OOTS #255 - The Discussion Thread

[The Giant]

New comic is up, with apologies to Chuck Jones.

[JeffreyToTheMax]

Another great one. Maybe it's the child in me, but anything that mentions "Acme" is good in my book. ;D

But who is Chuck Jones?

[DeathQuaker]

*lol* That is excellent. Was Elan and Nale's father named Wile E.?

Nice joke, while still outlining Nale's character flaws...

"Didn't that strike you as needlessly overcomplicated?"

[Xilehxt]

;D

Great comic. Love to see that plan actually in work

Elan would probably fall for it too..

[The Giant]

But who is Chuck Jones?

Don't ever say that to me again. >:(



(Just kidding. Chuck Jones was the animator of most (all?) of the Wile E. Coyote/Road Runner cartoons, as well as numerous other WB shorts and How the Grinch Stole Christmas.)

[Terrafire]

NO!! NOT THOG! DON'T HURT HIM, NALE!

:o

[Lightman]

Awesome! Brings me back to the good 'ol days when I watched cartoon network and nickelodian...yeah, 5 long minutes ;D

[Kadi]

Just when I think you've topped yourself Giant, you end up raising the bar even higher. That was priceless!

[Ashbless]

So, does Nale's business card have "GENIUS" written on it?

[Terrafire]

Possibly. 8)

[Xilehxt]

Hmmm, those this mean Thog's going to be sacrified in one way or the other? Nale intends to kill him. It'll be the same thing: to get an oposite of Roy, another stupid fighter has to take the spot and he won't be much different from Thog, except that Thog will be a thousand times more funny.

Thog like puppies. :D

[Zherog]

Very nice. :) I like me some Wile E. Coyote style planning. :D

[J0sh]

Awesome!

;D

I was sitting there readin' through the forums and thought.. "Hang on.. it's Friday".. and checked the comics.. and to my delight, there it was. Great work! Love Nate's plans as well -lol-

I'm lovin' thog's personality, by the way.

[Magus]

In one word:

BWAH!

In two words:

Bloody brilliant.

In three words...

You get the point. (Hey, that's four!)

The highlight was undoubtedly the blueprint at the end (although I thoroughly enjoyed the Pompey/Thog race 'discussion'). "With apologies to Chuck Jones" indeed- not! I think he'd appreciate your homage. Wile E. Coyote himself couldn't have come up with a better plan to get that stupid bird- I mean bard!

*thinks about what he just said*

Hey... nice one! ;D

[colonel_blood]

Just when I think you've topped yourself Giant...

I'm sure no one wants the giant to top himself. ;)

At least not until we've seen the new linear guild members.

On another matter Thog is beginning remind me of Mungo from Blazing Saddles.

"Mungo only pawn in game of life."

[Neal]

Heh. Roy wants to get rid of Elan, Nale wants to get rid of Thog. Cute! :)

[Ilover_Juventad]

Your cleverness strikes me again, Giant! I'd love to see Nale's plan work. So masterful a tactician, oh Nale! So priceless! *chokes with laughter*

[Caird_MacCondolach]

Thanks Rich! Brings back memories.

I'm just wondering how many of the younger members of GitP will get the reference. (Also..sorry..but seeing somebody reference Wile E. and Roadrunner in the same sentence with Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network made me shudder. Am I that old? Is that how our younger generation is getting such classical fare?)

The only thing that could have possibly made that better was having Thog on a rocket-powered unicycle. IMHO one of the most hilarious Roadrunner's EVAAH!

Caird

[Jefepato]

Well, I'm starting to really like Pompey.

I just shudder to think how he's going to fit into the revised plan, though.

[Ilover_Juventad]

Nah, should have changed the skates to "puppies".

[Flippy]

Another great comic Giant! Free Iron Rations! Brilliant!

Though i really want to know what the other LG members look like...

[Midnight Son]

It's been said before, but great homage to the classic there Giant.(But shouldn't this have been a saturday morning strip then?) ;)

[Wrecan]

Th-th-th-that's all, folks!

Great strip!

[Adolfo]

Write to Acme ;D

We got a coyote in the making here, lets hope the 3% he better than the real odds of the REAL coyote.

[OldFart]

That . . . was . . . funny. The best homage to the "Soo-per Genius" I've seen since Mallrats.

You know, December 9th has been one of my least favorite days of the year, ever since 1980 when I learned on the morning news that one of the greatest artists of our time had fallen victim to a random, meaningless act of violence.

Thanks, Giant, for making my day brighter.

[Flak_Razorwill]

-What are the other 4 kinds of killing? I'm chaotic good, and I've got like, 7 favorite kinds of killing. 6 of them involve theme music.

-How are they gonna make this plan work if the OotS is chained...hmm...Nale and Miko...OW STOPPIT! SORRY!

