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View Full Version : OOTS #326 - The Discussion Thread



The Giant
2006-06-23, 03:49 AM
New comic is up.

I'm going to go right to work on a new comic for Friday evening/night, too, since I want to get three out this week, what with the Origins convention next week.

Krytha
2006-06-23, 03:50 AM
Yes! I knew that might conceivably happen... Ok maybe I didnt...

What a cruel fate... :'(

*edit* Finally, staying up long hours has paid off! I can die happy!

Saithis Bladewing
2006-06-23, 03:50 AM
HAHAHA!

;D

ROFLMAO! OMFG!

The sheer NUMBER of heads! BRILLIANCE! I'm in love! ;D

EDIT: Oh, and for the novelty, first page. :P

Reborn
2006-06-23, 03:53 AM
;D


Too good. And First Page WOOT! ;D

Behold_the_Void
2006-06-23, 03:54 AM
Wow. Very nice.

I liked the comments when they were chopping the heads, especially.

Krytha
2006-06-23, 03:54 AM
I bet they feed the hydra it's own heads to cut expenses... :-X

*runs... hides...*

HypnoticMonk
2006-06-23, 03:55 AM
LOL I LOVED it... I actually figured on the first part, but the last panel blew me away.

<----3rd time first pager(which isn't bad for someone who has only read the strips for less than a year)

Theo_Axner
2006-06-23, 03:58 AM
"Look at me! I'm Robespierre!" ;D

Edtharan
2006-06-23, 03:58 AM
Very good. Loved it (in a game I had characters versus a hydra that though in a similar way).

Edit: Wow. my first post in the comics and I got first page :o

greenoak
2006-06-23, 03:59 AM
Nice to get back to plain ol' adventuring.

Another good one Rich.

Elessar
2006-06-23, 03:59 AM
Either folks don't eat many hydra heads, or one all-you-can-eat session costs a ton of gold.

... that, or the hydra is now some several orders of mangitude more heads than it should... :-/

orcmonk89
2006-06-23, 04:00 AM
LOL, great comic.

woot, 1st page too :D

faeline
2006-06-23, 04:02 AM
This is how I earned my first million...

I'm gonna start following adventurers from now on LOL :P

Edit:

OMG I'm ON FIRST PAGE! HOW IS THAT EVER POSSIBLE?!?!

soni
2006-06-23, 04:02 AM
Goblin Dan's Hydra Heads... LOL!

Vargtass
2006-06-23, 04:03 AM
Excellent extra twist to the hydra problem. Made me think of Sarimner from norse mythology. Good business case for Goblin Dan...

blue_hat_guy
2006-06-23, 04:03 AM
how much for a head??

wiii first page
someone bit me to it

Adder
2006-06-23, 04:04 AM
I don't know if it's brilliant or bizzare.

Well, it's certainly funny to see Roy in an everything-under-control-pose ;D

Ice_Cream_Zombie
2006-06-23, 04:04 AM
That was nicely done Rich. Although now I'm afraid of having nightmares about Robespierre-Belkar.

Psymon
2006-06-23, 04:09 AM
To big for its blood supply to support!

(though isnt that being rather logical for a creature as magical in nature as a hydra?)

Lundegaard
2006-06-23, 04:10 AM
LOL

I've never before thought about making a profit from the evergrowing hydras heads!

As a biologist, I can't help but wonder at the sheer amount of food they must serve the hydra - it is using a freakish amount of energy to grow heads that fast ;D

oh.... wait... this is D&D? Well must be magic then ;)

Ravens_Wing
2006-06-23, 04:13 AM
Yes! I have been waiting for this new stirp since.... well since 2 seconds after i saw the last one! LOL

poor roy if only he new the value of what he passed up...lol

sazzer
2006-06-23, 04:13 AM
Second page! :)

What happens when the hydra dies from lack of oxygen to the brain(s)? :)

Antina
2006-06-23, 04:14 AM
Aaawwwww - poor Hydra...

battleburn
2006-06-23, 04:15 AM
ravens_wing: poor roy if only he new the value of what he passed up...lol
Nah, he still would have gone for his revenge on Xycon.
Though Haley might have left the group for the profits she might get.
And on another note, great comic.

Solara
2006-06-23, 04:15 AM
Gah! I saw that goblin and thought this was going to tie into the Xykon storyline somehow. Cruel Giant, just cruel. :(

What actually happened was still pretty hilarious though, if a bit of a non-sequitur...and am I the only one who felt a little sorry for the hydra? I mean, tied down and endessly having body parts chopped off for monsters to much on? :D

Edit: W00t, second page! (or whatever the popular expression is...a first for me anyway. I guess it pays to stay up till 3AM.)

Adghar
2006-06-23, 04:15 AM
Mmmm.... BBQ hydra heads... Oh man, you're making me hungry. :'(

Big_Red_Bird
2006-06-23, 04:15 AM
I had my suspicions that the hyrda would be defeated that way. Still a hilarious comic. Especially the Robespieree bit.

Iruka
2006-06-23, 04:18 AM
this one was really unexpected
what a nice solution to the hydra problem^^

Glorfindel
2006-06-23, 04:18 AM
I was hoping for a Herakles kind of solution. This one I didn't like personally, it is absurd. But the last picture more than made up for it.

Schattendrache
2006-06-23, 04:19 AM
Yup, called it. Not so much the lack-of-blood, but definitely a too-many-head defeat.

And the BBQ Hut? Priceless. :D

Lord Herman
2006-06-23, 04:23 AM
Yay for the hydra strips!

Yay for goblin Dan!

...yay!

Lauren
2006-06-23, 04:24 AM
I'm TOTALLY trying this if our group ever meets a hydra.

