OOTS #949 - The Discussion Thread

[Gift Jeraff]

Maybe it's a mail order degree or honorary degree. The regulations on degree accreditation could be more lax in Stickverse than in RL. Such that it could be just a single Sending away...

Or maybe his degree was doctored.

[brionl]

I see a new TV show...

Dr Banjo, Medicine Puppet.

[Rogar Demonblud]

All I can say is 'Awesome'.

[One Skunk Todd]

Method Doctor, heh. :) Can Banj-upuncture be far behind? :)

[underpowered]

Awwww yeah secondary healer! Yet another role the Bard almost excels at. Loving the new Elan, looking forward to new V.

[Ave]

1. Cure Critical Wounds doesn't have a material component.

2. This isn't Pathfinder.

Right, this is an RPG comic :D

[Sylthia]

I wonder what damage a scalpel does.

[jmucchiello]

Nothing like waking up to a guy speaking to a hand puppet.

Although I suppose since Banjo has followers, their afterlife could look like that. If Elan had converted this guy in the last 3 pages, he might be more confused than his "hnnn" indicates. :)

[Clistenes]

Elan should have let the orcs keep Banjo. With time, they would have turned him into a true deity who would protect Elan.

I wonder if there is some bard-friendly priestly or templar prestige class that Banjo could grant to Elan...maybe one of the BoED prestige classes?

[zimmerwald1915]

I wonder what damage a scalpel does.

A normal one? Probably 1+Str/19-20 or 1d2+Str/19-20. Banjo's? Probably 1+plot/19-20 or 1d2+plot/19-20.

[b_jonas]

I wonder what damage a scalpel does.

Base damage for a scalpel is 1d3.

[SteveDJ]

Ok, everyone seems to love the new look... well, I might have to differ... just a bit...

Oh, I love the new overall look, and the new font works great, too. And giving the characters long sleeves works, too (they are going to a cold climate, after all).

It's the hands that just feel wrong now. For years, this has been "[The] Order of the Stick"... and now, we seem to have lost the "stick".

P.S. Everyone loves the "Doctor Banjo" line -- is nobody going to give some love to the "Nurse Elan" line?

[SteveDJ]

I wonder what damage a scalpel does.

Base damage for a scalpel is 1d3.

So, timing question -- just supposing that Felix was at -9. Would the "poke" have inflicted a point of damage, causing death, before the CCW could perform its healing effect?

[AstralFire]

So, timing question -- just supposing that Felix was at -9. Would the "poke" have inflicted a point of damage, causing death, before the CCW could perform its healing effect?

As the touch is part of the mechanic necessary for healing, I'd say no from a "makes sense" view.

If we're going strictly by D&D 3 rules, Cure spells would have to be something you could "hold the charge" on for Elan to do a strike that deals damage with the spell, and he couldn't do it in the same round.

[ChristianSt]

So, timing question -- just supposing that Felix was at -9. Would the "poke" have inflicted a point of damage, causing death, before the CCW could perform its healing effect?

In the last panel you can see a small drop of blood on Felix's chest, so I would think he took the damage (if any) after the healing effect.

[iyaerP]

I lost it at Elan poking him with the tiny scalpel.

[Amphiox]

Of course, with a PhD, he shouldn't be touching human(oid) patients.

One needs an MD for that.

Of course in the Stickverse it could also be an apprenticeship thing for the degree.

But I think everyone is missing the BIG theological implications here. Whether it is by apprenticeship, or by accreditation, someone or thing has to have granted Banjo's degree.

This implies the possibility of a third, or more, member of the Clown Pantheon, as yet unnamed....

[AstralFire]

Of course, with a PhD, he shouldn't be touching human(oid) patients.

One needs an MD for that.

Of course in the Stickverse it could also be an apprenticeship thing for the degree.

But I think everyone is missing the BIG theological implications here. Whether it is by apprenticeship, or by accreditation, someone or thing has to have granted Banjo's degree.

This implies the possibility of a third, or more, member of the Clown Pantheon, as yet unnamed....

Banjo probably just has a correspondence course with Greendale.

[Doug Lampert]

As the touch is part of the mechanic necessary for healing, I'd say no from a "makes sense" view.

