Jasdoif
2016-02-24, 03:04 AM
The Index of the Giant's Comments V
Version 5.13
with thanks to Xapi, B.Dandelion, ChristianSt, & theangelJean
and to Jesse Baruffi and David Lawrence of Geekademia
and special thanks to Rich Burlew and ThePhantasm
Wow, you guys find the weirdest things to argue about.
How to Contribute: Suggest new quotes to be included! Read the guidelines first. Then, when suggesting a new quote, also mention the number of the current comic if possible, as well as a brief summary of what it says. The more helpful information you give, the easier the Index can be updated.
The Index provides easy access to direct statements about the Order of the Stick comic from its author, for the purpose of forum discussion. It is intended as a research aid; its entertainment value as a trivia collection is incidental.These rules were decided by forum vote. They specify what sorts of comments are suitable for inclusion in the Index and what sorts are not. This thread is run by its caretaker in accordance with forumgoer consensus.
Rule A: The quote or comment must still be accessible online.
1) | This includes the use of The Internet Wayback Machine and other methods of accessing comments that may not still exist in the archive.
2) | This does not include second-hand sources, like "I remember Rich said this, but the thread does not exist anymore." Even if you are 100% certain Rich said that, if the quote is not demonstrable or provable it cannot be included.
3) | This does not include Rich's commentary in books or in any medium that cannot be legally accessed for free.
Rule B: The Index is for collecting only quotes that have to do with the Order of the Stick comic or other fiction works by Rich Burlew.
1) | This excludes non-comic-related opinions, statements, etc. from Rich. So if he says "I like Italian food" or something like that, it is not to be included.
2) | This may include information related to the comic, like Rich's views on Dungeons and Dragons, book publishing, art design, etc. . . so long as these quotes are still within the sphere of comic-related discussion. Uncertainty should be decided by thread poster consensus.
3) | This excludes GiTP forum rules, updates, or general information. That is for the admins and mods to publicize and spread word about, not this index.
Rule C: The index is a forum tool, meant primarily to provide easy access to direct statements from the author for the purpose of forum discussion. Thus, while the index may be fun to read through on a whim, this is not its primary purpose or focus - it is a research aid more than it is a trivia collection. It is for discussions more than it is for leisurely reading. (rescinded as rule on 12/16/2014)
Rule D: If two quotes seem to contradict each other, only the quote that illustrates Rich's most recent and current opinion or position will be included. The index is not meant to be a complete collection for leisurely reading. It is meant to be an accurate research aid for forum discussions. (reference to rescinded rule removed on 12/16/2014)
Rule E: Quotes that contain redundant information need not be included. This reduces clutter. The quote should only be included if it provides new information or clarity, or if it expounds upon information included in a prior comment. This reduces clutter. The quote should only be included if it provides new information or clarity, or if it expounds upon information included in a prior comment.
Rule F: The index-keeper (Jasdoif) has the job of updating the index in keeping with thread-goer consensus.
1) | He/She may reorganize the index if deemed necessary, though all reorganizations can be reversed by majority vote.
2) | He/She may immediately add a comment to the index without any vote, discussion, or consensus required if the comment obviously is in accordance with these agreed rules.
3) | He/She may never fully "reject" a comment's inclusion, however, he/she may postpone its inclusion until further discussion (and, if the divide in opinion appears even, a vote) decides the matter.
4) | If a comment's inclusion is uncertain, a vote requires a clear majority. If there is a tie the comment will not be included. The majority must have at least 2 more votes than the minority. Remember, the purpose of the discussions and votes are to reach some measure of consensus, not division.
Rule G: Transcripts of Q&As with Rich Burlew may be included, in their entirety, in additional posts to the Index. Rule A applies as normal, but all other Rules may be varied contingent on community acceptance. Quotes can be added to the Index proper from the Q&As. This is not considered redundancy for the purposes of Rule E.
Rule H: To reduce how many posts in the thread are consumed by votes instead of discussion, normal changes to the Index are done in groups of quotes.
1) | General Update Procedure Each update cycle happens when there are six quotes queued for addition/removal, or when it has been two months since the last update cycle.
For a quote to be queued for an update requires community support. Additions have more leniency on being queued than removals; and additions with strong community support are exempt from potential votes during the update, while removals are always voted on.
When an impending update is announced by the curator, and prior to the update being done, people can PM the curator requesting a vote on the quote(s) to added (unless the earlier discussion strongly favored addition, as mentioned above). Two separate posters must request a vote on a quote for it to occur, otherwise the quote will be included. This step is done to ensure active opposition to including the quote is still present.
If a vote is necessary for any additions, the curator will call for voting on those additions. Discussion, beyond reiterating personal reasons for voting alongside the vote, is discouraged while the vote is going on. Addition must "win" a majority by at least 2 votes for to the quote to be added.
If any quotes are queued for removal, the curator will call for voting on those removals, separately from any voting for additions. Removal must "win" a majority by at least 2 votes for to the quote to be removed.
2) | Special Update Cases
If the curator finds a quote to be clearly aligned with the agreed-upon thread rules, the quote may be immediately added to the update queue. When the update cycle happens, the quote is still held to usual procedure with regards to possible votes on additions.
If the curator finds an already-present quote to be unequivocally violating the agreed-upon thread rules, most likely if the cited quote ceases being available online, the quote may be removed immediately without regard to the update cycle.
The inclusion procedure below was proposed and adopted in a more informal fashion than the rules above, but still represents how this community project is expected to be run with regards to including new quotes.
Participating doesn't require an understanding of this procedure: we discuss the merits of quotes after they're proposed in the usual forum fashion, and the curator will call for nominations or votes at the appropriate time.
But for those interested in the details:
Quotes with a clear consensus to include or exclude after discussion will be included in or excluded from the next update, as appropriate.
Quotes the curator deems clearly aligned with the inclusion guidelines will default to be included in the next update without needing extended discussion, but may be voted upon at the time of the update (see below).
Quotes without a clear consensus to include/exclude after discussion will default to be included in the next update, but may be voted upon at the time of the update (see below).
Updates will happen when there are six quotes ready to be included or if it has been two months since the last update.
When an impending update is announced by the curator, and prior to the update being done, people can PM the curator requesting a vote on the particular "default" inclusion quote(s) (the quotes with strong consensus to include do not need to be voted on). Two separate posters must request a vote on a quote for it to occur, otherwise the quote will be included.
If a vote is necessary, the curator will call for voting on all quotes set to be voted upon. Discussion, beyond reiterating personal reasons for voting alongside the vote, is discouraged while the vote is going on. Per thread rules, to be included a quote must "win" a majority by at least 2 votes.
Only votes called for by the curator are binding.
