OOTS #602 - The Discussion Thread

[The Giant]

New comic is up.

[Psychomancer]

Knew he was going to sell them out.

[Santiago]

Great comic! The whole "they were just braiding their hair for no reason at all" seems like a playful stab to us theorists here in the forums. Well done!

[The Hop Goblin]

That's alot of XP!

[Jan Mattys]

The cleric dude is quite cool.

nice strip. Liked it a lot :smallbiggrin:

[David Argall]

Lose this one, tho it does follow the principle noted, that Roy looks in at the crucial moment.

So maybe they have to de-curse Belkar so they have a chance of fighting their way out.

[Tempest Fennac]

It looks like they won't have much of a choice regarding curing Belkar. I wonder if the Cleric will be that useful? We know he's less then level 13.

[Animefunkmaster]

Viva La Small Intestine Independence!!!!!

[randomnondescri]

Twenty minutes?
Haley's hair isn't that long....

And good for making Belkar suffer a bit. I'm so glad they have some idea of what happened...

[SPoD]

I can't get over how much happened in this strip. It's like the anti-600 (and that's coming from someone who liked #600).

Best moment for me was Haley and Celia looking puzzled trying to come up with even one distinguishing feature about Durkon.

[turkishproverb]

"I've ony been in one strip so far!" PRiceless.

[Phishfood]

Dearly Beloved, we are gathered here today to commemorate the death of our dear friend 4th wall. He was a good wall badly abused...

Great one, Giant.

Blind old pete planning to walk in pretending he is still blind perhaps? I would. :biggrin: (assuming they don't get killed etc)

Ah Belkar is so screwed, I wonder who knows (knew?) the password?

[Coke_Can64]

Meep, having the comic sneak up on you is disconcerting to say the least. :smallbiggrin:

Heh, the priest's "I don't want to die, I've only been in one strip so far!" and Celia's "...I always make both eyes the same by accident". Poor fourth wall. :smallamused:

The priest of Loki seems kinda cool too... interesting.

As for Pete, SHAME ON YOU. :smallfurious: For making such a corny pun AND selling out your "friends". :smallannoyed:

[Renx]

FINALLY something interesting happens that actually speeds the plot along.

[SPoD]

As for Pete, SHAME ON YOU. :smallfurious: For making such a corny pun AND selling out your "friends". :smallannoyed:

Yeah, though he could still come back after being cured to help rescue them.

I hope.

[dish]

I want to see more of this cleric. Love how he spotted the cutaway panel. Definitely deserves to last for more than one comic.

[RTGoodman]

Great strip, and one of my favorites as of late!

And I like this cleric - he's got Elan-like mastery of genre conventions, and he already delivered a great line ("I don't want to die, I've only been in one strip so far!"). :smallbiggrin:

[Taghor]

Oh OH

He has a goatee!!!!

[Querzis]

I hope the cleric doesnt die. I really like him even though hes only been in one strip so far. Well that and if he die, its gonna take something like 100 strips to resurect Roy.

And I hope Pete die...Shame on you! You sold two of your friends who were really trusting you to your mortal enemies when you are probably gonna die of old age soon anyway. Whats the point of getting your eyes back for the few years you still have to live if it means an eternity of suffering in the evil afterlife?????

I hope he rots in Carceri!

[Lex-Kat]

I want to see more of this cleric. Love how he spotted the cutaway panel. Definitely deserves to last for more than one comic.

He'll be in at least two. He has to die in one of them. :smallwink:

[TheNovak]

Evidently, clerics of Loki can pick Drama as one of their domains.

Great strip! I'm definitely intrigued to see what happens next. The urgency has returned.

[Psychomancer]

Hardly worth scolding Pete, really. He is an old rogue after all. Just in his nature.

Just hope he doesn't get too attached to his new eyes. Hit the strip joint before they gouge 'em out again, Pete!

[DBear]

Way to lampshade small details. I didn't remember the room turning blue in #569 when the MoJ was triggered. Nice continuity.

[Animefunkmaster]

The more I read this, the more I hope this cleric stays around. I really like this fellow.

[Lord_Butters_I]

Belkar gets uncursed and kicks the living sh*t out of Crystal.

[Dark Wolf]

I have to admit I got confused at the end. I thought Pete had to get his eyes from the basement before they could be regenerated.

[flamingoptimus]

WOW!

Are we seeing the reunion soon?

[Daran]

Now if there will be a fight they'll probably want the curse (MoJ) removed from Belkar. One more Fighter is one more Fighter.
I can't beleive that old (not for long anymore) blind Pete betrayed Haley. :smallfurious:

P.S.
I love the cleric - his spot skill must be quite high to spot the cut away panel :smallbiggrin:
I hope he won't be slaughtered like so many NPCs :smallfrown:

[Bayar]

I've only been in one strip so far !

This made my day :smallbiggrin:

[Itdano]

Wow, Giant! You didn't just break the third wall with this one, you smashed it. With a hammer. Then you ran it over with a tank. Then you set it on fire. Well done, sir! Well done.

[Merlon]

That will definetly be painful. And even possibly fatal.



....but somehow i get the feeling, that they will get away in some stealthy way.

[eilandesq]

Things look pretty grim, unless. . . along with the obvious tactic of removing Belkar's curse, they find that bone fragment that was rattling around in Roy's boot and use it for the Resurrection scroll--which would bring Roy back immediately at full hit points (though at -1 level from when he died). Roy, Belkar, and Haley along with some sylph lightning from Celia and whatever support magic the cleric can provide should make short work of the three rogues seen above, unless they get reinforcements.

[R.O.A.]

Nooooooooo!
The traitor :mad:

[Ricky S]

What i want to know is why they didnt heal belkar up cause he would have been able to help them with the whole fighting people thing seeing as he is crazily good at killing. Its just stupid. Plus why didnt they get back the body before getting the cleric?

[Dr. Cthulwho]

Oh Blind Pete, you rogue you, may you one day come to see the error of your ways.

A lot of funny stuff going on. Hope Cleric McTritchy doesn't die yet either.

And Roy's brand of disaproval is always good. Subliminal guilt. :smallbiggrin:

And meanwhile, somewhere far across the ocean:

:elan: Dun dun DUNN


Things look pretty grim, unless. . . along with the obvious tactic of removing Belkar's curse, they find that bone fragment that was rattling around in Roy's boot and use it for the Resurrection scroll--which would bring Roy back immediately at full hit points (though at -1 level from when he died). Roy, Belkar, and Haley along with some sylph lightning from Celia and whatever support magic the cleric can provide should make short work of the three rogues seen above, unless they get reinforcements.

I guess that would depend on whether the Cleric would be carrying a valuable scroll like that with him, and whether any of them know the dispelling password.

[Greg]

Things look pretty grim, unless. . . along with the obvious tactic of removing Belkar's curse, they find that bone fragment that was rattling around in Roy's boot and use it for the Resurrection scroll--which would bring Roy back immediately at full hit points (though at -1 level from when he died). Roy, Belkar, and Haley along with some sylph lightning from Celia and whatever support magic the cleric can provide should make short work of the three rogues seen above, unless they get reinforcements.
That was my first thought. I'd say that they raise Roy and Belkar dies or Belkar gets healed and they go to get Roy's corpse. Not both - didn't the Giant say one of the OotS would die getting Roy raised?

Why didn't Haley try to contact Elan?

[busterswd]

Why didn't Haley try to contact Elan?

That's actually a pretty good question, considering she could probably describe him in intimate detail.

Is it possible she doesn't know Elan's last name?

[Dr. Cthulwho]

Why didn't Haley try to contact Elan?

Maybe she thought it would be easier to communicate vital details to Durkon rather then Elan... after all, she should know as well as anybody what he can be like. :smallwink:

Or she could have chosen V instead.

[Jimorian]

I can just see one particular line post battle:

When Belkar catches up with Pete: "Huh, what a coincidence, I have 2 daggers, you have 2 new eyes..." <splortsplort>

[Greg]

I can just see one particular line post battle:

When Belkar catches up with Pete: "Huh, what a coincidence, I have 2 daggers, you have 2 new eyes..." <splortsplort>
Hell's bells! Roy had better not be getting raised yet.


Maybe she thought it would be easier to communicate vital details to Durkon rather then Elan... after all, she should know as well as anybody what he can be like. :smallwink:

Or she could have chosen V instead.
Elan would get "we are in Greyky City, come quick", which leaves her 18 more words.

V might be too verbose in explaining things to the others.

[deworde]

Heh, the priest's "I don't want to die, I've only been in one strip so far!" and Celia's "...I always make both eyes the same by accident". Poor fourth wall. :smallamused:

What I loved is that a 4th wall break has just completely altered the plot. Rather than the element of surprise, they're prepped to fight. The last time I can remember that happening was with Z'zdtri (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0065.html)

[raphfrk]

Or she could have chosen V instead.

