OOTS #278 - The Discussion Thread

[The Giant]

No, not a Tuesday OOTS, a very late Monday OOTS. Enjoy.

[Zargon]

Great strip!
V is still #1 in my book!
He's (she?) expressing what I would if I was at that trial - Why a booby trap?!

[Mal_the_Mad]

I just twist them to my purpose

muahahahaha classic


true lawyer she missed it the first time around

[Kulatu]

Two big thumbs up! ;D

[Jarlaxle]

Great one Giant.. Answering some more questions for us..

And Haley is hillarious!! ;D ;D


Wow!! 1st page for the 1st time.. Hurray for me!! ;D

[Hawkeye]

Excellent strip, Celia is apparently a genius in the legal field....

P.S Haley's got a hairdryer, where the hell does the power cable go?

(edit: deletion of rogue apostrophe)

[Ilover_Juventad]

'I just twist them to my purpose'

Hahahahaaha! Great job as always Giant!

[Gigantic_gnome]

Dear Mr. Burlew

You are awesome

End of line

[Paragon_Kobold]

Elan: Savior of the universe. He alone stood between us and a new dark age. ;D

[Quixote]

Excellent, my reward for hemming a pair of trousers for someone is to finish hemming just in time for the new comic.

"Some goblin in a red cloak". I'm glad Roy even noticed Redcloak, considering RC was just a minor expendable goblin surrounded by dozens of other expendable goblins at the time.

That's actually one of my favourite moments, just after Xykon has been defeated and Redcloak is standing there, and you can tell what he's thinking. It's a bit like the two displacer beasts who suddenly realise they're a random encounter... Redcloak realises that without his master, suddenly he's nothing more than a chunk of XP for Belkar to harvest... run away!

I hope Redcloak has a happy ending. He is, by definition, a chunk of XP, and it's a miracle he's lasted this long.

[Alfryd]

No, not a Tuesday OOTS, a very late Monday OOTS. Enjoy.
Very good. Carry on.

[Zink]

Lovely strip. Really liked Haley drying her hair in the first panel, that was a really nice effect on her hair. Also loved how everything Shojo says on this matter comes from the words of Mr. Scruffy. Really makes you believe that Mr. Scruffy is the current leader of the Sapphire Guard. Third thing about the srip I loved is Roy's comment about Redcloak's ever so generic name...

And that's it. Another awesome strip for us :)

[Hermes]

Thank goodness V voices what's been on all of our (or at least my) mind for a while now. And I just love the fact that Redcloak is described as "some goblin in a red cloak." That cracked me up. Also loved "Not Guilty by Virtue of Two Wrongs Make a Right," oh so clever.

In the American judicial system, intent does matter. Of course, maybe we'd overlook that here if someone had weakened the fabric of reality... I dunno.

Mayhaps, in days to come, this will be known as the Celia Manuvere. She definately one of my favorite supporting characters, to say the least.

EDIT: And not that there's been much of it this time around, but could someone please explain the thrill people get out of leaving their comments on the first page of the new comic thread. Cause, that's something I just don't understand....

[Odd_Thomas]

i like the last panel, good job giant.

[Greebo]

EDIT: And not that there's been much of it this time around, but could someone please explain the thrill people get out of leaving their comments on the first page of the new comic thread. Cause, that's something I just don't understand....
They think it means they'll get read, and seen as "more important" because they got on the first page.

Me, when I see "first page!" remarks in a post, I immediately skip it, because whatever they intended to say appears to be dwarfed (no offense, dwarves) by their desire to simply be on the first page. If they dont think their point is valid enough to stand on its own without self-inflating "first page" comments, then I dont think its valid enough to read. :)

[Vargtass]

The thing I like the most is the uncanny ability of the OotS in this strip to arrive at the exactly right conclusion on what really happened, while not really believing it to be true, but fitting in their current situation. Two wrongs actually made one right! The goblin that was observed running away (wearing a red cloak) was really Redcloak, running away with the Phylac... thingy containing the evil mastermind that, in turn, actually intended to use the gate in a controllable fashion!

