OOTS #792 - The Discussion Thread

[Doug Lampert]

Oh yeah. Hmm. Why is he saying the six of us though? He's locked away and is uninvolved.

"Everyone knows they're no real threat to the six of us"

If that's true it's true regardless of what Belkar and the rest are doing. "No real threat as long as we stay together and constantly keep our guard up" is a quite different statement.

This struck me too, with respect to the whole linear guild: why is the linear guild attacking now? One would think the fiends would want to wait until the order of the stick got control of the gate, and have the linear guild take it from them. The best I can come up with is that Nale jumped the gun when the fiends would have been more patient. I suppose the fiends might also think that the linear guild has a chance of taking out the entire order of the stick permanently here, but they seem too smart for that.

The Fiends don't actually control the Linear Guild, they control Sabine, but she's not in charge. The Linear guild is their tool, but they're manipulating from the shadows not controlling.

Hence what they want isn't actually all that important to what the LG does.

DougL

[cheesymetal]

i like the LG. recurring villians that show up at random times is always fun. after awhile it will get dull, hopefully someone major from the LG dies within the next 2 encounters. hopefully not thog.

[Calmness]

The elven drag queen just signed its own death warrant. Same goes for rat-boy.

[MoonCat]

The elven drag queen just signed its own death warrant. Same goes for rat-boy.

I get you're talking about V, but who is rat-boy?

[Secris]

At first I was upset with the prospect of Scruffy dying, but now that I've thought about it, I think I would be fine with it. I don't really care about Scruffy that much, it's really more Belkar's interactions with Scruffy. And since Belkar is dying soon, seeing Belkar deal with that loss may be the last thing we see him do, and that would be an interesting way for him to go out.

[Calmness]

I get you're talking about V, but who is rat-boy?

The one member of that crappy orange race we have in the comic.

[MoonCat]

The one member of that crappy orange race we have in the comic.

...You mean the kobold?

[ThePhantasm]

The one member of that crappy orange race we have in the comic.

Not understanding the rat bit. . .

[Calmness]

Not understanding the rat bit. . .

That's ok. It's just me being weird.

[The Anarresti]

So, who else is hoping that this story line will end in Belkar's death? *raises hand*

I propose starting a "Can't-Wait-Until-Belkar-Dies,-The-Cocky-Psychopath" club.

[Lurkmoar]

So, who else is hoping that this story line will end in Belkar's death? *raises hand*

I propose starting a "Can't-Wait-Until-Belkar-Dies,-The-Cocky-Psychopath" club.

Count me in too.

[Kancsar]

Belkar might die, but he'll be back (sans breathing).

Perhaps his ghost can possess Mr Scruffy? then when the world ends (end of next book) the Blue Fairy can turn him back into a real boy.

[Aldrakan]

Well, to be fair Belkar is supposed to be an aversion of the usual friendly, likeable and Good halfling. If he had been more like Frodo (or better yet: Sam or Pippin) then I'm fairly certain there had been a LOT of people wanting to protect him.

Well for that matter, Mr. Scruffy is not exactly an adorable sweet-natured kitty either. He killed someone just a few panels ago, and that's not the first time he's viciously attacked people.

[Tvtyrant]

So, who else is hoping that this story line will end in Belkar's death? *raises hand*

I propose starting a "Can't-Wait-Until-Belkar-Dies,-The-Cocky-Psychopath" club.

Isn't your avatar Gaara of the Sands?

Joking aside, I agree. I want more Plot in my Plot!

[Tobimaro]

Maybe we can see kobold "on a stick"?

Of course if this kobold gets to hurt Mr. Scruffy, then Belkar gets to kill the wolf? Hey, it's all fair.

[Calenestel]

Well for that matter, Mr. Scruffy is not exactly an adorable sweet-natured kitty either. He killed someone just a few panels ago, and that's not the first time he's viciously attacked people.

He's an animal, they are N to begin with. Hurt them and they might attack. Stuff a cat in a bag and shake it a bit and it'll be PISSED. It may VERY well try and claw the eyes out of the next person it sees and that's not immoral. It's amoral.
Add then that he's an animal companion and the person he killed was threatening his master. I can't understand why people think that a big deal, you'd expect the same from the wolf companion of an elven druid fightin orcs. At least I would.

[Swordpriest]

He's an animal, they are N to begin with. Hurt them and they might attack. Stuff a cat in a bag and shake it a bit and it'll be PISSED. It may VERY well try and claw the eyes out of the next person it sees and that's not immoral. It's amoral.
Add then that he's an animal companion and the person he killed was threatening his master. I can't understand why people think that a big deal, you'd expect the same from the wolf companion of an elven druid fightin orcs. At least I would.

I agree. Mr. Scruffy has no idea of the complexities involved. He just saw Belkar under threat and acted to protect him. In fact, most of us, with our sophisticated minds, would do pretty much the same if we were armed and saw someone trying to kill a person we care about, assuming of course that we had the courage to stand to battle.

So I can't see much to deplore in the Scruffinator's actions. Mind you, I'm not as upset as some people are about his getting shot, but that's probably because I'm expecting Belkar to take the fall, and not the cat.

[Calenestel]

My first reaction to Scruffy being shot was along the lines of feeling a punch to the gut, I admit. He might be an animal companion but he's still an animal and Y'ky'k a sapient somewhere near human. That and I like animals, especially cats and dogs. After a while (and reading this article in it's entirety) I calmed down somewhat about that, but can still understand those who cling to my first feeling.

