OOTS #359 - The Discussion Thread

[The Giant]

New comic is up.

The Voice of Mod: Remember, no more "First post/page!" stuff, or the whole post will be deleted. We need to keep server load down.

[opsomath]

Sweet fight scene. Although I'm really not sure why the attitude change in the (AWESOME FOR FIGHTING TO THE END) druid.

[Destro_Yersul]

That's great! Heh heh. "Good boy." Priceless. ;D

[StickMan]

Down with the druid go team.

[JepDeiod]

hahahah

Firestorm was awesome!

[Erloas]

Just finished the 3rd part of the Duke's Wolf, very good, and get rewarded with the new comic as well.

Looks like Leeky is giving up without having to get himself killed, so I guess he chose only the moderately difficult way.
And so much for my Belkar eating brains makes him a half-zombie idea. (not that I really thought that... but the idea of a half-zombie is interesting)

[Dhavaer]

JLA + Gnome-doggieness = Win.

Batman sounded kind of English, though.

[Krimm_Blackleaf]

ha!, take THAT you GNOME

[BelkarsDagger]

Meh, this comic was okay. The funniest part was the superheroes playing cards. The end was so-so.

[Myatar_Panwar]

haha, great comic. I loved the superhero reference.

[Mr._Obvious]

Hum.. not one of the best.. funny.. but not particulary funny...
Tough i liked the super friends XD

[Nightmarenny]

Heh Batman.

Would have liked to see Green Arrow though. Cool though.

[rcuhljr]

Dispel magic > all

[rwald]

Just finished the 3rd part of the Duke's Wolf, very good, and get rewarded with the new comic as well.

Looks like Leeky is giving up without having to get himself killed, so I guess he chose only the moderately difficult way.
And so much for my Belkar eating brains makes him a half-zombie idea. (not that I really thought that... but the idea of a half-zombie is interesting)
I bet his sitting down wasn't by choice, but rather the Command spell (I may have the wrong name). I've usually seen it used in combat to force an opponent to Approach, taking lots of attacks of opportunity, but forcing them to Sit takes them out of the battle in a slightly less bloody fashion.

Edit: Either Command or Greater Command are possibilities; the Sit pseudocommand could either be the Fall command (target falls prone) or the Halt command (target takes no actions). Unless it's the Greater version, either effect goes away after one round, though since the Greater version is only cleric level 5, it's certainly within Durkon's possible range.

[CaptN]

Batman sounded kind of English, though.

That's actually a refrence to the 60's batman TV show, for extra awesome sauce to a Cracking good Intim check. Getting better and better with age, this boy is.

[sakusha]

Battle-awesomeness!

Edit: I definitely agree with the speculations that Durkon cast a Command Word: Stay, Sit!, and Sit. I believe that such spells usually are given modifiers to their DCs when it goes against a person's normal attitude, so appealing to Leeky's animal instinct without forcing him to endanger himself further must have been a decent enough DC for the uber-druidzilla to fail. :P

[Fillbert]

Very nice Justice league reference..... GOOD BOY

[Flame_Drake]

I love it that the title's the punch line in this one.

Drake

[Brickwall]

Honestly, not being a big superhero fan, I really thought the "Fire Storm" thing detracted from the comic.

But I will never be able to think of druids without thinking of that comic again.

Incedentally, by the time I looked at "newest comic" and got 358, then went directly to OOTS Discussion, there were already 6 posts in the new comic thread. Whatup with that?

[Nerd-o-rama]

Woo! GL cameo!

Also, I'm not sure I get the ending there; is it because a defeated Druid will act like an animal, or what?

[Knight13]

Firestorm was great and Roy gets his cleavage on. ;)

[McBish]

Did Durkon cast command or suggestion? Why is Leeky listening to him?

[Hario]

JLA + Gnome-doggieness = Win.

Batman sounded kind of English, though.
That's because he's the old adam west batman... he always said things like that...

[charik]

My favorite part? Belkar telling Haley "don't say anything about it." :D

[AzSteven]

I wonder how many other Kobolds are in town that will be charged against Belkar's reward offer?

Good strip, with Justice League goodness included!

[sakusha]

My favorite part? Belkar telling Haley "don't say anything about it." :D

Oh wow I totally missed that part ^^; Yeah that was ... funny, because I totally expected Belkar to have enjoyed that cuisine :P guess predictions proved true that Kobold-flavored anything isn't that good of a taste.

[Wolfram]

I was going to call Rich a marvel, but after this comic I can't in good conscience. ;D

[Trobby]

Ahhh...y'know, I'm starting to think that Belkar only really decided to hang out with the OOTS so he could continuously creep out Roy in new and interesting ways.

After all, why else would he go through all the trouble of having that kobold blood pulped into a useable, yet utterly nasty salsa, and stuffing perfectly serviceable tortilla chips into a kobold head, if that wasn't his entire goal in the OOTS?

Also, it's funny to think that's his only motivation. :3

Heh...Fire Storm would probably make more sense if I knew more about that character priorly...

And that was easily one of the best battle scenes I've ever seen. So much kickassery...

Of course, I'm betting The Giant did that on purpose...after all, this is the first true Druid/Gnome we've seen in the comic, it would disappoint fans of both types if he failed miserably.

And last, and least...I can't help but be reminded of Inu Yasha..

;-; Which I am deeply sorry for. Sorry guys.

[BurntOfferings]

Did Durkon cast command or suggestion? Why is Leeky listening to him?
I'm going to take a wild guess and assume that he doesn't want to die. Durkon, who was already doing quite well going toe-to-toe with him, has gained some serious reinforcements, while Leeky just watched his class feature animal companion get divided and conquered.

[SPoD]

Did Durkon cast command or suggestion? Why is Leeky listening to him?

Because he has probably like 3 hp left and doesn't want to die?

Think about it, he was casting Heal when Haley fizzled his spell, so he already considered himself fairly injured. Then he took an arrow, a greatsword wound, and a smack across the face with a shield. He's lucky to still be conscious.

No white magic blob = no spell cast by Durkon, so no, it was just the force of Durkon's personality that got Leeky to give up. Which is much cooler than if he had cast a spell.

[Felinoid]

Laughed out loud at the end. I'm not sure why, but Durkon saying it...priceless. And yet more evidence of the Giant stealing our thoughts, this time from Belkar. *dons foil hat*

[sakusha]

XDDDDD Did anyone notice Belkar's reaction to Durkon *whap!*-ing Leeky a few feet past him? That's the funniest use of a "plain" face I've ever seen!!!

