The Order of the Stick: May '05

[pumpkinetics]

Well, another month ahead of us, and a new thread to celebrate.

(If you're wondering why it's may '05, check this thread (http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=comics;action=display;num=1083466191 ))

[durandal]

yay!

hehe some guy gets tstuck with a foreign spell checker. sucks to be him!

[evileeyore]

This thread had a reply, whereas the other didn't, so here's bumping this one up the row.

On topic. Yeah Hexes!

[Schattendrache]

Whoah! Deja vu! :o

[Zho]

Hexes! yay

[RBPRX1204]

This will all end in tears, you know.

[The_King_of_Durf]

Oi people, let the Giant or the mods take care of these things

[pumpkinetics]

Well, since the last comics thread is still open for discussion, I have less of a trust in the mods now.

Besides, regulars creating new monthly threads has happened before (http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=comics;action=display;num=1104599534 ).

[Nikolai_II]

The mods that you don't trust have just seen fit to sticky your thread, grasshopper. ;D

[Sneak]

I'm, surprised the mods didn't make a new thread and lock this one, like they did with the other May thread. Why did they choose to use this one, instead of the other? Just wondering.

[The Giant]

Because it's utterly unimportant who starts the thread for each month, and of the two that existed, this one had at least SOME on-topic posts?

The new comic is up.

[Bill]

Oh no! V got baleful polymorphed.
:o

[Gez]

The absurd continues! ;D

I like how V. was turned into a newt. Hope he'll get better! But does that mean the hag weighs the same as a duck? :D

[Sneak]

Hehe... ;D Great comic. But I don't get it, what happened to V?

[PokeTheBard]

Build a bridge out of her! Then we'll know for sure!

*hears muttering about stone bridges and jabs the person in the ribs*

I hope V DOESNT get better, at least not until after the showdown at the starmetal.

I want to see a newt cast fireball lol!! ;D

Ed: In (i think) the second panel, the Hag is dancing forward on the hex-grid and you see green hexagons swirling around V. just partially off screen. I'm assuming he was morphed...


Ciao.

[Edalmri]

You're all missing the best part of the comic! How can V getting polymorphed possibly compare with the sheer awesomeness of Belkar's Halfling rage jumping attack?

[Nikolai_II]

I'm, surprised the mods didn't make a new thread and lock this one, like they did with the other May thread. Why did they choose to use this one, instead of the other? Just wondering.

This was the first, and/or the luckiest. (11 hours older as first, much luckier since it isn't locked :P)

.

That jumping rule is a wee bit silly in my opinion (and completely correct by the RAW, not that I will ever care ;))

[The_Meal]

Lots of great jokes in 176 (as always), but clearly the biggest joke was "Flawless victory (http://www.mobygames.com/game/mortal-kombat)." Classic, Rich! (Is my {electronic} gamer background that rare around here?)

~Neal

[bedbugsareyummy]

Now I have the urge to go "Flawless victory!" at someone.....
I think V-man morphed into a purple snake.

[Grey Watcher]

I love the last line. :-) Best V moment ever.

[Arian]

Besides, regulars creating new monthly threads has happened before (http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=comics;action=display;num=1104599534 ).

The full list of creators of the monthly comic thread is:

May '05: Pumpkinetics (not mod)
Apr: The Giant (mod)
Mar: Baron (mod)
Feb: Baron (mod)
Jan: GypsyThorn (not mod)
Dec: Baron (mod)
Nov: Matuse (not mod)
Oct: Bogotter (mod)
Sep: Lilly (not mod)
Aug: Baron (mod)
Jul: Duskrider Moogle (not mod)
Jun: daverics damsel (not mod)
May '04: daverics damsel (not mod)
Apr '04: The Giant (mod)
Original: The Giant (mod)

This brings the total 'score' to Mods: 8 Not-Mods: 7

You were saying, Janitor? ;)

[Janitor]

Ouch, I have been zinged.

Great comic, Belkar jumping was awesome, and I expected someone to be hexed, I just didn't think V was going to be.

[Aidan305]

Blimey! How many class levels did that hag have?

[Zherog]

Assuming she was a plain ol' green hag, she'd need enough to cast baleful polymorph - which would be 9 levels in either druid or wizard, or 10 levels in sorcerer.

A hag covey gets polymorph - but that spell only works on willing targets.

Then, of course, there's the whole "plot takes precedence over rules" thing with the comic. Which is a good thing, in my opinion - too many people try to analyze the comics from a rules perspective.

[The_Meal]

I think V-man morphed into a purple snake.

Ah, the rarely sighted Leggy Snake. Gotcha. :D

~Neal

[malicousinsectuk]

Hopefully, when V becomes Elf again, we'll find out once and for all her(my preference) gender.

[Brother_Hood]

Again, Belkar gets all the fun moves. :D

The image of a pint-sized halfling soaring through the air is amusing.

[Gez]

It's not a snake, it's a NEWT.

[garand]

V turned into the little girl from "Aliens"?!

[Schattendrache]

No no, I think he meant the former House Speaker of the U.S. government....

[Aidan305]

Again, Belkar gets all the fun moves. :D

The image of a pint-sized halfling soaring through the air is amusing.

Not as amusing as the image of a pint-sized halfling pausing halfway through soaring through the air.

[Asklepios]

Hey ! That's unfair ! That hag should have suffered Attacks of Opportunity before casting baleful polymorph ! ;D
Poor Varsuvius :(

[AtomicKitKat]

Hey ! That's unfair ! That hag should have suffered Attacks of Opportunity before casting baleful polymorph ! ;D
Poor Varsuvius :(

First, surprise round(She was aware of them before the reverse was true)

Second, out of reach of Roy(2 tiles, so should be enough), and definitely out of reach of Belkar(I still think Small characters getting a 5 foot reach just for being armed is a stupid rule, thankfully, I don't think they get 10 foot reach even if wielding polearms sized for themselves)

Thirdly, Surprise Round or not, V is never physically armed(I've yet to see V using even a dagger)

[nihil8r]

How did Belkar do enough damage in one attack to kill her?

Also, doesn't Belkar get an xp penalty for being a level X ranger / level 1 barbarian? Isn't that going to anger him when he discovers that?

I think they should take all of the comics out of the newspaper and put the Stick in there instead. It doesn't matter that none of the old people will get the comic. Roy . . . or Cathy. You decide.

[Priceless_Ming]

Belkar's probably got holy, axiomatic, vicious, keen, +2 daggers. And with power attack coupled, he could take down a hag or an annis. Though the monster was definitely an Green Hag.

"Flawless Victory" awesome.

[Todd]

How did Belkar do enough damage in one attack to kill her?

1. He was raging. That gives him a nice Str (& thus damage) bump.

2. He was doing a leap attack ... new feat from the Complete Adventurer that allows one to do insane damage on a leaping charge.

