Results 151 to 180 of 862
-
2018-07-27, 11:02 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Jan 2008
- Location
- Raleigh, NC
- Gender
Re: OOTS #1130 - The Discussion Thread
Really, Ponchella? What good would Harm have done there?
"I'm going to make you have 1 HP for real real, not just 1 HP for play play". GREAT use of what could've been your only action.If it's not obvious, insert a after my post.
-
2018-07-27, 11:03 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Nov 2013
- Location
- Texas
- Gender
Re: OOTS #1130 - The Discussion Thread
My own two points to put in-
- Scruffy did wake Belkar by activating the clasp. It put Belkar in sudden pain and effectively slapped him awake. I cheered when I saw it, and when he raged.
- Regarding Durkon’s epiphany- let’s not forget that Durkon’s a stubborn a-hole, perhaps the most stubborn a-hole a negative energy spirit has ever dealt with. If you look back through the strips since he was vamped and his inner soul struggling was revealed, you can see Durkon continue to be this stubborn a-hole through every one of Greg’s defense mechanisms. Denial, bargaining, being evil, Durkon has stood up to all that and more from Greg over and over again. And he also has the arguably very unique experience of benefitting his entire life from a very unselfish act. It’s easy for a bad person to reject a good deed as ultimately beneficial on a lasting basis when the helper just helps you and then walks away. But when a person sticks around and pays it forward to the degree Durkon’s family did? When his mother presumably did the same? It’s easy to be evil and just kill, dominate, bribe, mock, etc the people who wrong you or who make your world not make sense or who make your life harder. Easy to reject them too. But Durkon does the opposite- and stubbornly too. And Greg can’t get rid of the troublesome person in his own soul when Durkon refuses to die.
That said, we can’t forget that we haven’t seen the effects of this epiphany in the world outside Durkon’s mind yet. His mind may be his, but his body’s still a vampire. And his inner evil soul may be snapping under the pressure of so many good memories from an unselfish act it still can’t comprehend, but it may be about to reassert itself too. I am eagerly waiting for the next comic however long it takes.
-
2018-07-27, 11:03 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- May 2012
- Location
- Czech Republic
- Gender
Re: OOTS #1130 - The Discussion Thread
Wonderful.
There must be some sense of order - personal, political or dramatic - and if no one else is going to bring it to this world, I will.
Silent member of Zz'dtri's #698 Scrying Sensor Explanation Club.
-
2018-07-27, 11:03 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Jun 2014
- Location
- A Michigan Far, Far Away
- Gender
Re: OOTS #1130 - The Discussion Thread
Not that kind of Domination. I'm sorry, I couldn't help myself....
-
2018-07-27, 11:06 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Nov 2004
Re: OOTS #1130 - The Discussion Thread
Orth Plays: Currently Baldur's Gate II
-
2018-07-27, 11:06 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Mar 2017
- Location
- US
- Gender
Re: OOTS #1130 - The Discussion Thread
The way I understand it, what's going on still takes place at the speed of thought... but just like an exceptionally complicated task can slow down your computer, an exceptionally powerful cocktail of emotions and experiences still takes some time to process through... Durkon's whole life, in fact. Even condensed down to a hundredth of a percent of that time (and assuming around 50 years), that'd take Greg a few hours to sift through. (It looks like it's been condensed down even further to a few minutes, which is still a Hel of a lot faster than it initially happened.) If that doesn't quite do it for you, then it could be that Greg is "conscious" the whole time and fully aware of what's happening, but the epiphany preoccupies him to such a degree that he's choosing not to respond to anything going on outside of his head.
As for eternal dormancy of the host... maybe that's what would have happened, but the only person we've seen say that kind of thing is Greg, who was kinda-sorta just proven wrong (and was only a few days old when he said it). It could just be that becoming the host is the inevitable conclusion; but since the host now has about an extra month or so of blood-fueled debauchery under their belt, they remain evil anyway.
(Also, still plenty of time for death and destruction... Gontor's still in their base, dominating their doods.)
-
2018-07-27, 11:07 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Feb 2016
- Gender
-
2018-07-27, 11:07 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Jan 2014
Re: OOTS #1130 - The Discussion Thread
-
2018-07-27, 11:07 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Dec 2006
- Location
- Raleigh NC
- Gender
Re: OOTS #1130 - The Discussion Thread
It's been awhile. I remember reading that Rich said on this forum that he had started to read Sir Terry's work, then put it aside for fear it would interfere with what he was trying to do as well. I'm afraid I'm not in a position to research it at the moment. Possibly my memory is incorrect.
