Hmmm I think something fishy is afoot and has been confirmed

[freeze43]

472 is interesting... remember how Belkar was curious as to how he, as he puts it somehow got improved evasion when the Eye of Fear and Flame tried to torch him? That was weird enough and now this.
Hell, Elan even explicitly states that the chances of them living through this are remarkably slim, even if they were actual characters and not no-namers. Furthermore that wasn't exactly a small wound that Daigo recieved, it would very easily fell most people his rank.

I think some bizzare magic for everything against Redcloak's army is happening.

[slipper]

The Wizard did it.

[factotum]

Belkar was puzzled about having Evasion because he forgot it was a Ranger class feature, just like he forgot that Rangers could cast spells way back in the first battle with the Linear Guild, just like he never bothered training any of his class abilities like tracking. He only became a ranger for the free two-weapon fighting feats!

[Mr Wizard]

The Wizard did it.

Hey! I had no involvement in this.:smallmad:
:smallwink:

Anyway, It could be another class feature of the Dashing Swordsman. :smalltongue: So wierd Meta-story-mechanics-knowledge feat that gives circumstance bonuses to stabilizing checks when characters reveal an inner secret when they are about to die.:smallbiggrin:

Doesnt sound like a level 1 Dashing Swordsman feature though, I know. I am Kid you, I kid!:smallwink:

[Emperor Ing]

The apocalypse in the form of a new DND update will rain upon them, either that or an even greater demon than the snarl has come! Ya see, this is the part where I put in a random link to something usually barely on-topic, but in too lazy to do it right now. :smallbiggrin:

[Roderick_BR]

Hey! I had no involvement in this.:smallmad:
:smallwink:

Anyway, It could be another class feature of the Dashing Swordsman. :smalltongue: So wierd Meta-story-mechanics-knowledge feat that gives circumstance bonuses to stabilizing checks when characters reveal an inner secret when they are about to die.:smallbiggrin:

Doesnt sound like a level 1 Dashing Swordsman feature though, I know. I am Kid you, I kid!:smallwink:
I'd say that being a OotS bard already enabled him to do bardic knowledge checks about that sort of thing :smallwink:

[BisectedBrioche]

The wizard did it indeed, *cough*:vaarsuvius: *cough*

[Icewalker]

The Wizard did it.

More like 'The Giant' did it.

I for one loved that twist. Names help you survive. (No-name? -2 AC, -5 max hp :smalleek: )

Also, your avatar is a combination of cute and disturbing.

[Shas aia Toriia]

A wound like that looks like it would deal more damage then 5 HP. Assuming he was disabled at the time, and he probably had several levels in warrior (now I think either fighter, or possibly a new level for just having a name), meaning that was probably a crit. I'm not sure the +5 HP would make much of a difference.

Sorry if you didn't say that literally.

[Lord_Butters_I]

Belkar forgot evasion was one of his class abilities and having a name gives you one additional level in your npc class. As soon as Daigo confirmed his name he got extra HP so he was no longer duying.

[Talyn]

No, you see, when he was a no-name, he was a just a background NPC, right? Professional but inexperienced soldier, probably a War2 or War3.

Now that he has a name, all of a sudden he's a supporting character, or maybe even a Cohort - and that means Fighter! Extra hit point per level, max hit points at first, and two more feats, possibly toughness? Now we are talking another 6 to 9 hit points, just by that difference! So, all of a sudden, our 10 hp level 2 warrior (at -2 hp or whatever) is a 15 hit point level 2 fighter (at 3 hp) and is out of danger!

It all makes sense, from the weird D&D skewed-world perspective.

[cheesecake]

Belkar also forgot he could track.

[lavidor10]

The wizard did it indeed, *cough*:vaarsuvius: *cough*

:vaarsuvius: :eek: None of us have ever tampered with the fundamental natural order when bored. That would be wrong.

[Miraqariftsky]

No, you see, when he was a no-name, he was a just a background NPC, right? Professional but inexperienced soldier, probably a War2 or War3.

