The Order of the Stick: April

[Zho]

one word: Weasel

[Gez]

But you really can't help but love the weasel (then again, you can't ever help but love the comic relief.)

Two names: Snails. Jar-Jar Binks.

[Frojoe21]

Wait, shouldn't the weasel have dissapated after 2 hours. It took them longer than that to free Elan, so the weasel should have faded into nothingness.


Ahh yes, the broken telephone scenario. Some mix OOTs up with LIG and chaos ensues. Damn montages.

[The Demented One]

Hey,
does anyone know what is the blue guy holding when he's talking to the barbarian?
seems to be dripping something... can't figure out what it is!

btw - new here, so hi all ;D


It's the barbarian guild "pamphlet"

[Karma]

Wait, shouldn't the weasel have dissapated after 2 hours. It took them longer than that to free Elan, so the weasel should have faded into nothingness.
Well, unless that's a really fast horse, we can assume that the montage did not all take place since the previous comic. Presumably, even the final encounter was several hours in the past. Think of the not-yet-vanished weasel as the equivalent of the still-smouldering cigar butt in The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.

[Ebon_Drake]

Wait, shouldn't the weasel have dissapated after 2 hours. It took them longer than that to free Elan, so the weasel should have faded into nothingness
Perhaps this strip was showing events in the past and the mysterious avenger was in fact only about an hour and a half behind the OOtS. Maybe he's been watching them through the whole bandit encounter and is biding his time, getting ready to strike... DUN, DUN, DUNNNN! That or the classic 'speed of the plot' explanation.

Also, yay for comedy sidekicks. I kept imagining the weasel's voice being the same as Eddie Murphy's from Shreck.

Edit: Karma got there first

[Frojoe21]

Well, unless that's a really fast horse, we can assume that the montage did not all take place since the previous comic. Presumably, even the final encounter was several hours in the past. Think of the not-yet-vanished weasel as the equivalent of the still-smouldering cigar butt in The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.


I never really payed attention to that movie. I watched it when I was sick and was too busy being sick that I really didnt care what was going on.

[Priceless_Ming]

The weasel struck me as a more...Daxterian reference. Seeing as Daxter is a weasel both in form and function.

Nice to see the barbarian "pamphlet" resurrected, and to finally see the "Blue Boy" in action. I hope he doesn't bollox things up too much.

[Peldor]

Is it just me...
or does Little Boy Blue's arm look strange coming out of the hood rather than the cloak (in several panels)? ???

[kirellagen]

There should definately be an avatar image of that weasel.

[SimonMoon5]

Wait, shouldn't the weasel have dissapated after 2 hours. It took them longer than that to free Elan, so the weasel should have faded into nothingness.

Yeah, well, I seem to recall that you also can't pull out a second animal if the first one's still around. And you can't pull out a rhino from the same bag that produces weasels.

Obviously, these are not mistakes. So... they must be foreshadowing of the next edition of D&D! Woo-hoo. D&D 3.5.1!

[Kaerou]

So he made his bag summon real (intelligent and speaking?) animals, so what.. He also made the bag produce seemingly any animal *shrug* Creative license, he's made up his own magic item thats loosely based on an existing item.

All for a good joke, and i love the weasel! he's so cool!

[garand]

It's the barbarian guild "pamphlet"

http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/GiantITP/ootscript?SK=132

HOT LINK ACTION!

[Aemirai]

Man, I don't usually actually laugh out loud at comics (ANY comics), but this one had me giggling. And the weasel reminded me of my avatar's ferret.

[Andorax]

So he made his bag summon real (intelligent and speaking?) animals, so what


Or maybe it's a clue that blue cloak can speak with animals?

[Janitor]

Oh man, that comic was awesome. The blue guy was finally brought into the story and he went through reliving all of the jokes the characters did. I think the best was when he went to the barbarian guild and got a pamphlet.

[Starla]

His arm is showing because part of his cloak is pushed back by his shoulder. If it was coming out of his hood the line should have crossed over the hood.

Clerics can cast speak with animals. I know from experience.

[Ikkitosen]

As Elan might say: "Develop, develop, develop, develop the intriguing plotline" :D.