FIRST POST
Latest Updates
Alignment
General Information
D&D Alignment
Specific Characters
Evil Characters
Good Characters
Neutral Characters
Art
General
Drawing
Art & Magic
Art & Merchandise
D&D Rules and Explanations
Accuracy
Characters: Items and Stats
Order of the Stick
Other Characters/Creatures
Combat Scenes
Story, Plot, and Characters
General Information
Vampirism
The Gates and their History
Familicide
Calendars, Dates, Maps
Culture, Religion and the Afterlife
Reading Too Much Into It
SECOND POST
Character Development and Backstory
The Order of the Stick
Vector Legion
Other Characters
Writing
Storytelling Mistakes?
Plot Holes
Writing Process
Tools and Logistics
Forum and Reader Reactions
References and Influences
Story Development
Reflections from the Author
Real World Intent
Character Naming
The Story as a D&D Spoof
Supporting the Strip
Spoilers from Book/PDF Content
Start of Darkness
Snips, Snails and Dragon Tails
How the Paladin Got His Scar
Kickstarter Bonus PDFs
Thread History
Latest Updates
🍌On Changing Font Style
The failure of the Giant's old computer means the style couldn't stay the same, hence the change from "Comic Sans" to "Wildwords Lowercase".
#936
2014/01/04
General Information
The Morality of Deception
"Taking advantage of someone is neither Good nor Evil, inherently. What matters is what you take advantage of them for."
#981
2015/04/28
"Lovable" Does Not Mean "Not Evil"
Case in point, Thog.
#936
2014/01/11
Genocide is Always Evil
See also here.
#935
2013/12/24
Alignment and Authorial Intent
What does Rich mean when he says X character is Y alignment?
#903
2013/07/23
Elan and Nale's Parentage
How did it affect their alignment? Giant can't fully answer because of events yet to be revealed. Elan spared Nale's life because of Elan's understanding of what it means to be good.
#815
2011/11/18
Alignment and Environment
Enor and Gannji were not operating wholly outside the ethical framework of the Empire of Blood. This doesn't change the nature of their acts but does mean that the acts are not as indicative of their overall alignment as some might suppose.
#812
2011/10/25
D&D Alignment
Usefulness of the alignment system in D&D games
A great aid for teaching new inexperienced players how to roleplay.
#921
2013/09/29
"Lawful" vs "Legal"
More here and here.
#891
2013/06/03
D&D's Alignment System
Thoughts on how it could be improved.
#838
2012/02/18
About Lawful Alignments
On being Lawful in D&D and the OOTS.
#281
2006/02/15
Specific Characters
Evil Characters
Everyone on Tarquin's Team is Evil
And Tarquin is kind of like the Elan of their team. See also: here.
#934
2013/12/08
Redcloak is Evil
#830
2012/01/23
Tarquin is Lawful Evil
#763
2010/12/07
Belkar is Chaotic Evil
#251
2005/12/01
Nale, Sabine, and Thog are all Evil
#142
2005/01/20
Good Characters
Haley is Chaotic Good
#936
2014/01/12
Elan is (Still) Chaotic Good
Elan let Tarquin fall because he was using a different interpretation of Chaotic Good.
#936
2014/01/11
Shojo's Chaotic Government
Shojo's Chaotic government was still good, not evil.
#891
2013/06/06
Durkon is Lawful Good
#798
2011/07/27
Neutral Characters
Girard is Chaotic Neutral
#980
2015/04/25
Who Else is Neutral
A long list of Neutral characters in the comic. See also here.
#903
2013/07/22
Enor & Gannji are True Neutral
#812
2011/10/24
V is True Neutral (and Always Was)
"Vaarsuvius was never Neutral Good"; strip #11 does not suggest otherwise.
#801
2011/08/17
General
"How the Paladin Got His Scar" is in the New Art Style
As everything going forward will be, unless it's meant to be inserted in the middle of older art. Also, How the Paladin Got His Scar is in grayscale instead of bluescale, because the color-less art's reliance on dark separating lines didn't work out with a single blue color.
#1042
2016/07/03
Why Some Wounds are Black
"I often use a mixture of black marks and red ones in order to break up the visuals from being a mass of red lines."
#1005
2015/09/15
The Web and Print Versions of Strips are Designed Concurrently
Also, the thought processes behind #443, #750 and #887; and some favorite strips.
#980
2015/04/27
What Bothers the Giant about Early Strips' Art
Tangents, wriggly lines, exterior shots...but not the stick figure style, and full redraws are unlikely.
#980
2015/04/24
Art Colors can Change
Whether because the Giant doesn't like the old color, or because his system doesn't.
#942
2014/01/28
🍌On Changing Font Style
The failure of the Giant's old computer means the style couldn't stay the same, hence the change from "Comic Sans" to "Wildwords Lowercase".
#936
2014/01/04
Light and Art
The art style doesn't show lighting and shading, much like how it doesn't show noses.
#871
2013/02/26
Speech Bubbles
Don't overthink them...they are subservient to the story. Malack's bubbles are only black when he "vamps out."
#870
2013/02/18
True Subjective View In 843
V gets cornered.
#843
2012/03/07
Why the Strip Titles Aren't Above the Strip
The titles are "bonus" jokes. Rich prefers not to put them above the strip itself.
#759
2010/11/20
Character Appearances & Forum Speculation
Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar. For example, just because two persons have similar hairstyles doesn't mean they are related.
#683
2009/10/06
Why Book Corrections Don't Get to the Online Strip
Undoing the differences between online and book versions of strips would be inefficient.
#665
2009/06/25
Drawing
Comic Panels are Often Drawn Out of Order
"...based on what I feel like doing first or last, whether that's due to mood or difficulty or what have you."
#1166
2019/06/07
Redcloak Getting Footwear
In the new art style, doing three toes with the skin tone "looked weak and unthreatening....So starting now, armored goblin-types get nice heavy boots instead."
#1013
2015/11/24
On Growing Art Complexity
"It's what I needed to keep going after 11 years of the same story by way of challenging myself, while still trying to stay within the initial parameters of the comic's signature look."
#980
2015/04/20
The Larger Online Page Size Aids Readability and Showcases New Art (https://twitter.com/RichBurlew/status/456760564862418944)
Also, the font is larger because the online comic page is larger.
#949
2014/04/17
The Scenery is Harder to Draw Than the Characters (https://twitter.com/RichBurlew/status/456781931171307521)
Also, the new hands don't take longer to draw.
#949
2014/04/17
How the Giant Writes and Draws the Strips
And an answer to the question - why are certain strips several pages long?
#896
2013/06/28
Examples of Rich's Non-Stick-Figure Art Talent
Rich's mad art skills on showcase. Also more here.
#848
2012/04/11
Art & Magic
Meld Into Stone
Art trumps rules accuracy here in order to show the warping of the spell effect.
#859
2012/07/26
Counterspelling
The Giant doesn't use different art to differentiate between counterspelling with Dispel Magic and counterspelling with the same spell.