... and then he says "The only person who vaguely matches you description is evil aligned, are you sure the caster was good?"

[ChowGuy]

Plus why didnt they get back the body before getting the cleric?
Haley: ...we need him [the Belkster] to help us storm the castle where the body is.

What i want to know is why they didnt heal belkar up cause he would have been able to help them with the whole fighting people thing seeing as he is crazily good at killing.
Something of which Celia does [not] approve, under any circumstances. And as for Haley:
Haley: "I'm not wasting money on a cure for a curse he brought on himself."
and we know how much money means to Haley. Besides, I get the impression that the Cleric can "cure" the immediate effects, but without the password, can't Dispel the original MoJ curse, so Belkar still couldn't kill anyone in Greysky City without re-triggering it. That's "the catch" which would indeed make it a "waste of money."

[Avilan the Grey]

I can just see one particular line post battle:

When Belkar catches up with Pete: "Huh, what a coincidence, I have 2 daggers, you have 2 new eyes..." <splortsplort>

Yesss! That would be WIN! Go Belkster Go!

[B. Dandelion]

That just ruled.

My only slight disappointment is that Haley undid her braid. Aww, I thought it was cute.

[Lord Herman]

Great strip, Giant! :smallsmile:

I like the cleric, although he's probably going to die. Which means he's going to live, because you're unpredictable. Only you're expecting us to think that, so maybe he'll die after all... :smallconfused:

[Kato]

Oooh, how about we remove too ealrier strips and make that one the 600th :P

Nah, awesome comic. I like the cleric, though I'm dissappointed with Pete... Meh, it's the girls fault for teasing him.
Alas, poor Belkar. But they'll probably need to get him back in shape, so he can help them out. Otherwise they'd need a miracle (or deus ex machina)

[Tempest Fennac]

Dark Wolf, Regeneration can regrow missing limbs and organs (it takes longer then merely re-attaching them, though). How long would using a Ressurrection scroll take if there is a toe bone?

[Ron Miel]

I saw Pete's betrayal a long way off. (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=5145148)

[Rad]

Noooo.... I actually liked the guy! :smallfrown:

[Delgarde]

Oh OH

He has a goatee!!!!

Which you'd expect, given he's a cleric of Loki, an evil god. But that's funny too, since Loki actually stands out from the rest of the pantheon in being clean-shaven - it's like not having a beard is a mark of evil in the North...

[Evil DM Mark3]

Ah betrayal. It makes the world shrivel up and die round.

[hanzo66]

So it seems that Cleric's getup is sort of standard for Clerics of "Evil" gods?


I mean, besides the fact that his cloak probably isn't an Evil Artifact... Maybe...

[Querzis]

So it seems that Cleric's getup is sort of standard for Clerics of "Evil" gods?

Well till now I get a chaotic neutral vibe from him more then anything else (which isnt really surprising, Loki is more about chaos then evil really.)


How long would using a Ressurrection scroll take if there is a toe bone?

Exactly as much time as it would take if it was the whole body. You really only need a small part of the body to completely resurect someone, the whole body is only necessary with raise dead. The only problem is that I think they have to destroy the bone golem first or it wont work (at least thats how it work with undead but I'm not sure about golems).

[Dark Wolf]

Dark Wolf, Regeneration can regrow missing limbs and organs (it takes longer then merely re-attaching them, though).

For a second though I thought he meant "Hooray I'll get my eyes fixed. They're in the basement. I'll just go get them". I can be a bit slow sometimes.

[Jimorian]

Another thought. If this Cleric of Loki wants to last past strip 2, it would behoove him to tell the girls his name soon. :smallwink:

[Pandabear]

*coughs* what?? *snicker* :smallbiggrin:

[pearl jam]

The last frame was priceless. :smallbiggrin:

[Jan Mattys]

Anyone seeing the following happening?

:cool:"Wohoo... I see again!!!!"
/fly passes by
:cool:"Ouch, I think there's something in my eye"
:belkar:"Got it out for you"

[Lord_Ventnor]

Looks like #603 might be the beginning of Haley vs. Crystal: the final showdown!!!

. . .

Or maybe not. We'll see, I guess.

[Incendius]

Anyone seeing the following happening?

:cool:"Wohoo... I see again!!!!"
/fly passes by
:cool:"Ouch, I think there's something in my eye"
:belkar:"Got it out for you"

His major problem wasn't that he could not afford new eyes, but rather that they wouldn't let him have new eyes.

[Dreamthiev]

It seemed to me like the cleric knew the password. That's why he was telling Haley that it was a good thing she brought Belkar to him. He even knew it came from the lord of Azure City, and was even ready to cast it on Belkar (hands glowing and everything).

It does seem that they may need Belkar's help to defeat the thieves' guild. Haley, a cowardly cleric, and a pacifist slyph seems to be a poor match up. Maybe Belkar can make a deal with the cleric, remove the mark and Belkar will protect him? Or maybe Haley will just concede she still needs his help.

Anyone want to bet that the password for the mark is "Mr. Scruffy"?

[Yendor]

Haley's still giving Belkar no sympathy. Good for her.

Also: The Order of the Stick -- saying no to fourth walls since 2003!

[Jan Mattys]

His major problem wasn't that he could not afford new eyes, but rather that they wouldn't let him have new eyes.

I know. I just thought it could be a neat way to have Belkster back in action with that classic reprise :D

I'm not english... what do you guys mean with 4th wall, exactly?
I fail to understand the many comments about that...

[Jan Mattys]

It seemed to me like the cleric knew the password. That's why he was telling Haley that it was a good thing she brought Belkar to him. He even knew it came from the lord of Azure City, and was even ready to cast it on Belkar (hands glowing and everything).

It does seem that they may need Belkar's help to defeat the thieves' guild. Haley, a cowardly cleric, and a pacifist slyph seems to be a poor match up. Maybe Belkar can make a deal with the cleric, remove the mark and Belkar will protect him? Or maybe Haley will just concede she still needs his help.

Anyone want to bet that the password for the mark is "Mr. Scruffy"?


I'm betting it's Squiddleydoodlefluffer (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0569.html)

[Taekwondodo]

Another thought. If this Cleric of Loki wants to last past strip 2, it would behoove him to tell the girls his name soon. :smallwink:

True tho maybe the fact he hasn't told them his name means he has been marked out by the Giant. It's a red uniform...

[Skaven]

Cleric of Loki Rocks. I hope he replaces Belkar.

[Castamir]

Anyone seeing the following happening?

:cool:"Wohoo... I see again!!!!"
/fly passes by
:cool:"Ouch, I think there's something in my eye"
:belkar:"Got it out for you"
His major problem wasn't that he could not afford new eyes, but rather that they wouldn't let him have new eyes.
'cept, no one has survived Belkster removing something from their eye before.

[Querzis]

what do you guys mean with 4th wall, exactly?
I fail to understand the many comments about that.

The fourth wall (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/FourthWall)

And in OOTS there is No fourth wall (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/NoFourthWall)

[turkishproverb]

Cleric of Loki Rocks. I hope he replaces Belkar.

If the belkster dies, he would be an interesting choice to replace him, fairly unfleshed out and all.

[Laurentio II]

I agree on the fact that the cleric seems to know the password (wanted to point it, but got ninja'd. Ratz!). Probably, he knows the "default" password, that if working would means that lawful caster are dumb, too.

Now, everything brings to Belkar start kicking asses, with great fans joy. But question: what can give Haley and Celia to Belkar, after refusing to pay for healing him on the first chance, that the Guild can't double on the spot?

[Jan Mattys]

The fourth wall (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/FourthWall)

And in OOTS there is No fourth wall (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/NoFourthWall)

Ohh got it now.
In italian we call it another way.

Tnx for the explanation. Much appreciated.

[Tobz]

LOVED THE CLERIC!!!

Can we keep him please? Pretty please with sugar on top?

[shylocxs]

The more I read this, the more I hope this cleric stays around. I really like this fellow.

Yeah, but he's wearing a red cape. Which is pretty close to wearing a red shirt. Which is pretty close to you know what...

"I don't want to die. I've only been in one strip." Great quote, and I love the metareferences.

[Jan Mattys]

I agree on the fact that the cleric seems to know the password (wanted to point it, but got ninja'd. Ratz!). Probably, he knows the "default" password, that if working would means that lawful caster are dumb, too.

Now, everything brings to Belkar start kicking asses, with great fans joy. But question: what can give Haley and Celia to Belkar, after refusing to pay for healing him on the first chance, that the Guild can't double on the spot?