HabbakukUnknown
2006-06-23, 04:51 AM
just read it, i love hydra heads. But does it keep regenerating while they are cutting of heads and shouldn't it get back up after it has enough blood for the heads. meh, i love cartoon physics...

Grumble
2006-06-23, 04:53 AM
Lol my first million :P
Great comic again Giant

chesch
2006-06-23, 05:09 AM
Giant,

What is up with the text on the sign in the last frame? It looks like there is a mark to the right of the word "Dan" that could be an 's'

-Chesch

S_l_a_w
2006-06-23, 05:10 AM
poor roy if only he new the value of what he passed up...lol


boring way of making money ;]
especially for adventurers with MBA ;]

reorith
2006-06-23, 05:11 AM
Giant,

What is up with the text on the sign in the last frame? It looks like there is a mark to the right of the word "Dan" that could be an 's'

-Chesch

when was the last time you saw a sign for a diner or resturant with all the letters?

Pagz
2006-06-23, 05:20 AM
just read it, i love hydra heads. But does it keep regenerating while they are cutting of heads and shouldn't it get back up after it has enough blood for the heads. meh, i love cartoon physics...

ahh, but even though its creating new heads and new blood, it still only has ONE heart, all thouse heads would take quite a lot of heart pumping power to keep going, the amout of oxagen to the heads is lowered because the heart just cannot supply all the heads at once, lack of oxagen to a head, the head passes out...hurray! :P

does that physics (or should I say biology) make sence? im not even sure...but it sounds right (and roy said it, whos going to say no to roy?)

The Glyphstone
2006-06-23, 05:43 AM
Hilarious.

Dare I say it...

Keep up this two-a-week schedule! The past few comics have been better than ever! Three are always welcome, of course...

(uh...third page? fourth?)

Lydia
2006-06-23, 05:52 AM
What actually happened was still pretty hilarious though, if a bit of a non-sequitur...and am I the only one who felt a little sorry for the hydra? I mean, tied down and endessly having body parts chopped off for monsters to much on? :D


You're not the only one. Poor Hydra :'(, shouldn't someone be calling PETA or the RSPCA* ;)


*(RSPCA = Royal Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals - I don't know if the US has an equivalent organisation)

warmachine
2006-06-23, 06:01 AM
Strictly, hard, logical reasoning doesn't apply to AD&D and certainly not OotS. Otherwise most the creatures would have been wiped out through natural selection long ago.

Besides, the magical process that can regrow an entire head would restore the blood that needs to be in it. Though, as others have pointed out, the heart wouldn't be able to cope with the increased load. Its legs wouldn't be able to cope with the increased weight. As the number of heads continue to grow, it'll run out of physical space to have heads unless someone burns the stump to suppress the growth. It may be unconscious because the creature can't handle the coordination between brains.

Nonetheless, funny as always.

kasib
2006-06-23, 06:01 AM
Heh, didn't see that one (=Goblin Dan) coming.

Anyway, the comedy has been pretty good lately. Keep it up and happy Midsummer!

Bakta
2006-06-23, 06:07 AM
Goblin Dan, with or witouth 's.

The fact is goblins knows how to count, not how to spell...


...

and somehow it was obvious Belkar couldn't pass up reading everything he could lay his hands on on te Terror. He must have Robespierre pics up hanged right near Gengis Khan's in his bedroom.

colmaz
2006-06-23, 06:13 AM
Hi First time poster, long time reader

Absolutley loved that comic. But the question begs to be asked, Test of the Body or Test of the Mind?

Also I counted 43 heads. That would have been a bit of chopping

Thanks for laughter

Saithis Bladewing
2006-06-23, 06:15 AM
Strictly, hard, logical reasoning doesn't apply to AD&D and certainly not OotS. Otherwise most the creatures would have been wiped out through natural selection long ago.

Besides, the magical process that can regrow an entire head would restore the blood that needs to be in it. Though, as others have pointed out, the heart wouldn't be able to cope with the increased load. Its legs wouldn't be able to cope with the increased weight. As the number of heads continue to grow, it'll run out of physical space to have heads unless someone burns the stump to suppress the growth. It may be unconscious because the creature can't handle the coordination between brains.

Nonetheless, funny as always.

Reality and logic only applies when it's good for the sake of comedy. ;D

Ronald_saveloy
2006-06-23, 06:26 AM
"Look at me! I'm Robespierre!" LOL

Wouldn't it be nice to see Belkar in some late-18th-century-style clothes as Robespierre ???

:D Idea!

Mordas
2006-06-23, 06:49 AM
"...And that's the story of how I made my first million gold."

Edit: First time on the fourth page!

TarSheva
2006-06-23, 07:14 AM
Outstanding!

Your comic almost always makes me smile and usually makes me chuckle, but this one knocked it out of the park for me!

From "Wait for it" to "Made my first million" you had it nailed. And all the little comments between Elan and Belkar - Classic!

Thanks for sending me off to work with a smile on my face!!

The Glitter Ninja
2006-06-23, 07:14 AM
Awesome. And we get to see into the future, too!

UtherSRG
2006-06-23, 07:16 AM
Giant,

What is up with the text on the sign in the last frame? It looks like there is a mark to the right of the word "Dan" that could be an 's'

-Chesch


I noted this too, Chesch. I think the "s" is supposed to be closer in, with a "'" between "Dan" and the "s", making "Dan's".

Giant?

Great hydra series... but will we now have to have multiple branches of the story line for each head? ;D

Castamir
2006-06-23, 07:16 AM
just read it, i love hydra heads. But does it keep regenerating while they are cutting of heads and shouldn't it get back up after it has enough blood for the heads. meh, i love cartoon physics...
It is bound. Thus, it can't move even while it's conscious.