-Nale can't be THAT smart. He's launchin' himself from a fricking catapult. Chuck Jones indeed. (Gets popcorn)

-Thog on rocket skates makes me squeal with joy. In all likelihood, though, I hope he gets through unscathed.

-On that note, does Thog have a "Cornholio Mode?" With that much raw sugar, even Stephen Hawking would start giggling about TP.

-This plan'll work, it just needs some good sequencing and timing. Like Anvil first, Thog striking at 50 MPH, then Thog's body as a cushion for Nale's landing.

-Who's gonna get the anvil 50 or so feet up? Sabine's not THAT strong. (The wizard's telekinesis?)

-Ooh, it's snowing.

[Marller]

Oh yeah Pompey really fits in really nice. :)

And that plan, great complexity, and the last three members are not incorporated yet. The plan can only get better. ;D

[Sundog]

Well, you got me LMAO.

The final straw was the "Acceptable-Needs Work" notations... ;D

[Kaertos]

Please allow me to step in and say that I absolutely loved this strip. I usually don't post in the threads about the comics because, in genera, all I have to say is "Funny. I love OotS, looking forward to the next one" which seems, to me anyway, as just redundant.

But this required comment. This was brilliant, just brilliant. Nale as the perpetually snake-bit super genius is great, since, in a way, Elan is exactly the opposite in every way. Where Nale is smart and unlucky, Elan is , well, a little dim and lucky.

Besides, paying homage to the greatest short cartoon director in animation history always polishes my buttons.

[Arian]

I'm sure no one wants the giant to top himself. ;)

At least not until we've seen the new linear guild members.

And not then either!! :o :o :o

[Shatteredtower]

Now I'm left trying to explain why I feel this one plays to the series...

Well played, Giant... well played...

Great blueprint art, by the way. I'd love to be able to frame it (the blueprint, that is) and hang it somewhere in the house.

[Kish]

Hmmm, those this mean Thog's going to be sacrified in one way or the other? Nale intends to kill him.
I think it's more that Nale considers Thog expendable--considers everyone expendable for the greater glory of Nale--than that Nale actively wants Thog dead.

[Norhg]

Damn.
Nale sucks.
This must have been the lamest thing done by the linear guild yet.

Of course, evil opposite and all, they have to be suckier than the good guys.

[Alfryd]

I like this one. Nale and Elan obviously have more in common than you might suspect. Daft plans and enslavement to dramatic embellishment, for starters. At least Elan's scheming is simple enough to be transparent. Beware villains with 18 charisma.

But who is Chuck Jones?
Don't ever say that to me again.
And who is this Hayao Miyazaki we keep hearing about?

On another matter Thog is beginning remind me of Mungo from Blazing Saddles.
I concur.

[Slibs]

Ok thank God its a snow day and no one else made it into the office.

Kudos Giant!

Too bad Nale doesn't know Elan's opinion of Iron Rations!

[Chaos]

"Elan´s scheming? Elan couldn´t scheme to save his life... which is part of why we love him so much: his pure (if slightly intellectually lacking) honesty.

And Nale may have a higher Int score, but he isn´t all that much smarter than Elan.
But then... if villains suddenly stuck to "kill them quick, and be done with it", then there would be no more good stories to tell.

That said, I hope Thog doesn´t get killed. "Evil, but cute"... so true.

[thatwolfguy]

i wanna know the other 4 favorite kinds of killing too, and where does sabine get the wings?

good stuff giant!

[AtomicKitKat]

What next, Gnomish Steam Carriages flying through Dimension Doors? ::)

[Flak_Razorwill]

Now I'm left trying to explain why I feel this one plays to the series...

Well played, Giant... well played...

Great blueprint art, by the way. I'd love to be able to frame it (the blueprint, that is) and hang it somewhere in the house.

A Poster-sized version? Merchandizing?

Seriously, that'd be awesome.

[JessmanCA]

<3 thog on rocket skates

[Eldhrin]

Sorry, did someone say Elan is a 'little dim'? Hmmmmmmm.

I love Nale's plan though. But I particularly like Thog. He's so unloved, the poor stupid man.

[Silverblaze]

i wanna know the other 4 favorite kinds of killing too, and where does sabine get the wings?

good stuff giant!

On the first part, I can't really help you out... As for Sabine's wings - She's a devil/demon sendt by her evil masters to help out Nale... http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/GiantITP/ootscript?SK=57

What I want to know is this: What is the anvil hanging from ??? ;D

[NEO|Phyte]

What I want to know is this: What is the anvil hanging from ??? ;D

the off-blueprint plot device, of course!

[Silverblaze]

the off-blueprint plot device, of course!