That's an interesting question, even though I've always had the feeling that Belkar isn't *buyable*, but quite psychotic instead. So he might just want to start kicking arses instead of just letting himself be bought. Probably, he would just take the money THEN kick them for just thinking he could be bought...

Also, do anyone else think that
if belkar gets healed and starts saving the day with his daggers, that would be the "glorious" moment preceeding his death? I can see him becoming a hero in front of the ladies, having *his moment* as the ultimate shoeless god of war, and then die in some important way (like sacrificing himself - probably unwillingly - to let Roy be raised)...

[Deepkicker]

Damn it, Pete!! And damn it, Giant!! My anticipation for the next strip is now so great that I'm actually physically uncomfortable.

Also...I KNEW they were braiding each other's hair because they were bored.

[Surfing HalfOrc]

Twenty minutes?
Haley's hair isn't that long....

And good for making Belkar suffer a bit. I'm so glad they have some idea of what happened...

I'm thinking it was a "French Braid." Takes a lot longer than a regular braid.

The "Joys" of having little sisters. You learn about these things...

Love ya Sis!

[Alces]

Even the strip title - clerical temp - suggests rather strongly that this cleric is going to get it in the neck posthaste. He's even drawn to look older than the average character, just as the Cliffport chief of police was...

[_Zoot_]

Well, Belkar is due to drop off the hook soon isn't he? About now seems like a good spot to do it. But that might be to simple for the Giant.....

The next one is going to be so cool!!!:smallbiggrin:

[Alces]

Yeah, but he's wearing a red cape.

To be fair, a similar cloak is worn by a main antagonist... who's even named after that fetching piece of outerwear.

[Mercenary Pen]

Personally, I get the feeling that our Cleric of Loki might well Remove Curse on Belkar anyway, just to even the odds so that he doesn't die.

The cleric didn't mention any scrolls when asked about Sending, so I assume he has 4th-Level Cleric spells (how many, I wouldn't like to say) since Sending isn't a domain spell at lower level, but that'll permit useful Cleric spells such as Divine Power, Lesser Planar Ally and/or Summon Monster IV (or just Greater Magic Weapon on Haley's bow)... However, the only thing this cleric seems to have for attacking with is his holy symbol (though he could have a concealed weapon somewhere)... I don't want to try predicting the outcome of this next encounter...

[ref]

Looks like #603 might be the beginning of Haley vs. Crystal: the final showdown!!!

But Crystal isn't airborne!

Blind Old Pete is a traitor. Too bad for him that he won't be able to keep faking blind and do the "everyone is decent" thing to catch them really naked. Serves him well.

[Scoutninja]

V to the Rescue!

[pendell]

I don't want to die -- I've only been in one strip!

*Chortle* *Guffaw*

Best punch line for a while. Or maybe I just like Haley & co better.

Respectfully,

Brian P.

[Totally Guy]

The cleric wants no names mentioned. Guess that makes him a Low-key cleric.:smalltongue:

[pendell]

I saw Pete's betrayal a long way off. (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=5145148)

Yes, yes you did. Have a cookie.

Respectfully,

Brian P.

[Thant]

And V-man departed just 24 hours ago...too bad:smallsmile: I just wonder how Durkon will react when he is contacted via sending spell by cleric of LOKI...maybe he refuses to talk to him and spoils the chance of contact. I mean, Miko and Redcloak tried to spill each others guts out when they saw each other in azure city outpost, and these two clerics are in opposing religions. Seems that religious conflicts are at rampage level in OotS.

And it just occurred to me: what if this new cleric is also a traitor like Pete? Maybe he's faking his naive-ishness...and it looks like they are all connected and ploting together against the Order:smallmad: Good comic, Giant.

[Dreamthiev]

You know, I don't really think the cleric is meant to replace Belkar, but the more I think about it the more he seems like a good choice.

If you consider that the PC's are designed to emulate D&D PC's, then besides being a character each of them would have a theoretical and imaginary "player" behind them.

Now, imagine the kind of player who would be playing a character like Belkar. He's gotta be getting pretty bored and frustrated. His only real contribution is melee. But he's been stuck with the mark of justice for a long time now and that seriously cramps his style. On top of that, he gets shown up by the rest of the party. Roy's a better warrior, so's Durkon when he calls upon Thor's might. Now even Elan is "horning in" on Belkar's territory with his Dashing Swordsman prestige class.

But if the player dumps Belkar and picks up a cleric character he's going to be much more vital to the party. Durkon has always been a major contributor, and is always essential. Haley's half of the party has spent months trying to find a cleric. If the Belkar-player swaps to cleric he'd always have a function in the party. Plus they would be far less likely to turn against him or abandon him if he provides necessary healing.

The cleric in question is also a good choice. He's a cleric of loki, so I believe his alignment is CE. Clerics of Loki get the flame domain, which'll let the Belkar-player rain down some destruction. Yeah, the character appears old, but the Belkar-player could have chosen an older age category to increase his wisdom score.

We know that the cleric is less than level 13, because he can't cast ressurection. But if the rest of the party is level 13 then a new character would start out at the beginning of level 12, typically. So that works, too.

But I hope it's not true, I like Belkar and want to keep seeing more of him. :smallsmile:

[Laurentio II]

I just wonder how Durkon will react when he is contacted via sending spell by cleric of LOKI...maybe he refuses to talk to him and spoils the chance of contact.
It's not how it works. And anyway, Durkon lacks several ranks in Knowledge (Religions).


I mean, Miko and Redcloak tried to spill each others guts out when they saw each other in azure city outpost, and these two clerics are in opposing religions. Seems that religious conflicts are at rampage level in OotS.
It happens when one is a fanatic good-doers with not a grain of common sense, and the other had his whole family slaughtered by people with the same uniform.
Religion is really the last problem, there.


And it just occurred to me: what if this new cleric is also a traitor like Pete? Maybe he's faking his naive-ishness...and it looks like they are all connected and ploting together against the Order:smallmad: Good comic, Giant.
Seems to me a little too convulsed for nothing more than what they already got. They have three victims in a closed room, what need of a fourth? Old (actually) Blind Pete named the cleric as a traitor, during a cutscene no one (is supposed to have) seen.


You know, I don't really think the cleric is meant to replace Belkar, but the more I think about it the more he seems like a good choice.
Have you ever seen a player in OotS? No. Know why? Because Mr. Burlew explicitly did not included them in the comic, not even as a meta joke.
Beside, there is a serious lack of "twing twing" and instant sympathy between the characters. Anyone familiar with character replacement should know what I means.

[Yendor]

And V-man departed just 24 hours ago...too bad:smallsmile: I just wonder how Durkon will react when he is contacted via sending spell by cleric of LOKI...maybe he refuses to talk to him and spoils the chance of contact. I mean, Miko and Redcloak tried to spill each others guts out when they saw each other in azure city outpost, and these two clerics are in opposing religions. Seems that religious conflicts are at rampage level in OotS.

Durkon got along well with the last cleric of Loki he met. Very well. Haley and Celia will have to give him some sort of token so the cleric can prove he's genuine, though.

(Oh, and they can't contact Vaarsuvius, because then Haley would have to let slip whether or not she knows V's gender. :smallwink:)

[Mike62]

Who needs the Belkster, Haley and Celia? You are about to, when the Guild starts to lay a beat down on you.

Huzzahs for a way to get the Belkster back in action, the #1 source of HUMOUR, in a comic (caps for all those who want him gone)

[InuSaga]

Personally, I hope Belkar doesn't get his curse removed. He'd fall off the wagon with an audible splat. He has a lot of not-killing to make up for. Unchecked? *shudder* However, since I see little other chance of them getting out of this, I guess he's going to have to. Then again, the Giant has surprised me before.

But I'll throw a couple of predictions out there.

One, they won't raise Roy this time. The Cleric of Loki made a point of telling Haley he has the scroll that can raise Roy. After he keels over, she can get the scroll from his remains or his room or whatever and take it to Durkon. Also, Belkar will die closer to the end of the entire story. Like, the Scribble Monster will get him or something at the last gate. Like him or not, he's a member of this party and it would be lame to kill him off halfway through the epic, you know?

[Daran]

By the way:

Anyone else noticed how Haley evaded Belkar's puke in panel 8?
The same way she is jumping over fire :smallsmile:
Looks like she learned to use her relfex saves with her evasion feat on puke, too :smallbiggrin:

Edit: And why is the cleric looking around in panel 15 and 16? Did he hear Roy saying something in that panel before? :smallconfused:

[Thant]

Wait, wait, wait people, I just realized something - in the cutaway panel, Blind "Traitor" Pete says : ...I've got Ian's girl, the sylph...etc. Ian? Is that Haley's father he's been talking about? O.o

[kierthos]

Edit: And why is the cleric looking around in panel 15 and 16? Did he hear Roy saying something in that panel before? :smallconfused:
I think that's just his rampant paranoia.