[Pet_Flumph]

Pretty good comic. The punchline was okay. I loved the superheroes playing cards, though. ;D

[The_Kobold_Hero]

Oh wow I totally missed that part ^^; Yeah that was ... funny, because I totally expected Belkar to have enjoyed that cuisine :P guess predictions proved true that Kobold-flavored anything isn't that good of a taste.

Thats because Kobolds are dragonblooded humanoids. And, as some may know, dragonblood can cause some freaky side effects.

Nice comic by the way. I knew Belker was too much of a weak little bastard to really eat the "salsa". ::)

[denelian]

i dont know DC well enough to knoe who firestorm is (although i can take a guess) - im a marvel girl...

[Flak_Razorwill]

Wow. That gnome was a real dickweed.

PWNT is a word I rarely use anymore...

[ElfLad]

Durkon = Win.

Seriously, he's gained major respect points, and this is just double awesome in here.

[CynicalIllusionist]

Damn, Leeky must have either a constitution bonus to his hit points, or just a lot of luck, to have taken so much damage prior to this, and then this comics damage, and still be concious. Good to see him finally throw in the towel though, if you think about it, he did pretty damn well againt the oots for just one guy (and an army of tree-monsters).

Hah what surprised me here is that everyone was free to pound on him, yet the only one who did nothing was everyones faviorate sadist, Belkar. Maybe he's sympathetic to gnomes because they are the only player race smaller than halflings.

[sakusha]

Hah what surprised me here is that everyone was free to pound on him, yet the only one who did nothing was everyones faviorate sadist, Belkar. Maybe he's sympathetic to gnomes because they are the only player race smaller than halflings.

Or ... he's still under the Mark of Justice's effects ...
...
Just a guess.

[Swashbuckler]

"There it is again!" ;D

Ah, DC Comics ... *sniffs a tear back in memory*

Another great comic - not LOL, uproariously funny - but it had its great moments. I still think that Leeky should be made into a fruit salad to compliment the chips & salsa (extra chunky), but I keep forgetting that Roy & Crew are supposed to be the 'good guys'. Mercy can be so over-rated! :)

[EmeraldFire]

I really liked Haley's satisfied grin when Kitty got sliced in two.

Loved the superhero reference, keep it coming!

[Tiberian]

/\/\Belkar can't attack in city limits/\/\.

[JadedDM]

Whoo, Firestorm! (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firestorm_%28comics%29)

I had his action figure when I was a little kid. Back in the day when I watched Super Friends on tv.

Ahh, nostalgia.

[Trobby]

I really liked Haley's satisfied grin when Kitty got sliced in two.

Loved the superhero reference, keep it coming!

I like how Haley uses the awesomeness of "Evasion" once again to avoid any damage from the Fire Storm. Yay damage avoision! (Wait, is that a real word?)

[theKOT]

This comic, while not particularly hilarious, showed a good conclusion to the leeky fight and finally had a good OOTS fight scene. I enjoyed it. 8/10

[drkdstryer]

Oh man, by FAR the funniest part of this one was Haley jumping out of the way of the Fire Storm. So subtle, and yet homehow it's actually hilarious.

[sakusha]

This whole comic took place in a surprise round + 1 round didn't it? Everyone took one action, except Leeky who took 2 (one for surprise and 1 normal). I think getting pwned in one round was in the good ol' days reason enough for a morale check to come up. Either way getting your @$$ kicked in one round could have made a significant enough impression on Leeky that he realized he would die if he kept fighting another round.

Neutral Evil could always include cowardice and / or self-servitude before "the cause" :P

[Kaerou]

Todays comic reminded me of the whole 'the human-like characters never die yet the Kobolds and all the other races always die' thing.

Why did YokYok have to die yet he didnt? That sucks =(

Ah well, i have to hand it.. the art in these latest comic seems somehow a cut above the rest.. kudos on that Giant.

[CockroachTeaParty]

Ba ha ha ha! That's right, sit down ya friggin' hippy! And kitty hawk was slashed to ribbons. Violence makes my sad, sad life more enjoyable.

[Tobimaro]

JLA + Gnome-doggieness = Win.

Batman sounded kind of English, though.

If you watched any of the Super Friends cartoons from the 70s, you see that Batman kinda had a faux English tone. Go figure. :-/

Anyways, I actually liked the JL homage, including the Jon Stweart/Green Lantern reference. Roy using his cleave feat, and Durkon getting the upper hand with Leeky with a Command spell after a nice shield bash.

Gotta live those Dwarf Clerics!!! ;D ;D

[Solara]

/\/\Belkar can't attack in city limits/\/\.

As far as I understand he can still attack people, he just can't deal lethal damage.

[Trobby]

^
When has Belkar ever shown the ability to deal non-lethal damage?


Neutral Evil could always include cowardice and / or self-servitude before "the cause" :P

Are we even sure Leeky IS Neutral Evil? He could very well be True Neutral or Chaotic Neutral, and it just so happens that siding with the evil guys was in his best interests this time around.

I mean, chances are he IS Neutral Evil. What with the whole "Serve My Cause and No One Else Lives" thing going on...but hey, lesser acts have led to worse ends...

I get the feeling Leeky just knows by now that he really IS beat. No matter how much Druid Mojo he's got going, He's surrounded by a semi-trained quazi-professional group of adventurers who just blew him and his animal companion out of the water. Better to give up now and let the woefully ineffiecient prison cells try to bar him down, as he plans a cunning Druidic escape.

[Nashua]

Wow! I don't think I've ever seen the OotS combat tactics so clearly and neatly illustrated. From Leeky's failed concentration check to Durkon's classic shield bash, it was almost a visual manual for the combat chapter in the PHB. Way to go Rich! WotC should hire you for the NEXT (though we dread the thought of 4.0) essential D&D books.

[LordOfNarf]

no mattter how unbalenced druids are, 6 v 1 is still too much for him

And sit, stay, priceless.

[Palpie]

Darn it Rizumu Sakusha beat me to pointing out Belkar's awesome contribution to the fight, just standing around watching.

Though could have done with out him explaining about the salsa to Haley (and the readers). Just having him toss it aside now that it's served its purpose would show the same thing.


Why did YokYok have to die yet he[Leeky] didnt? That sucks =(
Because Yok Yok (like his father) was trying to kill the one member of OOTS that is perfectly willing to kill his opponents.

[Dabble]

Well, we know Leeky and Yak-Yak are out of action, and Sabine and their Half Elf centipede summoning Liking Julia from afar cant remember his name conjurer were defeated earlier (although they got away.

