HOBGOBLINS!!!! RUN!!!!!

Ahem... Hinjo and Roy weakened Miko, but... was that kick sending her into negatives? Or worse? Heh, she might come back round into positives, yes, it doesn't make any sense...

Spider? DETECT MAGIC, not DISPEL MAGIC!!!!!

I've always noticed that whenever Belkar kicks somebody at the end of the strip it has been to emphasise the total futility of the action. So I doubt that kick would be enough to set Belkar off after his little walking chunks of XP.

[V Junior]

I've always noticed that whenever Belkar kicks somebody at the end of the strip it has been to emphasise the total futility of the action. So I doubt that kick would be enough to set Belkar off after his little walking chunks of XP.


Point taken. Although... if it was lethal... yay! And still, even if he's got no stabbitystab any more, he's got great lines! ("Funny, I always thought I'd be killed by a paladin)