Simply superb! (Stands in awe!)

I remember my players used to do this a lot (back in the golden age, when I found time to DM).

[metawidget]

V. is cute when angry!

It took me a little while to figure out what Haley was holding there. Yay for anachronisms.

And I'm enjoying the cat with the law and magical physics background.

[Greebo]

Oh and BY the way...

LOVED the hair dryer! ROFLMAO!

And Celia is going to do VERY well as a lawyer. OotS should put her on permanent retainer and contract a 1/7th share to her, if they get off.

Haley, I'm sure, is saying: QIPM ? ! ? ! FU QPR ! ! !

Edit: Spaces added to exclamations to stop a smiley from butting in...

[Single Shot Zombie]

Our favorite para-elemental has a bright career in law ahead of her........ ;D

And Vaarsuvius is wordy, as usual. Though I think Shojo can handle his/her long speeches.

[Vengeful_Hand]

V has always been my favorite character, because (s)he sees the world with such startling clarity. It is his/her perspective that really keeps the reader aware that this is, indeed, a rediculous(ly funny) comic. This mighty question of plot has burned in my mind, and now we know that the gates are rebuildable.

Hinjo, succeed your boss already, tell him to enjoy his retirement. I predict a golden age of responsible yet laid-back triumphs for the Sapphire Guard in years to come.

Celia...that was perfect. And you're right, the rules are crazy! Woohoo!

Thank you, Giant, especially for putting up the saga over the weekend.

[fwiffo]

The fear all along was that the trial would be conducted in such a way that a judgement would be passed on OOTS based on inaccurate prosecution information. And since prosecution is conducted by a trained legal professional (plus a guy in expensive suit), but the defence is by newbie paraelemental, OOTS would be at a great disadvantage.

But... the trial is conducted by Shojo himself, who pretty much dedicated his life to the subject and knows all the details of what happened, in fact more than anyone else, including OOTS themselves. Why does OOTS even need a defense, when Shojo knows that OOTS couldn't have known the purpose of the gates or the existence of self-destruct. Guilt kinda presupposes that the guilty party did know or at least could've known that they are doing something wrong. But Shojo knows OOTS had no way of knowing that. So, shouldn't the trial be over?

[kierthos]

Thank you, V, for voicing my thought. There should never be a "self-destruct" rune, button, switch or lever in any base, whether created by a good, bad or neutral person.

Plus, given their defeat, it looked highly unlikely that Xykon, Redcloak and the In-the-Shadow-beast were going to return to Dorukan's dungeon. Sure, maybe the demonic cockroaches might... but you get cockroaches everywhere.

[Quixote]

Plus, given their defeat, it looked highly unlikely that Xykon, Redcloak and the In-the-Shadow-beast were going to return to Dorukan's dungeon. Sure, maybe the demonic cockroaches might... but you get cockroaches everywhere.

Here I disagree. Roy defeated Xykon, or at least believed he did. What further reason did he have to remain in the dungeon? The Order would have left, and Xykon would have been able to return to continue his experiments in peace.

[Lord Herman]

Yay for the plot!

Now go get some sleep, Giant.

[Maryring]

A round of applause for the newbie paraelemental who without a doubt has the highest collective mental stats of everyone in that room. That was simply put brilliant. This comic was very enjoyable to read.

[Eldhrin]

Well Celia's certainly proving her worth, and thankyou to V for voicing what we've all been thinking.

The interesting thing for me in this strip, apart from the usual great humour, is that Lord Shojo himself appears to be inclining toward being persuadable to come around to the OOTS point of view. Sure he thought he knew the situation, and sent out Miko (who appears to have interpreted her mission in her own typically hard-lined style) to apprehend our favourite party of adventurers. But he's Good and Lawful, and will adjust his own judgement based on the facts, because he's Good and Lawful and that's what he must do.

The real problem of course is that he's not doing the judging - there's that planar being around for that.

[kierthos]

Here I disagree. Roy defeated Xykon, or at least believed he did. What further reason did he have to remain in the dungeon? The Order would have left, and Xykon would have been able to return to continue his experiments in peace.