Guess it is now time to see what happens to Nate and Thog.

I can hardly wait.

[kristineadam]

Durkon probably used Intimidate to bully Leeky into surrenduring while he still could. I had a paladin PC do that to one of my bad guys and it was much more effective than just killing their foe. Curse those clerics and paladins with their high Charisma scores.... ;)

[Trobby]

Well, we know Leeky and Yak-Yak are out of action, and Sabine and their Half Elf centipede summoning Liking Julia from afar cant remember his name conjurer were defeated earlier (although they got away.

Guess it is now time to see what happens to Nate and Thog.

I can hardly wait.

Unless Elan got a lot more powerful *And for that matter, mor concious* in the last few minutes, chances are nothing much has happened to them besides moving.

I'm just waiting for it to dawn on a wiser member of the OOTS that this may, indeed, have been an elaborate hoax, which I'm willing to bet they'll find out once they go to check on Elan.

[Tobimaro]

Well, we know Leeky and Yak-Yak are out of action, and Sabine and their Half Elf centipede summoning Liking Julia from afar cant remember his name conjurer were defeated earlier (although they got away.

Guess it is now time to see what happens to Nate and Thog.

I can hardly wait.

Leeky is defeated, Yok-yok is currently acting as a tortilla bowl, Sabine and Pompey are on the lam somewhere, leaving Nale and Thog holding Elan. What's to come? Well...... ???

I just wanted to recap the latest of the OotS VS. the LG. ::)

[Sky_Schemer]

Great battle sequence. It's nice to see the OOTS function as an effective team like this.

And, once again, Roy shows us that he has great cleavage. ;)

[Snake-Aes]

^
When has Belkar ever shown the ability to deal non-lethal damage?


Are we even sure Leeky IS Neutral Evil? He could very well be True Neutral or Chaotic Neutral, and it just so happens that siding with the evil guys was in his best interests this time around.

I mean, chances are he IS Neutral Evil. What with the whole "Serve My Cause and No One Else Lives" thing going on...but hey, lesser acts have led to worse ends...

I get the feeling Leeky just knows by now that he really IS beat. No matter how much Druid Mojo he's got going, He's surrounded by a semi-trained quazi-professional group of adventurers who just blew him and his animal companion out of the water. Better to give up now and let the woefully ineffiecient prison cells try to bar him down, as he plans a cunning Druidic escape.

Leeky Windstaff, evil gnome druid!Bwahahaha! (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0344.html)

Hum, yup, neutral evil.

[Trobby]

As far as recaps go, it seems that the LG got their butts handed to them on a silver platter as far as combat and tactics are concerned.

However, they key point to winning the conflict, to keep Elan safe, is lost on the OOTS.

Rule of Combat: It doesn't matter if you beat the enemies when you still lost the battle.

Edit: Also, I see I have been throughly trounced in my doubts of evil...nicely done, Snake-Aes.

[Charity322]

Aww they killed the Hawk. :( I liked the Hawk. It could have been Blackwing's nemesis!

[silvadel]

Real powerful cleave there...

And he has a concentration check not much better than Vs -- Should have stayed a bear.

[Solmage]

Blackwing's nemesis is V's amneisa 8)

Spoiler:Everything is going according to plan. Now all Nale has to do is illusion a goatee on Elan, shave his, and let himself be "thoroughly defeated". Next phase: Alienate all of Elan's friends from him, to devastate Elan, while he's rotting in prison.

[Aerysil1]

No evasion wink from Haley? Oh well.

Well that was a quick end to Kitty. And a cleave to boot.

I don't think I've ever seen a gnome smacked around so.

The Firestorm joke reminded me of the Drawmij's Instant Death spell. He is REALLY tired of dying.

[mastroyo]

I'm finally seeing the 'coolness' in Durkon for the first time!!

Think about it (and i haven't, so please don't blast me... enlighten me!)

When has Durkon showed himself so brilliantly in battle as now? Except for Elan, everyone has done well... or even excelled.

???

Am i right?

[Aerysil1]

Durkon has the habit of turning on the mojo when it's needed. The fight in Xykon's throne room comes to mind.

[Mr_Samedi]

Durkon is, in my opinion , the most powerful member of the OOTS, hampered only by psychological flaws.

If he had taken part in either Miko battles, she would have been toast.

[battleburn]

So we have Firestorm on the left and Batman on the right, but who is that in the middle ???
Not the best comic I've seen. The superhero gag wasn't necessary in my opinion.
Fast thinking of Haley to shot when Leeky tried to perform another spell. Its hard to concentrate with an arrow pointing out of your chest.
(So I've been told) ;-)

Oh and, Yes I knew Belkar wasn't really eating that stuff

[lunar]

So we have Firestorm on the left and Batman on the right, but who is that in the middle ???
Not the best comic I've seen. The superhero gag wasn't necessary in my opinion.
Fast thinking of Haley to shot when Leeky tried to perform another spell. Its hard to concentrate with an arrow pointing out of your chest.
(So I've been told) ;-)

Oh and, Yes I knew Belkar wasn't really eating that stuff

Green Lantern. More specifically, John Stewart.

[sakusha]

So we have Firestorm on the left and Batman on the right, but who is that in the middle ???

I'm gonna take a stab and say Green Lantern.

Edit: DOUBLE-POST LUNAR! :P Ah well 8)

[Shatteredtower]

Ah, DC super-heroes... Is there nothing they can't confuse? Ever try explaining thirty years of Green Lantern continuity to the inexperienced in under two minutes? It's an amazing anasthetic.

Nasty way to insult a druid, but after that racial crack Leeky made, he got off light. Interesting resolution. Makes me curious to see where Friday takes us.


And he has a concentration check not much better than Vs -- Should have stayed a bear.

Was that an intentional nod to Mark Twain's "The Diary of Adam and Eve"?

[Destro_Yersul]

Actually Belkar was eating the chips, just not the salsa. He tosses one of them into his mouth in OOTS #358.

[Adeptus]

Durkon is the man! Our hairy little man is really coming to his own.

[Sebastian]

JLA + Gnome-doggieness = Win.

Batman sounded kind of English, though.

That was obviously the Adam West's Batman :)

And I think Durkon was using a Command spell.

[Freelance Henchman]

twang! schlerkt! WHAP! This comic has awesome audio!
/fizzle

[Eldhrin]

Loved it, loved it. Especially the random out-of-setting one-panel reference to superheroes that have nothing to do with anything else.

Or do they?

