OOTS #322 - The Discussion Thread

[The Giant]

So about an hour after I posted that the comic would be done by 5:00 am, my laptop decided it would be fun for the screen to go completely black. I couldn't fix it on my own, and it was 3:00 am, so I went to bed instead. I took it as the universe's way of telling me to go sleep. I called tech support this morning, though, and got it working. The comic is thus now up.

[sugarmouse121]

1st post! YAY! Great comic giant! Heh heh... "Ducksnake"...

[Legendcrafter]

WOW, nice comic giant!

(YAY! first page!)

EDIT: Second reply, no less

[a1057soul]

Hillarious Giant!!!

Bunnywolf! hehe... Wasn't that a band in the 70's?

:-)
Dan

(woo! first page)

[Tawkis]

I love this reference to those stupid lollipops.

And Belkar's "sweet" revenge, now back to the world cup..... go USA.

[Saldron]

haha awsome.. sweet revange maybe? XP



edit: upsey someone already said bout the sweet revange.. anyways 1st page!

[Aerysil1]

I hope Belkar realizes he can just expect more explosions.

[Conman815]

First page!
I did it! Yes! Finally!

[Heads_or_Tails]

Too bad about the computer, good comic though.

Edit: Unless V dies. *snip* As this was a prediction I believe that it would be better located elsewhere.

[Pelziges_Ohr]

Yay great one!
Belkar's revenge is great.


One.

Now I wonder what gender V is. Maybe the Owlbear thingy now knows. I also would like to know what Vaarsuvius tastes like.

I can hardly wait for V's revenges revenge, because she prepared explosive runes this morn-

[capnball]

Great comic...it's about time I finally said so!

[Ronald_saveloy]

If V survives this, Belkar is done for!

Oh yes, and there we've got the missing mount!

[Corestimah]

"One" ;D

(1st Page W00T. Yay.)

[Dawnstrider_Moogle]

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Well worth the wait! I like it - if Seinfeld was in the D&D universe maybe...

But the last row of panels WINS AT LIFE.

[Eldred]

Haha! ;D Belkar is in for it

Edit: Just snuck in one 1st page :P

[molonel]

Finally. Some evil. I am pleased. The dialogue lately has been a little long-winded, but as long as somebody gets eaten by an owlbear, I can forgive that.

[Sabishii_Kouen]

Penguinlion XD

[Damastes]

Yes I was waiting for this. Owlbear is for me the most stupid monster in the Monster manual (first manual of course - later is worse). And first page!

[archivist]

Wise Mr. Owlbear....classic.

Nice work as usual, Giant!

[WNxArrakis]

Tootsie roll pops... great stuff, Giant!

payback for belkar..

[MrMe]

Well, he did kiss V... I think s/he deserved some revenge.

[Pantler]

I was, like, sitting here for the last 2 hours and missed the first page. Darn. :)

Ooh, is Vaarsuvius gonna be *akhem* mad... Am I the only one who sees an escalation of violence? Where's it gonna end??

[Voshkod]

Great minds think alike, as I am reminded of the first entry at this page (http://www.bookofratings.com/dndmonsters2.html).

"Watch out for the hawklion! Beware the vulturetiger! Don't worry too much about the sparrowspaniel!"

[baltor85]

Obligitory second page woot! Wow, I've only been here, what, 4 days, and already got the second page! Nice job on the comic, giant, it's hilarious. I wonder how mad that'll make V.

[Feste]

Bugger...

Belkar isn't being the most helpful, is he?

[Scion_of_the_Light]

No, not V! A good cure spell better be able to fix this, OR ELSE!

[Elurindel]

Nooooo! I was hoping to get first post! nevermind. I'll go read the comic now.

[Aysel]

Heh, the irony of this is in the campaign setting of the Neverwinter Nights Persistant World I used to play on: Fu'Miga's Saga, we have an answer for the owlbear.

From http://www.sagathian.com/the_world/mythos_and_history/origin_of_the_terian_queen.html :


Time passed, days turned to weeks; and Mîrwen studied the wonderful animal; but despite her fascination with him, she did not forsake the other animals, for each day two came to visit her. *These visits caused unholy envy and jealousy to begin to simmer within Vecna, leading to the macabre ideas to grow in his mind. At first, his jealously was only a whisper; baring of his claws and teeth at the other animals, but as his feelings for Mîrwen increased, so did his jealously; and he began to rake his claws into the animals that dared visit the beautiful elf woman. His envy soon came to a peak, and as he sat upon his black throne, a devilish plan formed in his mind. *It came to him that it was the law of the forest for animals to fight other animals; and though nature had no say in what would survive, he could. *A wicked smile crept upon his face as he put his hands to living clay and modeled the monstrosities that he would send to prey upon the animals that dared to be between himself and his precious Mîrwen. He built an army of the creatures in the weeks that came; they surpassed the height of three full-grown elves and they resembled gray bears in appearance, force and ferocity, but at the core, they were more akin to the owl; bearing the innate gifts of a predator, great cunning, swiftness, and eyes that helped them see their prey even at night. For this duality of being, they became known as owlbears.

[Farmino]

Nice comic, Giant. I love it when Belkar comes out on top ;D

[kamikasei]

That's odd as hell. I made this exact argument yesterday on seeing an owlbear pic. "Who thought it would be a net win to mix a fearsome bear with a harmless owl?"

I'm getting my tinfoil hat out of storage... damn thought-stealin' Giants...

[Thray]

Heh. Ducksnake. Nice to see that Belkar actually is capable of getting revenge.

[CelestialStick]

So about an hour after I posted that the comic would be done by 5:00 am, my laptop decided it would be fun for the screen to go completely black. I couldn't fix it on my own, and it was 3:00 am, so I went to bed instead. I took it as the universe's way of telling me to go sleep. I called tech support this morning, though, and got it working. The comic is thus now up.
See? I suggested that you go to sleep before posting. :D

I love Elan's line: "Maybe it was natural? Like, a bear and an owl fell in love?" That was the best part of the whole strip. I kind of liked the ducksnake too.

Well now the Belkar has gotten his revenge for V's revenge for Belkar kissing him, it's definitely time for V to dust off an old Evan's spiked tentacles of forced intrusion!

Woot! Don't even know what page! :D



1st post! YAY! Great comic giant! Heh heh... "Ducksnake"...
Woot! I actually recognize the first poster! :D

[Nasrudith]

Why didn't V complain about Chimera? Mixing a dragon, ram, and lion would just make it weaker then a dragon. Easier to control perhaps?

[WNxArrakis]

Why didn't V complain about Chimera? Mixing a dragon, ram, and lion would just make it weaker then a dragon. Easier to control perhaps?

In the MM it might be a dragon head, but often that head is actually a serpent's head

[Vanidel]

Belkar == Evil

I guess more ER's coming up shortly.

Good one Giant.

[Bunny]

Well ... we can now make some educated guesses about Belkar's Favored Enemy. And we can also guess what he really meant when he said he could really go for killing something painfully. Monsters are just the means to an end.

I especially love that Belkar takes advantage of V's long-windedness to sort of line him up for that shove.

I also like that V's robes are just about the same color as a cherry tootsie pop ... Don't know why, but it makes me laugh.

Bunny

[Wren]

mmm, V pops

[Otterella]

That's odd as hell. I made this exact argument yesterday on seeing an owlbear pic. "Who thought it would be a net win to mix a fearsome bear with a harmless owl?"

I'm getting my tinfoil hat out of storage... damn thought-stealin' Giants...


Hey, there's nothing harmless about an owl... if you're a vole.

[CelestialStick]

Hey, there's nothing harmless about an owl... if you're a vole.
I was thinking something similar, only I was going to say a mouse. :)

[Solara]

LOL! I didn't see that coming at all. Though for a brief moment I was thinking, "Hmm, Belkar is being remarkably civil here..." I was too caught up in enjoying the owlbear rant and tittering at the concept of duck snakes to really suspect anything.

Ooh man, V is going to be pissed, though it's typical of Belkar's wisdom score that he's not thinking of all the painful explosions to come... :D

(Though in his defense, I wonder if he remembers the drunken kissing at all, or if he just thinks all of these explosive runes everywhere were V's way of taunting him and rubbing in the fact that he can't kill anyone anymore? Because I'd want revenge too.)

Also, as much as I loved the unexpected tootsie pop reference, (talk about some serious nostalgia...) I'm betting there's going to be at least a few people here who aren't going to get it at all.

[Djagir]

I think the crossbreed of an owl and a bear first came about after wizards experimented with a crossbreed of fire and water...

[Neo-Sapian]

The comic was hilarious. I'm glad that the love story arc is over and the Order is back to adventuring and D&D jokes. The bunnywolf was my favorite monster.

