OOTS #433 - The Discussion Thread

[Suraht]

It just keeps getting better. Next time I'm the targeter in a MMO raid, I'm using Duck and Goose to tell everyone who and who not to attack.

[fractal]

Boy, they could use Miko. She'd be like a whirlwind, mowing through the hobgoblin ranks.

That is, at least as long as she wasn't like a whirlwind, mowing through Azure City's ranks. That's always the danger when high level characters lose touch with reality.

[silvadel]

Wow scruffy guy is strong...

And that poor soldier -- her death is squarely on Hinjo's shoulders for NOT taking the MoJ off Belkar so he would be able to skin the ducks as well as the gooses(sic)...

[The Wanderer]

Good comic.

I predicted awhile back that reviving fallen hobgoblins as zombies was going to be a major factor in this battle... I wish Redcloak hadn't heard me. This is going to be baaaaaad for the defenders. They're already losing men and having a hard time beating back the hobgoblin wave... what are they going to do when half their side is dead, more are injured, and a full blown zombie horde comes their way?

[skinkatlarge]

I'm honestly surprised Belkar has enough self-control (and sense of self-preservation) to not go over the wall, where he can let loose. Glad, in the sense that he'd die and I'd miss him, but surprised. And daaaamn, is that some kind of vibro-dagger?

I thought he kept telling someone off-panel to "duck" - up until the third established the rhythm that triggered childhood memories. :)

Then there's:
"Knock knock"
"who's there?"
"orange"
"orange who?"

Anticipation is driving me nuts, especially about what Durkon is up to, but I'm liking the cut-away storytelling as much as I'm hating it.

[NeonRonin]

Ahh, most excellent... and I got my wish, Argent grabbing a hobbo in a death shake! Good boy. I have to admit I laughed AND groaned at Elan this time around, but I'll be lenient- he's only got one level of Dashing Swordsman so far, hopefully his next level gives him access to better puns. Oh and, of course, the obvious... must praise the GOOSEing of the ghast. As usual, Belkar rawks.

[Jawajoey]

Latest comic: Awesome all around. Yay half competence, duck duck goose, and Redcloak still being awesome!

Raising the dead will be really bad for the AC defenders...

Spoiler

Show

...but I wouldn't be surprised if Durkon pulls some amazing "squash that advantage" move, a la V with dismissal and enlarge person.

[silvadel]

Paladins can turn undead tho -- so zombies really shouldnt be an issue. Kind of a poor move by the goblin in red -- the heals would have been better.

[Friv]

Paladins can turn undead tho -- so zombies really shouldnt be an issue. Kind of a poor move by the goblin in red -- the heals would have been better.

Especially since you could use your low-level spells to heal, and THEN start animating corpses once that runs out.

*thinks* No, hang on. Inflict Wounds heals undead, and evil clerics spontaneously cast that. Okay, not a terrible plan, then. There aren't that many paladins around, and if they use up all their Turns on the weaker undead, it leaves a better tactical position for the stronger ones.

Redcloak's anti-hobgoblin bias leads to sound tactical planning, clearly.

[KillerCardinal]

Also, I thought Belkar was telling the hobgoblin to duck, which confused the hell out of me. Then he yelled "goose" and I cracked up. Perfect.

You weren't the only one. That was my thought too. However, I was attributing more malice to Belkar than I probably really should have. I figured he was trying to help the hobgoblins. Oops.

[fractal]

I predicted awhile back that reviving fallen hobgoblins as zombies was going to be a major factor in this battle... I wish Redcloak hadn't heard me. This is going to be baaaaaad for the defenders. They're already losing men and having a hard time beating back the hobgoblin wave... what are they going to do when half their side is dead, more are injured, and a full blown zombie horde comes their way?

They're going to have their clerics, who haven't spent all of their spell slots and gold casting Animate Dead, heal them. Animate Dead, for a 6th level Cleric, makes what, six 2 HD hobgoblin zombies? (A 5th level caster can only make five such zombies.) A 6th level Wizard with a 3rd level spell could easily fireball those same 6 zombies off the map, and take the Cleric with them. Surely a 6th level Cleric will have something similar up his sleeve.

It has been stated that Azure City has more mid-level casters, right?

[Baalzebub]

Duck... Duck... Duck... GOOSE! Duck...

But the funniest?

Oh man... I knew I shouldn't have invested all my money in that goblin life insurance company...

[Krytha]

Animating dead instead of healing? At least Belkar will be enjoying himself...

[Demonicbunny]

Technically I think Belkar could have stabbed all of those Hobgoblins.

The citywall marks the city boundary, and while they were on the ladder they would (technically) have been outside the city wall.

[Yogi]

Looks like Hinjo has made a strategic error that could cost him dearly. He cares for the warriors he commands, and apparently assumes his foe has some feeling for his troops (if only as an asset), so he believes a heavy casualty rate will prompt a withdrawal. But Xykon and Redcloak are both ready to throw every hobgoblin they've got into the meat grinder, and then animate the corpses; their goal (goals?) have nothing to do with preserving their minions.