I think comic #117 makes it pretty clear that Xykon is bugging out, regardless of whatever else happens. Mind you, this could be because if Redcloak stays, he'll get killed, and the phylactery would have fallen into the hands of the OotS, but he's clearly giving up on using this gate for the time being... Although Elan renders it a moot point.

[Sebastian]

"I don't make the crazy rules, I just twist them to my purpose"

Signature material and the lawful good/evil manifesto ;D

Beautiful even "if intent doesn't matter, let it don't matter in our favor"

[Albion]

It was charming to see V lose her patience, and there were plenty of laughs in this one. It's all making sense... exciting.

[Tawkis]

At least somebody asked the obvious question. I'm little surprised it wasn't Roy though. V while intelligent usually overthinks (and overstates).

[Gez]

The interesting thing for me in this strip, apart from the usual great humour, is that Lord Shojo himself appears to be inclining toward being persuadable to come around to the OOTS point of view.

No, no, Shojo is completely neutral. It's Mister Scruffy who seems partial to the dungeon crawlin' fools.

[Adeptus]

Brilliant as ever Rich. Kudos.

[watermammal]

Giant,

I must comment on the previous weeks comics and the beginning of this week...heck, on the whole shebang! I DM, and while I previously believed I spun interesting and far reaching stories, you have humbled me. I am amazed, not just by your artistic ability, to which I have never ascribed, but to your imagination, your foresight, your sense of storytelling, and your sense of humor. You have inspired me to become a better DM. Thank you.

[thatwolfguy]

awesome job storytelling and working answers to everyone's questions in. love the hairdryer! thanks giant!

[whitemane]

Also loved how everything Shojo says on this matter comes from the words of Mr. Scruffy. Really makes you believe that Mr. Scruffy is the current leader of the Sapphire Guard.

My theory on this is that Mr. Scruffy has an intuitive knowledge of the Snarl given that cats seem to hack up so many hairballs that are similar to it...

[SirAngus]

Im convinced Mr Scruffy is a variation to Shojo's paladin mount. After all when your in your 70's where are you going to ride to, but a nice kitty that can sit on your lap and dispense advice thats useful.

[KerPow]

I love it! ;D
The detail continues to amaze me...
The hair dryer, haley's hair, but I just love the look on celia's face in the last panel... it's the eyebrows

Amazing art! :o

[Nighthawk4]

I love the hairdryer, almost as good as Haley in a towel in the last one. ;)

That is one very smart cat, plus a rather sneaky lawyer (is there any other kind? ).

A brilliant sequence of comics, Giant. Once again, you excel even your previous works. :D

[team56th]

OMG... this is one of the best strip of OOTS I have ever seen with #64 and #105. V, Roy, Celia and even Lord Shojo makes me laugh and even shocked. Grrrrrrrrrreat job Rich, this #278 is worthy of freakin' long delay.

[Winged One]

Ah, yes, Celia really does have a great talent for her chosen field. ;D

[Deuce]

Much talent in that Celia, I muct agree - 'tis a far better job choice then sigil guarding.

Now about that burning smell down in the store room . . . ;)

[TomBoniface]

Celia's comment about not making the rules, just twisting them was funny, but I though Roy's reply "You'll go far in your profession" took the cake.

[Sundog]

I also see this as an interesting comment on regular, freewheeling Lawful Good as opposed to categorised, regularized, codified Lawful Good.

Roy operates on a basic concept of LG, and works off of a gut feeling based on his internal beliefs. He may make a mistake, but he'll always err on the side of right.

The codified LG of Celia allows her to scrape much closer to the line and be certain of not going over it - which may actually facilitate doing exactly that. Let's call it "making a mistake with confidence."

A very interesting piece of moral reasoning - I like it.

That and Haley's hairdryer, of course! ;D

[Gary_Schaper]

I like the slightly diabolical cast of Celia's expression as she describes her reasoning to Roy and her true lawyerly soul becomes evident.

"If intent doesn't matter, let it not matter in our favor!"

Yay Celia!

