OOTS #344 - The Discussion Thread

[The Giant]

New comic is up.

[LE4dGOLEM]

Awesome tree gag! Durkon's worst nightmare has come TRUE!

AWESOME! FIRST!

[Flyerfye]

Great stuff as always

[dragonfly83h]

Great comic, Giant :D

Leeky must be one of Nale's new party members

Oh yeah: First page! :)

[BelkarsDagger]

Absolutely perfect comic.

"THA TREES ARE ATTACKING!!!!"

[j0ecool]

Nice new opposite. Hehe... ;D

[endoperez]

Ah...

" I see you have already grasped the core principles of my theory." Wonderful!

[Grimblade]

Hilarity! Yet another awesome comic!

A gnome druid to counter Durkon, huh? I can't wait to see Belkar's new nemesis!


Edit: <insert self-congratulatory first page comment>

[Winged One]

Verbose wizards FTW! ;D

[Keldar]

Poor Durkon. At least now we know Nale's answer to him. Gnome counterpart to Dwarf, Druid counterpart to Cleric, Treehugger counterpart to Tree-fearing.

Fun, fun, fun, and Belkar's opposite has yet to make an appearance. Plus Nale and Thog still waiting in the shadows. Looks like Big Trouble ahead for our heroes (as always).

Edit: And I forgot to mention - nice Arthur C. Clarke reference in the second panel.

[The_Magpie]

Heh. Leeky Windstaff indeed. :D I guess this is going to push Durkon's Arborophobia into new heights, and just when you thought there might be opportunity for counselling. And props to Giant for the explanation of the architecture.

I wonder who Belkar's new counterpart will be? Next comic, I guess.

EDIT: I'm not saying it, but I'm thinking it. ;D

[Abd al-Azrad]

I appreciate the new comic. Way to bring Durkon's paranoias into your battle plan, Nale. I wonder if that was premeditated, or merely coincidence.

Awesome. First page!

[thewamp]

And we meet Durkon's opposite. Quite the character :D

[Tptmanno1]

Great comic.
Beautiful set-up, made me actually laugh out loud, and that doesn't happen on the internet often.
Well done.

[ScreamerSimon]

Urinating dogs, beware!!!

Fantastic, a druid at last! Thanks for the comic, by the way!

[Penny]

Wow, when Rich starts updating the comic he really goes for it! Great work!

I loved the discussion about the inappropriate architecture of the city :)

[Brickwall]

Evil...gnome...druid...animating...trees...must... not...laugh...to...point...of...death.

Not a panel I didn't relish. I feel, however, that this one is to be no more significant than Yikyik. There for laughs, but only temporary.

[Max_Sinister]

Inappropriate architecture, indeed :)

The gnome druid is here, yeah!

"Leeky Windstaff"... dunno whether English-speakers think the same, but I find that name funny.

[Xedwin]

Coooooool ;D

[Freshmeat]

Nice comic. Good to see that this time around, they're not fighting their evil counterparts.

So now we have:
Roy vs. Sabine
V. vs. Leeky

Prediction:
- Durkon will run back inside to help Roy, but will end up battling Pompey
- Elan will fight Belkar's clone.
- Haley will end up fighting Nale. His looks will remind her of her love for Elan. Cue dramatic stuff. Somehow, Haley gets her voice back (at last!).
- Belkar, naturally, will fight Thog. There is no other way.

[Sc00by]

Now that was funny.

Nothign more to say. An evil druid making the trees attack! Great stuff!

[Behold_the_Void]

Great comic. I like the evil opposite.

[bluish_wolf]

Double-post. :-[

You know, there is a "Remove" button next to "Modify."

[Charity322]

Yay for more gnomes.:D

And yay for uber updating. :o

[Nighthawk4]

Very nice.

I love the 'definition of technology' :D



Edit - second page - unusual for someone in the UK. ;)

[ElfLad]

Wow, a major gnome character, and a major druid character.

Really, Rich, I never had much of a connection to Z, Hilgya, or Yikyik, but Pompey and Leeky are already some of my favorite characters. Well done.

[Sir_Rosh]

It's all kicking off!! Great comic as always.

Did I detect a little dig at a particular new campaign setting for D&D? Magic Trains indeed...

[Mr_Shrubber]

Poor Durkon - tha lad be scarred fer life. How did Nale know about his tree-phobia, though ???

And incongruous architecture RULES!

[phobiandarkmoon]

Wow, lots of updates now August is over

Great durkon opposite - Roy's plan is now falling apart really fast.

spolier/speculation possibilty below, so look only if you want to



Anyone noticed we haven't seen Nale yet? So he's probably after Elan and Belkar

Tha trees be attacking!

[Pantler]

Well, I guess there won't be more laughs about Durkon's fear of trees.
Totally off the hook :D

[dabone]

Ahhh the trees are attacking :p

[kagato3]

I can't stop laughing. So the tree gag pays off in spades.

[Glorfindel]

Nice one again!

And nice tempo of posting new strips, Giant. Found some scrolls of Summon OOTS in a treasure chest on your attic?

[bexie]

"Ah. I see you have already grasped the core principles of my theory."

BRILLIANT!!!

V is the best.

A counterpart to Durkon who loves trees? Hmm.... ;)

[Sir_Norbert]

Wonderful -- a rarity even in the scintillating world of OOTS -- a strip that was hilarious right from the very first panel ;D

Do I need to mention that I loved it?

[Ezbez]

Not only are we getting lots more OOTS now (was that 3 in a row?), but they're great!

[Miraqariftsky]

Whoa! :o That... that was fast! And, not that I am disparaging the great humor, but can't Durkon just once win the Will Save against treefear?

[Freelance Henchman]

A gnome druid!? *slaps forehead* Of course, what else!

[Caelestion]

Gotta love the Eberron reference!

[The Glitter Ninja]

Ah, an evil gnome druid. Of course, the infamous Leaky Windstaff. Heh.

[Screech]

Nice work and i do love the comic being realeased faster hehe its great reading i wish it was everyday hehe
oh who im a kidding i wish it was every hour ;D

[Itdano]

Someone really should get Durkon a Chainsword.

[Brickwall]

Question:

As a fire specialist, shouldn't V be going blast-happy on the living kindling?

[battleburn]

Spoiler:

Ok, here is my prediction:
-Nale wants to get Elan himself and uses Thog as a backup system. These two will fight Elan and Belkar. (Probably Thog vs Elan and Nale vs Belkar
-Belkar's new counterpart, whoever he is, will be fighting Haley.
- V fights mr. Leeky
- Durkon fights kiddo Pompey
And now I'm off to the "Which character would you like to see more" Thread to vote for Pompey and Leeky.
Best comic in a while!!