Now that he has a name, all of a sudden he's a supporting character, or maybe even a Cohort - and that means Fighter! Extra hit point per level, max hit points at first, and two more feats, possibly toughness? Now we are talking another 6 to 9 hit points, just by that difference! So, all of a sudden, our 10 hp level 2 warrior (at -2 hp or whatever) is a 15 hit point level 2 fighter (at 3 hp) and is out of danger!

It all makes sense, from the weird D&D skewed-world perspective.

Hmm, indeed. Could have been that... no. Wait a sec! Shojo was a named and high-ranking NPC without PC class levels. Having a name does not necessarily mean that an NPC is relieved of the burden of having purely NPC levels, gamewise. But having a name works wonders plotwise!

[Snake-Aes]

With the revealed name, he gained roleplay xp, and he leveled and lucked out in his hp Dice roll =D

war3 to war4 maybe? I bet he was on the -5~hp

[Stroth]

Hmm, indeed. Could have been that... no. Wait a sec! Shojo was a named and high-ranking NPC without PC class levels. Having a name does not necessarily mean that an NPC is relieved of the burden of having purely NPC levels, gamewise. But having a name works wonders plotwise!

Yes, but Shojo's class was a specific plot point, which places it squarely in the "exception that makes the rule" category.

[factotum]

You mean, the category invented by people who couldn't think of any other way to win their arguments? :smallwink:

[Shatteredtower]

Yes, but Shojo's class was a specific plot point, which places it squarely in the "exception that makes the rule" category.The expression is, "The exception proves the rule," with "proves" meaning, "to test or question."

The exception cannot possibly make the rule. The rule is that the shortest distance between any two points (or puns) is a straight line can only be invalidated by the proof of an exception, not confirmed by it.

[Deuce]

The expression is, "The exception proves the rule," with "proves" meaning, "to test or question."

The exception cannot possibly make the rule. The rule is that the shortest distance between any two points (or puns) is a straight line can only be invalidated by the proof of an exception, not confirmed by it.

Except that you're talking about math, which is a wee bit different from storytelling, especially comedy. Can't say I back the idea of all named NPC's having PC classes (The Chief, while not technically named, had levels in warrior). What I see being indicated by the strip is that a name simply improves your chances of survival, it won't make you immortal. That's a little comfort, but remember, this is a story, and having the odds in your favor is only a good thing until the author decides something unlikely happens.

Reminds me of the statements I've seen the last couple of months on these boards, along the lines of "<charname> should have made that save, <charclass> have great saves of that sort" or "With a BAB like <charname> must have, they shouldn't miss, ever". Bottom line is that, even in real games, what is most likely to happen isn't always what ends up happening. Even more so in a story, where the writer has the power of the Plot to overcome pesky things like good/bad rolls of the dice.

Daigo lived because it made for a good gag. You can even view it as him being at -5, leveling and gaining 6 hp, and getting up and walking away. D&D is still funny that way about hp. Anyone/thing is just as capable of doing anything (except absorb damage) at 1 hp as they are at their max hp.

[Sigbru]

I don't think nothing Fishy is afoot... is more like a claw (makes no sense i know)

:redcloak: just won the city, the oots have their leader dead, the SG is finish.
What crap of a magic

[EyethatBinds]

Except that you're talking about math, which is a wee bit different from storytelling, especially comedy.

Haven't you ever heard of the comedic formula or the generic joke? Besides everything can be both symbolized and represented through numbers.
Generic joke:
A guy walks up to another guy and says something. The second guy then says something back. The first guy then says something else. The second guy then asks a question. The first guy answers the question. What he says is really funny.

The formula:
Xg+B+Q+PL=Comedy
g represents the two [or more] nouns involved, X being the number of individual things.
B is banter, which can extend much farther than a few sentences.
Q is either a question, or an assumption made by the audience. Which is then either reinforced or challenged in the punchline.
Better living through mathematics.

[basilisk 89]

The Wizard did it.

The spoooooooooooooooooky wizard!

[Nomadic]

The Wizard did it.

do you mean the one that may or may not live near a coast

[Sage in the Playground]

No, he means Sarda.

