OOTS #1015 - The Discussion Thread

[The Giant]

New comic is up.

[yester]

Hurray ! :)

[Agnostik]

And that is why I sometimes tolerate Belkar despite him being a little [expletive].

[Bubble]

Yay! Belkar is back in the game!

Was the smoke form going up or down the mountain? Belkar got buffeted down the mountain though I can see the whisp trailing off to the left in the last frame.

[WickerNipple]

Was the smoke form going up or down the mountain? Belkar got buffeted down the mountain though I can see the whisp trailing off to the left in the last frame.

Looks like up, to me.

[Knaight]

Well, that settles the "did Belkar die" argument neatly enough.

[RblDiver]

Poor Belkar is going to be sorely disappointed when he finds out that Roy's already figured it out!

[Aeliren]

Awesome!


Yay! Belkar is back in the game!

Was the smoke form going up or down the mountain? Belkar got buffeted down the mountain though I can see the whisp trailing off to the left in the last frame.

Going up. The eyes are to the left.

On another note, it seems like the giant Creed member from 994 was vampirized as well (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0994.html). It seems likely that the rest of the Creed was vampirized as well.

[Kwinza]

Is that a Goliath? 0.o

[manuelj]

Yay! The sexy shoeless god of war is alive! And finally someone capable of dealing with the situation is coming.

[3SecondCultist]

Oh no, Belkar is going to get double-teamed! :smalleek:

Although, that surprise item was a good choice. And I liked that he didn't die from falling damage - I was almost expecting a lampshading, but I think this comic has already broken into that particular trope.

[NotNale]

Awesome -- loved the lampooning of this forum in Belkar's windy explication as he climbed.

How can a sexy shoeless god of war have no daggers? Every sexy shoeless god of war should have an extra in his boot.

[CoffeeIncluded]

Haha! He is alive! At least for now.

And holy crap, he killed every single cleric usher. How the hell did he do that? How did he have time to do that? This is honestly terrifying.

[ImperatorV]

THE SEXY SHOELESS GOD OF WAR RETURNS!

Also, comic updated while I was online. That's a first.

[declinator]

Wow, so how many breaks of the fourth wall do you count?


Cut-away 1: after Belkar's ejection
Cut-away 2: after Blackwing/Tiger/Bloodfeast's rat problem
Feather fall reveal: Messing with our heads.

[halfeye]

Ooh, Belkar to the fight with a vampire wight?

[dsollen]

I must say I'm surprised. Not that belkar survived, I figured that was all but guaranteed given all the other fake outs, the lack of narrative attention given to his 'death', and that scruffy seemed okay.

What surprises me is that the giant decides to draw attention to it like this, without Belkar doing anything interesting like barging in to save the day. Rich didn't save the reveal for a big climatic moment, which suggests to me that Belkar likely won't get to do a big climatic moment that everyone expected. He may save the day, but not by bashing through a window and knifing Durkula at a critical moment.


Edit. wow. In the time I took to write two paragraphs 14 other posts were made. First time I've been close enough to when the comic was posted to see how rapidly the responses come in. It's unusual for the comic to be posted mid day isn't it?

[Fitzclowningham]

Welcome back, Belkar!

[137beth]

Not just another vampire. A lot more vampires:smalleek:

[Schmendric]

Yay! Belkar is back in the game!


Welcome back the Belkster! That'll show all those doubters :smalltongue:

Woohoo, all cards are in play now...

[declinator]

Awesome!



Going up. The eyes are to the left.

Also, you can see it passing the goliath (?) two frames later.

[madtinker]

Awesome! Great way to start the morning!

[3SecondCultist]

I must say I'm surprised. Not that belkar survived, I figured that was all but guaranteed given all the other fake outs, the lack of narrative attention given to his 'death', and that scruffy seemed okay.

What surprises me is that the giant decides to draw attention to it like this, without Belkar doing anything interesting like barging in to save the day. Rich didn't save the reveal for a big climatic moment, which suggests to me that Belkar likely won't get to do a big climatic moment that everyone expected. He may save the day, but not by bashing through a window and knifing Durkula.

I agree, the staging seems to be setting it up so that Belkar won't get to burst in the way he wanted to.

That and, you know, Roy has already had the great emotional revelation of finding out who Durkula really is. So that would be kind of a (gods)moot point.

[Coldwind]

YES! BELKAR IS ALIVE!

Great!

[Shekinah]

IS that a d12 weapon the vampire is holding? Because if so, I have a barbarian/fighter who would love to have that.

[Quibblicious]

The Belkster lives!

And...

More Vampires!

[declinator]

IS that a d12 weapon the vampire is holding? Because if so, I have a barbarian/fighter who would love to have that.

Let's hope he/she does not have a size penalty to handling larger-than-normal weapons.

[jidasfire]

Haha, I can't wait for all the "Belkar is dead" clickbaity threads to get real quiet now.

But seriously, I had faith in my favorite little psycho, and while I didn't see the feather fall thing coming (I was sure he'd stolen Tarquin's whip and caught a ledge), I didn't think a ranger was going to go down to a little thing like a fall.

And yeah, this definitely confirms my other suspicion, which was that Durkula got the entire Creed of Stone. That is bad bad news, but I do hope the Belkster manages to drop at least one of them.

[Crusher]

Cool.

But... why's Belkar so dinged up if he had a feather fall item to use?

[Thokk_Smash]

Feather Fall wouldn't last the whole fall, but it kept him from dying.

[warmachine]

Someone is known to be good at stealth and can claim diving into snow counts as hiding behind cover, especially with a Small size.

[Nawaki]

Poor Belkar :D
At least he is alive... but fightning with that giant... vampire thingie... auch...

[GAAD]

I'm not quite sure that's a vampire in the last panel. The skin tone is a bit off, so it looks like an example of another type of undead.

But I'm sure Belkar will be all wight.

[ArkenBrony]

Cool.

But... why's Belkar so dinged up if he had a feather fall item to use?

he has the same cuts he got from the fight here (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0996.html), if you look at the last panel they'e all the same marks.

[butterbow]

As self-declared sexy shoeless god of war is Belkar part of the Northern Panteon? And if this is the case (and he manages to enter), can he be his own high priest of sexy shoeless war and participate in the vote?

[wesleytj]

Ya'll are just lucky I'm not the type of guy who says "I told ya so".

Oh, wait...apparently I am! :elan:

[Itrogash]

How can a sexy shoeless god of war have no daggers? Every sexy shoeless god of war should have an extra in his boot.
Ha! Boot! I see what you did there :P


Someone is known to be good at stealth and can claim diving into snow counts as hiding behind cover, especially with a Small size.

Only if he has good enough Spot skill to notice gigantic vampire in front of him.

Uh oh.

[Smolder]

Out of one cliffhanger and into another...

Oh, the suspense!

[M Placeholder]

Is that a Goliath? 0.o

Think so.

The only thing worse than a Goliath Vampire? A Goliath Vampire with a spiked chain, so at least its not got that.

[TerrickTerran]

Belkar survives..for a little longer at least. Fun new comic for sure.

[HandofShadows]

One EPIC rant later. :smallbiggrin::smallcool:

[Psyren]

I laughed out loud at "OPTIONS OPEN" :smallbiggrin:

[Spoomeister]

Sure, ok, why not.

...actually it's entirely believable, I think, that at the level and amount of wealth these guys are at, that they can be buying up items like this, for emergencies like this. Rich has used a variation of the "fake death but they survive for reasons only explained in flashback to off-camera event" very seldom, if ever, so I guess this is ok.

Any remaining grumbles about how Belkar came back are cancelled by still having him around, and by excellent monologue throughout. Good strip.

I do feel like this cutaway, and to a lesser extent the cut to the orb theft on the Mechane, takes away from the impact of the main current storyline though. Fate of the world in the balance among godly votes doesn't feel as impending-doom-ish when it first went to a tie, then diverted into knockdown-drag-out between Roy and HpoH, now flitting to events outside the temple... I dunno, at this rate the eventual resolution of the votes may feel anti-climactic. But then I didn't see "Belkar bought a FF item off-panel" coming, so who knows, I'm willing to believe there's surprises and cool flourishes coming.

[Silferdrake]

I never thought I'd say this, but I'm glad Belkar is alive!

Also, Elan would be touched by how the little guy recapped the last few comics.

[DaOldeWolf]

Amazing explanation for his survival, though one question remains....

How many vampires did the HPoH made? :smalleek:

[Bulldog Psion]

I'm not quite sure that's a vampire in the last panel. The skin tone is a bit off, so it looks like an example of another type of undead.

But I'm sure Belkar will be all wight.

1. It's got fangs, so I say it's a vampire.

2. We know that a vampire ran amok creating more vampires, so that also makes me doubly sure it's a vampire.

Oddly enough, the feeling I get from seeing Belkar again is one of relief. Not dead, not some kind of Revenant, just the vicious little ranger climbing up and planning out his quips in advance. :smallsmile:

This does seem to indicate, however, that Lurky Corpsewhiskers managed to turn every usher, Stoner, and guard in the building into a vampire. That's rather terrifying, actually. :smalleek:

[Sylthia]

I wonder how many charges that staff had. A few timely Dispel Magics should help clear out the vampires, outside, at least.

[foobar1969]

In the first panel of 994 there are five stone temple ushers including Gontor. Insta-vamped goliath means that in between 996 & 997, Durkula backtracked all the way to the entrance door, and presumably killed all of the ushers, otherwise one of them would have called an alarm. Including the need to prevent possible escape, it should have taken several minutes to do that, not to mention a round each for insta-vamping.

I hereby submit a headcanon retcon: Durkula does not appear in 997, and instead arrives just in time for 999.

[Vinsfeld]

This does not look good for Belkar. :(

[remetagross]

This does not bode well. Where is Buffy when we need her most ?

Interestingly enough, Belkar mentions stabbing Durkula through the heart when next rushing into the fight, although DnD vampires don't possess a special weakness to heart-stabbing attacks.

[DigoDragon]

Funny little monologue there, Belkar. :D

[Broken Crown]

Falling off a mountain should be quite survivable for a character of Belkar's level, but I liked the lampshading of the Feather Fall for the benefit of the gripers.

For some reason, I wasn't worried at all about Belkar dying from that fall. Maybe because it would have happened off-page?


On another note, it seems like the giant Creed member from 994 was vampirized as well (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0994.html). It seems likely that the rest of the Creed was vampirized as well.

Thanks for posting that link! Saved me having to go back through the last few dozen pages to figure out who that guy was.

[Nazzo, the 102nd]

This is looking like a Seinfeld episode, where seemingly unrelated and parallel storylines all connect at the end. In this instance, we were at the Godsmoot, then a cutaway to the rat problem in the Mechane, now a cutaway to Belkar. I'm kinda hoping for a strip with all three coming together at the same time.

... and a panel at the end that says "written by Larry David"

[AutomatedTeller]

Why is a vampire going UP the mountain? Is that the one that stole the orb? Did the airship drop altitude or something? I'm confused.

[halfeye]

Amazing explanation for his survival, though one question remains....

How many vampires did the HPoH made? :smalleek:
Too many, all of the order of stone. Belkar might not survive this. Then again, if they're spread too thin, he might. If he is vamped, but the vampire who vamped him dies, that would cover the prophecy, and leave the vampire from the western gods halls as a free agent, which being neither from Hel ? (or would he be from Hel?) nor Nergal, might be compatible witht the order's aims. Or not. I can see Roy saying "this vampire is not Belkar, end it" then not bringing Belkar back either.