[Treguard]

Gotta love the Eberron reference!
Glad I wasn't the only to have spotted it! Great work as always, Giant. ;D

[bluish_wolf]

Question:

As a fire specialist, shouldn't V be going blast-happy on the living kindling?

Evoker != fire specialist.

[Selvan]

Wow!
What a great speech by Mr. Windstaff, evil gnome druid.
Try reading it out loud with a deep sonorous voice. It's hilarious!

Oh, and I liked V's comment about the non-medieval cityscape. Thumbs up!

[Brickwall]

Evoker != fire specialist.

This has nothing to do with favored school. V happens to be quite enamored with the fireball spell. One must imagine V always has at least one prepared per day.

[bluish_wolf]

This has nothing to do with favored school. V happens to be quite enamored with the fireball spell. One must imagine V always has at least one prepared per day.

I only remember him casting it once. I don't think he prefers it over any of his other spells. I'm sure he has one memorized, but not enough to take on a park.

[warmachine]

"Any sufficient advanced - and in particular, reliable - magic would be indistinguishable from technology." He, he. Love it.

Last panel. Classic.

As trees can be made to attack, that suggests Durkon's fear of trees may not be insanity. Won't go into spoilers here but we may see an explication of the dwarf vs tree wars in a future strip.

[Freelance Henchman]

"Crush them, my leafy comrades!".

Yes, rise up, you downtrodden vegetable masses, and take revenge on the oxygen-breathing bourgeois parasites!

[The Glyphstone]

Awesome, Giant....Awesome....... :D

[houseofcommons]

It could be worse. . .magic trains indeed! Rich, does your rage know no bounds? ;D

An evil druid. Did not see it coming. Wonderfully well done.

[armatil]

goodness... i never thought i'd see the day actual evil trees would attack.
laughed my head of, there. :D

[battleburn]

The day of the Trees/Triffids has come

[ElfLad]

Must be NE

[Ethdred]

Love it! (And love the new improved schedule as well!).

A lot of people seem to think that Leeky is part of the Linear Guild, but I was thinking he's a coincidental 3rd force. Time will tell...

[Delgarde]

I only remember him casting it once. I don't think he prefers it over any of his other spells. I'm sure he has one memorized, but not enough to take on a park.

Not just fireballs - V also makes good use of lightning bolts as well. And that's not a bad choice against marauding trees either...

[Sebastian]

Time to summon some celestial woodchuck. :)

"It could be worse. They could have magic trains"

ooh, looks like someone is still a little bitter. ;)

So, any one have guesses on who could be Belkar's counterpart?

[smellie_hippie]

Yay for the marauding trees! I hadn't expected the evil gnome druid, so like everyone else I was quite surprised. Would it be presumptuous to ask if the initial banter about architechture was in response to posts about #341?

Love the new update schedule! I didn't even get to comment on the LAST one... and I find a new comic first thing this morning! Yay Giant! It's after August, and the schedule is wacky!!
:o

[TheDRaconicLord]

BUWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

"THA TREES BE ATTACKIN'!! RUN FER YER LIVES!!!"

Mr Giant, Sir, you just made my day!!! ;D

Excellent comic...it has been the first in a long time that made burst with laughs. Excellent one!!

[malcolio]

I'm with the camp that says this is a 3rd party person, although obviously the druid is a great counterpart to Durkin, I would have thought Nale would keep his forces together, not have one of them on their own like that.

Saying that, it would be hard to command trees from inside a warehouse...

[Aidan305]

Hehe. Loved the snipe at Baker. Gnomish Druids FTW!

[battleburn]

The trees on the outside help to surround the heros, when I read the strip I thought it was a third party, but now I think the Dorkon counterpart theory is much more logical

[U2QueenBee]

Don't normally post but this one had me laughing out loud - 'Leeky' is truly the perfect anti-Durkon. As soon as I saw trees with red eyes I knew there was going to be trouble for our favourite dwarf! ;D

[phoenixineohp]

I just saw the new comic. I am currently typing with tears welling up in my eyes from laughing so hard. Perfect. Just perfect.

Only in their world....

[Eldhrin]

I initially assumed that Leeky was just a coincidence, but if he is part of the Linear Guild then he's the perfect foil for Durkon and so well-timed that I think he pretty much has to be.

However, V's reaction indicates that he at least doesn't think Leeky's involved with Nale's plot, and is attempting to use Leeky against the Linear Guild.

It would be awesome if she pulls it off.

Now all I need to make my day complete is the announcement of a new OOTS book: Dwarven Tree Wars. A heroic tale of the sacrifice and bravery which led to the great cabinet-making offensive.

[hyikim]

it was predictable

[Blaznak]

Hee hee! Very funny stuff, today.

I like the trees being boxed in, V not jumping into combat (how V-ish), Durkon's worst nightmares, brought to life, and of course, slamming the Eberron setting.

Well, off to work!
Later...

[Sengoku]

Finally a Gnome character!!!

T'was about time gnomes made an appearance (as a fan of the do-not-use-gnomes-only-as-comic-relieves, i'm happy).

Hope he will survive the encounter :)

[Caelestion]

Quoting Arthur C. Clarke was also genius - how many players have their characters utter famous quotes and then pretend that their characters invented them? :)

[Varian7]

Loved the evil trees. Durkon's worst nightmare!

[sakusha]

I was eating chips before starting work this morning and lo to my surprise there appeared another OotS comic.

And I nearly choked on my chips as well as burst out laughing. I work in a library.

I whole-heartedly agree with what others have said. Poor Durkon is going to have nightmares about this for weeks on end. And so appears yet another character class. My sister is going to despise this new guy Leeky ... she plays/has played a NG druid of Mielikki, a NG druid of Ehlonna, and a NG cleric of Ehlonna going Radiant Servant. XD

Of course, we can't forget the little jab at Eberron as well as V's timely verboseness concerning running away. ^_^ CLASSIC!

[AdrianoIank]

Until the druid introduced himself, I thought the tree attack was an illusion. Oh, well.
And, yes, as already stated: verbose wizard for the win ;D

[nitpicker]

Shame on me if this already was mentioned in this thread, but there's a mistake in the 8th panel - you forgot to give Durkon his hammer and shield.
Otherwise he put his weaponry back lightningfast. ;)

[sakusha]

When I read the comic, I was under the impression Leeky Windstaff was one of the Linear Guild. Reading the forum got me thinking, y'know, maybe he's not.

