Rich, you sneaky son of a kobold!

[Renegade Paladin]

Okay, 'fess up. You knew you what you were going to do in #448 before you put rubber balls on the equipment lists in Dungeonscape. :smallamused: That is brilliant.

*Disclaimer: I do not mean to disparage Rich Burlew in any way, shape, or form. I am merely amazed at the brilliance and foresight displayed here. No insults are intended, either to Rich or to kobolds. :smallwink:

[Bel_Bel]

Could you point me to where he did that?

I'd like to see. :smallsmile:

[Renegade Paladin]

Could you point me to where he did that?

I'd like to see. :smallsmile:
Dungeonscape, page 32.

[mockingbyrd7]

Dungeonscape, page 32.

I apologize for my ignorance, but what, praytell, is Dungeonscape?

[JonathanC]

It's a D&D book. Rich Burlew occasionally writes for WoTC.

[fwiffo]

Amazon buyers (http://www.amazon.com/Dungeonscape-Essential-Adventuring-Dungeons-Accessory/dp/0786941189) don't seem to be too thrilled about it.

And, OP, putting words "#448" and "brilliant" in same paragraph should be against the rules.

[Tharr]

Great because the love for 448 is like one big rubber ball.
The sad thing is Paris Hilton might have to read OOTS in jail now.

[Renegade Paladin]

Amazon buyers (http://www.amazon.com/Dungeonscape-Essential-Adventuring-Dungeons-Accessory/dp/0786941189) don't seem to be to thrilled about it.

And, OP, putting words "#448" and "brilliant" in same paragraph should be against the rules.
I don't like #448 either. In fact, I think it's the low point of the strip thus far. But I can recognize and appreciate a clever bit of advance planning when I see it.

As for the Amazon reviews, I can say that the ones I bothered to read don't seem to know what they're talking about. On the second one I got to the part about some of the class options being overpowered before stopping; if you notice, the more powerful abilities were given to the fighter and paladin, which, gasp and horror, could use the boost. :smallsigh: I haven't really looked over the factotum, but every book has its lemons. Me, I'm just all too happy to use the complex trap section. :smallamused:

[Icewalker]

Well, it's written by Rich, it has sections about traditional dungeon-building, aka the monsterfilled kind instead of the puzzley kind, and it has a complex trap section, and I think I saw it at my nearby gaming store...

Sounds like I am going to own this book within a week.

[Zherog]

And, OP, putting words "#448" and "brilliant" in same paragraph should be against the rules.

I thought 448 was hysterically funny... *shrug*

[bitznarf]

I thought 448 was hysterically funny... *shrug*
Yeah, I mean, its a comic when it comes right down to it. None of these people are real.

[Callista]

Neither is Boromir, but I bet you felt sad when he died in Lord of the Rings.

What's the ISBN of that book?

[Demented]

And that was about the best Boromir moment in the movie, too.

[BobTheDog]

And that was about the best Boromir moment in the movie, too.

I disagree. He could just have taken the first arrow and fallen. Poor Uruk-hai had to waste a whole quiver on him.

[Renegade Paladin]

What's the ISBN of that book?
978-0-7869-4118-6

[Setra]

Neither is Boromir, but I bet you felt sad when he died in Lord of the Rings.
No, not really.

Boromir wasn't that important of a character, so I wasn't attached to him.

Most of those Paladins are even less important. Besides, if you feel so sad for the Paladins.. then what makes the comic so bad?

A comic that can make you sad is a good one, I felt sad when Roy died.

I for one think of 448 as one of my favorites.

[Renegade Paladin]

No, not really.

Boromir wasn't that important of a character, so I wasn't attached to him.

Most of those Paladins are even less important. Besides, if you feel so sad for the Paladins.. then what makes the comic so bad?

A comic that can make you sad is a good one, I felt sad when Roy died.

I for one think of 448 as one of my favorites.
My disappointment had nothing to do with the deaths of the paladins; I fully expected them to die. It was more to do with the gimmick Xykon used violating the internal consistency of the strip; it broke the rules of the story to suit one of the main characters, which really isn't good narrative technique.

[Zherog]

Huh? It was funny. I have no idea what "rules of the story" you're talking about.

[Levant]

I've seen consistency this and that being broken since 448 was up on this board and I sure as hell didn't think "My gods Rich! This totally flies in the face of everything that's lead up to this point!" What consistency was violated here guys?

[Talya]

Errr...yeah, what consistency was violated?

[Geilan]

There's story consistency?

That's new.

I've seen this as a series of wacky hijnx that have recently turned into a fairly serious campaign. I see Xykon's gambit as being completely in line with everything else he's done (remember TeeVo?).

[Erloas]

Its breaking the consistency of the Giant doing what he wants to be funny, and bending or ignoring the rules as he sees fit to make a good joke.

...
Oh wait, it doesn't break that consistency at all.

[Renegade Paladin]

Look, I really don't want to go over this again, so here's the short version: Every story has internal rules. If it didn't, it wouldn't be a story; there would be nothing holding the narrative together. Now, for this particular story, the rules given are those of D&D. Xykon took an action that both had major effect on the story and blatantly broke the rules in about six different ways. Making fun of the ruleset, which was the start of the strip after all, and smashing it to pieces after adopting it as the setting, are two entirely different things.

For another example, it would be about analogous to a character in a modern-Earth set story suddenly developing Force powers about halfway through the narrative with no prior indication that there was anything of the sort in existence in the world of the story. It shatters the internal consistency of the story, which wrecks suspension of disbelief and generally makes the story far less enjoyable.

[Talya]

Look, I really don't want to go over this again, so here's the short version: Every story has internal rules. If it didn't, it wouldn't be a story; there would be nothing holding the narrative together. Now, for this particular story, the rules given are those of D&D. Xykon took an action that both had major effect on the story and blatantly broke the rules in about six different ways. Making fun of the ruleset, which was the start of the strip after all, and smashing it to pieces after adopting it as the setting, are two entirely different things.

For another example, it would be about analogous to a character in a modern-Earth set story suddenly developing Force powers about halfway through the narrative with no prior indication that there was anything of the sort in existence in the world of the story. It shatters the internal consistency of the story, which wrecks suspension of disbelief and generally makes the story far less enjoyable.

Actually, Xykon's rubber ball symbol trick directly follows the rules as written, to the letter. Yes, it breaks the spirit of the "cannot be used offensively," but not the letter of it, by the way that Xykon used the rubber ball and drew their attention to it by their own choice rather than as a 'shoved in their face' kinda thing. He also made sure it was defensive rather than offensive by making sure they attacked first, as he just stood there and took it. A rules lawyer would allow it. A good DM would smack you upside the head for trying it, but as written, the rubber ball trick is legal.

[Ridureyu]

Great because the love for 448 is like one big rubber ball.
The sad thing is Paris Hilton might have to read OOTS in jail now.

Paris Hilton knows how to read?

[Setra]

For another example, it would be about analogous to a character in a modern-Earth set story suddenly developing Force powers about halfway through the narrative with no prior indication that there was anything of the sort in existence in the world of the story. It shatters the internal consistency of the story, which wrecks suspension of disbelief and generally makes the story far less enjoyable.
I don't see the correlation.

However I do find that this wold be funny.

There has always been indication that Xykon can cast spells. It's a spell.
There has always been indication that they can bend the rules, he bent the rules.
There has always been indication of items not truly of those times, he used that kind of item.
There has always been indication that Xykon was evil, this is icing on the cake.

Where is the shattering of consistancy?

[Dudukain]

I think of and see alternative uses for equipment all the time.

This is one of the most awesome ones I have ever seen.