[Kantaki]

Yay, Belkar is back. Just in time for a Castlevania reenactment with Durkula's new friends.

And it seems Gontor has warned his fellow vampire. Looks like our favorite Halfling will play Baseball the moment the reaches the temple.

Oh, and V is in the flashback.

[Hopeless]

1) Nice reveal!
Need to remember that one if I ever get to run or play another game!😿
2) Wait how could he reanimate all of them THAT fast?
Did Durkula use up one or more of his spells as I assume he wouldn't use up the staff's charges?
3) How did they know he was climbing back up?
Shouldn't they be guarding the entrance in case V & co figure this out and try to help?

Otherwise a nice comic just don't see Durkula realising Belkar survived.

[Onyavar]

Conservation of detail! Great!!!

I first wondered, how Belkar knew all about Malack's smoke form and how his staff worked - then I realized he is the only one besides Durkon who was there (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0874.html).

Also, Ungontor was in the ship, and the ship is currently floating slightly below the temple (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots1012.html), so Ungontor needs to hurry upwards. And finally, we have the giant vampire who I formerly thought to be a golem (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0994.html). Which also means that Undurkon's staff can't exactly hold THAT many charges anymore. Also, we have seen that shopkeeper (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0967.html) before, we can even see here that V just left his shop.

[El Grapadura]

Don't halflings in 3.5 get a bonus for fighting Giants? Plus we never learned what Belkar's favored enemies were. Do those bonuses still apply if the creature has the vampire template?

[Syncrogti]

I love how Rich draws a character complaining about Rich's decision to throw him out of a building. I also love Belkar's jokes about teasing Roy with falling and not dying for a whole story arc. I love that the characters can break the fourth wall occasionally when it is funny.

[M Placeholder]

Only if he has good enough Spot skill to notice gigantic vampire in front of him.
Uh oh.

And Belkar has the Wisdom score of a lemming, so its unlikely at best. But the goliath vampire (thats what I recon - the skin patterns, not to mention that they are a race of stone) has probably heard The Belkster. Considering the huge bonuses that vampires get and the raising of the weapon, it looks likely that its preparing to bring the hammer down.

[NihhusHuotAliro]

Now I'm imagining the Mormon Tabernacle Choir singing Climb Every Mountain in the background, and the juxtaposition of something so wholesome with Belkar is hilarious.

[Shining Wrath]

Belkar lives! Belkar lives! Belkar LIVES!

And he's only moderately psychotic! Kudos to everyone who called it that he would have taken precautions against being thrown off the ship as well as domination! And now - the sexy shoeless god of war against a temple full of vampires. This time, he gets full XP - and the cavalry is starting to assemble, the Marines are getting ready to land, and so on, because we know it's not going to be long until the folk on the Mechane put two and two together: Uber-bauble gone, hordes of rats summoned on a flying airship, tiger drained of blood ...

Roy's getting the band back together! And their first gig opening for the Stone Temple Pilots!

BTW, totally knew what the strip would show me just by the title.

[Jasdoif]

Why is a vampire going UP the mountain?Suppose said vampire was patrolling the mountain in case Belkar (or anyone else, for that matter) came along, and Belkar was already higher up the mountain than the vampire when he was spotted.

[Quild]

Belkar is alive... for now.

I thought that the Goliath was the vampire, but you can actually see the vampire in cloud form on the goliath's left.
Two opponents, no weapon. Well...

[Griffincat]

I love it. Thanks, Giant.

[pendell]

Ha! I knew he wasn't dead yet!

I have to say, the art just keeps getting better. Some lovely panels here. I particularly like the mountain , which looks quite like something in the Alps.

... this isn't really a stick figure comic anymore , is it? I mean, sure, the main characters are stick figures, but the backgrounds are becoming increasingly detailed and 3D.

ETA: If Durkula used the staff to quickly vampirize all those priests, then he is burning through the charges in his staff at a rapid rate. Just how many does it have? Can it be recharged? Because if it can't, then Durkula will have to learn "Protection from Daylight" himself, or be restricted to the night hours.

Respectfully,

Brian P.

[Ivrytwr]

Belkar! You're alive! (Well, yeah. Pssh whatev's)
Love the humor! The monologue is great.
Thanks Giant!

[gerryq]

Well, that settles the "did Belkar die" argument neatly enough.

Though one worries whether his reprieve may turn out short-lived...

[schmunzel]

Suppose said vampire was patrolling the mountain in case Belkar (or anyone else, for that matter) came along, and Belkar was already higher up the mountain than the vampire when he was spotted.

Actually I am pretty sure it was Futurkula with the Uber-Bauble

sch

[Traab]

I agree, the staging seems to be setting it up so that Belkar won't get to burst in the way he wanted to.

That and, you know, Roy has already had the great emotional revelation of finding out who Durkula really is. So that would be kind of a (gods)moot point.

He will still burst in, only it will be after everything is over. "ROY! Durkula is evil and planning to destroy everything!"

"Uh yeah, we know, I just finished him off, his plan failed and the world wont be destroyed."

[schmunzel]

Belkar is alive... for now.

I thought that the Goliath was the vampire, but you can actually see the vampire in cloud form on the goliath's left.
Two opponents, no weapon. Well...

I am sure that its Vampire Goliath at this point.

Look at those teeth and eyes!

sch

[MountainTiger]

The coloring on the undead waiting for Belkar seems more like Tsukiko's wights than the mammalian vampires we've seen. It would make some sense for Durkula to have conserved the staff by raising some of his victims as other types of undead. Though the fangs do seem to strongly suggest vampire.

[knhaw]

So, regarding the count of possible vampires, Malack first uses the "fast" vampire rise spell in comic 878 (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0878.html). Assuming it's a spell that Hel can grant him, he could cast it from the staff or as part of his daily allotment. And if it's not (say, it's exclusive to clerics of Nergal), then it's the staff only.

Do we have any idea what level that spell is? That would help us figure out how many vampires HPoH has raised.

EDIT: Assuming that HPoH raised the goliath as a vampire and not a wight or other undead.

[StLordeth]

Yeah I figured.

"Dead snake guy" No respect.

[Shining Wrath]

Also, you can see it passing the goliath (?) two frames later.

And Belkar's cloak swirls to be in front of him.


Ha! Boot! I see what you did there :P



Only if he has good enough Spot skill to notice gigantic vampire in front of him.

Uh oh.

At least it's not a ninja goliath vampire. That would be unfair.


Amazing explanation for his survival, though one question remains....

How many vampires did the HPoH made? :smalleek:

All of them. Although I wonder if some were left as vampire spawn. But I'll guess about half a dozen, mostly low on spells or completely out. I wonder why the demigod priests didn't notice? The complete absence of ushers, did no one want a ginger ale whilst playing pinochle?


Too many, all of the order of stone. Belkar might not survive this. Then again, if they're spread too thin, he might. If he is vamped, but the vampire who vamped him dies, that would cover the prophecy, and leave the vampire from the western gods halls as a free agent, which being neither from Hel ? (or would he be from Hel?) nor Nergal, might be compatible witht the order's aims. Or not. I can see Roy saying "this vampire is not Belkar, end it" then not bringing Belkar back either.

Belkar would still be under Hel's purview, and I think Roy is going to get a long exposition from at least one high priest about just how vampires actually function in OotSWorld. Which means if Belkar gets the fatal bite, Roy will dust him without qualm.

[schmunzel]

... snip ...
ETA: If Durkula used the staff to quickly vampirize all those priests, then he is burning through the charges in his staff at a rapid rate. Just how many does it have? Can it be recharged? Because if it can't, then Durkula will have to learn "Protection from Daylight" himself, or be restricted to the night hours.

Respectfully,

Brian P.

It was especially stated in Comic that Durkula has been researching this spell - despite hoping to be raised soon. -
http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0990.html

sch

[factotum]

Though the fangs do seem to strongly suggest vampire.

Especially since he didn't have them in life (guessing this is the same one we see standing off to the side in #994).

Not going to start celebrating Belkar's escape from death just yet. Partly because I don't particularly care about him, but mainly because he's unarmed and is about to face a vampiric giant with a huge hammer. I wouldn't be surprised if Belkar (or what's left of him) is soon going down that mountain a lot faster than he just came up.

[Shining Wrath]

So, regarding the count of possible vampires, Malack first uses the "fast" vampire rise spell in comic 878 (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0878.html). Assuming it's a spell that Hel can grant him, he could cast it from the staff or as part of his daily allotment. And if it's not (say, it's exclusive to clerics of Nergal), then it's the staff only.

Do we have any idea what level that spell is? That would help us figure out how many vampires HPoH has raised.

Staffs often have charges, which often recharge over time.

[The Pilgrim]

Belkar, I'll miss you when you finally kick the bucket.

[King of Nowhere]

i was ready for belkar surviving 20d6 of damage, but belkar actually planning and being prepared? damn, just when he deserves to live, he'll eventually die

[knhaw]

Staffs often have charges, which often recharge over time.

Good point. I had been wondering if HPoH might have also learned the spell as well, but you've made me think otherwise now. It's been pointed out in the strip that he was working on protection from daylight, so the idea of him researching a second spell as well in such a short time is unlikely. Also, he'd have to use spell slots, which we've seen he's instead been using in fighting Roy.

Given all that, it's most likely that HPoH is using the staff only for raising his "children" and didn't research the spell to cast normally (at least, not yet).

[Rogar Demonblud]

Wow, Belkar really is getting smarter. I guess we know where he put his last Ability bump.

[Hacktor]

"... some of us can handle a little fall without dying for a whole arc" ...

I'm in tears :smallbiggrin: Can't stop laughing.
Awesome as always Giant. :smallsmile:

...

"Though you know- options open" :smallbiggrin: Puahahaha

[Cynric]

Originally posted by Aerilen

On another note, it seems like the giant Creed member from 994 was vampirized as well (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0994.html). It seems likely that the rest of the Creed was vampirized as well.


Good catch! I was wondering where that guy came from.

But damn, the universe loves piling it on Belkar since his "character development".:smalleek:

[Rift_Wolf]

Staffs often have charges, which often recharge over time.

[citation needed]

In 3.5, wands and their big brothers were disposable sticks. You couldn't plug them in overnight.

[Lheticus]

And that's why nobody talks **** about the update schedule--because we know every page is going to be pure, congealed awesome when it does come.

[Eireannx]

Dear Mr Giant Sir,

This strip rubbed so many things in our faces that the fourth wall is supposed to protect us from. Always love your work but particularly this time.

[Shining Wrath]

[citation needed]

In 3.5, wands and their big brothers were disposable sticks. You couldn't plug them in overnight.

The Staff of Power, IIRC, could be recharged, and the rules don't say they cannot be recharged.

[grandpheonix]

Im sure Belkar got a few stakes. You know, just in case.

And on the topic of his favored enemies, Im pretty sure undead is a pretty big blanket for him.

If I had to guess, Human (He thinks they smell bad) Gobbos (due to time in Azure City) and Undead (Due to time in Azure city, and Curse) and if I had to guess another one? Giants (Due to Roy talking him into it for the starmetal side quest.)

Makes sense to me. And guess what he's about to fight, maybe? A Giant/Undead/Gobbo!

WOO!