This was lots of fun. Nice to see the Order getting on top of things, shame they still haven't realised that Nale's plan has been a total success so far.

[Quixote]

Heh, I just noticed the way Haley 'evaded' the fire storm... nice touch with consistency there.

;D

I'm not much of a role player, so I didn't get the punchline, which is a shame because most of the time the humour works without special knowledge...

[Zeb The Troll]

I'm not much of a role player, so I didn't get the punchline, which is a shame because most of the time the humour works without special knowledge...
No special knowledge is necessary to get the punchline. Durkon told Leeky to SIT. Leeky sits down (eventually. Why is irrelevant to the joke.). Durkon says "Good boy" like Leeky's a well trained house pet or something. That's just funny, I don't care who ya are. :P

Zeb

[battleburn]

And then you look to the title of the comic and you laugh some more.

[Shara_Littlebottom]

Seeing the Fire Storm spell in action was beautiful. At least 13d6 of damage. Ouch. Did any of them save for half damage? V looks like she's shielding herself somewhat...
Hurray for Evasion indeed.

If that Heal hadn't been disrupted they'd have had a tougher fight on their hands.

That's got to be the coolest cleave I've seen in OOTS yet! As a previous poster mentioned the art for the strip is looking great.

[Nerd_Paladin]

I think old Leeky deserves a little more credit on this one. When you consider that he had to take on the entire Order siongle-handedly, he didn't give too bad an account of himself really. If any of the other Guild members had gotten off their tails (literal and figurative) and lent a hand/claw he'd be in better shape. Even as it stands he stomped V, sidelined Haley for the entire fight with a single spell, and went toe to toe with Durkon pretty effectively, until he got ganged up on. Few NPCs could manage even half of that before taking a trip to the Outer Planes.

[battleburn]

Are we sure it was a heal?
The combination Hea... Blast suggest a Heatblast spell?

But it sure was beautifull how he waited for this spell for when he was surrounded. Probably hoping the rest of the gang had been fairly beat up allready so that they would really have a hard time on that spell.

[Om]

I didn't get the superhero reference but got that the reference had been made. If that makes sense. Great strip as usual though.

I'm looking forward to finding out whether our druid friend reveals all…

[Zeb The Troll]

I didn't get the superhero reference but got that the reference had been made. If that makes sense. Great strip as usual though.
The reference was just that the one who said "There it is again!" is named Firestorm, inferring that every time someone casts a firestorm spell, he hears it and thinks someone is calling his name.

Zeb

[Noneoyabizzness]

that and his comic is called "the fury of firestorm"

I likes it!

plus roy did a nice effortless cleave from the animal companion to the druid

[Ethdred]

I was sure that Durkon was using Command, which amused me as it implied that after all the high level magic that had been thrown around, Leeky gets taken down by a 1st level spell. But that would imply Durkon cast three spells in one round, which even the Giant wouldn't allow :)

This one will be lost on non-UK people, or indeed on anyone under about 30, but we used to have a woman on TV called Barbara Woodhouse who was famour for training dogs. She had a very upper class English accent and used to really emphasise all her commands to dogs - so 'Sit' became 'Seeeeee-IT'. I had a big flashback and imagined Durkon giving his commands like her!

[DArKandEViL]

Hey daddy can I get a gnome? Huh? Can I?
Lol great comic! ;D

[taraxia]

JLA + Gnome-doggieness = Win.

Batman sounded kind of English, though.

It was pretty clearly a reference to the old-school Adam West Batman.

[Nighthawk4]

Great - note that Haley dodged the Firestorm. :D

[Blood]

Awesome. I guess the doggy commands is Durkon's revenge on Leeky. ;D

Hmm, so now we have:

Roy, Belkar, Haley, Durkon, Vaarsuvius have Leeky; Pompey and Sabine we don't know; Nale, Thog have Elan.

The plot thickens.

[GKBeetle]

I had totally forgotten that Firestorm was even a superhero. That was hilarious.

[Lord_of_the_Helms]

Not bad, though not as good as the previous. Liekd the punchline.

Also, I wonder when Belkar will finally realize that he has evasion and good reflex saves now :p

[Drake_Darkfire]

I'd have to say this was a little sub-par compared to the other comics recently. I didn't get the super hero joke, mostly because I just don't do that kind of thing, and what was with the sit and stay thing? can some one explain? ???

[Serina_Spellbinder]

Great - note that Haley dodged the Firestorm. :D

Looks like they all made their Reflex saves, and as for Haley...Gotta love that Evasion class ability. :)

[battleburn]

I'd have to say this was a little sub-par compared to the other comics recently. I didn't get the super hero joke, mostly because I just don't do that kind of thing, and what was with the sit and stay thing? can some one explain? ???

During the whole Miko thing, Durkon has been a bit of an outsider. This is payback time for him.
He started with the awesome sonic blast, then he started to be all commanding towards Julia, beat the crap out of Leeky and finally continues to be commanding towards the defeated foe.
Perhaps because its a druid that made him run, because of the trees. He has some authority to win back.
He is just getting a bit over the top with the whole dog commands thing.
Though this is a good start to show everyone he is strong enough to stand his ground. After this he is ready to lecture Julia and probably Roy about proper behaviour and good family relations. Probably when they are back in Azure city where Daddy can hear it too.

[Nightfall]

He is just getting a bit over the top with the whole dog commands thing.

No, I think rwald was correct in his assumption that Durkon was using the Command spell. The first "sit" --- when Leeky didn't --- was when Leeky made his Will save. On the second try, he failed. Just a thought. DM's fudge rules all the time. I should know..... ;)

[DraxtonSmitz]

I loved the doggy commands! A good wake up laugh!

[battleburn]

Why would it be a spell. He just rolled better the second time on his intimidation check.
I don't believe it fits Durkon's profile/character to use such a "mind control" spell. Thor wouldn't approve.

[karen451]

It can only be an Intimidate check. It is obligatory for all command words to be written in red, like in the Preacher comic. Rich would never miss out a reference like that!

Unless, of course, DC comics have bigger lawyers than he does. :-X

[Dawnstrider_Moogle]

Hahaha. Panel 3 WINS. "...old chum."