Then I remembered this:
Nale: Wait, wait. Pompey, did you have some pre-existing reason for aiding us in kidnapping this girl here that you didn’t tell us about?
Pompey: Uh…yes sir, Mr. Nale. I’m sorry, I should-
Nale: Perfect! The Linear Guild is practically synonymous with taking disproportionate revenge over quasi-imagined slights!
Sabine: It even says so on our business cards!

Link: http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0257.html

Quasi-imagined slights? After Leeky the druid said "well-mowed prison" I'm still going to go with him being the Durkon-foil in the Linear Guild. Divine caster drawing not on the powers of the gods but on the powers of nature, still short but shorter, also darkly skinned/tanned, carries a bludgeoning weapon, and in robes rather than armor.

Yup. Linear Guild Durkon-foil IMHO.

[Felinoid]

I'm not the first to say it, but "Ah. I see you have already grasped the core principles of my theory." really cracked me up. I just love those cool-under-nuclear-fire moments. And no, I'm not sure exactly what that means. ;D

But to diverge from the others who love getting back to the old schedule, I found, to my great surprise, that I was actually annoyed that a new comic was up so soon. ??? I guess it just goes to show that there's no pleasing some people. ;)

[zibeck]

"I see you have already grasped the core concepts of my theory."

ROFL!

[Shara_Littlebottom]

OMG! Just the other day I said to my self, "Self we haven't seen a druid yet in OOTS (iirc) or a gnome, or a monk."
Gotta say it's creepy when you read my mind like that Giant.... ;)

I'm glad the shady forshadowing of 341 paid off so nicely in this strip. And a bad guy that Bwahahahas.... that's just too awesome. I really enjoyed this strip.

[fithi]

*snicker* Durkon's worst fears come to life :D That's just what the Order of the Stick needs...

Can't wait to see what happens next.

[Furin_Mirado]

*chuckle* The gnome really is a good balance against Durkon. I hope he's a member of the Linear Guild, because he really should be. ;D

[Rayek]

I had a feeling that one of the new members would be a Druid. It just makes too much sense. Also, I love the Eberron joke about magic trains.

[sakusha]

http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0138.html

True that this random NPC is the only Gnome we'd seen in the past, I just wanted to point out that Leeky was not the first.

[BlythraB]

Wow. that was hilarious. And brownie points to all of you who called that like 3 months ago, by the way.

[Flame_Drake]

YES!! Giggity, giggity, goo.

That was freaken sweet. ;D

Drake

[Spiky]

Shame on me if this already was mentioned in this thread, but there's a mistake in the 8th panel - you forgot to give Durkon his hammer and shield.
Otherwise he put his weaponry back lightningfast. ;)
A little confused. Durkon has his shield in every panel, and he is not even in the 8th panel. He doesn't always have a visible hammer, but that's normal when it's put away.

[nitpicker]

A little confused. Durkon has his shield in every panel, and he is not even in the 8th panel. He doesn't always have a visible hammer, but that's normal when it's put away.

It's the seventh panel. Just counted wrong. But I didn't think that it would be hard to see.
IMHO clearly a continuity error.

[sakusha]

A little confused. Durkon has his shield in every panel, and he is not even in the 8th panel. He doesn't always have a visible hammer, but that's normal when it's put away.

True, tho in the *7th* panel Durkon indeed doesn't have his hammer yet in the 6th panel and then the 9th he does have it out so ... quickly putting it back for dramatic hand gestures?

AND I just noticed you can see the tops of V's and Durkon's heads at the very bottom of the 8th panel. XD

[Nekkira]

Yeah Druids!!! Go Trees Go!!

[Hyrael]

as a avid proponent of the Druid class, I would just like to say...

Brilliance! this comic was hilarious, the rant was great, the trees were great, even the cheap shot at Keith baker was great. Spot on stuff, and another QuIck comic of high quality.


A small word in defense of Magic trains: Eberron is not meant to be mideival, it is meant to represent victorian times. I like eberron, but I have to agree that a faithfuly Dark Ages setting would have been better.

[bosssmiley]

Magic train hate, evil trees and a gnomish druid. Not bad Giant, not bad.

Ack! Who am I trying to kid? *JOY* :D :D :D

[Overelemental]

The evil gnome is awesome. They've always been my favourite villains :) Excellent comic, and nice poke against the magic trains.

[Lord Fullbladder, Master of Goblins]

And Durkon learned the true meaning of fear.

Nice one, Giant.

[Heloisa]

OMFG!!! :o

The Giant is on fire!!!! :D

This strips was nothing but PERFECT!!! ;D

I love you Rich! :-*

[Dib]

YAY!!! Brilliant! These are just getting sooo cool now.

hmm... thought,
What if Belkar's opposite is The Oracle? And that's which of those people from his question he gets to kill... maybe?

[Deuce]

Wow. that was hilarious. And brownie points to all of you who called that like 3 months ago, by the way.

You're quite welcome, and it was more like 8 months ago. One of my first posts here actually:

Down near the bottom of the page (http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=comics;action=display;num=1130465446 ;start=146#146)

;D

[Jevanyn]

HAHAHAHAHA COFF COFF ... Magic ... COFF COFF ... trains ... coff coff coff <expire>

[hr]
Lo, another reader falls victim to the Killing Joke.

[CockroachTeaParty]

Awesome. Durkon's next evil twin was the hardest one for me to guess at. An evil gnome druid! Of course!

[Rambi]

Gotta love the updating spree! Once again a great comic I fell down laughing when I saw the evil tree army being commanded by Leeky.

[Downtown]

Looks like Cliffport is a spoff on Sharn in Eberron, it will be interesting to see what things get poked at.

[KuH]

So what I want to know ... is how long has the Giant been planning this denouement? Has he known ever since he gave Durkon the tree phobia that at some point in the distant future it would be validated? Just how much genius does he have?

I adore the long set-up gags like these. Roy and his 'great cleavage'. Durkon running from the trees. It's just so funny at a very deep level.

[EmeraldRose]

Oh Wow!!!!!!!

no more needs to be said...

[sakusha]

You're quite welcome, and it was more like 8 months ago. One of my first posts here actually:

Down near the bottom of the page (http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=comics;action=display;num=1130465446 ;start=146#146)

;D

:o You have semi-precognative powers!! That's incredible for it to be 8 months ago, and the Giant has said he doesn't even read the forums anymore! :o :o :o

[The_Ducky_Ninja]

That was the funniest comic in a long, long time IMO. I laughed so freaking hard TWICE, which is a mark of true excellence. Kudos to you, Giant.