DM: You see the head of a bunny sticking out of a bush.
PC: Awww, cute bunny.
DM: The bunny jumps out of the bush to reveal its whole form, a bunnywolf.
PC: Run away!

Edit: I remember the tootsie roll pop commercial. As soon as Belkar started talking to the owlbear I knew what he was going to say which made it even funnier.

[fwiffo]

Why did I just picture what Belkar pictured in response to Elan's remark??! Why?! Why? Now, I can't get the image out of my head. Elan is ebil, ebil I tell ya!

[Bilbo27]

The elven center of a Vaarsuvius pop

Utterly hilarious

awesome
Belkar gets even with 1 swift shove
Does that effect the sigil he is wearing?

[Papa_Bitterleaf]

I'll add to the chorus:

Great comic, Giant. I LoL'd myself.

~Papa Bitterleaf

[Dugray]

Ah.. Back to the OOTS I love.

[RBloom0566]

Now THAT was funny!!! ;D

[Bruendor_Cavescout]

Isn't Belkar under magical coercion not to cause this very sort of harm?

[zibeck]

It looks like V can no longer rest safely knowing that Belkar must first take revenge on Miko's mount. Looks like everyone favorite elf moved up to the number one spot on Belkar's revenge list.

Although, can an Evan's Spiked Tentacle of Forced Intrustion be far behind?

[TinSoldier]

Isn't Belkar under magical coercion not to cause this very sort of harm?Only with in a town/city/village.

[fwiffo]

Isn't Belkar under magical coercion not to cause this very sort of harm?
What harm? Belkar is not causing any harm. It's all owlbear causing harm. Belkar is just a facilitator.

[Castamir]

And V can't even complain about Belkar putting him in any kind of a risk.

The owlbear's stats (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/owlbear.htm) are too low to give it any decent chances of killing V fast enough. Hell, V won't even get a single XP point for dispatching of the blob of fur+feathers+fat.

On the other hand, we'll see something interesting soon, with the outcome depending on the owlbear body's tensile strength -- but a more detailed discussion will have to be conducted in a [spoiler] thread.

[ElfLad]

Actually, depending on the species, owls can be very ferocious.

Although, taking away the flight really strips it of it's advantages. Like a kangaroo that can't hop. Or a movie about snakes that's not set on a plane.

[DwaggieBard]

The giant really should update the news sometime.

[zibeck]

I feel sorry for the owlbear though. Highlight below to see why.

Prediction Spoiler: It's going to get a real bad case of indigestion soon.

[jaclucke]

Oh! Oh! I have an idea! Randomly introduce a new character! (hint, hint) ;D

[DwaggieBard]

The owlbear's stats are too low to give it any decent chances of killing V fast enough. Hell, V won't even get a single XP point for dispatching of the blob of fur+feathers+fat.


It CR 4 and it's got V in it's mouth. I'd say it won't kill him/her, but it will do some damage.

V'll get 275 XP, assuming that the party is the same level and hasn't leveled up since V stated that belkar would require 5000 gp worth of diamonds to revive.

[warmachine]

Does that effect the sigil he is wearing?
Comic #295 states one of the sigil conditions is he cannot do lethal harm to any living creature within the bounds of any city, town or village. Clearly, they're not within a built up area.

Worse, even if they were, it would be the owlbear inflicting the harm, not Belkar. Though this would be a perversion of the intent of the sigil, the OotS laws of nature seem to run in a lawyer-like fashion. I can just imagine Belkar stabbing someone in an abandoned village and then being placed in limbo as the auditors of reality start arguing if the commonly accepted term of 'village' requires people to live in it and what constitutes living in an building.

[Nerd-o-rama]

Ah, the age-old Owlbear question. The duck-billed platypus of D&D.

Also, I totally want to fight a dreaded ducksnake now.

EDIT: Giant, you called Tech Support? That's like asking for directions...(winksmiley)

[noweezernoworld]

I'm convinced V is alive because there was no "crunch" as the owlbear swallowed V up.

edit: w00t! number 59! this is of high significance!

[maputo]

And you will know that my name is Belkar when I strike down my vengance upon thee!

[Felinoid]

Hehe, good one. I kind of expected Belkar to just stab it and comment on the "satisfying thump", but this revenge on Vaarsuvius is oh so much better. 8)

And now there's yet another culture reference for the Time Cops to moan over. :P

[firepup]

great, i love it, the world may never know how many licks it takes to get to the elven center of V.

[TinSoldier]

great, i love it, the world may never know how many licks it takes to get to the elven center of V.Belkar knows... ;)

[Alfryd]

...The comic is thus now up.
This can only end in tears.

Finally. Some evil. I am pleased.
That depends on whether you consider a day punctuated by explosive runes to be a measured retaliation for impromptu osculation. It is *conceivable* V got what was coming to him.

[Castamir]

It CR 4 and it's got V in it's mouth. I'd say it won't kill him/her, but it will do some damage.

V'll get 275 XP, assuming that the party is the same level and hasn't leveled up since V stated that belkar would require 5000 gp worth of diamonds to revive.
It will do some damage, just like Explosive Runes did. And this damage doesn't matter at all -- V is on full hp, and Durkon won't need any healing spells before his next rest, thanks to the 1 encounter (http://giantitp.com/cgi-bin/GiantITP/ootscript?SK=145) rule.

And the Encounter Calculator (http://www.d20srd.org/encounterCalculator.htm) says that even if no one helps V, he will get 0XP as he's level 13 and the owlbear only CR 4.

[Winged One]

I laughed loud enough to be heared throughout the entire building. ;D

[fetfet]

Hehehe. Chewy elven center.

FUNNIEST...COMIC...EVER!!!!!!!

WOOO!!!

[Krytha]

I think that when V gets out of the owlbear, he wont stop at explosive runes...

[Flak_Razorwill]

O RLY?

Those owls and their methods.

[Krytha]

Um... what about Belkar's curse sign? Or does this not count because something ELSE did the actual eating? Of course, Roy is going to use it anyway because he can and Belkar deserves it. Its that or tentacles of forced intrusion for breakfast (yuck).

[Chaos]

I half-expected a disclaimer in the first post, "No Owlbears were harmed in the production of this strip..."

As for Belkar... can you say "Mark of Justice"? ;D

[The Demented One]

I smell imminent Mark of Justice action...

[carnivore]

V's rant seems very similar to Black Mage's rant here:

http://nuklearpower.com/daily.php?date=040410

Not that I'm accusing Mr. Berlew of copying Mr. Clevinger's work, of course. It's just a coincidence.

[blackfox]

Well, I'm at the library right now, so I'm supposed to be Quiet In The Library, Please, People Are Trying To Read. So I'm just going to say lol really, really quiet. ;D

[Gamefreakguy]

I feel sorry for the owlbear though. Highlight below to see why.

Prediction Spoiler: It's going to get a real bad case of indigestion soon.
Ehh, I doubt it, but what color is that? Beige? Test:
This is a test. Hurrah! :D
Anyway, Congratz to Durukon for his re-poofing pony.

[Winged One]

V's rant seems very similar to Black Mage's rant here:

http://nuklearpower.com/daily.php?date=040410

Not that I'm accusing Mr. Berlew of copying Mr. Clevinger's work, of course. It's just a coincidence.
It's basicly the rant any smart(BM is plenty smart, just also a sociopath) mage would make regarding such creatures.

[Gamefreakguy]

Oh yeah, that reminds me - A centaur-dragon would be really sweet. Just look at that picture and then imagine it walking around and landing after coming down from flying... :D Cooooool.... ;)

[Pesi]

For someone with 18+ intelligence, there sure are a lot of things V. doesn't understand.
"I don't see what..." and variations thereof are almost a recurring feature by now.
Clearly Wisdom isn't her strong-point.

[blackfox]

No longer at library. *falls off chair with laughter*

I wonder what's going to happen to that owlbear. And I wonder what Roy's gonna do to Belkar.

[Kish]

It's basicly the rant any smart(BM is plenty smart, just also a sociopath) mage would make regarding such creatures.
Actually, I found Black Mage's argument regarding the orc zombie unconvin--

Wait. BM doesn't post here. I don't need to be diplomatic. The argument was imbecilic. So what, he thinks only humans can be made into zombies? Or he thinks zombies are born, rather than made from already-existing living creatures? Either way, definitely not an indication of intelligence.

[Durin]

you know I liked this issue but it's just that... well... I kinda wasn't interested in a random encounter after a long wait that was made longer beforehand.

Not to complain but I hope they get to that Oracle next episode so we can get some humor

[xyzchyx]

It will do some damage, just like Explosive Runes did. And this damage doesn't matter at all -- V is on full hp, and Durkon won't need any healing spells before his next rest, thanks to the 1 encounter (http://giantitp.com/cgi-bin/GiantITP/ootscript?SK=145) rule.