[Yendor]

Wait, wait, wait people, I just realized something - in the cutaway panel, Blind "Traitor" Pete says : ...I've got Ian's girl, the sylph...etc. Ian? Is that Haley's father he's been talking about? O.o

Um, yes (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0131.html), yes it is.

[PePe QuiCoSE]

huh? i hope he is getting more payment than his eyes regenerated. He already stated why that was not a good deal. Feels a bit cheap really.

Edit: oh, unless he is doing some kind of weird gamble and is setting up Bozzok (but really just too unlikely).

[Ron Miel]

Wait, wait, wait people, I just realized something - in the cutaway panel, Blind "Traitor" Pete says : ...I've got Ian's girl, the sylph...etc. Ian? Is that Haley's father he's been talking about? O.o

Ian and Mia's girl (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0581.html)

[Thant]

Um, yes (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0131.html), yes it is.

oops, I totally forgot about that one, tnx.

[Jenx]

I don't want the guy to die either. I kinda like him.

[Ron Miel]

Even the strip title - clerical temp - suggests rather strongly that this cleric is going to get it in the neck posthaste.

Good catch. I didn't think of that.

[Laurentio II]

So, up to this moment, Old Eagle-Eyed Blind Pete sold guild's secrets, sold an old childhood friend, and sold the daughter of old friends.
What did he got? No money, as the guild would have not allowed him to keep, spent more to try a regeneration, lived blind for many years, and his secret detection-proof room is now going to be revealed to the Rogue Guild.
Before someone argue that he should be neutral good and a relative of Roy, is there an Aesop?

[Kaytara]

Weirdly enough, my first thought upon seeing Mr. Cleric was "Nale's father" and maybe Lord Tyrinnar. I suppose two characters can both have a goatee and not be related in any way, but him not revealing his name is just suspicious, from a dramatic perspective.... O__o

[factotum]

What did he got? No money, as the guild would have not allowed him to keep, spent more to try a regeneration, lived blind for many years, and his secret detection-proof room is now going to be revealed to the Rogue Guild.


What he gets is his eyes back. The Thieves' Guild own Greysky City--they can stop the local clerics regenerating his eyes, and they can put his eyes out again if he somehow gets them regenerated by someone else. I would assume his agreement here is "I get my eyes back and you let me keep them!".

[Yendor]

What's really odd is that Haley would probably have given him the money for a Regeneration and helped him get to safety, if he'd just asked.

[Nevrmore]

I like Haley and Belkar's exploits a lot better than I do Elan and Durkan's.

The cleric is an interesting character. I also enjoy his ability to spot danger, though that's probably just because he's really jumpy right now. I hope he lives for awhile, or at least gets a cool death.

[Destro_Yersul]

Yeah, the cleric is awesome.

"I don't want to die, I've only been in one strip so far!"

:smallbiggrin:

[Mauve Shirt]

Heh. Poor cleric.
At least it wasn't Hilgya, thank goodness.

[Ron Miel]

Weirdly enough, my first thought upon seeing Mr. Cleric was "Nale's father" and maybe Lord Tyrinnar. I suppose two characters can both have a goatee and not be related in any way, but him not revealing his name is just suspicious, from a dramatic perspective.... O__o

I think he looks more like Hinjo than Nale

[Ron Miel]

Heh. Poor cleric.
At least it wasn't Hilgya, thank goodness.

Old Blind Pete is going to see a cleric of Loki to have his eyes regenerated. Maybe that'll be Hilgya.

d+r

[Saint Nil]

Ahh, I love that new comic smell. Loved the cleric:smallamused:

[Jeivar]

Best comic in a while! :smallsmile:

Prediction: Belkar gets de-cursed to help with the fighting, and ends up putting both of Pete's eyes out again.

[Tempest Fennac]

I know the amount of remains don't affect the casting time: I was just wondering if using it from a scroll would take 120 minutes due to the spell taking that long to cast when it's used normally.

[Max_Sinister]

I have a small hope that


the second-last panel doesn't really happen, but just depicts Haley's fear or such.

I don't really believe that the Giant would do this, though.

So it's rather more probable: Haley will backpaddle and allow the cleric to remove the mark of justice. Celia will comment that she doesn't understand this. Then the half OotS will bring death upon the Thieves' Guild, kill Crystal and/or Bozzok (I don't think she'll have a high chance to survive against two high-level chars, not with Haley fighting at range and Belkar glad to be able to kill again) and escape. With no losses, except maybe... too bad the Cleric didn't give his name.

[Starknight]

Order of the Stick does NOT have a fourth wall, at best, it has a fourth railing to prevent accidental falls from the comic. Well, at least until we get 3D animation and Giant can show somebody actually tripping over the railing or banister. (The strip entitled At least it's not the Fourth Wall Again not withstanding). I wonder if Giant sometimes uses TVTROPES.org as a checklist?

[banjo1985]

Well, it seems clear that the cleric made a mistake not giving his name, as this means he'll probably be for the chop if there's a fight. Too be honest I'd favour the Thieves Guild in the fight as it stands, especially with Belkar out of action.

This should be interesting. :smallamused:

[Mercenary Pen]

Crazy theory here: Crystal's a rogue (I assume), so maybe she'll have maxed her skill points in UMD and have a wand of Fly- just to fit the Flying Skank theme that Haley's big enemies tend to have.

[Nevrmore]

huh? i hope he is getting more payment than his eyes regenerated. He already stated why that was not a good deal. Feels a bit cheap really.
It's not a good deal because it costs him a lot of money and one of Bozzok's men always came around and cut them out again. This time Bozzok has promised to give him his eyes back for free and not slice them out. What's not a good deal about that?

[Caractacus]

I have to admit I got confused at the end. I thought Pete had to get his eyes from the basement before they could be regenerated.

Yeah! I though the same for a second! :smalltongue:

Hope Belkar gets sorted...and just maybe the other halfling could be not too much of a threat as he isn't all bad as we've seen before...

[Caractacus]

The cleric wants no names mentioned. Guess that makes him a Low-key cleric.:smalltongue:

*wince*

*giggle*

*twitch*

More! :smalltongue:

[Tundar]

Pete is hillarious.


See you later!

[Egmorn]

Correct me if I am wrong (and sorry if it was already raised in this thread, I couldn't gather enough courage to read the whole thread), but the priest introduced himself by refusing to give his name...
Isn't it kind of like a suicide move for NPC to refuse a name...

Therefore, I don't think he will see a lot more strips.

[Ninja]

"No digestion without representation!"

Also, what's with Bozzok's shoes and all those shoelaces.....

[HOLEkevin]

Yeah, Pete's cracking me up, here. Not only does he sell OotS out, but he also sets up the "Nameless Cleric" of Loki, apparently just for fun.

He may be blind, but he hasn't lost his sense of humor.

[Ward.]

As cool as that cleric is, I hope he doesn't replace the Bman.

[OmegaDonut]

I know the amount of remains don't affect the casting time: I was just wondering if using it from a scroll would take 120 minutes due to the spell taking that long to cast when it's used normally.

Resurrection takes 10 minutes to cast, period. Where did 120 minutes come from?

[Bedinsis]

Good comic. I especially liked the exchange:

C: No, Pete, we're both completely nude. But come on in.
P: ...
P: Now that's just mean to an old blind man.

[StrykerX]

I hope the cleric doesnt die. I really like him even though hes only been in one strip so far. Well that and if he die, its gonna take something like 100 strips to resurect Roy.

I don't know... he has a Resurrection scroll, so depending on Haley's Use Magic Device skill his death might just mean a much cheaper revival. :smallamused:

[Mojique]

I hope the cleric joins the group. He is so... normal.

[DragonSlayerDan]

Nameless cleric wins, cool character.

[SmartAlec]

A neat touch that makes the Cleric seem rather shifty is that he apparently has great trouble making eye contact with anyone.

Funnily enough, the line that got me was "That was a cutaway panel, wasn't it?" I can hear the hysteria rising in his voice.

[Ron Miel]

Best comic in a while! :smallsmile:

Prediction: Belkar gets de-cursed to help with the fighting, and ends up putting both of Pete's eyes out again.

Too obvious. I bet that Celia will be the one that stabs his eyes.

[DigoDragon]

Yeah, about the part of letting Belkar stew in his misery... might want to rethink that strategy Haley. :smallbiggrin:

[Laurentio II]

Yeah, Pete's cracking me up, here. Not only does he sell OotS out, but he also sets up the "Nameless Cleric" of Loki, apparently just for fun.