Which could mean big trouble for our new favorite paladin.

Even if every fallen hobgoblin is intact enough to be animated, 10:1 kill ratios is still going to hurt the attackers a lot.

[Jawajoey]

Even if every fallen hobgoblin is intact enough to be animated, 10:1 kill ratios is still going to hurt the attackers a lot.

What are they going to do? NOT kill the attackers? That isn't an option.

Hinjo didn't make a mistake, but he is wrong in his expectation (or perhaps just a hope) that the enemy might ever decide to withdraw.

[originalpimp]

I think AC is pretty much doomed. I mean they were already VASTLY outnumbered. And with the ability to reanimate them, that's TWICE the force they would originally have dealt with. This leads to a REALLY big disadvantage for the good guys. I'd say about 1:20 or possibly more! And, of course, one of the very few with an ability to take down undead easily is busy battling Xykon, which we still don't REALLY know if that's the real Xykon. There COULD still be another Xykon. I doubt it, but it's possible. Anyway, GO BELKAR XP.

[factotum]

Technically I think Belkar could have stabbed all of those Hobgoblins.

The citywall marks the city boundary, and while they were on the ladder they would (technically) have been outside the city wall.

You think he really wants to risk being rendered catatonic for the sake of a technicality? (Especially since HE would still be inside the walls, so it kind of depends whether the MoJ is talking about his targets or he himself when it says "inside the city limits"). I bet Belkar won't go nuts unless he's outside the walls--WAY outside the walls, like, 100 yards or more!

[Luklan]

Animate Dead is a touch spell though, so cutting up hordes of hobgoblins helps. And if an evil cleric has to run past a load of paladins to animate a group of hobgoblins... Well, Attacks of Opportunity say it all, heh.

Anyhow, awesome comic Mr Giant! I'm glad to see I wasn't the only one who was confused by the 'duck, duck, duck' from Belkar, hehe.

ps: I'm speaking of Animate Dead as far as I remember off the top of my head, so I could easily be wrong.

[Galathir]

Great comic! I was totally expecting a height joke after the second row. Good job Rich.

[kerberos]

Paladins can turn undead tho -- so zombies really shouldnt be an issue. Kind of a poor move by the goblin in red -- the heals would have been better.

Yes, but healing would also have been less bad, which clearly would not be good.

[kerberos]

I wonder if kicking the ladder down have triggered Belkar's Mark of Justice.

I doubt it, even if it counted as him dealing lethal damage, it would be outside the city limits.

[Wizzardman]

Woot! New comic! Nice job!

[factotum]

Again, would Belkar risk it on the hope the spell would let him get by on a technicality? The exact wording is "He can't deal lethal damage to any living creature within the bounds of any city, town or village.". It could be read as meaning that the creatures he's dealing damage do have to be inside the city, but it can ALSO be read as meaning that Belkar himself has to be inside the city; it could even mean both, and I personally think that's what it would be set up to do (since otherwise Belkar, assuming he can use a bow, could just shoot people inside the city from somewhere outside it!).

[V Junior]

DUCK DUCK GOOSE! That t'was so funny. Mwahahaha!

Life Insura'ce? Very funny!

Oranges? Mmmmm... tasty...

RC is makin' a blu'der here. 'E should be 'ealin' 'em instead of zomib'in' 'em.

(sorry about the accent!)

[Felinoid]

Heh. Mark up another reader who thought Belkar was advising the hobs to duck, and then cracked up at the "GOOSE!" punchline. Though I maintain that the funniest way to use Duck Duck Goose is to pinch the target on the butt. (AKA 'goose' them, for the non-native english speakers out there.)

So what sort of feat does Belkar have that allows the hobgoblins to ignore him when they get onto the wall? I want me some of that!

[Insert short joke here]

[Fingolfin]

Wo-ohh I was thinking to invest too, better hold up with that idea :D Sweet comic :)

[meep]

I'm a life actuary, and we've got an Actuarial Speculative Fiction Contest every so often -- I've been thinking of writing "Night of the Living Death Benefits"... about the disputes that arise when those insured die and become zombies, and the NAIC arguments over whether the insured can be considered dead if they're still up and walking around.

I'm sure it would end in new underwriting categories, and death certificates would require a proof of cremation.

What I'm saying is that Demon Roach shouldn't despair yet -- the regulators may be on his side.

[kerberos]

Again, would Belkar risk it on the hope the spell would let him get by on a technicality? The exact wording is "He can't deal lethal damage to any living creature within the bounds of any city, town or village.". It could be read as meaning that the creatures he's dealing damage do have to be inside the city, but it can ALSO be read as meaning that Belkar himself has to be inside the city; it could even mean both, and I personally think that's what it would be set up to do (since otherwise Belkar, assuming he can use a bow, could just shoot people inside the city from somewhere outside it!).

That's one way to look at it, another is the Rick thought the duck, duck goose joke would be funnier than Belkar pushing the latter down.

[Caractacus]

What are they going to do? NOT kill the attackers? That isn't an option.

That's what Yogi was saying...