[TheLastOfTheFallen]

The last two comics, hell every comic that was drawn in crayon and today's, was bloody awesome! you thought of everything, Rich, and wove it together in a beautiful way. Great job, and the last two in particular were hilarious! ;D

[Freelance Henchman]

Hi to everyone, new poster here!
I've become a huge fan of OOTS since I found a link on fark.com some time ago. I have since ordered the books (can't wait to get them!) and just wanted to tell The Giant how much I love his work!
The latest comic is another masterpiece (Haley hair-drying :D , the "court-room drama" feel of it).

I think the last few "history-lesson" strips explain much why it was legitimate for poor misunderstood Miko to drag the OOTS all the way to Azure City, in chains if necessary. She may be uptight, but she is that for a very good reason. In the danger of starting a flamewar ;-) I think the right of the OOTS to make a name and some gold for themselves pales in comparison to the danger that might cause to the very fabric of the universe, and they better have a good explanation for why they were there and did what they did.

Again, praises to The Giant for creating the funniest, most expressive stick figures ever drawn!

[Eternal-Darthness]

No, no, Shojo is completely neutral. It's Mister Scruffy who seems partial to the dungeon crawlin' fools.


Seconded. And we've also got to take into account something else here. Elan's touching of the self-destruct rune was in the spirit of "ok, we're done here". Burning your bridges behind you is only an age-old tradition because you don't want anyone else to use what you leave behind. Whether Redcloak returned or not, there were no longer any effective defenses (Barring a few rooms here and there with 2nd ed monsters) preventing people from just wandering in. Regardless of whether Xykon can use the gate, noone else will now be messing with it, the end result doesn't even depend on Redcloak or anyone else getting away. Obviously, the gate needs to be replaced now, but the OotS were in no way capable of defending it by remaining there.

Just think what would happen if the next creature to move into the dungeon (Recalling Xykon's retreat being reoccupied) were to start screwing with the gate.

I have to wonder if Lirian's gate was just ignored after it burned, and whether the Sapphire Guard or anyone else has attempted to replace or repair it. Obviously some of the knowledge of how to seal the rifts would have been kept by the Guard, so aren't they reponsible for weakening reality to some degree by not doing anything to replace it?
Okay I'm done.

[Eriol]

You know, as much as Shojo may or may not be convinced, in the end it's the Being of Pure Law and Good (BoPLaG) that is REALLY the one that needs convincing.

Will the arguments work on him/her?

[slowly_insane]

I have to say, while #277's last four panels were absolutely hysterical (the yoyo and the water on the floor), todays was just too much. Loved the pink hairdryer, loved Roy's eyebrows in the last two panels, and loved the whole conversation between Celia and Roy, she is one quick paraelemental! Thank you, Rich!

[bexie]

Oh, brilliant. This is soo great!!!

I loved the Hairdryer and Hlaey's hair. Brill!

Also Celia.

"Hey, I don't make the crazy rules. I just twist them to my purpose."

That made my sides slip, Rich!! I'm soooo happy that my friend introduced me to Order of the Stick!! It's brilliant!! :D

(p.s. Sorry for saying Brilliant or brill all the time. It's my new fave word!:P)

[Tariskat]

Hmmm. I agree, of course, that Monday's strip was funny, that (almost) goes without saying. I think Celia's defense should work, right? Preventing Redcloak from using the gate for worse things and all that. But, on the risk of starting a forest fire here, what about Belkar? If he somehow makes it to court before judgement is passed, will his killing of surrendered goblins break the case? They weren't fighting, they (presumably) wouldn't mess with the gate, and they probably would have left. Does that even matter, though? Maybe little instances of badness won't matter, since it's just about the Gate/universe?

[infiniteviking]

VAARSUVIUS ROCKS. Strips like this are what made V my favorite character.

Fantastic comic. My respect for Shojo and Mr Scruffy has risen... oh, at least an inch, and it is VERY good to know that the Azure City gate has no self-destruct button (especially with Belkar running around loose). Haley's (pink!!!) hair-dryer is hilarious, but I'll be grinning all day about V's logic and Celia's ethical stance.