Of course - how could I be so stupid; and with the weight of plot, naturally ;D

[Amalthea]

Hmmm, those this mean Thog's going to be sacrified in one way or the other? Nale intends to kill him. It'll be the same thing: to get an oposite of Roy, another stupid fighter has to take the spot and he won't be much different from Thog, except that Thog will be a thousand times more funny.

Thog like puppies. :D
No, Thog will always be okay. You see, like Elan, Thog is too dumb (and too cute) to die.

As for the strip? bwahaha 'write to Acme', I love it!

[Flak_Razorwill]

Does anyone know what Iron Rations are? I found stuff about WWI British meal packs, but that's it.

[Wrecan]

"Elan´s scheming? Elan couldn´t scheme to save his life...

I think convincing Roy to change into a woman to get past the assassins counts as a daft scheme... that worked! (Another way Elan and Nale are opposites -- Elan's daft schemes work!)

[Wrecan]

Does anyone know what Iron Rations are? I found stuff about WWI British meal packs, but that's it.

It's a carryover from 1st edition D&D. Basically it's dry rations held in an iron box. Nobody knows what's actually in an iron ration. It's the D&D equivalent of spam.

[El Jaspero, the Pirate King]

"Likelihood of Thog getting hit with anvil: 84% <-acceptable"
"Likelihood of Nale getting hit with anvil: 3% <- needs work"


Brilliant, utterly brilliant.

[Ronfar]

And Jay and Silent Bob dance on the ruins of the stage!

[Ibn_M]

It is now clear that Sabine is a devil.

Devils can be hurt by silver, as has been mentioned in http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/GiantITP/ootscript?SK=62 and in Nale's plan it is written that Sabine's scissors should not be silver.

[Krytha]

As for Sabine's wings - She's a devil/demon sendt by her evil masters to help out Nale...

Hmph, I stay up all night procrastinating and hoping for the comic, then go and write my exam at 8:30, come back and there's 4 pages of posting! Oh WOE unto he who is I! Life is unjust and callous and unfair and... uhm... i knew I quoted that for a reason...

Yeah I'm thinking that Sabine fits into the devil category more than the demon one. Demons are chaotic evil, no? and devils are LE? She's really really like a su-kk-u-bus (not the Hasbro lawyer attracting kind...) and I think they fall into the devil category. Really, Im a total DnD newb who just likes the pictures in the monster manuals so correct me if I'm wrong.

[Ilaun_Undil]

It is now clear that Sabine is a devil.

Devils can be hurt by silver, as has been mentioned in http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/GiantITP/ootscript?SK=62 and in Nale's plan it is written that Sabine's scissors should not be silver.
Just to point it out it says silver or cold iron. in that respect, The giant is just trying to be species neutral with Sabine. I don't think anywhere it only mentions silver as a weakness. However I do agree that she is probably more lawfully aligned. That would make her devil I believe.

[KuH]

Umm - I missed the raincoat reference. Anyone fill me in?

[Eva_of_Sirrion]

Today's comic was gold Giant. 24-karat, 99.999% isotopically-pure gold! :D Loved it!

Can't wait for Elan to cast "expeditious retreat" and say "thbbt, mee-meep!"

[Ilaun_Undil]

It is now clear that Sabine is a devil.

Devils can be hurt by silver, as has been mentioned in http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/GiantITP/ootscript?SK=62 and in Nale's plan it is written that Sabine's scissors should not be silver.
Just to point it out it says silver or cold iron. in that respect, The giant is just trying to be species neutral with Sabine. I don't think anywhere it only mentions silver as a weakness. However I do agree that she is probably more lawfully aligned. That would make her devil I believe.

[Amalthea]

It's a carryover from 1st edition D&D. Basically it's dry rations held in an iron box. Nobody knows what's actually in an iron ration. It's the D&D equivalent of spam.
Actually, I asked my dad what iron rations were when I was a kid (I used to read his D&D manuals all the time) and he said they were dried foods that were reasonably light and lasted pretty much forever. He said they'd include stuff like cram (I was also on a Tolkein kick at this time) or hardtack, jerky, and maybe dried fruits and nuts. Basically food that's filling, and nourishing, but not very appetizing.

[Starla]

It is now clear that Sabine is a devil.

Devils can be hurt by silver, as has been mentioned in http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/GiantITP/ootscript?SK=62 and in Nale's plan it is written that Sabine's scissors should not be silver.

Look again my friend it says not silver or cold iron. Like V her specific character trait remains a mystery...

[Demosthenes]

Umm - I missed the raincoat reference. Anyone fill me in?

Erm, I am quite sure that thi plan would kinda be messy. I mean, an anvil?

[Ilaun_Undil]

It is now clear that Sabine is a devil.

