OOTS #633 - The Discussion Thread

[The Giant]

New comic is up.

[Uncle Festy]

"I don't need to prepare spell slots!"
Lawl.

[Kroy]

Very nice comic, Giant. That was a pleasant surprise on my Sunday afternoon.

[SteveMB]

Hmmm... the deal isn't actually all that bad, if it just takes a few minutes to use that power to take care of business.

[kpenguin]

Well, that's a... huh.

The only reason for V to turn down this offer is if (s)he has any reservations about furthering a fiend-powered armageddon.

[RTGoodman]

You know, if I were known as Ryan the Unholy, Spawn of Hatred, I'd definitely be wearing bright orange robes and be glowing with happy yellow light.

[Porthos]

Hmmmm. Time for posters to try to rip this deal apart and see in what ways it horribly screws V over, methinks.

Personally I'll start with:

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So the IFCC gets to control V's soul for a length of time some time in the future. Yeah, can't see that coming back to bite V in the ass.

After all, what happens when V and the gang get close to another gate? I would think that the IFCC would absolutely love to have a person under their direct control should the Order ever get near another gate

Especially if Sabine and Nale are around to provide backup.

Can't say I see this ending well at all for V. Not at all.

[Raging Gene Ray]

"I don't need to prepare spell slots!"
Lawl.

I love the sleep-deprived eyes and the grin on the Sorceror...as if to say..."I'm just as good as them..."

[Jarade]

Is anyone other than myself more than slightly disturbed by this???

And i have a horrible feeling that if V does accept this, the demons will screw h** by casting time-stops or somesuch to make h** "hour" equate to a much larger amount of time.

[Lira]

Wow.

Well, that answers a few questions. And now I'm more excited than ever for the next strip.

[Cúchulainn]

Sounds like a good deal if it's legit, I'd take it. Being neutral has it's perks sometimes.

[TheBST]

Oh this is going to be good.

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Let me guess: after V's used the Soul Splice once, he's going to trade another few minutes in Hell for more time with power. And then another few minutes. And another. And another. And another...

Like any good drug dealer, the IFCC know that even with inexpensive product, the junkies will come back again and again and eventually be yours

[RMS Oceanic]

These guys have perused Unearthed Arcana, and decided to crank the Gestalt Rules up to Eleven!

And yeah, there are two ways this will backfire if V takes it:

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1. (S)he holds the splice for a very long time.
2. (S)he will be used to gain control of one or more gates.

[Alteran]

Great comic, Giant!

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I'm curious if the plan is actually to keep V under the Soul Splice for as long as possible, and therefore controlling his soul for long enough to achieve some specific goal. I'd be surprised if V could bring himself to throw away ultimate arcane power so quickly.

[RebelRogue]

Hmm, there must be some catch for V on a more personal level, I should think

[Surfing HalfOrc]

Well, still no four words!

Of course, the four words MIGHT be "I decline your offer."

After all, the Good Planes might be willing to reward someone who would be willing to turn down such an offer.

[Kupi]

I have only one question about the result of this offer, should V take it:

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How much of V will be left? This does not sound in any way permanent, and given that they're talking about grafting three extremely destructive mages's souls onto V's, I doubt we're talking about a gentle loss of control here. This is going to end with V in pieces, I just know it.

Stay strong, V!

[Kish]

Is it just me or do you foresee V actually breaking up the IFCC with his wizardly intellect after having used them to tear the dragon apart?

I think Vaarsuvius may well think s/he can. I think the IFCC is probably counting on that belief, too, and I don't for one minute believe them appearing to Vaarsuvius is just a coincidence ("just waiting for the next request to come down the line," my ass). I remember once in the strip--well, in Start of Darkness actually--where someone made a similar bargain for a greater good.

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Redcloak? How's that "we can use Xykon" thing working out for you?

[Lamech]

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Lets see three archfiends gets his soul for say a round* each. Round one, make him evil, round two pull out his memories so they know everything he does, and round three quickened geas** him into fulfilling their fiendish goals, and splice on the ablity to make a perverted gate.

Yeah this is five kinds of bad for everyone. And isn't ultimate arcane power times three? The ultimate arcane power of three casters. Ultimate means last in this case.

*Teleport+memento mori good-bye dragon.
**Limited wish will be used to dupliacate the effect, otherwise it would take too long.

[Zack Norglad]

Oh this is going to be good.

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Let me guess: after V's used the Soul Splice once, he's going to trade another few minutes in Hell for more time with power. And then another few minutes. And another. And another. And another...

Like any good drug dealer, the IFCC know that even with inexpensive product, the junkies will come back again and again and eventually be yours

Like this opinion! Drug addict :D.
V's story is really getting interesting now. Seriously, we should cut of to another character now.

[Borris]

There's a typo in panel 5:
"... wielded by any mortal [/B]arane[/B] spellcaster ..."
Should definitely be arcane.

[Saint Nil]

My favorite line was the one about the water coolers of angels blood.

Honestly, I can't wait to see V say 5 words, just to mess with the forum goers.

[SPoD]

Oh this is going to be good.

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Let me guess: after V's used the Soul Splice once, he's going to trade another few minutes in Hell for more time with power. And then another few minutes. And another. And another. And another...

Like any good drug dealer, the IFCC know that even with inexpensive product, the junkies will come back again and again and eventually be yours

This won't work because it is specifically called a "special once-a-century deal". They can each only use Soul Splice once every hundred years, so once this splice is over, they can't do it again for a while.

Also, am I the only one who thinks this will only last a few rounds? The bit about V's "unimpeachable mental fortitude" strikes me as a hidden insult, based on the fact that V is coming apart at the seams. I think that whatever willpower takes to hold on to these splices, V won't actually have it and the whole thing will unravel fairly quickly.

[Kroy]

Well, still no four words!

Of course, the four words MIGHT be "I decline your offer."

After all, the Good Planes might be willing to reward someone who would be willing to turn down such an offer.

Or maybe "I accept your offer."

[Porthos]

Well, that's a... huh.

The only reason for V to turn down this offer is if (s)he has any reservations about furthering a fiend-powered armageddon.

The main immediate problem that I and many other posters have seen in this deal is that there is nothing in it that says that the IFCC has to wait until V is dead before they get to take control of his soul for an amount of time.

All the fiends have to do is wait for an appropiate time before calling in their chit.

I suppose if V insisted on being dead before they could use his soul, it might be marginally better. But, yeah, still don't see this working out for V in the long run.

[Myou]

Oooh, very interesting.

V might take the deal but be intoxicated by power and end up being forced to perform evil acts for weeks of even longer.

[Trixie]

They will give her the souls...

But it will turn out that they forgot to fill any spell slots and V needs to rest for 8 hours to fill them... But, as she has no epic spells in her spellbook, their usefulness will be severely limited

Oh, and they probably only know spells from Book of Vile Darkness, each more corrupting than the last.

So, V, enjoy that neutrality while you still can

[martyboy74]

The question is, how long will V be able to hold it? With that kind of power, murderizing the dragon shouldn't take very much time. Will V want to keep that power, though?

Also, I noticed that they don't say anything about what happens to V once unbound from the 3. I imagine that it won't be pretty.

[chiasaur11]

This deal looks a little too good to be true.

Maybe they took the spell from FATAL? That would be evil.

[Ragn Charran]

Note to Rich: Be sure to change V's skin to gold and eyes to hourglasses if he takes the deal.