#830
2012/01/23
Spell Colors
The colors come from the spellcaster's choice or personality, and not their alignment or the types of magic.
#731
2010/06/28
Invisibility
Why the art for invisible characters isn't consistent (utility trumps consistency).
#706
2010/03/15
Art & Merchandise
Characters and Merchandise
The presence, absence, position, or style of any character on any piece of merchandise has no bearing on any future (or past) plot points.
#816
2011/11/22
Black and White Books
They are unlikely to ever be colorized, and were not originally in color. Rich drew them in black and white.
#781
2011/03/16
The Oracle's Location on the OOTS Poster
Don't read too much into it.
#744
2010/09/05
Accuracy
Armies and High level characters in D&D
"The idea that you can walk into any tavern and 2-5 adventurers of high level will be there is literally a joke."
#919
2013/09/18
Evolution of D&D Adherence
The Giant hasn't made explicit statements about feats/items since 2008, OOTS' internal consistency is still maintained, and the Giant has no regrets about using D&D in OOTS.
#886
2013/05/09
On the (Un)importance of Calling Out Rules
"I don't think it's actually important for readers to really understand the game mechanics of what is happening, as long as it is plausible."
#808
2011/10/06
Game Balance Doesn't Matter in This Story
"I was communicating the way I expected the audience would perceive it, then I began the process of abolishing that perception."
#806
2011/09/20
Only SRD (Core) Spells are Common Knowledge
"...and everything else is 'obscure/non-existent' unless someone has researched it."
#806
2011/09/19
Rules Accuracy In The Comic
"If you are looking for moment-to-moment rules accuracy from this comic, you probably should stop reading." For instance, Rich avoids the D&D term "calling" for the sake of non-D&D OOTS readers, who probably would not understand its meaning.
#801
2011/08/17
Characters: Items and Stats
Order of the Stick
Blackwing's Explosion in #1020 is a Scroll Activation Mishap (https://twitter.com/RichBurlew/status/690684036163833856)
Furthermore, the writing on the scroll reads "STRIP #970 P5 ESTABLISHES THAT MAGIC ITEMS EXPLODE WHEN ACTIVATED IMPROPERLY".
#1020
2016/01/22
Vaarsuvius, Spiked Tentacles and Conjuration
Vaarsuvius has never been able to cast Conjuration spells, including Evan's Spiked Tentacles. Just assume Vaarsuvius was casting Shadow Conjuration instead.
#980
2015/04/23
Why V Doesn't Have a Staff
There is no narrative purpose for it, and it would just be one more item to keep track of in the art.
#878
2013/03/03
Durkon's Mass Death Ward
Rich did not even know Mass Death Ward existed when he wrote the strip. He pegged it at 7th level instead of 8th.
#806
2011/09/19
Elan's Rapiers
He has two. His original, and one from Julio Scoundrel.
#723
2010/05/13
OOTS' Stats
Rich hasn't written them down, and everything is up in the air until they need a specific ability.
#714
2010/04/10
A Piece of Straw
Haley used a piece of straw to get out of the jail cell. Info on Haley's Dexterity, Level, etc.
#262
2006/01/03
The Giant on Stats in Earlier Strips
Elan singing about skill points, Haley having Rapid Shot and Manyshot, Roy and Vaarsuvius' mental ability scores, verbal components in OOTS, and insight about Vaarsuvius' spellcasting.
#180
2005/05/14
Elan and Nale are Twins
So Nale has the same Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution as Elan.
#65
2004/05/03
Other Characters/Creatures
Babies shouldn't be statted
The inclusion of combat stats for newborns encourages combat with newborns, which shouldn't happen. See also Rich's proposed alternative "stats", here and here.
#922
2013/10/04
Malack's Grapple Skills
Malack's grapple skills were a hunting aid, not for optimization/combat. A character's skills have to be looked at in the context of their whole life, not "what I would do in a game."
#906
2013/07/30
Girard's Illusion Runes
They are a ninth-level spell, not an epic spell.
#893
2013/06/11
The Keoghtum's Ointment
The Keoghtum's Ointment removes deafness because it is extra strength.
#863
2012/09/12
Tarquin Doesn't Have Trap Sense
"I don't usually bother making fun of mechanics anymore, but if I do, I'm not that subtle about it."
#858
2012/07/23
Malack's Undead
Malack reanimates the dead Draketooths into mummies.
#856
2012/06/20
The Crimson Mantle
Generally it is not known by non-goblins that the mantle is the source of power.
#826
2012/01/12
Tsukiko Breaks The Rules
Tsukiko has too many schools. Rich doesn't make character decisions based on common player trends.
#800
2011/08/14
Acid-Born Shark
Rich created it, and made fun of himself in the comic.
#785
2011/04/06
Combat Scenes
Aarindarius Effortlessly Defeating the ABD?
Hyperbole in the illustration, though Vaarsuvius thought it plausible for Aarindarius to assist.
#980
2015/04/25
Xykon vs Dorukan
There would be no dramatic function to drawing out the fight. "If it helps, think of that page as a montage scene rather than a direct moment-to-moment narrative."
#960
2014/08/18
Realistic Injuries?
Unbelievable things will happen in a crazy fantasy story.
#930
2013/11/13
Disintegrate is useful
#918
2013/09/12
Malack and Mass Death Ward
Why did Malack bother checking if Durkon protected himself when he could simply dispel the spell and not care at all?
#876
2013/03/02
Battle Scenes and D&D Tactics
"My job is to entertain, not to showcase perfect D&D tactics. If you can't be entertained by anything BUT perfect D&D tactics, that's on you."
#873
2013/02/28
Roy's Arena Fight With Thog
Roy's strategy to taunt a dungeon-crashing Thog into breaking the pillars.
#808
2011/10/06
Zz'dtri's Break Enchantment
Rich didn't read the casting time while making the strip.
#804
2011/09/07
Miko's Fight
How Miko defeated the OOTS off-panel and captured them.
#251
2005/11/30
General Information
Protection from Law is Illegal in Many Places
#969
2014/12/01
There will be seven books (from the main online comic)
#910
2013/08/15
Dragon Continuity
The Dragon Magazine strips and Gygax magazine strips exist in a separate continuity from the OOTS strips.
#863
2012/11/25
Some Thoughts on Visuals and Story
People get invested in the story, not the art, of a comic.
#838
2012/02/18
More Prequels?
The total number of planned prequel stories is "pretty much fixed"; at least one more as of 09/16/2015.
#804
2011/09/01
Not everything needs a backstory
Not everything needs a backstory, or even has an interesting one worth telling.
#729
2010/06/23
Vampirism
Coffin-less Vampires Immediately Turn to Dust When "Killed"
#1131
2018/07/31
Why Most Vampires Don't Get Overwhelmed by Their Host's Memories
And why HPoH ( https://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g68/Cats_Are_Aliens/Banners/Hel%20Priest_zpsv6pywjna.png ) did.