Devils can be hurt by silver, as has been mentioned in http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/GiantITP/ootscript?SK=62 and in Nale's plan it is written that Sabine's scissors should not be silver.
Just to point it out it says silver or cold iron. in that respect, The giant is just trying to be species neutral with Sabine. I don't think anywhere it only mentions silver as a weakness. However I do agree that she is probably more lawfully aligned. That would make her devil I believe.

[xyzchyx]

I think the Giant is just messing with our heads by having "not silver or cold iron" written there, because her past demonstrated abilities clearly showed her to be a Succubus, which would make her a Demon, (cold iron bypass a Succubus' damage reduction, btw). In the last cold iron/silver reference, I got the impression that only Haley was simply unsure what she was, not that the reader was supposed to be uncertain as well.

If Sabine _IS_ a devil, she is a house-ruled one that is not in the monster manual.

I have one other theory that's moderately amusing in its own right, but based on some other discussions that I've seen here, it could count as a spoiler, so I won't mention it here.

[Sebastian]

Thanks Rich! Brings back memories.


The only thing that could have possibly made that better was having Thog on a rocket-powered unicycle. IMHO one of the most hilarious Roadrunner's EVAAH!

Caird
I'm partial to the sail + elettric fan combination, but probably it was to anacronistic for OotS (yeah, unlike the rocket propelled skates. ::) )

[themunck]

[was a prejuction, and therefore I have deleted it]
-themunck

[Eriol]

Too bad Nale doesn't know Elan's opinion of Iron Rations!
Exactly.

DCF Bonus Strips Spoiler Below:

Belkar has converted everybody (but Durkon) to Halfling Rations methinks. They even include dessert! There's no way Elan would go for the Illegitimate Love-Child of Evil Beef Jerky and Oatmeal. (Did I get that right? Don't have DCF in front of me at work...)

[Sebastian]

So, does Nale's business card have "GENIUS" written on it?


no, of course not. That would be ridicolous.

They have "SUPER-GENIUS" on it. :)

but I don't get it, Where is tied the anvil?

("not silver or cold iron" he, he)

Here we see another aspecit of Nale evil opposite nature. Where Elan make everything simple even to idiotic level, Nale make everything excedingly complicated.

Just some random observations

[sniffles]

Brilliant, just brilliant. Rich has obviously wasted his youth on cartoons, comic books and pop culture - just like me. I love ya, man. ;)

Only one problem - just recently my gaming group started a new campaign in which we have 2 - count 'em, 2 - bards. We all read OotS religiously. Do you see the difficulty? :D

[Marller]

Does anyone know what Iron Rations are? I found stuff about WWI British meal packs, but that's it.

well, in german exists an expression like iron ration (eiserne ration) and in english, as far as i have seen.
It's somehing you can eat, when nothing else is left to eat. In "Dungeon Crawlin' Fools" strip 34a, it is explained pretty good.

Addenum: On some website, in a report about the food supply in WWII, it was said that the "Eiserne Ration" was actually called "Eiserne Portion" (iron portion). Iron ration was the name for the emergency food of the horses. I guess the iron portion tasted so bad that they called both iron ration.

Anyway consider it some major flaw of Nale's plan. ;D

[Maelstrom]

Excellent Comic!

Oh and isn't about time that Tarwaldien repost his theory of Sabine once again?

[Istielthia]

Can't wait for Elan to cast "expeditious retreat" and say "thbbt, mee-meep!"

I think I would pay money to see that particular strip. Excellent comic, Giant. Brought back a lot of Saturday-morning memories.

[zibeck]

Oh, and am I the only one suspecting that P is V's son? That would be so...wierd, and there worthy of OotS

Somebody needs to read up on the forum rules.

[Devoured_Dude]

Giant, when this plan fails, please have Elan say "Meep, meep!"

BTW, you're right about half-elves. I've never seen any appeal in playing a half-elf in 3.0 or 3.5.

[Nerd-o-rama]

Heheheh. Elan's strategic planning skills seem to be congenital. I believe this makes WIS Nale's dump stat, ya? Or he's watched too many cartoons. Or not enough, who knows.

Devoured_Due: they are the key to having an absolutely ludicrous Diplomacy score, pointless though that may seem. Other than that...I dunno. Immunity to Sleep is useful at low levels.

[Seraph]

okay, this blueprint makes me believe that the only reason nale is smarter than Elan is that he's wearing a headband of intellect in a nonstandard way.

[Duskrider_Moogle]

Hahahahahahahahahahaaaaaaaawesome.

[Akiosama]

Giant,

I have only one word to describe today's comic.

Classic.

Keep up the good work.

Akio

[Particle_Man]

I like how the one character trait that Nale and Elan share is their need to have things be dramatically appropriate. Elan knows *just when* to jump from an explosion, and Nale just assumes that his group has to be *evil opposites* of the group they are opposing. And now Nale has to have the "villain's plan".