[RobbieOC]

I'm sure it was just a massive critical. She failed her Fort save is all. ;)

I also liked Belkar doing the "Dragoon" jump-move ala Final Fantasy. Pretty awesome. Great strip, Rich.

[Nerd-o-rama]

It's not a snake, it's a NEWT.
A newt?!

And anyway, Belkar was raging (Bonus to hi impresive for a halfling STR,) jumping (forget what that adds, exactly,) power attacking, and probably criticaled. Interestingly, he could only have attacked with one of his daggers...

But a one-hit kill is funnier and advances the plot quicker, and therefore is what the Giant chose.

[Peldor]

Not every monster has to be at full health. The poor hag might have been a bit under the weather. :-[

Newt? V is obviously a salamander now.

[Grey Watcher]

Well, remember, he does have that Ring of Jumping +20.

[ObadiahtheSlim]

Well Belkar gets all kinds of bonuses for that attack. He probalby already had good bonuses from his starting str (hey his wis points had to go somewhere), we was raging, and he probably had some pretty nice daggers. You don't think he just had ordinary cheap ones? Goodness he has a wealth per level to keep up with so those daggers probably have some nice bonuses to them.

[Nerd-o-rama]

Yeah, I'd almost forgotten about the Ring of Jumping. Glad to see the Giant didn't.

I have got to get one of those when I play a Ninja...

[garand]

No no, I think he meant the former House Speaker of the U.S. government....

Damn you Gingrich! Damn you and your fashionable rubber pants!!!

[AtomicKitKat]

How did Belkar do enough damage in one attack to kill her?

Leaping Attack, Raging, Power Attack, Critical, possibly even Falling Damage(considering he probably fell like 20 feet, and the hag stopped his fall, probably another 2d6 damage) Oh, and don't forget his possible favoured enemy bonus(Giant maybe? He does dislike people making fun of his height, and Giants are fond of doing that)

[garand]

Plus it would be silly to have a five page encounter with a single wandering monster.

[malicousinsectuk]

Besides, who said she was dead? Those X eyes could mean being knocked out. I mean, I know I'D pass out if a halfling landed on me.

[radishlaw]

Seems any kind of polymorph in this situation
is permanant.

My guess is that there will be several fun strips
about V before he/she returns to normal form.

By the way....please enlighten me on why the newt
can still speak after polymorph?

[Nuke]

That's easy.. V made his will save. That's how he's able to speak and will be able to still cast spells. At least he should have, his will save should be pretty high.

Good stuff. "heh.. annis."

[ObadiahtheSlim]

Don't worry Roy, I wouldn't know how to move in a straight line in a bizzare hex world. Before the Over Examiners start picking this apart, remember that comedy takes precidence over rules.

[Brother_Hood]

Another Cool Thing about it: That's a Death From Above, from Mechwarrior 2, I think. I know it's the add on with the Ghost Bear clan. Well, in the game it's a 90-ton mech doing a high-dive onto a mere 35 ton one, but it's still neat.

[Gobbo_in_the_Boots]

Flawless victory... muahahahahaha... Monsterkilled! :D
and poor V... I just pray she gets well again :)

[The_Shadow]

Belkar's probably got holy, axiomatic, vicious, keen, +2 daggers.

This is a joke, right? If Belkar so much as looked funny at a holy, axiomatic weapon he'd be burned to ashes. :)

V-Newt has the cutest little angry-eyebrows!

[Asklepios]

ROFL !
My above post was pure jest (notice the ;D).

It's a COMIC people !! Don't dissect it to death :P

[durandal]

Build a bridge out of her! Then we'll know for sure!

BEDEVERE:
What also floats in water?
VILLAGER #1:
Bread!
VILLAGER #2:
Apples!
VILLAGER #3:
Uh, very small rocks!

lolol

[ekedolphin]

Loved the comic, as always. Looks like Belkar finally got use out of that Ring of Jumping +20 that he picked out of the team's treasure stash in OOTS #130.

Belkar: "No question, give me the Ring of Jumping +20."
V: "Really?"
Belkar: "A magical item that can allow me to rain death from above on my enemies and lets me reach the stuff on the top shelf? Done."

And the hag's expression in this most recent comic when Belkar jumps and doesn't land for several seconds is hilarious. "So, um?" Hee.

Belkar gets a great line in this one, too. "OK, my non-existent patience with this hex crap has run out."

[Edalmri]

Another Cool Thing about it: That's a Death From Above, from Mechwarrior 2, I think. I know it's the add on with the Ghost Bear clan. Well, in the game it's a 90-ton mech doing a high-dive onto a mere 35 ton one, but it's still neat.
Highlander Burial, woohoo! I love doing that except with Maulers. Guess why I picked this avatar... ;D

[The_King_of_Durf]

LMAO funny
"My non-existent patience has run out"
"So, um..."
Poor V I hope its alright
EDIT: Yeah I recognized that from MechWarrior 2, I played it so much when I was younger, I liked the flying one with the jetpack

[evileeyore]

I'm just glad that the Giant has (semi)officially 'proven' that Belkar took at least one level of Barbarian.

[_blackswann_]

BEDEVERE:
What also floats in water?
VILLAGER #1:
Bread!
VILLAGER #2:
Apples!
VILLAGER #3:
Uh, very small rocks!

lolol
Suddenly, the old man from scene 24's corpse falls in, followed by the killer rabbit.
Run Away! Run Away!

Hexing hag on Hexes... very punny.

[Kaerou]

wow, V is now so CUTE! ^_^

[The_King_of_Durf]

Okaaay, that's not exactly how I'd describe him... more little small and slimy

[Kaerou]

but so little!

[durandal]

lol shoulda been a ferret...
not sure why, but itd be cool!

[A_petrock]

prediction.

maybe more slightly monty python jokes? far enough from the original as to not have LIB (laywers in black) run away with things?

yeah im tired from building things and being a Savior... like jesus but not quite.. (im a carpenter)

and...

nice interpretation on the rules.. congradulations. ;D

[durandal]

i wouldnt mind mroe monty python ;D

[boschdevil]

Excellent! Now Belkar has an animal companion. :D

Just think of it, the animal companion would have a higher intelligence than the ranger. Besides V could drive Belkar crazy with his goody-arcane ramblings. It's the classic match.

[Aidan305]

I'm not sure that Belkar has low intelligence. I think, like Elan, he just has a low wisdom score.

[_blackswann_]

i wouldnt mind mroe monty python ;D
neither would I.

[Zorg]

Another Cool Thing about it: That's a Death From Above, from Mechwarrior 2, I think. I know it's the add on with the Ghost Bear clan. Well, in the game it's a 90-ton mech doing a high-dive onto a mere 35 ton one, but it's still neat.