If we're going strictly by D&D 3 rules, Cure spells would have to be something you could "hold the charge" on for Elan to do a strike that deals damage with the spell, and he couldn't do it in the same round.

You can in fact hold the charge on a cure spell. This is important since the cure spell can be used as an attack vs. undead.

OTOH: I don't think Elan is holding the charge, I think Rich is simply allowing that the free touch which can be used at the same time as you cast the spell does some trivial damage (possibly less than 1 HP) if the touch is done with a hand holding a puppet holding a scalpel.

[Reathin]

Of course, with a PhD, he shouldn't be touching human(oid) patients.

One needs an MD for that.

Of course in the Stickverse it could also be an apprenticeship thing for the degree.

But I think everyone is missing the BIG theological implications here. Whether it is by apprenticeship, or by accreditation, someone or thing has to have granted Banjo's degree.

This implies the possibility of a third, or more, member of the Clown Pantheon, as yet unnamed....

No doubt that would be Grandjo, God of Puppets Who Are Also Gods. He's the only known deity who grants his worshipers the Recursion domain.

[David Argall]

But he didn't have the spell before; he planned to swap out one of his spells for it later.

That was 300 strips ago. Given the party have gained levels at about a 100-150 strip rate, the question is how many levels he has gained since then, not if.

Remember, Elan's repertoire of healing spells was limited to mass cure light wounds, and only one casting per day at that, as recently as strip 904.

This would be based on the clearly incorrect theory that only spells cast on camera happened. But we have several cases of spellcasters announcing they are out of spells when only a few of their spells are shown being cast. Quite simply, a lot of spells are cast off camera. Since Elan had enough opportunities before 904 to have cast loads of healing spells, 904 can't be used as proof he only had 1. And since 647 mentions plans to get additional healing spells, our presumption is that he has additional healing.

[AstralFire]

You can in fact hold the charge on a cure spell. This is important since the cure spell can be used as an attack vs. undead.

OTOH: I don't think Elan is holding the charge, I think Rich is simply allowing that the free touch which can be used at the same time as you cast the spell does some trivial damage (possibly less than 1 HP) if the touch is done with a hand holding a puppet holding a scalpel.

I'm no expert on this, but I thought spells you could hold the charge on had to be specifically called out? Though if true, this makes Cure Light Wounds only somewhat terrible as an attack form.

[Keltest]

I'm no expert on this, but I thought spells you could hold the charge on had to be specifically called out? Though if true, this makes Cure Light Wounds only somewhat terrible as an attack form.

If at any point you are finding yourself casting cure light wounds as an attack form, you've been drop kicked past the Godzilla threshold and end up circling around to land in front of it again.

[AstralFire]

Godzilla Threshold? That's a new one.

[Fragenstein]

Godzilla Threshold? That's a new one.

Nah. Just continued TVTropist Moronica. As a concept, it probably even predates Greek tragedies. I'm sure someone once wrote a play in Golgotha using the Tiamat Threshold.

[Neoriceisgood]

There's a new font, right? Didn't notice that on the last page or two.

Neat too see Elan's little ... "friend" back.

[Khay]

No doubt that would be Grandjo, God of Puppets Who Are Also Gods. He's the only known deity who grants his worshipers the Recursion domain.

Lesser Recursion (Evocation)
Level: Recursion 4
Casting Time, Range, Target, Effect, Area, Duration, Saving Throws: See text

Recursion can duplicate any spell of the Recursion domain.

[Lexible]

First time through, I totally read the last talk-bubble on the last panel as the closing part of Haley's remark to Bandana. Extra funny given the look on Bandana's face.

[t209]

So anyone thinking about OOTS: HD edition at some point in the future; however, it would kill Haley's pants joke.

[Lexible]

Of course, with a PhD, he shouldn't be touching human(oid) patients.

One needs an MD for that.

Of course in the Stickverse it could also be an apprenticeship thing for the degree.

But I think everyone is missing the BIG theological implications here. Whether it is by apprenticeship, or by accreditation, someone or thing has to have granted Banjo's degree.

This implies the possibility of a third, or more, member of the Clown Pantheon, as yet unnamed....

Wait. . you are positing some kind of. . . posse of clown deities? That's insane.

I see what I did there. . .