[mossfoot]

How could a plan like that POSSIBLY fail? ;)

[humanpylon]

I will say Nale's plan is pretty funny. Having said that I was surprised that he made such a wingnut plan. His last plan (joining up with order, manipulating them into touching sigils, getting the amulet) was cunning yet plausible and would have worked perfectly if Haley hadn't gotten a natural 20 on her bowshot. This seems like Nale's gone off the deep end. Which is entirely possible I suppose.

[Amalthea]

I will say Nale's plan is pretty funny. Having said that I was surprised that he made such a wingnut plan. His last plan (joining up with order, manipulating them into touching sigils, getting the amulet) was cunning yet plausible and would have worked perfectly if Haley hadn't gotten a natural 20 on her bowshot. This seems like Nale's gone off the deep end. Which is entirely possible I suppose.
Sometimes things go in the comic solely to serve the funny, and shouldn't be taken too seriously. This is like Miko and the mattress tag - funny and then forgotten.

[themunck]

Somebody needs to read up on the forum rules.
why...I'm just saying the look a lot alike

[The Glyphstone]

why...I'm just saying the look a lot alike

It's one of the new rules...the Giant has decreed that ANY speculation or predictions should go in one of the specially marked threads that are labeled [SPOILER].

[humanpylon]

Sometimes things go in the comic solely to serve the funny, and shouldn't be taken too seriously. This is like Miko and the mattress tag - funny and then forgotten.
Oh I know its all played for laughs. I just have this image of Sabine looking at the plan, shaking her head, and saying "I came up from the lower planes for this?"

[Elethiomel]

I think the Giant is just messing with our heads by having "not silver or cold iron" written there, because her past demonstrated abilities clearly showed her to be a Succubus, which would make her a Demon, (cold iron bypass a Succubus' damage reduction, btw).

No. The DR entry says "Cold iron and good" (emphasis mine). This means that you would need a holy cold iron weapon to bypass the damage reduction of a succubus.

I find that the blueprint plan reminds me more of Calvin and Hobbes' battle plans than RoadRunner's blueprints, simply because the Coyote never had to coordinate several people at once, while Calvin often details maneuvers that require him and Hobbes to move separately. Still very funny, though.

[Chaos]

Giant, when this plan fails, please have Elan say "Meep, meep!"
*snip*

No. Let him scratch his head in confusion and say: "For some reason I feel the sudden urge to say ´Meep, meep!´..."

[Zink]

No. The DR entry says "Cold iron and good" (emphasis mine). This means that you would need a holy cold iron weapon to bypass the damage reduction of a succubus.

Nope, it says "Cold iron or good". I checked.

[zibeck]

So what will it take to get you to reveal the other two new members of the Linear Guild, Rich?

[El Jaspero, the Pirate King]

So what will it take to get you to reveal the other two new members of the Linear Guild, Rich?

Given that Nale says they're headed to the Inn to meet the rest of the team, probably a weekend.

[soni]

So what will it take to get you to reveal the other two new members of the Linear Guild, Rich?


ummm... time?

say, a week or two?

[Gary_Schaper]

The most dubious part of Nale's plan is that it uses three Guild members to take out the weakest combatant in the Order. Sibling rivalry is great, but meanwhile Vaarsuvius is nuking you from orbit.

[Duskrider_Moogle]

The most dubious part of Nale's plan is that it uses three Guild members to take out the weakest combatant in the Order. Sibling rivalry is great, but meanwhile Vaarsuvius is nuking you from orbit.

Indeed. I mean, all it took was some heavy lifting to completely disable Elan. I'm pretty sure the anvil is more than enough. Even the bait is excessive.

[Ashbless]

Can I just say I'm slightly dissapointed that NAle's plan doesn't involve perching the catapult on the edge of a cliff, which would give this plan "Super-Genius" Category... ;D

[humanpylon]

so did anyone other than me root for the coyote? I would have liked to have the seen the roadrunner get eaten. stupid obnoxious bird.

[greatscott]

Can I just say I'm slightly dissapointed that NAle's plan doesn't involve perching the catapult on the edge of a cliff, which would give this plan "Super-Genius" Category... ;D

This comic was fantastic! Only confusion I have is that I have gone through life thinking the Coyote called himself "Supra-genius".

Was it super?!?!

GS

[Tariskat]

I rooted for the coyote. He always lived through falling off the cliff, getting exploded, what not. And he had no dwarven cleric. So I thought the roadrunner could get made into bird-roast every once in a while. It'd keep us on our toes.

[Xander77]

so did anyone other than me root for the coyote? Everyone. Hey, there even was the episode where he got miniaturized, finally caught up with the road-runner and held up a "well, you all wanted me to get here. Now what?" sign. Then he got chased by the road-runner....

[Eva_of_Sirrion]

Did anyone else notice Nale's baldric has changed sides? It's usually on his left (opposite of Elan) but in today's strip it's on the right (like Elan's).