Delgarde
2006-06-23, 07:20 AM
Hah... I wonder if this was how the Giant originally planned to deal with the hydra, or if he decided to run with one of the more absurd suggestions from the forums?

Either way, a *very* funny comic...

Delgarde
2006-06-23, 07:22 AM
I'm a little surprised, by the way, that it didn't fall on Belkar...

Gnorosch
2006-06-23, 07:23 AM
Hah, wait you Goblins till the Druids NBA (nature balancing army) comes along and kills that poor Hydra - and you too!

Blaznak
2006-06-23, 07:38 AM
hee! Not the way I thought it would go. I figured Belkar was going to just get worn out before the hydra would.

Also, loved the Hydra stand!

SITB
2006-06-23, 07:38 AM
Will it count as defeating the encounter if Belkar makes the Hydra sprout so many heads that the Hydra heart fails?


I demi, semi, hemi saw it coming! I am on my path to being a psion!

That aside my favourite part was Belkar's comments, nice strip.

bosssmiley
2006-06-23, 08:05 AM
"...And that's the story of how I made my first million gold."

One man's adventure is another (more cautious) man's commercial opportunity ;D

eheins
2006-06-23, 08:06 AM
"Look at me, I'm Robespierre."
My first thought was, "huh?"
My second thought, "what was he known for, again?"
Third thought, "something to do with the French Revolution?'
and then, finally, "oh, duh, sending...well, everyone...to the guillotine."
And THAT was when I finally started laughing.
Must remember not to read OOTS until I finish waking up.

BTW, the American equivalent of the RSPCA is, not surprisingly, the ASPCA.

Theodoxus
2006-06-23, 08:19 AM
Well, Robespierre = google -> Wikipedia for me, cuz we didn't study the French Revolution in high school (or if we did, that was 16 years ago, and bleh..) So! yay internet to the rescue. I learned something new today, so my day is done - should just call into work... ;)

Great comic as always - and more people on my list.

Thanks Giant!

Nightfall
2006-06-23, 08:31 AM
Doesn't it always seem like someone else gets to profit from one's own endeavors? Not that I think there's a whole lot of call for BBQ hydra heads... ;)

Great comic, as usual, Giant. I'm a fan for life!

Sir_Banjo
2006-06-23, 08:33 AM
Whooh!!! I'm Robespierre!!!!

Ebonwoulfe
2006-06-23, 08:41 AM
I love the way that Rich can take the everyday game mechanics we take for granted and view them as a "What would happen in the real world" question.

I mean, I never considered what an infinite number of hydra heads would really mean, I always focused on killing it.

Otterella
2006-06-23, 08:48 AM
Blatant disregard for the written rules is so much funnier when acknowledged in the strip. I loved that meta-gaming moment.

Dawnstrider_Moogle
2006-06-23, 08:51 AM
Roy just blinded me with science.

HHLoneWolf
2006-06-23, 08:56 AM
Page 5!

Why aim for Page 1 when you can post on Page 5?


Anyway.....


I'm headin to Goblin Dan's for lunch... anyone want a ride?

OldFart
2006-06-23, 09:12 AM
Well, Robespierre = google -> Wikipedia for me, cuz we didn't study the French Revolution in high school (or if we did, that was 16 years ago, and bleh..) So! yay internet to the rescue.

Now you know - and knowing is half the battle.

The other half is, apparently, a psychotic halfling being egged on by a bard.

Greebo
2006-06-23, 09:22 AM
If you're from the east coast, you might know the slogan, "Eat Bertha's Mussels".

Now Dan can have cart-bumper stickers that say "Suck Dan's Head".

;D :D

Actually, an OotS shirt with "Suck Dan's Heads" on the front and a shot of Dan's All-You-Can-Eat Hydra Head Shack would be ... well *I* would buy it! :)

Dawnstrider_Moogle
2006-06-23, 09:24 AM
If you're from the east coast, you might know the slogan, "Eat Bertha's Mussels".

Now Dan can have cart-bumper stickers that say "Suck Dan's Head".

;D :D

Actually, an OotS shirt with "Suck Dan's Heads" on the front and a shot of Dan's All-You-Can-Eat Hydra Head Shack would be ... well *I* would buy it! :)

...

team56th
2006-06-23, 09:44 AM
"Look at me- I'm Robespierre!"
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

"Yeah, but this made for a better story"
lollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollollo llollollollollollollollollol

Aerysil1
2006-06-23, 09:57 AM
OOTS - they temporarily defeat their enemies, AND kick start new careers.

Swashbuckler
2006-06-23, 10:11 AM
OOTS - good for the economy! ;D

The "Robespierre" line was indeed my favorite - a LOL moment! I also liked the whole "Wait for it ..." ... almost as good as the Robin Hood: Men in Tights occurrence.

Winged One
2006-06-23, 10:12 AM
Yum! ;D

Flabbicus
2006-06-23, 10:14 AM
Mmmm Hydra Buffet, with Manticore filling.

Now they just need to find the Tarrasque...

Carrion_Humanoid
2006-06-23, 10:21 AM
Wait, if a Hydra can regrow its heads, in the last Picture, why does it only have three?

Flabbicus
2006-06-23, 10:26 AM
That was looked like it was some time later, it was a different hydra.

blackfox
2006-06-23, 10:29 AM
Wow, I posted on the 5th page for the third time in a row!
Never mind.

I love the hydra with all the heads, it looks hilarious like that. The last panel is sheer brillance. ;D

Brother_Hood
2006-06-23, 10:30 AM
Who knew that reality could be so funny? :D

Loved it.