And the Encounter Calculator (http://www.d20srd.org/encounterCalculator.htm) says that even if no one helps V, he will get 0XP as he's level 13 and the owlbear only CR 4.You know, a DM can always award freehand experience based on the circumstances surrounding an encounter, or reduce them if desired, regardless of what tables say. If an encounter is passed with more difficulty than the CR would indicate or if it was actually a very high CR and the party defeated it without difficulty, the DM can adjust XP awards up or down as he sees appropriate.

Besides... one could say that the fact that Belkar seemed keen on shoving V into the creature's Range could contribute signifcantly to the Owlbear's CR, should V face him alone.

[Kish]

Besides... one could say that the fact that Belkar seemed keen on shoving V into the creature's Range could contribute signifcantly to the Owlbear's CR, should V face him alone.
Calculate the CR of Belkar+owlbear...

(Hey! Belkar has an "animal" companion!)

[Nekkira]

Always said Belkar has more balls than brains.
He didn't even wait until after V had used any spells for the day!

[Chrono_Crow]

Grr! >:(

Oh well. Belkar's been blown up twice, so he still has catching up to do. BWAHAHAHA!

[ref]

DM won't like two of his players' characters to start an escalating fight...

[orcmonk89]

Did we really need any more proof of Belkar's sadistic humour?
V makes a good point.
I knew that Durkon hadn't lost him mount!

There, my 3 comments. Great one Rich. I really like the humour on the road.

[Aereshaa_the_2nd]

YAHOO!!
belkar got his revenge!!
great comic, rich!

[Sarahphina]

I love it!!

(I read it right after playing D&D and buying a Rod of Wonder and a stack of Explosive Runes Business Cards inspired by V of course)

[Njerus_Xhazekarath]

Ouch!! :-/

[Krytha]

Oh yeah, that reminds me - A centaur-dragon would be really sweet. Just look at that picture and then imagine it walking around and landing after coming down from flying... :D Cooooool.... ;)

They have those in Warhammer... I think theyre called Dragon Shoggoths...

[Durin]

They have those in Warhammer... I think theyre called Dragon Shoggoths...

They have those in D&D they're called half dragon centaurs...

Just buy races of the dragon and ogle the picture in real time geez

[Faramir]

As I said after 317, "This certainly promises to spiral out of control..." :)


"Maybe it's natural", my favorite line, it's so very ... Elan.

[Krytha]

They have those in D&D they're called half dragon centaurs...

Just buy races of the dragon and ogle the picture in real time geez


Meh... I don't play either so I'm not shelling out that kind of cash to look at pretty pictures.

I love how Durkon is still on his pony but is the same height as Roy walking...

[battleburn]

1. I agree with Belkar, lets hope the bear was the female!
2. V, or V's player has issues. She has ranted about the illogicalness (is that a word?) of D&D before. Remember the spellbook?


And before people start attacking me. The spellbook is completely logical, I know. Spell theories etc. etc.

Even though eating is probably a bit hard with that beak, The creature should be extra vigilant, being able to turn its head around like 250 degrees.
So that could be an advantage. Although this particular one didn't seem to be so good at his spotchecks.

Posted by: maputo Posted on: Today at 21:23:46

And you will know that my name is Belkar when I strike down my vengance upon thee!lol

Just a concluding word, Great comic, I just new the random encounter was next.

[AyuVince]

For someone with 18+ intelligence, there sure are a lot of things V. doesn't understand.
"I don't see what..." and variations thereof are almost a recurring feature by now.
Clearly Wisdom isn't her strong-point.

Many intellectuals wonder about things that escape their logic, usually because they think too complicated. That separates them from fools who take everything in life for granted.

[Durin]

Meh... I don't play either so I'm not shelling out that kind of cash to look at pretty pictures.

I love how Durkon is still on his pony but is the same height as Roy walking...

t obe honest I just downloaded it on limewire

[The_Ducky_Ninja]

You had to make it a ducksnake? You couldn't make it a duckninja? :P

On a more serious note, this comic was absolutely amazing, especially the whole "I hope the owl was the female" and the "V" pop thing.

[denelian]

erm... not to be aweful...

but i think that the Duckbill Platypus can be on that lis *EG*

is it a bird? is it a mammal? why does it have poison spurs???

[Paramajic]

I don't feel sorry for V, it's his/her fault, really. I mean come on would you stand between Belkar and an owlbear?
No wonder the mindflayer didn't try to eat his/her brain.

Great one Giant!

[Solmage]

Always said Belkar has more balls than brains.
He didn't even wait until after V had used any spells for the day!

Well, there's always the 'classic', (http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/GiantITP/ootscript?SK=20), or maybe V could 'suggest' Belkar be nice to all living creatures....

[Xenon]

priceless belkar humor. and THIS is why casters should be more carefull about revenge on teh fighters. hehehe

[Kanashimi]

Very funny. Love the tootsie pop reference.

Great way for Belkar to "inflict harm" on someone without tripping the Mark of Justice.

Woot!

[charik]

I just gotta say, this comic was definately WWTD (Well Worth The Delay :P). I read the first 3/4 of the strip wondering where this one was going, and then got to the bottom of the page: "Hey wise Mr. Owlbear..." Priceless. I was worried too many readers would be too young to get that joke, but I guess not. Now if only there had been some way for the Giant to make the owlbear's answer "Three", it would have been perfect.

But even Mary Poppins is only practically perfect in every way.

Someone (I can't find the post again with a quick scan) mentioned that a DM wouldn't want the players engaging in an escalating feud. First point, it's too late to prevent it from starting. Second, as long as the players keep it to their characters having the feud (and not the players themselves), it can actually be a joy to watch. I used to play with friends from college even after graduation, getting together on Sundays at noon and playing until around midnight; however, it would be 3, 4, 5 o'clock before we'd get to the actual story arc, as we kept playing pranks on each other. ;D

[Ted_Stryker]

What harm? Belkar is not causing any harm. It's all owlbear causing harm. Belkar is just a facilitator.
IOW, "For liability purposes, it is the owlbear, and not me, that will kill you."

Although, as others have pointed out, they don't seem to be in a city, so it's up to Roy's discretion whether this is a rune activation-worthy offense.

[Jarawara]

I have always found the OwlBear to be one of the coolest monsters in the game.

I just wanted to say that.

[yuccadude]

Ahhh, I loved those old commercials, with Mr. Owl... he was a worthy opponent to that stupid kid that kept trusting him time after time of having his Tootsie Pop eaten...

[Varian7]

I bet V is going to get VERY creative after this!

[StarWidget]

Grr! >:(

Oh well. Belkar's been blown up twice, so he still has catching up to do. BWAHAHAHA!

As I recall, it was Belkar that started it by kissing V... so really, they're even.

I'm surprised everyone seems to think V had it coming, when all she did was inact revenge on him in the first place. Though, this is all just a continuation of an ever-growing tension between the two of them. I love this strip. :)

I am still very curious about Haley... perhaps that will wrap up soon? We shall see. I like this new story arc, but I've noticed Haley barely even appears in the background, anymore...

[Steward]

I'm surprised everyone seems to think V had it coming, when all she did was inact revenge on him in the first place.

She could have let it go or confronted him about it (since Belkar was drunk when it happens and doesn't seem to remember it), but instead she decided to blow him up not once but twice. Somehow I don't think Belkar, a person who kills with little provocation, would just let that all go unpunished.

[Solmage]

So about an hour after I posted that the comic would be done by 5:00 am, my laptop decided it would be fun for the screen to go completely black. I couldn't fix it on my own, and it was 3:00 am, so I went to bed instead. I took it as the universe's way of telling me to go sleep. I called tech support this morning, though, and got it working. The comic is thus now up.

AM.. PM.. details....

Don't let the crticis (like me) who guessed you really meant PM get to you ;)

[snelson66]

Sweet comic, Giant. I love Belkar's sweet, sweet revenge. And I also think the Hoo-Hoo-Bear makes a great monster.

[CockroachTeaParty]

Why does Durkon still have his mount?

Sorry if that was already answered earlier in the thread. I'm just a might confused.

[TinSoldier]

I am still very curious about Haley... perhaps that will wrap up soon? We shall see. I like this new story arc, but I've noticed Haley barely even appears in the background, anymore...
StarWidget, your post just gave me an idea:

The Oracle will find a cure for Haley.

[Steward]

Why does Durkon still have his mount?

Sorry if that was already answered earlier in the thread. I'm just a might confused.

Miko did not make him leave it behind as seen in The Rise of RoySpleen (http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/GiantITP/ootscript?SK=251), a gritty single-panel graphic novel dramatizing the plight of underpaid and exploited railroad workers and the power dichotomy of the social classes.

[Felinoid]

Oh well. Belkar's been blown up twice, ...