Or Battletech for everyone (my '90 compendium pg 33) ;)

[JD]

I'm not sure that Belkar has low intelligence. I think, like Elan, he just has a low wisdom score.
Belkar has a wis of +9 (Owls Wisdom only adds +4 and he used that scroll that belonged to Durnik).

Elan probably has low str, con, int and wis and has pumped it all into an insane charisma (I mean EVERYONE likes him, I think he's a jerk, but I like him).

"She turned me into a newt!"
"A newt?"
"I got better..."

[Peregrine]

Belkar has a wis of +9 (Owls Wisdom only adds +4 and he used that scroll that belonged to Durnik).
Durnik? I think you mean Durkon -- wrong hammer-carrying fantasy character. ;D

[PokeTheBard]

prediction.

maybe more slightly monty python jokes? ~~ yeah im tired from building things and being a Savior... like jesus but not quite.. (im a carpenter)


Like Brian then? :D

I stand by my claim, V should be a Fireballing Newt! He could hide amongst the ferrets rats badgers etc that roy can create to confuse the encounters! Lol...


Ciao

[Brother_Hood]

Highlander Burial, woohoo! I love doing that except with Maulers. Guess why I picked this avatar... ;D


I can guess. :)

Dang! I'm going to have to dig that game out again and go jumping...

[CaptN]

Some how I don't think more outside refrences will be coming up in the comic. The great lord tends to stay within the boundries of his own great and all knowing gamer humor. But, of course, I could be wrong. *kau-tau, Kau-tau*

[Nighthawk4]

I wonder which sex the purple ferret is - or whatever creature it turns out to be. :D

[Schattendrache]

As stated in the V's Gender Debate thread -- the same gender as V, of course!

[Edalmri]

V doesn't have a gender, stop spreading those slanderous accusations! >:(

[Frojoe21]

Now V is a Gecko, or a salamander, or a tiny iguana. That may just be a one time joke, but if Rich reads over this particular thread and see's my post, he may put it otherwise and make another subplot out of this. But if he...Gah, dammit.

The raging jump attack does prove that Belkar took a level in barbarian though.

[RBPRX1204]

Argh, why do people always go after the magic user first! And where is the rest of the group? This is why you put your wizard toward the rear half of the order, to keep them out of the line of fire. Let's forget that V takes a -2 for Constitution for being an elf, also. ARG! Good grief!

[Schattendrache]

Argh, why do people always go after the magic user first!

http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/GiantITP/ootscript?SK=20

;D

[Brother_Hood]

Re: #20

ROFL! I'd forgotten about that!

I'm sure that whatever V turns out to be will be funny. :)

[Sundog]

I'm Baack! (Computer died last week...)

I LOVE the Green Hag's hexagon magic. Though, it's a bit weird that she would act rapidly to zap V, then just hang around for Belkar's assault...

[Lilly]

Well V is now a lizard not a newt. So sad.

But BWHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAAA!!!

*attempts to calm down* Okay, darn google what good are you without pictures.

BWHAHAHAHAHHAHAHHAHA!

[KreenWarrior]

I LOVE the Green Hag's hexagon magic. Though, it's a bit weird that she would act rapidly to zap V, then just hang around for Belkar's assault... She had to wait for the next round, which was part of the humor.

[ekedolphin]

OOTS #177:

Hee! This is gonna be fun, how V can understand everyone but no one else can understand hir! And Belkar looking to finally establish hir sexual identity (but being unable to do so) is priceless.

But, um, they're leaving hir clothes behind? S/he's gonna be in for one heck of a shock if Durkon is able to cast that dispel.

Favorite quotes:

Elan: "Hey, it's making little lizardy noises."
V: "'Noises?' I am speaking Common, and with more skill than anyone using the word 'lizardy'."

Belkar: "Huh. You know, if I knew more about reptillian reproductive anatomy, I'm sure this would answer a lot of questions."
V: "My vengeance shall be prolonged, diminuitive cretin."

[Arturius]

The hag/annis (which I will now refer to as haggis ;D) probably went for V first since she knew V was more versed in hex grids than the rest of the party. She heard Roy's comment about hexes so who knows how much else she heard.

EDIT: And, of course, Belkar fails to use one of his ranger skills. A decent Knowledge (Nature) roll could probably help him.

[Lilly]

BWHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHA

If I remember what my Vet tech friend told me well enough the best way to determine a reptile's sex is to feel the internal organs.

But linkage (http://www.kingsnake.com/anolecare/29.htm) anyways.

"Lizardy!"

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

[SumGuy]

My non-OotS reading roomie has just officially stated that he has never heard me laugh as loud as I did when I read Belkar's anatomy comment.

props to the Giant, this is now in the running for best_comic_evar

[Nerd-o-rama]

I have a new favorite strip. And favorite character.

To Summarize:
Bwahahahahahahahahahahaha!

[Ojoxsofeta]

"My vengeance will be prolonged, diminuitive cretin."

HAAHHAJDKJAHDAHFCAKBJBXAHJHA

[AtomicKitKat]

To be honest, I've never physically done this myself, but it's not that much easier to differentiate the sexes of lizards than it is amphibians. All amphibians have only one exit/reproductive tract, regardless of gender. Ditto birds(but you can see more obvious differences for them), and reptiles. Some male reptiles have hemipenes, which are essentially 2 half male organs, that move together during sex, thereby forming a reasonable facsimile of the mammalian one. I think they're hidden in the abdominal cavity though, so you'd probably have to do quite a bit of fiddling, both internal and external, to find out.

Edit: To avoid double-posting.

V's last line reminded me a lot of Stewie from Family Guy.

[Gez]

V. is still a newt, not a lizard. You put too much trust in Elan's zoological knowledge. ;D

[Prince_Stefano]

Funny thing is, I actually talk like V. in real life :-X

[RebelRogue]

OMG, that is priceless. I really love the way V's gender discussion has turned into a source of inside comic jokes.

[DeadManWalking]

Thats it Rich now owes me a new keyboard. That last panel in today's comic caused me to spit hot coffee every where. I cannot wait to see what V. has in store for Belkar.

[Drizzt_Fanboy_74]

Pure genius! Vaarsuvuis's lizardy noises are hysterical! One of the funniest comics yet! Also, where have Xykon and the crew been?

[Sneak]

Yeah, we haven't had them in a while, I think since Redcloak killed the hobgoblin that he thought was the supreme ruler.

Anyway, this comic was definitely the best in a long time! I kinda hope V will stay like that for a while, he's much funnier that way than he was as an elf. And this proves that the rest of the party doesn't know for sure what gender he is, as Belkar tried to find out by...erm...nevermind. But seriously, AWESOME COMIC RICH!

