OOTS #892 - The Discussion Thread

[The Giant]

New comic is up.

[internisus]

I'm not familiar enough with the game mechanics to speculate as to how the others broke free of the illusion so easily (would Vaarsuvius have had just as little trouble?), but Nale's genre-savvy seems to be improving from all the quality time spent with his family recently!

[Arrowstorm122]

I wonder how long the Linear Guild has been stuck in the illusion. Malack seems to indicate everyone but Nale escaped it pretty easily.

[Cizak]

Hmm... I don't know if I really like this one. Elan's revelation seemed like a truly rare thing and that's what allowed him to escape such a powerful trap. But this makes it seem like it wasn't that powerful at all, since it doesn't take much to get out of it.

[Lorin]

Woah. Here i was - surfing the forum and then... Wow. Fast. And nice duality here.

[Psyren]

I wonder how long the Linear Guild has been stuck in the illusion. Malack seems to indicate everyone but Nale escaped it pretty easily.

Malack (and Durkula) are undead and thus immune to phantasms. Even if Girard is using a souped-up epic one that bypasses their racial immunity, they are both powerful clerics (good will saves, high wisdom) and vampires to boot, boosting their mental abilities further.

[hamishspence]

Looks like Nale is beginning to realize his own incompetence, if Elan not escaping is implausible enough to break his illusion.

[Living Oxymoron]

Poor Belkar, he got tired after that little run. I wonder if he will be able to fight.

[Dracoris]

Be interesting to see if Elan's illusion fools Nale's party of spellcasters. My money's on "No" - doesn't Durkula still have True Seeing prepared?

Great strip. Can't wait to see how this plays out.

[internisus]

Hmm... I don't know if I really like this one. Elan's revelation seemed like a truly rare thing and that's what allowed him to escape such a powerful trap. But this makes it seem like it wasn't that powerful at all, since it doesn't take much to get out of it.

Nah; you have to read this in the context of the author–reader relationship. The protagonists' overcoming this obstacle was depicted in detail and with drama, but now the antagonists have to do exactly the same thing? Boring! Play it with brevity and humor; the audience understands that there was more to it than what is seen but that it is not important or worth the time it would take to embellish, and this is implicit in the humor of the strip.

[RMS Oceanic]

Hmm... I don't know if I really like this one. Elan's revelation seemed like a truly rare thing and that's what allowed him to escape such a powerful trap. But this makes it seem like it wasn't that powerful at all, since it doesn't take much to get out of it.

It could be that the other three people's stimulus accelerated the process, like in "For The Man Who Has Everything".

[BaronOfHell]

Something tells me that phantasm maybe wasn't Girard's last ditch after all.

Edit: I didn't expect Malack to not take this opportunity though.

[Arrowstorm122]

Since Girard was able to put the same spell on every door leading to that room, does that mean it isn't actually his secret boss spell?

[manuelj]

What I want to know, what's in the room that Girard put the phantasm for.

[Psyren]

Looks like Nale is beginning to realize his own incompetence, if Elan not escaping is implausible enough to break his illusion.

Alternate interpretation: he's beginning to gain genre-savvy, like brother and dad have.

Be interesting to see if Elan's illusion fools Nale's party of spellcasters. My money's on "No" - doesn't Durkula still have True Seeing prepared?

Great strip. Can't wait to see how this plays out.

They don't get a save unless they interact with it though, and Durkon's spell may have worn off even if it survived his death.

[Hogwarts9876]

What I want to know, what's in the room that Girard put the phantasm for.

The obvious answer is the gate, but it could be any number of things important to Girard (like his secret stash of weapons and treasure).

[AbuSpud]

Nah; you have to read this in the context of the author–reader relationship. The protagonists' overcoming this obstacle was depicted in detail and with drama, but now the antagonists have to do exactly the same thing? Boring! Play it with brevity and humor; the audience understands that there was more to it than what is seen but that it is not important or worth the time it would take to embellish, and this is implicit in the humor of the strip.

Seems reasonable. My first impression was that it reinforces the idea that Tarquin and Malack are still leagues beyond the Order and the Guild.