...but instead she decided to blow him up not once but twice.

I have to take issue with this. Because it's only twice that were explicit (AKA in the comic), but I think it was at least half a dozen times. Remember V talks about the 'proximity' of the explosion in 318, implying that there were more than just that one more lying in wait. V did go overboard, but I think only in expectation of Belkar's revenge. Even just one explosion, rightly delivered even in Belkar's opinion for something he remembered, would draw revenge from our CE halfling. So V compensates by overexploding him, he gets his revenge, and the tables even out. 8)

What will be telling is if Belkar continues to pursue this, which would show that he didn't really remember it. Then we'll get a good scene of V explaining and Belkar puking. ;D

[BlythraB]

The real question is: how many licks does it take to get to the center of a chewy and sweet revenge pop?

[nagora]

Why an Owlbear?

I'll tell you why: a guard-animal with the strength of a bear which can see in near total darkness and move very nearly silently too.

Owlbears are one of THE great D&D monsters.

[Steward]

I have to take issue with this. Because it's only twice that were explicit (AKA in the comic), but I think it was at least half a dozen times. Remember V talks about the 'proximity' of the explosion in 318, implying that there were more than just that one more lying in wait. V did go overboard, but I think only in expectation of Belkar's revenge.

Fine, that just proves my point even more. V did have it coming because she attacked Belkar for something that she never bothered to mentioned to him. I don't think that one drunken kiss merits half a dozen explosive runes, especially with a ranger's hit dice.

[Nixie]

I totally support V in this debate. Then again, I'm biased against Belkar...


In any case, Great comic!

[DomaDoma]

Yow, I'm finally taking a side on the ol' Belkar debate. Uncool, Belkar. Very uncool.

[Chadhulhu]

I am in Belkar's corner.. yeah, he is evil, but dang he needs a break.

[HHLoneWolf]

hey, he's trying to solve the ancient riddle

and doing so in a fashion which satisfies other.... desires


huzzah to Belkar!!
bonus xp for creativity and originality!!

:)


besides, he knows that V is a main character and the chances of an actual death occurring is.... well less than 50/50 I'd say 8)


I got a laugh out of it at least, that's worth something

[Valda, Adlav and Samiam: the Jacked-Up Trinity]

Finally. Some evil. I am pleased. The dialogue lately has been a little long-winded, but as long as somebody gets eaten by an owlbear, I can forgive that.

Nothing appeases a gripey molonel like V getting eaten by an owlbear :P.

[Elephant]

Awesome comic today. ROFL-worthy.

[Ted_Stryker]

Nothing appeases a gripey molonel like V getting eaten by an owlbear :P.
::)

So, he complains, he gets flak, he praises, he gets flak. D'ya think you could give it a rest for a bit?

[Kanashimi]

Why an Owlbear?

I'll tell you why: a guard-animal with the strength of a bear which can see in near total darkness and move very nearly silently too.

Owlbears are one of THE great D&D monsters.


Also for the "hey, Mr. Owlbear" joke

[Steward]

::)
D'ya think you could give it a rest for a bit?

Absolutely not! :D


Awesome comic today. ROFL-worthy.

On that scale, I would give it a one ROFL and two LOLs, making it one of the highest-scoring recent comics in the game. Back to you, Bob.

[Kish]

I am in Belkar's corner.. yeah, he is evil, but dang he needs a break.
I'm certain Vaarsuvius will give him a break shortly. And throw in some complimentary burns.

[Tobimaro]

First, great comic today. I'll be waiting to see the next step in the escalating conflict between V and Belkar, and will Roy have to take a level of Marshall as soon as possible just to have the necessary diplomacy skill to keep them apart. ;D

And I too remember that commercial. Nice way to incorporate into the comic.

[The_Kobold_Hero]

V always get his/her revenge! So lets see what will happen next. Side of lightning anyone? ;D

[Schattendrache]

As I recall, it was Belkar that started it by kissing V... so really, they're even.

I'm surprised everyone seems to think V had it coming, when all she did was inact revenge on him in the first place.

So if you were given a surprise drunken New Year's kiss by someone you don't particularly like, your response the following day would be to set several explosive charges where the offender would encounter them?

Eeep....

[charik]

The feud didn't start anywhere in the last hundred strips. And I certainly don't see it ending until Roy shows some more leadership and makes them call a truce.

[Krytha]

So if you were given a surprise drunken New Year's kiss by someone you don't particularly like, your response the following day would be to set several explosive charges where the offender would encounter them?

Eeep....

Evaluating V and Belkar's relationship at "doesn't particularily like" would be something of an understatement. Belkar deserved to be blown up for other stuff anyway...

[belul_kegbreaker]

very nice comic. keep it up Giant :D

[Felinoid]

::)

So, he complains, he gets flak, he praises, he gets flak. D'ya think you could give it a rest for a bit?
Bah. Friendly ribbing at best. Most of the flak was back when some thought he might be trolling, but that's over now. (Or, at least, it had better be... *glares around the room* ;) ) Now we're all just one big happy family who likes to poke fun at each other, as molonel has so wisely taught us. :D

[Glich]

This can only end with at lest one thing getting its head blown off by a fireball..

[DarkCorax]

LoL great comic... Wasn't Expecting an Owl-Bear!

Although I think they've both been too harsh on eachother, Belkar doesn't even know why V is doing it....

[Gary_Howard]

My friend was killed by an owlbear once. We'd just fought it at too high a CR for us, and it was kind of .. on fire... and it kind of.. fell .. forward... uhm.. and crushed and set the poor spell-exhausted druid on fire. We couldn't get the thing off of her in time.

Remember, only YOU can prevent owlbear fires.

[Bakta]

That the third time I hit reply and think better of it, but it has to go out off my chest:

This one didn't even cracked a smile nor got anywhere.

Plain not funny.

[Ceika]

I happen to disagree... I loved the blast from the past with the owlbear! Giant, you had me laughing so hard I was crying! ;D You rock!

[Jack Mann]

This can only end with at lest one thing getting its head blown off by a fireball..

Using area-affect spells on a creature from the inside is never an optimal solution.

[SITB]

This comic was funnier still becuase of the cannontiations to this (http://www.nuklearpower.com/daily.php?date=040410).

[RebelRogue]

Nice to see the Craft Disturbing Mental Image Feat at work:

"If so, I hope the owl ws the male and the bear was the female, rather than the other way around. Ouch!"

;D

Edit: Oh, and am I the only one to think that it would have been slightly funnier if the sound effect had been "bull rush" rather than "shove"? :D

[Aegeus]

Awesome comic. Beware the curse of... THE WERE-RABBIT! (wallace and grommit reference)

Unfortunately, owlbears have the same wisdom as ordinary bears, and less than ordinary owls. However, they are more intelligent than either bears or owls.

[Serina_Spellbinder]

The game of one-upmanship continues between V and Belkar. 8) Those last couple of panels had me howling with laughter.

[Serina_Spellbinder]

Nice to see the Craft Disturbing Mental Image Feat at work:

"If so, I hope the owl ws the male and the bear was the female, rather than the other way around. Ouch!"

;D

Edit: Oh, and am I the only one to think that it would have been slightly funnier if the sound effect had been "bull rush" rather than "shove"? :D

Well, the thing is, you can't make someone else do a bull rush. If you could it'd make for some hysterically funny game sessions and (more than likely) OOTS cartoons. But alas, 'tis not to be.

[Max_Sinister]

My comments:

- No question V will survive, if even Haley survived the stomach of a dragon.
- About the owl-bear cross: Owls are known for their wisdom... so if you cross them, you'd get a very wise killer bear...
- About V missing logic: I think in this case it can be explained by the fact that V is a character with 18 Int in a world that was created by someone with less than 18 Int ;D (sorry!)

I wonder what V'll do to Belkar. And what Roy and the others will say.
Spoiler: I really don't know what the Giant plans next... OK, Belkar once tried to kill Elan, but here he brought V in real danger. (Or at least inconvenience.) Can Roy tolerate that? I think chances are good that he kicks Belkar out, or Belkar quits on his own will ("I'm tired of your stupid rules, like 'Don't kill Vaarsuvius'.")

[Otterella]

I just have one thing to say to those who would write this off as a revenge act...

Do you really think, had there been no drunken kiss and no explosive runes, that someone like Belkar would have passed up an opportunity like this to get some enjoyment out of someone elses pain? Or at least inconvenience? I mean, he's got it either way. Either V gets eaten by an Owlbear, or an Owlbear gets either scorched or exploded or heinously violated by V. It's in Belkar's nature to enjoy the pain of others, regardless of what events came before.

[CatBoris]

Refreshing, hilarious, evil.

Good ;D

[rushe]

i love belkar!

chewy elf... :P

'one' xD

my 1st post ^^

great job rich!