[EmeraldFire]

LOL! god I can't stop laughing. Durkon's fears finally have come true! It is the perfect evil opposite for Durkon.

Can't wait to see who Nale got for Belkar!

[tiroskassie]

hhahahaha GREAT! I had forgotten his thing about trees! lol

[sakusha]

That was the funniest comic in a long, long time IMO. I laughed so freaking hard TWICE, which is a mark of true excellence. Kudos to you, Giant.

I think the main reason this one is so freaking funny is because it plays on quite a few a long-established jokes: V's wry humor in verbose language, inconsistencies in a medieval setting, the evil twin theme in the form of (#1!!) Durkon's (seemingly) irrational fear of trees.

I for one don't normally read spoilers because I like to be surprised and BOY was I! I had *never* thought that Durkon's "irrational" fear of attacking trees, wizard trees, etc. could actually be realized in the form of treants and other creatures at the bidding of an evil druid (or just in retaliation). Now, in retrospect, I see it as completely plausible tho still humorous. Amazing!

[Miklus]

I kind of thougt the dwarven assassin from the Inn
would be Durkons "evil twin". He used techology and
Durkon relies on religion. But this one is better!

What will Belkars "Evil Twin" look like? Whatever it is,
Belkar is screwed as long as he has the mark of justice. Will Elan save his life? That would annoy Belkar so much...

[Korith]

*Grin*

Gnomes. ;D

[ARMOURERERIC]

And thus we get insight into the Giant's new methodology of revenue enhancement:

An OoTS character prepackaged to be a spokesdruid for the "Depends" line of products.

;D

Eric

[sakusha]

And thus we get insight into the Giant's new methodology of revenue enhancement:

An OoTS character prepackaged to be a spokesdruid for the "Depends" line of products.

;D

Eric

:-/ Why am I not getting that?

[Neopolis]

You're on fire lately. Awesome comic, and I loved the last panel.

Of course many people predicted an evil opposite druid for Durkon.

[Umbral_Arcanist]

Wow, Rich your really rolling out the comics, awesome, they keep getting better.......


ahh, evil gnome druids....... I just can't wait for belkar's doppelganger.......

[Calamity]

I don't usually comment but i found i had to comment because this comic was so good.

After all those boring English lessons you made the word irony funny again to me, Giant! (And trust me, that wasn't an easy thing to do)

hard to beilive a joke that starts 196 comics ago has finally come true, nice one Giant! ;D

[silvadel]

Evil gnome druid making Durkons worst nightmares come true....

And thanks Giant -- love the accellerated comic pace. With so many comics on either partial or full hiatus at the moment having your comic in zip mode is very nice.

[orcmonk89]

Love it! Poor Durkon.

[MacDude]

Yay! Now just throw in the Undead from X!

Ooh! 8th page!!!

Dern the slowness of my zombie form!

[Morchaint]

*falls over laughing* great, no stupendous comic.
you can hear the cracks from THAT far away ? ow.
the trees.. aaah run for your life

[Draz74]

Yes!!! Another strip already! Three-a-week really IS as good as I remembered!

... Actually, they've been coming in even faster than that in September so far. Here's hoping they keep coming more than thrice a week for the rest of this Linear Guild confrontation before they slow back down to 3/week ... battle scenes put me in suspence so much!

Thanks for your efforts to make up for the recent slow schedule, Giant!

Now, to analyze:

I like the "idle" conversation that V and Durkon are having. It strengthens my theory that V and Durkon are gradually becoming some of the best friends in the Order, which is fun. It's a cute, quiet way to respond to comments on the forum, while referencing a respected historical topic of sci-fi conversations. Sweeeet.

I thought that was a poke at Eberron. I don't know too much about Eberron, but ... heh.

Does Durkon have Quick Draw? Because he's sure pulling out/putting away his hammer and shield awfully fast in the middle here.

Great intro speech for a new cheezy villain ...

YES!! I was SO hoping Durkon's new opposite would be a gnome druid! And would concentrate on Durkon's fear of trees! I love being right! :) So I'm pretty sure Leeky is a member of the Guild.

Wow, those trees look really creepy ... with their big red eyes. Now, how many of them ARE there? I guess now we know why the LG took so long to strike -- Awaken takes 24 hours to cast! Leeky's been working in this park for a LONG time! But why did the trees, if they're that vengeful, wait until Leeky's speech (spell?) to start attacking? And, for that matter, why are they evil? Awaken doesn't make things take on non-neutral alignment. Oh, and since they have the stats of an animated object when they're Awakened, these trees still won't completely fulfill Durkon's fear of trees -- they don't have the damage reduction that bothered him so much, for example.

Leeky's art: I love it. Goatee (another one for the Guild!) and balding (but not completely bald) head are great. Another dark-skinned character -- it was kind of getting silly how Roy's family were the only major ones. I love how his staff going way above his head emphasizes his short stature, even when he's the only thing in the panel! I wonder why he has a cloak when Durkon doesn't, and whether that robe he is wearing could really be non-metallic armor. Oh, and why does he have a medallion in opposite colors of Durkon's holy symbol? Druids don't use the same kinds of holy symbols as clerics. Well, I guess since it's mostly green, it could be made out of the plants that druids use.

Name: Hmmm. Windstaff is totally an opposite to Thundershield. Which leads me to two questions: does he like using wind spells as much as Durkon uses lightning spells? And is "Leeky" somehow an opposite to "Durkon"? Where's "Leeky" from?????

It'll be fun to see him do crazy Wild Shaping at some point ... though for the moment, he probably has enough trees supporting him to not get "dirty" in the fight himself.

The last two panels -- hilarious. My favorite part is how V decides that "the most suitable response" is to "run for your lives," yet he just sits there monologuing. I love V. I love the expression on his face here too. "Ah, I see you have already grasped the core concepts of my theory." Quotable. :)

[Ellyjobell]

Hi, I'm a long time reader, but first time commenter.

I just have to say, Yay! a gnome. They're my favorite race to play :D. Durkon was right about the trees all along... who knew?

[theKOT]

Good stuff. Enjoyable, funny shot at big-mouths, and I liked the "Led you dogs to urinate on them" part. 7/10.

[Nerd-o-rama]

First: Totally called Durkon's new Evil Opposite. Score.

Second: I'm amazed Rich held out this long without making an obvious Eberron joke. I applaud your restraint, Mr. Burlew.

All in all, great dialogue comic, and really well drawn eeeeeeevil trees.

[Rift_Wolf]

Poor Durkon - tha lad be scarred fer life. How did Nale know about his tree-phobia, though ???
It's mentioned that it's not just Durkan, but ALL dwarves are scared of trees. Presumably Elan picked up on this from Hilgya.
Nice evil opposite ;D
I'm wondering if the magic train is another swipe at World of Warcraft (As was the owlbear episode)?