[Deleran]

But its on his left again in the blueprints.

[nihil8r]

Oh I know its all played for laughs. I just have this image of Sabine looking at the plan, shaking her head, and saying "I came up from the lower planes for this?"

To drop anvils on peoples' heads? Oh yeah, definitely.

[Fanatic-Templar]

so did anyone other than me root for the coyote? I would have liked to have the seen the roadrunner get eaten. stupid obnoxious bird.

Always. The voice in my head that calls itself Galen, elven druid, kept urging me to send letters or swarms of venomous insects.

On another note, it would seem that Elan is stupid but with decent wisdom, whereas Nale is smart but oblivious.

[Kish]

Would it qualify as on-topic if I said that as a DM I have house rules giving half-elves and half-orcs better racial abilities, and now I'm wondering about the Giant's house-rules in that area?

[Devils_Advocate]

We've seen evidence that Elan has decent wisdom?

[humanpylon]

I don't know if I'd call Nale oblivious....just not thinking things through properly.

Oh well. I'm sure every rpg player has thought up a hair-brained scheme worthy of a cartoon character (or hare-brained if the cartoon was bugs bunny.)

[Duraska]

I just have to say that the art in this comic is incredible. The Order of the Stick truly transends mere "stick-figure" art. I can't get over how colorful and fun to look at it is.

Yes, I have been drinking a little bit tonight, but I have been meaning to say this for a while... today's strip just finally forced me to write it down!

[mec]

The most dubious part of Nale's plan is that it uses three Guild members to take out the weakest combatant in the Order. Sibling rivalry is great, but meanwhile Vaarsuvius is nuking you from orbit.

From what Nale knows, Vaarsuvius is the weakest member of OOTS.

Belkar: killed Yik-Yik.
Haley: forced Sabine away.
Roy: beat Thog. Then chased Nale into surrender.
Elan: defeated Thog. Then rescued Nale from death.
Durkon and Hilgya: Nale never found out what happened with them.

Vaarsuvius: did no damage to ZZ'dtri. Then Zz'dtri put a lot of hurt on V. V got out of it only by calling in lawyers.

[J0sh]

-lol- Wow. You guys certainly know how to take a comic apart and study every single little aspect of it.

There's no need to talk about what you think might happen or make suggestions. Just enjoy the awesome comic!

But I guess this is a "Discussion Thread" .. but still.

[Winter_Wolf]

"Thog feels little man's pain." I love that. Who'd have thought Thog had empathy of any kind for other than puppies? His expression just makes that panel for me.

[Krytha]

-lol- Wow. You guys certainly know how to take a comic apart and study every single little aspect of it.

There's no need to talk about what you think might happen or make suggestions. Just enjoy the awesome comic!


I take it you don't frequent forums very often? The comics are indeed awesome, and as much as I would like to have OotS every single day for the rest of my life, there are gaps (i.e. Tuesday Thursday and ... *sob*... weekends).

What do rabid fans do during these gaps of boredom and desperation? They SPECULATE! They debate meaningless points! They formulate character sheets for PCs they don't play with! The come up with hare-brained theories! They write fanfics! In short, these gaps in the comic drive the majority of us to the very brink of MADNESS!

You may think that the people here know how to rip apart comics and examine stick figures in the finest detail, but it's like that everywhere. Don't even go near megatokyo's story discussion board if you think these discussion threads pick apart minute elements of comicry... These boards are quite tame compared to other intertron forum jungles...

[SITB]

So.... If Thog eats sugar and attacks Ellan he will enter both sugar rush and rage?

[themunck]

lets hope so

[Sir_Banjo]

It would be so cool to see that blueprint on the next t-shirt. I loved the: Chance thog hit with anvil: 87%
Chance Nale hit with anvil: 3%

Awesome.

[Marller]

From what Nale knows, Vaarsuvius is the weakest member of OOTS.

Belkar: killed Yik-Yik.
Haley: forced Sabine away.
Roy: beat Thog. Then chased Nale into surrender.
Elan: defeated Thog. Then rescued Nale from death.
Durkon and Hilgya: Nale never found out what happened with them.

Vaarsuvius: did no damage to ZZ'dtri. Then Zz'dtri put a lot of hurt on V. V got out of it only by calling in lawyers.


I think, he goes after Elan because he is his twin brother. The rest of the order are just some "goody-two-shoes" adventurers to him.

[Wrecan]

V got out of it only by calling in lawyers.

Are you nuts?! Lawyer Summoning is one of the most potent abilities known to man! :D

On a side note, I'm pretty convinced that Xykon gave Nale the idea of having OOTS members open the elemental gates. That's just too subtle a plan for a guy on the Acme Catalog mailing list.

