View Full Version : Most recent strip to just be a silly joke about D&D
Calavera
2016-03-14, 04:09 AM
I like the overall story arc and everything. I did like the early strips as well though. What would you say is the most recent strip that is not story focussed and merely seeks to make a joke about some aspect of D&D rules?
137beth
2016-03-14, 05:36 AM
It might be the one where V is trying to scribe spells into V's spell book while in Azure city. V discovers one word takes 7 pages and 350gp of ink. (I'm on my phone so can't easily post a link).
TheCowness
2016-03-14, 09:31 AM
I'm pretty sure the Ultimate Duel of Clerics (456) is more recent than that one, but there are surely some strips more recent than those that could count. Like 840, where they have Yukyuk check the pyramid entrance for traps.
The strip where Vaarsuvius directs Yukyuk into the traps doesn't even have a joke about the D&D rules.
nephtis
2016-03-14, 10:10 AM
#1020
Failing a 'use magic device' check has a chance of going wrong in a bad way if you fail it by... was it 5 or more?
And that fact of course being cleverly exploited by a character who knows the mechanics behind the world-setting...
Grey_Wolf_c
2016-03-14, 10:26 AM
I like the overall story arc and everything. I did like the early strips as well though. What would you say is the most recent strip that is not story focussed and merely seeks to make a joke about some aspect of D&D rules?
Why can't it be both? I submit to you for consideration #767 (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0767.html), a strip about how absurdly broken epic-level skill checks are.
GW
Rift_Wolf
2016-03-14, 01:48 PM
What about Laurin vs V? A perfect d&D struggle between opposing casting systems. In the end, psionics can burn points faster than Wizards burn spell slots!
NerdyKris
2016-03-14, 02:37 PM
That wasn't a joke about the rules. That was just a good strategy. And the point wasn't that psionics can burn points faster than wizards can use spell slots. It was that pulling out your big guns when not needed can leave you defenseless when they are needed. If Vaarsuvius had used their usual tactic of using the highest level spell available, they would have lost the battle. Instead, they forced Lirian to burn off lots of points creating portals and teleporting to deal with minor situations that didn't require it.
Mandor
2016-03-14, 07:45 PM
The strip where Vaarsuvius directs Yukyuk into the traps doesn't even have a joke about the D&D rules.
About the D&D rules, no, but it was common enough in some parties for them to send the paladin off to scout or guard something while the shadier members of the party roughed up a captive for information, or killed a few captive goblins. In the "it's lawful good, not lawful stupid" vein. Whereas Roy was arguably being lawful stupid there.
Mandor
2016-03-14, 07:47 PM
Why can't it be both? I submit to you for consideration #767 (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0767.html), a strip about how absurdly broken epic-level skill checks are.
GW
I loved that one. That is totally what it felt like in Fallout:NewVegas playing a character with 10 CHA and 100 speech.
Onyavar
2016-03-15, 05:16 AM
802 had the joke about "there is an elemental plane of EVERYTHING".
841 referred to the up-a-level-down-a-level joke.
Keltest
2016-03-15, 05:37 AM
About the D&D rules, no, but it was common enough in some parties for them to send the paladin off to scout or guard something while the shadier members of the party roughed up a captive for information, or killed a few captive goblins. In the "it's lawful good, not lawful stupid" vein. Whereas Roy was arguably being lawful stupid there.
There could also be a joke about how the most effective way to locate traps is to walk through and trigger them. See: Roy and the Door.
About the D&D rules, no, but it was common enough in some parties for them to send the paladin off to scout or guard something while the shadier members of the party roughed up a captive for information, or killed a few captive goblins. In the "it's lawful good, not lawful stupid" vein. Whereas Roy was arguably being lawful stupid there.
Sigh. I might hope that "Rich intends the message that Vaarsuvius' reflexive attitude toward monsters is correct and treating them like they're people instead is Lawful Stupid" is a ship that's sailed by this time.