Aside from that, the fight was pretty cool...poor panel 6 Belkar not getting to do anything :p

[Tawkis]

Durkon probably used Intimidate to bully Leeky into surrenduring while he still could. I had a paladin PC do that to one of my bad guys and it was much more effective than just killing their foe. Curse those clerics and paladins with their high Charisma scores.... ;)
Actually I don't think Durkon has a high charisma at all.
http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0200.html

see issue 200, same OOTS time, same OOTS channel

at least until Oct 20-22

[Zeekar]

How many times in a single thread does someone have to explain why Batman said "old chum" or who Firestorm is, or point out that Haley evaded the Fire Storm, or offer the same theory about how Durkon got Leeky to obey him? This is a conversation! That implies that information flows both ways, into your head as well as out of it. So please read before you post!

Sorry. Rant over.

From a DC perspective panel 3 is a neat cross-section of JL history. A Batman who dresses in black instead of blue but talks like Adam West, with John Stewart (eyes glowing green like in the JL cartoon) and Ronnie Raymond (who's been replaced by a new Firestorm in the comics these days). I have to admit that I have always thought of the Nuclear Man every time I hear the name of the spell "Fire Storm".

Extremely minor nitpick: the red-circled intersection of the "electron paths" or whatever on Firestorm's costume is on his left chest, but in the strip it appears on his right. Simple mistake, or was the panel mirror-reversed after you drew it because you decided you liked it better that way?

I don't think Leeky was casting "Heat Blast". He was going to cast "Heal" but then got his concentration foiled by Haley's arrow, so he said "Blast!" - which is a longstanding Comics Code Authority-approved synonym for "Damn!".

"schlerkt": best Cleave sound effect ever. Don Martin, eat your heart out. :)

[Renegade Paladin]

OWNED! ;D

[Doomgiver]

Bwahaha!

Ok, seeing Ronnie, John, and Bruce playing cards was just completely awesome. I don't know if you set it up that way, but on my monitor I had to scroll down to get that row of panels. So, I'm seeing the firestorm spell be cast, thinking "Ooh, fight scene"...scroll down...and that! Took me completely by surprise, and I'll have you know you owe me for the coffee I spit up onto my monitor :D

[The Glitter Ninja]

I think someone's cheating at cards. Heh.

[sniffles]

Great stuff. I really enjoyed seeing the Order use their skills and teamwork well.

And the Justice League reference made me laugh out loud. ;D

[Albion]

Brilliant one, brilliant action. :) Durkon brings down the authority AGAIN! He's really becoming someone not to mess with - always was, but now he's showing it ;) Don't nobody give lip to grand old Durkon boys! (Did I use "give lip" right? :-/)

I thought the "sit, good boy" thing was just because it's a druid, and he was recently a werebear or whatever. Druid, animals, shapeshifter, animal guy... but I always go for my (arguably) simple explanations.

[Gregor_LeBlaque]

I don't think Leeky was casting "Heat Blast". He was going to cast "Heal" but then got his concentration foiled by Haley's arrow, so he said "Blast!" - which is a longstanding Comics Code Authority-approved synonym for "Damn!".

Or he could have been about to cast Heathen Smiting or Heat Blisters of Eternal Pain... (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0007.html)

[tmacdevitt]

Giant,

You finally got to strut your DC comics lore into your own strip. Congrats and a pat on the back for using the TV show batman!

Nice job

[Elcaz]

The punchline was definitely on the third panel. It got me coughing. Great job, Giant.

[Loki_d20]

JLA + Gnome-doggieness = Win.

Batman sounded kind of English, though.It's the old Adam West Batman. From the 60s TV Show, it's something Batman said a lot.

[orcmonk89]

lol, that was ace.

JUSTICE LEAGUE!!!

[Tomada]

Great as always.

I'm not sure it was a spell that compelled Leeky to sit down, or him being vastly outnumbered... But still...

I think someone is going to have to find another familiar, bye bye kitty.


Suddenly I feel joy over reading the comics post, again. Any chance this enforcement against first posts becoming permanent? It's not like it's a huge XP penalty anyway, is it?

[silvadel]

Hmm -- the way evasion works in OOTS makes me wonder if a "ring of jumping" should bestow evasion or give a +3 bonus to reflex saves if the person HAS evasion.

Oh and it makes you wonder if Durkon has quicken spell -- that sit -- SIT looks to me like he cast a quickened command spell(resisted) followed by an ordinary command spell.

[Krytha]

Did Durkon really cast something though? Because usually a spell is accompanied with a little "magic" aura thing and Durkon looked like he was just yelling louder than normal...

And Roy keeps taking hits! Con 10, it cannot be!

[Kanashimi]

nice. and good use of intimidate by Durkon

[Varian7]

I like that Leeky still has the black eye from when Durkon first wacked him with his hammer. Nice attention to detail!

[Haarculaneaum]

Except for Intimidate isn't a Cleric Skill.
And Durkon has a low Charisma.

Anyway, I have to say this is one of my least favorite comics. Part of that has to do with my loathing of all things Lame. I mean DC.

The other part is the whole sit down doggy thing just isn't that funny. My wife was emailing last night before we went to bed & so I had her check the site. We read it together. She asked "is that supposed to be funny?" I said no.

Glad Leeky is defeeeted but seriously disappointed in this comic. Belkar and Haley are its only saving graces.

Haar.

[Tyriq]

Firestorm is my favorite. Bravo Mr. Giant!

[Banaticus]

Except for Intimidate isn't a Cleric Skill.
And Durkon has a low Charisma.
Except that Durkon might not be a straight cleric. He could have a level or more in a PrC that grants full casting progression and Intimidate as a class skill.

[Haarculaneaum]

And the evidence for his alleged PrC is um, where?

[fangthane]

How many times in a single thread does someone have to explain why Batman said "old chum" or who Firestorm is, or point out that Haley evaded the Fire Storm, or offer the same theory about how Durkon got Leeky to obey him? This is a conversation! That implies that information flows both ways, into your head as well as out of it. So please read before you post!

Sorry. Rant over.

As long as people are discussing things, I don't know that it's appropriate to expect them to refrain from mentioning personal opinions - such as the opinion that Heal was being cast, or the opinion that Schlerkt (which had already been mentioned prior to your post) was a good sound effect - any more than you should so refrain.

I have to admit though, when I saw Leeky saying "Blast!" I had a total Family Guy flashback. I guess he does have an English accent after all. ;)

[Minimiscience]

Excellent comic, old chum! Maybe now Roy will get to question the hostage, unlike last time when Nale & Thog apparently refused to comply. Or maybe not.

[DougTheHead]

I just wanted to point out a little "Stealth Joke" That no one has commented about yet.

After Belkar tells Haley that the "salsa" is just to gross Roy out, he says, "Do me a favor and don't say anything about it."- to HALEY.