#1130
2018/07/28
The Nature of Vampirism (https://twitter.com/RichBurlew/status/963524080484933632)
"...a negative energy consciousness created in the shape of your own worst impulses, stuffed into your dead body to animate it."
#1112
2018/02/13
HPoH ( https://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g68/Cats_Are_Aliens/Banners/Hel%20Priest_zpsv6pywjna.png ) Didn't Exist Before Durkon Was Vampirized (https://twitter.com/RichBurlew/status/963533605002797056)
Though he arrived "with certain knowledge, like language and whatever Hel told it to do as she was shoving it in there."
#1112
2018/02/13
Durkon Can't Show HPoH ( https://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g68/Cats_Are_Aliens/Banners/Hel%20Priest_zpsv6pywjna.png ) Fake Memories
#1009
2015/10/19
Malack Chose to Worship Nergal
And "shaman" is a descriptive term, not a non-cleric class.
#949
2014/04/19
There is Only One Way that Vampirism Works
And nothing that happens with vampires can be assumed to work for other undead. Also, knowledge of how vampirization works is rare, even among clerics.
#949
2014/04/18
Vampires Have Free Will
#949
2014/04/18
The Gates and their History
About Girard's Double Bluff
About Girard's double bluff to protect the Gate.
#895
2013/06/21
Soon's Castle
Soon built the castle, but did not build Azure City.
#804
2011/09/01
Soon's Gem and Gate
Details about Soon's rift and how it is protected. The gate/rift could not be moved. You can shift a gate to another plane, but not another place on this plane.
#801
2011/08/21
Familicide
Familicide
How Familicide works. More here.
#879
2012/03/07
Calendars, Dates, Maps
Death of Old Age in OOTS
"Eugene literally died of old age. When a person reaches a certain age, the gods roll dice to see what his or her maximum lifespan is going to be, and when the person hits 12:01 on that birthday, they keel over dead from no apparent cause."
#933
2013/12/06
Map of the Western Continent
It is constantly changing.
#746
2010/09/12
OOTS Age Range
Intended to be early to mid 20s. Durkon is the "dwarf equivalent" of this age range, in his 50s.
#732
2010/07/02
Chronology & Timeline
Anything that states a numbered, dated year references the Northern calendar. The Oracle uses the Southern calendar. Further details on timeframe of Belkar's death prophecy included. Some time references in the strip (like the deva's chart) should not be taken too literally.
#725
2010/05/26
Culture, Religion and the Afterlife
On Dwarves, Death, and Dishonor
Dwarves know they go to Hel if they die dishonorably, and their culture takes this into account: All dwarves learn how to fight, and consistently living honorably is a solution, even if they die in a normally nonviolent role.
#1004
2015/09/15
The Afterlife Isn't Important to OOTS
It's only important that the characters find living preferable to it.
#998
2015/08/17
Spiritual Progress in the Afterlife
The afterlife leads down a path of "letting go" of life, including an inability to learn new things.
#998
2015/08/16
The Soul Economy
Spirits produce Soul PowerTM in life, which is collected in the afterlife.
#998
2015/08/16
The Purpose of the Godsmoot
It's a neutral meeting ground for the gods, who don't meet in person across pantheons anymore. More here, on both Godsmoots in general and the one in the comic in particular.
#998
2015/08/13
How Non-Theistic Religions Work in OOTS
More on the Giant's view for D&D in general here and here.
#995
2015/08/01
On Elven and Goblin Deities
The Elves worship Western gods in addition to their own. The goblins worshipped no one prior to the ascension of the Dark One.
#978
2015/03/19
Elven Government and Political Relations with the Outside World
Why did the elves help Azure City yet not try to stop Tarquin's tyranny? More here
#915
2013/08/29
Class Systems and Careers
Also, FYI, Durkon isn't "white."
#882
2013/04/08
Nergal and Undeath
Nergal is not against undeath. Malack just doesn't like using the undead as cannon fodder.
#870
2013/02/21
The Rise of the Dark One
The other gods lost their one shot to gang up on him and kill him. The Dark One has since been building his power.
#864
2013/01/04
Religions and Deities in OOTS World
Background details on who worships whom, and on Thor, Hel, and the Twelve Gods.
#848
2012/04/11
SoD Paladins & Miko's Fall
Only the crayon pages are narrative by Redcloak. Not every event is necessarily "seen." Certain scenes are largely shown from Redcloak's perspective. Details of why the paladins who killed Redcloak's people may or may not have fallen, why it doesn't matter, and how showing it would have cheapened the effect of Miko's fall later.
#706
2010/03/15
On Evil Characters and Resurrection
Evil characters are not discouraged / prohibited from raising the dead in OOTSverse. Right-Eye's family wasn't raised because Redcloak doesn't control Team Evil's finances to pay for resurrection, Xykon does.
#566
2008/06/15
Reading Too Much Into It
The Colors of the Council of Clan Barriers Are Not a Portal Reference
"I've never played Portal and forgot it existed until you just pointed it out."
#1157
2019/03/01
About the Lizardfolk Prostitute in #676
It was a joke about then-recent 4th Edition D&D's Dragonborn art. "It is not a trans gender individual at all (because it is a cis-female)...."
#1143
2018/10/09
Repeated Strip Titles are Accidental (https://twitter.com/RichBurlew/status/893520904571031552)
#1088
2017/08/04
HPoH ( https://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g68/Cats_Are_Aliens/Banners/Hel%20Priest_zpsv6pywjna.png ) Made a Tactical Error in #1009
Durkon "showed him Roy telling him the story about what happened with Eric. That's it."
#1009
2015/10/19
The Comic (not) Commenting on D&D Playstyles
"There is more important thematic ground in this world for me to cover than whether or not people powergame."
#995
2015/07/30
On the Title "Blood Runs in the Family"
It's a composite of two synonymous expressions, "'[Trait] runs in the family' and '[trait] runs in the blood'".
#991
2015/06/27
Earth isn't in the Rift
"Earth will never show up."
#945
2014/02/15
On Blackwing, Rifts, and Memory
#944
2014/02/10
Is Thog Mentally Handicapped?
No, he is not. See also here (on why a mentally handicapped character will not be portrayed)
#935
2013/12/30
Malack's Chamber Plans
This was intended to use the imagery of factory farming, not the Holocaust. Malack plans to create a vampire ruling class.
#875
2013/03/01
Malack's Vampirism and LGBT
Malack's condition is not an allegory for LGBT.
#875
2013/03/01
Belkar's Jokes
Belkar making a joke about something does not make it so.
#786
2011/04/11
Current Politics
There are no references to current politics in the strip beyond those which readers invent themselves.
#732
2010/07/02
TV Tropes
Rich is aware it exists. No, he doesn't use it for ideas or reference it in any way in the comic.
#705
2010/03/04
Hidden Meanings
Not everything in the comic has one.