[Kish]

I think chances are good that he kicks Belkar out, or Belkar quits on his own will ("I'm tired of your stupid rules, like 'Don't kill Vaarsuvius'.")[/color]
Belkar's own will no longer permits him to quit, remember? He's only out on bail, not free, and if he goes a mile from Roy he'll get sick.

[ElfLad]

When the title of this makes its way into the archives, I'll be very disappointed if it's not "Owlbears on a Plain"

[Kord]

How about "The Elven Lollipop"? ;D

[Martok]

LOL!!!!!!!

Funniest. OOTS. Strip. Ever. (Seriously!)

Oh my god, it took me over 5 minutes before my laughing calmed down enough where I could even post. Absolutely brilliant, Rich; thank you! :D

[Nyax]

It looks like V can no longer rest safely knowing that Belkar must first take revenge on Miko's mount. Looks like everyone favorite elf moved up to the number one spot on Belkar's revenge list.

Although, can an Evan's Spiked Tentacle of Forced Intrustion be far behind?

Far i dunno but certainly behind :P.

Oh and awesome comic, back to the classics! ;D

[farewell2kings]

Very funny strip, loved it!!! The last one with the horses disappearing has happened to just about every gaming group I've ever run or been in...we always forget about the horses, LOL!

[Beelzebub1111]

I was once raped by an owlbear...man those things can grapple well...

[Steward]

I was once raped by an owlbear...man those things can grapple well...

That's just...that's...wow. I mean...wow.

[Krytha]

I was once raped by an owlbear...man those things can grapple well...

TOO MUCH INFORMATION! OH GOD WHERES THE BLEACH?!!

[Winged One]

I was once raped by an owlbear...man those things can grapple well...
Ahem.

W!
T!
F!

You're trying to recruit people to Cthulhu's side by making us lose our sanity points, right?

[Lucid_Gizmo]

Long time lurker, First time poster...yada yada...I love this one...i used to watch these commercials all the time... ;D I am glad Rich takes the time to craft the comic.

[Evik]

sooo moving along now.......
good way for belkar to get around his curse :)
owlbears truly are handy to have around!! LOL

[bosssmiley]

Penguinlions and bunnysnakes and owlbears, oh my! ;D

Cuddliest random encounter EVAR!

[GM_West]

Awesome comic! And like a few others, owlbears have always been big favorites of mine. Don't know why... something about a giant bear with an owl head stuck on top was just... appealing in a bizarre sort of way.

Another poster mentioned those flesh-eating stalagtites from 1st edition. I remember those well! They were called piercers, I believe. The Darkmantle in 3e is reminiscent of those things, but I still like the original piercers. An interesting sidenote is that the Necromancer Games module titled Tomb of Abysthor has piercers in it. Fun stuff! Damn near skewered the fighter in the group I was running through it! ;D

Back to the comic though, I've a feeling Belkar's triumph is going to be short-lived. I imagine V is already plotting his/her revenge even as he/she stares down the gullet of that owlbear.

[Jack Mann]

sooo moving along now.......
good way for belkar to get around his curse :)
owlbears truly are handy to have around!! LOL


Technically, there's nothing keeping Belkar from causing the damage himself. It's only when he's in a town, city or village that he's prevented from causing lethal damage. However, keep in mind that Roy still has the command word to activate it.

[tee_kay_one]

does the owlbear say "one!" in the last panel? Are those fellows intelligent enough to speak? Maybe this is their advantage - strength of a bear, wisdom of an owl...?

BTW: I don't know why owls are regarded wise... the little critters are actually rather dumbish...

[Albion]

Noooo!! Not a Vaarsuvius Popsicle! How unappropriate - once again! :'( Vomit, Owlbear, aim for the halfling.
I like this kind of comics best. :)

[Tostitos]

One lick to get to the center of a V-pop?

Yep, she's female then.

[Mjoellnir]

One lick to get to the center of a V-pop?

Yep, she's female then.


V-Man is and stays male!

And I wish, that Belkar will be reminded why he didn't want to piss him off before late afternoon: http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/GiantITP/ootscript?SK=20

[Kriel]

I'm sensing either multiple explosions, Evan's Spiked Tentacles of Forced Intrusion or both in Belkar's future.

[Beelzebub1111]

does the owlbear say "one!" in the last panel? Are those fellows intelligent enough to speak? Maybe this is their advantage - strength of a bear, wisdom of an owl...?

BTW: I don't know why owls are regarded wise... the little critters are actually rather dumbish...
humor trumps rules

[GKBeetle]

Yay great one!
Belkar's revenge is great.


Now I wonder what gender V is. Maybe the Owlbear thingy now knows. I also would like to know what Vaarsuvius tastes like.

I can hardly wait for V's revenges revenge, because she prepared explosive runes this morn-

EWWWWWWW!!!!! I know this is a few days late, but why in the world would you want know what Vaarsuvius tastes like? That's completely gross!

[Blaznak]

I wonder, after reading this strip, why adventurers ever need to actually adventure. Can't they just beat each other up, over and over and over... and get all the xp they need that way?

Wacky stuff. Wacky, I tells you...

[Gamefreakguy]

V might also choose to end the cycle of revenge.

...Or maybe not... *BOOM!*

[Brother_Hood]

I've played in games like that. When you discover that your character and another have advantages and disadvantages that cancel any fatal attack...

So much fun. :D

[Leatherman]

I was once raped by an owlbear...man those things can grapple well...


Ummmm.... is that something you really want public knowledge? They have anonymous support groups for things like that you know. Even special sessions regarding Evans Spiked Tentacles....

[KaosDevice]

I found it kind of funny that the owlbear was just sort of standing around while this whole diatribe was going on.

[Kanashimi]

I think it failed its listen check

[Eva_of_Sirrion]

I've gotta shake my head at Belkar's behavior. What is he thinking honking off V at every turn? I mean doesn't he realize that he/her is Belkar's best bet at getting the dang mark of justice removed? All it takes is one little break enchantment (which we know V has access to. (http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/GiantITP/ootscript?SK=70)) If I were Belkar I'd be trying to get on V's good side, rather than angering him/her at every turn.

[team56th]

W00t! Great strip of comic Rich!

[Solmage]

One lick to get to the center of a V-pop?

Yep, she's female then.


Heh! This is the first convincing argument I've heard about V's female-ness. :D He's of course male, but still convincing 8)




And I wish, that Belkar will be reminded why he didn't want to piss him off before late afternoon: http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/GiantITP/ootscript?SK=20


I'm sensing either multiple explosions, Evan's Spiked Tentacles of Forced Intrusion or both in Belkar's future.

Heh...

Hmmm, on an interesting tangent, does Belkar get XP for 'defeating' V if he doesn't escape the owl bear? ;)

[infiniteviking]

Hahahaha! I love it when Vaarsuvius rants. And especially when Vaarsuvius gets sarcastic. A penguilion? *cackle* And it may be exceedingly obscure, but I'm seeing Panel 6 as another poke at Belkar's so-called dignity.....

And I dislike Belkar with a raving dislike possibly surpassed only by V, but Panel 9 was simply hilarious.

And the suspense....!!!!!

Great comic, Giant -- well worth the wait!

[sniffles]

I don't know which is funnier - Belkar's revenge, or the fact that they've been showing that Tootsie Pops ad since I was a kid, which means that readers in their teens have seen a 35-year-old commercial and will probably get the joke. :D

[octobergirl]

I am really getting tired of Belkar. I must be the only OOTS fan that doesn't like him. LOL

[fractal]

This is what happens when parties that don't get along very well also aren't challenged enough. Annoyed a little? Why not blow up a party member or feed them to a monster? It's not like you need them for battles, because battles are easy!

Seriously, the OotS has been slacking ever since they faced Xykon. There hasn't been a single encounter when they really bothered to use the whole party. Either Roy or Belkar or Varsuvius or Durkon or multiple party members either couldn't or just didn't bother to fight. Actually, come to think of it, even Haley wasn't really involved in the battle against Xykon. Has the OotS EVER fought with the entire group?

No wonder they feel free to attack each other for xp.

[Otterella]

I am really getting tired of Belkar. I must be the only OOTS fan that doesn't like him. LOL

I'm split on Belkar. I find his antics hilarious at times, but he still frustrates me, primarily because he is SO MUCH like a guy I play with. This guy pulls Belkar style crap all the time, no matter what race, class, or alignment he's playing. It's like the only reason his character sheet says "good" is because the DM won't let us play evil. And to top it all off, when we were playing Star Wars d6 a few weeks ago, the DM wouldn't even let my character sell his into slavery to Jabba! Can you believe that? I didn't even get role playing xp for trying.