[Gobbo_in_the_Boots]

have to agree with the other goblin. MUAHAHAHAHAHAH! It proves everything. Much more sure then "your horse, sir or miss" or "flawless orbs", it proves that NOONE KNOWS and that I nearly laughed my head off... =)

[operafloozy]

You know, it looks like they're leaving V's clothes behind . . .

[MaxDog]

Guess Belkar blew both his Knowledge (Nature) AND Handle Animal checks... ;D

[DeadManWalking]

Guess Belkar blew both his Knowledge (Nature) AND Handle Animal checks... ;D


:P EWWW....Handle Animal, its gonna take forever to wash that image out of my brain. Thanks MaxDog

[Sc00by]

You know, it looks like they're leaving V's clothes behind . . .


I've said this elsewhere, but as the giant has said previously, just because you don't see it doesn't mean it didn't happen.

Haley has probably picked them up....

Going to be interesting when they turn V back to an elf though, even if they have picked up V's clothes as I assume that s/he will be naked?

All we need to watch for is the blurring ;)

*edit - deviations from the english language

[EB]

Going to be interesting when they turn V back to an elf though, even if they have picked up V's clothes as I assume that s/he will be naked?

All we need to watch for is the blurring ;)

I bet you a GP that if there is blurring, he blurs the entire elf.
Reckon it'll take place off camera though, just for kicks.

[The_Meal]

I enjoyed the nod to the community with the gender joke, but I'm curious as to why V had the yellow circle under him for the first half of #177. It looks like a "selected character" circle of cRPG lore (think Baldur's Gate). I'm easily confuzzled...

~Neal

[RBPRX1204]

Yeah, it would be hard to believe Haley would leave the robes of Wizardry and gold headband behind. There has to be some monetary value to those pieces. It will be interesting to see how Rich deals with V's return to Elf. Good comic today.

[Kaerou]

hehehe.. see! what did i tell you... cute! :D!

[Peldor]

LOL! Definitely one of the best comics yet. Too bad Elan doesn't have a Detect Gender spell.

And I've been playing too many computer RPGs, I thought the little circle under the lizard V was a highlight like in Neverwinter Nights. ;)

[garand]

I enjoyed the nod to the community with the gender joke, but I'm curious as to why V had the yellow circle under him for the first half of #177. It looks like a "selected character" circle of cRPG lore (think Baldur's Gate). I'm easily confuzzled...

~Neal

That is very obviously V's Headband (of Intellect?). If you look at V in any other picture throughout the whole series you can see that s/he wears a gold headband. When transformed to a lizardy reptile this headband fell down with the rest of V's clothing.

[bsmart]

That was without a doubt one of the funniest comics in the series.

And I was deffinately picking up a Stewie vibe in the last panel.

[garand]

Oh .... and I think there is one word that best sums up Belkar's current connundrum regarding V's gender:

CLOACA!!!

Look it up. 8)

[_blackswann_]

breaking 4th wall with gender debate, sweet!
Rich missed joke opportunity with belkar's failed knowledge(nature) check, though.

[garand]

I don't think Belkar would have mentioned it at all because he 1) doesn't care about animals and 2) probably didn't invest any points in the skill at all.

[ObadiahtheSlim]

I would think that Belkar didn't put main points into Knowledge(Nature) so he is gonna fail it. A handle animal check is just wrong.

*gah* the mental picture! I burns!

[AtomicKitKat]

Oh .... and I think there is one word that best sums up Belkar's current connundrum regarding V's gender:

CLOACA!!!

Look it up. 8)

You're about 3 pages too late. ;)

[The_Meal]

That is very obviously V's Headband (of Intellect?). If you look at V in any other picture throughout the whole series you can see that s/he wears a gold headband. When transformed to a lizardy reptile this headband fell down with the rest of V's clothing.

Rawk! That's a perfect fit and helps restore my sanity. Thanks for the explanation (and especially in so many single syllable words that even I can understand)!

~Neal

[Brother_Hood]

Loved it. :D

V's going to be ticked when things get back to normal.

[SirCrash]

One point - does this imply that the talking animal segment with the hooded figure and summoned weasel occured because the hooded figure is a druid or ranger?

Not to over think the comic (too late), but fact they can't hear V now seems to imply that hooded figure did something to be able to talk to the weasel.

-Richard

[Andorax]

http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/GiantITP/ootscript?SK=20

;D

A shame that Belkar forgot about this.

[Ferret_Dragon]

Well... it would make sense, I mean: tracking? two-weapons? Speak with animals? Definately Ranger.

[cyper]

http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/GiantITP/ootscript?SK=20
A shame that Belkar forgot about this.


LOLOLOL !

[Callista]

Indeed... but what do you expect, with such a low Wisdom score?

I wonder why V doesn't just scratch "It's me, you imbeciles" in the dirt with a claw?

[chibibar]

Belkar did do death from above on the Chimera... so a hag shouldn't be a problem (he did have that +20 ring of jumping/leaping that gotta hurt)

I'm sure the hag also fail a fort save from being "crush" from above... things falling off a shelf only 3 feet above you can hurt like anything (a book, a toaster oven, a bust) from 20 feet? probably might kill ya.

plus the hex hag is only a random encounter (you can only have one.. yay!) so she might not come back (being random)

[archon_huskie]

Loved it. :D

V's going to be ticked when things get back to normal.



Especially since it seems no one remembered to pick up her clothing.

[Aerysil1]

Especially since it seems no one remembered to pick up her clothing.

his/her

And yes, I noticed that, too. This disturbs me greatly.

[The_Shadow]

Great comic! One for the top 10, for certain!

Belkar's sure making a lot of Spot checks lately. Wonder if he's been putting some points into the skill.

[garand]

You're about 3 pages too late. ;)


While indeed the (pun alert) ins and outs of sexing a reptile were indeed discussed previously. At no point did anyone indeed use Robin Williams' Favorite Word: Cloaca (http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=cloaca). So, indeed .... with indeed all due respect ... bite me, indeed. ;)

Edited to remove an extra "Indeed" but i decided to add several others instead

[Mortecareus]

It's nice to see Belkar's as curious as the rest of us!

[bedbugsareyummy]

Ah, the rarely sighted Leggy Snake. Gotcha. :D

~Neal


Owoops.Blasted computer screen.

[wolf_mage]

V's last line reminded me a lot of Stewie from Family Guy.
I knew I wasn't imagining that feeling of vague recognition...

I've been reading this comic and lurking here for some months now... and the day has yet to come when OOTS doesn't make me laugh out loud.

Two (current) favourite lines:
Roy: Your approval fills me with shame.

And, from today:
V as lizard: My vengeance shall be prolonged, diminutive cretin.

[IonStorm]

Especially since it seems no one remembered to pick up her clothing.