[Deuce]

I'm wondering if the magic train is another swipe at World of Warcraft (As was the owlbear episode)?

Trains look to be an Eberron joke. As for Owlbears, they've been around since 1st edition D&D, which pretty much pre-dates WoW (probably pre-dates the birth of some of the WoW devs).

[Dario]

Great comic! ;D

I especially liked the use of the classic but lazy "wizards did it" excuse. The shot at the magic-as-technology cliche was a funny touch, too.

And Durkon versus evil trees? Pure awesome. Can't wait to see some butt-kicking character development there.

[sakusha]

Trains look to be an Eberron joke. As for Owlbears, they've been around since 1st edition D&D, which pretty much pre-dates WoW (probably pre-dates the birth of some of the WoW devs).

You beat me to it! ;) I feel old now.

[Nerd-o-rama]

Oh, and I forgot to mention; the comic updates have been surprisingly frequent the last few days. Always a good thing.

And the Clarke's Law Reversal by V. Excellent, even though it's being made fun of.

[Albion]

Wowzers! How vile to expose Durkon to his -now suddenly at once motivated - fear in this way! What a neat counterpart! I LOVE Cliffport 8) (And all the comic naturally.)

[Yrogerg]

Gotta love the Eberron reference!

Indeed; "It could be worse... there could be magic trains". Beautiful. ;D

[Thomar_of_Uointer]

Treants FTW!

The only core spells for tree-summoning are Awaken, Liveoak, and Changestaff.

Awaken has a casting time of 24 hours. Nale's all for convoluted plans, so I guess this is an all right one.

Liveoak has some restrictions on where you can cast it, which the gnome probably can't meet. It also doesn't work on more than one tree at a time. This one's out.

Changestaff allows for multiple trees with a large amount of preparation. However, it doesn't make trees start walking. We can see that all of the trees in the park are up and walking, so this one's out too.

That means the druid has had a lot of prep time setting up trees to be awakened. We know Nale has a master plan that took a lot of time to set up, and this supports the idea of the druid working for Nale. Though they should really be animated objects, I'm sure the glowing red eyes are Rich's creative license.

Oh, and the brown magic is a new one, I believe.

Ah, Eberron. Sorry, I grew out of you, I only do homebrew now.

[Korith]

Maybe the druid had a ring of invisibility to hide for the full length of casting the Awaken spell...

Or maybe, being a gnome, nobody even noticed him?

[Minimiscience]

I applaud the Clarke's Third Law reference. (It's much better than Clarke's first two laws.) I was also completely surprised by the sudden realization of Durkon's phobia; here I was, thinking Durkon wouldn't be proven sane until the creature in the dark turned out to be a tree, and along comes a gnome delivering leafy doom from above (and rooty doom from below).

[Caelestion]

We've already had a monk - Miko is a monk/paladin.
Then again, Durkon can sheath his weapons when moving, just like anyone with a +1 BAB can draw their weapon during a move action.

[CockroachTeaParty]

I just noticed something. The gnome's color scheme seems to be exactly inverse to Durkon's. His skin is the color of Durkon's beard, his robes the color of Durkon's skin, and his hair the color of Durkon's armor. Also, their amulets are inversely colored as well. Hooray themed nemesis nonsense! It's just so... Nale. At least the druid's name isn't Nokrud.

[TroyXavier]

Awesome comic. Like others have said, I loved it from the first panel. Great to see a gnome in there and I want to see more Leeky (and Pompey) ;D

[Pollux]

All Mr. Windstaff needs is an annoying French accent and he's Durkon's total opposite. :P

[The_Kobold_Hero]

I agree. But that thought of a french gnome chills be to the bone... Wan't to kill it so BAD!!

Nice comic! I loved Durkon's reaction!! ;D

[Kaerou]

Is the magic train thing a joke about Eberron?

Also: Awesome comic, i giggles :D

[Daedrous Avari]

Great comic. Irony!

[humanpylon]

I think I might be the first one to point out this insignificant, pointless, yet kind of neat detail...the two "crack" sounds are spelled the same in this comic as the last one i.e. the second one has the extra letter. I just thought that was kind of cool.

[5tephen]

Superb!

O.K, my pick for Belkar's Evil Opposite:
A confused Halfling Paladin, LG, who has been convinced to join up with Nale by rank deception. The Halfling will be immensely stupid (to allow for the deception, and to oppose Belkar's craftiness) and Belkar will manage to defeat them easily, due to same (but probably not kill them, because that would be funny- Belkar having to put up with such a lame, idiotic nemesis, and not being able to kill them.

And another :The OOTS are going to LOSE this encounter. Sure, they'll get out alive, and with Julia in tow, but they are going to lose the fight, and have to run off with their tails between their legs.

[Charity322]

Poor Durkon. Childhood phobia must be a -20 to Will saves lol.

[silvadel]

If they really want a good opposite for Belkar they should recruit Miko's Horse ;D

[Blayde]

And this, just meer days before I unleash my Gnomish Druid on my party......

Talk about timing. I think my gnome needs a namechange...

[Dawnstrider_Moogle]

It's hard to see the Linear Guild as evil when their presence always means more strips ;D

Also, if you think about it...the gnome needs to have a BRITISH accent to truly be Durkon's nemesis. :P

[Tobimaro]

All Mr. Windstaff needs is an annoying French accent and he's Durkon's total opposite. :P

I would think that an English accent would be more in character of being an opposite to Durkon's brough.

And I agree to V's "suitable response." "THA TREES BE ATTACKIN! RUN FER YER LIVES!" Priceless.

Hope to see more of Leeky.

10th page??? woot? Oh well, I had to work today. :P

[Dudukain]

Aye, we dwarves are always right in tha end.

[The Black Prince]

AWESOME COMIC!!!!!!

I am not worthy.

Pleae keep them coming. PLZ!

[kabbor]

Another reference, this time to King Aurthur of the round table: One of the earliest tales was called the "Once and Future King", and claimed that those words were carved on his tombstone.

Oh, and of course he checks out the forums. He has used the comic to reply to (or lampoon) posts on the forum too many times!
(Anyone know how to find 'answering letters' post? 'Again, how is this different...?'?

Ah, there it is. (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0033.html)

[Devils_Advocate]

Wow, updates have been quite frequent of late! And, while I didn't find the last few quite so funny, this one is simply JAM-PACKED with goodness. Humorous references to reader commentary on Cliffport's architecture, the cliche "it's magic" explanation of anything and everything in fantasy settings, Clarke's Third Law, AND Eberron -- all in the first three panels! Fantastic.