Keltest
2016-03-15, 11:20 AM
Sigh. I might hope that "Rich intends the message that Vaarsuvius' reflexive attitude toward monsters is correct and treating them like they're people instead is Lawful Stupid" is a ship that's sailed by this time.
Unless the joke is that the kobold has a terrible spot skill rather than that V deliberately decided to abuse the kobold.
137beth
2016-03-16, 10:04 AM
Sigh. I might hope that "Rich intends the message that Vaarsuvius' reflexive attitude toward monsters is correct and treating them like they're people instead is Lawful Stupid" is a ship that's sailed by this time.
Ooh! Maybe Roy was just being Lawful Stupid when he disapproved of V's explanation of Familicide!
Mandor
2016-03-19, 12:32 AM
Sigh. I might hope that "Rich intends the message that Vaarsuvius' reflexive attitude toward monsters is correct and treating them like they're people instead is Lawful Stupid" is a ship that's sailed by this time.
I didn't mean Roy was being Lawful Stupid in wanting the captives to be treated decently.
I meant he was being incredibly dense in not realizing what Haley and V were planning. It was fairly transparent.
ti'esar
2016-03-19, 01:30 AM
I'm still not even convinced that we're interpreting that scene correctly, as while Vaarsuvius's mistreatment of the kobold seems deliberately meant to remind reader's that V hasn't actually changed that much since Familicide, it seems a little odd for Haley. It might just be that Yukyuk (as Belkar's counterpart) was, like Belkar, actually terrible at one of his basic class skills.
I'm still not even convinced that we're interpreting that scene correctly, as while Vaarsuvius's mistreatment of the kobold seems deliberately meant to remind reader's that V hasn't actually changed that much since Familicide, it seems a little odd for Haley. It might just be that Yukyuk (as Belkar's counterpart) was, like Belkar, actually terrible at one of his basic class skills.
I think it's well in line with Haley's behavior as shown to this point, and really, any doubt is dismissed when she takes care to take the "bulky magic items so they don't get in his way" before sending him up there, let alone when she celebrates his "success."
Keltest
2016-03-19, 05:12 AM
I think it's well in line with Haley's behavior as shown to this point, and really, any doubt is dismissed when she takes care to take the "bulky magic items so they don't get in his way" before sending him up there, let alone when she celebrates his "success."
given that Roy specifically vetoed using him as a trap trigger, I find it a little hard to swallow that they would so blatantly disregard his orders like that, right to his face.
hroşila
2016-03-19, 05:19 AM
I think Haley retrieves those "bulky magic items" because finding traps is an inherently dangerous job, and she worded it like that because she wanted to pretend she cared for the kobold at least a little in front of Roy. Haley didn't give the kobold the order, V did. V is responsible for what happened.
Now, was the kobold just terrible at finding traps, was he instructed to just waltz up the stairs by V for cruelty's sake, or was he actively trying to get himself killed while complying with the mental command to disarm the traps? Dunno.
Mightymosy
2016-03-19, 06:17 AM
I didn't mean Roy was being Lawful Stupid in wanting the captives to be treated decently.
I meant he was being incredibly dense in not realizing what Haley and V were planning. It was fairly transparent.
I remember discussions about that scene. Appaerantly it wasn't transparent enough for quite a couple of readers.
Indeed, I'm fairly confident there are still people on this board who will say, if we get into debating it, "I bet walking into the traps was Yukyuk's best attempt at disarming them, and Haley couldn't have known he wasn't a better rogue!" But thanks for the clarification, my apologies for my immediate reaction, and that made me realize that there is actually a silly joke about D&D rules in that strip after all:
Considering Roy's lack of ranks in Sense Motive and Haley's ranks in Bluff, he can't really see through something she tries to trick him into thinking, even if it's pretty obvious to people who don't have formal stats.
hagnat
2016-03-21, 01:43 PM
And there you have it. #1029 makes a DnD rule joke :D
Onyavar
2016-03-21, 01:52 PM
Ninja'd!
Anyone thinking it's coincidence?
