OOTS #943 - The Discussion Thread

[Kish]

If you mean in the same style Laurin had it, then yes, I'd be VERY surprised too since that would mean V acquired new Psi powers.

Ioun stones circling the wearer's head isn't a psion thing. It's an ioun stones thing.

(This should not be taken as endorsing the "Vaarsuvius will definitely take the shiny away from Blackwing offstage without comment" school of thought.)

[gypster]

Hahahaha!
Julio is full of awesome-ness!

I still wonder if Elan is smarter than he lets on, just so he can uphold bardic tradition. I mean yeah he is smarter than he lets on, he just has a completely different tool-set than everyone else. Anyway ...

Funny strip Giant!
Loved Haley's dialogue, too!

First time poster, long time lurker.

Just wanted to echo this sentiment. Only Elan would open up a blank piece of paper, hear a voice behind him, and instantly know what's going on and what to do.

[Kish]

Really? I'd have thought Belkar, Ian, or Haley would be up there. I never arranged a top 5 countdown, granted, but I figured chaos was a will to undo forceful nature of law...)

Consistently and dedicatedly opposing something--even order--is itself an ordered trait. What makes Elan chaotic is that he's random.

[Grey Watcher]

Oh Julio, I'm gonna miss you.

Also, what is with Elan getting new swords in just about every story arc? Is this his third or his fourth one?

[Angralad]

Ioun stones circling the wearer's head isn't a psion thing. It's an ioun stones thing.

(This should not be taken as endorsing the "Vaarsuvius will definitely take the shiny away from Blackwing offstage without comment" school of thought.)

Ahh! Thanks for the clarification This is why it's bad to go 10+ years without a proper D&D campaign

[RMS Oceanic]

I read what Anarchic means, but what else does a Holy Avenger do?

It's normally a +2 Longsword. But when a Paladin wields it it's a +5 Holy Longsword that grants its user Spell Resistance and can cast Greater Dispel Magic.

Maybe it isn't that class specific or powerful, but keeping in line with Roy and Haley I'm confident it's +5 at least.

[littlebum2002]

Julio is doing really well, trope-wise. He changes his position from aged Mentor to the Sixth Ranger, which even increases his coolness factor since he's also avoiding as much screen time as possible. Plus, he didn't announce his retirement before actually doing it.

Doesn't being the sixth ranger involve fighting the team before you join it? When did Julio fight the team? And how can he even be considered the "new member of the team" when he's leaving 13 strips after he "joined"?

[Raphite1]

Haha, I KNEW the first page would be full of people giving crazy interpretations of what "hitting the head" might mean. (You non-native English speakers get a pass.)

The Giant must have a permanently broken nose from so much face-palming.

[Shale]

Oh Julio, I'm gonna miss you.

Also, what is with Elan getting new swords in just about every story arc? Is this his third or his fourth one?

Would you stop pointing out the repetitiveness of B plots and hurry up?

[EvanGRogers]

I'm no native English speaker, what does Julio mean by his last phrase?

to "hit the head" means to use the restroom.

He has to use the restroom.

[orrion]

Oh Julio, I'm gonna miss you.

Also, what is with Elan getting new swords in just about every story arc? Is this his third or his fourth one?

Third that he's had to replace.

He started with one. Then Belkar Sundered it when Trigak showed up.

Haley found him another, and presumably he used that one or upgraded it off-panel until Nale stole his equipment and identity in Cliffport.

Julio gave him a +3 Keen rapier, and he then acquired his equipment again when Nale was exposed.

Then Tarquin Sundered one and Julio gave him the Chaos Sabre.

So, he's still got 1 rapier hanging around somewhere, but chances are its not very powerful at this point and the Order appears to be getting +5 stuff whenever they upgrade weapons now (Roy's sword and Haley's bow are both +5).

[Veya]

Doesn't being the sixth ranger involve fighting the team before you join it?

Going by the TV Tropes definition of the "sixth ranger", no, it doesn't, the Sixth Ranger is any character who comes in after the stablized start of the team to join it as a main character.

[Angralad]

... the Order appears to be getting +5 stuff whenever they upgrade weapons now (Roy's sword and Haley's bow are both +5).

Yup, higher level drops for higher level characters. Makes sense

[Kish]

Going by the TV Tropes definition of the "sixth ranger", no, it doesn't, the Sixth Ranger is any character who comes in after the stablized start of the team to join it as a main character.

What some people thought Miko would be for a while, then.

(Certainly not what Julio the About-to-leave-the-story-again-and-probably-actually-stay-out-this-time is, though.)

[Lexible]

Consistently and dedicatedly opposing something--even order--is itself an ordered trait. What makes Elan chaotic is that he's random.

Oh... so where should I put down these laws of probability?