[Sebastian]

How could a plan like that POSSIBLY fail? ;)
Do you think that Nale and Ben could be related? :)

[Fire_Wolf]

I believe the Acme company slogan was:

Acme: Products That Work. In Theory.

It pretty much says everything.

[Single Shot Zombie]

Vaarsuvius: did no damage to ZZ'dtri. Then Zz'dtri put a lot of hurt on V. V got out of it only by calling in lawyers.


Honestly, good riddance to Zz'dtri>:(. He's too quiet for my liking, not to mention that I find twin scimitar-wielding dark elves kinda overdone and stereotypical; I was literally cheering when the lawyers dragged him away on copyright charges. ;D

Besides, Pompey is so much more chatty; I like dialogue. :D
Dialogue (IMHO) makes for a more interesting and rich storyline. (Not to mention that it makes the world go round.)

I've been reading OOTS and the boards for quite some time, and I've only just gotten around to creating an account to comment on anything. And for this one, I didn't get it at first until I looked at the boards.

Found it kinda lame, but that's because my brain, running rough on copious amounts of coffee instead of sufficient sleep, missed the coyote reference.

And before anyone asks, I rarely pay attention to who writes the cartoon/comic unless I watch/read it extremely often, so I was going "Who's Chuck Jones?" at first. Kudos to that guy, by the way; I remember sitting at the TV several years back, watching Wile E. Coyote's....shall we say....misadventures? My brain got kinda lamed out after a while, though, so the Road Runner faded into the back of my mind........

Even without the coyote reference, this was still up to Rich's usual standards of humor. Not to mention the sympathy garnered by Thog and Pompey ("thog feel little man's pain. thog's racial abilities also below par."). ;D

[J0sh]

I take it you don't frequent forums very often? The comics are indeed awesome, and as much as I would like to have OotS every single day for the rest of my life, there are gaps (i.e. Tuesday Thursday and ... *sob*... weekends).

What do rabid fans do during these gaps of boredom and desperation? They SPECULATE! They debate meaningless points! They formulate character sheets for PCs they don't play with! The come up with hare-brained theories! They write fanfics! In short, these gaps in the comic drive the majority of us to the very brink of MADNESS!

You may think that the people here know how to rip apart comics and examine stick figures in the finest detail, but it's like that everywhere. Don't even go near megatokyo's story discussion board if you think these discussion threads pick apart minute elements of comicry... These boards are quite tame compared to other intertron forum jungles...

Point taken. :)

I guess as annoying as it could be in certain aspects for the author/illustrator/writer (Whatever you call them) for the comics, people taking each strip apart and talking about it heaps - predicting storylines and such, is still a lot better then no-one saying anything at all. It simply means there is a large and loyal fanbase.

;D

*Waits for the next strip impatiently* GRRRRR.. where's my OotS shot of comedy??.. I need it.. NOW!!.. .. >:( ..

;D

[Krytha]

I guess as annoying as it could be in certain aspects for the author/illustrator/writer (Whatever you call them) for the comics, people taking each strip apart and talking about it heaps - predicting storylines and such, is still a lot better then no-one saying anything at all. It simply means there is a large and loyal fanbase.

*Waits for the next strip impatiently* GRRRRR.. where's my OotS shot of comedy??.. I need it.. NOW!!.. .. >:( ..


Eh... yeah, I know Rich hates the kind of second-guessing that is rampant in many webcomic communities (the spoiler rants and so on..) and it's nice of you to champion his wishes but I don't think you have to really. Rich makes it very clear as to what his views are on the matter and the mod team is good at what it does. Fans are sort of an inevitable side-effect of any degree of success (no matter how small or big) and when there is nothing canon to look at... well, you know...

Personally, I love stories told by other people and I wait until they're finished (also because I'm too lazy to come up with my own...) So I suppose speculating is sorta like interrupting a story-teller with your own BETTER idea while it's in progress. It seems a lot more rude when you look at it like that so if that's Rich's take on it, it's easy to see how one could get annoyed quickly.

Hoping for Xykon on monday and unlikely to get it... Linear Guild! Linear Guild! Linear Guild! Linear Guild the new membersssssssssssssssss!

[BurntOfferings]

Wow. Nale is surprisingly adept at drawing stick figures. Who knew? I wonder what skill that uses.... ;D

"Thog feel little man's pain." Classic.

[Tetralemma]

Hi all, long time listener, first time caller (I've always wanted to be able to say that, but I've wasted far more skill points in writing than I have in speaking).


So.... If Thog eats sugar and attacks Ellan he will enter both sugar rush and rage?
It's a little known rule buried deep in the barbarian rules. It's an additional +1 bonus to STR, CON, Will save, and an additional -1 to AC. Really, it's in there. Trust me. Keep looking. I absolutely did not just make this up on the spot. ;D

You don't even want to know the rule for adding a shot of espresso into the mix.