He may be blind, but he hasn't lost his sense of humor.
The unnamed cleric is the one that regenerated his eyes time ago, in spite of the Guild's orders. This lead to Crystal having to poke them out a second time, and probably Pete didn't gave out the name at that time, in the hope of being able to contact the cleric at a second time.
Only that, now he doesn't need him anymore, and he is selling him.

What he gets is his eyes back. The Thieves' Guild own Greysky City--they can stop the local clerics regenerating his eyes, and they can put his eyes out again if he somehow gets them regenerated by someone else. I would assume his agreement here is "I get my eyes back and you let me keep them!".
He gets back the eyes that he lost for selling guild's secrets. Not a great profit, on the overall. What I'm saying is that he betrayed the guild, an old friend, and random people only to get back something that he had from the begin, and none the richer. Lame traitor, isn't it?
In tropes, this is the kind of person that is killed by the bad guys before the deal is closed, because is a lost cause to trust them further.

[SkredlitheOgre]

You know, it would be all well and good for the Unnamed Low-Key (awesome) Cleric to be able to remove the Belkster's curse and all, but Belkar is STILL inside a city, so even if the cleric CAN remove the curse, as soon as BMan starts attacking people, he's back to where he is right now, starting over with the projectile vomiting.

Here's what I'd like to see: Belkar KNOWS what activated his Curse, so he gets cured and starts 'attacking' inanimate objects, which in turn do damage to his foes.

'I critically hit that chair!' *chair his Crystal in the face*

StO.

*edit* I meant negate temporarily instead of remove, since he doesn't have the password

[Tempest Fennac]

Sorry about the typo, OmegaDonut (I meant to say 10 minutes).

[Neopolis]

Oh man, what a twist.:smalleek: I can't wait for 603 now.

[DigoDragon]

You know, it would be all well and good for the Unnamed Low-Key (awesome) Cleric to be able to remove the Belkster's curse and all, but Belkar is STILL inside a city, so even if the cleric CAN remove the curse, as soon as BMan starts attacking people, he's back to where he is right now, starting over with the projectile vomiting.

That may depend on whether "Remove Curse" actually Removes the mark or just the effects in this comic world. :smallsmile: I believe in D&D 3.5 the spell would remove the mark completely.

Though if not you do have a pretty clever way around it. :smallwink:

[Shatteredtower]

So, instead of a strip that accomplishes three useful things (resurrect Roy, remove Belkar's curse, contact Durkon), we get another strip that ensures none of them happen, with a title that suggests the avenue by which they might be achieved is about to be shut off.

Before anything can happen. Again.

I don't mind that the showdown with the Greysky thieves' guild comes at an inconvenient moment, but it would be nice if it turns out to not be quite so wholeheartedly disruptive to progress.

[nowiwantmydmg]

Nice strip, Lots of good lines.

Makes me want MOAR.

[hamishspence]

I'm Guessing Rich houserules that the effects are a Curse, the Mark itself is not. the cleric can end effects, but without knowledge of password, cannot end Mark.

[synnerman]

This strip is full of "yay!" :)

[Sengoku]

The Nameless cleric reminds me Mr. Pink from Reservoir Dogs, for some things he says:smallcool:

[Infernal Badger]

I hope the cleric survives, he seems cool.
But I guess he better say his name, or his chances will be slim...

[Tohron]

Wonder if Varsuvius is going to show up just in time and resolve this plot arc too.

He seems to be doing that a lot lately.

[Warren Dew]

Nice to see someone with a goatee who isn't obviously evil.

I really like the cleric, but I suspect he's too normal to stick around for long.

[Ikialev]

So.

Only I thought that this guy looks like redcloak.?

[Querzis]

I don't know... he has a Resurrection scroll, so depending on Haley's Use Magic Device skill his death might just mean a much cheaper revival. :smallamused:

Look if she could have done that she would have done it a long time ago.


He gets back the eyes that he lost for selling guild's secrets. Not a great profit, on the overall. What I'm saying is that he betrayed the guild, an old friend, and random people only to get back something that he had from the begin, and none the richer. Lame traitor, isn't it?
In tropes, this is the kind of person that is killed by the bad guys before the deal is closed, because is a lost cause to trust them further.

As I already said, maybe he'll start regretting it when he rots in Carceri (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carceri).


A neat touch that makes the Cleric seem rather shifty is that he apparently has great trouble making eye contact with anyone.

Lol, thats true, I didnt realize that.


Nice to see someone with a goatee who isn't obviously evil.

...Hinjo?


I really like the cleric, but I suspect he's too normal to stick around for long.

...Normal? We only saw him for one comic and hes already established as paranoid, really shifty and genre-savy. Haley look a lot more normal then him.

[Ave]

The cleric will die, because he didn't tell his name.

[Starscream]

Spotting the cutaway panel? That's like an Ambush Bug level 4th wall violation. I heartily approve!.

[EvilElitest]

that cleric is amazing, i want him to say in the strip
from
EE

[Welf]

I'll instantly join every "nameless cleric" fanclub :smallbiggrin:

[Georlik]

More and more funny with each strip. I thought 600 is great, then 601 came out and it got my A+ grade. But now. I don't even have more prises to give. Just greater than anything.
Naked>blind 8))
Also. That traitor will loose his googles, but will gain falsetto, as soon as Belkar gets up, and finds out.:smallbiggrin:
P.S.: Nameless cleric for the temporary party leader!

[Scarlet Knight]

Yeah, about the part of letting Belkar stew in his misery... might want to rethink that strategy Haley. :smallbiggrin:

You got that right! Despite other chances, Belkar has never turned sides on the party; but that was before he heard Haley & Celia decide to let him suffer. An uncursed Belkar in an evil city? Thor preserve them! And what price would the “sexy, shoeless, God of War” demand to fight on the desperate damsel’s side? Oh boy! Oh boy! Oh boy! I can’t WAIT to see how this resolves! Roy may want to look away…:belkar:

[Friendly_Nut]

I think the cleric looked around wildly (in addition to being jumpy) because he may not have wanted them to look at him too intensly, so they may not be able to describe him properly in the future... (In Panel 4 he says "I don't want you to be able to identify me")




More important (to the Giant):
I found a little error in the 12th panel (the first one of the second page):
Haley says "If he activated the curse, than he likley killed somebody ..."

AFAIK "than" is used for comparison (... bigger than ...) while this sentence requires a "then" with an "e". (Correct me if I'm wrong, I'm NOT a native speaker.)

[silvadel]

Was anyone else dissipointed it wasnt Hilgya. I am sure she could give you a good description of parts that the rest of the party has never seen....

[B.I.T.T.]

Good comic.

I sure hope replacing those fourth walls doesn't get too expensive.

[teratorn]

I'm Guessing Rich houserules that the effects are a Curse, the Mark itself is not. the cleric can end effects, but without knowledge of password, cannot end Mark.

But he probably knows the password. All the thieves coming back from AC had the same password.

[Superglucose]

Yes! I want to see that cleric kick some ass!

What kind of saves to Assassins get? Low fortitude, right?

[Kaytara]

Good comic.

I sure hope replacing those fourth walls doesn't get too expensive.

Truly, I don't think OotS even HAS a fourth wall. The glaring gap probably just has such a high Hide skill that they only succeed on their Spot checks once in a while.

[Ascension]

The cleric makes me think of one thing...

Paranoia strikes deep! Into your heart it will creep! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UEfRW2N-R6w)

Of course, this time it's justified... In fact, in Greysky it's probably usually justified.

[solidrotgut]

Great comic.

And I believe the forth wall has invisibility as a spell like ability.

[Falxo]

I have the feeling that the "I've only been in one strip so far" line precisely implies that he will be in many future strips.

Then again, I thought that Kubota was here to stay after the whole poisoning-Therkla-then-fleeing-on-a-tiny-boat thing...

I'm also sad at Pete's treason, although I can't see Haley didn't deserve it (I mean, he's a rogue just like everyone else in town !).

As usual, can't wait to see what is going to happen !

[Lycan 01]

Awesome comic! I love the new Cleric. He has a sweet goatee, apparently he's pretty good at what he does, he's cool, and he's funny!

Please don't kill him off like so many other nameless NPCs... :smallfrown:


*has an epiphany*

Wait, give him a name! A named NPC can't die! It worked for Hinjo's guards, right? One minute they're about to die, the next moment they're up and running since they revealed their names.


So please, give the Cleric a name! :smallbiggrin:

[fruityjanitor]

Great strip!

Besides the Loki cleric and the 4th wall destruction at the end, I also liked seeing Haley jump 10 feet in the air to dodge Belkar's projectile vomit. rofl

[Blaznak]

There's nothing like a good old fashioned double-cross.