As for who dies and not... I don't think it'll be Belkar. Not right now. It... doesn't feel epic enough (unless we see some more buildup of course). I can't really prove it, it's just a gut feeling, but there it is. We'll see what the Giant cooks up.

[MoonCat]

My first reaction to Scruffy being shot was along the lines of feeling a punch to the gut, I admit. He might be an animal companion but he's still an animal and Y'ky'k a sapient somewhere near human. That and I like animals, especially cats and dogs. After a while (and reading this article in it's entirety) I calmed down somewhat about that, but can still understand those who cling to my first feeling.

As for who dies and not... I don't think it'll be Belkar. Not right now. It... doesn't feel epic enough (unless we see some more buildup of course). I can't really prove it, it's just a gut feeling, but there it is. We'll see what the Giant cooks up.

You are currently making so much sense!

The attack on those who are calling for the death of a sapient creature who has implied he enjoys seeing animals suffer, seems ridiculous to me. He attacked an animal (that wasn't threatening him at the time), he's bad (no matter how powerful the cat is, it wasn't threatening him), Tarquin burned those slaves, he's bad. There is no reason there can only be one evil bastard in the arc, as the real world certainly has more.

[rolling 4]

I hope the wolf gets turned into a coat

[Aldrakan]

He's an animal, they are N to begin with. Hurt them and they might attack. Stuff a cat in a bag and shake it a bit and it'll be PISSED. It may VERY well try and claw the eyes out of the next person it sees and that's not immoral. It's amoral.
Add then that he's an animal companion and the person he killed was threatening his master. I can't understand why people think that a big deal, you'd expect the same from the wolf companion of an elven druid fightin orcs. At least I would.

Well yes, I would expect that too. I also wouldn't judge the orcs, or any other opponents they had, for trying to kill that wolf.

My point is not "Mr. Scruffy is evil", just, to me, once you've disemboweled someone, you kind of lose the right to use the "cute vulnerable animal" effect as a defense.
Obviously Yukyuk is evil, but I don't have a particular emotional response to him attacking Scruffy because he's not just a cat, he's an enhanced cat that kills people. He's a combatant, and consequently fair game as a target.

[MoonCat]

He doesn't know that Mr. Scruffy is an enhanced cat though.

[Aldrakan]

He doesn't know that Mr. Scruffy is an enhanced cat though.

Yes, which is why this is clearly an evil action. If he were doing it to weaken Belkar by taking out an ally it would only be practical. I just don't feel the tremendous outrage a lot of posters demonstrate, because I think Scruffy is a viable target, and consequently him being attacked doesn't arouse any "omg he shot a kitty" emotional response.

[MoonCat]

Yes, which is why this is clearly an evil action. If he were doing it to weaken Belkar by taking out an ally it would only be practical. I just don't feel the tremendous outrage a lot of posters demonstrate, because I think Scruffy is a viable target, and consequently him being attacked doesn't arouse any "omg he shot a kitty" emotional response.

I get the tremendous outrage because he wasn't doing it for practicality, which I agree with you about (even though I'd still not like him because he shot a cat, but then it would be my personal bias), while he is dangerous and certainly not innocent, yukyuk didn't know that. But it looks like we agree, so we don't need to argue!

[Incom]

New poster. Noob to DND and only have the online strips to work with (no SoD or anything).

However.

This seems rather clear-cut to me.

Spoiler

Show

Belkar dies. Scruffy may or may not die. But here's the kicker: Belkar's evil. His afterlife is in the Lower Planes, correct? Guess who else is in the Lower Planes?

Thoughts?

[FatJose]

This is a forum thread about Cats vs. Commoners. It is a very common discussion and you will find may old threads on other sites about the complete lack of realism when building characters in d&d and how ridiculously weak low levels are. Cat v Commoner is just the best example because it shows one of the most extreme cases of just bad monster/npc mechanics in D&D. It was a joke, people. A joke, a very old joke that's at "least" as old as said thread. That's why the character emphasizes that he's a 1st level commoner before croaking. Stop reading into it so much, It's a mundane cat. We have no evidence that it's his companion. It would be cool, in my opinion, but we simply don't know for certain. Still, he's only a cat who even as an animal companion stands little chance against a kobold ranger scaled to Belkar's level and his dog.

[Keeper of Starlight]

I hope the wolf gets turned into a coat

I agree. I think within a few panels Belkar will be looking like a badass Russian with a furry coat and yet another completely awful-looking hat.

[Aldrakan]

Stop reading into it so much, It's a mundane cat. We have no evidence that it's his companion. It would be cool, in my opinion, but we simply don't know for certain. Still, he's only a cat who even as an animal companion stands little chance against a kobold ranger scaled to Belkar's level and his dog.

It also follows him around, obeys his commands, attacks his enemies, and can survive a crossbow bolt to the chest. Only the first of those are traits associated with the average cat, and it's all evidence that Belkar, a ranger who had been noticeably lacking the animal companion he's entitled to, has acquired one.

[Beowulf DW]

So, who else is hoping that this story line will end in Belkar's death? *raises hand*

I propose starting a "Can't-Wait-Until-Belkar-Dies,-The-Cocky-Psychopath" club.

Sign me up.

[rewinn]

I agree. I think within a few panels Belkar will be looking like a badass Russian with a furry coat and yet another completely awful-looking hat.

Belkar, the littlest Jagermonster?