#667
2009/06/02
Version 5.13
with thanks to Xapi, B.Dandelion, ChristianSt, & theangelJean
and to Jesse Baruffi and David Lawrence of Geekademia
and special thanks to Rich Burlew and ThePhantasm
Wow, you guys find the weirdest things to argue about.
How to Contribute: Suggest new quotes to be included! Read the guidelines first. Then, when suggesting a new quote, also mention the number of the current comic if possible, as well as a brief summary of what it says. The more helpful information you give, the easier the Index can be updated.
The Index provides easy access to direct statements about the Order of the Stick comic from its author, for the purpose of forum discussion. It is intended as a research aid; its entertainment value as a trivia collection is incidental.These rules were decided by forum vote. They specify what sorts of comments are suitable for inclusion in the Index and what sorts are not. This thread is run by its caretaker in accordance with forumgoer consensus.
Rule A: The quote or comment must still be accessible online.
1) | This includes the use of The Internet Wayback Machine and other methods of accessing comments that may not still exist in the archive.
2) | This does not include second-hand sources, like "I remember Rich said this, but the thread does not exist anymore." Even if you are 100% certain Rich said that, if the quote is not demonstrable or provable it cannot be included.
3) | This does not include Rich's commentary in books or in any medium that cannot be legally accessed for free.
Rule B: The Index is for collecting only quotes that have to do with the Order of the Stick comic or other fiction works by Rich Burlew.
1) | This excludes non-comic-related opinions, statements, etc. from Rich. So if he says "I like Italian food" or something like that, it is not to be included.
2) | This may include information related to the comic, like Rich's views on Dungeons and Dragons, book publishing, art design, etc. . . so long as these quotes are still within the sphere of comic-related discussion. Uncertainty should be decided by thread poster consensus.
3) | This excludes GiTP forum rules, updates, or general information. That is for the admins and mods to publicize and spread word about, not this index.
Rule C: The index is a forum tool, meant primarily to provide easy access to direct statements from the author for the purpose of forum discussion. Thus, while the index may be fun to read through on a whim, this is not its primary purpose or focus - it is a research aid more than it is a trivia collection. It is for discussions more than it is for leisurely reading. (rescinded as rule on 12/16/2014)
Rule D: If two quotes seem to contradict each other, only the quote that illustrates Rich's most recent and current opinion or position will be included. The index is not meant to be a complete collection for leisurely reading. It is meant to be an accurate research aid for forum discussions. (reference to rescinded rule removed on 12/16/2014)
Rule E: Quotes that contain redundant information need not be included. This reduces clutter. The quote should only be included if it provides new information or clarity, or if it expounds upon information included in a prior comment. This reduces clutter. The quote should only be included if it provides new information or clarity, or if it expounds upon information included in a prior comment.
Rule F: The index-keeper (Jasdoif) has the job of updating the index in keeping with thread-goer consensus.
1) | He/She may reorganize the index if deemed necessary, though all reorganizations can be reversed by majority vote.
2) | He/She may immediately add a comment to the index without any vote, discussion, or consensus required if the comment obviously is in accordance with these agreed rules.
3) | He/She may never fully "reject" a comment's inclusion, however, he/she may postpone its inclusion until further discussion (and, if the divide in opinion appears even, a vote) decides the matter.
4) | If a comment's inclusion is uncertain, a vote requires a clear majority. If there is a tie the comment will not be included. The majority must have at least 2 more votes than the minority. Remember, the purpose of the discussions and votes are to reach some measure of consensus, not division.
Rule G: Transcripts of Q&As with Rich Burlew may be included, in their entirety, in additional posts to the Index. Rule A applies as normal, but all other Rules may be varied contingent on community acceptance. Quotes can be added to the Index proper from the Q&As. This is not considered redundancy for the purposes of Rule E.
Rule H: To reduce how many posts in the thread are consumed by votes instead of discussion, normal changes to the Index are done in groups of quotes.
1) | General Update Procedure Each update cycle happens when there are six quotes queued for addition/removal, or when it has been two months since the last update cycle.
For a quote to be queued for an update requires community support. Additions have more leniency on being queued than removals; and additions with strong community support are exempt from potential votes during the update, while removals are always voted on.
When an impending update is announced by the curator, and prior to the update being done, people can PM the curator requesting a vote on the quote(s) to added (unless the earlier discussion strongly favored addition, as mentioned above). Two separate posters must request a vote on a quote for it to occur, otherwise the quote will be included. This step is done to ensure active opposition to including the quote is still present.
If a vote is necessary for any additions, the curator will call for voting on those additions. Discussion, beyond reiterating personal reasons for voting alongside the vote, is discouraged while the vote is going on. Addition must "win" a majority by at least 2 votes for to the quote to be added.
If any quotes are queued for removal, the curator will call for voting on those removals, separately from any voting for additions. Removal must "win" a majority by at least 2 votes for to the quote to be removed.
2) | Special Update Cases
If the curator finds a quote to be clearly aligned with the agreed-upon thread rules, the quote may be immediately added to the update queue. When the update cycle happens, the quote is still held to usual procedure with regards to possible votes on additions.
If the curator finds an already-present quote to be unequivocally violating the agreed-upon thread rules, most likely if the cited quote ceases being available online, the quote may be removed immediately without regard to the update cycle.
The inclusion procedure below was proposed and adopted in a more informal fashion than the rules above, but still represents how this community project is expected to be run with regards to including new quotes.
Participating doesn't require an understanding of this procedure: we discuss the merits of quotes after they're proposed in the usual forum fashion, and the curator will call for nominations or votes at the appropriate time.
But for those interested in the details:
Quotes with a clear consensus to include or exclude after discussion will be included in or excluded from the next update, as appropriate.
Quotes the curator deems clearly aligned with the inclusion guidelines will default to be included in the next update without needing extended discussion, but may be voted upon at the time of the update (see below).
Quotes without a clear consensus to include/exclude after discussion will default to be included in the next update, but may be voted upon at the time of the update (see below).
Updates will happen when there are six quotes ready to be included or if it has been two months since the last update.
When an impending update is announced by the curator, and prior to the update being done, people can PM the curator requesting a vote on the particular "default" inclusion quote(s) (the quotes with strong consensus to include do not need to be voted on). Two separate posters must request a vote on a quote for it to occur, otherwise the quote will be included.
If a vote is necessary, the curator will call for voting on all quotes set to be voted upon. Discussion, beyond reiterating personal reasons for voting alongside the vote, is discouraged while the vote is going on. Per thread rules, to be included a quote must "win" a majority by at least 2 votes.
Only votes called for by the curator are binding.