However, I have to admit, the first time I read through the strip, I thought Pete meant his eyes to be regenerated were in his basement! That was creepy.

Then, I re-read it and now I get it! Woot!

Later...

[Telpesoron]

This my first post here!

It seems that there will be a new adventurer in the party. It should be revolutionary.
Good strip, Giant!

[Jeivar]

Say, why would the church be so upset at Nacle (nameless cleric), for going behind Bozzok's back? Isn't that exactly in the spirit of the trickster god?

Oh, and I just noticed that Nacle is POINTING AT THE PREVIOUS PANEL in the last one! Brilliant!:smallbiggrin:

[hamishspence]

Even CE groups have some sort of order, even if its just the boss saying Do What I Say Or Die. And, since Nacle has not Done What Bozzok Say...trouble.

[Whitebeard]

What does Q.T. stand for when Haley says 'he has to keep things on the Q.T.'?

[Cizak]

I like the cleric :smalltongue:

Great comci, Giant!

[amuletts]

What I loved is that a 4th wall break has just completely altered the plot. Rather than the element of surprise, they're prepped to fight. The last time I can remember that happening was with Z'zdtri (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0065.html)

I miss the lawyers :(
Also, I love the cleric of Loki.

[Mercenary Pen]

Great comic.

And I believe the forth wall has invisibility as a spell like ability.

It also has Mending 3 times per day as a spell like ability.

It's possibly a shame that Belkar's Mark of Justice didn't specify no killing within good or neutral-aligned urban areas...

[SPoD]

What does Q.T. stand for when Haley says 'he has to keep things on the Q.T.'?

Wiktionary: On the QT (http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/qt)

[Lumenadducere]

"I don't want to die, I've only been in one strip so far!"

Awesome. Looking forward to the next one.

[Lizard Lord]

Hardly worth scolding Pete, really. He is an old rogue after all. Just in his nature.


Haley is a rogue and she wouldn't do that.

[Mr. Scaly]

Nameless Cleric rules. End of discussion. :smallbiggrin: I wouldn't object to him becoming a semi-regular character, but seeing as how Rich just killed off two other major NPCs I'm not holding my breath.

Then again, Team Good Guys is down three members and could use more allies.

[fang_q]

Yeah, though he could still come back after being cured to help rescue them.

I hope.

But will he be able to rescue our ears?


He'll be in at least two. He has to die in one of them. :smallwink:

He could disappear - without anyone seeing him - in the next strip, never to be heard of again.

[silvadel]

Looking at it from his point of view -- I have the funny feeling he has faith in haley's ability to handle the situation.

Going to do some analysis below so....


I mean best case scenario from his POV. Haley, the priest, celia, etc defeat Boz and friends giving him his revenge as well as his eyes back with their blessing. Would be a major win. Wouldnt even have to trust that they weren't doublecrossing him and were going to take his eyes back the minute they dispatched haley etc.

[Belkster11]

I think it's just stupid for OBP to trust them. Who's to say they won't gouge the eyeballs back out after they get the $$$ and a very dead Haley, Celia, Belkar, and Cleric?

I hope he'd better have a Jack Sparrow-esque plan where he pretends to side with the enemy so he can get his sight back so he can go rushing back to his house to have his revenge against the Thieve's guild.

[SteveMB]

Say, why would the church be so upset at Nacle (nameless cleric), for going behind Bozzok's back? Isn't that exactly in the spirit of the trickster god?

That depends on whether or not he gets away with it. :smallwink:

[Hamilkar]

Wow, this was unexpected (for me at least)
The cutaway pannel made my day :smallbiggrin:

[Linkavitch]

Nice one, Giant. I always had a feeling that Pete would betray them. . . and I thought that the cleric of Loki was a Dwarf?:confused:

[Linkavitch]

Oh OH

He has a goatee!!!!

Your point being? I know in Darths n Droids they don't trust people with goatees, besides the fact that one of the main characters has one, but in OotS, I'm not aware of any similar law. . .

[RosesOnConcrete]

*cuts out several non-GITP-approved four letter words*

This could get ugly, fast. Pete better have some sort of Xanatos Gambit going on here, otherwise...well, special level for traitors and all that.

Other than the "oh crap" moment at the end there, damn good comic.

[Nidhögg]

*has an epiphany*

Wait, give him a name! A named NPC can't die! It worked for Hinjo's guards, right? One minute they're about to die, the next moment they're up and running since they revealed their names.


So please, give the Cleric a name! :smallbiggrin:

Unfortunately, not always true. (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0539.html)

[Beren]

My bet is that the unnamed cleric will die because he's unnamed, but he'll realize this and try (unsuccessfully) to spit it out at the last moment. "My name is..." *croak*.

There's no way Old Blind Pete is going to get out of this with his new eyes intact, but I don't think he's going to die, either. He'll end up more or less the same as when we first met him, just because I think it's somehow funnier that way. As far as *how* he loses his eyes, I'm kinda leaning towards an ironic accident of some sort rather than someone putting them out on purpose, and it will happen almost immediately after he gets them regenerated. Maybe he'll stumble upon some of V's explosive runes, and have to look at them really close to read them.

[Lerky]

aw...the cleric wasn't Hilgya:smallfrown:
(last ditch plan): maybe Hilgya's an apprentice of his:smallbiggrin:...aw screw it. Nice comic, giant, can't believe Pete betrayed them in the end though

[David Argall]

I'm Guessing Rich houserules that the effects are a Curse, the Mark itself is not. the cleric can end effects, but without knowledge of password, cannot end Mark.

Pretty much open to plot whim here. We are dealing with the Greater Mark [whose details of course are not in core books]. So Remove Curse might either make Belkar completely healthy, or subject to the curse the next time he stabs someone, or.... depending on what is funny or plot useful.
& the idea of Belkar getting better, charging up to the enemy, and then barfing all over them instead of killing, has definite potential.



Just hope he doesn't get too attached to his new eyes.
Well if he's not attached to them, they aren't going to do him much good.



Things look pretty grim, unless. . .

along with the obvious tactic of removing Belkar's curse, they find that bone fragment that was rattling around in Roy's boot and use it for the Resurrection scroll--


Resurrection is 10 minutes to cast. The party has plenty of time to cast 1 round spells, but it's pretty likely the door would get busted down well before 10 minutes was up.



didn't the Giant say one of the OotS would die getting Roy raised?
I believe the comment was that one of the members was going have a hard time in the process, implying survival, but at a cost.



And V-man departed just 24 hours ago...
While the exact relationship between fleet time and Haley time is uncertain and possibly flexible, the presumption is that Haley fled to Blind Pete the same night Elan had the rendezvous with Therkla, and others. V left the next day, and it has now been a week since then.



You know, I don't really think the cleric is meant to replace Belkar, but the more I think about it the more he seems like a good choice.
The party has a cleric, Durkon, and so this cleric is not going to replace Belkar. Possibly he could replace Durkon later, but just about nothing about him argues long term utility.



What's really odd is that Haley would probably have given him the money for a Regeneration and helped him get to safety, if he'd just asked.
Given? Not bloody likely our greedy girl would give a copper. Now she might have bargained for such a deal, but at the best she is only a maybe. She can't guarantee the eyes, and can even less guarantee he will keep them. The Guild is just about certain [if we ignore dramatic justice, which of course we can't]. So Pete was being reasonable.



Good comic. I especially liked the exchange:

C: No, Pete, we're both completely nude. But come on in.
P: ...
P: Now that's just mean to an old blind man.
Perhaps he could have asked to use braille to verify that.



So, instead of a strip that accomplishes three useful things (resurrect Roy, remove Belkar's curse, contact Durkon), we get another strip that ensures none of them happen, with a title that suggests the avenue by which they might be achieved is about to be shut off.

Before anything can happen. Again.

I don't mind that the showdown with the Greysky thieves' guild comes at an inconvenient moment, but it would be nice if it turns out to not be quite so wholeheartedly disruptive to progress.
We are here for the ride, not the destination. This looks to be a fun detour. So enjoy the distraction.

[AyuVince]

Haha, this one got the plot going real good. I can't wait for the outcome. Guess Bozzok will have some difficulty in trying to capture Haley.

[Ktulu]

Wow that cleric reminds me of Rincewind...

[Resist77]

:haley: "it does seem likely given the setup dialogue"

well whadoya know! Elan's teachings weren't completely lost on the group

[MasterDinadan]

Perhaps that Resurrection will be soon! And hopefully the Order will be getting back together if they can manage a Sending.

I find it slightly unusual that Haley chose Durkon of all people, given her connections to both V and Elan. However it is probably the best choice, given that Elan would probably screw up somehow and V (had he not already departed) would have been likely to try to go off and rescue them on his own rather than cooperating with the others.

