Things You Never Noticed VII: Wait, This Isnt the MitD Thread?

[Ruck]

Yup, she was "the first human to enter the room". I never considered that.

Me neither. An incorrect correction leads to a second discovery! Amazing!

[hroþila]

My theory is that when she saw the scene she convinced herself that the gods had led her to fall specifically so that she wouldn't be in that room when the rest of the Guard was killed*, and thus so that she could destroy the Gate and save the world.

*Alternatively, they led her to fall so that her oath wouldn't stop her from shattering the Gate, if she assumed that's what happened to O-Chul

[Precure]

My theory is that she saw her fallen, massacred comrades, deduced what O-Chul was trying to do before being paralyzed, and fulfilled his deed in his stead; as she was unable to hear what Soon was blabbering about instead of killing Xykon.

[Tass]

In 910 Haley comments that she thought it would take them at least another hundred pages to get Durkon back. It actually took Roy another 99 pages to realize that Durkon was *not* back which he did in 1009

[Ruck]

I was just thinking of how Roy defeating Xykon the first time was something of a plot ex machina, if you will. And then I realized, much later in the strip, it's demonstrated that Roy's deep emotional connection to his sword can give him mighty short-term powers... especially when he gets angry.

[danielxcutter]

Hmm. Well the reforging part’s definitely going to be part of the ritual for unlocking the Legacy powers at least, for future users of the blade.

[Precure]

Yeah, we call it Shounen power up.

[ziproot]

The solution to Kraagor's Tomb is to clear every dungeon. The title of the strip where Kraagor's Tomb is first shown is called "multiple choice." The correct answer is, of course, "all of the above."

[woweedd]

OK, so it's pretty clear that, while all the Scribble SORTA exist in contrast to the members of the Order, Serini is the most blatant, as a contrast to Belkar. Token Halfing, and very "don't tell me what to do", but, whereas Belkar started as an outright evil prick only around for muscle who the rest of the party hated right back, and has developed into a relatively better person over time, Serini started as an idealistic kind-hearted person who helped keep the Scribblers together, and is now a cynical callous jerk. But, here's the bit that fits the title, I noticed another parallel, namely, both Belkar and Serini tend to get along WAY better with non-humanoids/animals then with other sapient beings. Belkar first gained a sense of empathy after he took Mr. Scruffy as a companion, quite possibly the first being to whom he experience genuine friendship or loyalty, and, as is perhaps to be expected from a Ranger, gets along much better with his animal companions then he does with people, even now. Serini, meanwhile, while it isn't a built-in class feature, gets along very well with creatures that are traditionally monstrous, like trolls, the various cave-mimics, or of course, Sunny. Neat.

[Kish]

Wait, is the HPoH situation going to end in a Jekyll/Hyde scenario, where the HPoH is just Durkon's Id?

As it turned out, much closer to yes than to no.

[Emberlily]

the Mechane showing up and casting a dramatic and thematic shadow over Elan and Tarquin so important it was the title of that page gave vampire-Durkon the cover needed to recover the staff and recast the protection spell (by allowing more than a single standard action before immediate death)

I wasn't aware of how quickly sunlight kills vampires in D&D so I'd just figured the vampire had had a few rounds' leeway as it burnt thru his hitpoints or such and it was Laurin's distraction alone that had given him the opening

took me a half dozen rereads of that scene to finally put that piece together...

[Peelee]

the Mechane showing up and casting a dramatic and thematic shadow over Elan and Tarquin so important it was the title of that page

I wouldn't put so much importance on the strip title.

The title is written at the last second before posting, so usually my first workable idea gets used.

I don’t stress too much about it because ultimately it doesn’t matter very much what they’re named. So I usually go with the first idea that makes any sort of sense to me.

[Emberlily]

I just meant more that I hadn't paid any attention to what the shadow would be doing despite that additional layer of it being made apparent. whether or not it was meant to be meaningful, it sure should've made it easier for me to notice!

[Lord Torath]

Elan pointed out that they left the horses back at the exploding inn. But it was his job to get them out in the first place (panel 9)!