FIRST POST
Latest Updates
Alignment
General Information
D&D Alignment
Specific Characters
Evil Characters
Good Characters
Neutral Characters
Art
General
Drawing
Art & Magic
Art & Merchandise
D&D Rules and Explanations
Accuracy
Characters: Items and Stats
Order of the Stick
Other Characters/Creatures
Combat Scenes
Story, Plot, and Characters
General Information
Vampirism
The Gates and their History
Familicide
Calendars, Dates, Maps
Culture, Religion and the Afterlife
Reading Too Much Into It
SECOND POST
Character Development and Backstory
The Order of the Stick
Vector Legion
Other Characters
Writing
Storytelling Mistakes?
Plot Holes
Writing Process
Tools and Logistics
Forum and Reader Reactions
References and Influences
Story Development
Reflections from the Author
Real World Intent
Character Naming
The Story as a D&D Spoof
Supporting the Strip
Spoilers from Book/PDF Content
Start of Darkness
Snips, Snails and Dragon Tails
How the Paladin Got His Scar
Kickstarter Bonus PDFs
Thread History
Latest Updates
🍌On Changing Font Style
The failure of the Giant's old computer means the style couldn't stay the same, hence the change from "Comic Sans" to "Wildwords Lowercase".
#936
2014/01/04
General Information
The Morality of Deception
"Taking advantage of someone is neither Good nor Evil, inherently. What matters is what you take advantage of them for."
#981
2015/04/28
"Lovable" Does Not Mean "Not Evil"
Case in point, Thog.
#936
2014/01/11
Genocide is Always Evil
See also here.
#935
2013/12/24
Alignment and Authorial Intent
What does Rich mean when he says X character is Y alignment?
#903
2013/07/23
Elan and Nale's Parentage
How did it affect their alignment? Giant can't fully answer because of events yet to be revealed. Elan spared Nale's life because of Elan's understanding of what it means to be good.
#815
2011/11/18
Alignment and Environment
Enor and Gannji were not operating wholly outside the ethical framework of the Empire of Blood. This doesn't change the nature of their acts but does mean that the acts are not as indicative of their overall alignment as some might suppose.
#812
2011/10/25
D&D Alignment
Usefulness of the alignment system in D&D games
A great aid for teaching new inexperienced players how to roleplay.
#921
2013/09/29
"Lawful" vs "Legal"
More here and here.
#891
2013/06/03
D&D's Alignment System
Thoughts on how it could be improved.
#838
2012/02/18
About Lawful Alignments
On being Lawful in D&D and the OOTS.
#281
2006/02/15
Specific Characters
Evil Characters
Everyone on Tarquin's Team is Evil
And Tarquin is kind of like the Elan of their team. See also: here.
#934
2013/12/08
Redcloak is Evil
#830
2012/01/23
Tarquin is Lawful Evil
#763
2010/12/07
Belkar is Chaotic Evil
#251
2005/12/01
Nale, Sabine, and Thog are all Evil
#142
2005/01/20
Good Characters
Haley is Chaotic Good
#936
2014/01/12
Elan is (Still) Chaotic Good
Elan let Tarquin fall because he was using a different interpretation of Chaotic Good.
#936
2014/01/11
Shojo's Chaotic Government
Shojo's Chaotic government was still good, not evil.
#891
2013/06/06
Durkon is Lawful Good
#798
2011/07/27
Neutral Characters
Girard is Chaotic Neutral
#980
2015/04/25
Who Else is Neutral
A long list of Neutral characters in the comic. See also here.
#903
2013/07/22
Enor & Gannji are True Neutral
#812
2011/10/24
V is True Neutral (and Always Was)
"Vaarsuvius was never Neutral Good"; strip #11 does not suggest otherwise.
#801
2011/08/17
General
"How the Paladin Got His Scar" is in the New Art Style
As everything going forward will be, unless it's meant to be inserted in the middle of older art. Also, How the Paladin Got His Scar is in grayscale instead of bluescale, because the color-less art's reliance on dark separating lines didn't work out with a single blue color.
#1042
2016/07/03
Why Some Wounds are Black
"I often use a mixture of black marks and red ones in order to break up the visuals from being a mass of red lines."
#1005
2015/09/15
The Web and Print Versions of Strips are Designed Concurrently
Also, the thought processes behind #443, #750 and #887; and some favorite strips.
#980
2015/04/27
What Bothers the Giant about Early Strips' Art
Tangents, wriggly lines, exterior shots...but not the stick figure style, and full redraws are unlikely.
#980
2015/04/24
Art Colors can Change
Whether because the Giant doesn't like the old color, or because his system doesn't.
#942
2014/01/28
🍌On Changing Font Style
The failure of the Giant's old computer means the style couldn't stay the same, hence the change from "Comic Sans" to "Wildwords Lowercase".
#936
2014/01/04
Light and Art
The art style doesn't show lighting and shading, much like how it doesn't show noses.
#871
2013/02/26
Speech Bubbles
Don't overthink them...they are subservient to the story. Malack's bubbles are only black when he "vamps out."
#870
2013/02/18
True Subjective View In 843
V gets cornered.
#843
2012/03/07
Why the Strip Titles Aren't Above the Strip
The titles are "bonus" jokes. Rich prefers not to put them above the strip itself.
#759
2010/11/20
Character Appearances & Forum Speculation
Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar. For example, just because two persons have similar hairstyles doesn't mean they are related.
#683
2009/10/06
Why Book Corrections Don't Get to the Online Strip
Undoing the differences between online and book versions of strips would be inefficient.
#665
2009/06/25
Drawing
Comic Panels are Often Drawn Out of Order
"...based on what I feel like doing first or last, whether that's due to mood or difficulty or what have you."
#1166
2019/06/07
Redcloak Getting Footwear
In the new art style, doing three toes with the skin tone "looked weak and unthreatening....So starting now, armored goblin-types get nice heavy boots instead."
#1013
2015/11/24
On Growing Art Complexity
"It's what I needed to keep going after 11 years of the same story by way of challenging myself, while still trying to stay within the initial parameters of the comic's signature look."
#980
2015/04/20
The Larger Online Page Size Aids Readability and Showcases New Art (https://twitter.com/RichBurlew/status/456760564862418944)
Also, the font is larger because the online comic page is larger.
#949
2014/04/17
The Scenery is Harder to Draw Than the Characters (https://twitter.com/RichBurlew/status/456781931171307521)
Also, the new hands don't take longer to draw.
#949
2014/04/17
How the Giant Writes and Draws the Strips
And an answer to the question - why are certain strips several pages long?
#896
2013/06/28
Examples of Rich's Non-Stick-Figure Art Talent
Rich's mad art skills on showcase. Also more here.
#848
2012/04/11
Art & Magic
Meld Into Stone
Art trumps rules accuracy here in order to show the warping of the spell effect.
#859
2012/07/26
Counterspelling
The Giant doesn't use different art to differentiate between counterspelling with Dispel Magic and counterspelling with the same spell.
#830
2012/01/23
Spell Colors
The colors come from the spellcaster's choice or personality, and not their alignment or the types of magic.