[darkriku2000]

Good strip

Haley pissed me off though, even Miko would have let him de-curse him... Ok, maybe that's saying a little too much, but any LEVEL HEADED person would understand that they need all the help they can get

I hope Elan and Belkar go back to the way they where before, they where my favorite characters

[Yoyoyo]

That comic was all kinds of awesome.

"No digestion without representation." Classic :belkar:

I will be so down if (when?) Belkar dies. But I understand why Haley didn't have the curse removed. Showing her slow evolution to be more like Elan. Of course, in case of emergency . . . .

[Heroic]

Nice comic!

Great 4th wall break!

[mroozee]

Is panel 7 a reference to the Miracle Max scene in the Princess Bride? Could be a coincidence, but when I hear "storm the castle" and "I'll take a look" it triggers that scene for me.

"Belkar is only MOSTLY cursed. And MOSTLY cursed, is slightly blessed."

[Corrupted One]

Wow, Giant! You didn't just break the third wall with this one, you smashed it. With a hammer. Then you ran it over with a tank. Then you set it on fire. Well done, sir! Well done.

Seconded. Your effectively ripped the fourth wall a few new ones.

[Draz74]

Is panel 7 a reference to the Miracle Max scene in the Princess Bride? Could be a coincidence, but when I hear "storm the castle" and "I'll take a look" it triggers that scene for me.

Ha, I like it.

I'm sad, though. I feel like a sucker for having trusted Old Blind Pete. Apparently I wouldn't make it far as an adventurer. :smallfrown:

... Then again, Haley has a great Sense Motive and even she didn't see it coming.

[TwistedNerve]

Best comic in a while!:smallsmile:

Prediction: Belkar gets de-cursed to help with the fighting, and ends up putting both of Pete's eyes out again.
Too obvious. I bet that Celia will be the one that stabs his eyes.

I'd prefer:
:haley: : "Point-blank range multi-shot sneak attack to the eyes!"

[Mercenary Pen]

Wow that cleric reminds me of Rincewind...

Apart from Rincewind's sequined pointy hat with wizzard spelled out on it- which would in this case be replaced clerric for the purposes of humour.

[Flickerdart]

I like this guy's design. He better not die. Though, he hasn't given a name, so he's probably doomed.

[Freako]

No digestion without representation!

Intestines of the world, rise up against the oppressive stomachs! Too long have we been forced to silently endure the crap they give us! Fight the (digestive) system!

[Lerky]

it seems obvious the cleric won't replace Belkar but I think he may tag along acting as Team Hayley's cleric for a bit. He already has some pretty good character development. He's nervous, timid, paranoid, easily startled, and a bit selfish.

[Hann]

I gotta say, best part about this was that the smiley the Giant used looks like it has blind glasses

See Here: :smallcool:

Nice Touch, Giant!

[Edea]

Apparently this guy's good at using (and more importantly, getting) scrolls that are above his caster level, as Regenerate is the same level as Resurrection. I wonder what other kinds of scrolls he has on him. Also, he completely dodged Belkar's puke; I'll go with this probably being irrelevant, but it would be neat if the cleric actually had rogue multied and somehow got his hands on the Evasion ability.

[Manoftyr]

I have this suspicion that they'll have to take the curse off Belkar, only to have him die in the fighting heroically 'and somewhat uncharacteristically' defending Mr. Scruffy to the death.

[Mike_the_Mystic]

I have this suspicion that they'll have to take the curse off Belkar, only to have him die in the fighting heroically 'and somewhat uncharacteristically' defending Mr. Scruffy to the death.
Or, perhaps they "Kill" Bozzok and his crew, only to be ressurected by a higher level cleric of Loki.

I also hope that the cleric doesn't die, he'd make a fine addition to the team.

[Freako]

Also, he completely dodged Belkar's puke; I'll go with this probably being irrelevant, but it would be neat if the cleric actually had rogue multied and somehow got his hands on the Evasion ability.
I wouldn't be surprised at all if he had multiclassed into Rogue. I get the feeling that most of the population of Greysky City have some Rogue levels. I do find the idea of a Rogue/Cleric amusing, but he is a cleric of Loki...

Or it could've just been a reflex save. Hmm... wonder what the DC is for projectile vomit. :smalltongue:

[SoC175]

I'm Guessing Rich houserules that the effects are a Curse, the Mark itself is not. the cleric can end effects, but without knowledge of password, cannot end Mark.
No houserule, standard D&D rules. A MoJ and it's effect can be removed with t a Remove Curse spell by a caster of a level equal or higher than the level of the one who cast the MoJ.

If he knew the password he could just remove the MoJ without needing a Remove Curse, but with the RM he can remove it without needing the password

[Lokasenna]

I have this suspicion that they'll have to take the curse off Belkar, only to have him die in the fighting heroically 'and somewhat uncharacteristically' defending Mr. Scruffy to the death.

Speaking of which, where is Mr. Scruffy? He isn't seen at all in this script.

[Tobimaro]

Lose this one, tho it does follow the principle noted, that Roy looks in at the crucial moment.

So maybe they have to de-curse Belkar so they have a chance of fighting their way out.

That was my initial thought, if only because the group needs to be at full-strength.

"-Crap, that was a cutaway panel, wasn't it?" :smallbiggrin:

[Warren Dew]

Haley pissed me off though, even Miko would have let him de-curse him... Ok, maybe that's saying a little too much, but any LEVEL HEADED person would understand that they need all the help they can get

At the point Haley declined the curse removal, they didn't know they were going into a fight with the thieves' guild. She was probably planning to sneak into Toad Hall, take out the bone golem, resurrect Roy, and get out of there quick.

That would have taken planning and discipline, which would have made a healthy Belkar a liability. Belkar would probably get bored half way through, set something on fire, and raise the alarms, possibly preventing them from even getting to the golem.

Now that the thieves' guild is on them, the situation is different, but it's far from clear that Belkar would actually side with Haley rather than with the thieves' guild at this point.

[Amarsir]

I find it slightly unusual that Haley chose Durkon of all people, given her connections to both V and Elan. However it is probably the best choice, given that Elan would probably screw up somehow and V (had he not already departed) would have been likely to try to go off and rescue them on his own rather than cooperating with the others.Durkon may not be easy to describe, but he's easily the most level-headed of the 3.

Also, wasn't he with Roy the earliest? So that would make him the right contact by rank, also.

[MReav]

I wonder why Celia would interest Bozzak, or is it because she was involved in stealing from someone who paid full protection from them.

[Llaqus]

He'll be in at least two. He has to die in one of them. :smallwink:

Even though this is the logical assumption, Technically he could be killed off screen with some one describing how painful his death looked. lol however it is more likely that he will get more than one comic.

btw great comic.

[dps]

Great strip, and one of my favorites as of late!

And I like this cleric - he's got Elan-like mastery of genre conventions, and he already delivered a great line ("I don't want to die, I've only been in one strip so far!"). :smallbiggrin:

If he doesn't want to die, he should tell them his name. :smallbiggrin:

Oh, and BTW, I assume Haley chose Durkon for the contact because he's the one that can cast resurrection in something goes wrong with the priest of Loki.

[Aimbot]

I bet Belkar's regretting saving Haley's skin right about now.

[Sequinox]

nooooes! I liked pete. But I bet they're gonna stab him in the back. Literally or figuratively. Why? Because they can. Not that I'd bet a whole lot on it though...

[ericgrau]

Doubly spoiled b/c the Giant sometimes changes things just to go against predictions.

I really hope Belkar gets healed out of desperation now, followed by a sweet combat. And I really hope they don't just sneak away and leave him there to die.

[Red XIV]

It looks like they won't have much of a choice regarding curing Belkar. I wonder if the Cleric will be that useful? We know he's less then level 13.
Yes, but not all of the Thieves Guild are necessarily at Haley's level. Crystal gets free XP for being Haley's rival, but the others don't. So it's possible that the cleric could be, say, level 10, and still be able to hold his own against other Guild members.

And he might, out of desperation, decide to cut a deal with Belkar. "I cure you, you stab the guys trying to kill me."


I'm Guessing Rich houserules that the effects are a Curse, the Mark itself is not. the cleric can end effects, but without knowledge of password, cannot end Mark.
I got the impression that the cleric was about to remove the MoJ until Haley stopped him. Maybe Shojo always used the same password for his Marks, and this cleric knows it.


Anyway, I'm kind of hoping we see Pete's double-cross become a triple-cross in a strip or two, but on the other hand, even with his eyes back he's probably not much of a combatant. Unless maybe he's made arrangements to depose Bozzok as leader of the Guild.