Starla
2006-06-23, 10:31 AM
I would like to taste a barbecued hydra head ::)

charik
2006-06-23, 10:34 AM
OOTS - they temporarily defeat their enemies, AND kick start new careers.
Goes back to the punchline of strip F from DCF: 'So, close enough is good enough?' Belkar didn't mean to have it end this way, but they defeated the hydra anyhoo.

That decades later last panel really put this strip over the top for me, though. I wanna Goblin Dan avi! Come on, Giant, make it available to us! :D

BelkarsDagger
2006-06-23, 10:55 AM
I *knew* thats how the hydra was gonna be defeated. I wont say you used my idea, Rich, since you probably didn't read it.

Great comic anyway.

LordVader
2006-06-23, 11:06 AM
Great comic. That gobbo is gonna make a lot of money cause the hydra keeps growing heads! : ;)

Were-Sandwich
2006-06-23, 11:07 AM
I thought V was gonna have to disintegrate the thing, but this was way funnier. Keep up the good work Giant!

Max_Sinister
2006-06-23, 11:22 AM
Now that Goblin is a lucky bastard... how do Hydra's heads taste like? OK, as it looks, his only customers are kobolds, goblins, ogers and the like...

Ink
2006-06-23, 11:35 AM
I'm actually amazed that Belkar can completely sever a hydra head with those tiny knives of his. I like Roy's little happy expression while he was explaining, and I also like the small green creature entering Goblin Dan's restaurant.

Flabbicus
2006-06-23, 11:37 AM
I think that was a lizardfolk. They look really cool in OOTS form too. Someone should make one... Hint Hint

Eriol
2006-06-23, 11:38 AM
First time I've ever seen a Robespierre reference since I learned about the guy in my Social Studies class back in High School. Perfect useage (and there aren't very many legit uses either).

Still, you remember what happened to Robespierre in the end? Foreshadowing for Belkar? ;)

KayJay
2006-06-23, 11:41 AM
I'm surprised that the hydra didn't fight back but... that's a novel way of beating a hydra :)

Shea Landford
2006-06-23, 11:43 AM
Ingenious!!!! The best way to beat a monster is the most amuzing way. And Rich found it!! Congrats to Rich for a wonderful job on the newest comic.

And congrats t ome for making page 6!

Greebo
2006-06-23, 11:46 AM
Wait, if a Hydra can regrow its heads, in the last Picture, why does it only have three?

Cause the butcher is keeping up with the regeneration? ;)

Sneak
2006-06-23, 11:50 AM
Well, the last panel is at least a decade later. I'm sure it's an old hydra now, and it's regenerative systems aren't as up-to-date.

DwaggieBard
2006-06-23, 11:57 AM
PopPopPopPopPopPopPopPopPopPopPopPopPopPopPopPopPo pPopPopPopPopPopPopPopPopPopPopPopPopPop. Nice.

Runolfr
2006-06-23, 12:05 PM
Ya know, I may be in the minority here, but I think this particular issue of the comic fell flat.

Well, I don't suppose they can all be brilliant.

Durin
2006-06-23, 12:19 PM
mmmmm barbecued hydra

aurickandrien
2006-06-23, 12:27 PM
Also I counted 43 heads. That would have been a bit of chopping

Yeah, I counted 43 heads too...

Goblin Dan would have to be careful if the Hydra lost all of its extra heads within day like normal hydras, because 24 hours later he'd be back at square one with a five-headed hydra again... albeit probably chained down by now.

TinSoldier
2006-06-23, 12:30 PM
Yeah, I counted 43 heads too...

Goblin Dan would have to be careful if the Hydra lost all of its extra heads within day like normal hydras, because 24 hours later he'd be back at square one with a five-headed hydra again... albeit probably chained down by now.Yeah but see, that solves his problem of the hydra getting too many heads and dying from it. It's a constantly renewable resource.

Let's here it for sustainable hydra harvesting!

infiniteviking
2006-06-23, 12:38 PM
V's such a showoff. *snort*

'Wait for it'.... ;D ;D Roy's response should be taken to heart by everyone who can't stop checking for the new comic. The punchline is invariably worth the wait.

Smart man, Roy, giving Belkar a bit of fun before he really tried to kill somebody.

But... they had a goblin right behind them the whole time!? They must've all failed their spot check really badly. (Spot checks: it's the joke that keeps on giving.)

Great comic!

Eriol
2006-06-23, 12:40 PM
Another random thought: I wonder how V feels being outsmarted by Roy? This is a definite example of V not thinking ahead enough, whereas Roy definitely is.

gallow
2006-06-23, 12:44 PM
What the...

:--DDD

That was so random it's practically ingenious.

I kinda feel sorry for the hydra, though.

Lathis
2006-06-23, 12:50 PM
I just wanted to say it's nice to see another fan of Groo the Wanderer out there in the world. He was an amazing fighter after all and it was just as amusing when he killed a hydra in the same way in his comic. Heh except he killed it until it collapsed under the weight of it's own heads. Still, Belkar did a good job here.

SteveMB
2006-06-23, 12:51 PM
Well, the last panel is at least a decade later.
IIRC, this would be the first "flash-forward" in OotS. Evidently the sealing-the-gates business worked out OK in the end. :)

walkeronthehorizon
2006-06-23, 12:57 PM
Thats the story of how I made my first million. Lol

molonel
2006-06-23, 01:02 PM
Painfully unfunny. The hydra died because it had too many heads? It doesn't even rise to the level of a last-panel gag. Oh wait, this comic strip had one of those, too.