[Velazquez]

The way Belkar re-enters the plot is just brilliant, splendid work Giant!

[Alex Warlorn]

One newly minted Chaotic Evil Vampire against the Chaotic Evil shoeless god of war? The problem is the army of vampires waiting inside.

[Kopmon]

Yes, thank you giant. Belkar is alive!!

[Stegyre]

The Staff of Power, IIRC, could be recharged,
Nope. (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/staffs.htm#power)

and the rules don't say they cannot be recharged.
And that's not how the rules work: they need to provide that something can be recharged. There are, in fact, no RAW rules for recharging an item (though one can readily reverse the calculations to houserule a reasonable price to do so).

[8BitNinja]

One newly minted Chaotic Evil Vampire against the Chaotic Evil shoeless god of war? The problem is the army of vampires waiting inside.

Talk about Evil Versus Evil (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/EvilVersusEvil)

Anyway, we can finally stop arguing if Belkar is dead or alive, because now we know for sure he is alive...

or do we (x-files music)

[Fitzclowningham]

Im sure Belkar got a few stakes. You know, just in case.

And on the topic of his favored enemies, Im pretty sure undead is a pretty big blanket for him.

If I had to guess, Human (He thinks they smell bad) Gobbos (due to time in Azure City) and Undead (Due to time in Azure city, and Curse) and if I had to guess another one? Giants (Due to Roy talking him into it for the starmetal side quest.)

Makes sense to me. And guess what he's about to fight, maybe? A Giant/Undead/Gobbo!

WOO!

You left out Kobold. He hates those.

[Shining Wrath]

Nope. (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/staffs.htm#power)

And that's not how the rules work: they need to provide that something can be recharged. There are, in fact, no RAW rules for recharging an item (though one can readily reverse the calculations to houserule a reasonable price to do so).

There was, in fact, an OGL feat (http://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/Recharge_%283.5e_Feat%29). Depends on whether or not you consider the Netbook of Feats canon.

[8BitNinja]

You left out Kobold. He hates those.

Can moving entity be put as a favored enemy

because that is what his is

[FlumphPaladin]

"Out of my way, Pastee Freez; I'm late enough as it is! Don't you recognize the representative from the Orthodox Church of Banjo (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0081.html) when you see him?"

...And so, the tense battle between undead giant and heavily-injured Belkar is completely averted in the first two panels of next week's strip by a daring bluff.

[Porthos]

Comedy. Gold. :smallcool:

Every-Damn-Panel. Comedy. Gold. :smallcool:

Well worth the wait.

[chy03001]

As self-declared sexy shoeless god of war is Belkar part of the Northern Panteon? And if this is the case (and he manages to enter), can he be his own high priest of sexy shoeless war and participate in the vote?

Nah, you know who should get a vote? BANJO!!! :-D

[dtilque]

Anyone else notice V and Blackwing in the background in the flashback panel? I expect they're just leaving the merchant's place, otherwise they'd have come in while Belkar was buying the FF device.

[IDrankWHAT]

You can't keep a good...errr Chaotic Evil Halfling for long! Go get that life-sucking douche-nozzle! :smallbiggrin:

[8BitNinja]

The next mention of Banjo will result in an alignment check

If you don't feel like having to risk going from Lawful Good to Chaotic Evil, Banjo won't get a say in anything

[Jasdoif]

There was, in fact, an OGL feat (http://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/Recharge_%283.5e_Feat%29).I'm sure there's more than one. Pretty much anyone can write OGL content, that's the purpose of the Open Game License.

[8BitNinja]

What if Belkar is still dead, and he is not climbing the same mountain, but one that looks just like it, and traveling through a Burlew-esque ethereal plane to the abyss?

Shining Wrath, you're the philosopher here, I'm just the rookie Paladin

[Shining Wrath]

I'm sure there's more than one. Pretty much anyone can write OGL content, that's the purpose of the Open Game License.

So it depends on whether or not you're willing to accept a work copyrighted, but not published via WotC, canonical. Probably not; OTOH, I think a lot of DMs houseruled something, which is even less canonical.

My point, such as it is, would be that if the Giant allowed Malack's staff to be recharged it wouldn't be the greatest excursion from RAW we've seen.

EDIT:

OTOH, the Giant likes people to die because of their faults. It would be quite ironic if the HPoH depleted the last charge in the spell, didn't realize it (determining the total number of charges left in a staff you didn't make requires Identify, which is not on the Cleric list), and died a painful Malack-like death because he couldn't cast Protection from Sunlight when he needed it - done in by his arrogance.

[schmunzel]

... I wouldn't be surprised if Belkar (or what's left of him) is soon going down that mountain a lot faster than he just came up.

exactly the prediction I was going to make ....


sch

[8BitNinja]

So it depends on whether or not you're willing to accept a work copyrighted, but not published via WotC, canonical. Probably not; OTOH, I think a lot of DMs houseruled something, which is even less canonical.

My point, such as it is, would be that if the Giant allowed Malack's staff to be recharged it wouldn't be the greatest excursion from RAW we've seen.

Order of the Stick is like a dream a D&D character is probably having, the rules of life seem to apply...

...and then they don't

Check that put, all just a dream

[ti'esar]

Part of me thinks this was a somewhat anticlimactic way to reveal Belkar had survived, but the rest of me thinks this was absolutely brilliant. His lines are pure gold in just about every panel. :smallbiggrin:

But awww, man, they vamped the goliath?!?

[8BitNinja]

Part of me thinks this was a somewhat anticlimactic way to reveal Belkar had survived, but the rest of me thinks this was absolutely brilliant. His lines are pure gold in just about every panel. :smallbiggrin:

But awww, man, they vamped the goliath?!?

Belkar has to have a slingshot somewhere

[Nightcanon]

Nah, you know who should get a vote? BANJO!!! :-D
I can't believe no one has thought of this before!

[PallentisLunam]

I'm sure this has been done before but I don't care I'm not even going to read the thread before posting. BELKAR LIIIIIIIIIIVES!!!!!!! WHOOHOO!!!!!!!

[Lossoth]

Excellent strip. For the first couple panels, I thought maybe Belkar had died instantly, and transitioned to climbing the mountain in his afterlife, without even noticing he was dead. I was glad that's not the case. For several reasons.

[Analytica]

What's so amazingly heartwarming is how at this point, Belkar clearly defines himself relative to Roy, with the latter as sort of a big-brother figure he needs to measure himself against. Slow, crawling alignment change upon actually becoming part of a social circle...

[Shining Wrath]

I can't believe no one has thought of this before!

Both as a god, and as a demigod; and both as a member of the Northern Pantheon, and of his own! And Redcloak should totally show up and demand to represent the Goblin Pantheon!

[KorvinStarmast]

As soon as I saw the title, my mind flashed to Belkar. (Nice Title)
Fourth Wall Goodness:
anyway, who cuts away when a beloved character is in danger like that

I should be able to get a couple of sweet burns on Roy about how some of us can handle a little fall without dying for a whole arc. heh heh.

I see a few other folks have arrived at the same conclusion that I did.
All of the other ushers are vampires, or thralls of Durkula. The hammer vamp has no beard, and I see we agree that he's the guard from earlier on.

Though one worries whether his reprieve may turn out short-lived... The sexy Shoeless God of War is not impressed with jests pertaining to stature. :smallbiggrin: :belkar:

Nazzo, the 102nd (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=20191726&postcount=53)

This is looking like a Seinfeld episode, where seemingly unrelated and parallel storylines all connect at the end. In this instance, we were at the Godsmoot, then a cutaway to the rat problem in the Mechane, now a cutaway to Belkar. I'm kinda hoping for a strip with all three coming together at the same time.But first, a cutaway to Elan and Haley ... never mind, who needs drama?

shopkeeper (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0967.html) has potential to be of importance because when V gets her familiar back, V's spells versus Durkula and friends will be more potent.

Belkar's two daggers are up in the temple/meeting house, as shown here in frames 10, 11, and 12. (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0967.html) In order to keep the fight going, Belkar will need to use his wits (Int) rather than his Wisdom. (EDIT: or, per 8bitninja, his sling. Back in older editions, halflings/hobbits had +'s to hit with slings and/or all missile weapons. EDIT@-I note that 3.5 SRD retains this).

Belkar knows how Cassandra felt in Troy. Unlike Belkar, Cassandra was not a Sexy shoeless god of war. (That would be Brad Pitt as Achilles (http://www.imdb.com/media/rm1041338112/tt0332452?ref_=ttmi_mi_all_sf_38)on his day off)

[schmunzel]

The next mention of Banjo will result in an alignment check

If you don't feel like having to risk going from Lawful Good to Chaotic Evil, Banjo won't get a say in anything

Naah the alignment check is for you - going from chaotic punk to something in the vicinity of chaotic Berserker :)

sch

[Sir_Leorik]

All right the Belkster is alive and kicking! Too bad he's unarmed and unready for a fight with a Goliath Vampire Cleric!

[schmunzel]

Belkar has to have a slingshot somewhere

Loooool

sch

[Nightcanon]

Both as a god, and as a demigod; and both as a member of the Northern Pantheon, and of his own! And Redcloak should totally show up and demand to represent the Goblin Pantheon!

Y'know, some one really should make a new thread with these totally original ideas:smallbiggrin:

[a1chemi]

This does not bode well. Where is Buffy when we need her most ?

Interestingly enough, Belkar mentions stabbing Durkula through the heart when next rushing into the fight, although DnD vampires don't possess a special weakness to heart-stabbing attacks.

From Vampire SRD:

"Driving a wooden stake through a vampire’s heart instantly slays the monster (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/vampire.htm)"

He didn't say he was going to stab him with his dagger.

[EccentricFellow]

Good to see our little buddy back in the game. Not sure how he is going to handle this particular threat coming up, but he is pretty resourceful. Geez, with all that plot exposition, you would think he is getting ready to take on a level of Bard. Wait, didn't he gain a level one time through role playing? I seem to remember something like that. Versatile fellow.

[Stegyre]

There was, in fact, an OGL feat (http://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/Recharge_%283.5e_Feat%29). Depends on whether or not you consider the Netbook of Feats canon.
The word for this is "homebrew." No one regards it as canon. (And in the 3.5 forum, people will laugh at you for citing D&Dwiki as a source.)

As you note, that is not to say that the Giant may not have such rules for his story. He's made it clear numerous times and numerous ways that plot drives what happens, not RAW.

But your original statements were about the Rules allowing recharging, and that is simply wrong. Accept it, and move on.

[Jasdoif]

So it depends on whether or not you're willing to accept a work copyrighted, but not published via WotC, canonical. Probably not; OTOH, I think a lot of DMs houseruled something, which is even less canonical.

My point, such as it is, would be that if the Giant allowed Malack's staff to be recharged it wouldn't be the greatest excursion from RAW we've seen.OOTS is copyrighted but not published via Wizards of the Coast, and I accept that as canonical to OOTS.... :smalltongue:

Seriously though, "canon" and "RAW" aren't the same thing, and aren't even in the same scope (canon is narrative, while RAW is about game rules); conflating them is going to cause confusion, which isn't going to help your point get across. Anything accepted in a campaign/story is canon to that particular campaign/story; while RAW is generally accepted as game rules published in first-party sources (principally so there's an established starting point for talking about game rules).