#731
2010/06/28
Invisibility
Why the art for invisible characters isn't consistent (utility trumps consistency).
#706
2010/03/15
Art & Merchandise
Characters and Merchandise
The presence, absence, position, or style of any character on any piece of merchandise has no bearing on any future (or past) plot points.
#816
2011/11/22
Black and White Books
They are unlikely to ever be colorized, and were not originally in color. Rich drew them in black and white.
#781
2011/03/16
The Oracle's Location on the OOTS Poster
Don't read too much into it.
#744
2010/09/05
Accuracy
Armies and High level characters in D&D
"The idea that you can walk into any tavern and 2-5 adventurers of high level will be there is literally a joke."
#919
2013/09/18
Evolution of D&D Adherence
The Giant hasn't made explicit statements about feats/items since 2008, OOTS' internal consistency is still maintained, and the Giant has no regrets about using D&D in OOTS.
#886
2013/05/09
On the (Un)importance of Calling Out Rules
"I don't think it's actually important for readers to really understand the game mechanics of what is happening, as long as it is plausible."
#808
2011/10/06
Game Balance Doesn't Matter in This Story
"I was communicating the way I expected the audience would perceive it, then I began the process of abolishing that perception."
#806
2011/09/20
Only SRD (Core) Spells are Common Knowledge
"...and everything else is 'obscure/non-existent' unless someone has researched it."
#806
2011/09/19
Rules Accuracy In The Comic
"If you are looking for moment-to-moment rules accuracy from this comic, you probably should stop reading." For instance, Rich avoids the D&D term "calling" for the sake of non-D&D OOTS readers, who probably would not understand its meaning.
#801
2011/08/17
Characters: Items and Stats
Order of the Stick
Blackwing's Explosion in #1020 is a Scroll Activation Mishap (https://twitter.com/RichBurlew/status/690684036163833856)
Furthermore, the writing on the scroll reads "STRIP #970 P5 ESTABLISHES THAT MAGIC ITEMS EXPLODE WHEN ACTIVATED IMPROPERLY".
#1020
2016/01/22
Vaarsuvius, Spiked Tentacles and Conjuration
Vaarsuvius has never been able to cast Conjuration spells, including Evan's Spiked Tentacles. Just assume Vaarsuvius was casting Shadow Conjuration instead.
#980
2015/04/23
Why V Doesn't Have a Staff
There is no narrative purpose for it, and it would just be one more item to keep track of in the art.
#878
2013/03/03
Durkon's Mass Death Ward
Rich did not even know Mass Death Ward existed when he wrote the strip. He pegged it at 7th level instead of 8th.
#806
2011/09/19
Elan's Rapiers
He has two. His original, and one from Julio Scoundrel.
#723
2010/05/13
OOTS' Stats
Rich hasn't written them down, and everything is up in the air until they need a specific ability.
#714
2010/04/10
A Piece of Straw
Haley used a piece of straw to get out of the jail cell. Info on Haley's Dexterity, Level, etc.
#262
2006/01/03
The Giant on Stats in Earlier Strips
Elan singing about skill points, Haley having Rapid Shot and Manyshot, Roy and Vaarsuvius' mental ability scores, verbal components in OOTS, and insight about Vaarsuvius' spellcasting.
#180
2005/05/14
Elan and Nale are Twins
So Nale has the same Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution as Elan.
#65
2004/05/03
Other Characters/Creatures
Babies shouldn't be statted
The inclusion of combat stats for newborns encourages combat with newborns, which shouldn't happen. See also Rich's proposed alternative "stats", here and here.
#922
2013/10/04
Malack's Grapple Skills
Malack's grapple skills were a hunting aid, not for optimization/combat. A character's skills have to be looked at in the context of their whole life, not "what I would do in a game."
#906
2013/07/30
Girard's Illusion Runes
They are a ninth-level spell, not an epic spell.
#893
2013/06/11
The Keoghtum's Ointment
The Keoghtum's Ointment removes deafness because it is extra strength.
#863
2012/09/12
Tarquin Doesn't Have Trap Sense
"I don't usually bother making fun of mechanics anymore, but if I do, I'm not that subtle about it."
#858
2012/07/23
Malack's Undead
Malack reanimates the dead Draketooths into mummies.
#856
2012/06/20
The Crimson Mantle
Generally it is not known by non-goblins that the mantle is the source of power.
#826
2012/01/12
Tsukiko Breaks The Rules
Tsukiko has too many schools. Rich doesn't make character decisions based on common player trends.
#800
2011/08/14
Acid-Born Shark
Rich created it, and made fun of himself in the comic.
#785
2011/04/06
Combat Scenes
Aarindarius Effortlessly Defeating the ABD?
Hyperbole in the illustration, though Vaarsuvius thought it plausible for Aarindarius to assist.
#980
2015/04/25
Xykon vs Dorukan
There would be no dramatic function to drawing out the fight. "If it helps, think of that page as a montage scene rather than a direct moment-to-moment narrative."
#960
2014/08/18
Realistic Injuries?
Unbelievable things will happen in a crazy fantasy story.
#930
2013/11/13
Disintegrate is useful
#918
2013/09/12
Malack and Mass Death Ward
Why did Malack bother checking if Durkon protected himself when he could simply dispel the spell and not care at all?
#876
2013/03/02
Battle Scenes and D&D Tactics
"My job is to entertain, not to showcase perfect D&D tactics. If you can't be entertained by anything BUT perfect D&D tactics, that's on you."
#873
2013/02/28
Roy's Arena Fight With Thog
Roy's strategy to taunt a dungeon-crashing Thog into breaking the pillars.
#808
2011/10/06
Zz'dtri's Break Enchantment
Rich didn't read the casting time while making the strip.
#804
2011/09/07
Miko's Fight
How Miko defeated the OOTS off-panel and captured them.
#251
2005/11/30
General Information
Protection from Law is Illegal in Many Places
#969
2014/12/01
There will be seven books (from the main online comic)
#910
2013/08/15
Dragon Continuity
The Dragon Magazine strips and Gygax magazine strips exist in a separate continuity from the OOTS strips.
#863
2012/11/25
Some Thoughts on Visuals and Story
People get invested in the story, not the art, of a comic.
#838
2012/02/18
More Prequels?
The total number of planned prequel stories is "pretty much fixed"; at least one more as of 09/16/2015.
#804
2011/09/01
Not everything needs a backstory
Not everything needs a backstory, or even has an interesting one worth telling.
#729
2010/06/23
Vampirism
Coffin-less Vampires Immediately Turn to Dust When "Killed"
#1131
2018/07/31
Why Most Vampires Don't Get Overwhelmed by Their Host's Memories
And why HPoH ( https://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g68/Cats_Are_Aliens/Banners/Hel%20Priest_zpsv6pywjna.png ) did.