Question:

As a fire specialist, shouldn't V be going blast-happy on the living kindling?
Well, there ARE several civilians in the area. Although I'd think that at least a few trees would be safely targetable... Maybe there are just too many spread out over too great an area?


I only remember him casting it once.
Then you don't remember V casting Fireball as often as V in fact HAS cast Fireball. ;) Not that it's the only spell that Vaarsuvius appears to regularly prepare; the elf also seems to consistantly have Lightning Bolt and Dispel Magic at hand -- both of which should be useful against animated trees. Odd, then, that V appears to be suggesting retreat...


However, V's reaction indicates that he at least doesn't think Leeky's involved with Nale's plot, and is attempting to use Leeky against the Linear Guild..
Um, V's reaction indicates to me that Vaarsuvius DOES think that Leeky's involved with Nales plot, and that V and Durkon should run away, not that they should use Leeky against Nale.

So Durkon's opposite is a druid. Many people saw this coming, of course... because it's such a natural choice. There are two full divine spellcaster classes in the core rules. One of them likes trees. Durkon is afraid of trees. Duh.

I don't think anyone predicted that it would be a gnome, though. I think that several predicted an elf, in fact, which would also be natural, since elves and dwarves are in many ways opposites, and in fact kind of designed to be. So a gnome is an interesting twist.

Bwahahaha! Fear Druidzilla and his firey radioactive breath!


When I read the comic, I was under the impression Leeky Windstaff was one of the Linear Guild. Reading the forum got me thinking, y'know, maybe he's not.

Then I remembered this:
Nale: Wait, wait. Pompey, did you have some pre-existing reason for aiding us in kidnapping this girl here that you didn’t tell us about?
Pompey: Uh…yes sir, Mr. Nale. I’m sorry, I should-
Nale: Perfect! The Linear Guild is practically synonymous with taking disproportionate revenge over quasi-imagined slights!
Sabine: It even says so on our business cards!

Link: http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0257.html

Quasi-imagined slights? After Leeky the druid said "well-mowed prison" I'm still going to go with him being the Durkon-foil in the Linear Guild.
Good point! But the Linear Guild comment that I was reminded of was "The color scheme is certainly appropriate." (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0254.html)


I just noticed something. The gnome's color scheme seems to be exactly inverse to Durkon's. His skin is the color of Durkon's beard, his robes the color of Durkon's skin, and his hair the color of Durkon's armor. Also, their amulets are inversely colored as well. Hooray themed nemesis nonsense! It's just so... Nale. At least the druid's name isn't Nokrud.
How do some people think he's NOT Durkon's evil opposite? ???


But to diverge from the others who love getting back to the old schedule, I found, to my great surprise, that I was actually annoyed that a new comic was up so soon. ??? I guess it just goes to show that there's no pleasing some people. ;)
You crazy, man, you crazy.

But if for some reason you don't think you're ready to read another comic quite yet... you don't HAVE to read them as soon as they're posted. You could, y'know, wait until later.


http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0138.html

True that this random NPC is the only Gnome we'd seen in the past
Not quite. (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0049.html)

And we saw a druid in Lord Shojo's story explaining the origin and purpose of the gates, for those who may have forgotten that.


Treants FTW!The only core spells for tree-summoning are Awaken, Liveoak, and Changestaff.
And Animate Plants, which only takes a standard action to cast. Of course, Leeky only has enough 7th-level spell slots to animate ALL of those trees if he's at least several levels higher than the OOTS... maybe he's using his staff for at least some of the castings?

[Wanderlust]

I'm already fond of Leeky. I wonder how Durkon's battle experience vs. trees will come into play here. He's probably an expert tree-slayer by now.

[Chump_and_William]

i can just imagine Durkon hanging the stump on the wall as a trophy, like they do with bears and mooses, *sigh* silly durkon ;)

[LurkerBeneath]

Maybe Leeky's namesake vegetable was chosen as the counterpart to a daikon radish?

[Skyserpent]

Maybe Leeky's namesake vegetable was chosen as the counterpart to a daikon radish?


Unlikely... I think the real relation is the thundershield/windstaff thing.

Dude, I really hope Belkar's evil opposite is a pacifist.

[StickMan]

so very great. A++ comic

[Eloco]

LOL comic ;D. I really love how V remains calm in the face of danger while presenting his punchlines. He reminds me of Spock, always rational even in irrational situations.

PS: I really hope people know who Spock is, I feel old enough as it is :/

[charik]

I guess everyone is rushing to get their comments in before the next comic gets posted. I think V's "theory" is to retreat a suitable distance and find cover from which to cast appropriate spells.

[Deuce]

I'm already fond of Leeky. I wonder how Durkon's battle experience vs. trees will come into play here. He's probably an expert tree-slayer by now.

Durkon's previous encounter with trees . . .

Not a lot to contribute (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0163.html)

Not even useful as a buffed up meat-shield. Maybe his running and screaming will serve as a distraction while V gets some Art on . . .

[Dabble]

These last few comice have been great, I can't wait to meet the rest of the Linear Guild, and see what the Giant has in store for us!

[Bilbo27]

wow, 3 new comics in less than a week--whazzzzuppppp?

The trees are attacking.

[Faintest_Inkling]

It's too bad. The tree stuff probably would have been funnier if the smell of sour grapes wasn't so distracting. But it seems to have gone over well, nevertheless.

[TakZero]

Long-time reader, first-time poster.

I wuv the Giant! Bwahaha, gnomish druids.

But... why Leeky?

[mikeyq6]

Durkon's previous encounter with trees . . .


hehe... that's right. You just reminded me of Roy's 'Bag of Tricks' as well. I wonder when he will ever use that extremely useful magic item again...

[Nashua]

I LOVE the fact that Leeky's "magic aura" is Brown! Plus the "well-mowed prison" line. - Okay, now I'll go read the rest of the posts.

[humanpylon]

LOL comic ;D. I really love how V remains calm in the face of danger while presenting his punchlines. He reminds me of Spock, always rational even in irrational situations.

PS: I really hope people know who Spock is, I feel old enough as it is :/

Not to worry I know who Spock is, and I'm under thirty (barely).

[sbwilson]

Knowing nothing about Eberron, I thought the magical train comment was another poke at Harry Potter. Still funny though :)

[Rift_Wolf]

Trains look to be an Eberron joke. As for Owlbears, they've been around since 1st edition D&D, which pretty much pre-dates WoW (probably pre-dates the birth of some of the WoW devs).
Well, I've shown myself up as the WoW-lovin' fool that I am :-[ Though I must say I'm doing well understanding the D&D references taking into account my D&D experience begins and ends with Baldur's Gate.