I wonder... what's Ceila's alignment? Neutral Good perhaps?

[Melnor]

What can I say?
You give my meaningless school life meaning!
You have no idea how wonderful it is for me to be doing school, bored out of my mind, and then come on and read a wonderful new OoTS comic! This is, by all means measureable, my favorite comic of all time! No other webcomic measures up to this baby. Thank you for your effort in producing a free comic, Giant!!

[Daavi_Tues]

Miko must've taken a lot of d6'es of damage by now...

[kerberos]

But, on the risk of starting a forest fire here, what about Belkar? If he somehow makes it to court before judgement is passed, will his killing of surrendered goblins break the case? They weren't fighting, they (presumably) wouldn't mess with the gate, and they probably would have left. Does that even matter, though? Maybe little instances of badness won't matter, since it's just about the Gate/universe?
What badness, their skin was green so their destruction was just and necessary.
;D

[soozenw]

"not guilty by virtue of two wrongs make a right." CLASSIC! i love it. also, the hair dryer (even though it's been said before) is just a gem. that's great. awesome yet again rich.
;D

[PhoeKun]

The hairdryer is a nice touch, but its the power cord that really makes it funny. Makes you wonder what its plugged into...

[Grunjon]

But, on the risk of starting a forest fire here, what about Belkar? If he somehow makes it to court before judgement is passed, will his killing of surrendered goblins break the case?

Hi, first-time poster here. Giant rocks.

I think one of the reasons Belkar may be out-of-the-way right now is so that he doesn't, ahem, interfere with the trial. :)


But really, how long HAS Miko been left burning? Has she been burning all throughout the entire Crayon Campaign? Whew!


As a former wannabe lawyer, I can really appreciate Celia's new strategy. Way to go! 8)

[theKOT]

The hairdryer is a nice touch, but its the power cord that really makes it funny. Makes you wonder what its plugged into...

It's plugged into the good in all our hearts! Duh! ;)

[Sleffie]

I can't help but wonder if Scruffy the cat is closely related to Scruffy the janitor, and in that case, whether or not he will get one of those spiffy thee hundred dollar haircuts.


As everyone else, I love the V outburst and the Roy and Celia conversation. And Haley's hairdryer too I suppose, which basically means I like the entire comic. Hmm...


As for whether or not this defense is going to work, I dare say it will because the party has been stuck in Azure city for quite some time now, it's about time they met one random encounter again as they go from A to B, and prod some serious buttock over at B.

[Sanctu]

All I could think was: "Ah, thank you, Vaarsuvius, for saying exactly what I had been thinking for a long time, and in loud tones."

[Adeptus]

Here's something I've been meaning to say.

Thank the Gods the Giant is avoiding one of the biggest problems with the whole of D&D.

Everybody seems to think that PC:s (and gamers, I suppose) should know every species, monster and trick in the book. There was a lot of whining in the spirit of "what kind of an adventurer doesn't know that a lich has a phylactery?" earlier.

The whole point of the phylactery is pretty much lost if people knows about them. The D&D lich is a very good Fantasy Horror baddie... assuming that the players don't know about such.

Luckily the Giant seems to have a more roleplaying centered view of his world. Things may or may not work as vanilla D&D would have people think, and a lich definitely isn't a run of the mill monster whose strengths and weaknessess are known to the characters.

Hooray for individual creation and roleplaying! (not to mention excellent story telling)

[The_Shadow]

Terrific! I especially like Celia's lawyerly reasoning, and Roy's principled objection to it at first. Very Lawful of him.

What I'm really wondering now is what will become of the two destroyed gates... We know that the Sapphire Guard and presumably the other "Order of the Rifts" members (or their successors) know that they're gone. What will they do about it, that's the question.

[diapsid]

I agree with the consenus: Awesome

One thing though. How does Dhojo know all this? Presumably Soon passed it all on, but how did he find out? Really though, what's the point in asking, I'm sure we'll find out in due time!

Congrats on awesomeness Rich!

[Devoured_Dude]

So has that been Xykon's plan all along? To control the Snarl through one of the gates?