What's so amazingly heartwarming is how at this point, Belkar clearly defines himself relative to Roy, with the latter as sort of a big-brother figure he needs to measure himself against.You sure? Reads more like Belkar putting himself in the big-brother role, claiming Roy doesn't meet his standards and needs to be bailed out of the trouble he got himself into.

[Basement Cat]

Feather Fall item bought off scene?

Why, I do believe that--(half the people here)--I called that! :smallbiggrin:

[KorvinStarmast]

Belkar picked up a level in Barbarian, didn't he? Back of my head that means something about his combat versatility, I need to look it up. Goliathula may be in for a surprise.

[PallentisLunam]

You sure? Reads more like Belkar putting himself in the big-brother role, claiming Roy doesn't meet his standards and needs to be bailed out of the trouble he got himself into.

Regardless, Belkar clearly views Roy and the rest of the order as something approaching a very twisted version of family, which is a huge break through. Belkar's whole arc is just awesome!

[DaggerPen]

Beautiful. Absolutely beautiful.

Also: Oh crap!

[8BitNinja]

Belkar picked up a level in Barbarian, didn't he? Back of my head that means something about his combat versatility, I need to look it up. Goliathula may be in for a surprise.

Belkar is a Ranger, so he will be very versatile

[KorvinStarmast]

Belkar is a Ranger, so he will be very versatile
I think this strip shows him raging in the encounter with that big wolf durkula (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0996.html). Not that it did him a lot of good. but the transition from panel 4 to panel 5 may (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0996.html)reflect his rage ... though how that ties into the prot from evil amulet I am not sure.

[8BitNinja]

I think this strip shows him raging in the encounter with that big wolf durkula (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0996.html). Not that it did him a lot of good. but the transition from panel 4 to panel 5 may (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0996.html)reflect his rage ... though how that ties into the prot from evil amulet I am not sure.

Wait... If he is wearing a protection from evil amulet, could he just walk by?

That Goliath looks pretty evil to me

[Nenec]

To those saying the goliath/golem is not a vampire based on the skin colour, we've seen that he already had that exact skin colour even before transformation, so it's not a factor. The big fangs and the red eyes are also quite a pointer that he's a vampire.

And..Belkar alive? Pfft not surprised at all, and awesome as ever.

[Breccia]

Feather fall item bought offstage? Not going to feel bad about calling that one wrong.


Wait... If he is wearing a protection from evil amulet, could he just walk by?

That Goliath looks pretty evil to me

It should stop him as much as it stopped Durkula: prevent possession, not bite or hammer attacks.

Unfortunately...this says a lot about Durkula, that he'd have a backup plan waiting for Belkar downstairs, just in case he survived the fall somehow. That's some serious contingency planning. Roy might be in more trouble than he thinks.

[happycrow]

So, yup, happycrow is wrong yet again. =)

Leaves me wondering, though... how much stake could a snuck hin sneak, if a snuck hin could sneak stake?

[Giggling Ghast]

All vampires are evil, unless otherwise noted.

Durkula must have used up most of the charges in his staff now, what with all these speedy vampirizations and Protection from Sunlight spells.

[8BitNinja]

Belkar could use a stake...

...or use a steak!

[PallentisLunam]

Unfortunately...this says a lot about Durkula, that he'd have a backup plan waiting for Belkar downstairs, just in case he survived the fall somehow. That's some serious contingency planning. Roy might be in more trouble than he thinks.

I don't think the Goliath is there specifically for Belkar. Remember Durkula knows that the rest of the order is floating around the Godsmoot. He has vamped the rest of the staff for some reason and having one guard the door makes sense for a bunch of reasons that have nothing to do with our sexy shoeless god of war.

[GreatWyrmGold]

On one hand, Belkar surprisingly survived falling off the mountain.

On the other hand, he's injured, unarmed, and probably short a few levels, with a hostile goliath vampire cleric in his way, so he probably doesn't have much time left.

[Doug Lampert]

Falling off a mountain should be quite survivable for a character of Belkar's level, but I liked the lampshading of the Feather Fall for the benefit of the gripers.

For some reason, I wasn't worried at all about Belkar dying from that fall. Maybe because it would have happened off-page?
That and the fact that those thinking he should be dead pretty much had to totally ignore the D&D rules to say it was even mildly likely. Rich doesn't slavishly follow D&D rules, but they are still the outline of "how the universe works" in OotS-Land.

The only reason Belkar would have died in the fall would have been if it was so important to the story for him to be dead that Rich decided to have the extremely improbable happen.

Mentioning that Belkar had both opportunity and good reason to buy a "feather fall" item is just icing on the cake.


Ha! I knew he wasn't dead yet!

I have to say, the art just keeps getting better. Some lovely panels here. I particularly like the mountain , which looks quite like something in the Alps.

... this isn't really a stick figure comic anymore , is it? I mean, sure, the main characters are stick figures, but the backgrounds are becoming increasingly detailed and 3D.

ETA: If Durkula used the staff to quickly vampirize all those priests, then he is burning through the charges in his staff at a rapid rate. Just how many does it have? Can it be recharged? Because if it can't, then Durkula will have to learn "Protection from Daylight" himself, or be restricted to the night hours.

Respectfully,

Brian P.

Core rules, non-artifact staffs can't be recharged. It had at most 50 charges when it first appeared (and at least the number used), it's possible to make some uses cost multiple charges. But the staff is a custom item, so who knows about that?

Minimum of 2 charges per vampire (quick vampire + protection from daylight), plus Malak made a bunch of mummies, plus Durkula used some.

The staff is probably pretty low.


The Staff of Power, IIRC, could be recharged, and the rules don't say they cannot be recharged.

No. The artifact staff of the magi can be recharged. But then it's an artifact.


There was, in fact, an OGL feat (http://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/Recharge_%283.5e_Feat%29). Depends on whether or not you consider the Netbook of Feats canon.

So someone made up a feat that does it and added it to a D&D Wiki. GOSH! I guess Roy really CAN fart fireballs because I can find sources every bit as official (like this very post) that say he can.

Oh, and this post is also copyrighted, just like EVERY bit of text written in the last few decades in this country! Wow! Why hasn't Roy farted any fireballs since he totally can!

More seriously: Rich can of course allow the staff to be recharged if he likes, he can simply not bother to track charges if he likes, he can do pretty much anything that he likes, including having Roy fart fireballs. But the odds are overwhelmingly good that he won't do so unless it's either funny or important to the plot or both. And the odds are also pretty good that if he does need the staff to have more than 50 charges or be rechargeable, he'll mention this. That strikes me as extremely unlikely, the spell in the staff elected "most likely to be plot critical going forward" is also the one we KNOW the HPoH was researching. Almost as if Rich were PLANNING to have the staff be lost/destroyed/expended and having the HPoH be thrown back on his own slots and vampiric powers.

[Tvtyrant]

Belkar has to have a slingshot somewhere

All Belker needs is the pebble.

[KorvinStarmast]

All Belker needs is the pebble. Where's he going to find a pebble or a stone on a mountain near a temple erected by the order of stone ... :smallbiggrin:


On the other hand, he's injured, unarmed, and probably short a few levels, with a hostile goliath vampire cleric in his way, so he probably doesn't have much time left.
The sexy Shoeless God of War is not impressed with jests pertaining to stature. :belkar:

[a1chemi]

On one hand, Belkar surprisingly survived falling off the mountain.

On the other hand, he's injured, unarmed, and probably short a few levels, with a hostile goliath vampire cleric in his way, so he probably doesn't have much time left.

Besides explicitly having a protection from evil clasp which would block level drain, Durkula never slammed him. He was wolf form the whole time. (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0996.html)

Rich is not going to kill off a main protagonist immediately after saving him from a cliffhanging. Belkar has a long time left in this story.

[pendell]

Feather Fall wouldn't last the whole fall, but it kept him from dying.

Hmm .. checking SRD (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/featherFall.htm)



Duration: Until landing or 1 round/level


But ... it's an item, so it's dependent on the level of the person who manufactured it, not on Belkar's level, correct?

I'm going to guess a sixth-level wizard, so that's 6 rounds -- 36 seconds -- of decelerated free fall to .. let's see...



Feather fall instantly changes the rate at which the targets fall to a mere 60 feet per round (equivalent to the end of a fall from a few feet), and the subjects take no damage upon landing while the spell is in effect. However, when the spell duration expires, a normal rate of falling resumes.


So ... the quickest solution is if the item can be manually activated by Belkar. If so, all he has to do is hold on until he's right above the ground, then switch it on. Like a skydiver with a parachute.

Whatever it is, it's got to be a better item than the Ring of Feather Falling (http://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/SRD:Ring_of_Feather_Falling).

Why?

Because according to the text, the ring activates automatically if the wearer falls more than 5 feet.

This would be bad because if that mountain is 15,000 feet high (5,000 meters) (the average height of the alps (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_chain_of_the_Alps) ) and the ring activates after 5 feet (1.5 meters) -- then that means Belkar falls at 18 meters per second for six seconds, thus covering 108 meters of the 4998.5 meter drop. Having thus had a slow fall for six seconds at the start of the fall, he then proceeds to fall the remaining 4890.5 meters at normal speed, achieves terminal velocity, and hits the ground with the force of a small, fleshy meteor.

So whatever Belkar is using, it can't be the poorly-designed ring of feather falling. It must be some other item, perhaps homebrew.

Respectfully,

Brian P.

[Lexible]

I'm not quite sure that's a vampire in the last panel. The skin tone is a bit off, so it looks like an example of another type of undead.

But I'm sure Belkar will be all wight.

Simply ghastly sense of humor! I just hope that with all the pummeling he's taken Belkar isn't reduced to a ghost of his former self or the specter of failure will surely haunt him.

[PallentisLunam]

Besides explicitly having a protection from evil clasp which would block level drain, Durkula never slammed him. He was wolf form the whole time. (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0996.html)

Rich is not going to kill off a main protagonist immediately after saving him from a cliffhanging. Belkar has a long time left in this story.

Durkula can still drain levels in wolf form since a vampire's level drain ability applies to any natural weapons he possesses. But you're correct the clasp would protect him.

Edit: Actually on rereading Protection from Evil the clasp wouldn't block level drain but then again the clasp doesn't actually behave in exactly the same manner as that spell so who knows, but Belkar buys it specifically to prevent domination not level drain.

[ArqArturo]

What a blunt way to put that Goliath Vampire.

[Knaight]

This would be bad because if that mountain is 15,000 feet high (5,000 meters) (the average height of the alps (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_chain_of_the_Alps) ) and the ring activates after 5 feet (1.5 meters) -- then that means Belkar falls at 18 meters per second for six seconds, thus covering 108 meters of the 4998.5 meter drop. Having thus had a slow fall for six seconds at the start of the fall, he then proceeds to fall the remaining 4890.5 meters at normal speed, achieves terminal velocity, and hits the ground with the force of a small, fleshy meteor.

So whatever Belkar is using, it can't be the poorly-designed ring of feather falling. It must be some other item, perhaps homebrew.

Respectfully,

Brian P.

This only applies if he is falling all the way to sea level. He was thrown out sideways with some force, but not nearly enough to clear the entire mountain. A much smaller fall is likely, quite possibly one where the ring of feather fall is good enough protection. I'd also argue that the ring is hardly poorly designed, given that it automatically protects against any number of falls in the range where most falling is likely to be done, and does so even if the person falling is already unconscious.