[TheDRaconicLord]

LOL comic ;D. I really love how V remains calm in the face of danger while presenting his punchlines. He reminds me of Spock, always rational even in irrational situations.

PS: I really hope people know who Spock is, I feel old enough as it is :/

I know who Spock is, and I'm 18 years old ;) Don't feel old ;)

[Noneoyabizzness]

nale has a good casting agent...

[Delgarde]

The gnome's color scheme seems to be exactly inverse to Durkon's. His skin is the color of Durkon's beard, his robes the color of Durkon's skin, and his hair the color of Durkon's armor. Also, their amulets are inversely colored as well. Hooray themed nemesis nonsense! It's just so... Nale.

Yup. Just like Pompey and Varsuvius - one with purple robes and red hair, the other with red robes and purple hair. Seems he's putting quite a lot of care into the opposites thing this time round.

[Delgarde]

Durkon's previous encounter with trees . . .

On the other hand, consider how that encounter ended...

http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0169.html

[Nekkira]

As far as the spells used by the druid; those trees only look to be about Huge, and there are (so far) only 4 of them, so that would mean he could be 14th level, casting it twice.

Animate Plants does 1 Large per 3 cast levels (or use up 2 large for one Huge, 4 Large for 1 Gargantuan, etc...)

And don't forget, he could actually be even lower level...or cast another spell if he used Spellstaff to save it in on a previous day. (Or heck...a bunch of spellstaves if his DM hasn't plugged that hole.)

[warmachine]

One really odd aspect of Roy's plan is that only he's going into the warehouse. An ambush inside a building is more likely than reinforcements from outside. He should have had Haley with Vaarsuvius sneak in through the back as he walked in the front. Flank attacks by rogues are nasty and heavy magic can save a losing situation.

The concept of Haley as a rooftop sniper is silly in AD&D physics. Arrows just don't do enough damage against someone running from one building to another. It is the modern, sniper rifle that makes this tactic work.

[Sereno]

The concept of Haley as a rooftop sniper is silly in AD&D physics. Arrows just don't do enough damage against someone running from one building to another. It is the modern, sniper rifle that makes this tactic work.

Arrows are more dangerous in v3.5 than they used to be in prior editions of DnD.

If she's within range, and fires at someone who doesn't know she's there, Haley'd get her rogue's 'sneak attack' for each arrow. And, she could also critical....

[Solmage]

Arrows are more dangerous in v3.5 than they used to be in prior editions of DnD.

If she's within range, and fires at someone who doesn't know she's there, Haley'd get her rogue's 'sneak attack' for each arrow. And, she could also critical....

The issue is 'within range'. By putting Haley up on a rooftop she's too far away to get the sneak attack bonus.

So while it makes "sense" to have her do that, in D&D physics it doesn't work.

(Besides, arrows shot over a very large distance leave a lot to be desired accuracy-wise, provided they can even reach the target. Still it's nice plot-wise, shows that Roy at least may have a plan, even if he's not revealed it yet)

[sakusha]

Not quite. (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0049.html)*

And we saw a druid in Lord Shojo's story explaining the origin and purpose of the gates, for those who may have forgotten that.

*In reference to: "http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0138.html

True that this random NPC is the only Gnome we'd seen in the past, I just wanted to point out that Leeky was not the first. " (Me)

How do we know that the short humanoid in the shop with V is a gnome and not a halfling or even another, paler, older, shorter dwarf? Do all gnomes come equipped with a staff or something? ::) The store-owner with Durkon is at least well-established as a gnome due to his sign outside and slight shortness compared to Durkon.




The issue is 'within range'. By putting Haley up on a rooftop she's too far away to get the sneak attack bonus.

You're never too far away to get sneak-attacks off. The only stipulation is for the attacker to catch the defender unawares, normally by denying them their dexterity ... flatfooted, feinting, invisibility, etc.

Now, within 30 feet for Point Blank Shot (feat) could come up, but that depends on how high the warehouse roof is. It's actually a very good tactic to give her higher ground since she'll get bonuses to attack and it makes it harder for foes to reach her.

[Deuce]

On the other hand, consider how that encounter ended...

http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0169.html



So if they just tie him up and force him to confront his fear . . . :)

As an aside, does Durkon have Still Spell?

[Doug_Lampert]

Treants FTW!

The only core spells for tree-summoning are Awaken, Liveoak, and Changestaff.


Does Animate Plants not exist in other people's games. Looks like Core to me. Will do almost exactly what is being done. Yet people are talking about the diffculties of awakening that many trees when it seems most likely they are merely animated.

[Goofy]

You can be too far away for sneak attacks because they're precision damage.

Also, the armorer is probably a gnome because he's in a Gnomish Armor Shop and is gnome-sized.

[TinSoldier]

From the SRD: (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/classes/rogue.htm#sneakAttack) "Ranged attacks can count as sneak attacks only if the target is within 30 feet."

[Starbuck_II]

I remember a feat to change that somewhere limit on range. Oh right, it was a fan based book.

But it was pretty decent.

[sakusha]

From the SRD: (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/classes/rogue.htm#sneakAttack) "Ranged attacks can count as sneak attacks only if the target is within 30 feet."

Thanks for the info but ... :o I've *never* seen that before! Is it in the PHB? Honestly?

[TinSoldier]

Thanks for the info but ... :o I've *never* seen that before! Is it in the PHB? Honestly?I don't have my PHB in front of me, but I'm almost positive that it is. Everything in the SRD is either from the PHB, DMG, MM, or in some cases a very few other select books with OGL content.

[KeiranHalcyon]

PHB 3.5, page 50. The text is verbatim.

Personally, I'd have set up a hostage trade with Nale, with Elan providing an illusion of himself as a hostage. Elan would probably screw it up, but it could make for a good plan, in theory.

[sakusha]

PHB 3.5, page 50. The text is verbatim.

*shame* :'( I'll go re-read the 3 main books now... *feels like a loser*

[HypnoticMonk]

Personally, I think Belkar's "evil twin" might be a calm and rational warrior(with high wisdom) of some taller race, ogre or giant perhaps.

Maybe even another ranger with high spot, survival (for tracking) and handle animal skill levels...

[Caelestion]

This is a geek board, which I know has escaped no one's attention. I think it most unlikely that *anyone* here has not heard of Mr. Spock. Knowing who played him might be more difficult, or even seeing him in action in his most famous role might be another, but still! :)

[Martok]

LOL. Poor Durkon; his worst fears have come to life! Another terrific strip, Rich.