[humanpylon]

I've gotta shake my head at Belkar's behavior. What is he thinking honking off V at every turn? I mean doesn't he realize that he/her is Belkar's best bet at getting the dang mark of justice removed? All it takes is one little break enchantment (which we know V has access to. (http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/GiantITP/ootscript?SK=70))

Actually if you look at that comic he says he doesn't have the spell. They used the scroll they found on Nale. Although he may have picked it up in Azure city.

[octobergirl]

I'm split on Belkar. I find his antics hilarious at times, but he still frustrates me, primarily because he is SO MUCH like a guy I play with. This guy pulls Belkar style crap all the time, no matter what race, class, or alignment he's playing. It's like the only reason his character sheet says "good" is because the DM won't let us play evil. And to top it all off, when we were playing Star Wars d6 a few weeks ago, the DM wouldn't even let my character sell his into slavery to Jabba! Can you believe that? I didn't even get role playing xp for trying.

Actually, yeah, I would agree with that too. I DO like it when 'bad' things happen to him or he gets himself into situations. They DO make me laugh. I just get annoyed with the fact that this party would keep him around like they do. LOL

[paul_brown_1973]

I've gotta shake my head at Belkar's behavior. What is he thinking honking off V at every turn? I mean doesn't he realize that he/her is Belkar's best bet at getting the dang mark of justice removed? All it takes is one little break enchantment (which we know V has access to. (http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/GiantITP/ootscript?SK=70)) If I were Belkar I'd be trying to get on V's good side, rather than angering him/her at every turn.

That is assuming that:

1. Belkar is more intelligent than a table (debatable)
2. Belkar is capable of thinking through the consequences of his actions (the little fight with Miko pretty much shot that theory)
3. Belkar is capable of controlling himself when he sees an opportunity to do something evil and / or fun

[geez3r]

Plain and simple: Great comic. And yes, I did not notice the new comic until now.

[Felinoid]

I think it failed its listen check

Which speaks poorly for the Owlbear's supposed WISdom, now doesn't it? ;) (Either that, or I misremembered the stat Listen depends on.)

[Greebo]

That is assuming that:

1. Belkar is more intelligent than a table (debatable)
2. Belkar is capable of thinking through the consequences of his actions (the little fight with Miko pretty much shot that theory)
3. Belkar is capable of controlling himself when he sees an opportunity to do something evil and / or fun
I think its #2 thats most in doubt. Belkar isn't unintelligent, but he is severely lacking in wisdom. As a result, he is unable to accurately think through his actions and predict how people will respond, because he is unable to understand other people most of the time.

[Kish]

That is assuming that:

1. Belkar is more intelligent than a table (debatable)
2. Belkar is capable of thinking through the consequences of his actions (the little fight with Miko pretty much shot that theory)
3. Belkar is capable of controlling himself when he sees an opportunity to do something evil and / or fun
And 4. Belkar could get Vaarsuvius to stop using him as a punching bag if he tried, at this point.

[armatil]

That is assuming that:

1. Belkar is more intelligent than a table (debatable)
actually, his INT isn't so bad. wisdom is his dump stat.

[Durin]

hmmm will we be getting a new comic tonight or will it be delayed again I wonder? no big deal if it is I usually don't read the new ones until tuesday anyhow but if anybody knows something I don't I would 'preciate the info

[Brother_Hood]

Belkar is evil/comic relief. :D

[snow_cheetah]

hi hi

I was just going to point out that both owls and penguins are highly efficient and vicious predators in their natural environments. Owls are in fact killing machines, regardless of what harry potter would have people believe.

[allxmyxsins]

great comic, and my hopes, if the owlbear is natural, rest with Belkar

[DomaDoma]

In the unlikely event that V gets killed, would it activate the Mark of Justice?

[Kish]

Belkar didn't directly hurt Vaarsuvius (and they're no longer in a city anyway), so I'd say "no, for the two seconds it would take Roy to say the trigger word."

[Efogoto]

Belkar didn't directly hurt Vaarsuvius ...
Belkar took direct action to harm Vaarsuvius as that there "Shove!" in the next to last panel shows.

[Tokeloshe]

However he didn't do it in a town or a city, so I think Roy has to say the word.

Anyway, does this mean that Belkar has Animal Empathy? I mean, he sensed that the poor thing was hungry...

[StarWidget]

So if you were given a surprise drunken New Year's kiss by someone you don't particularly like, your response the following day would be to set several explosive charges where the offender would encounter them?

...naturally. :)

[Solmage]

So if you were given a surprise drunken New Year's kiss by someone you don't particularly like, your response the following day would be to set several explosive charges where the offender would encounter them?





...naturally. :)

If some guy did it, oh yes. I think that falls under justifiable bombing or something. 8)

[Tostitos]

EWWWWWWW!!!!! I know this is a few days late, but why in the world would you want know what Vaarsuvius tastes like? That's completely gross!

If it only takes one lick to get to the center...

Ok, that could go both ways now that I think about it. ;)

[BelkarsDagger]

If V's hair is dyed purple, that Vaarsuvius Pop probably tastes real bad ::) But anyway, I recognize the commercial from a few years ago. This is alot better 8)

[Silverpearl]

So if you were given a surprise drunken New Year's kiss by someone you don't particularly like, your response the following day would be to set several explosive charges where the offender would encounter them?

Eeep....


You obviously don't know any computer technicians...My husband would prepare every possible spell and trigger them at the least convenient time for all just to prove his point. Then, he would arrange a semi-permanant not-so-suttle reminder of his superiority, like a sharpie-pen tatoo on Belkar's forehead saying "My mommy shaves her feet!!"

[CelestialStick]

I am really getting tired of Belkar. I must be the only OOTS fan that doesn't like him. LOL

Nah, I don't like him either. Death to Belkar!

[kradman]

so is it update once a week now?

[Silverpearl]

Ach, relax...Deh bes' t'ings in life'r wert waitin' fer!
lol...The last comic certainly was!

[although]

so is it update once a week now?
Twice a week; the exact days vary.

[Bilbo27]

sigh, I guess I will wait until Tuesday for the update.

[theswarm]

Oh well
how could the USA lose!!!!
why do Americans hate soccer anyway

[Holy_Knight]

Oh well
how could the USA lose!!!!
why do Americans hate soccer anyway
I don't think Americans hate soccer, it's just not as popular here as it is elsewhere. As for me, I would much rather play sports than watch them.

[charik]

I wonder, after reading this strip, why adventurers ever need to actually adventure. Can't they just beat each other up, over and over and over... and get all the xp they need that way?
No, not really. You don't get xp for encountering/combatting creatures, only for defeating them. And you only gain xp from any given creature once.

[Ravyn]

You get XP for surmounting challenges, IIRC. This means that unlike video games, if the opponent runs away, you still get credit for it. I've had to remind my DMs of that more times than I care to think about. I'm sure there are more metagamey reasons why beating up on your own party doesn't work... perhaps you don't truly learn from an encounter unless you're doing your best?

[Durin]

yeah and you get double XP for making your enemies surrender

[Thray]

yeah and you get double XP for making your enemies surrender

Is that official? Sounds like a houserule.

The reason you don't want to beat up your friends is because, unless you aren't really trying, you have a good chance of killing them. If you aren't really trying, there's no reason for you to get any more powerful. On the other hand, something like a field that lets you do subdual (I don't care if that's not a real word) damage lets you get half XP (listed in sources like CW) because you're not risking your life, which is a major part of gaining experience. One isn't so pushed to their utter limits in resources, stamina, and ingenuity in a nonlethal fight.

[Durin]

No I think I read it somewhere... I don't rememer which book. But I definitely read it in one of our source books

[The Glitter Ninja]

I still say Vaarsuvius is a she, which is why she was sharing a room with Haley at the inn.

You know, I've defended the OotS schedule (or lack thereof) the whole time I've been on this board but tonight, I admit, I'm cranky and sick and needed some cheering up and I'm REALLY honked off that the strip is not updated yet. I mean, I know Rich isn't obligated to me for anything, ever. I'm just really disappointed, you know? Especially since we're all waiting to find out how Vaarsuvius is.

Do all the strips have to end with a cliffhanger?

Time to unbookmark the page and just set a reminder to check once a week. And change my name to The Cranky Ninja Who Needs A Nap.

[Utaker1987]

Meh, I don't post at all at this board but I read every discussion post with the new comics and have grown myself to be a little sad. I understand the downsize from 3 times a week to 2 due to time issues. That's fine, but at least do it on time. If time is still such a big issue, then cut back to once a week, or hell say twice a week whenever it's ready, by setting up unrealisitic times just makes me, and for some reason I suspect more, visit the siteless. I have enjoyed this comic greatly and came in on the lower 100s.

If you can't do it, don't give us times, makes it come off as your doing it for a pointless hobby instead of your job.