;D

Ahhh, Belkar. May entire villages of good-aligned characters perish in fire before you die, or even get seriously injured.

[imageek]

I loved this keep em comin giant ;)

[Deuce]

As far as the Druid's sitting, I'd say it's neither a spell nor a Intimidate check from Durkon, but rather the result of a failed Morale check by Leeky.

[lor_mike]

Another great comic especially durkon treating the druid like a bad puppy :)

[Ravenlord]

Rated 'meh'. This was one of the more lame episodes of OOTS.

[Shea Landford]

Roflmoa! Sit. Sit. Goodboy.

[Evil_Pacifist]

Poor guy. I almost feel sorry for him...

[The_unhapy_palidin]

I liked this comic alot it was a good way to tie up the battle with Leaky and it ended hillariously.Plus who dosent like to see Batman?

[Grimnar]

I personally enjoyed it. The fight sceen, the hero refrence, Durkon strutting his stuff, all of it. I can't wait until the next strip is put up.

[twerk_face]

C'mon guys, its a joke. It doesn't allways have to follow the rules. ANYway,....

"Good boy" EFFING GENIUS!

[Wayloss]

As much a Spell as V's "Sleep" spell way back.

[DraxtonSmitz]

C'mon guys, its a joke. It doesn't allways have to follow the rules. ANYway,....

"Good boy" EFFING GENIUS!

I agree! I'm 6'2" and weigh 130 pounds after I eat a meal! I'm am the least intimidating person you will ever meet. BUT if me and a bunch of friends beat the crap out of someone until he was bloody and broken, I bet he would listen to me if I yelled at him!

[Hototo]

indeed. Besides, Durkon just rocks. And he's been in a really bossy mood lately, what with telling Roy's sis exactly what to do and everything.

[chadmeister]

After Belkar tells Haley that the "salsa" is just to gross Roy out, he says, "Do me a favor and don't say anything about it."- to HALEY.


Just what DOES Belkar say there anyway? Best I can make out is "It's just for squicking Roy out." What's squicking? Or what does it really say?

[centauri]

Durkon getting the upper hand with Leeky with a Command spell after a nice shield bash. Despite the use of the shield, the move looked more like a bullrush to me. A Medium dwarf with decent Strength could send a Small gnome back quite a ways, and it looks like Leeky is flying back 10 or 15 feet. Shield bashing, while cool, doesn't push your opponent around.

The question I have is why would Durkon choose that move, when he could just deal damage. Maybe he forgot that Belkar couldn't take an attack of opportunity on the druid. It's pretty clear that he wants the druid alive, though, so I guess a non-lethal move was best. Why not a trip?

Actually, the real question I have is why did the druid come out of wildshape? It happened after Durkon knocked him down. Did he lose consciousness for a moment? If so, why is he back up a few panels later? Did he regain hit points for reverting back to his natural form?

[Kesnit]

Just what DOES Belkar say there anyway? Best I can make out is "It's just for squicking Roy out." What's squicking? Or what does it really say?


"Squick" is street slang for "freaking someone out."

[Morchaint]

lol great fight. new terminol-- urk.. pardon me
great comic :D

[Solmage]

"Squick" is street slang for "freaking someone out."

Huh. First time I read it I thought it said sicking (as in sickening) Roy out. I had no clue what squick meant so it glanced over it, assumed it was misspelled, and moved on. Hehe.

In the meantime I found a more thorough explanation: http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=squick

[the_tick_rules]

Belkar is sure getting some mileage out of that craft disturbing mentall image feat. You'd think being that violent he would have chosen a combat feat, but he's using it very well none the less.

[Erloas]

Why does someone have to make a check to do every little thing?
The fact that the druid didn't want to die so he was cooperating, albeit someone reluctantly, with the people that beat him is just natural. Not wanting to get killed is enough to do something without the other person needing to cast spells. Durkon was just treating him like the animal he was.

[CaptN]

Why does someone have to make a check to do every little thing?

You don't have too. Heck, sometimes it's just cool to pure RP it... and sometimes it's cool to have a roll to backup your badassatude.

[vampeel]

Well this might not be his funniest comic ever it is still great, in every panel there is either something that make you want to cheer or laugh.

And bring on the druids, my favorite class.

I hope the giant makes more comics like this, give good action, and each scene can be entertaining by itself.

[Shatteredtower]

Except for Intimidate isn't a Cleric Skill.
And Durkon has a low Charisma.

Intimidate is also a skill that can be used untrained, though we've no idea as to whether or not Durkon spent points on the skill anyway, cross-class or no. An Intimidate check is also opposed by a modified level check, which would still give Durkon at best a slight chance of success. Leeky's at least 14th level, with at least a 17 Wisdom, for a low check result of 19. Durkon would need an untrained 20 to beat that, assuming a 10 (the definition of "low" is relative) Charisma.

Having said all that, it's entirely academic. The Giant did it because he felt it was appropriate to the interaction, and because he felt it was funny.


Anyway, I have to say this is one of my least favorite comics. Part of that has to do with my loathing of all things Lame. I mean DC.

That's an awfully big brush you're using there. Yeah, the company has done some pretty awful things over the years, but it's also given me Grant Morrison's run on The Doom Patrol or Alan Moore on The Swamp Thing. I may be one of the few people that liked the Giffen/Bierbaum run on The Legion of Super-Heroes or John Ostrander's run on Suicide Squad, but I liked where they went with them. Never cared for their crossovers, though, especially when they seem to rewrite the universe ever two years now, but there's a reason I'm still keeping up with a few titles.

And it's not because I'm lame. ;)


The other part is the whole sit down doggy thing just isn't that funny. My wife was emailing last night before we went to bed & so I had her check the site. We read it together. She asked "is that supposed to be funny?" I said no.

That's presuming an awful lot, isn't it? I mean, do you really think the Giant said, "I do hope no one will make the mistake of assuming this bit is supposed to be funny," when he wrote this?

It didn't work for you. Fair enough. It did, however work for me, even if I didn't laugh once while reading this strip. I don't have to laugh to find something humourous. I don't even have to smile.


Plus who dosent like to see Batman?

A friend of mine in Ottawa wouldn't hesitate to put a crossbow bolt through him, given a chance.

[Nightmarenny]

PSA#1
common Sense:

A)Weather you find something funny or not does not make it a universal truth. Your sense of Humor is an opinion which not all people share. So in a comic that give several jokes per strip every joke wont work for everyone. If a single joke falls flat don't be a Prick about. There are probably things you find hilarious that others will think is really stupid.