[Gobbo_in_the_Boots]

I know a person who has two scimitars!
I just wonder how he could escape the lawyers??

[Lilly]

I just now got to read the strip and the entire time I was in class I was thinking (Because I didn't feel like paying attention in class) "A villian strip would be nice about now. It's been so long since we last had one. Maybe the LG, but nah, oooh Xykon, nah, I wonder who that blue guy is..."
Yay montage!! Gots to love them montages.

I think the flumphs are from Minessota.

And the only true thing that got said was what Gortok said, Belkar will be a good barbarian.

[Kaerou]

Or maybe it's a clue that blue cloak can speak with animals?




ooh, good point.. Rangers get that spell dont they? That + Dual wielding is a good indication.

[Nikolai_II]

Wait, shouldn't the weasel have dissapated after 2 hours. It took them longer than that to free Elan, so the weasel should have faded into nothingness.


Oh ye of little faith - look to my .sig and despair ;D



edit:@Gobbo in Boots: Blueguy isn't using double scimitars, it is a dai-sho (two japanese curved swords, usually katana and wakisashi).

[Yuki Akuma]

ooh, good point.. Rangers get that spell dont they? That + Dual wielding is a good indication.

Sure, he's dual-wielding. A daisho. Which is the halmark of a Samurai.

The shape of the blades and the style of the hilt (and the lack of guards) are good indications that these are Japanese swords.

[Schattendrache]

I don't think you guys are giving the minimalist artistic style of OOTS enough credit here. Lack of certain details could be just that -- lack of details. 8)

[Gobbo_in_the_Boots]

I am SURE that it is the... you know who. The guy with the weird name.

[Darasen]

Didn;t take the scenic route !
LOL that's good stuff !

[eldersphinx]

The reason why Blue Boy could talk to the weasel is obvious.

He's a gnome (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/races.htm#gnomes).

;D

[Frojoe21]

Besides, it cant be Zz'driti. His blades were evenly wide. The daisho do hint at him being a samurai, as I have said before, an offshoot of Tenzaku from campaign delta. I am guessing that he might have an item that lets him speak with animals, or someone just "happened" to cast awaken on said weasel.

As for the gate theory, perhaps it was just a clever distraction, or a path to a weapon that could grant someone immense power. Perhaps the man who assigned LBB was the previous owner of the dungeon, Mr Dorukan. Maybe it was a rival wizard, or maybe its just someone who just has too much time on their hands.

And weasels aren't burrowing. They steal other animals burrows and claim them as their own. Just like the fox network

[Ojoxsofeta]

Hush, you darn canadian.

[RBPRX1204]

Gee, just when I was thinking that ol' blue cloak guy was going the way of the parasite invasion of ST/TNG, here he/she is. Loved the weasel bit. My pc has a weasel familiar that has been completely useless (Well, besides the whole +2 reflex saves and awareness.) Anywoo, great comic, as always.

[Zod]

First Explosive Runes, now Blueboy! IT must be nolstagia week! Coming next: Roy'd ghost of a dad returns! (just a prediction)

...Oh, and that is definately Zz'dtri!

[Mr._Blinky]

Yeah, the return of the blue-robed guy. Funny times are coming! ;D


"Can I be your warhorse?"
"I'm leaving now." :D

[A_petrock]

guesses about the new character..

either he could be the shadow with the parasol sent by xykon.

or

he could be sent by Elans brother whose name escapes me.. since i believe he was crazy rich from the "flashback" with him and elan.

as for character class... im thinking rogue fighter combo. crazy skills and feats.. and speaking with animals.. well like someone already said.. gnome.. or he might have a magic item that allows it..

dude..

the ferret.. thats one tough ferret.. i would have kept it.. stomach acids and then haveing to chew your way to freedom.. thats hardcore..

*laughs* that should be the recurring villain.. the ferret or "thingy" from the rodent family. ohh.. druid who spells up the ferret hungry for vengence.. or at least mild anger..

anyway.. enjoying the comic.. keep the suprises rolling.

[Meagen]

"Even if I have to endue a hundred montage sequences, they will taste my blade!" Best line in the strip.

"I am leaving now." Hmm. No contractions. Typical of highly educated people as well as those for whom "common" is not a first language.

[Andorax]

Let's see then...Daisho? Talks to animals? Too tall to be a Gnome?

Must be a multiclassed Samurai/Druid. A very well travelled one at that, since each class is from a setting that excludes the other.

[Fanatic-Templar]

Or maybe he's just a Ranger with exotic weapon taste?

[Sneak]

I really doubt he's a ranger or druid. He could just be a rogue/samurai who happens to be able to talk to animals because it enhances the comic.

[Frojoe21]

Or, just for the sake of variety, it could be an inevitable. I mean, you don't see his face, and he knows where to look for information

[Mr._Blinky]

guesses about the new character..

either he could be the shadow with the parasol sent by xykon.

or

he could be sent by Elans brother whose name escapes me.. since i believe he was crazy rich from the "flashback" with him and elan.

We already know he's neither of those, or Zz'dtri. He (or at least I'm guessing it's a he) originally appeared in comic # 120 (http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/GiantITP/ootscript?SK=120).
I'd guess he's just a ninja, from Complete Adventurer.

[Zherog]

...who happens to be able to talk to animals because it enhances the comic.

That could easily be accomplished via the Use Magic Device skill - either a scroll or a wand.

[Schattendrache]

Did anyone ever stop to think that maybe it's the ferret that has class levels of Druid, and is using a Speak with Humanoids spell?

;D

[Ronin]

I have no doubt that his blades are daisho, which would seem to indicate samurai. Ninja's a possibility, although a traditional ninja wouldn't carry the two swords, being as how the short blade's a mark of samurai rank. I think druid's unlikely; just reading too much into talking-with-weasel gag. Final analysis: "Insufficient data to construct meaningful answer."

[Caelestion]

The katana was the mark of samurai status, as well as being a sign that the wearer knew how to use a katana. The wakisashi was often used by courtiers instead.

[ekedolphin]

Something I just thought of-- didn't this strip remind you a lot of the Seinfeld finale? The four of them are put on trial, and all the enemies they've made over the years come out of the woodwork to testify against 'em. ;)

[garand]

SHE is probably a Paladin/Rogue/Ranger/Assassin with a +5 Energy Aura Impact Mighty Cleaving Katana of Speed and a +5 Keen Unholy Wounding Wakisashi of Speed. The cloak is obviously a Mantle of Epic Spell Resistance and she's probably an elf. How do I know all of this?

Because in the first panel Blue is obviously riding a horse. When this is taken into account the rest just falls right into place.

SetSarcasmOver(True)

[Schattendrache]

The katana was the mark of samurai status, as well as being a sign that the wearer knew how to use a katana. The wakisashi was often used by courtiers instead.

The Wakisashi was worn exclusively by the nobility, usually as a badge of just that rank. Even if one had no idea how to use a sword, as a noble (male) they usually carried one because of that status purpose, and for the ritual disembowelment of course.

Katana were used by Samurai mostly because they were the only nobles who actually got into combat on a semi-regular basis, and going in with just a short, ritual swords would have been foolish....

[Ronin]

As I understand it, under the Japanese feudal system, all nobility were technically samurai. The breakdown of class in that system went samurai, farmer, artisan, merchant, untouchable. The long sword (usually katana by the 1500s or so, usually a tachi before that) was used in battle, the short sword was the samurai's constant companion indoors and out (the shorter length making it better suited for indoors fighting) as well as seppuku. Non-samurai, depending on class, might be permitted one sword or the other, but not both.

Edit: Double-checking shows that Samurai were distinct from Imperial courtiers for a time, but that the lines began blurring around the 13th century, when courtiers began pursuing martial studies and samurai began pursuing the arts.

[garand]

This from a Ronin! BAH!

:P

[Nerd-o-rama]

Actually, and this may not have been true for all of Japanese history, the traditional weapon of Seppuku was the tanto, a dagger designed specifically for that purpose. I'm fairly certain that the wakizashi was an acceptable substitute, however.

[AtomicKitKat]

Actually, and this may not have been true for all of Japanese history, the traditional weapon of Seppuku was the tanto, a dagger designed specifically for that purpose. I'm fairly certain that the wakizashi was an acceptable substitute, however.

I believe that is more or less correct. If you want to see an example of all 3, check out Rogue #7(I think, maybe 8) in the miniseries from Marvel Comics. In it, you can see all 3 weapons in Sunfire's apartment. From memory, the Katana's blade would be about 3 feet long, the Wakizashi's 2 feet, and the Tanto(Hmm, sounds familiar, guess I heard it before but forgot)'s 1 foot. Also, when committing seppukku, they would get a second person to stand over them with a sword, ready to finish them off(modern equivalent would be getting a partner to shoot you in the head if you weren't dead after shooting yourself through the mouth) Probably because dying by disembowelment is long, slow, and painful.

[Ronin]

Leaving aside my display of ignorance, which is a subject that chafes me something fierce, since I hate having to admit I'm wrong (and for the record, it has been demonstrated that I was wrong and my facts were not in order), my basic point, relating to the original samurai v. ninja debate, was that the daisho is generally speaking a mark of samurai status, and that a ninja would probably only carry one sword.

But as I contemplate the matter I begin to think that, even if he is carrying samurai swords, the Man in Blue is neither samurai nor ninja, but something completely different.

[Nerd-o-rama]

He talks like a Samurai:


Do not worry, small weasel. My master has ordered their execution for deeds they have commited against his interests...
That, plus the swords, plus the verbose and melodramatic posturing/monologuing, make me think high-level LN Samurai.

[Nikolai_II]

Actually, and this may not have been true for all of Japanese history, the traditional weapon of Seppuku was the tanto, a dagger designed specifically for that purpose. I'm fairly certain that the wakizashi was an acceptable substitute, however.

Hmm..

Actually it would be the tanto that would have been seen as an acceptable substitute for the wakizashi. (Much like a katana would be if you had no other blade and was in a hurry)

The tanto is usually lacking a point and is thus used tu cut your own throat with, good for females and kamikaze pilots - and warriors in cinch.

There is a lot of talk about proper rituals, but the important part of ritual suicide was that you should die of it, embellishments were certainly added, but can be seen as a matter of taste ;)

.

On an unrelated note.. (it continues)
http://www.dndorks.com/default.aspx?comicdate=10%2f13%2f2004

[The Glyphstone]

I think goblin ninjas stole our comic today.

Anybody make their Spot check?

[Techonce]

I don't understand the addiction to making the guy an oriental fighter. And maybe he is an exception to the rules, or follows rules that don't necessaryily apply to OotS world, since it's not happeningin Feudal Japan.

Also many other cultures used curved swords and or two weapons at once. As for class... I say ranger. Two weapons, talks to animals. Maybe picked up a couple levels of sorceror and then moved on to the assissin prestige class (unless that requires sneak attack...) Sorceror matches with the weasel asking to be a familiar, Ranger and animal companion...

Or I could be wrong and the guy just has several levels of Cloaked Stranger.

[Maelstrom]

Armed 10 foot tall Ogre Bridesmaids, I swear!

[The Giant]

I think goblin ninjas stole our comic today.

Anybody make their Spot check?

I'm working on it now. Just had a case of "accidentally slept for 16 hours instead of working on the comic". Should be up by 2:00 pm.

[chibibar]

nope.. didn't make my spot check...

[Nikolai_II]

I'm working on it now. Just had a case of "accidentally slept for 16 hours instead of working on the comic". Should be up by 2:00 pm.

Hmm, quite the opposite to me then. ;)
I managed to accidentally get only 2 hour of sleep while taking care of a sick daughter. (Luckily I have managed to recoup some of my losses during the day.)

[phlip]

Ah, the old failed Alarm Check. Has happened to me many a time. Not enough skill points in Waking Up.

[Kaerou]

I'm working on it now. Just had a case of "accidentally slept for 16 hours instead of working on the comic". Should be up by 2:00 pm.

Aah, you failed the listen check for your alarm clock with a natural one i guess. Must be.. the listen DC is like, 5. ;D

[Kruxx06]

Not enough skill points in Waking Up.

The classic Failed Listen check.

[The Giant]

It has a Listen DC of 0, but I'm pretty sure I have a Wisdom penalty.

Anyway, the comic is up.

[Andorax]

Hooray for double meanings!


Roy needs to have a talk with whoever made that map. The bandits were marked clearly, but nobody bothered to put "Green Hag's Lair" on it?

[Schattendrache]

Oooh, the bane of hex-maps -- having to move sideways through them! Staggered steps, yuck... :D

[garand]

Me no likey the hex. Me no likey the square grid either. Me just use blank tabletop and a ruler .... Old Skool.

Oh and ... YAY HAG!

Uh ... assuming that is a hag (though I can't think of anything else it would be).

[Zherog]

... I'm pretty sure I have a Wisdom penalty.

No comment. ;)

mostly because I'm pretty sure I have one too, and that whole glass houses and stones thing... ;)

[Qwernt]

I could be wrong, but Belkar just passed a spot check (he was the first to note the hexes on the forest floor).

[Lilly]

Someone had a little too much fun with the hexagon tool didn't they? ;)

[Nikolai_II]

I could be wrong, but Belkar just passed a spot check (he was the first to note the hexes on the forest floor).

Spot is only rolled for when determining distance where encounter should start and to see something hidden.

If something is immediately obvious it is.. immediately obvious. ;)

.

And for the record I think the base DC for an alarm clock is -10, although the -10 to the roll for being asleep cancels that out, making the endsum at DC0.

Hmm.. or maybe it is base DC 0 indeed, making end DC at 10, that would explain my wife's problems with waking up :P

[Ojoxsofeta]

Green hag? Looks like someone read the Ecologies in this month's Dragon....

or might have planned this out for a while, which makes me seem like a dou... I'll just say idiot.

[Ragan]

I got no clever comment - I just have to say how much I'm looking forward to the next 'page' - but then again thats how I allways feel.

Oh well...

[SimonMoon5]

I do like hexes better than squares for most situations. The group I've been playing with lately tends to use hex maps most of the time.

The one problem with hex maps is rectangular rooms. In most game systems, that's not a big problem, but in D&D, you might do nothing but fight in underground rooms.

It gets weird because on the side of each wall, some hexes get cut in half. Can someone stand in half a hex? If so, then you can have more people in a line of hexes that includes two half-hexes than the same line with only full hexes. If not, then you have *fewer* people in this line of hexes with two-halves. Either way, it's weird.

And if someone can stand in half a hex, doesn't that mean that two people could stand in one hex? Or does there have to be a wall between them before they can share a hex?

Anyway, hexes are great for outdoor encounters.

[Janitor]

Great comic, I loved the hexagons on the ground and the hag at the end.

[Maelstrom]

Hmm -- the local Hex Druidess, responsible for keeping the hexes in line, so to speak?

Or as others said, a hag preparing to cast Hex on the adventurers? Hmmm either way, pretty darned funny :)

[Nikolai_II]

Hmm -- the local Hex Druidess, responsible for keeping the hexes in line, so to speak?

Or as others said, a hag preparing to cast Hex on the adventurers? Hmmm either way, pretty darned funny :)

Looks more like a hag to me.

Although I guess it could be a cute half-troll druidess ;)

[Ronfar]

I do like hexes better than squares for most situations. The group I've been playing with lately tends to use hex maps most of the time.

The one problem with hex maps is rectangular rooms. In most game systems, that's not a big problem, but in D&D, you might do nothing but fight in underground rooms.

It gets weird because on the side of each wall, some hexes get cut in half. Can someone stand in half a hex? If so, then you can have more people in a line of hexes that includes two half-hexes than the same line with only full hexes. If not, then you have *fewer* people in this line of hexes with two-halves. Either way, it's weird.

And if someone can stand in half a hex, doesn't that mean that two people could stand in one hex? Or does there have to be a wall between them before they can share a hex?

Anyway, hexes are great for outdoor encounters.

Just line up the characters so that each character occupies half of two adjacent hexes. That way you have the same number of people in each row.

[RBPRX1204]

Hexagons! Great comic today. This is what I needed today, because I needed a pick-me-up.

[durandal]

myself, i have had a great day, but i do not deny that i laughed alot at this one.... hehe... hexes.

"its great to see you being such a sport about htis..."

[Frojoe21]

The hag probably has no relevance to the story whatsoever, sort of like the other female monsters in the washroom in the Dungeon of Dorukan. Just some quick random humor.

[Nikolai_II]

Or she could be the guardian of the starmetal and be about to figure about as much as the flying pixie that guarded the air sigil.

[Gez]

The one problem with hex maps is rectangular rooms. In most game systems, that's not a big problem, but in D&D, you might do nothing but fight in underground rooms.

It gets weird because on the side of each wall, some hexes get cut in half. Can someone stand in half a hex? If so, then you can have more people in a line of hexes that includes two half-hexes than the same line with only full hexes. If not, then you have *fewer* people in this line of hexes with two-halves. Either way, it's weird.

The simple and easy solution is to have your walls pass through the middle of the hexagons' sides, not along the sides. As you can see from the red lines, it's easy to make rectangular shapes out of hexes. That way, your walls won't cut a hex in two halves, but in one quarter and three-quarter. Make the three-quarter hex as valid as a full hex, and the one-quarter hex too small for standing in.
http://gez117.free.fr/stuff/Hex%20Grid-Square%20Grid.jpg

[GeeVee]

Great comic, as always. Love Elan in panel 5.

[Antonidas]

This highlights an Issue I've had with PnP games for quite some time: Given the outright uselessness of hexes and squares, why not use octagons? ???

Seriously, the Fighting game developers have had 8-way runs implimented for the last fifteen years, so surely some company would have figured it out that people prefer octagons to those other grid styles. Hell, I can't even find a computer program to print off an octagon sheet.

Is it all just some massive conspiracy? Or am I the only one who can pierce through the veil the evil play-mat companies have shrouded us in? :o

[Nikolai_II]

Given the outright uselessness of hexes and squares, why not use octagons? ???


Because you can't physically make a sheet of touching octagons? You have to add in squares, meaning you cuold just as well use squares.
http://www.dcwireworks.com/howto/articles/Draxjptheory/dab_tess_jap3v1_grid.jpg

Feel free to prove me wrong though - I haven't looked into this particularly much.

[jaelte]

Bah to squares, parallelograms, rhombi, hexagons, decagons.. I say bag all the edges completely and use circles! A full 360° of adventuring fun. Who's with me?

[Tharivol]

You can't make a sheet of circles either.

[Gez]

There are only so many shapes you can find that lets you do "regular paving" (not sure the exact mathematical term is in English). If, in addition, the shape must be a regular polygon (with all sides of the same length), then you reduce your choice to just three: triangles, squares, and hexagons.
http://pedagogie.ac-toulouse.fr/lyc-jvigo-millau/spip/IMG/image002.jpg

Triangles are a bit the worst of both worlds -- they aren't orthogonal like squares are (same flaw as the hexagons), and they pose the problem of moving through corners rather than through sides contrarily to hexagons (same flaw as squares).

You'll notice that a hexagon is a regular cluster of six triangles, while a regular cluster of squares would result in another square (but bigger). And a regular cluster of hexagons isn't possible (you'd have irregular sides).

So nobody uses the triangle. Depending on what bugs you the most (irregular distance for movements, or lack of orthogonality), you'll use hexes or squares.

[garand]

I say scrap it all and use your imagination.

Grids are handy for determining AoE ... but, in my opinion, can turn a session into a geographic nightmare. How are you supposed to suspend disbelief when your minis are marching around on a great big chess board. Part of this is illustrated in this weekend's comic.

I use a blank sheet with a piece of glass over it so I can write on it with a dry-erase marker. If I need AoE sizes determined, I use templates cut out of construction paper. I ONLY use minis when tactics and tight quarters are an important factor in the game.

Otherwise I try to keep it all in the mind's eye of myself and, more importantly, the players.

[Videospirit]

for the previous comic, shouldn't the weasel from the bag of tricks dissapeared ten minutes after it was summoned?

[SimonMoon5]

There are only so many shapes you can find that lets you do "regular paving" (not sure the exact mathematical term is in English).

In my graduate math courses, we called it "tiling", iirc, as in using tiles of various shapes.

[phlip]

The mathematical term I'd always seen is "tessellate"

[Aidan305]

One thing I'm curious about in this weekend's comic. Why do the order, a level eleven party, appear to be going up against a CR5 encounter?

[Frojoe21]

No one has proven that they are level 11. All Rich said was that he liked to think of them as level 7-9 for storytelling options. THe only thing we do know is that they have to be at least level 4 in order for Roy to use weapon specialization and level 10 in order for V to use chain lightning, but it could have been a scroll as well.

[Aerysil1]

for the previous comic, shouldn't the weasel from the bag of tricks dissapeared ten minutes after it was summoned?

I thought it was funny, because I never think about what the summoned creatures do after I'm done with them.

Thanks for shattering the immersion. ::)

[Cade]

One thing I'm curious about in this weekend's comic. Why do the order, a level eleven party, appear to be going up against a CR5 encounter?

Well, it can't be proved that it's CR5 or that they're lvl 11, or that there's only one either.

[Nikolai_II]

One thing I'm curious about in this weekend's comic. Why do the order, a level eleven party, appear to be going up against a CR5 encounter?

1. Look at my .sig.

2. Give the Hag 10 levels of wizard and it will be painful.
It might also be the first encountered member of a covey (minimum EL for a covey including at least one green hag is 10, but it might easily reach 13+)

[Ikkitosen]

One thing I'm curious about in this weekend's comic. Why do the order, a level eleven party, appear to be going up against a CR5 encounter?

I think we'll find that the generally hilarious incompetence of The Order will more than make up for any EL incongruities, real or otherwise :D.

[Ojoxsofeta]

class levels are an easy explanation

[Schattendrache]

Templates are even more fun, though. 8)

[garand]

Or playing an encounter with intelligence.

I wailed on a well balanced party of 7th to 9th level characters with a single "run-of-the-mill" troll simply by having it fight intelligently and (more importantly) never saying that it was actually a troll (none of the party got a good look at it as they were fighting at night in a terrible thunderstorm ... meaning that even when they figured out it was regening they couldn't start a fire either).

Same party before (4th to 5th level) got pwned by a group of normal goblins that creatively used the cave networks they lived in to gain a tactical advantage.

CR is just another number that can be ignored with good roleplaying.

[Chance]

Can anyone tell me what CR5 means? :P

[Nikolai_II]

Can anyone tell me what CR5 means? :P

Challenge Rating 5.

Assuming a party of 4 players pf equal level a CR5 encounter is simple for level 6+, easy without being a walkover for a level 5 party and increasingly difficult for a lower level party down to about level 1or2 or less party that are likely to die to the last man and should indeed flee at once.

[Nikolai_II]

Heh. Funny to see how everyone is scrambling to get to start a thread of May. ::)

I predict a small war will break out in June unless the matter of who starts the new thread is organized by then. Maybe a cause for a competition - being threadstarter will mean a month in the spotlight. 8)

Me? I'm of the opinion that since this is a comic discussion thread a new one shouldn't be started until there actually is a comic of the month to discuss..

[RBPRX1204]

I'm of the opinion that I'll wait for Rich or one of the Mod squad to come through and either choose one, or start a new one for May. Anyway, I can hardly wait to see the pain.

[Grey Watcher]

Well, I deleted all my posts in both of the errant May threads. I'd actually like it if mine disappeared entirely. What happens if everyone deletes their posts in it?

[Sneak]

I guess it would be deleted. I posted my humor thread in Comics at first by accident, then removed my post before anyone else posted and posted my thread in the Friendly Banter section, and I think it worked. So yeah, it probably would work if everyone deleted their posts, but good luck trying to get them to do that.

This'll be a real mess. 2 May threads already, and the Giant or one of the mods is gonna create another... :-/