Good thing Lord Shojo has a bunch of paladins guarding his gate without a self-destuct feature. Imagine Xykon trying to capture Shojo's gate. "You and what army?" Shojo could answer defiantly.

Oh, his Hobgoblin army, that's right.

[Grunjon]

Imagine Xykon trying to capture Shojo's gate. "You and what army?" Shojo could answer defiantly.


This one! (http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/GiantITP/ootscript?SK=197) ;D

[The Vorpal Tribble]

Going to have to applaud this one.

Celia may now be one of my favorite characters.

"I dont make the crazy rules, I just twist them to my purpose." could be my official slogan. Thats a T-shirt if I ever saw one.

[Darius Midnite]

*Drewling*
Mmmmm good strip....*more drewling*

[Lightman]

Awesome strip! Loved it!

[WarriorTribble]

I don't get it, why are these reality enforcing constructs gates at all? Why would you want to build in the ability to open a tear in the fabric of the universe, and potentially release the apocalypse?

Apologies if this has already been asked

[Djagir]

You know, as much as Shojo may or may not be convinced, in the end it's the Being of Pure Law and Good (BoPLaG) that is REALLY the one that needs convincing.

Will the arguments work on him/her?
Well, we have two choices: either intent does matter, or intent does not matter.
If intent matters:
Then the OotS did not know the nature of the gate that they destroyed. They did not intend to weaken the fabric of reality, and are thus innocent of intent to do so. At worst, they could be assigned to help rebuild the defenses of the gate (and perhaps embark on a quest to get mateirals to do so).
If intent does not matter:
Then the OotS, regardless of their knowledge or intent at the time, served to keep the gate, as it was, from falling into the hands of Xykon and his minions. They used the self-destruct rune for the (presumed) purpose that Dorukan had designed it for, and thus guarded the fabric of reality from someone who had ntent to twist it to his own purposes.
Either way, they're not guilty of (intentionally) weakening the fabric of the universe, and should suffer, at worst, minor penalties.

--Dj

[Gary_Schaper]

Celia may now be one of my favorite characters.
Even better than Other Rat. ;D

[Djagir]

I don't get it, why are these reality enforcing constructs gates at all? Why would you want to build in the ability to open a tear in the fabric of the universe, and potentially release the apocalypse?
The Snarl already tore open parts of the fabric of reality in an attempt to get out of its prison. The gates are there not to be opened, but to keep those breaches sealed so that the Snarl can't get out and unmake reality again--they're intended to remain permanently closed.

--Dj

[Randomnesh]

This strip was amazing. The artwork was fantastic, and the dialogue made me laugh. Definatly worth the wait.

Can we get a T-Shirt with what Celia said in the last frame on it anytime soon?

[manscatha]

I hope this does not count as speculation, but my personal theory is that Mr. Scruffy is fond of the Order because he hates being kitty-kitty'ed, and so has it in for Phil Rodriguez.

And I was very happy to see that Haley's hairdryer was pink and not, like, lime green.

[Bilbo27]

Haley+Hairdryer-any electrical outlets= PRICELESS!!

(How did she get that blasted thing to work anyhow???

[Jaime]

And I was very happy to see that Haley's hairdryer was pink and not, like, lime green.
Yeah, seriously. Lime green looks good on most redheads, but with Haley's skin?

I'm waiting at the edge of my seat here for a resolution to the trial sequence (although I hope this isn't the last we see of Celia). Perhaps I'll waste the time until Wednesday by hunting for foreshadowing in the archives.

[DOOM2099]

Just when I think I might have an idea where this story/plot/strip/world is going....

I have come to the conclusion that I must join The Order of the Stick. I am a multiclass character... Lurker/Gamer with a level in Trolling.

[armatil]

hahaha... "Some goblin in a red cloak" ;D
cracked me up big time. way to go. :)

[soni]

Celia can't be good- there's no such thing as a good lawyer...

She has to be Chaotic


Haley got the power for her hairdryer from the same place they get the power for the spotlights... LOL

[phlip]

Haley+Hairdryer-any electrical outlets= PRICELESS!!