[SaintRidley]

For anyone confused about whether the goliath is a vampire or another undead, consider the following:

1. fangs, the better to puncture necks with
2. red eyes, the better to look vampiric with
3. the punchline of the strip, which only works if it's a vampire.

[Cazero]

And the odds are also pretty good that if he does need the staff to have more than 50 charges or be rechargeable, he'll mention this.

I don't see Rich wasting storytelling space to explain us if and how the staff can recharge unless that recharge mechanism becomes relevant.

[Emperordaniel]

The Vampocalypse is here!

[KorvinStarmast]

This only applies if he is falling all the way to sea level. He was thrown out sideways with some force, but not nearly enough to clear the entire mountain. A much smaller fall is likely, quite possibly one where the ring of feather fall is good enough protection. I'd also argue that the ring is hardly poorly designed, given that it automatically protects against any number of falls in the range where most falling is likely to be done, and does so even if the person falling is already unconscious. He bounced off the roof twice, and missed his Dex throw on "catch the edge of the roof and hang on" and then fell. Granted, slope of roof is pretty steep.

See panels 14, 15, and 16 of the short battle with Durkowolf. (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0996.html)

I note that Belkar being a Ranger provides decent Climb capability.

[Peelee]

Slow, crawling alignment change

Since Belkar openly considers murdering Roy, I'd imagine that alignment change to be from CE to NE?

[Ruck]

I'm not quite sure that's a vampire in the last panel. The skin tone is a bit off, so it looks like an example of another type of undead.

But I'm sure Belkar will be all wight.

Yeah, l was thinking the skin looked pure white, like Tsukiko's wights, although I'm not sure how someone would turn that guy into a wight / what the process is.


Only if he has good enough Spot skill to notice gigantic vampire in front of him.

Uh oh.

He shouldn't need much of a Spot skill due to the "gigantic" part. Now, not being seen first...


Why is a vampire going UP the mountain? Is that the one that stole the orb? Did the airship drop altitude or something? I'm confused.

That was the conclusion I drew.


Sure, ok, why not.

...actually it's entirely believable, I think, that at the level and amount of wealth these guys are at, that they can be buying up items like this, for emergencies like this. Rich has used a variation of the "fake death but they survive for reasons only explained in flashback to off-camera event" very seldom, if ever, so I guess this is ok.

It's a pretty basic item. I don't think it stretches plausibility at all.

[Quibblicious]

Why is a vampire going UP the mountain? Is that the one that stole the orb? Did the airship drop altitude or something? I'm confused.

I took it as the Orb thief returning. He probably dropped down low to avoid strong winds and they went up the mountain.

J

[ChillerInstinct]

Yeehaw, I knew Belkar wasn't stupid enough to not look into some way around getting thrown off the Mechane a third time.

Now, the question is... what now? It's likely the new vamps aren't nearly as strong as the HPoH, but Belkar still doesn't have much of a way to protect himself without the clasp. Methinks we now have a good idea how V and the others are going to get involved...

[Quibblicious]

Too many, all of the order of stone. Belkar might not survive this. Then again, if they're spread too thin, he might. If he is vamped, but the vampire who vamped him dies, that would cover the prophecy, and leave the vampire from the western gods halls as a free agent, which being neither from Hel ? (or would he be from Hel?) nor Nergal, might be compatible witht the order's aims. Or not. I can see Roy saying "this vampire is not Belkar, end it" then not bringing Belkar back either.

Belkar is good at being sneaky. If he realizes the pending ambush he might be able to skirt it and sneak into the temple.

[Shining Wrath]

Yeehaw, I knew Belkar wasn't stupid enough to not look into some way around getting thrown off the Mechane a third time.

Now, the question is... what now? It's likely the new vamps aren't nearly as strong as the HPoH, but Belkar still doesn't have much of a way to protect himself without the clasp. Methinks we now have a good idea how V and the others are going to get involved...

I have called it - Roy's getting the band back together, and their opening act is the Stone Temple Pilots. Under these circumstances no one is going to complain if the entire Order walks into the Godsmoot having killed the not-protected-by-the-rules vampirized Creed of Stone folk.

[Ruck]

"Out of my way, Pastee Freez; I'm late enough as it is! Don't you recognize the representative from the Orthodox Church of Banjo (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0081.html) when you see him?"

...And so, the tense battle between undead giant and heavily-injured Belkar is completely averted in the first two panels of next week's strip by a daring bluff.

LOL

As much as I thought the idea that Banjo would actually be recognized as a pantheon god was silly, the thought of Belkar using that as a bluff to get into the Moot is hilarious.

[KorvinStarmast]

That was the conclusion I drew.

So did Rich :smallbiggrin: in panel 15 of this strip (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots1012.html). You will note the airship over the road with the slope going up and to the right out of the frame. The Airship did not hover over the temple to discharge the passengers, it hovered over the road, so we must believe that Durkon, Roy, Veldrina, Wrecna, and Belkar walked the rest of the way up the road to get to the top and be greeted.

While Banjo's state as deity is dubious, on the bright side, even with only Elan as a priest and before even Haley and Belkar became temporary converts, Banjo did get a little smiting off onto Roy's head (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0080.html).

[Ruck]

Yeehaw, I knew Belkar wasn't stupid enough to not look into some way around getting thrown off the Mechane a third time.

Now, the question is... what now? It's likely the new vamps aren't nearly as strong as the HPoH, but Belkar still doesn't have much of a way to protect himself without the clasp. Methinks we now have a good idea how V and the others are going to get involved...

Why do you assume he doesn't have the clasp?

[Ruck]

So did Rich :smallbiggrin: in panel 15 of this strip (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots1012.html). You will note the airship over the road with the slope going up and to the right out of the frame. The Airship did not hover over the temple to discharge the passengers, it hovered over the road, so we must believe that Durkon, Roy, Veldrina, Wrecna, and Belkar walked the rest of the way up the road to get to the top and be greeted.

Haha, I meant that the vampire being Gontor returning from the Mechane was the conclusion I drew, but that's a good point (and a good pun).

[Quibblicious]

Belkar is alive... for now.

I thought that the Goliath was the vampire, but you can actually see the vampire in cloud form on the goliath's left.
Two opponents, no weapon. Well...

I took the gaseous form of Gontorrhea (Hey, he is transmitted orally :smallbiggrin:) as him entering the temple, to bring his master the orb. The goliath is there to keep out anyone else.

Staff usage: We know that two vampires have been speed-vamped, and both have protection from sunlight. Not sure how many charges the staff has but we've seen no evidence that Durkula can recharge those two spells.

Now, he could have speed-vamped a dozen others and told them to stay indoors, but that remains to be seen.

[Spartakus]

Hahaha, I love this rant.

At first I thought Belkar should better get used to climb high mountains. (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0493.html)
But then realized he would go another road. One paved with good intentions.
Yes I know that is for lawful people only.

[Ron Miel]

Question How does Belkar's ring of jumping work? Couldn't he clear each step on the climb with a single leap, or maybe two?

[Havelocke]

Heck, he could throw a snowball at the Goliath and crit-kill it in one shot if the fear of Halfling rock throwing is that impressive in the OOTS universe!

[alexandraerin]

Why is a vampire going UP the mountain?

Because it's there!

[Quibblicious]

Feather fall item bought offstage? Not going to feel bad about calling that one wrong.



It should stop him as much as it stopped Durkula: prevent possession, not bite or hammer attacks.

Unfortunately...this says a lot about Durkula, that he'd have a backup plan waiting for Belkar downstairs, just in case he survived the fall somehow. That's some serious contingency planning. Roy might be in more trouble than he thinks.

The vampire guards could simply to keep the rest of the Order at bay. There are a few potent high level characters right there within easy action range.

[Bobbybobby99]

I love it! (and good heavens that background is amazing)

[Idiotic_Bird]

Haha, i loved how we all assumed that Belkar died. Belkar's smart tho, arriving at the conclusion that Durkon must've vampirised the other dwarf dude. I hope Belkar gets to Roy and kills durkon :smallwink:

[Idiotic_Bird]

Question How does Belkar's ring of jumping work? Couldn't he clear each step on the climb with a single leap, or maybe two?

He gave it to Roy in the fight for Azure city. I don't remember him getting it back. Wait a sec...

[PallentisLunam]

So ... the quickest solution is if the item can be manually activated by Belkar. If so, all he has to do is hold on until he's right above the ground, then switch it on. Like a skydiver with a parachute.

Whatever it is, it's got to be a better item than the Ring of Feather Falling (http://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/SRD:Ring_of_Feather_Falling).

Why?

Because according to the text, the ring activates automatically if the wearer falls more than 5 feet.

This would be bad because if that mountain is 15,000 feet high (5,000 meters) (the average height of the alps (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_chain_of_the_Alps) ) and the ring activates after 5 feet (1.5 meters) -- then that means Belkar falls at 18 meters per second for six seconds, thus covering 108 meters of the 4998.5 meter drop. Having thus had a slow fall for six seconds at the start of the fall, he then proceeds to fall the remaining 4890.5 meters at normal speed, achieves terminal velocity, and hits the ground with the force of a small, fleshy meteor.

So whatever Belkar is using, it can't be the poorly-designed ring of feather falling. It must be some other item, perhaps homebrew.

Respectfully,

Brian P.

Umm, there is no limit on how many times a ring of feather falling can activate per day, nor is there a limit on how many times it can activate during a single fall. The only restriction on its activation is that the wearer fall 5 ft. Even under the effect of a feather fall spell the target still falls, therefore the spell effect keeps reactivating every 5 ft until the wearer reaches the ground. There is nothing wrong with a ring of featherfall.

Edit: And the minimum caster level to forge a ring is 12th.

[Blue Ghost]

Belkar is back in the game. Bad hobbits are hard to break.

[Shining Wrath]

Belkar is back in the game. Bad hobbits are hard to break.

Enjoy the Internet you just won. And congratulations on beating Rich Burlew to that pun - he's probably editing the next strip right now to take it back out.

Does this mean that halfling sex is sometimes hobbit forming?

[Ron Miel]

He gave it to Roy in the fight for Azure city. I don't remember him getting it back. Wait a sec...

He had months to take it back from dead Roy.

I think he had it when fighting the thieves guild (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0611.html).

[Jelly d6]

Guys, we miss very important information!

We know the hosts aren't protected by Godsmoot rules from the attacks of attending delegations. Are the participants not protected from being attacked by the hosts either? The latter seems slightly less possible because representatives of the voting gods have quite an important role, and I can think of more than a few scenarios where the hosts can badly mess with the voting process.

[Caractacus]

3) How did they know he was climbing back up?
Shouldn't they be guarding the entrance in case V & co figure this out and try to help?


Well, he IS standing right outside the entrance, so yes, they are guarding the entrance.
How did they know he was climbing back up? They didn't - they are guarding the entrance...

See here (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0994.html)...

[Toper]

Ah, Belkar banter, I've missed you.

[KorvinStarmast]

Enjoy the Internet you just won. And congratulations on beating Rich Burlew to that pun - he's probably editing the next strip right now to take it back out.

Does this mean that halfling sex is sometimes hobbit forming?It shire can be.


3) How did they know he was climbing back up?
Well, a gaseous form Vamp just floated past him on the way to the top as he was talking to himself.
We know from the fight between Roy and Durkula that a gaseous form vamp can talk. (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots1005.html)We also know that the goliath vamp was near the door, and the circle of truth, when Roy and Belkar and Veldrina, etc all walked in.