I presume that Blackwing will take care of it. ;)

[durandal]

V's last line reminded me a lot of Stewie from Family Guy.

hehe that is stewieish!!!

my fav from him was "DAMN YOU, VILE WOMAN!!!"
lolol


I would think that Belkar didn't put main points into Knowledge(Nature) so he is gonna fail it. A handle animal check is just wrong.

*gah* the mental picture! I burns!

lol.
just...
lol.

[Sundog]

Oh, I definitely want to see what V does to Belkar for this one...

[Sneak]

Maybe V will baleful polymorph Belkar into whatever V currently is...that would be fair treatment.

[Janitor]

That was a great comic, I'm wondering what will happen once it's dispelled and V doesn't have his closthes on.

[Bartok]

I suspect Durcon will cast the spell in privacy, and clerics don't share things they learn in confidence :-X

[The_King_of_Durf]

What will V do to Belkar?
Ulp, Evan's Spiked Tentacles of Forced Intrusion time, poor little halfling

[Nolgoth]

What I found funny about the strip is that V didn't realize that nobody could understand him until someone besides Elan mentioned it. He just assumed that Elan was daft. And yes I said him. I feel it could go either way but I think most of the posters who want V to be female is only so that they don't feel awkward about finding the wizard attractive. ;)

[RawBearNYC]

I suspect Durcon will cast the spell in privacy, and clerics don't share things they learn in confidence :-X
Dispel Magic is not a touch spell, so, likely, Lizard-V will go behind a bush and Durkon will cast at the bush (and hope and pray the bush isn't enchanted).

[retnuhytnuob]

Dispel Magic is not a touch spell, so, likely, Lizard-V will go behind a bush and Durkon will cast at the bush (and hope and pray the bush isn't enchanted).

Now that would be funny ^_^. While we're at it, Giant Kings! Making Roy's story in #139 true without the complication of Elan's entirely reasonable logic.

... or (possibly) better, the bush is the starmetal in disguise!

Not gonna happen, which is why I don't mind putting this here for some laughs from others.

[chibibar]

What will V do to Belkar?
Ulp, Evan's Spiked Tentacles of Forced Intrusion time, poor little halfling

well.. is it late in the afternoon?? hehe.. Belkar is toast now... :(

[Peldor]

Oh, I feel far worse fates than being handled by a halfling are likely to befall our little lizard wizard ere returning to elven form.

V may have completely forgotten about this little incident, or simply have bigger fish to fry.

[JD]

Me not see updated Sticks! Waaaaaaaaaah! :'(

Where is it?

[Brother_Hood]

I'm not seeing it either. Is it actually up?

[RBPRX1204]

Nope, not yet. Just hang in there. The withdraw symtoms will get better, soon.

[ContinualFrown]

Wow... The life of a Internet comic strip creator must be much more difficult than I imagined...

It seems to me that since quittting a day job and going to writing web comics "full-time", the reliability of seeing a comic has gone down dramatically...

[Gaithwain]

Comic's not up...
Hands getting shaky...
World getting fuzzy...
Withdrawal not getting better...

;D

[Mouser]

Mouser needs OOTS... badly.

[Peldor]

Oh noes! Rich is ill again! The world is crashing down around me!

Oh wait. My OOTS book came in today! That should hold me til Monday. ;D ;D ;D

Best wishes to the sick drawer.

[Aerysil1]

Get well soon, Giant!

*casts Cure Disease*

Does that work on a virus?

[Gaithwain]

Ruh Roh, message up, Giant's sick.

He starts to puke, my recommendation... Run!!!

[xolik]

I'm sure yesterday's festivities had nothing to do with this.

Rest, rest, rest, rest yourself in bed! ;)

[ekedolphin]

Hope you're feeling better soon, Giant!

[Mad_Max]

Get well soon Rich. :)

[Nerd-o-rama]

I feel your pain, oh Giant. I've been studying for/taking exams all week with a massive sinus infection. That's a condition more encouraging of sleep than serious academia, or comic writing for that matter.

[AtomicKitKat]

Fight, fight, fight, fight the evil bugs!
Give, give, give, give the Giant a hug!
Hope, hope, hope, hope you don't catch the bugs!
Drink, drink, drink, drink from many jugs(of water)!

[Gobbo_in_the_Boots]

*casts cure moderate wounds on Rich*
*casts cure sickness on Rich*
*casts divine intervenation on Rich and gets 10 years older*
better now? :-[

[Brother_Hood]

Should we make him bring in a doctors excuse? :D

Nah, we're patient.

[Aidan305]

I thought he was the patient ;D

[AtomicKitKat]

Ruh Roh, message up, Giant's sick.

He starts to puke, my recommendation... Run!!!

Heh,that line reminded me of that Gene Wilder movie "My Giant"

[durandal]

Fight, fight, fight, fight the evil bugs!
Give, give, give, give the Giant a hug!
Hope, hope, hope, hope you don't catch the bugs!
Drink, drink, drink, drink from many jugs(of water)!

;D

get well soon, rich!

[ekedolphin]

And actually, since I've already given my best wishes to Rich for a speedy recovery, I'd like to take a moment to applaud him for his continuing work on OOTS, which has to be one of the most consistently funny webcomics I've ever seen! Here's to ya, Rich! *drinks*...

[Pvednes]

Ohnoes, where is the Giantess with soup this time?

[Pax]

*casts divine intervenation on Rich and gets 10 years older*
*ding!* ... you have selected COLON TUMOR ...
Be careful with them Interventions; they've got a less than stellar history here in OOTS-land. :o hehehe.

[evileeyore]

Rich get well soon...

Or else.







What? You figure out what it means.

[mimicgogo]

Hope you feel better!

[Sneak]

*ding!* ... you have selected COLON TUMOR ...
Be careful with them Interventions; they've got a less than stellar history here in OOTS-land. :o hehehe.

That would NOT be good. Anyway, get well soon Rich!

[tiassawolf]

Allow me to add my wishes for a speedy recovery. Being sick is not fun.

[Platinum_Mongoose]

Get well soon, for OotS is truly what makes my Mondays tolerable. ;)

[nightsong]

and as many others have already said, i hope you get better. you're comics suck me in better than most books do (and that's saying a lot)! ;)

anyways, you can't leave V as a lizard!

[Nikolai_II]

you're comics suck

I hereby show the danger in quoting out of context. 8)

(Seriously - I was shocked at the post and had to do a double take and read it again to see what it meant :P)

[Sundog]

IIIIt's UP!

And Funny!

[pumpkinetics]

New comic's up!

Shows how dysfunctional the group really is. Heh.

[mimicgogo]

"A spell so inherintly without merit..."

Genius, topical, and oh so true.