And I've seen a few posts asking how the anvil is hanging is the air. The answer to this seemingly simple question will reveal the TRUE reason Nale was trying to find a new wizard. Not to offset the "elf chick", oh no (though that was a minor consideration), but as the final piece in the complex, nay, super-genius plan to kill his brother. Nale needed one crucial, final element that he did not already have. That element was ...



Wait for it ...



Rope Trick.

[humanpylon]

Every time I hear the spell "rope trick" mentioned, all I think about is some cowboy with a wizards hat and a lasso.

[Ironfang]

Did it ever get answered as to why Nale needs to: - Get cloak water proofed?

As I am am writing this a day later it may have come to me...blood-bath? Or is there another reason that I am missing?


edit:
BTW love the new per comic format rather than monthly. Rich can start them and its so much easier to navigate.

P.S. Rich keep up great work. This was truly a classic, inspired me to introduce new readers.

[Istielthia]

Did it ever get answered as to why Nale needs to: - Get cloak water proofed?

Yea, I think he anticipates copious amounts of splashage from the anvil/Thog combo.

[El Jaspero, the Pirate King]

Nale needs the waterproof cloak just to make the plan more absurdly complicated.

[Single Shot Zombie]

You don't even want to know the rule for adding a shot of espresso into the mix.


Trust me, espresso should NEVER be added to Thog's diet. It's probably for the best.

[ElfLad]

Awesome comic.

I really like Pompey. I find him much more interesting than Zz'dtri. And if Tales of Symphonia has taught us anything, it's that it sucks to be a half-elf.

You know, it would be pretty funny if Belkar's opposite was a Lawful Good who had his/her own reasons for tagging along with the Linear Guild.

[Winged One]

And if Tales of Symphonia has taught us anything, it's that it sucks to be a half-elf.

And that celestials are evil racist motherwombaters, but that's beside the point. ;)

But yeah, awsome comic. I love the way Thog occasionally uses words way beyond his gramatical skills.

[Terrafire]

Hey, hey, hey, am I the only one whose favorite race is Half-elves? :-/

Edit: If anyone says yes I will be forced to tell Thog that they habitually kill puppies.

[Zink]

Hey, hey, hey, am I the only one whose favorite race is Half-elves? :-/

Once upon a 3.0ed game, I created a half-elf ranger. He was rather Belkar-ish, although he didn't have the wisdom of a lemming. He just didn't invest as much in the typical ranger skills such as spot and listen. Basically, I only chose ranger for the two weapon fighting.
After my group commented on (and made fun of) my poor chioce of class, the DM allowed me to switch to a fighter.

But the point of this story is that he forced me to stay as a Half-Elf as punishment for my noobness... And I never played a Half-Elf ever again.

But, er, I guess you're not alone in Half-Elf loving... Though I only say that so Thog won't slash my soft defenseless flesh with his axe. I like puppies, really!

[Darkspear]

Hey, hey, hey, am I the only one whose favorite race is Half-elves? :-/

I liked my half-elf Sorcerer.

Of course, the other half was Gold Dragon, and my familiar was a wyrmling who was my half-sister.

[Xilehxt]

Hmmm, there's this one new guy who decided to play half-elf in our gaming group. We made fun of him for like a year afterwards.

[Malachi, the Lich King]

Hmmm, there's this one new guy who decided to play half-elf in our gaming group. We made fun of him for like a year afterwards.

Hey, I like playing half-elfs!

I love the old Wile E Coyote blueprint plan that is just screaming to be screwed up somehow. Those were some great cartoons and I like this homage to them in the strip.

[dedicated]

Are you nuts?! Lawyer Summoning is one of the most potent abilities known to man! :D

On a side note, I'm pretty convinced that Xykon gave Nale the idea of having OOTS members open the elemental gates. That's just too subtle a plan for a guy on the Acme Catalog mailing list.
No, Xykon didn't know he needed "pure hearted" people to use the sigils
http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/GiantITP/ootscript?SK=97

[DeathQuaker]

I play a half elven fighter cleric. She's a lot of fun. Granted, I rolled scarily well on her stats which helps make up for some of half-elven shortcomings but still... and once my DM forgot halfelves were immune to sleep... I got to save the party from the Symbol of Sleep trap... :)

I agree with the folks assessing a ways back that Nale is likely high int low wis (very smart but lacks common sense) and Elan is high wis low int (insightful as when he discusses with Roy about Miko being mean, but very slow on the uptake).

[Drumbum42]

I don't beleve thog has the dexterity to make it down the hill.

But still, great comic.

[Keebler]

Prediction removed, try one of the spoiler threads for the same idea
If this has been mentioned already, then I missed it. Pompeii. Vesuvius. Red hair, half elf, magical talents...?