OOTS #1057 - The Discussion Thread

[The Giant]

New comic is up.

Also, note the shiny new green banner below this that's advertising the new 2017 OOTS calendar.

[Keltest]

Ooo, a shiny new banner! I shall stare at it!

Oh, and I guess Andi is being unreasonable something something mild discontent.

Banner!

Thanks Giant!

[Shining Wrath]

"I'm continually amazed by how often we get screwed by you not being pedantic enough".

Who ever thought those words would be directed at Vaarsuvius, in any context?

And it's bad news that V doesn't have more greater invisibility prepared. How can Haley be Pointy Death Incarnate?

[zimmerwald1915]

"I'm continually amazed by how often we get screwed by you not being pedantic enough".

To be generous, suggestion practically exists to be got around in just this way. If you cast it and its subjects don't find some inconvenient loophole, you're doing something wrong.

[DustyBottoms]

"I'm continually amazed by how often we get screwed by you not being pedantic enough."

This might be in the running for my favorite Blackwing quote. Excellent strip.

[GreatWyrmGold]

I'm inclined to agree with the lady who said that Frost Giant Hell doesn't sound too bad. Though this brings up a question...does each god/race have its own set of afterlives, or their own special places within the planes, or what?

[Keltest]

Actually, now that I think about it, what exactly is Andi doing? She appears to be sitting around watching V and Belkar do their jobs instead of, say, anything remotely helpful. Engineers can still haul up Alchemist's fire up from below deck.

[terenes]

What is Andi up to? V. blasting frost giants should be clearly visible from above.

[zimmerwald1915]

Actually, now that I think about it, what exactly is Andi doing? She appears to be sitting around watching V and Belkar do their jobs instead of, say, anything remotely helpful. Engineers can still haul up Alchemist's fire up from below deck.

There are other crew members for that, and given that the hatches between decks admit one person at a time, Andi would probably get in the way if she tried to join in. She's got her wrench in hand, she's probably patching things off-panel (note that in both the second panel here and the first panel here she's running toward Bandana, who's standing at the rail; that suggests Andi's darting back and forth to me), it's just that what we see are her free moments when she gets to bellyache.

That probably accounts for her lack of keen tactical insight too. She's not actually observing the fight all that closely, just the bits she happens to catch or that people tell her about.

[HandofShadows]

A Suggestion that does not pan out. Great Page.

[TerrickTerran]

Even at high levels, it's nice to see magic can't always solve everything.

[Shining Wrath]

Guys, in strip 1056 Haley and V talked about how they were flying around a bend, far ahead of the Mechane. They aren't visible because there's a mountain in the way.
Andi is still being a jerk, though, because half of the Order is standing visible on the deck (or were when last shown), and adventuring parties don't usually abandon each other, which she ought to know after serving with Captain Scoundrel for years. She's upset because she's not in charge, not because she has reasonable fears - although she may not realize it.

[Peelee]

What is Andi up to? V. blasting frost giants should be clearly visible from above.

V blasting frost giants was indeed clearly visible from above. Then V stopped blasting frost giants and zoomed up ahead of the Mechane. Andi is complaining about V no longer blasting frost giants, and zooming up ahead of the Mechane.

[Sylian]

Andi is starting to really annoy me. She's an interesting character, since she seems to serve as somewhat of an antagonist without actually being evil or even really opposed to the protagonists (so maybe she's more of an objective than an antagonist). Still, I'll have to admit that her concerns, from her perspective, are somewhat valid. We, the readers, know how much is at stake (or at least we believe we do), so we see her actions as somewhat risky (if the heroes fail the world is destroyed). Still, it'll be interesting how this will all pan out. Will Andi change her mind at some point? Will Bandana have a mutiny on her hands?

[hroþila]

What is Andi up to? V. blasting frost giants should be clearly visible from above.

Obviously it isn't. The source of the bat was "just around the next bend" according to Blackwing, and who knows how tall the particular peak these clerics are on actually is?

[Peelee]

Also, I just noticed.... where is Haley in panel 6? Is she supposed to be hidden behind that one giant's head?

[drazen]

Forget the plot, I'm trying to figure out if there's any subtle difference in the WHAM panels in #1056 and #1057, other than size. Gotta stay focused on the important issues, you know. ;)

Shouldn't Haley be flying out of there, like, now-ish?

[Sylian]

So, kill/defeat the one who made his save and then escape?

Forget the plot, I'm trying to figure out if there's any subtle difference in the WHAM panels in #1056 and #1057, other than size. Gotta stay focused on the important issues, you know. ;)

I noticed a few. The one in 56 doesn't show the giant's eyes, while the one in 57 does (with swirly eyes). The ground looks slightly different too.

[Cernor]

Forget the plot, I'm trying to figure out if there's any subtle difference in the WHAM panels in #1056 and #1057, other than size. Gotta stay focused on the important issues, you know. ;)

Shouldn't Haley be flying out of there, like, now-ish?

I had the exact same thought! The only difference is, the giant in #1057 has swirly eyes under the helmet.

EDIT: Ninja'd.

[JumboWheat01]

I love seeing V's increasing use of non-blasty spells. Though maybe V should consider Spell Focus: Enchantment the next time they qualify for a feat.

[Caesar]

LOL, as an emissary from the North, I can only give my heartiest approval of the giants' most feared realm of punishment =D (Probably comes with low, low taxes)

[Murk]

That's the second axe, and somehow she still lives. Haley's tougher than she looks!

[Carl]

This might be in the running for my favorite Blackwing quote. Excellent strip.

Honestly Blackwings supply of best quote ever moments and lines is rapidly approaching critical mass, it gets much bigger and we'll hit the singularity and then what will humour look like afterwards?

Yes you can throw stuff at me for awful jokes :).

[Erys]

That's the second axe, and somehow she still lives. Haley's tougher than she looks!

Well, she is high level. I would hope she can take a LOT more than one or two hits by a giant axe.

[Kish]

Well, that's a point in favor of the "Vaarsuvius isn't allowed to solve problems" hypothesis, given that I will now be quite surprised if this encounter doesn't end with the death of those giants and the irrelevancy of the Mass Suggestion.

[Herr Doktor]

Like that giant said, the "Eternal Pit of Mild Spring Temperatures" doesn't sound so bad. Extremes of temperature always bring to mind punitive afterlives; I expect kind, mild weather as part of the reward for living a good life.

[Chei]

Clerics with a bad Will save? That's gotta be a rough life. Well, the archer isn't a cleric.

[Peelee]

Clerics with a bad Will save? That's gotta be a rough life. Well, the archer isn't a cleric.

They could (and likely do) have good saves, and just rolled poorly.

[Rogar Demonblud]

Also, spell saves have a scaling issue.

PS---Woooo, calendar!

[Kish]

I see no indication that any of them except the one who passed the Will save are clerics, actually.