[Edric O]

I smell the endgame for this gate. Team Evil (for real this time) teleporting into the room in 3...2...1...

[Illsbane]

What interests me here is that Zz'dtri is such a loyal employee, even after Nale didn't seem to put any effort into rescuing him from the lawyers.

That, or he desperately doesn't want to be stuck alone with the vampires, even if he currently has a demon on his own payroll.

[MoonCat]

So Stirring gives Nale a hit of logic to get out.

...Or I'm so used to spells being used I automatically assumed Z wasn't just making a statement.

[Psyren]

So Stirring gives Nale a hit of logic to get out.

...Or I'm so used to spells being used I automatically assumed Z wasn't just making a statement.

I think Z meant "Wait a minute. He's stirring." Meaning that he was coming out of it on his own (which is the joke of course), not that Z was helping him.

[Lvl45DM!]

Z has magic resistance which would affect the illusion right?

[SaintRidley]

And things are coming together quite nicely now.

[Illsbane]

On another note - in your face, Roy! You said Elan didn't count as a spellcaster, and here he's quickly becoming MVP in this dungeon crawl, casting-wise! :p

Granted, this may change once Vaarsuvius manages to catch up.

...

Oh, dear. Vaarsuvius may have a really bad time with that rune trap. (S)he is likely to bust through, no problem, but would have to abandon a wonderful dreamworld -- possibly one where all his/her sins were somehow absolved.
Though, like Elan, (s)he might conclude that it is something to strive for and learn from. Here's hoping!

[DaggerPen]

The comic just went up! How did you all reply already? XD

Very well done. I suppose that Durkula and Malack did get those undead immunities after all. I'm surprised that Z made his saving throw/managed to break out, though. Also, Nale's illusion is hilarious, as is the way he managed to break out of it - fitting for Elan's opposite.

[JackRackham]

Finally, staying up until 2:30 pays off. The suspense waiting for the next couple updates is gonna be brutal though. Smart move by Roy, by the way, making good use of Elan's illusions. This should at least give them a modicum of surprise and a second to plan, unless someone in the linear guild has true seeing up (and that's usually shown with a colored cone emanating from the eyes of the caster).

[Psyren]

Z has magic resistance which would affect the illusion right?

He does, and possibly. He also has a good will save being a wizard (though we don't know his wisdom.)

As for True Seeing in the LG, Tarquin has it from his ring even if the casters don't. Is he down there?

[RMS Oceanic]

Z has magic resistance which would affect the illusion right?

Illusions are often stymied by spell resistance, which Z has in spades.

[internisus]

The comic just went up! How did you all reply already? XD

I always check for a new one just before I go to bed. Sometimes it pays off and makes me really happy. Of course, tonight, I didn't know just how fresh it was until I came to the forum; the Giant must have posted it literally two minutes before I performed my nightly ritual! It makes me doubly happy to have the honor of the first post, especially since I'm a big fan but rarely post on the forums.

He does, and possibly. He also has a good will save being a wizard (though we don't know his wisdom.)

As for True Seeing in the LG, Tarquin has it from his ring even if the casters don't. Is he down there?

No, Tarquin split from the LG casters, so he isn't there to See for them.

I would speculate that V's excellent reasoning skills would make short work of the illusion, were s/he to encounter it.

[Anarion]

I really hope that Girard didn't make that final chamber symmetrical. Everything we've seen of Tarquin so far tells me that if there's a wall sticking out an extra 5 feet or so, he'd notice it right away.

Nah; you have to read this in the context of the author–reader relationship. The protagonists' overcoming this obstacle was depicted in detail and with drama, but now the antagonists have to do exactly the same thing? Boring! Play it with brevity and humor; the audience understands that there was more to it than what is seen but that it is not important or worth the time it would take to embellish, and this is implicit in the humor of the strip.

That's one possibility. Another is that it's so unlikely that Nale would be allowed to monologue a plan that it even his own mind realized it must have been an illusion.

Seems reasonable. My first impression was that it reinforces the idea that Tarquin and Malack are still leagues beyond the Order and the Guild.

This is definitely part of it. Especially showing Malack complaining about leaving him behind. Weird that I'm suddenly hoping for Xykon to show up.