Thumbs down.

gallow
2006-06-23, 01:06 PM
IIRC, this would be the first "flash-forward" in OotS. Evidently the sealing-the-gates business worked out OK in the end. :)
That's not absolutely sure, seeing as the hut's owner is a goblin - Xykon could've decided that goblins didn't have to be enslaved/killed like humans probably would. And all the customers queuing in front of the building are non-humans (and, as far as I know, evil races). Of course, it could be that humans, elves (and such) just don't like barbecued hydra heads. All in all, it proves nothing :P

ianuk
2006-06-23, 01:11 PM
Wow...I'm sooo trying that when we meet the hydra in our next installment of our campaign..just need to make sure our fighter has his great cleave going and its completely possible...if our GM will let us argue the "biology" of the hydra.

Last time we passed by its lair I put it to sleep...which the GM didnt' expect...but now at a higher level most of the party is up for trouncing it...hehe....

:D

Melnor
2006-06-23, 01:11 PM
Well, well!
Pounded my head on the desk laughing so hard!
That's the sign of a good comic!
Kudos to you!

Glorfindel
2006-06-23, 01:11 PM
Civilized D&D-races do not eat hydra heads ::)

By the way:
http://www.giantitp.com/Images/BelkarWarning.gif
ROFL :)

Were-Sandwich
2006-06-23, 01:15 PM
Where did you find that? On GITP?

Ashlock
2006-06-23, 01:17 PM
Well, I certainly applaud any education reference to the French Revolution or Robespierre's the Reign of Terror.

Wikipedia can inform anyone who wants to know who the heck he is. ;)

Evik
2006-06-23, 01:21 PM
I would like to thank The Giant for inadvertantly answering my question on what happens when a hydra has too many heads...BBQ....thats awesome lol
Let's just hope that a fire in the kitchen doesnt spread to the Hydra or he'll be outta business!

Mr._Blinky
2006-06-23, 01:30 PM
LOL! I loved it! It makes perfect sense that it would pass out too, which is the best part. ;D

Nerd-o-rama
2006-06-23, 02:33 PM
Best. Business plan. Ever.

The_Kobold_Hero
2006-06-23, 02:39 PM
Cute. Good idea on th egoblins part too. ;D

Greebo
2006-06-23, 02:45 PM
Another random thought: I wonder how V feels being outsmarted by Roy? This is a definite example of V not thinking ahead enough, whereas Roy definitely is.

When Roy and V first met, V made the mistake of assuming Roy was intellectually inferior and learned the errors of his ways almost immediately. (S)he immediately recognized the misconception and has been respectful of Roy's capabilities ever since.

I don't expect this will bother him/her any.

Felinoid
2006-06-23, 03:33 PM
Heh. The last panel was good for a chuckle, but the predictions kind of ruined the hydra part for me.

King_Troll
2006-06-23, 03:39 PM
I believe that this is the first time we see a Lizardman in OOTS (if that is what it really is). I hope we get to see more in the future - they are always fun in a D&D adventure.

NephandiMan
2006-06-23, 04:06 PM
Given that this particular hydra garnered forty-three heads before it passed out, Roy's remarks about a typical hydra topping out at eleven heads fired my imagination. Picture, if you will, Roy as an upcoming documentarian, and Elan with a British accent, shaggy hair, and an absent look perpetually on his face...

Elan: The heads go to eleven.
Roy: Oh, I see. And most hydras go up to ten?
Elan: Exactly.
Roy: Does that mean it's deadlier? Is it any deadlier?
Elan: Well, it's one deadlier, isn't it? It's not ten. You see, most adventurers, you know, will be slaying at ten. You're on ten here, all the way up - where can you go from there? Where?
Roy: I don't know.
Elan: Nowhere. Exactly. What we do is, if we need that extra CR, you know what we do?
Roy: Find one with eleven.
Elan: Eleven. Exactly. One deadlier.
Roy: Why doesn't the DM just make ten deadlier and make ten be the top number and make that a little deadlier?
Elan: [pause] This goes to eleven.

jamwno
2006-06-23, 04:10 PM
Well, looks like we know that another one of Belkar's feats: Improved Sunder. From a rules-laywering point of view, Belkar should have taken a kajillion AOOs otherwise. And if you're staunchly opposed to applying the rules directly to this comic,
here is my alternate evidence. (http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/GiantITP/ootscript?SK=17?)

Pocal
2006-06-23, 04:12 PM
Oh gawd, Giant, that comic was amazing!

Kish
2006-06-23, 04:12 PM
Heh. The last panel was good for a chuckle, but the predictions kind of ruined the hydra part for me.
Now you know why the author requires them to be tagged "spoiler."

Hurlbut
2006-06-23, 04:12 PM
Painfully unfunny. The hydra died because it had too many heads? It doesn't even rise to the level of a last-panel gag. Oh wait, this comic strip had one of those, too.

Thumbs down.Not died, *passed* out.

Pocal
2006-06-23, 04:13 PM
Well, looks like we know that another one of Belkar's feats: Improved Sunder. From a rules-laywering point of view, Belkar should have taken a kajillion AOOs otherwise. And if you're staunchly opposed to applying the rules directly to this comic,
here is my alternate evidence. (http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/GiantITP/ootscript?SK=17?)

I think it was the wall that sundered Elan's rapier in that comic, seeing how Belkar's daggers are no where near the rapier.

jamwno
2006-06-23, 04:25 PM
I think it was the wall that sundered Elan's rapier in that comic, seeing how Belkar's daggers are no where near the rapier.


No, if you read the earlier part of the comic, you know that it is in fact Belkar's voice that sundered the rapier.

Felinoid
2006-06-23, 04:55 PM
Now you know why the author requires them to be tagged "spoiler."
True enough.

And everybody else: FYI, it is likely a troglodyte. In OtOoPCs, Elan and Sir Francois go on a "diplomatic mission to placate the troglodyte king" (with predictably disastrous results), and the lizardy creature in this comic is drawn the exact same way they were.