[radishlaw]

Great comic....
I wonder why Blackwing appears when Haley is talking
about it.... as if it's HER familiar ???

[RebelRogue]

Great comic....
I wonder why Blackwing appears when Haley is talking
about it.... as if it's HER familiar ???

She named him after all ;D Anyone who's ever played (or DMed for) a spellcaster that continously forgot about his familiar and had other players reminds them of it has got to love these jokes :)

[Pvednes]

Vaarsuvius makes an exceedingly cute lil leezard.

[radishlaw]

Please forgive my newbie status.

Has the party made camp yet?

If they didn't, how come V can prepare spells?

And if they did, why don't Durkon dispel the polymorph with dispel magic or similar spells?

[The Giant]

I thought about this, and my answer is: Vaarsuvius has obviously been resting on Durkon's head for eight or more hours since the last strip. Thus, as an arcane caster, he can prepare spells. As a divine caster, though, Durkon needs to wait for dawn to prepare spells, regardless of how much he rests, so they might as well keep on walking.

[Gez]

V. isn't preparing spells, s/he's just pondering what spells to prepare.

Furthermore, as s/he can't do much in this shape, nothing prevented hiemr to just rest during the eight hours of travel and thus be fresh for preparing spells again.

Edit: While I was reading the page and writing a reply to Radishlaw, the Giant himself beat me to it...

[Dr_Nno]

Thus, as an arcane caster, he can prepare spells.

"he" being here as the indefinite gender used in the english language, not an indication of the real gender of Vaarsuvius.
;D

[GobalinKing]

"he" being here as the indefinite gender used in the english language, not an indication of the real gender of Vaarsuvius.
;D

If that's true, then why do the DnD books alternate randomly between "he" and "she" when using indefinite genders?

[Frojoe21]

Its to make it less sexist. A lot of rulebooks use more female pretenses such as "she" or "her" to balance out the use of male ones back in the day. I dont understand why it is such a big deal, but if thats the way they have to do it now, I dont really care.

On a lighter note, great comic. Stupid ideas, just like my old party. We were infiltratiting a all female guild, and someone messed up the suggestion when we were trying to pass by. The exact message was : Its ok, he is an ally and let him go.

[Paragon_Kobold]

Its to make it less sexist. A lot of rulebooks use more female pretenses such as "she" or "her" to balance out the use of male ones back in the day. I dont understand why it is such a big deal, but if thats the way they have to do it now, I dont really care.

I hate it when games do that. I makes the entire combat chapter look like a
description of violence to women. Just freaks me out.

Is 'Eaten by your own familiar' a really sad way for a wizard to go?

[Sneak]

Great comic, but I thought wizards could like communicate telepathically with their familiars. Or something. And wouldn't it be able to tell that V is its master? With that said, great comic.

[Nikolai_II]

Great comic, but I thought wizards could like communicate telepathically with their familiars. Or something. And wouldn't it be able to tell that V is its master? With that said, great comic.

As we have seen before Blackwiñjata has an agenda of its own - or at least an obnoxious personality.

http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/GiantITP/ootscript?SK=155

Probably comes from being forgotten in Limbo for months on end..;)

[Kaerou]

squeeee.... so cute!

[Gobbo_in_the_Boots]

yeah, great comic. Wohoo, I really want to see what V does when she is back in her old body... :)

[Gez]

Great comic, but I thought wizards could like communicate telepathically with their familiars. Or something. And wouldn't it be able to tell that V is its master? With that said, great comic.

Likelihood, verisimilitude, and rule-lawyering, all are insignificant compared to the power of the Farce. :)

OotS is comedy. Of course, this wouldn't happen in a normal D&D party, especially given that V.'s player would control Blackwing as well as his master.

But it's fun. And Vaarsuvius needs to have his dignity taken down a few notches, so being hunted by his blackbird familiar (V. thinks it's a raven, but how many ranks has he in Knowledge [Nature] ? Yeah, that's why I thought, too.) is good.

Just like was good Elan's likening of elves to camels when V. raved about his "noble elven metabolism"...
http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/GiantITP/ootscript?SK=87

[Sundog]

I'm enjoying the glimpse into Vaarsuvius' thought patterns. She is a bit less snobbish and a little more introspective than she's mostly been shown as before. In fact, I think that whole "Secrets that will drive you mad! MAD!" thing was just her covering for her own insecurity...

[durandal]

great comic!
not only do wse get a cool V quote, but we get to make fun of useless spells! fun stuff.
EDIT: anyone else get the feeling that V is gonna cast suggestion on something big and lizardy?

[ObadiahtheSlim]

You would think that V could stop the familiar from attacking her. Of course maybe she has misinterpreted her familiars intentions and Blackwing isn't actually trying to eat V.

[Black_Sheep]

suck me

tehehehe

[tiassawolf]

Gotta agree with V-man about Hold Portal. I don't think I've ever been in a campaign where it's been used.

[xolik]

That would stink if he was eaten by his own familiar. But we all know that won't happen, right? :D

[RBPRX1204]

Hehe, very good comic. Attacked by your own familiar is genius. I'd agree with the spell choices, too. I've never used any of those spells in my adventures, and I doubt I will, as long as I have a rogue around to seal doors for me.

[Lilly]

Can you not turn V back into an elf? He's too cute as a lizard.

[Janitor]

I love V as a lizard. I imagine there are still some lizard jokes that The Giant would like to use before dispelling magic.

[Kaerou]

Can you not turn V back into an elf? He's too cute as a lizard.

Seconded! :D!

[consul]

That is very obviously V's Headband (of Intellect?). If you look at V in any other picture throughout the whole series you can see that s/he wears a gold headband. When transformed to a lizardy reptile this headband fell down with the rest of V's clothing.

If V is still intelligent and a PC, wouldn't it resize to fit the new skull? Or is that only for humanoid shapes?

[Nikolai_II]

If V is still intelligent and a PC, wouldn't it resize to fit the new skull? Or is that only for humanoid shapes?


Basically that is DM's call, but the guidline is that wondrous items reform for all of the types: Fey, Giant, Humanoid, Monstrous Humanoid, Most Outsiders and a rare few others, i.e. all with humanoid shapes. Without DM call (or special property) wondrous items will not reshape to non-humanoid forms.

For as long as it lasts there is a thread in the WotC forums dealing with that issue:
http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=407995

---------------------

@Janitor: Seeing as how there is a caster level check to dispel magic it might take several sessions if Durkon/V are unlucky.

[IusPotentis]

I'm pitying V. now--all those bonus metamagic feats, and the poor wizard never bothered to get still spell.

[Nikolai_II]

I'm pitying V. now--all those bonus metamagic feats, and the poor wizard never bothered to get still spell.

Hey - Item Crafting feats are good too, at least if you get the DM/fellow players to leave you with some time to work them.