Respectfully,
Brian P."Every lie we tell incurs a debt to the truth. Sooner or later, that debt is paid."
-Valery Legasov in Chernobyl
-
2018-07-27, 11:07 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Feb 2007
Re: OOTS #1130 - The Discussion Thread
From the way the SRD words it, you have to behead it after staking it to "kill it permanently" - a staking doesn't permanently kill the vampire since just removing the stake will bring it back to life.
I assumed he'd stuck the stake most of the way into her back, immediately after panel 11, then removed his hand from the stake (hence it not being visible tucked into his belt, or on the floor, in panel 14) and he shoved it the rest of the way in while finishing the beheading.
Belkar's chest would be acting as "the hammer" in this analog.Last edited by hamishspence; 2018-07-27 at 11:09 AM.
Marut-2 Avatar by Serpentine
New Marut Avatar by Linkele
-
2018-07-27, 11:08 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Dec 2013
Re: OOTS #1130 - The Discussion Thread
Last son of the Lu-Ching dynasty
thog is the champion, thog's friends! and thog keeps on fighting to the end!
-
2018-07-27, 11:08 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Jul 2018
Re: OOTS #1130 - The Discussion Thread
I'm speechless.
-
2018-07-27, 11:08 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Jun 2015
- Gender
Re: OOTS #1130 - The Discussion Thread
I don't think this is necessarily fair on Hel. Regardless of how well or how poorly she understood the minds of vampires and the process of vampirization, she had no candidates to be her high priest other than Durkon, and she had no say in how exactly he was vamped (whether he'd be given those three days or not). Hel did make the vampire spirit, but she had to do so in accordance with a pre-existing blueprint that she didn't necessarily design herself or have absolute power over, and that wasn't created specifically to serve her unconditionally and unerringly, but simply to be yet another element in this world.
ungelic is us
-
2018-07-27, 11:09 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Sep 2014
Re: OOTS #1130 - The Discussion Thread
Thank you Giant,
You just convinced me to buy the entire series when you've finished it.
Today's page was truly breathtaking.
-
2018-07-27, 11:10 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Feb 2016
- Gender
-
2018-07-27, 11:12 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Aug 2006
- Location
- Portland, OR
Re: OOTS #1130 - The Discussion Thread
Hmm. OK. I buy that Durkon can't just flood memories: Durkula has to ask for them. So the argument here is that Durkula wasn't going to ask about this memory on his own, so he needed a moment when Durkula would let him offer up an arbitrary memory.
This makes sense and I can accept it. It's...maybe a little thin narratively. But it feels consistent.If you can read this you are too close.
-
2018-07-27, 11:14 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Jun 2007
Re: OOTS #1130 - The Discussion Thread
Can someone explain the in-game mechanics here? Why did the protection from evil clasp rejuvenate Belkar -- I would have assumed that it would have just protected him from further damage. It looks like it also gave him some kind of extra magical ability, too, based on the green glow.
And what exactly is the anti-life shield/dome thing? Does that protect the vampires from injury, damage living creatures...?
-
2018-07-27, 11:16 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Feb 2007
Re: OOTS #1130 - The Discussion Thread
The antilife shell prevents living creatures from passing through - but nothing more.
http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/antilifeShell.htm
The protection from evil spell suppresses the vampire's domination ability over Belkar when activated:
http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/protectionFromEvil.htmLast edited by hamishspence; 2018-07-27 at 11:17 AM.
Marut-2 Avatar by Serpentine
New Marut Avatar by Linkele
-
2018-07-27, 11:16 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Feb 2012
- Gender
Re: OOTS #1130 - The Discussion Thread
How's Hilgaya standing in the middle of the anti-life field? Is she considered undead while under domination?
How to turn off these annoying .sigs:
- Edit your profile options.
- Scroll down to "Visible Post Elements".
- Uncheck "Show Signatures".
- Save changes.
- Enjoy a much less cluttered and noisy forum.
-
2018-07-27, 11:16 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Nov 2004
Re: OOTS #1130 - The Discussion Thread
The clasp glows because it's causing Belkar pain, just like every previous time he's used it.