EDIT: Well except, you know, in color. :P

Nerd-o-rama
2006-06-23, 05:02 PM
Spoilerish speculation:

Hmm...I wonder if there are any repercussions for defeating the Test of Body with their "Mind," so to speak - using anatomy and a rule-breaking opponent to overcome the challenge. Or if this was the Test of Body at all...

eheins
2006-06-23, 05:05 PM
And it just occurred to me to notice the lack of severed heads on the ground. In going from 5 heads to 43, Belkar must have cut off a total of 38 heads, and the fallen hydra isn't likely to have covered all of them, right? Thirty-eight heads isn't a much smaller pile than 43, and we can see how much space that takes. They can't just dissolve into goo once they're severed, either, or Goblin Dan's business wouldn't get off the ground...
So, they must be there, and each of the 38 must have fallen in a spot where we can't see it now. Behind or under the hydra, out of frame to the right, in Belkar's pockets, other side of the mountains.... ;)

Martok
2006-06-23, 05:07 PM
Belkar: "Look at me, I'm Robespierre!"

Took me a second to get that one. :D Another great strip Rich!

qodopob
2006-06-23, 05:23 PM
Am I the only one wondering where are all the 35+ heads that were cut off? Shouldn't there be some lying around in atleast one of the frames?

Still, it's a nice comic. Made me laugh. :D

HA HA. This is what you get when you start to post and then get called away for a while before finishing. 2 posts back the same question was asked and I had not seen that yet ;D

phoenixineohp
2006-06-23, 06:24 PM
Awww. I feel bad for the poor thing. Sigh.

Otterella
2006-06-23, 07:26 PM
Actually, only 19 heads were cut off. If each severed head pops two new heads, and the total was 43, we have 43 minus 5 equals 38, and 38 divided by 2 equals 19. So 19 total decapitations, not 38.

Felinoid
2006-06-23, 07:40 PM
Yes, but in the process you lose a head. Chopping off a head (-1 head) results in two growing back in its place (+2 heads). This gives you a net head acquisition of +1 head per chopped-off head.

CelestialStick
2006-06-23, 07:46 PM
New comic is up.

I'm going to go right to work on a new comic for Friday evening/night, too, since I want to get three out this week, what with the Origins convention next week.
Gah, don't tell them you're going to do a third one! Just make it a surprise.

Like the last one, this one didn't do much for me.
:(

wally_c
2006-06-23, 07:50 PM
Plus, the 43 heads are only the ones you can see, as there are probaly ones hidden behind the heads in front.

CelestialStick
2006-06-23, 08:06 PM
Plus, the 43 heads are only the ones you can see, as there are probaly ones hidden behind the heads in front.

I'm not sure you're completely right, but I think you're at least headed in the right direction. ;)

Varian7
2006-06-23, 08:15 PM
I love the expression on Roy's face as he predicts and then explains the hydra's collapse.

Tobimaro
2006-06-23, 08:19 PM
Mmmm.... BBQ hydra heads... Oh man, you're making me hungry. :'(

In a local D&D 3d campaign, there is a recurring NPC business called "Bob's Big Barbecue", who's tag line is "You kill it, We'll grill it". I wonder what Bob would do with this kind of hydra. ;D

Grovar

Tobimaro
2006-06-23, 08:39 PM
Anyways, great comic, Rich.

I kinda wanted V to blow the hydra to bits myself, but as Roy said, "this made for a better story." ;)

And nice to see that even a goblin can make it in the world. ;D Makes me wonder if there is some kobold out there who is actually the most powerful being in the world, but is not big enough to be noticed by most adventurers. 8)

Grovar (looking forward to the next comic)

TinSoldier
2006-06-23, 08:46 PM
Makes me wonder if there is some kobold out there who is actually the most powerful being in the world, but is not big enough to be noticed by most adventurers. 8)Yes, yes there is such a kobold. And his name is

(I'm sorry, the person responsible for this post has just been sacked.)

Dark_Stalion
2006-06-23, 08:51 PM
Aw, that's beauiful. I love the little sidestories you keep putting in. I think the first was Fruitpie Sorcerer, and I'm almost convinced this is as good. I mean, random NPC or what? But really cool. And then there was Belkar's defeting of the hydra through cutting it's heads off so many times and the coments that go with it (though with it's regeneration, you might think that it would "regenerate" enough blood to keep up it's preasure, but then that's what storytelling is about, bending the rules for fun). I wonder if it's still alive in the last panel. Looks like it, though with far fewer heads. Didn't it start with more? Anyway, I really enjoyed this one, moreso, even than the last, wich I ROFLMAO at aswell. Thanks Giant.

Kanashimi
2006-06-23, 09:27 PM
ahhh, very good! love the creative use of a dead hydra. My party wondered if a similar thing would happen if you fed a troll to the tarrasque? would it just keep regenerating and keep the tarrasque continually full?

Aereshaa_the_2nd
2006-06-23, 09:46 PM
Hi First time poster, long time reader

Absolutley loved that comic. But the question begs to be asked, Test of the Body or Test of the Mind?

Also I counted 43 heads. That would have been a bit of chopping

Thanks for laughter

Great comic, Rich,

I counted 49 heads, could be 50. :D

charik
2006-06-23, 10:14 PM
(though with it's regeneration, you might think that it would "regenerate" enough blood to keep up it's preasure, but then that's what storytelling is about, bending the rules for fun). I wonder if it's still alive in the last panel. Looks like it, though with far fewer heads. Didn't it start with more?
As someone mentioned earlier, the hydra would regenerate enough blood for the new heads, but it still only has one heart to pump more and more blood to more and more heads.