B)Context people. Even if you don't know what squik(or what ever) meant you should be able to tell from the the context. There is nothing else that word could mean.

[EvilRoeSlade]

Actually, the real question I have is why did the druid come out of wildshape? It happened after Durkon knocked him down. Did he lose consciousness for a moment? If so, why is he back up a few panels later? Did he regain hit points for reverting back to his natural form?
He probably did it voluntarily so he could cast spells. You'll notice he didn't use any magic while in bear form, so I guess it turned out that he (gasp) didn't take the Natural Spell feat.

[centauri]

He probably did it voluntarily so he could cast spells. Okay, I guess I can buy that. He could have seen that Durkon's reinforcements had shown up and figured that the fighter, wizard, rogue, and ranger/barbarian (who he doesn't know can't attack him) would make area attacks the only viable option.

[charik]

I just wanted to point out a little "Stealth Joke" That no one has commented about yet.

After Belkar tells Haley that the "salsa" is just to gross Roy out, he says, "Do me a favor and don't say anything about it."- to HALEY.
I beat you to it, seven pages earlier. 8)

[Sky_Schemer]

I don't think Leeky was casting "Heat Blast". He was going to cast "Heal"

Are you sure? "Heat metal" seems just as likely. More so, in fact, since he's a druid. :)

[WarriorTribble]

Hmm not my favorite since I've only read a few DC titles and don't know Firestorm, but love the finale to the fight.

Nightmarenny, as an old and dearly missed semi-troll once noted: how is someone being a prick just by stating an opinion on a work of art? Are the folks who like the comic also pricks? Now attacking Rich, or anyone else here is different, but stating displeasure with a single comic is far from rude.

On the otherhand calling someone a prick for not liking a strip...

[ibitak84]

I probably would have enjoyed this comic more if I had known more about Fire Storm being a Marvel DC American comic hero. I mean, I figured it out because of the other two, but still... I guess I'll just go and bemoan that Uderzo just is not as good without Goscinny. And the dog joke just wasn't that entertaining, too.

Hmm -- the way evasion works in OOTS makes me wonder if a "ring of jumping" should bestow evasion or give a +3 bonus to reflex saves if the person HAS evasion.
Nah, it's just a joke playing on the game rule that evasion works even if there's no place to which one can evade. And that in a D&D game, one would probably be allowed a Reflex save for half damage even if hit by a Tsunami accompanied by a hurricane.

[battleburn]

I'm not all that familiar with D&D mechanics, but it shouldn't be that hard for Durkon to use intimidate on Leeky. So he is untrained, so it isn't a normal feat/skill, or whatever for a Dwarven Cleric. Durkon just singlehandedly knocked the life out of him and all his little happy treefriends. I think that's enough to boost the 'Oh my gosh, he looks threathening' rating of Durkon enough to bully anyone around.
See it as a sircumstance bonus. Or a roleplay bonus.

-Battleburn

[Shatteredtower]

True, a circumstance bonus is reasonable. Then again, I also forgot the size bonus. :-[

[Doug_Lampert]

Nah, it's just a joke playing on the game rule that evasion works even if there's no place to which one can evade. And that in a D&D game, one would probably be allowed a Reflex save for half damage even if hit by a Tsunami accompanied by a hurricane.

And according to the FAQ you get that reflex save vs. Tsunami even if tied up and helpless! (But with a penalty for an effective Dex of zero.)


I'm not all that familiar with D&D mechanics, but it shouldn't be that hard for Durkon to use intimidate on Leeky. So he is untrained, so it isn't a normal feat/skill, or whatever for a Dwarven Cleric. Durkon just singlehandedly knocked the life out of him and all his little happy treefriends. I think that's enough to boost the 'Oh my gosh, he looks threathening' rating of Durkon enough to bully anyone around.
See it as a sircumstance bonus. Or a roleplay bonus.

-Battleburn
Were the skill being used a circumstance bonus would be (very) appropriate.

But there's no use of the intimidate skill that forces someone obey orders or surrender. For the obvious reason that surrender orders are too effective a use for someone who actually HAS the skill and a decent Cha.

Fortunately we don't need rules for this any more than we need rules for Belkar squicking out Roy. Leeky decided to surender because he wants to live. The DM decides on motivations for the NPCs and decides what they'll try to do. In this case Durkon made it clear that it was surrender or die, and Leaky decided that he'd rather live. No morale check. No command spell. No intimidate skill. None are needed, none but command have anything like this effect in D&D3.5. And it isn't a command spell (1) no glow (2) command is almost worthless since Leaky has a good will save and the duration is six whole seconds after which he can start fighting again (greater command is potentially available to Durkon, but not quickened and its duration is only 12-13 rounds).

[chibibar]

heh... yea.. Durkon single-handedly (with help of Thor) to destroy all Leeky's tree AND STAFF!... and then proceeds to use Thor's Might and smack him around with a hammer THEN shield bash him........ and still looking pretty good.

while Leeky is looking pretty beaten up at this point and well.... realize that he is gonna die (of course the moral drop after seeing his familar get chopped in half by Roy) yea... I think Leeky just fail a moral check there :)

[Dreifuerst]

...Think about it, he was casting Heal when Haley fizzled his spell...

Perhaps Leeky was beginning "Heathen Smiting," or even the ever popular "Heat Blisters of Eternal Pain?"

Wow! It was easier to post than I imagined.

GO GIANT!
Note to self: Why didn't I order my OOTS books sooner?

[Sereno]

Belkar is sure getting some mileage out of that craft disturbing mentall image feat. You'd think being that violent he would have chosen a combat feat, but he's using it very well none the less.

Heh, maybe Belkar's player is a real ROLE-player and takes feats that actually compliment the character's "personality" instead of just always trying to get the feats and combos to "r0XXor teh c0mB4t!1!!1one" :)

[chibibar]

Perhaps Leeky was beginning "Heathen Smiting," or even the ever popular "Heat Blisters of Eternal Pain?"

Wow! It was easier to post than I imagined.

GO GIANT!
Note to self: Why didn't I order my OOTS books sooner?


heh.. I got them all. Including the GAME!.. it is a total hoot!

[JepDeiod]

It is too bad that Leeky is just being used as a misdirection in all of this. I was impressed with the little guy's power!

Oh, and it is amazing to see the team work so well together. I remember another comic where it did not work out so well!

And Belkar asking Haley not to say anything was a hoot!

[centauri]

THEN shield bash him...

cough*bullrush*cough

[chibibar]

bullrush? hmm.. I thought it was Shield bash.