[Haggis_McCrablice]

I think it failed its listen check
Or maybe it was occupied with going to the bathroom. :-[

Which brings to mind the age-old query: "Does an owlbear you-know-what in the woods?" ;D

[iwasbob]

Not an obsessive reader of the forums, but have been reading OOTS since the 100s...

I'm surprised that there isn't a camp of folks who interpret Belkar's behaviour toward V as a crush. Heck, if s/he had pigtails, he'd be dippin' 'em in the inkwell.

Belkar generally acts like a 9 year old...why wouldn't his dating rituals follow suit?

Woot! My first post! Page...ummm...errr...14?

[semcapital]

Oh well
how could the USA lose!!!!
why do Americans hate soccer anyway
Nevermind that, you'd NEVER beat Brazil anyways ;)
PS: 8 hours, 49 minutes and 32 seconds to our first game! :D

[Aeek]

Belkar is finally making use of his Ranger "skills".


PS. Aussie Aussie Aussie Oi!!! Oi!!! Oi!!!

[charik]

Belkar is finally making use of his Ranger "skills".
LOL! I hadn't thought of that before, good one.

ps- a) Sing sing sing sing a song of sixpence
b) Ouch! c) Woo-hoo! ;)

[Zann]

I just realised something: Roy looks really odd with his sword back on his back.

[CarpeAmentum]

hi hi
Owls are in fact killing machines, regardless of what harry potter would have people believe.

You forget, real life isn't relevent in OoTS, so I invite you to look at a few SRD entries.
Owl (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/owl.htm)
Giant Owl (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/owlGiant.htm)

These arent exactly Teir 1 monsters... and I think that is the point..

[Maelstrom]

Lame lame lame lame lame.

Might as well change the schedule on the front page to "It will be posted 'whenever'...check back on a semi monthly basis and I'm sure you'll be surprised..."

I mean really, I now am checking on Tuesday and Thursday and the comics still are not up.

Very disappointing.

[RBloom0566]

I'm glad Mr. Burlew has resigned himself to not caring if he loses readers, because that's what is about to happen to this particular reader.

He should also be aware of this little fact -
His fan base and popularity are what caught the attention of Paizo/Dragon and what got him that job. When his web-comic dimishes, so will his fan base, so will his Dragon readership, so will his appeal to Paizo. And they DO PAY him, so he SHOULD care.

Graphic illustrators apparently don't flow-chart. Perhaps he should go back to graphic illustrating. No, wait, that's why he started a web-comic--he probably couldn't handle the deadlines of that job. Never mind.

BYE!

[Leatherman]

Lame lame lame lame lame.

Might as well change the schedule on the front page to "It will be posted 'whenever'...check back on a semi monthly basis and I'm sure you'll be surprised..."

I mean really, I now am checking on Tuesday and Thursday and the comics still are not up.

Very disappointing.

I'm glad Mr. Burlew has resigned himself to not caring if he loses readers, because that's what is about to happen to this particular reader.

He should also be aware of this little fact -
His fan base and popularity are what caught the attention of Paizo/Dragon and what got him that job. When his web-comic dimishes, so will his fan base, so will his Dragon readership, so will his appeal to Paizo. And they DO PAY him, so he SHOULD care.

Graphic illustrators apparently don't flow-chart. Perhaps he should go back to graphic illustrating. No, wait, that's why he started a web-comic--he probably couldn't handle the deadlines of that job. Never mind.

BYE!


You guys need to grow up and realize that the world doesn't exist to serve you. Stop the flaming and realize The Giant is getting the comics up as fast as he can. He had his computer fry on him last week and who know what else is slowing him down. I for one would rather wait and have a good comic, than to have him put out a crappy comic every other day. If you want a comic every day, I’ll wipe my butt on paper every day, scan it in and post it. I can call it “Order of the Stool” will that make all you impatient people happy?

BTW Great comic Giant. Keep up the good work.

[kaairn]

Ok.. you want to complain about the comic being "late"? Isn't that just wasted effort on your part? I mean really... complaining that a free comic that is currently on a flexible posting schedule is late.. that's just like painting grass green because you think the shade is wrong... all you'll end up doing is killing the grass.

The giant was very honest with his fans when he moved to the "Usually Monday and Wednesday" post schedule. That he's inundated with work and would do his best to post the comics on these days. He made no promise that he would succeed in doing so, and so trying to keep him to a promise he hasn't actually made is rather moot and possibly annoy the giant.

Personally, I'm happy for the comic to be posted at all, it amuses me greatly and I applaud the giant for his hard work, both on the web comic and the goods that are making him his money to continue. 1 comic a week, 2 or hell 5 comics a week, I pretty much don't care about the schedule, the quality of the work is worth the wait and the "upset" over a free comic being "late", especially as the giant usually makes it up to his fans when he can with a double length strip, or an extra comic one week.

My own opinion, and the one I'd like to pass onto the giant: Post OOTS when you can Giant, when you have the time to make us a great comic, don't rush it, or yourself to appease the people who whine and threaten to leave everytime a comic is late, just flat out ignore them. (not that he doesn't do this anyway, but I still wanted to say it)

[seatarsprayzan]

I can't believe that people have the audacity to come here and complain in the Giant's own playground that he doesn't update his FREE webcomic often enough.

And it's truly free, not free like network television which has all those commercials. It's free. It's a gift. He can stop whenever he likes. He doesn't owe us anything.

I for one immensely enjoy this comic and hope he continues it for a long time and while I might be a little disappointed when it's late, that's just because I like the comic so much, not because I'm not getting something I'm *owed*.

I mean, what's it like to go through life being such a selfish person?

[Geoff]

Why an Owlbear?

I'm pretty sure that it was inspired by a cheap platic toy from the early 70's. So was the rust monster and bullette. I noticed the similarity (really, they MMI illos are virtually identical) when I first read through a MM in 1980, though, by then the little toys were already gathering dust in the back of my closet or just lost.

Anyone else remember those things (and want to admit how old you're getting)? :-/

[The_Bandersnatch]

Woot! My first post! Page...ummm...errr...14?

Actually, you're at the tail end of 15...

Sorry if I burst your little bubble of joy... ;D

[WampaX]

Why an Owlbear?

I'm pretty sure that it was inspired by a cheap platic toy from the early 70's. So was the rust monster and bullette. I noticed the similarity (really, they MMI illos are virtually identical) when I first read through a MM in 1980, though, by then the little toys were already gathering dust in the back of my closet or just lost.

Anyone else remember those things (and want to admit how old you're getting)? :-/

I, too, recall them being cheap plastic toys, but I don't believe that they existed before the Woodgrain box.

[Bork]

Once again, we see that one's point of view is only welcome here if it includes glowing praise of the author. It would be nice if some of you actually read a couple of the posts above in their entirety - you might see the reasoning behind them. For the life of me I will never understand the mindless "how dare you, it's free" babbling. OotS may "a gift" to you, but it is also a commercial venture by Rich Burlew. These comics are being posted for free now, with the intention of being sold in book form later (I'm not necessarily saying that's the only reason they're being posted, but if you think that's not a big, big factor, then go stand in the clue line *right now*).

Also, you don't think Rich has at least a teeny bit of obligation to the people who bought the books and who provide the fanbase that makes him a commodity to Paizo? Interesting world you live in. It's really not asking too much to hope for a semblance of a schedule, is it? Especially two days a week. There are any number of free webcomics of comparable length and artistic content (no, I'm not counting PvP) that update at least that frequently. Girl Genius and Scary-Go-Round, to name two.

But anyway, what bothers me about Rich's deadline angst is this - I question his commitment to OotS. I honestly wonder if his heart is in it anymore. That's not a slam - I can see how he could be tired of it. So as a fan of the comic, that's what worries me about the wishy-washy "not-really-deadlines." I would hate to see things get to the point where he's drawing OotS purely from an attempt to maintain the fanbase for his other ventures.

I freely admit I could be very wrong about all that, and hope I am. But anyway, back to the regularly-scheduled ego-massaging of the author.

[rxmd]

His fan base and popularity are what caught the attention of Paizo/Dragon and what got him that job. When his web-comic dimishes, so will his fan base, so will his Dragon readership, so will his appeal to Paizo.
You know, the one thing they will not care about is people who complain about not getting free stuff.

Ignoring these people is really the only thing feasible. There's nothing to be gained from them, anyway. Dragon and/or Paizo couldn't care less about losing these people as readers, because you wouldn't have bought anything in the first place.

Philipp

[Farseer_George]

Dragon and/or Paizo couldn't care less about losing these people as readers, because you wouldn't have bought anything in the first place.


What?!
Have you thought that statement through at all?