[Meshakhad]

Wait, does Sarda happen to live by the coast?

[tainsouvra]

472 is interesting... remember how Belkar was curious as to how he, as he puts it somehow got improved evasion when the Eye of Fear and Flame tried to torch him? http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0469.html
It was Evasion, not Improved Evasion. He got it at Ranger level 9. Belkar has just never been good at using his Ranger abilities for anything but straight-up killing, it's a running joke about him forgetting he even can do anything else.

Track something? Train Spot? Spells? What's all that crap about, I just want to stab something!


No, you see, when he was a no-name, he was a just a background NPC, right? Professional but inexperienced soldier, probably a War2 or War3.

Now that he has a name, all of a sudden he's a supporting character, or maybe even a Cohort - and that means Fighter! Extra hit point per level, max hit points at first, and two more feats, possibly toughness? Now we are talking another 6 to 9 hit points, just by that difference! So, all of a sudden, our 10 hp level 2 warrior (at -2 hp or whatever) is a 15 hit point level 2 fighter (at 3 hp) and is out of danger!

It all makes sense, from the weird D&D skewed-world perspective. You don't really need to think about it that much, honestly.

DM's tend to try much harder to keep key NPC's alive than filler NPC's. Having a name, in most campaigns, is what distinguishes between the two. Once he gained a name, the universe (DM) suddenly didn't want him to die, so he didn't die.

Just a "nameless redshirts die fast, main characters don't" kind of joke, really.

[fangthane]

Tainsouvra's right, but there's a more specific reason for the redshirts to suddenly be more healthy after divulging their names, especially if they're only level 1.

NPCs roll their level 1 hit points. They also, frequently, do not roll their stats and are often given non-elite sets of pre-generated stats instead.

PCs and, generally, important (i.e. named) NPCs*, do neither of these things. They automatically get max HP for level 1, and they roll their stats, sometimes even using the 4d6-drop-low method.

So if we assume that poor ol' Daigo rolled a 2 or 3 on his hitpoints before he was given a name, he got a 5-6 point boost (assuming a warrior's d8 hit die) when he got one. On average, his HP will have risen by at least 3, which is plenty to take him from -1 (down and dying) to +2 (wounded but coherent and active), or from -2/3 (nearing death's door) to 0/1 (shaky but alive and stable). If his constitution score increased due to his newly-rolled individuality, that may well have increased his hit points significantly as well, moreso at levels greater than first.

Yep, I think what we're looking at here, shocking though it may be, is (be sure you're sitting down for this) a D&D mechanics joke.

*this ties in with Tainsouvra's comment; named NPCs usually have a purpose and the DM is reluctant to allow them to die, hence the maxed first hit die and elite/rolled stats as a balance-point already established as being an advantage, but nowhere near insurmountable.

[Baru]

It's a stretch, but maybe his char sheet was remade and he went from level 1 Warrior to level 1 Fighter. Consider a gaming session when some random people come to play.

[Ertier]

First, Belkar's lack of knowledge about his Evasion could also be playing at the fact that he hasn't noticed the changes since update to 3.5 (aside from weapon shrinkage)... 3rd edition rangers don't have evasion...:smallsmile:

Second, aren't those two members of the saphire guard? If they were wouldn't that make them paladins.

[Spiryt]

Second, aren't those two members of the saphire guard? If they were wouldn't that make them paladins.

Saphire guards are, you know, saphire.

Seriously paladins where those quite high level guys slaghtered by Xykon (not directly however). Order of honor e.c.

Those are just some soldiers!

[Scarab83]

Second, aren't those two members of the saphire guard? If they were wouldn't that make them paladins.

No. Other than the fact that they aren't wearing a sickening amount of blue, they're also dressed exactly like the common foot soldiers that got overrun in 452 (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0452.html).

[David Argall]

aren't those two members of the saphire guard? If they were wouldn't that make them paladins.

Paladins are in white. "color coded for your convenience"

[Stormzen]

Belkar has had Evasion for a while, in #182 he completely dodged the acid breath.

[freeze43]

Just a new update... Lien seemingly unaffected by Durkon's thunder thingy?