It's still alive in the last panel, years or decades later. Assume the excess heads fall off after a full night's rest, and it starts every day with five heads. Goblin Dan's has just opened up for the day, and they've cut off a few heads to start bbq'ing. The most recently severed heads have not yet 'popped'.

Just imagine how noisy Dan's is during dinner: poppoppoppoppoppoppoppoppoppoppoppoppoppop...
;D

Brother_Hood
2006-06-23, 10:21 PM
I just noticed they keep it tied down. Nice.

Felinoid
2006-06-23, 10:56 PM
ahhh, very good! love the creative use of a dead hydra. My party wondered if a similar thing would happen if you fed a troll to the tarrasque? would it just keep regenerating and keep the tarrasque continually full?
Two words: Stomach acid. ;)

Crud
2006-06-23, 11:05 PM
...gasp... cough... wheeze... Dear God man are you insane(joking of course)... I almost laughed myself to death... well maybe not to death, but there were tears, blurry vision, shortness of breath and chest pains... well, ok... they were stomach cramps, but still you ought to put up a medical disclaimer for strips like this. "Goblin Dan's ALL-U-CAN-EAT HYDRA HEAD BBQ HUT"
;D :'( <--They're tears of hilarity

Thanks for making my day Rich

carmachu
2006-06-23, 11:12 PM
Not died, *passed* out.


Worse then,since belkar's been complaining about not killing anything lately....

CelestialStick
2006-06-23, 11:15 PM
Two words: Stomach acid. ;)
Excellent observation!

turkishproverb
2006-06-23, 11:28 PM
hehehe....."I'm Robbspiere!"

Kontonshin
2006-06-24, 01:02 AM
I feel rather sorry for the hydra, even if it *is* supposed to be a monster.

And is it just me or does Goblin Dan look a little bit like Col. Sanders?

Bookman
2006-06-24, 01:04 AM
haha Why do I suspect that's the test of Mind rather then Body? I must say I was NOT expecting that end of the hydra! lol!

CelestialStick
2006-06-24, 02:20 AM
Yes, yes there is such a kobold. And his name is

(I'm sorry, the person responsible for this post has just been sacked.)

LOL. Are we sure it was a hydra and not a llama that Belkar fought? ;)

Devils_Advocate
2006-06-24, 05:44 AM
Ah, now I see why there are so many more heads in the wheelbarrow than on the hydra. The ones they're wheeling in must be the old ones from yesterday that fell off. Those are probably available at a reduced price, since they're not as fresh. ("Dan's Early Bird Special!")


Heh. The last panel was good for a chuckle, but the predictions kind of ruined the hydra part for me.
I think that in this particular case, they may have actually made the strip funnier for me. I mean, I wasn't too surprised at how they defeated the hydra. But I certainly wasn't expecting "Goblin Dan's All-You-Can-Eat Hydra Head BBQ Hut". "World Famous", hahahahaha! ;D

Hooray for innovation!

Goes to show that these crazy adventurers don't know useful when they see it, eh? Not that Roy, Haley, or anyone else in the party would be interested in starting such a business. Stuff like that takes too long compared to adventuring, where you work your way up and acquire increasing amounts of treasure pretty darn fast. (Haley in particular is well aware of this.) Well before Dan has established a successful franchise, the OotS members will be Epic, comfortably retired, or dead. (Hey, the increased rewards come with increased risk. There's gotta be a tradeoff somewhere.)


(though isnt that being rather logical for a creature as magical in nature as a hydra?)
Nah, even magical creatures' traits generally serve a purpose. It only makes sense to assume there's a reason why a normal hydra has an upper limit on how many heads it can have at once. So, what happens to one that doesn't? "Let's find out! :D"



That's not absolutely sure, seeing as the hut's owner is a goblin - Xykon could've decided that goblins didn't have to be enslaved/killed like humans probably would. And all the customers queuing in front of the building are non-humans (and, as far as I know, evil races). Of course, it could be that humans, elves (and such) just don't like barbecued hydra heads. All in all, it proves nothing :P
Well, we know that the world doesn't get destroyed in however long it takes the goblin to age that much and earn a million gold. Unless the strip just shows one of many possible futures. Which it does, for all we know. ... So, yeah, nothing. :P


FYI, it is likely a troglodyte. In OtOoPCs, Elan and Sir Francois go on a "diplomatic mission to placate the troglodyte king" (with predictably disastrous results), and the lizardy creature in this comic is drawn the exact same way they were.

EDIT: Well except, you know, in color. :P
Aha, you're right! It's also drawn differently from the "lizardfolk" avatar.

Delgarde
2006-06-24, 07:18 AM
Ya know, I may be in the minority here, but I think this particular issue of the comic fell flat.

Well, the hydra certainly fell flat... nearly flattened Belkar. :)

Delgarde
2006-06-24, 07:26 AM
haha Why do I suspect that's the test of Mind rather then Body?


I don't think that's the case though, since the problem was solved by Belkar fighting the hydra. Yes, Roy used his brains, but that had no influence on the outcome - it just meant that Belkar won on his own, instead of the others joining in.

rashambo
2006-06-24, 09:41 AM
look at me I'm Robespeirre, that came waaaay out left field. Hillarious.

I've noticed the "lawyers" come out about the fourth page of posts and start picking the physics apart. Not a gripe, just an insight. I actually like game lawyers for the most part.

Glorfindel
2006-06-24, 12:40 PM
Where did you find that? On GITP?
Yep, just use the Quick Jump, and change the number of the comic to (number of last comic + 1).

baltor85
2006-06-24, 12:52 PM
ROFL. That was good, just about as good as the Floating Mouth. But the Floating Mouth one is just unbeatable. Oh well. This was still hilarious. I liked the comments during the cutting of the heads.
"Look at me-I'm Robespierre!"!
Last comic I thought that the hydra would eventually die from lack of blood to its heads. I was close ;D

King_Troll
2006-06-24, 02:35 PM
I don't think that's the case though, since the problem was solved by Belkar fighting the hydra. Yes, Roy used his brains, but that had no influence on the outcome - it just meant that Belkar won on his own, instead of the others joining in.
Well, most of the others didn't join in - just stood there watching. Technically, however, Elan did join in by cheering Belkar on. He's a bard, that's what he does, however lame it may be.