[Schattendrache]

I have a feeling, though, that being able to Craft a Wand wouldn't exactly fill V with feelings of warmth and security at the moment. :D

[JD]

Well, at least it's V as a newt (and I don't care what anyone says!) and not Roy, Belkar, or Haley (how many jokes are there? C'mon? Although disarming a trap as a NEWT would be neat...)

[SilveryCord]

For some reason I have a feeling that somehow V will manage to USE all 3 of those "useless" spells.... hehe. It makes sense. Blackwing picks up Varsuuvius, accidently drops her... that's feather fall... V will find a door, seal herself behind it, and then find a giant lizard creature that can speak common or something... well, or something like that.

[AtomicKitKat]

If that's true, then why do the DnD books alternate randomly between "he" and "she" when using indefinite genders?

You think that's bad? Read the entire section on the Bladesinger PrC in Complete Warrior, look at the picture, then read the entire entry again. Yeah, I'm confused too.

[Gez]

Maybe V.'s player took an Headband of Intellect that was racially restricted for just one race (elves), so as to get a 30% discount on it...


As for lizard jokes -- I hope to see a "Lizard on the Toast" reference. (For those who don't know, it was a card in the Guardians CCG, and that card was, itself, a reference to Wizards of the Coast.)

[garand]

:-/ Okay ... I never said it WAS a Headband of Intellect ... I just mentioned that I thought it might be one. It could just be a stylish headband that Varsuvius likes to wear in order to show off his/er stylish fro.

Now, if it IS a wondrous item and this was one of my games then: No, it wouldn't resize to fit the owner. In my games Resizes is a property that must be imbued in an object just as much as an Enhancement Bonus or the ability to cast Magic Shield. Drove a party of fighters nuts when they found themselves a suit of +5 Magic Resisting Full Plate that was sized to fit a halfling. The only halfling in the party was a Dex Fiend whose AC would have been lowered if he had put the suit on.

They kept trying to sell it, but no one wanted to buy a suit of halfling-sized full plate so it ended up in their portable hole until one day: they each earned a favor from a powerful mage and one of the fighters thought to ask the mage if he could permanently Enlarge the suit. The mage did and they were finally able to get it adjusted to fit a human (though since the metal was now twice as thick I forced them to double its weight).

Anyhow, I had a point ... oh yeah ...

Señor Giant decided it wouldn't resize.

(And the lizard hasn't complained of any loss of intellect so I doubt it was a HB of Int anyhoo).

[Nerd-o-rama]

They kept trying to sell it, but no one wanted to buy a suit of halfling-sized full plate so it ended up in their portable hole until one day: they each earned a favor from a powerful mage and one of the fighters thought to ask the mage if he could permanently Enlarge the suit. The mage did and they were finally able to get it adjusted to fit a human (though since the metal was now twice as thick I forced them to double its weight).
Well, that's convenient, since armor sized for Small creatures weighs half as mch as armor sized for Medium creatures anyway.

[garand]

Double its Medium-Sized Weight.

[nightsong]

I hereby show the danger in quoting out of context. 8)

(Seriously - I was shocked at the post and had to do a double take and read it again to see what it meant :P)

he was quoting ("your comics suck")

it seems a little late to reply to that... still, gimme a break, it's my first post :P

[Nerd-o-rama]

Double its Medium-Sized Weight.
Yeah, after thinking about your post a while longer, I can see how you arrived at that, since Small armor has to have the same thickness as Medium armor, it's just smaller in every other dimesion.

Though if they'd been patient, they probably could have just asked him to add the Resizing property, unless that would have put the enchantment equivalent above +10.

[durandal]

Yeah, after thinking about your post a while longer, I can see how you arrived at that, since Small armor has to have the same thickness as Medium armor, it's just smaller in every other dimesion.

Though if they'd been patient, they probably could have just asked him to add the Resizing property, unless that would have put the enchantment equivalent above +10.


but, but, but, thatd mean spending precious LOOT!

nevah!!!

[Jevanyn]

As we have seen before Blackwiñjata has an agenda of its own - or at least an obnoxious personality.

http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/GiantITP/ootscript?SK=155

Probably comes from being forgotten in Limbo for months on end..;)

Maybe someone forgot to tell Blackwing that he doesn't get a surprise round. (V sure looks surprised when B starts chasing him.)

[hr]
All spacecraft travel at the speed of plot. -- J. Michael Straczynski

[kerberos]

You think that's bad? Read the entire section on the Bladesinger PrC in Complete Warrior, look at the picture, then read the entire entry again. Yeah, I'm confused too.

OMG :o V is a bladesinger. ;D

[garand]

If that's true, then why do the DnD books alternate randomly between "he" and "she" when using indefinite genders?

I think that early on during hte developement of D20 D&D they (WotC) established certain example PCs, one for each class and usually of whatever race had that class as a prefered class. I don't remember any of their names (which appeared by their portraits in the class section of the PHB).

Throughout the books then, whenever an example was used or a description of a class was made they used the masculine or feminine pronoun according to whichever Example PC was involved.

ie. They would use "He" for descriptions of fighters because the Example Fighter PC was a male dwarf. They would use "She" for descriptions of monks because the Example Monk PC was a female, etc. etc.

[Whamme]

:o

love the new comic.

V is going up in coolness, and I _love_ Belkar's lines.

[pumpkinetics]

[taking cover while other members of househould explode with uncontrolled laughter][shameless l33t]ROFLMAOLOLOL!OMG OOTS IS TEH ROXXORZ!!!1!!11!!121one[/shameless l33t]

The Star Wars quote is precious.[/taking cover while other members of household explode with uncontrolled laughter]

[Unien]

Oh man! It was like... woah!. And by that I just mean... WOAH!!!!

Priceless! Pure genious material! Man, what a laughter!
I'll have to re-read it later on just to laugh some more ;D

Sheesh, you are gonna kill me one of this days...

[ekedolphin]

OOTS #179:

Hee! V's first-panel alliteration was funny... "fine fighter friend, you foul feathered fool". And WOW, Belkar's got some serious long-term memory problems, doesn't he? Waaay back when, he didn't remember he was supposed to be tracking the chimera, and now he can't remember how Roy lied to him to get him to go on the quest.

On the other hand, while it's easy to see why Roy would be frustrated by the conversation with Belkar, he should also be somewhat relieved, I would think. If Belkar can't remember that he lied to get him on the side quest, he has no reason to make him die a stabbity death afterwards.

The Emperor line by V was great, too. And curse you, Giant, for bringing the Star Wars quote when I still have to wait another week or two to see Episode III. ;)

Overall, great comic as always.

[The Glyphstone]

(snicker)...great comic...