#1130
2018/07/28
The Nature of Vampirism (https://twitter.com/RichBurlew/status/963524080484933632)
"...a negative energy consciousness created in the shape of your own worst impulses, stuffed into your dead body to animate it."
#1112
2018/02/13
HPoH ( https://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g68/Cats_Are_Aliens/Banners/Hel%20Priest_zpsv6pywjna.png ) Didn't Exist Before Durkon Was Vampirized (https://twitter.com/RichBurlew/status/963533605002797056)
Though he arrived "with certain knowledge, like language and whatever Hel told it to do as she was shoving it in there."
#1112
2018/02/13
Durkon Can't Show HPoH ( https://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g68/Cats_Are_Aliens/Banners/Hel%20Priest_zpsv6pywjna.png ) Fake Memories
#1009
2015/10/19
Malack Chose to Worship Nergal
And "shaman" is a descriptive term, not a non-cleric class.
#949
2014/04/19
There is Only One Way that Vampirism Works
And nothing that happens with vampires can be assumed to work for other undead. Also, knowledge of how vampirization works is rare, even among clerics.
#949
2014/04/18
Vampires Have Free Will
#949
2014/04/18
The Gates and their History
About Girard's Double Bluff
About Girard's double bluff to protect the Gate.
#895
2013/06/21
Soon's Castle
Soon built the castle, but did not build Azure City.
#804
2011/09/01
Soon's Gem and Gate
Details about Soon's rift and how it is protected. The gate/rift could not be moved. You can shift a gate to another plane, but not another place on this plane.
#801
2011/08/21
Familicide
Familicide
How Familicide works. More here.
#879
2012/03/07
Calendars, Dates, Maps
Death of Old Age in OOTS
"Eugene literally died of old age. When a person reaches a certain age, the gods roll dice to see what his or her maximum lifespan is going to be, and when the person hits 12:01 on that birthday, they keel over dead from no apparent cause."
#933
2013/12/06
Map of the Western Continent
It is constantly changing.
#746
2010/09/12
OOTS Age Range
Intended to be early to mid 20s. Durkon is the "dwarf equivalent" of this age range, in his 50s.
#732
2010/07/02
Chronology & Timeline
Anything that states a numbered, dated year references the Northern calendar. The Oracle uses the Southern calendar. Further details on timeframe of Belkar's death prophecy included. Some time references in the strip (like the deva's chart) should not be taken too literally.
#725
2010/05/26
Culture, Religion and the Afterlife
On Dwarves, Death, and Dishonor
Dwarves know they go to Hel if they die dishonorably, and their culture takes this into account: All dwarves learn how to fight, and consistently living honorably is a solution, even if they die in a normally nonviolent role.
#1004
2015/09/15
The Afterlife Isn't Important to OOTS
It's only important that the characters find living preferable to it.
#998
2015/08/17
Spiritual Progress in the Afterlife
The afterlife leads down a path of "letting go" of life, including an inability to learn new things.
#998
2015/08/16
The Soul Economy
Spirits produce Soul PowerTM in life, which is collected in the afterlife.
#998
2015/08/16
The Purpose of the Godsmoot
It's a neutral meeting ground for the gods, who don't meet in person across pantheons anymore. More here, on both Godsmoots in general and the one in the comic in particular.
#998
2015/08/13
How Non-Theistic Religions Work in OOTS
More on the Giant's view for D&D in general here and here.
#995
2015/08/01
On Elven and Goblin Deities
The Elves worship Western gods in addition to their own. The goblins worshipped no one prior to the ascension of the Dark One.
#978
2015/03/19
Elven Government and Political Relations with the Outside World
Why did the elves help Azure City yet not try to stop Tarquin's tyranny? More here
#915
2013/08/29
Class Systems and Careers
Also, FYI, Durkon isn't "white."
#882
2013/04/08
Nergal and Undeath
Nergal is not against undeath. Malack just doesn't like using the undead as cannon fodder.
#870
2013/02/21
The Rise of the Dark One
The other gods lost their one shot to gang up on him and kill him. The Dark One has since been building his power.
#864
2013/01/04
Religions and Deities in OOTS World
Background details on who worships whom, and on Thor, Hel, and the Twelve Gods.
#848
2012/04/11
SoD Paladins & Miko's Fall
Only the crayon pages are narrative by Redcloak. Not every event is necessarily "seen." Certain scenes are largely shown from Redcloak's perspective. Details of why the paladins who killed Redcloak's people may or may not have fallen, why it doesn't matter, and how showing it would have cheapened the effect of Miko's fall later.
#706
2010/03/15
On Evil Characters and Resurrection
Evil characters are not discouraged / prohibited from raising the dead in OOTSverse. Right-Eye's family wasn't raised because Redcloak doesn't control Team Evil's finances to pay for resurrection, Xykon does.
#566
2008/06/15
Reading Too Much Into It
The Colors of the Council of Clan Barriers Are Not a Portal Reference
"I've never played Portal and forgot it existed until you just pointed it out."
#1157
2019/03/01
About the Lizardfolk Prostitute in #676
It was a joke about then-recent 4th Edition D&D's Dragonborn art. "It is not a trans gender individual at all (because it is a cis-female)...."
#1143
2018/10/09
Repeated Strip Titles are Accidental (https://twitter.com/RichBurlew/status/893520904571031552)
#1088
2017/08/04
HPoH ( https://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g68/Cats_Are_Aliens/Banners/Hel%20Priest_zpsv6pywjna.png ) Made a Tactical Error in #1009
Durkon "showed him Roy telling him the story about what happened with Eric. That's it."
#1009
2015/10/19
The Comic (not) Commenting on D&D Playstyles
"There is more important thematic ground in this world for me to cover than whether or not people powergame."
#995
2015/07/30
On the Title "Blood Runs in the Family"
It's a composite of two synonymous expressions, "'[Trait] runs in the family' and '[trait] runs in the blood'".
#991
2015/06/27
Earth isn't in the Rift
"Earth will never show up."
#945
2014/02/15
On Blackwing, Rifts, and Memory
#944
2014/02/10
Is Thog Mentally Handicapped?
No, he is not. See also here (on why a mentally handicapped character will not be portrayed)
#935
2013/12/30
Malack's Chamber Plans
This was intended to use the imagery of factory farming, not the Holocaust. Malack plans to create a vampire ruling class.
#875
2013/03/01
Malack's Vampirism and LGBT
Malack's condition is not an allegory for LGBT.
#875
2013/03/01
Belkar's Jokes
Belkar making a joke about something does not make it so.
#786
2011/04/11
Current Politics
There are no references to current politics in the strip beyond those which readers invent themselves.
#732
2010/07/02
TV Tropes
Rich is aware it exists. No, he doesn't use it for ideas or reference it in any way in the comic.
#705
2010/03/04
Hidden Meanings
Not everything in the comic has one.
#667
2009/06/02