(How did she get that blasted thing to work anyhow???
A wizard did it. Probably V.

[Sylvius]

Celia can't be good- there's no such thing as a good lawyer...

She has to be Chaotic

She's a lawyer. She can't be chaotic.

Or rather, the only thing I can imagine a chaotic lawyer doing is going for jury nullification (the worst defence ever). She's not doing that - she's twisting rules to her advantage. Clearly a lawful tactic.

[Dark_Stalion]

Lawful GOOD! as she is doing it for the good of people who she believes are good as opposed to STICKING TO THE RULES COMPLETELY STRICTLY!!! which would be Lawful nutral. Don't ask me why the caps, the exclamations or the bad grammar. A wizard did it. ;D

You could argue that the fac that she is twisting the rules is a result of not respecting them and therefore she is infact nutral, but I won't guarantee that you will win. ;D

[Tariskat]

I dare say we have more than one lawyer lurking in the boards. Let's have it- do you consider yourself lawful, neutral, or even Good?

[Gengy]

I hope Redcloak has a happy ending. He is, by definition, a chunk of XP, and it's a miracle he's lasted this long.

I don't quite think that anymore about Redcloak. True, in a one on one fight with almost any member of the OotS, he'd probably lose... But the guy is a SMART goblin, and an evil overlord's right hand lackey.

That accounts for something, and it can easily be argued that that 'goblin with a red cloak' that got away is more powerful then he really is.

Great comic.

[OffTheWall]

Well, seeing as everything I meant to say has been said, including Celia's line, V's line and the role of the SBoLaG, I am left with but one question to ask:

What is this "gate" you guys keep talking about? ???

[rebellioussong]

WAHHH the cat is smarter then me.... i don't seem to follow it's supirir feline logic! Okay... so maybe the gate could allow someone to harness the snarl for good. i follow Mr. scruffy that far... that is pretty much where i lose our white purring friend. So is distroying the gate could difuse the energy then why... could someone please explain and/or simpathize!!! ??? ??? ???

[Argus]

WAHHH the cat is smarter then me.... i don't seem to follow it's supirir feline logic! Okay... so maybe the gate could allow someone to harness the snarl for good. i follow Mr. scruffy that far... that is pretty much where i lose our white purring friend. So is distroying the gate could difuse the energy then why... could someone please explain and/or simpathize!!! ??? ??? ???
I don't see where you got "for good"; that was just speculating about the possibility that it might be used. And there was nothing about the destruction of the gate diffusing the energy, it was that the existence of the gate might diffuse it. Just as pointing a garden hose directly into a flower garden might wash some of the dirt and flowers away, but pointing it at a nearby wall would result in a diffuse sprinkle that doesn't mess up the garden.

[Tharr]

V goes on a rant nice speech.
The cat is a minor cat diety.
Not Guility until Miko old body shows with Belkar.

[Winged One]

Haley+Hairdryer-any electrical outlets= PRICELESS!!

(How did she get that blasted thing to work anyhow???
It is powered by a limitless source of infinite power: the laughter generated by this comic. ;D

[Gralamin]

It is powered by a limitless source of infinite power: the laughter generated by this comic. ;D
Simple the actors have convinces powered by bound elementals, a small air elemental trapped withing air dryer. when it runs around the endless maze it generates wind and heat as a byproduct. yay for artificers!

Edit: though that could work two winged one...

[Annalia]

New comic? Yeah! ;D I really didn't expect that one and it was great. We're actually having an idea on how they'll get out of this. Or course, there's still Belkar on the loose... eheheh

[Flak_Razorwill]

Ever since I saw the director's chairs, I figured the area was kind of a movie set. The dryer's plugged into the power strip behind the snack table. Yeah, to the right of the coffeemaker, nex to the trash can. Pee Wee Herman will suddenly rush through followed by Hedley Lamar's henchmen.

Seriously, though: They've got it made! The OotS have a case as strong as the Dawn of the Dead shopping mall.

[Tharr]

I hope Belkar is okay.