Quild
2016-03-21, 01:58 PM
Double ninja'd :(
Anyone thinking it's coincidence?
I think not :smalltongue:
martianmister
2016-03-21, 02:03 PM
And there you have it. #1029 makes a DnD rule joke :D
Ninja'd!
Anyone thinking it's coincidence?
Double ninja'd :(
I think not :smalltongue:
...Ahem...
I like the overall story arc and everything. I did like the early strips as well though. What would you say is the most recent strip that is not story focussed and merely seeks to make a joke about some aspect of D&D rules?
Quild
2016-03-21, 02:13 PM
...Ahem...
You do realized that The Order might be short in money only for the purpose of the joke?
Maybe the comic is only here to foreshadow that The Order will be too short in money for raising Durkon when they'll be able too... But if not, the joke itself might be the purpose.
Onyavar
2016-03-21, 02:47 PM
We all saw this coming - Andromeda has been a critic of the deal before, especially of Bandana's antics.
But we can already see how the new deal will abruptly end with the team (maybe plus Bandana) being stuck in the dwarven lands.
Roy: "Here you go, for the last two days and us five passengers: 2000 gp."
Bandana: "Cool, thanks."
Andromeda: "Um..."
Felix: "Wasn't the deal 200 gp per person? We're eighteen crew members, isn't that more? Like 7000 gp?"
Andromeda: "No, we're ferrying them since the Western Continent, for eight days in total already, that means roundabout 30000 gp!"
Crew members: "Exactly! Give us your money!"
Depending on whether the order (Haley herself?) has this much money left, this could be the end of their air journey, especially regarding the steep reperature price and the shopping trip in Tinkertown...
Maybe their team will even include Bandana then.
[Edit:] Haley had 32.000 gp in gems + lots of other treasure which we don't know how much it is. The repairs went for 43.000 gp. There were wands and clothes bought. By my guess V and Belkar don't have much money stashed away.
This new comic is probably foreshadowing, all right. The order IS tight on budget. And the weird economy of D&D is always worth a stab.
I kinda doubt that Durkon can't be raised in this book or the next. But it's soon time to say "goodbye airship".
NerdyKris
2016-03-21, 02:52 PM
You do realized that The Order might be short in money only for the purpose of the joke?
Maybe the comic is only here to foreshadow that The Order will be too short in money for raising Durkon when they'll be able too... But if not, the joke itself might be the purpose.
Did you miss all the character development with Roy making the decision that Durkon is dead, and they can no longer afford to be focusing on bringing him back? Or are deeply painful choices not considered plot anymore?
I don't think that's going to happen. The terms of the deal as stated have no such ambiguities and Andi's the only one who doesn't seem happy to be getting 200 gold for the trip.
KorvinStarmast
2016-03-21, 03:29 PM
Did you miss all the character development with Roy making the decision that Durkon is dead, and they can no longer afford to be focusing on bringing him back? Or are deeply painful choices not considered plot anymore? Given that he followed up with (knowing Durkon as well as he does)
"that's not what he would want" and Haley responds
"I know" ... we see the repetition of a serious moment ... pause ... set up ... joke.
Same thing Rich did with the serious explanation of why Banjo wasn't at the Godsmoot to set up the punchline "Banjo's a puppet" when Elan (the pause) begins to worry if Roy has lost it.
Roy Greenhat: until they get to warmer climes, he's got a new nom de guerre. Using it might allow them to surprise Xykon.
martianmister
2016-03-22, 03:19 PM
Given that he followed up with (knowing Durkon as well as he does)
"that's not what he would want" and Haley responds
"I know" ... we see the repetition of a serious moment ... pause ... set up ... joke.
Same thing Rich did with the serious explanation of why Banjo wasn't at the Godsmoot to set up the punchline "Banjo's a puppet" when Elan (the pause) begins to worry if Roy has lost it.
Roy Greenhat: until they get to warmer climes, he's got a new nom de guerre. Using it might allow them to surprise Xykon.
So, what you trying to tell is..? :smallconfused:
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