[Sir_Banjo]

I'm sure that Belkar's just messing with Roy. The guy's sadistic enough to know that forcing Roy to admit he lied will work better than getting angry.

On the other hand though, he may just tear off Roy's head and wear it for a hat. I'm so doing that in one of my games... ;D

[Pvednes]

Teehee, Belkar is cruel. :D

[Gez]

"Sorry, Roy, I just don't trust you enough to believe that you lied." ;D

A classic in the making!

Belkar's indeed probably fooling around with Roy, remember #141 (http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/GiantITP/ootscript?SK=141).

[Drizzt_Fanboy_74]

LOL! The Star Wars quote was PERFECT! Absolutely perfect. This comic is great. Still, though, when will we see what Xykon has been up to?

[Drandom]

Or, Belkar is just being Belkar

[kerberos]

"Sorry, Roy, I just don't trust you enough to believe that you lied." ;D

A classic in the making!

Belkar's indeed probably fooling around with Roy, remember #141 (http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/GiantITP/ootscript?SK=141).
Yeah, but notice how Belkar reveals the scam almosst instantly? I don't think Belkar could keep up a charade as long as he did, especially not when he's been cheated out of XP.

[Arian]

A shame that Roy doesn't understand lizardy. V was just speaking for his own satisfaction - and ours, of course.

[The_King_of_Durf]

Hehe, strike him down... there's another favorite line for me!

[Sneak]

That was a good comic, but I expected more of a, "No, you're always honest, I don't believe that you lied" than a "I don't trust you enough to believe that you lied". Unless Belkar's just fooling around with him, which could be true.


Yeah, but notice how Belkar reveals the scam almosst instantly? I don't think Belkar could keep up a charade as long as he did, especially not when he's been cheated out of XP.
I don't think that's true, if he's doing it to
a) get someone killed
b) get someone mad, frustrated, sad, etc.
He will keep it up for as long as he thinks it's still funny. Which could be a pretty long time. But it will all be revealed....on....FRIDAY!

[Gobbo_in_the_Boots]

Muahaha... that's a strong hint V is a woman. Women are closer to to the dark side of the Force :D

[Ferret_Dragon]

Yer funny... How come all the Sith types were dudes then? ;)

[kerberos]

I don't think that's true, if he's doing it to
a) get someone killed
b) get someone mad, frustrated, sad, etc.
He will keep it up for as long as he thinks it's still funny. Which could be a pretty long time. But it will all be revealed....on....FRIDAY!
The way I see it Belkar has the attention span of a retarded gnat. Also he has some serious anger management issues (bet you hadn't noticed that ;D). To restrain oneself from instantly going berserk, in favour of a slower more sophisticated revenge would require both patience and self-control. Personally I cannot think of any words less descriptive of Belkar than those.

[Caelestion]

#139 (http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/GiantITP/ootscript?SK=139) is the one with the lie about the loaded giants and Elan being insightful! :)
Just proves Roy is probably Lawful Good, with the way he 'fesses up to the lie.

Cael.

[Grey Watcher]

That comic made me... dizzy. But I love the circuitous logic by which Belkar doesn't believe Roy. Brilliantly written. And by the way, I'm inclined to believe Belkar is telling the truth, both about his lack of memory and his reasons for distrusting Roy. Belkar just isn't smart or self-controlled enough to pull off (and sustain) this elaborate a hoax just to take revenge on Roy. Especially after his revelation (http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/GiantITP/ootscript?SK=85) about his ability to inflict bodily harm upon Roy.

[Lilly]

Note to self: Never read comic while brushing your teeth. Toothpaste in hard to remove from monitors.

I like Belkar's logic. It looks so fun.

And V is still cute as a lizard! But if striking Belkar down would bring Roy to a place by V's side, does that mean V is evil? Or Neutral? Or that it's just a funny quote? Or that Roy is about ready to use some sort of magical powers and end up with crispy Belkar toast?

[Grey Watcher]

Note to self: Never read comic while brushing your teeth. Toothpaste in hard to remove from monitors.

I like Belkar's logic. It looks so fun.

And V is still cute as a lizard! But if striking Belkar down would bring Roy to a place by V's side, does that mean V is evil? Or Neutral? Or that it's just a funny quote? Or that Roy is about ready to use some sort of magical powers and end up with crispy Belkar toast?

I think it just means that, if V were a Ranger, his Favored Enemy would be Stupid People. ;D

[Sundog]

Rolling on the floor laughing my a$$ off...

Rolling on the floor coughing my lungs out...

The combination of the quote and Roy's look of rage is just priceless...

[ObadiahtheSlim]

Thats great stuff. Classic!

Belkar doesn't even remember the lie so we get that great gag. It reminds me of the Who's On First routine.

[garand]

Actually ... it reminds me of a Marx Bros. routine. But i forget which one and what movie.

[SumGuy]

The alliteration in the first panel is what did it for me.

Also, I think Belkar just forgot, we've seen this happen before...

http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/GiantITP/ootscript?SK=43

[Qwernt]

For me, this was the best comic since Evan's Spiked Tentacles of Forced Intrusion (which still makes me laugh - even to just write it).

VERY WELL DONE!

As far as V being evil for the comment - I think V is just reiterating the desire for revenge against a peep-ing tom-hobbit.

[The_Shadow]

How does these just keep getting better?! I haven't laughed this hard since "Arcanolypse Now".

[Aerysil1]

I started laughing when there was a pause, and when I was expecting Belkar to act disappointed that there was nothing to kill, he instead said, "Come again?"

Belkar showed the same lack of attention when he was supposed to be tracking the chimara back to its source. He couldn't even remember he was a ranger with Tracking.

We'll see how the rest of the group reacts. Get ready to duck, Roy! Haley is the only one left to be concerned about, I think.

[Janitor]

I loved the comic, and I too thought the alliteration is what won me over. V's line at the end was a classic as well.

[Bill]

You know, I think that V may be stuck longer than they think. I'm not sure that Baleful Polymorph can be undone by a Dispel Magic since its duration is permanent.

"A dispelled spell ends as if its duration had expired."

[Zod]

YES! Star Wars reference! This is even better than #6!

[Mr._Blinky]

Hooray for Belkar's short attention span! And I loved the Star Wars joke. :D

[Whamme]

You know, I think that V may be stuck longer than they think. I'm not sure that Baleful Polymorph can be undone by a Dispel Magic since its duration is permanent.

"A dispelled spell ends as if its duration had expired."



Uh... no. If it's duration was _instant_, then it would be undispellable. Duration = Permanent IS dispellable; this is why Wishing for higher stats is explicitly instant.


Anyway, I think this exchange is the natural byproduct of Belkar gettign a total of -1 on a Sense Motive check.

Or not.

[Techonce]

Gee Belkar has ADD. Who would have guessed?