[Jothki]

She's a lawyer. She can't be chaotic.

Or rather, the only thing I can imagine a chaotic lawyer doing is going for jury nullification (the worst defence ever). She's not doing that - she's twisting rules to her advantage. Clearly a lawful tactic.


Lawful implies a decent amount of respect for the spirit of law. A Chaotic lawyer would think "Here are a set of rules that other people follow. How can I mix and match them to get what I want?"

[Jayus]

Lawful implies a decent amount of respect for the spirit of law. A Chaotic lawyer would think "Here are a set of rules that other people follow. How can I mix and match them to get what I want?"

I was thinking Chaotic was more disregarding the rules, while Neutral would be more "I usually respect the laws for their utility; I can see the loopholes and will use them to my advantage."

[Tharr]

By the way is Elan still in the bathroom.

[Flash]

Not the first time a corded electrical item has appeared. What kind of cord would you need for this? (http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/GiantITP/ootscript?SK=24)

{edit: while 25 is funny, I really meant 24...}

[Alfryd]

Lawful implies a decent amount of respect for the spirit of law.
No, Lawful implies Organised, period.

There was a lot of whining in the spirit of "what kind of an adventurer doesn't know that a lich has a phylactery?" earlier.
There are plenty of ways around this problem without compelling your players to act like morons. Such as don't call the bloody thing a Lich. Substitute some generic 'glowing-eyed undead with mystic ability' description, and/or impose Role-Playing XP penalties for the characters if they mysteriously happen to behave in just such a way as to given maximum advantage against a Lich, given they invested no in-game research in the subject. (Which means they were lucky, rather than smart.) You might also have the Lich secrete their phylactery in a site that requires a viable side-quest unto itself to locate with due expediency, because, really, what kind of idiot leaves the crux of their earthly existence just lying around someplace? Take Voldemort, now. Not only does he establish 6 mutually redundant backup phylacteries, but he hides each behind formidable arcane defences in secret locations. There's an evil overlord worthy of the title.
And in fairness, it's not like Roy hasn't had adequate time or motivation to research the subject thoroughly. It's only been his Life's Work.

[Tharr]

Well Voldermort is now safe they killed Larry Gardener at WarHogs college and got Pompey. Oh prehaps your sister will now betray you Roy. The plot is getting thick as Thogs head. I wonder if they found a real hentia store in the area.

[Adeptus]

...And in fairness, it's not like Roy hasn't had adequate time or motivation to research the subject thoroughly. It's only been his Life's Work.

Good suggestions earlier in your post. A DM:s should definitely do at least that.

My point is still, that a Lich may be a very rare / unique creature in the world of the four three panteons, and it's quite possible that the information Roy would have needed is nowhere to be found.

We don't know. Obviously it isn't common knowledge, since neither Roy (smart, educated), V (über smart bookworm type) or Durkon (high level anti-undead cleric) have it.

Edited to be a less painful read

[Delgarde]

Lawful implies a decent amount of respect for the spirit of law.

Lawful Good, perhaps. But a Lawful Evil character to me is typically someone who follows the law absolutely to the letter, with no regard for the spirit. Because the word of the law is the bit that can actually be enforced - either by the tyrant against his subject, or by higher authorities against him.

[Delgarde]

We don't know. Obviously it isn't common knowledge, since neither Roy (smart, educated), V (über smart bookworm type) or Durkon (high level anti-undead cleric) have it.

Of course, Durkon's not the most experienced or knowledgeable cleric around, given he didn't have any issues with a cleric of Loki. Certainly I would think V would know a bit about the subject though, since Lich is kind of a career path for high-level wizards.

[WarriorTribble]

The Snarl already tore open parts of the fabric of reality in an attempt to get out of its prison. The gates are there not to be opened, but to keep those breaches sealed so that the Snarl can't get out and unmake reality again--they're intended to remain permanently closed.

--DjI understand that, but again my question is, why are these blocks openable. Even if it was never ment to be opened, why was there a door in the 1st place?

[Tharr]

Yeah Belkar explianed in the next comic.