[Gift Jeraff]

->If<- undead Durkon isn't the same person as living Durkon, then maybe he could count as the "Sixth Ranger."

[orrion]

Julio is doing really well, trope-wise. He changes his position from aged Mentor to the Sixth Ranger, which even increases his coolness factor since he's also avoiding as much screen time as possible. Plus, he didn't announce his retirement before actually doing it.

He isn't a Sixth Ranger for two reasons:

One, the Order is already a party of six.

Two, it doesn't look like Julio is becoming a main character. A sixth ranger variant has to stick around and become part of the main storyline, and Julio is currently in the process of shuffling off.

[Kish]

Oh... so where should I put down these laws of probability?

In the "Elan treats them as irrelevant at best" box; if you think you could convince him that a standard d20 rolls each number on it approximately 1/20th of the time determined at random rather than 1s and 20s showing up whenever it's appropriately dramatic, you have fun trying.

->If<- undead Durkon isn't the same person as living Durkon, then maybe he could count as the "Sixth Ranger."

I don't think "Vampire Durkon is a completely separate entity from Living Durkon who will nonetheless unlive and be part of the Order long enough to be a new main character" is in the cards.

[Vinsfeld]

I can't wait to see Roy's reaction to what V has to say.

[Lexible]

In the "Elan treats them as irrelevant at best" box; if you think you could convince him that a standard d20 rolls each number on it approximately 1/20th of the time determined at random rather than 1s and 20s showing up whenever it's appropriately dramatic, you have fun trying

Nicely played, sir!

[Gnoman]

I read what Anarchic means, but what else does a Holy Avenger do?

A Holy Avenger is a sword that is a low magic (+2) cold iron longsword for anyone except a Paladin, and a very, very powerful (+5 Holy, can cast Dispel Magic once per round as a standard action) cold iron longsword in the hands of a Paladin.

The Chaos Sabre being something similar for Dashing Swordsmen makes a great deal of sense, given that it's being treated as a powerful weapon.

[Lexible]

I can't wait to see Roy's reaction to what V has to say.

I wonder if he is going to be deeply troubled, both at V's genocide/dealing with fiends, and with the turn for the south the party's alignment seems to have taken.

[Alaska Fan]

"Hit the head" is sailor-speak for using the bathroom.

There is no reference or joke in the panel with Bandana giving orders, it's just a picture of her being in command because three straight panels of Elan looking at a piece of paper would have been boring.

Rich, you're being too modest. Clearly, you are mopping up for the end of the book.

[Sir_Leorik]

Yay! Haley remembered Blackwing after all! And not surprisingly, Elan doesn't remember Blackwing.

Bloodfeast the Extreme-inator is still a small lizard. Poor guy.

And of course, Julio Scoundrel is leaving. Unlike Tarquin, Julio knows not to overstay his welcome. Of course as an infamous sky pirate he knows the consequences of overstaying your welcome can include jail time, torture, an execution or a shotgun crossbow wedding, so he's no doubt become an expert at leaving before things get too awkward. The first time he showed up, he didn't intrude on Elan's big entrance; all he did was ferry Elan and Thog to Azure City (and blow up some ballistas, making it easier for Redcloak to conquer the city).

Next inane yet surprisingly bitter forum debate; whether or not Durkon and Roy were also busting V's chops.

In Roy's defense, he was absent the first two times Blackwing appeared, was a bit busy looking for Vaarsuvius (who had mysteriously disappeared) the third time, was being targeted by assassins the fourth time, was fighting Xykon on the back of a Zombie Dragon the fifth time and was dead the sixth time. Likewise, Durkon was not present the first time Blackwing appeared, nor the fourth, fifth or sixth times. But Durkon has no real excuse for not remembering Blackwing's second appearance; he cast healing spells on the bird for crying out loud!

So no, Roy was not busting V's chops; he honestly never saw V and Blackwing together at the same time. Durkon wasn't busting V's chops either. Belkar would have been busting V's chops if he actually paid attention to anything. When Blackwing joined Roy and Belkar at the arena, after the fight with Thog and Zz'dtri to report on V's whereabouts, Roy recognizes Blackwing as the bird on V's shoulder, whereas Belkar does not. Belkar only pays attention to things that involve stabbing people or turning Kobolds into objects d'art.

"the head" is US Navy slang for "the toilet". They've got different words for everything aboard ship.

Speaking as a sailor. though not a navy man, this is absolutely true, and something we're quite smug about.

This has actually been brought up in the comic, back when Elan, Durkon and V were with the Azurite Fleet. Durkon was quite pleased to finally learn the difference between Port and Starboard.

Poor Julio, living in a time before advanced sound effects and recording devices.