[centauri]

bullrush? hmm.. I thought it was Shield bash.

You're not the only one here to think that, and I agree that it does seem like Durkon's slapping Leeky with his shield. However, the fact that Leeky's flying backwards implies that it's bullrush. It seems from his cowing of Leeky that Durkon wants the druid alive, but if he wanted to do damage, it would make more sense for him just to use his hammer than to attack at -4 with his shield. Furthermore, the position of Durkon's feet indicates that he has just moved forward into something (i.e. Leeky). I can't explain why he made that move, but it seems to be what happened. I'm open to counter arguments, though.

[chibibar]

You're not the only one here to think that, and I agree that it does seem like Durkon's slapping Leeky with his shield. However, the fact that Leeky's flying backwards implies that it's bullrush. It seems from his cowing of Leeky that Durkon wants the druid alive, but if he wanted to do damage, it would make more sense for him just to use his hammer than to attack at -4 with his shield. Furthermore, the position of Durkon's feet indicates that he has just moved forward into something (i.e. Leeky). I can't explain why he made that move, but it seems to be what happened. I'm open to counter arguments, though.


I can see that.. kinda... normally if he was "running" for a bull rush.. I would see "lines" that indicate Durkon was moving "fast" and "smack" Leeky..

the foot position just look like Durkon was stepping up to shield back him... of course being a cleric I don't think Durkon is a total weakling (wearing platemail and all) I figure Leeky was kinda weak in physical sense and thus get throw back (top that off Durkon might have Strength spell or something....)

of course this is all pure speculative in my head.

[centauri]

I can see that.. kinda... normally if he was "running" for a bull rush.. I would see "lines" that indicate Durkon was moving "fast" and "smack" Leeky..
A good point, though you don't need to be moving fast to bull rush someone. You can start out adjacent to them.

The bottom line is that normal attacks don't send someone flying. Bull rush is really the only move a Medium cleric would be likely to be able to perform that can move someone backwards.

[Daedrous Avari]

Woof.

[chibibar]

A good point, though you don't need to be moving fast to bull rush someone. You can start out adjacent to them.

The bottom line is that normal attacks don't send someone flying. Bull rush is really the only move a Medium cleric would be likely to be able to perform that can move someone backwards.

Ah.. interesting point.. I guess I better hit the books again ;) cause I don't remember a lot of the detail rules (I do have the DMG and PHB at home)

yea.. if that is the case... either way... Leeky was seriously smacked around and beaten badly while Durkon looks like he is almost full health (no scratches on him) if that was me... and I was beaten nearly to a pulp.. I might have given up too (depending on circumstances... if it was my wife that gotten hurt... you better take me down cause I will not stop until you go down ;) )

[AyuVince]

But.. if you make a Charge action and then a melee touch attack with your shield hand, you could combine a Shield Bash with a Bull Rush, right? At least you could in 3.0 Edition.

[TheLamentation]

I'm going to have to use 'subterranean swine' the next time my character comes into contact with a dwarf.

[centauri]

But.. if you make a Charge action and then a melee touch attack with your shield hand, you could combine a Shield Bash with a Bull Rush, right? At least you could in 3.0 Edition.

I'm not finding anything to that effect in any of the sections on combat in the 3.0 or 3.5 SRDs. It's a darn good idea, but not RAW as far as I can see.

[Nightmarenny]

Hmm not my favorite since I've only read a few DC titles and don't know Firestorm, but love the finale to the fight.

Nightmarenny, as an old and dearly missed semi-troll once noted: how is someone being a prick just by stating an opinion on a work of art? Are the folks who like the comic also pricks? Now attacking Rich, or anyone else here is different, but stating displeasure with a single comic is far from rude.

On the otherhand calling someone a prick for not liking a strip...
Stating an opinion is fine. Stating you don't like it and saying why is their right. I would never judge someone for that. However I hate when people act as if because they don't like a joke or whatever that no one can like it. That it must be inherantly bad.

However I used harsher language and hostility then was warrented. For that I apologize. I must stop readding eleven pages all at once. They tend to upset me.

Again I apologize,

[GenLee]

Late post, but I wanted to pass along that my wife is a longtime Firestorm fan, so we thought it was great to see him.

[AyuVince]

Then again, Bullrushes are pretty useless most of the time. When do you need to knock back an enemy two feet? If you trip him, at least he's prone.

[KeiranHalcyon]

I prefer the interpretation that it is a "shield rush" (2nd ed. Combat & Tactics).

[centauri]

Then again, Bullrushes are pretty useless most of the time. When do you need to knock back an enemy two feet? If you trip him, at least he's prone.
I admitted as much. I don't know why Durkon would perform such a move.


I prefer the interpretation that it is a "shield rush" (2nd ed. Combat & Tactics).
I'm not familiar with that move. Is it a regular move that anyone can perform?

[KeiranHalcyon]

I'm not familiar with that move. Is it a regular move that anyone can perform?
Yes. Although its effects also aren't quite in line with what is observed. It causes knockdowns rather than pushing an opponent back. (There really isn't a way to specifically push an opponent back in 2nd ed., short of magic, but there's an option that says that you can push your opponent back 5 feet every round you succeed with an attack and they don't, subject to a few other restrictions involving relative sizes & hit dice.)

[Zeekar]

Or he could have been about to cast Heathen Smiting or Heat Blisters of Eternal Pain... (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0007.html)

Heh. Good point! I hadn't made the connection. All I meant to say, however, was that I don't think the "Blast!" is part of the spell. Which is still true under your hypothesis. :)



As long as people are discussing things, I don't know that it's appropriate to expect them to refrain from mentioning personal opinions - such as the opinion that Heal was being cast, or the opinion that Schlerkt (which had already been mentioned prior to your post) was a good sound effect - any more than you should so refrain.

First, let me amplify my trailing "Sorry, rant over" into a genuine apology. I must have been in a bad mood or something, and I overreacted. But I'll reply to your point, since I believe you're talking about something different.

Piling onto an opinion - say, "panel 3 was teh awesomest" - is not the same as several different people all pointing out the same apparent fact independently. Of course, if the posters in question all pipe up within a relatively short period of time, then they probably crossed posts without seeing each other. But when they post days apart, then it becomes clear that poster the second didn't read the whole thread before replying to it. That was the behavior I was addressing.

My point, which I repeat I feel I did a bad job of making, was simply this: before posting something here that you presumably expect other people to read, it is (and here I am obviously expressing one of those personal opinion things) only polite to first read what those other people have themselves said on the topic.