Affected by Protection from Evil, he is no longer mind-controlled, for as long as he keeps the Protection from Evil up. As for why he's able to go back to fighting, either he wasn't in negative hit points before, or he's using barbarian rage now (and will quite possibly die when it wears out and he loses the bonus hit points from it).
Anti-Life Shell creates a shell, centered on the caster, which the living cannot pass through in either direction.Orth Plays: Currently Baldur's Gate II
-
2018-07-27, 11:17 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Jul 2018
Re: OOTS #1130 - The Discussion Thread
Well, except Durkon IS experiencing what Durkula is living, right? He sees and feels it, he learns it. He is just not in charge. You are not a 20 years old if you lives for 20 years old than "experiences" another 60 years.
But this is a "Let´s play "Roy" Rick and Morty" discussion.
-
2018-07-27, 11:17 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Jun 2018
Re: OOTS #1130 - The Discussion Thread
Protection from evil does not rejuvenate, but Belkar was never hurt in the first place, he was just KOed by Roy in what I assume was a feat because he dealt little damage. But the Giant has decided that an evil creature using a protection spell against their own alignment would be hurt somewhat by it, enough for it to be bothersome, and this is probably what woke Belkar up.
The glow is a visual representation of the spell being active.
The anti-life shell is a wall that only blocks living things from entering it. It deals no damage to the living, it just prevents them from entering it.
-
2018-07-27, 11:18 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Jun 2014
- Location
- A Michigan Far, Far Away
- Gender
Re: OOTS #1130 - The Discussion Thread
A beautiful touch halfway through, as Greg starts talking more like Durkon... foreshadowing the final moment of change.
-
2018-07-27, 11:19 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Feb 2016
- Gender
Re: OOTS #1130 - The Discussion Thread
Nope. She was inside the radius when the spell was cast: http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots1126.html The shield prevents life from entering, it doesn't expel life already within the spell radius.
-
2018-07-27, 11:21 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Dec 2006
- Location
- Raleigh NC
- Gender
Re: OOTS #1130 - The Discussion Thread
"Every lie we tell incurs a debt to the truth. Sooner or later, that debt is paid."
-Valery Legasov in Chernobyl
-
2018-07-27, 11:21 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Sep 2011
- Location
- Calgary, AB
- Gender
-
2018-07-27, 11:22 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Jul 2018
- Location
- Earth (I think?)
Re: OOTS #1130 - The Discussion Thread
Oh man.
Oh man, oh man, oh man. I never thought Durkon would be able to retake control, but dang if this wasn't the last thing I expected.
So... first question, do we keep calling the spirit Greg? Or should we call it Durkon? For the purposes of this post I'll stick with Greg, but... wow. The main thing is, though, what happens to Durkon Classic? Does he now pass to oblivion, having effectively been replaced by the not-so-negative-anymore energy spirit? Does he still have miscellaneous memories left over to hold onto?
Personally, I wouldn't be surprised if Durkula (Greg? Durkon now? Whatever) frees everyone from domination, drops the antilife shell, and then willingly asks to be destroyed and resurrected.
-
2018-07-27, 11:25 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Aug 2015
- Location
- Sandusky, OH
- Gender
Re: OOTS #1130 - The Discussion Thread
"I don't unnerstand"
That's when I knew what was up. Greg started using Durkon's accent.
-
2018-07-27, 11:25 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Dec 2013
- Gender
Re: OOTS #1130 - The Discussion Thread
“Evil is evil. Lesser, greater, middling, it's all the same. Proportions are negotiated, boundaries blurred. I'm not a pious hermit, I haven't done only good in my life. But if I'm to choose between one evil and another, then I prefer not to choose at all.”
-
2018-07-27, 11:25 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Jul 2018
Re: OOTS #1130 - The Discussion Thread
It is not like Durkon is free of his domination. It is just that Durkula feels the same as him, thinks the same as him, knows the same. And that person logically acts the same. This mean he will do his best to acomplishes Durkon goals, which is saving the world and... dying and being ressurrected.
Durkon has a family now. He needs to be alive for Kudzu. I hope Belkar doesn´t believe in Durkula being Durkon and kills him. In this case, Durkula will probably just let Belkar kills him.