[PallentisLunam]

Guys, we miss very important information!

We know the hosts aren't protected by Godsmoot rules from the attacks of attending delegations. Are the participants not protected from being attacked by the hosts either? The latter seems slightly less possible because representatives of the voting gods have quite an important role, and I can think of more than a few scenarios where the hosts can badly mess with the voting process.

Wercan seems to indicate that attacking an individual of a different, officially represented, faith will remove the protections of the Godsmoot. So I think it's safe to infer that this applies to the hosts as well. And I think self defense would apply regardless. Even if the rules say so, who's going to stand by while a vampire kicks their ass?

[Caractacus]

Nah, you know who should get a vote? BANJO!!! :-D


Please, no... Not this thread, too...please...it's still so young...

[KorvinStarmast]

Please, no... Not this thread, too...please...it's still so young... Don't worry, there's a special corner in Hel's kitchen for people who keep doing this.

:smallcool:

[Mad Humanist]

I just relaised when Belkar says "another fricken' vampire" he is referring to Gontor. Read Belkar's speech in the penultimate panel to see. He refers to a dwarf. The Goliath vampire is a bonus yet to come.

[Nightcanon]

Guys, we miss very important information!

We know the hosts aren't protected by Godsmoot rules from the attacks of attending delegations. Are the participants not protected from being attacked by the hosts either? The latter seems slightly less possible because representatives of the voting gods have quite an important role, and I can think of more than a few scenarios where the hosts can badly mess with the voting process.
Probably the neutral host faction aren't supposed to attack the delegates or their bodyguards, and if there are rules that govern what the vampirised corpses of the host faction are allowed to do, they probably specify not attacking the delegates and bodyguards too.
I think it's worth noting that with regard to her dealings with her fellow gods, Hel is playing it strictly by the rules because she has to, but outside the meeting chamber itself (which is where the assembled priests are, who are obliged to respond with extreme prejudice to inter-factional, but not intra-factional violence), Hel's faction is operating by the rule of 'who is gonna see?' and 'who is gonna stop me?'

[Anarion]

So much tension right now. I suspect in the book, this will be a great comic to build up the scene and pacing though. Plus Belkar is pretty funny at this point. He's not a bad psychoanalyst either.

[Bulldog Psion]

I just relaised when Belkar says "another fricken' vampire" he is referring to Gontor. Read Belkar's speech in the penultimate panel to see. He refers to a dwarf. The Goliath vampire is a bonus yet to come.

You're right. :smalleek:

[Stabbey]

In the first panel of 994 there are five stone temple ushers including Gontor. Insta-vamped goliath means that in between 996 & 997, Durkula backtracked all the way to the entrance door, and presumably killed all of the ushers, otherwise one of them would have called an alarm. Including the need to prevent possible escape, it should have taken several minutes to do that, not to mention a round each for insta-vamping.

I hereby submit a headcanon retcon: Durkula does not appear in 997, and instead arrives just in time for 999.

That almost makes sense until you look at 997 and see him right there in the second panel.

I GUESS that a lot of time passed between 996 and 997, but that still seems like a very risky maneuver for HPoHel to do.

Veldrina already thought that they were running late and the moot was going to start at noon, and since Hel's plan required her priest to vote before the voting finished, it really seems like HPoHel was taking a big chance spending all that time vamping, resurrecting, and protecting the other vampires - especially since killing the ushers didn't seem necessary for the plan in the first place.

[Jaxzan Proditor]

Nice to see that Belkar is alive and kicking, as well as surprisingly well prepared for once. This'll stop the pointless speculation about his death, for now, at least. He's a little late to be breaking the news about Durkon to Roy though. :smalltongue:

[8BitNinja]

All of a sudden

Mom: Roy, time for dinner
Roy: Mom, we are in the middle of something right now
Mom: That's great, but I think it's time for your druid friends to go home
Roy: Mom, we are NOT druids, we are warriors and wizards

They were LARPing the whole time

[Peelee]

He had months to take it back from dead Roy.

I think he had it when fighting the thieves guild (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0611.html).

He probably did, but we have no way to prove; he's always had high points in Jump, according to early comics and Uncivil Servant.

[Anansiil]

Aww, this reminded me of how much I like Belkar! It's great when main characters *can* die, adds tension, but common sense preparation is even better :P
I wonder how long he'll live!? I feel like I'm sitting on a suicide watch :P
This comic is becoming an addictive drug! (becoming, Lol)

[Shining Wrath]

That almost makes sense until you look at 997 and see him right there in the second panel.

I GUESS that a lot of time passed between 996 and 997, but that still seems like a very risky maneuver for HPoHel to do.

Veldrina already thought that they were running late and the moot was going to start at noon, and since Hel's plan required her priest to vote before the voting finished, it really seems like HPoHel was taking a big chance spending all that time vamping, resurrecting, and protecting the other vampires - especially since killing the ushers didn't seem necessary for the plan in the first place.

It is possible that there was a vampiric chain reaction, as HPoH and Vamptor and unnamed female dwarf cleric each killed a Stoner per minute and then raised them all in another minute using the staff. You could do it in 3 minutes if you could have Vamptor call everyone to gather near the door and they arrived to find they were answering the call of a vampire.

[McMurphy]

It will be a 'shoeless god of war'- reminiscence.
I'm pretty shoere about that. °°

[Vendanna]

And on the topic of his favored enemies, Im pretty sure undead is a pretty big blanket for him.

If I had to guess, Human (He thinks they smell bad) Gobbos (due to time in Azure City) and Undead (Due to time in Azure city, and Curse) and if I had to guess another one? Giants (Due to Roy talking him into it for the starmetal side quest.)

Makes sense to me. And guess what he's about to fight, maybe? A Giant/Undead/Gobbo!

WOO!

Probably we wouldn't know a lot about its favoured enemies. but based on his reactions Kobolds are probably in his list. alongside goblinoids and humans.

And seeing how his nemesis is Fake durkon that will make him get undead as favored enemy (which is one of the things he will need for the fight against Xykon)

Btw, I think Belkar has raised his Wisdom score because previously he wouldn't have prepared anything in advance and now it shows that he is preparing contingencies.

So either he had invested on Wisdom, or got a possibly GM help after being level drained (if after all the levels lost he could reassign the lost stats again).

[Kareasint]

Belkar: About what I figured. As a player, if a DM is throwing a particular attack at you a number of times, you learn to find a defense against it.

The DM then moves on to something else.

The staff: I do not believe that we are looking at a large number of vampires here. We are more than likely seeing undead created by spell. Wights have been drawn white with red eyes and sharp teeth also. (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0708.html) I am not sure how many charges are left in the staff but I figure that saving it as a resource for future use would be prudent on the HPoH's part. Creating a single Vampire rapidly gives HPoH a minion in order to work on a second objective (steal the orb).

The undead door guard: Belkar might not have his daggers but I would be willing to bet that he is not defenseless at the moment.

Nice comic, Giant. I look forward to the next one.

[Vendanna]

Pronto! Could daggers be made out of a giant vampire fangs? (obv it should be made before a vampire is dusted)

If a vampire is dusted, does extracted fangs gets dusted too? :smalltongue:

[Wolvenlight]

Pronto! Could daggers be made out of a giant vampire fangs? (obv it should be made before a vampire is dusted)

If a vampire is dusted, does extracted fangs gets dusted too? :smalltongue:

I like this idea, using vampire fang daggers to kill vampires that he got from killing vampires.

[pendell]

So much tension right now. I suspect in the book, this will be a great comic to build up the scene and pacing though. Plus Belkar is pretty funny at this point. He's not a bad psychoanalyst either.

...

WHAT tension? I'm not feeling any tension at all. I felt tension during the Roy-Durkula fight, but not now.

It's pretty obvious that the world is not coming to an end due to a vote. There would be no reason for Gontorula to steal the teleport orb if it were. All the clues we've been given indicate Hel will lose the vote, and Durkula will escape with the teleport orb as well. Possibly shouting "When you least expect it!" Or "And your little dog too!" on the way out.

So there's no tension in the voting room even if Rich did end it on a cliffhanger.

Belkar confronting a vampire? Please. Rewrite this as : Named character versus un-named fodder who hasn't had a single speaking line. His sole purpose is to show what measures Belkar has taken which would enable to defeat a vampire and give him a moment of awesome. I have no doubt whatsoever that Belkar will defeat this vampire. I only hope it doesn't take more than a single strip to get done.

The law of the comic seems to be : Only named villains can seriously threaten the protaganists. Everything else is a mook or an obstacle to be overcome.

Belkar 'splains it to Crystal (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0616.html): In OOTSverse "Story purpose" is another word for "fate". Every protaganist has a set fate which they must either bring upon themselves or there must be a designated antagonist -- a named villain, with character backstory -- whose story purpose it is to bring about their demise.

Thousands of hobgoblins in the Azure City army, but the only people that matter, as far as our heroes are concerned, are Redcloak, Xykon, Redcloak's Xykon clones, and the MITD. Hobgoblins? Both Haley and Belkar kill them in heaps.

There were who knows how many soldiers in the Empire of Blood, but as far as the protagonists are concerned, Tarquin and his merry band are the only real threats. No way are Roy and company going to be killed by nameless soldiers.

Durkon had story immunity to all villains except the one tasked to kill him.

And it works the other way as well -- just as Darth Vader is immune to the blaster fire of a hundred rebel soldiers, so Redcloak is perfectly safe when confronting the elvish resistance. It's likely he will meet his fate at the hands of a named character, maybe even the Snarl himself, so the only reason for the existence of the resistance is to give him something to look awesome at crushing, establishing him as a threat even though he's going to lose to the heroes.

For these reasons I feel no suspense and have no doubt as to the outcome of this particular encounter.


...

I wonder what Team Evil is up to.

...

Respectfully,

Brian P.

[IamWeasel]

Pronto! Could daggers be made out of a giant vampire fangs? (obv it should be made before a vampire is dusted)

If a vampire is dusted, does extracted fangs gets dusted too? :smalltongue:

I don't think D&D vamps get dusted unless they run into V and a disintegrate spell. If you stake one in the heart, you have to leave the stake there and fill it's mouth with holy wafers to keep them dead.

[Epinephrine_Syn]

Did anybody else think of this when they saw the ending of this strip? (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0145.html)

[Jasdoif]

The law of the comic seems to be : Only named villains can seriously threaten the protaganists. Everything else is a mook or an obstacle to be overcome.Hmm. Help me out here, then; what's the ancient black dragon (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0628.html)'s name? I can't seem to find it.

[alexandraerin]

Guys, we miss very important information!

We know the hosts aren't protected by Godsmoot rules from the attacks of attending delegations. Are the participants not protected from being attacked by the hosts either? The latter seems slightly less possible because representatives of the voting gods have quite an important role, and I can think of more than a few scenarios where the hosts can badly mess with the voting process.

I assume the participants are protected from attacks by anyone not actually a party to the Godsmoot by their bodyguards, and their own likely epic-level Cleric abilities/spells. To anyone who doesn't have any standing in the moot--and thus can't be punished by expulsion/disqualification--"rules" have no force, in comparison to force.

[Dr.Zero]

It seems that no one noticed: "Climb every mountain" is the title of a song. :)

Climb every mountain,
Search high and low,
Follow every byway,
Every path you know.

Climb every mountain,
Ford every stream,
Follow every rainbow,
'Till you find your dream.