Bilbo27
2006-06-24, 02:53 PM
Now this was good. BBQ Hydra

Loved it

mec
2006-06-24, 05:31 PM
Aww, poor hydra. It was on its way to see the Oracle, but it failed the test of the heart.

Flabbicus
2006-06-24, 05:47 PM
Goblin Dan is the same goblin child who betrayed them at the Dungeon of Dorukan!

Evidence: Same color shirt, pants

http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/GiantITP/ootscript?SK=112

http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/GiantITP/ootscript?SK=326

Those goblins grow up fast. ;D

charik
2006-06-24, 08:08 PM
Goblin Dan is the same goblin child who betrayed them at the Dungeon of Dorukan!

Evidence: Same color shirt, pants

http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/GiantITP/ootscript?SK=112

http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/GiantITP/ootscript?SK=326

Those goblins grow up fast. ;D
Personally, I rather doubt the goblin child could have escaped the mountain after his internal injuries from that fall, assuming he could even outrun Belkar's "Run, my pretty little chunks of xp, run!"

Remember, it's just an expression; clothes don't really make the man (or goblin).

Videospirit
2006-06-25, 12:23 AM
This comic was extra good for me because my party in a high seas campaign recently defeated a hydra and preserved several of it's heads to compliment our low food supply.

Alfryd
2006-06-25, 01:08 AM
I'm going to go right to work on a new comic for Friday evening/night, too, since I want to get three out this week, what with the Origins convention next week.
Good, good. Any news on that front?

Bilbo27
2006-06-25, 01:22 AM
don't think that's the case though, since the problem was solved by Belkar fighting the hydra. Yes, Roy used his brains, but that had no influence on the outcome - it just meant that Belkar won on his own, instead of the others joining in

It was Roy's quest, so it may well have been a test of the mind. The other characters are just along for Roy's ride.

CelestialStick
2006-06-25, 01:39 AM
This comic was extra good for me because my party in a high seas campaign recently defeated a hydra and preserved several of it's heads to compliment our low food supply.


Now do those heads pay compliments on their own, or do you have to use animate dead to get them to talk? ;) Alas either way, once you get them to complement your food supply, they can no longer compliment it. ;)

Durin
2006-06-25, 03:00 AM
Now do those heads pay compliments on their own, or do you have to use animate dead to get them to talk? ;) Alas either way, once you get them to complement your food supply, they can no longer compliment it. ;)

I have an odd felling your missing the basic point of what he's saying there

charik
2006-06-25, 03:08 AM
I have an odd felling your missing the basic point of what he's saying there

I have an odd feeling you've missed CS's point, that there is a difference between an i and an e. Of course, humor which needs to be explained is less than perfect...

CelestialStick
2006-06-25, 03:21 AM
I have an odd feeling you've missed CS's point, that there is a difference between an i and an e. Of course, humor which needs to be explained is less than perfect...
Alas, Charik, you are all too correct here. :(

Adghar
2006-06-25, 04:46 AM
Worry not, my dear friend, for that is one post-reader out of an unspoken many, a many who most likely understood your manner of humor and merely does not post it.

... yes, I have been reading LotR. :-[

CelestialStick
2006-06-25, 04:59 AM
Worry not, my dear friend, for that is one post-reader out of an unspoken many, a many who most likely understood your manner of humor and merely does not post it.

... yes, I have been reading LotR. :-[
Thank you, Adghar! Why do you frown about reading Lord of the Rings?

Adghar
2006-06-25, 05:29 AM
By the manner in which my post was worded?

Pvednes
2006-06-25, 07:08 AM
Bwahaha! "Look at me--I'm Robespierre!"

This whole strip had the awesome. Yey entrepreneurship!

CelestialStick
2006-06-25, 06:57 PM
By the manner in which my post was worded?

Sorry, this time I really don't follow. ???

CommanderFalken
2006-06-25, 08:00 PM
Sorry, this time I really don't follow. ???

The way he's talking is supposed to be like the method of wording in the books. It actually is pretty similar.

Anyway... Great comic, and I love the fact that we've gone back to random, moronic adventuring.

And, I didn't know who Robespierre was until I read the comic and the board! Yay! Now I can prove to my gf that you CAN learn things from OOTS! ;D

As always,
Falken

CelestialStick
2006-06-25, 11:07 PM
The way he's talking is supposed to be like the method of wording in the books. It actually is pretty similar.
That part I followed from the start. What I don't follow is why he put a frown after saying that he had been reading Lord of the Rings.

Adghar
2006-06-25, 11:34 PM
I think I fail here.

It must've been an afterthought because my subconscious thinks LotR is geeky.

CelestialStick
2006-06-25, 11:56 PM
I think I fail here.

It must've been an afterthought because my subconscious thinks LotR is geeky.

Well there's no reason for the frowing face there, then, since we are all geeks. :D

Daedrous Avari
2006-06-26, 12:40 PM
Makes me hungry...

For Hydra Heads at Goblin Dan's All U Can Eat Hydra Head Buffet!

CelestialStick
2006-06-28, 03:10 AM
Makes me hungry...

For Hydra Heads at Goblin Dan's All U Can Eat Hydra Head Buffet!

Oh, phew! For a second there I thought you meant you wanted to eat all the Geeks here! :D