Don't be absurd. All of that stuff can be replicated with fancy spells and magic items. And since Julio Scoundrel has ranks in Use Magic Device, he could get wands with various Illusion spells. But it's cheaper to use costumes, backdrops and props to create special effects.

It appears that we now have a story problem. The nature of Julio's character means he has to always be the centre of attention, so how do we get rid of him so that he doesn't overshadow our heroes?

Our author has written himself into a corner here, it would seem.

@Nimrod's Son: I'm not sure if you're being sincere or not. If you are, the answer is bonus comics. Julio Scoundrel is slated to appear in one of the Kickstarter comics, and he could definitely appear in bonus strips in book six detailing how he travelled to Arborea and saved the Eladrin from the threat of the Jabborwock from module EX2: The Land Beyond the Magic Mirror. If you are not being sincere, please use emoticons next time? Thanx!

Oh Julio, I'm gonna miss you.

Also, what is with Elan getting new swords in just about every story arc? Is this his third or his fourth one?

Elan's original rapier was sundered by Belkar shouting loudly when Trigak ambushed Elan and Belkar (but not Haley). Haley found a magic rapier (it's magical pluses were not revealed, but it was probably +1 or +2) later on and gave it to Elan. Elan used this rapier throughout the rest of DCF, all of NCftPB and the begining of W&XPs, until Nale switched places with him and stole his stuff. When Julio Scoundrel trained Elan to be a Dashing Swordsman, and they were nearing Azure City, he gave Elan the +3 Keen Rapier he'd used earlier in his career. Elan used this rapier in the battle for Azure City, throughout DStP and almost all of book five, until Tarquin sundered it a few strips ago. Now he has a Chaos Sabre ("Ho, ho, ho.") That means that Elan has gone through four rapiers. He still has the second rapier, which he recovered after he defeated Nale in Azure City.

Doesn't being the sixth ranger involve fighting the team before you join it?

Wouldn't that make Belkar the Sixth Ranger?

[Gift Jeraff]

In Roy's defense, he was absent the first two times Blackwing appeared, was a bit busy looking for Vaarsuvius (who had mysteriously disappeared) the third time, was being targeted by assassins the fourth time, was fighting Xykon on the back of a Zombie Dragon the fifth time and was dead the sixth time. Likewise, Durkon was not present the first time Blackwing appeared, nor the fourth, fifth or sixth times. But Durkon has no real excuse for not remembering Blackwing's second appearance; he cast healing spells on the bird for crying out loud.

Minor nitpick: Blackwing was also in the montage of witnesses during the trial.

[Storm_Of_Snow]

Third that he's had to replace.

He started with one. Then Belkar Sundered it when Trigak showed up.

Haley found him another, and presumably he used that one or upgraded it off-panel until Nale stole his equipment and identity in Cliffport.

Julio gave him a +3 Keen rapier, and he then acquired his equipment again when Nale was exposed.

Then Tarquin Sundered one and Julio gave him the Chaos Sabre.

So, he's still got 1 rapier hanging around somewhere, but chances are its not very powerful at this point and the Order appears to be getting +5 stuff whenever they upgrade weapons now (Roy's sword and Haley's bow are both +5).

Roy's sword and Haley's bow aren't merely +5, they're +5 with additional effects (anti-undead - maybe a Sun Blade, as Bane and Disruption don't really fit IMO - and Icy Burst respectively).

Haley's also got Crystal's dagger, which is +4, and Roy's got the giant strength belt, which is at least +4, and possibly +6.

[rs2excelsior]

Possibly the most hilarious "Julio forcing narrative convention and Elan playing along" scene.

Voice-over through a can. Heh.

[Jay R]

Launching a new series is helped by advertisement in an existing series that is popular with the target audience, such as spotlight time of the main character. By the time OotS finishes and a new series starting, assuming that's what the author plans, a retired Julio will be forgotten. It's seems odd to deliberately drop a marketing opportunity. Assuming the author doesn't have another plan in mind.

Are you kidding? We still remember Trigak, who hasn't been seen since strip 21.

Besides, a lot of us our buying the books, and the most crucial customers are the ones paying money.

It's not in the SRD, but I'm assuming that it's an alignment-based weapon like Axiomatic and that ilk - which means it gets a damage bonus against Lawful enemies. So Elan has a sword that's not much help against Xykon, but will get a boost against Redcloak ( and Tarquin).

Still, the idea of defined rules for a Chaos weapon seems kind of ironic, doesn't it?

[Dakaran]

Hahaha - I love Julio.

[NihhusHuotAliro]

Can, can he do the can? Can he do the can-can he do the can-can-can-can voice over?

Also, there goes my theory that looking into the snarl and being so close to it erased everyone's memories of Blackwing except for V; that it, on some level, messed with his existence.