A dream that will need
All the love you can give,
Every day of your life
For as long as you live.


I hope it is only a coincidence and not an ominous foreshadowing about Belkar being killed by the giant. :)

Anyway I would have preferred "Ain't No Mountain High Enough".

[Nightcanon]

Hmm. Help me out here, then; what's the ancient black dragon (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0628.html)'s name? I can't seem to find it.
You mean the one that was an obstacle that V overcame?:smallwink:
Or, alternatively, since I agree with you that it did seriously threaten V, and was a catalyst for personal growth, we don't get a name, but we do get an extensive backstory and exposition of her motivation- she wasn't just a random encounter.

Brian's general point holds for this comic as it does for pretty much all fiction: characters live or die in service of the plot, and win or lose their fights along the way as the plot dictates also.

[Keltest]

Hmm. Help me out here, then; what's the ancient black dragon (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0628.html)'s name? I can't seem to find it.

Joyce.

That's my story and im sticking with it.

[Peelee]

Joyce.

That's my story and im sticking with it.
Dammit, man, i was gonna say Jeff!

[Lheticus]

Don't worry, there's a special corner in Hel's kitchen for people who keep doing this.

:smallcool:

Lol, Hell's Kitchen. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gordon_Ramsay)

[noblegasXenon]

I'm actually kind of glad that belkars not dead yet.

but now it looks like three vampires now?
Although it wouldn't just be three. Hel would want more then that I'm sure

[PallentisLunam]

Dammit, man, i was gonna say Jeff!

It was a she..... wasn't it?

Edit: Yeah she-dragon (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0628.html)

[foobar1969]

That almost makes sense until you look at 997 and see him right there in the second panel.
Nope. I don't see him there any more.
http://s9.postimg.org/ois0mkddr/oots0997retcon.png


I GUESS that a lot of time passed between 996 and 997, but that still seems like a very risky maneuver for HPoHel to do.
Yes, exactly.

[Thomas Hunter]

How can a sexy shoeless god of war have no daggers? Every sexy shoeless god of war should have an extra in his boot.

He's shoeless. He doesn't have a boot.

[Cerlis]

Sure, ok, why not.

...actually it's entirely believable, I think, that at the level and amount of wealth these guys are at, that they can be buying up items like this, for emergencies like this. Rich has used a variation of the "fake death but they survive for reasons only explained in flashback to off-camera event" very seldom, if ever, so I guess this is ok.

Any remaining grumbles about how Belkar came back are cancelled by still having him around, and by excellent monologue throughout. Good strip.

I do feel like this cutaway, and to a lesser extent the cut to the orb theft on the Mechane, takes away from the impact of the main current storyline though. Fate of the world in the balance among godly votes doesn't feel as impending-doom-ish when it first went to a tie, then diverted into knockdown-drag-out between Roy and HpoH, now flitting to events outside the temple... I dunno, at this rate the eventual resolution of the votes may feel anti-climactic. But then I didn't see "Belkar bought a FF item off-panel" coming, so who knows, I'm willing to believe there's surprises and cool flourishes coming.

if you save up your gold you can get a ring of featherfall (2k) by like 3rd lvl and have money left over i think.

fun reason to have that item, it will automatically activate if you fall more than 20 feet so it will work even when you are uncouncious or bound!

[ti'esar]

It was a she..... wasn't it?

Edit: Yeah she-dragon (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0628.html)

Projecting our naming conventions onto draconic society? For shame.

[Insane Trystane]

This strip...

is sooooo satisfying. /:-)

[White Magic]

I've been on tenterhooks since Roy attacked Durkon, waiting for Belkar to appear. Whew.




This strip...

is sooooo satisfying. /:-)

[NotNale]

He's shoeless. He doesn't have a boot.

That's a really good point.




I feel a little silly now, actually.




Still, he should have some extra daggers stashed somewhere on his person...

[a1chemi]

Durkula can still drain levels in wolf form since a vampire's level drain ability applies to any natural weapons he possesses. But you're correct the clasp would protect him.

Edit: Actually on rereading Protection from Evil the clasp wouldn't block level drain but then again the clasp doesn't actually behave in exactly the same manner as that spell so who knows, but Belkar buys it specifically to prevent domination not level drain.

It's unclear, because the spell does say it "wards a creature from attacks by evil creatures" first. And then in the details there is stuff about saves and domination. But then the clasp seems to be a bit more effective than RAW Protection from Evil (It burns Belkar).

Either way, there was no draining animation in the comic, so I don't think he gained any negative levels.

[PallentisLunam]

It's unclear, because the spell does say it "wards a creature from attacks by evil creatures" first. And then in the details there is stuff about saves and domination. But then the clasp seems to be a bit more effective than RAW Protection from Evil (It burns Belkar).

Either way, there was no draining animation in the comic, so I don't think he gained any negative levels.

I agree. I don't think Belkar has had any levels drained. I was just pointing out that it's not because Durkula was in wolf form, at least not according to RAW for the vampire template. But then something, somewhere has got to be non-RAW because otherwise Belkar would be drained. Could be the clasp, could be Vamps in OOTSverse

The bit about "ward[ing] a creature from attacks by evil creatures" just refers to the AC and save bonus granted by the spell, it has nothing to do with level drain.

[Forikroder]

i thought level drain only happened if they used there slam attack not just any time they attacked

[DaggerPen]

Simply ghastly sense of humor! I just hope that with all the pummeling he's taken Belkar isn't reduced to a ghost of his former self or the specter of failure will surely haunt him.

*groan*


Haha, i loved how we all assumed that Belkar died. Belkar's smart tho, arriving at the conclusion that Durkon must've vampirised the other dwarf dude. I hope Belkar gets to Roy and kills durkon :smallwink:

I mean, the last thing Belkar saw before being thrown off a mountain was the HPOH draining Gontor - not a huge logical leap.


Belkar is back in the game. Bad hobbits are hard to break.

*GROAN*


Enjoy the Internet you just won. And congratulations on beating Rich Burlew to that pun - he's probably editing the next strip right now to take it back out.

Does this mean that halfling sex is sometimes hobbit forming?

*GROAN*


Guys, we miss very important information!

We know the hosts aren't protected by Godsmoot rules from the attacks of attending delegations. Are the participants not protected from being attacked by the hosts either? The latter seems slightly less possible because representatives of the voting gods have quite an important role, and I can think of more than a few scenarios where the hosts can badly mess with the voting process.

Good question, but probably a (heh) moot point, as A. These are now distinct entities from the hosts and B. Who's going to enforce such a rule now?


It shire can be.

*GROAN*


Still, he should have some extra daggers stashed somewhere on his person...

Well... (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0261.html)

[PallentisLunam]

i thought level drain only happened if they used there slam attack not just any time they attacked

From the SRD

Living creatures hit by a vampire’s slam attack (or any other natural weapon the vampire might possess) gain two negative levels. For each negative level bestowed, the vampire gains 5 temporary hit points. A vampire can use its energy drain ability once per round.

Plus


A vampire can assume the shape of a bat, dire bat, wolf, or dire wolf as a standard action. While in its alternate form, the vampire loses its natural slam attack and dominate ability, but it gains the natural weapons and extraordinary special attacks of its new form. It can remain in that form until it assumes another or until the next sunrise. (If the base creature is not terrestrial, this power might allow other forms.)

Ergo, a vampire in wolf form who hits with a natural weapon drains 2 levels and gets 10 temporary hit points.

[Bulldog Psion]

...

WHAT tension? I'm not feeling any tension at all. I felt tension during the Roy-Durkula fight, but not now.

It's pretty obvious that the world is not coming to an end due to a vote. There would be no reason for Gontorula to steal the teleport orb if it were. All the clues we've been given indicate Hel will lose the vote, and Durkula will escape with the teleport orb as well. Possibly shouting "When you least expect it!" Or "And your little dog too!" on the way out.

So there's no tension in the voting room even if Rich did end it on a cliffhanger.

Belkar confronting a vampire? Please. Rewrite this as : Named character versus un-named fodder who hasn't had a single speaking line. His sole purpose is to show what measures Belkar has taken which would enable to defeat a vampire and give him a moment of awesome. I have no doubt whatsoever that Belkar will defeat this vampire. I only hope it doesn't take more than a single strip to get done.

The law of the comic seems to be : Only named villains can seriously threaten the protaganists. Everything else is a mook or an obstacle to be overcome.

(snip)

For these reasons I feel no suspense and have no doubt as to the outcome of this particular encounter.


...

I wonder what Team Evil is up to.

...

Respectfully,

Brian P.

Wow, that's pretty bitter. Sorry you're not enjoying it right now. :smallfrown:

I'd recommend a David Gemmell book if you haven't read one in a while :smallwink: -- "Gemmell novels, where anybody can die brutally at any time, and probably will, too!"

[skim172]

Well... (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0261.html)

There are probably several places in the body that can hide a ring, but not comfortably conceal a sharp pointy dagger.

Although, we are only speculating on halfling biology here. Perhaps halflings - being naturally small with limited carrying capacity - have evolved a pouch, like a marsupial. The existence of said pouch is a closely-guarded halfling secret. Here is where Belkar hides all his true valuables, including his chef's hat and rack of exotic spices.



On another note, I wonder if Belkar still has his Ring of Jumping. And if it would be any help at all in this situation, versus what seems to be an endless string of insta-turned vampires with super-magic abilities.

Vampires are seriously OP, amirite.

[DaggerPen]

There are probably several places in the body that can hide a ring, but not comfortably conceal a sharp pointy dagger.

Although, we are only speculating on halfling biology here. Perhaps halflings - being naturally small with limited carrying capacity - have evolved a pouch, like a marsupial. The existence of said pouch is a closely-guarded halfling secret. Here is where Belkar hides all his true valuables, including his chef's hat and rack of exotic spices.



On another note, I wonder if Belkar still has his Ring of Jumping. And if it would be any help at all in this situation.

BTW - Vampires are seriously OP, amirite.

I was being facetious, but yes, he probably does still have his Ring of Jumping - he had ample time and motivation to retrieve it from Roy's corpse, after all.

Also, I just wanted to say that the more I reread this comic the more "Yes, it is, because I'm not emotionally equipped to deal with bad things happening to good people" threatens to become one of my favorite OOTS lines, and not from lack of competition at that.

[dtilque]

Haha, i loved how we all assumed that Belkar died.

Who's this "we all", Kemosabe? As far as I can tell, more assumed he didn't die than did. I certainly assumed he didn't.

[Wildroses]

Ha, so all those jumping off the ship incidents were not just put there for the purpose of comedy, they were plot points prompting Belkar to get in his possession an item to enable him to survive being thrown off a mountain.

I look forward to his temper tantrum when he discovers Roy came to the realisation by himself and he won't get the chance to use his prepared speech or insults. He has not coped well when this situation arose in the past.

[Mandor]

Alright, add me to the list of people who were expecting Belkar to be dead from the fall.
Current prospects still don't look great for the Short One, but, I have to give the nod to all those who said he's not dead until we see the X's and sit with the body for 3 days.

[Tarqiup Inua]

Bit plot exposition-ey for my tastes... but it's alright :-)

Ain't no mountain high enough, ain't no valley low enough...

[zoofroot]

Don't halflings in 3.5 get a bonus for fighting Giants? Plus we never learned what Belkar's favored enemies were. Do those bonuses still apply if the creature has the vampire template?

Gnomes, not Halflings, get a bonus against Giants.