[rxmd]

Hi Bork,


For the life of me I will never understand the mindless "how dare you, it's free" babbling. OotS may "a gift" to you, but it is also a commercial venture by Rich Burlew.
But then again, I do receive it as a free commodity and while it's nice if an author meets his own deadlines, I do have very little ground to complain about this beyond a general "it would be better if you could post your stuff on time". Which everybody here will agree on.

I'm a pure consumer of free OOTS. I never bought any of the books, I only read the comics online and I occasionally post here, 17 times so far over 300 or so comics. I don't subscribe to fanboyism and blind praise just because I enjoy reading a webcomic. I'm probably one of those consumers who made OOTS big, but not one of those who make it immediately pay off for Rich.

I used to be bothered a lot by Rich's failure to meet deadlines, but then I found that I mainly read OOTS for the fun = added quality of life it provides, while bothering about missing comics detracts from this quality of life. So now I'm down to reading OOTS once per week, whatever new comics are there. There's always been at least one new comic every week, so I always get a good laugh, and I waste a lot less time hitting Refresh on Monday nights. Rich gets to notice this, because his hit counter goes down, and thus I'm even providing feedback. As far as I'm concerned, that's all very fine with me, and as long as I don't pay anything for OOTS I might consider it a nice thing if there was more of it on a regular bases (in fact I do), but I don't see any ground on which I could pester the author about how he fails to keep his deadlines. Apart from pestering the author probably being a waste of time.


These comics are being posted for free now, with the intention of being sold in book form later (I'm not necessarily saying that's the only reason they're being posted, but if you think that's not a big, big factor, then go stand in the clue line *right now*).
That's definitely true, but then again, if Rich fails to produce his target quota of comics, this will only delay his next OOTS comic book, resulting in revenue delays. In this respect OOTS delays are Rich's own problem (and as far as I'm concerned, not mine).


Probably It's really not asking too much to hope for a semblance of a schedule, is it? [...] There are any number of free webcomics of comparable length and artistic content (no, I'm not counting PvP) that update at least that frequently.
Well, then the authors of those comics probably have less work on themselves and/or better time management, I don't know. :)

About your concern for Rich's commitment to OOTS: I had similar concerns about the way OOTS was developing. I made a post here about it, I got a concise answer from Rich that I was more or less satisfied with, and that was OK. So when you have a genuine concern, from reading the forums I would hazard a guess that Rich usually does try to adress it somehow. Then again, if somebody posts in a way that borders on flaming about how he'll quit reading OOTS as of now, then there's really not a lot to be answered to this. On the other hand, it's probably possibly to discuss deadlines in a civilised way (your post is an example of this IMHO), the other poster just couldn't be bothered to do it I guess it's more the way in which the question is asked.

Philipp

[charik]

I'm one who came to the webcomic by having gotten the book first. Also, I check to see if the comic has been updated at least once per day, every day (hey, ya never know).

Does Rich promise a schedule? Yes; two new comics per week. Has he kept to his promised schedule? Yes; every week has seen two new comics. People just need to relax and let go of the "hopefully Monday and Wednesday" part of the schedule, which does not constitute a service promise.

To do otherwise is bad for one's health.

[LoH]

Always interesting to see the lifecycle of a "OOTS #XXX - The Discussion Thread" thread.

First comes the Giant himself. Then comes the exhultations and "w00t! First Post!", with a couple questions (and a criticism or two) mixed in. It continues thus for approx 10-13 pages, with the criticism taking a more dominant appearance closer to the end (this is of the strip, mind you). Arguments/debates may season the pacing, mind you.

Then, at the death-end of the thread, come the whiners, who are cranky that Life, the Giant, and Everything doesn't conform to a set schedule (even if allowances for deviations are announced beforehand)... and the people refuting those whiners. At least one or two people threaten to quit reading OOTS, and then the next strip comes up and the cycle begins anew.

[The Glyphstone]

Always interesting to see the lifecycle of a "OOTS #XXX - The Discussion Thread" thread.

First comes the Giant himself. Then comes the exhultations and "w00t! First Post!", with a couple questions (and a criticism or two) mixed in. It continues thus for approx 10-13 pages, with the criticism taking a more dominant appearance closer to the end (this is of the strip, mind you). Arguments/debates may season the pacing, mind you.

Then, at the death-end of the thread, come the whiners, who are cranky that Life, the Giant, and Everything doesn't conform to a set schedule (even if allowances for deviations are announced beforehand)... and the people refuting those whiners. At least one or two people threaten to quit reading OOTS, and then the next strip comes up and the cycle begins anew.


Considering how cynical this is....it's somewhat disturbinghow incredibly accurate it is too...

[chaospet]

Considering how cynical this is....it's somewhat disturbinghow incredibly accurate it is too...

Of course, said cycle couldn't continue if the comics were on time...

I have some sympathy with the complainers. It doesn't have to do with whether he "owes" us a comic. It simply comes down to doing what you say you will do. If you give some indication that you're going to do something at a certain time (even if the indication is qualified with a "usually"), and then you repeatedly fail to do so, expect people to get annoyed. This is as true of a purported webcomic schedule as it is of anything else.

On the other hand, it's a little dramatic to say you're going to quit the comic now. It isn't the end of the world, and we know by now that this is just the kind of person Rich is - a guy who has trouble with deadlines. If you still like the comic (and it's been as good as ever lately), then adjust yourself to checking the comic less frequently.

[Otterella]

I rather like this philosophy of giving up something you like simply because something about it isn't convenient for you.

In fact, I'm so tired of not being able to find shoes that fit, that I'm going to cut off my feet!

[kaairn]

Always interesting to see the lifecycle of a "OOTS #XXX - The Discussion Thread" thread.

First comes the Giant himself. Then comes the exhultations and "w00t! First Post!", with a couple questions (and a criticism or two) mixed in. It continues thus for approx 10-13 pages, with the criticism taking a more dominant appearance closer to the end (this is of the strip, mind you). Arguments/debates may season the pacing, mind you.

Then, at the death-end of the thread, come the whiners, who are cranky that Life, the Giant, and Everything doesn't conform to a set schedule (even if allowances for deviations are announced beforehand)... and the people refuting those whiners. At least one or two people threaten to quit reading OOTS, and then the next strip comes up and the cycle begins anew.


I have to agree with you on that... Ironically enough made a post called the anatomy of a late comic thread pointing this out a few weeks ago. ;)

To bork, I doubt very much that the opinions are so limited as you believe on these forums (i might be wrong however). but I do believe that quite a few of the giant's fans have gotten tired of the
cranky *at* Life, the Giant, and Everything brigade who don't post with any form of manners or showing any understanding of why things are the way they are.

Your second last paragraph I would say is a perfect example of a good "the comic is late" post. it isn't just
Lame. Lame. Lame. etc repeated over and over again or
the comic's late, I quit. Instead, it is a post showing your concern for why the comic is late, and something that to me should spark a discussion as to if the giant has lost interest (one only the giant can end, but a discussion nonetheless) rather than being fuel for a flame war like the other posts.

As a previous poster has currently said... the comic is currently free, there is no need for anyone to go out and purchase any of the books to continue reading the comic. I just don't feel that anyone reading the web comic itself has any right to complain in such a way, especially when the Giant has said that the comic is on a flexible posting schedule due to his workload. Yes, they have a right to grumble about it not being exact on his schedule, but politely, perhaps showing a little concern for the reason like you have.

The giant's posting schedule is his own, one that he has purposely made flexible... and the only real commitment he has made is to do two comics a week, which he will try to do for monday and wednesday. So to me, complaining loudly and threating to quit the comic when the comic isn't up exactly on the day that the giant said he would try for, is an incredibly over the top reaction, hence my comments

Now, if and when, in a year-year and a half when the giant decides to make another book out of the comics, and that book comes up 50-100 strips shorter than the last while the giant asks the same price... perhaps then the buyers of the book will have reason to complain loudly (though to be honest, I doubt that'll happen, the giant is very good for doing extra comics/double length comics if and when he misses one.)

[Utaker1987]

I am not one to stop reading the comics, I just find myself a lilttle upset because this is his job.

I don't know about all you guys, But i'm sure a lot of you work. It seems like every week, or every Tuesday and Thursday there is some new excuse on why it isn't up. If this was any of us I think for some reason we wouldn't have a job.

I'm not one to say I'm never going to ever read the comics because thats a lie. I enjoy the comics, what I don't enjoy is faulty agreements. If he doesn't want to do it Monday and Wednesday get rid of the part that says Monday And Wednesday.

If you give times live up to them, if you can't then just say so. I thought the reason for cutting off Friday was due to time, but it seems like two days is too much, or rather two days so close together is.

Do Tuesday/Friday or some time where you can live up to what you say.

[Mal_the_Mad]

ah there is a missing part of the cycle, and that is the later the comic is the more people contemplate what horrid event has befallen Rich. and the fate of the comic due to his absence.