(Run Durkon, run!)

[humanpylon]

This is a geek board, which I know has escaped no one's attention. I think it most unlikely that *anyone* here has not heard of Mr. Spock. Knowing who played him might be more difficult, or even seeing him in action in his most famous role might be another, but still! :)

Ok I know Leonard Nimoy of course played Spock. The only high profile non-Spock role I can think of is the original Mission Impossible series. Is that what you're thinking of?

[TinSoldier]

Ok I know Leonard Nimoy of course played Spock. The only high profile non-Spock role I can think of is the original Mission Impossible series. Is that what you're thinking of?In Search Of... (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0074007/)

I didn't know he was in Mission Impossible. When The Search for Spock came out I kept remembering back to the TV series In Search Of...!

[Caelestion]

I was indeed thinking of Star Trek, but I do remember him also appearing in one of the original Columbo episodes.

[Sereno]

The issue is 'within range'. By putting Haley up on a rooftop she's too far away to get the sneak attack bonus.


I knew about the 30' limit, but I missed the back of Haley's head in #341 that shows she IS all the way across the open park area.

If she was on a roof right across the street, it might still work, but not across a courtyard. :(

She could always still hope for criticals on a full-attack, and a bow's still got a pretty good range increment.... ;D

[stickygoo]

Leeky has got to be the new evil double for durkon. The color scheme is perfect. their amulets are the opposite colors, and the rest of their colors match.
Leeky's Beard=Durkon's Armor
Leeky's Robe=Durkon's Skin
Leeky's Skin=Durkon's Beard

[Arcane_Secrets]

Evil...gnome...druid...animating...trees...must... not...laugh...to...point...of...death.

Not a panel I didn't relish. I feel, however, that this one is to be no more significant than Yikyik. There for laughs, but only temporary.

I don't know about that...I think that


Belkar might be the first one to die out of the party.


Just an idea I had.

[saraswati]

Here's a clueless query:

Is the name "Leeky" supposed to be a reference to something?

All I can think of is Leaky (sp?), the famous anthropologist.

Got any theories about the name?

Also, having read only bits and pieces of Eberron I'd love to hear exactly what this "magical train" consists of.

Thanks and cheers!

[Shea Landford]

Another one? wow. And the introduction of a new LG character. Yay. Hilarious comic too.

[Spit_Dog]

Here's a clueless query:

Is the name "Leeky" supposed to be a reference to something?

All I can think of is Leaky (sp?), the famous anthropologist.

Got any theories about the name?

[....]

Thanks and cheers! ]

His name is clearly based on the leek, as in the vegetable belonging to the onion family.

Wait, does that give him a Welsh accent (and what is this "Welsh" of which I speak...)?

[mikeyq6]

Ok I know Leonard Nimoy of course played Spock. The only high profile non-Spock role I can think of is the original Mission Impossible series. Is that what you're thinking of?

I remember him in Invasion of the Body Snatchers (most unlike Spock or even V in that movie).

Incidentally, this comic made me finally look up the meaning of the word "vaunt". It means to brag, but you only ever really see it when somebody talks like V, and even then I never really knew what it meant.

Thanks Giant, for increasing my vocabulary powers! :D

[Deckmaster]

I just thought of another opposite trait of Durkon and Leeky. Durkon doesn't talk often, or at least not as often as the others, and when he does it's often short and to the point. Leeky is verbose and uses over-elaborate imagery, not as much like V as some have suggested, who isn't so much poetic as technical in his/her speech. In short, it's not meant to be V-like as much as it's anti-Durkon-like.

[Tussy the Druid]

Good comic. Funny thing is i remembered someone saying there would be a gnome druid... hmmm

[Thomar_of_Uointer]

Does Animate Plants not exist in other people's games. Looks like Core to me. Will do almost exactly what is being done. Yet people are talking about the diffculties of awakening that many trees when it seems most likely they are merely animated.


Ah, point. I didn't see that one, and a casting or two would certainly cover what's happening. Of course, both Durkon and V are capable of handling a situation like that just fine as long as they have Roy or Belkar to keep them safely out of the reach of Huge animated objects.

[houseofcommons]

Anyone else remember a few old Far Side cartoons, where the young people have been seized by the tree, which says: "So the little lovebirds were going to carve their initials into me eh? Let's see how they like it."

Because I could definately see that happening here.

Note to self; do not toy with evil druids.

[Cresty]

Love the obvious reference to the Eberron setting, which does have magical trains.

[Wanderlust]

Anyone else remember a few old Far Side cartoons, where the young people have been seized by the tree, which says: "So the little lovebirds were going to carve their initials into me eh? Let's see how they like it."

Because I could definately see that happening here.

Note to self; do not toy with evil druids.

Yes, and I love that one. Those kids were freaked.

[Tussy the Druid]

:'( :'( awww man. I just realized that The Giant's comic streak has been ended. No comic yesterday :'(

[Baloo]

Also, having read only bits and pieces of Eberron I'd love to hear exactly what this "magical train" consists of.
Eberron has something called the "Lightning Rail". There are two major components of the system.

The first is something called "conductor stones" that magically repel one another. These are placed at intervals along the lines, and are also on the bottoms of the rail cars. So the rail cars essentially hover a bit above the ground - a maglev where "mag" stands for "magic", not "magnetic."

The second part are the "engine cars". These have bound air elementals in them that provide motive force. These are controlled by an item called lightning reins, which can only be used by people with a certain dragonmark - others can try to overpower the elemental with their will (opposed Cha checks), but the reins give you full control.

The bound elementals are used in other transportation methods as well: airships are made of buoyant wood and powered by fire elementals, and some of the more exclusive "traditional" ships are also powered by bound elementals.

The Lightning rail is nowhere near as pervasive as trains are in the real world. It basically connects capitals and other metropoli, plus some places that happen to be in between these. But it does help you get across the continent in a matter of days, which means you can have adventures in parts of the world you don't live in.

[Soul_Selim]

That was so Random. And Durken was right. Trees are Untrustworthy. I Lol'd more than I did with this Comic then any other.

[RyanL330]

His name is clearly based on the leek, as in the vegetable belonging to the onion family.

Wait, does that give him a Welsh accent (and what is this "Welsh" of which I speak...)?


"Daikon" means "Radish" in Japaneese, so there is a parellel between "Leeky" (undergound root vegatable) and "Durkon" (an alternatively spelled underground root vegatable).

/excuse the spelling; too much ale this evening! ;)