This strip (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0957.html) has been taken (in the Class and Level Geekery thread) as evidence that one of Belkar's favored enemies is undead.



The staff: I do not believe that we are looking at a large number of vampires here. We are more than likely seeing undead created by spell. Wights have been drawn white with red eyes and sharp teeth also. (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0708.html)

Those undead were WHITE. This guy is the same color he was in life.

By the way, Create Undead gets you ghouls, ghasts, mummies, or mohrgs, so unless it says so in another strip, I don't believe those white guys are wights.

[wkwkwkwk1]

Well, I'm happy he's back, even if it felt a little... random. Here did he get these wounds from, anyway?

EDIT: Oh, wait, a ring of feather falling activates as soon as the wearer falls 5 foot, so the duration probably expired before the end of the fall. But being as its CL is 1, wouldn't only the first 60 ft. Of the fall be slowed? :smallconfused:

[a1chemi]

From the SRD


Plus



Ergo, a vampire in wolf form who hits with a natural weapon drains 2 levels and gets 10 temporary hit points.

I think The Giant considers this combination of effects overpowered, as he discussed in detail in his revision of shapechanging spells and abilities.

In his houseruled version, a shapechanged creature loses all supernatural abilities (http://www.giantitp.com/articles/dC21fDHZ4tK8n5OjUm9.html), which would include both Vampire's Dominating Gaze, and Energy Drain (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/vampire.htm)

See also the original article from the forum on the Polymorph rules (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?172910-Articles-Previously-Appearing-on-GiantITP-com).

[ti'esar]

The reanimated hobgoblin in the comic you linked may actually have been a ghoul, since he looks similar to the ones present at the Battle of Azure City and keeps going on about wanting to eat mortal flesh. But the white undead Tsukiko always had with her were indeed consistently referred to as wights.

[a1chemi]

Well, I'm happy he's back, even if it felt a little... random. Here did he get these wounds from, anyway?

EDIT: Oh, wait, a ring of feather falling activates as soon as the wearer falls 5 foot, so the duration probably expired before the end of the fall. But being as its CL is 1, wouldn't only the first 60 ft. Of the fall be slowed? :smallconfused:

Two things that a few others have mentioned in pages past, but I will collect them here.

1) Belkar had those exact wounds when he started falling (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0996.html).

2) The ring of feather fall has no charges, and can be activated an unlimited number of times (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/rings.htm), even in the same descent. So the effect would essentially never expire.

[Flappi]

I don't know if it it intentional (and maybe this was already pointed out), but this strip reminded me about #493 (my post count is too low to add a link).

"the mountain is symbolic for the eternal quest of wisdom and understanding. You climb the mountain until you reach the level of enlightenment you're happy with. Simple, really". Well, the enlightenment Belkar is reaching isn't the same as the enlightenment Roy is reaching, but still, he gets some interesting conclusions.

Great strip. The "Belkar non-death" arc couldn't be having a better conclusion.

[Spartakus]

I just relaised when Belkar says "another fricken' vampire" he is referring to Gontor. Read Belkar's speech in the penultimate panel to see. He refers to a dwarf. The Goliath vampire is a bonus yet to come.

A few questions here: Is it somehow confirmed that this is/was a goliath and what is a goliath? I always assumed the giant creature that is a member of the creed of the stone would be a stone giant.

[Vendanna]

Anyway I would have preferred "Ain't No Mountain High Enough".

But then, we would know exactly what would happen to Belkar next. since "Ain't no mountain High" is followed by "Ain't no valley low" and that's a cliffhanger killer

Incidentally, the end of the strip is indeed a Cliffhanger killer. Since its the end of the mountain (cliff), he is hanging around that point and its a bloodthirsty killer (being a vamp)

[TuringTest]

It seems that no one noticed: "Climb every mountain" is the title of a song. :)



I can brag that I did, and in fact I guessed (and was instantly overjoyed) that the strip was bringing back Belkar alive just from reading the title from the link at the side menu :smallwink:

Now I have the tune of the song stuck in my ears.:smalltongue:




Anyway I would have preferred "Ain't No Mountain High Enough".

Be glad that it was not "The hills are alive"! :smallamused: It would have set up a very different strip.



I love how the Giant gave us clues that Belkar would have surely been prepared for a fall, and no one seemed to notice them. And the "Roy is not emotionally equpped" line? Hilarious. :smallbiggrin:

Edit: Added lame earth elementals joke. :smallamused:

[Killer Angel]

...
Belkar confronting a vampire? Please. Rewrite this as : Named character versus un-named fodder who hasn't had a single speaking line. His sole purpose is to show what measures Belkar has taken which would enable to defeat a vampire and give him a moment of awesome. I have no doubt whatsoever that Belkar will defeat this vampire. I only hope it doesn't take more than a single strip to get done.

In your opinion. Mine? I'll rewrite as : Named character versus un-named fodder who hasn't had a single speaking line. His sole purpose is to show what measures Belkar has taken which would enable to defeat a vampire and give him that cathartic, satisfying moment of awesome that we're all waiting for, since so many strips.

[lenon3579]

In your opinion. Mine? I'll rewrite as : Named character versus un-named fodder who hasn't had a single speaking line. His sole purpose is to show what measures Belkar has taken which would enable to defeat a vampire and give him that cathartic, satisfying moment of awesome that we're all waiting for, since so many strips.

You killed it, Angel. ;)

And I think it will have to do with some David vs Goliath easter egg, a sling and a stake.

[Zwiebelchen]

Wait, is that vampire wielding a "magic" "blunt" weapon? It's like smearing a peanut-butter sandwich when you are allergic to nuts.

[FlumphPaladin]

Be glad that it was not "The hills are alive"! :smallamused: It would have set up a very different strip.

"The hills are undead!"

[factotum]

Wait, is that vampire wielding a "magic" "blunt" weapon? It's like smearing a peanut-butter sandwich when you are allergic to nuts.

Not really, because I doubt he's intending to hit himself with the weapon, any more than an ordinary human swordsman (who is just as prone to being damaged by his own weapon) would.

[Hiro Quester]

Belkar's daggers are upstairs. But I'm betting he can find a pair of sharp icicles someplace nearby.

[schmunzel]

Hmm .. checking SRD (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/featherFall.htm)



But ... it's an item, so it's dependent on the level of the person who manufactured it, not on Belkar's level, correct?

I'm going to guess a sixth-level wizard, so that's 6 rounds -- 36 seconds -- of decelerated free fall to .. let's see...



So ... the quickest solution is if the item can be manually activated by Belkar. If so, all he has to do is hold on until he's right above the ground, then switch it on. Like a skydiver with a parachute.

Whatever it is, it's got to be a better item than the Ring of Feather Falling (http://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/SRD:Ring_of_Feather_Falling).

Why?

Because according to the text, the ring activates automatically if the wearer falls more than 5 feet.

This would be bad because if that mountain is 15,000 feet high (5,000 meters) (the average height of the alps (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_chain_of_the_Alps) ) and the ring activates after 5 feet (1.5 meters) -- then that means Belkar falls at 18 meters per second for six seconds, thus covering 108 meters of the 4998.5 meter drop. Having thus had a slow fall for six seconds at the start of the fall, he then proceeds to fall the remaining 4890.5 meters at normal speed, achieves terminal velocity, and hits the ground with the force of a small, fleshy meteor.

So whatever Belkar is using, it can't be the poorly-designed ring of feather falling. It must be some other item, perhaps homebrew.

Respectfully,

Brian P.

Na he didnt fall 5000m. He wouldnt have been able to be back up with temple in that case.
Even if the Mountain is 6000m high, then the next valley would perhaps be 1000 or 2000 m below.
Of course the mountain is exactly as high as necessary and the valley as deep as necessary and the magic item has been activated at exactly the necessary time. So any further discussion is rather moot.

sch

[Vendanna]

Belkar's daggers are upstairs. But I'm betting he can find a pair of sharp icicles someplace nearby.

There's no need. Belkar only need to disarm the giant and use the huge spike on the back of the hammer as an improvised stake.

[pendell]

In your opinion. Mine? I'll rewrite as : Named character versus un-named fodder who hasn't had a single speaking line. His sole purpose is to show what measures Belkar has taken which would enable to defeat a vampire and give him that cathartic, satisfying moment of awesome that we're all waiting for, since so many strips.

Well, you've definitely got a point. Belkar's initial encounter with Malack didn't go so well. Since then we know he's invested in a feather fall item (to prevent the falling) and a Protection from Evil device (to resist mind control). I presume he's been spending his money on other anti-vampire tools as well, and this'll give him a chance to show them off as well. He did attempt to dust Durkula (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0960.htm) on the airship with his daggers, of course, and that didn't work out either. Since he learned from the falls, I presume he learned from the dagger mishap as well.

That's part of what's engaging my interest at the moment: How will Belkar learn and adapt?

BTW, someone mentioned they were sorry I wasn't enjoying the story. That's a misunderstanding: I am enjoying the story immensely. I'm just not feeling any tension in this particular scene. It's as if Superman walked into a room of ordinary criminals armed with machine guns. You already know you're about to be treated to several panels of pow-sock-wham and that the criminals have no chance (though, admittedly, a vampire does have SOME chance against a halfling ranger).

It doesn't mean the story's bad or that the overall story is not engaging. It just means that after nine years of reading I've got a pretty good idea how the Giant builds up threats to make them credible and an idea of his story tempo, and I have very little expectation that Belkar will lose, though I have every reason to expect the fight will be exciting even so. It won't be a curb stomp, but I don't expect him to lose either.

Respectfully,

Brian P.

[Zwiebelchen]

Not really, because I doubt he's intending to hit himself with the weapon, any more than an ordinary human swordsman (who is just as prone to being damaged by his own weapon) would.
I was just pointing out the irony in his weapon of choice... ;)

[schmunzel]

...
The staff: I do not believe that we are looking at a large number of vampires here. We are more than likely seeing undead created by spell. Wights have been drawn white with red eyes and sharp teeth also. (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0708.html) I am not sure how many charges are left in the staff but I figure that saving it as a resource for future use would be prudent on the HPoH's part. Creating a single Vampire rapidly gives HPoH a minion in order to work on a second objective (steal the orb).
...
.

that actually makes a lot of sense

I retract my assumption that the Goliath is a Vampire now, too

sch

[KorvinStarmast]

Incidentally, the end of the strip is indeed a Cliffhanger killer. Since its the end of the mountain (cliff), he is hanging around that point and its a bloodthirsty killer (being a vamp) Is that big, hammer wielding guy's name Stone Cold Steve Austin? :smallbiggrin:

Belkar only need to disarm the giant and use the huge spike on the back of the hammer as an improvised stake. Not quite. Needs to snap off the head of the hammer and use the wooden stake. Metal spike and wooden stake don't seem to be the same thing.

[PallentisLunam]

I think The Giant considers this combination of effects overpowered, as he discussed in detail in his revision of shapechanging spells and abilities.

In his houseruled version, a shapechanged creature loses all supernatural abilities (http://www.giantitp.com/articles/dC21fDHZ4tK8n5OjUm9.html), which would include both Vampire's Dominating Gaze, and Energy Drain (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/vampire.htm)

See also the original article from the forum on the Polymorph rules (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?172910-Articles-Previously-Appearing-on-GiantITP-com).

Welp, I think we have determined where the break from RAW is. :smallbiggrin: