What if Roy isn't coming back?

[Malanthyus]

Seriously,

Could the story continue?

[Charles Phipps]

Seriously,

Could the story continue?

It's been continuing longer without him than actually WITH him.

I think, honestly, the Giant is keeping things in suspense too long though.

I'd be okay if Roy came back or if he died for good.

The Order of the Stick should go on without him if he dies forever, though.

Treating the idea they can't function without him is fanon that just diminishes them as heroes.

They're better characters than that.

[Lord Seth]

Seriously,

Could the story continue?Didn't Rich say somewhere in the commentary of War and XPs that Roy would? I think he said something about how someone would have to pay a terrible price to get Roy back.

[JaxGaret]

Seriously,

Could the story continue?

Why not? The name of the comic is Order of the Stick, not Roy + Friends.

Agreed with Charles Phipps.

[Lord Seth]

Found it! Just before strip 474:
"Rest assured that bringing the team back together will have a cost--a heavy toll paid by one member of the Order that could change them forever."

He doesn't explicitly say Roy is coming back, but I don't see any other way to "bring the team back together".

[Yendor]

Found it! Just before strip 474:
"Rest assured that bringing the team back together will have a cost--a heavy toll paid by one member of the Order that could change them forever."

He doesn't explicitly say Roy is coming back, but I don't see any other way to "bring the team back together".

Ooh! I know!
Roy will kill Belkar the minute he gets raised, as retaliation for all the trouble he's caused in the meantime -- in particular, killing the Oracle.

[Edea]

If we lose Durkon, I'm gonna be pissed.

[Niley]

Didn't Rich say somewhere in the commentary of War and XPs that Roy would? I think he said something about how someone would have to pay a terrible price to get Roy back.

Elan will lose Banjo forever. :smallbiggrin:

[Frosty]

I'd be kinda angry if Roy doesn't come back.

[Tempest Fennac]

Could Roy end up becoming a Good OPutsider before coming back? I wondered if that was the plan after he died due to how it would probably allow him to become more evenly matched with Xykon. (The only problem is figuring out what the sacrifice will be.)

[factotum]

It's been continuing longer without him than actually WITH him.


So in your world, 152 strips is longer than 443?

[Ancalagon]

It's been continuing longer without him than actually WITH him.

I think, honestly, the Giant is keeping things in suspense too long though.

I'd be okay if Roy came back or if he died for good.

The Order of the Stick should go on without him if he dies forever, though.

Treating the idea they can't function without him is fanon that just diminishes them as heroes.

They're better characters than that.

I'm pretty sure you'll see this different when you re-read the stuff once Roy is back. You'll say "Cool storytelling. It was a annoying while it lated, but not that it is over and the large frame of the story stays, it is a truely good story!"
To me, it is the same as with the Miko-Story.

[dehro]

So in your world, 152 strips is longer than 443?

I reckon he was thinking in-comic time

[Kaihaku]

Found it! Just before strip 474:
"Rest assured that bringing the team back together will have a cost--a heavy toll paid by one member of the Order that could change them forever."

He doesn't explicitly say Roy is coming back, but I don't see any other way to "bring the team back together".

Thanks, that's really interesting. I should get the book.

Hmmmm... Well, I know a few members of the Order who seem to be heading for big changes.

[Red XIV]

Why not? The name of the comic is Order of the Stick, not Roy + Friends.

Agreed with Charles Phipps.
We've seen plenty of examples of how disfunctional the Order is without him already, though. He's the leader of the group for a reason.

For example, the half of the Order with the Azure City fleet aren't a team at all right now, they're just three individuals in the same general area. The only thing they have going for them is that they're apparently the three highest-level characters in that general area.

[Helanna]

Stuff like this really makes me wish I could get the books. Alas, not for a while yet . . .:smallfrown:

Hmm . . . there are a lot of candidates for 'paying big prices'. Let's see:

Belkar, Durkon, and Vaarsuvius*, because they've been prophecied to die. Most likely Durkon, in my opinion.

Haley or Celia when trying to regain his body, especially with the thieves' guild out looking for them.



Or . . .
Haley just has to pay a really big price to get him back, and she's upset about having to pay so much :smallbiggrin:

[Red XIV]

Didn't Rich say somewhere in the commentary of War and XPs that Roy would? I think he said something about how someone would have to pay a terrible price to get Roy back.
Did Rich say specifically that it would be a member of the Order who would have to pay that price, or just "somebody"?

[AKA_Bait]

Does going crazy count as a heavy toll? Cause V's already well on the way there...

[Jaysyn]

Did Rich say specifically that it would be a member of the Order who would have to pay that price, or just "somebody"?

"Terrible price" = 1000 GP / PC level.

[Silverlocke980]

I actually see Roy returning in a form totally unlike what he was. Not just so that they get a character who can take on Xykon and win- that's a fight Roy's marked clearly as his own- but because it will shake up the established order.

Everything after Azure City has been based on this. Tear apart what was once sacred.

Should be interesting...

[Charles Phipps]

I'm pretty sure you'll see this different when you re-read the stuff once Roy is back. You'll say "Cool storytelling. It was a annoying while it lated, but not that it is over and the large frame of the story stays, it is a truely good story!"
To me, it is the same as with the Miko-Story.

Meh. I never was a Roy fan to be honest. I read the Order of the Stick for Elan. Essentially, Roy is Elan's sidekick and his death just needs him replaced with another intelligent fighter with a similiar look. You know, like Batman and Robin.

Roy II.

[Finwe]

Belkar, Durkon, and Vaarsuvius*, because they've been prophecied to die. Most likely Durkon, in my opinion.


Where was V prophesied to die?

[mroozee]

So in your world, 152 strips is longer than 443?

He was probably exaggerating to make a point. Roy has been dead for a really long time. Long enough that a lot of readers were probably introduced to Roy post mortem. Roy hasn't been alive for 153 strips (died in 443, currently 596). This is longer than a LOT of complete plot threads in OOTS.

By comparison,
* Roy had boobies for only 15 strips.
* Roy's desire for Miko came and went in only about 50 strips.
* Xykon took only 63 strips for the entire Battle of Azure City
* Only 69 strips from Elan and Haleys first kiss to their last.
* The entire first story arc was only 120 strips.
* Haley's voice was gone for less than 150 strips.

Some major characters have come and gone - enjoying their entire presence in the comic - while Roy has been dead: Soon - aside from flashbacks, Therkla, Big Red, and other than a brief intro in 413-414, Kubota. Lots of significant characters were around for less time than Roy's been dead.

[DigoDragon]

We've seen plenty of examples of how disfunctional the Order is without him already, though. He's the leader of the group for a reason.

This is a good argument for why they need Roy back. V doesn't seem to listen to anyone but Roy and Belkar tends to act unrestrained without Roy there to curb his murderous mentality.

[Impikmin]

To bring the team back together someone has to lose something? How about they all meet up but Roy never gets rezzed? Seems logical to me.

[Red XIV]

To bring the team back together someone has to lose something? How about they all meet up but Roy never gets rezzed? Seems logical to me.
Except for the whole "not making sense" part. If the Order were all brought back together, there'd be no reason for Roy to not be rezzed immediately.

[drengnikrafe]

In reply to the title...

The Comic Strip will survive.
The Order will also survive. They won't be quite whole, but, if he really never comes back, they'll grow to not really be detrementally dysfunctional without him. Or, maybe, they replace him. Probably not, though.

[Greep]

As far as Roy coming back:

There's no way Roy isn't coming back when you get down to it. It's not that I think Rich wouldn't have decided to permanently off Roy when he initially died, it's just that Roy in the afterlife would not have been part of the storyline if it was true. That, or somehow Roy has to profoundly influence the characters WHILE dead. Possible, but not likely (It'd be pretty corny :smallsigh:).

Having said that... Haley and V(Elan even??) seem to be pretty capable of rescuing their parties from difficult situations that Roy would have. But it just seems they lack the "mmph" to pursue Xykon effectively without Roy.

[Linkavitch]

They can't not have :roy: come back, 'cuz the whole comic is about him.

[Linkavitch]

"Terrible price" = 1000 GP / PC level.

ouch...that hurt...that'd be. . . what? 12 grand each? at least?

[Watchdog]

They can't not have :roy: come back, 'cuz the whole comic is about him.

I don't know about that. The comic is about more than just one character. Even the 'lowly' NPCs are characters in the story.

Even so, Roy is too important of a character to stay in the afterlife.

[The Glyphstone]

Found it! Just before strip 474:
"Rest assured that bringing the team back together will have a cost--a heavy toll paid by one member of the Order that could change them forever."


Well, Belkar's Mark of Justice is a pretty "heavy toll' on him, particularly if it turns out they can't/won't get it removed. Can you imagine Belkar's reaction to having to stay within 1 mile of Roy for the REST OF HIS LIFE?


not to mention Roy's reaction...

[Mauve Shirt]

Well, Belkar's Mark of Justice is a pretty "heavy toll' on him, particularly if it turns out they can't/won't get it removed. Can you imagine Belkar's reaction to having to stay within 1 mile of Roy for the REST OF HIS LIFE?


not to mention Roy's reaction...

But he's already set it off, so that's no longer a problem.

[The Hop Goblin]

:roy: Look for my coming at dawn of the 5th day.