[Knaight]

His name is eagle eyed Pete, or was. That means he was probably a sniper. That means sneak attack damage, which you also get on a flank. They heal his eyes, Belkar is healed, Pete attacks from behind, and mass death ensues. Or Pete just stays a double crosser and runs off, which would be more fitting, but sudden character change has its virtues. I'm not even sure how I would continue this one, so I can hardly make specific predictions.

[Red XIV]

I wouldn't consider it a sudden character change if Pete's double-cross of Haley turns out to actually be a triple-cross of Bozzok. I'd simply consider it...revenge. Pete's had decades of blindness because of Bozzok, and getting the eyes gouged out (twice) wouldn't have been pleasant either. I know I'd want some payback if an opportunity presented itself.

[ShadowDragoon]

Has anyone else noticed that the Cleric looks suspiciously similar to Red Cloak? Y'know, black garb, golden amulet, red cloak?

[B. Dandelion]

Has anyone else noticed that the Cleric looks suspiciously similar to Red Cloak? Y'know, black garb, golden amulet, red cloak?
Ditto the cleric from the evil adventuring party (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0497.html) that attacked the Greenhilts in Celestia.

Why's it "suspicious" exactly?

[ShadowDragoon]

Well, most characters in OotS usually have pretty original clothing. Now, we have a cleric walking around dressed exactly like another cleric. What I'm saying is, he looks too similar for it to be just a coincidence. Polymorph, perhaps? But then the question is raised: why would Red Cloak be helping the Order? Hmm........

Or maybe I'm just reading too much into it. :smallbiggrin:

[B. Dandelion]

Well, most characters in OotS usually have pretty original clothing. Now, we have a cleric walking around dressed exactly like another cleric. What I'm saying is, he looks too similar for it to be just a coincidence. Polymorph, perhaps? But then the question is raised: why would Red Cloak be helping the Order? Hmm........

Or maybe I'm just reading too much into it. :smallbiggrin:
Not "exactly" alike, actually. Redcloak's cloak (and the cloak of all (hob)goblin clerics we've seen) is visibly tattered, his armor doesn't have shoulder blades, and he doesn't wear boots. Also the center of his amulet is white (after the art upgrade), this guy's is red.

[The Extinguisher]

Maybe I'm looking to much into it, but I can't help but think that the clerics lines are a reference to the Character Appearance thread. He doesn't want to be an unnamed character appearing in only one strip.

[DBear]

The way Pete keeps referring to Haley as "Ian's girl" makes me wonder if there's some connection to Lord Tyrinar.:smallconfused:

[Lowkey]

Really hope that cleric unleashes Belkar to save his own skin. Problem is the "release the really nasty fighter on the enemy when they have the rest of the team on the ropes" thing is really cliche, so I doubt it will happen. Still, I want my old school Belkar back.

[Selene]

I don't think Belkar will turn on Haley and Celia.

He's wanted for multiple murders in Greysky, and he was desperate to get out of town last time he was here.
Thieves Guild or not, I doubt he'd want to hang around.


Crazy theory here: Crystal's a rogue (I assume)

She's an assassin.


More important (to the Giant):
I found a little error in the 12th panel (the first one of the second page):
Haley says "If he activated the curse, than he likley killed somebody ..."

AFAIK "than" is used for comparison (... bigger than ...) while this sentence requires a "then" with an "e". (Correct me if I'm wrong, I'm NOT a native speaker.)

You are correct. It's an error. Nice catch. :smallsmile:

[ShadowDragoon]

They'll probably heal Belkar to help in the fight, he'll see that they're on the losing side, so he'll side up with the Thieves' Guild. Totally in-character for him. :smallyuk:

[B. Dandelion]

Ah, so that's where the "a" from Bozzok (formerly "Bozzak" in Origin) got off to.

[David Argall]

I don't think Belkar will turn on Haley and Celia.
Probably not right away. Those people busting down the door don't in the mood to offer him anything better than a quick death.
Longer term: Well, the good news is that Belkar doesn't think long term and may forget their sin if he has a good fight first.


He's wanted for multiple murders in Greysky, and he was desperate to get out of town last time he was here.


Origin The details are a bit vague, but it seems that Roy hires everybody in some hick town not far from Greysky and so Belkar is not wanted for murder in Greysky, at least not because of that incident.
We are told Haley stayed out of Greysky, and Belkar is apparently still in the town where he had his fun. So the two would seem to be not far from Greysky, but not in it.

[Grunty]

Poor Durkon, its not nice when all your primary characteristics are dwarf clichès.

Why does that city reminds me a bit to Ankh-Morpork from the personality of its inhabitants, i mean from the opportunity taking point of view.
But then again i wonder how any normal people can actualy live in that city considering that it doesn't look like anyone without a pc type of class might be able to survive in it till adulthood.

[ref]

The Cleric's name is obviously Blackarmor... because he wears a red cloak.

[Avilan the Grey]

Who needs the Belkster, Haley and Celia? You are about to, when the Guild starts to lay a beat down on you.

Huzzahs for a way to get the Belkster back in action, the #1 source of HUMOUR, in a comic (caps for all those who want him gone)

Agreed! You can never have enough Belkar!

[Yendor]

Celia's going to hover above the door and drop Belkar on them as they come in.

[factotum]

Nice one, Giant. I always had a feeling that Pete would betray them. . . and I thought that the cleric of Loki was a Dwarf?:confused:

It never said that in the comic, so why did you think that? Probably because everyone was saying that cleric of Loki = Hilgya, because apparently there's only one cleric of Loki in the world... :smallyuk:

[reignofevil]

Personally im hoping he does come back, but for everyone screaming for it many of you will be screaming for him to be "justly punished for being a naughty naughty halfling" the second he starts killing random people again.

[Lichtouch]

He's got to stay alive, at least until he gets his job done otherwise this latest series of Haley-Belkar-Celia comics will have all been for nothing, because nothing will have been acheived. They wouldn't be any closer to raising Roy and it would just be a waste of time and effort.

Not to mention it would probably piss a lot of folks off.

[Darzil]

Maybe a bit left field, and I'm not certain of the rules, but . . .

They are mainly after Haley and the Cleric, Haley gets captured. Celia tells the cleric to remove the curse from Belkar, then somehow gets out with Belkar + Scroll. Now whilst Belkar never remembers, doesn't being a ranger let him read the scroll to resurrect Roy?

[Laurentio II]

Maybe a bit left field, and I'm not certain of the rules, but . . .

They are mainly after Haley and the Cleric, Haley gets captured. Celia tells the cleric to remove the curse from Belkar, then somehow gets out with Belkar + Scroll. Now whilst Belkar never remembers, doesn't being a ranger let him read the scroll to resurrect Roy?
Low Wisdom (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0058.html). So, no.

[SoC175]

His name is eagle eyed Pete, or was. That means he was probably a sniper. That means sneak attack damage, which you also get on a flank.
You don't flank with ranged weapons

[RMS Oceanic]

Low Wisdom (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0058.html). So, no.

Also, Resurrection is not on the Ranger Spell list.

Celia overruling Haley again, however, is quite doable.

[Trizap]

Dearly Beloved, we are gathered here today to commemorate the death of our dear friend 4th wall. He was a good wall badly abused...



I think your a bit late on the funeral there pal.

'bout..............400 strips late.

[RecklessFable]

Twenty minutes?
Haley's hair isn't that long....

If you take the time to really savor the experience... it can take a very long time indeed...

[AKA_Bait]

I think your a bit late on the funeral there pal.

'bout..............400 strips late.

Closer to 600 actually. (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0013.html)

[Shatteredtower]

We are here for the ride, not the destination. This looks to be a fun detour.

It's looking more like yet another pothole, and it gets a bit tiring to have the driver keep aiming for them.

[R.O.A.]

The way Pete keeps referring to Haley as "Ian's girl" makes me wonder if there's some connection to Lord Tyrinar.:smallconfused:

umm...duh? #131 (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0131.html)


Well, most characters in OotS usually have pretty original clothing. Now, we have a cleric walking around dressed exactly like another cleric. What I'm saying is, he looks too similar for it to be just a coincidence. Polymorph, perhaps? But then the question is raised: why would Red Cloak be helping the Order? Hmm........

Or maybe I'm just reading too much into it. :smallbiggrin:

Actually a better question is why, after it's been pointed out that three different clerics look the same, you don't think it's a cleric thing to wear similar clothes? Ok, Durkon hasn't got a cloak, but he does wear armour and an amulet.


I wonder why Celia would interest Bozzak, or is it because she was involved in stealing from someone who paid full protection from them.

If Bozzak kills Haley but leaves Celia, she might retalliate later. It's just logical to do away with any of your enemies associates you can. Also the stealing thing - maybe grubwiggler will take her body as part of the guild's compensation?