I'd always assumed that they'd died in the explosion. But closer examination of #321 suggests that maybe Elan did get them out, but only Durkon got to keep his, since he's the only one who didn't resist Miko.

[Precure]

Yeah, it's stIll a mystery what happened to them.

[danielxcutter]

In the panel where the senior cleric talks about the Box of Freezing, there's an actual fridge near the edge of the panel - probably the aforementioned box.

[Fyraltari]

In the panel where the senior cleric talks about the Box of Freezing, there's an actual fridge near the edge of the panel - probably the aforementioned box.

I love that.

[Ruck]

I wouldn't put so much importance on the strip title.

Emphasis, perhaps not. But I do think Rich chose the title for the dual meaning of Tarquin's frustration with Elan's willingness to be overshadowed by the other members of the Order, and the Mechane literally "overshadowing" everyone in the scene.

[woweedd]

We learn in How The Paladin Got His Scar that

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O-Chul was intially borm to a pair of murderous evil bandits, only for the Paladin who arrested them to take pity and raise him as a son, which inspired O-Chul's philosophy and the like.

The bit I noticed is, that upbringing is probably where he learned to pick pockets well enough to steal Xykon's phylactery.

[Fyraltari]

We learn in How The Paladin Got His Scar that

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O-Chul was intially borm to a pair of murderous evil bandits, only for the Paladin who arrested them to take pity and raise him as a son, which inspired O-Chul's philosophy and the like.

The bit I noticed is, that upbringing is probably where he learned to pick pockets well enough to steal Xykon's phylactery.

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Army sergeant, not Paladin, but otherwise yes. Do you think it's possible (or likely) for O-Chul to have one level of Rogue in addition to his several levels of Fighter and Paladin?

[woweedd]

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Army sergeant, not Paladin, but otherwise yes. Do you think it's possible (or likely) for O-Chul to have one level of Rogue in addition to his several levels of Fighter and Paladin?

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Nah, I doubt it. Not every facet of a character has to be represented in their class, and he was young enough that I doubt he would qualify for the full Rogue package yet.

[ZhonLord]

....i just realized that the poison that was going to kill Hinjo, designed to get through even a paladin's saves, is the same poison Kubota later used to ensure Therkla's demise. It makes perfect sense in hindsight, since the convict had to have gotten that poison from SOMEWHERE and it was explicitly an agent of Kubota who made the assassination offer, but still. I'm amazed I didn't catch that sooner.

[Laurentio III]

....i just realized that the poison that was going to kill Hinjo, designed to get through even a paladin's saves, is the same poison Kubota later used to ensure Therkla's demise. It makes perfect sense in hindsight, since the convict had to have gotten that poison from SOMEWHERE and it was explicitly an agent of Kubota who made the assassination offer, but still. I'm amazed I didn't catch that sooner.

Other than being both green, a common color for cliché poisons, there is no hint about being the same poison.
But, there is no particular reason not to be. Eiichirō Oda would say you are right.

[Emberlily]

it's heavily implied to be the same kind of poison (kubota explicitly names it as Lotus Extract and the conversation belkar had heavily implied it was lotus extract they were dealing with without dropping the name itself), but yeah it's not 100% confirmed that it was kubota's stash that was used in the attempt on hinjo during the battle, though the window for the assassin to have secured his own source before the battle is somewhere between tight to nonexistant

[hroþila]

To me the would-be assassin's dialogue reads like he procured the poison himself. He knew how much it cost, he didn't say Kubota gave him the poison, and he made it sound like he came up with the idea himself ("This morning, right after we were let out, a messenger finds me and brings me to that noble, Kubota. He promises me 100,000 gp if I kill Hinjo during the battle and make it look like an accident. I figure, some Sneak Attacks made with yellow-fletched arrows dipped in poison should do the trick")

[danielxcutter]

Honestly, there aren't many poisons that are useful in combat outside that.

[Jasdoif]

Honestly, there aren't many poisons that are useful in combat outside that.

I'll point out that the Giant wrote chapter six in Dungeonscape ^(#24) that has the "greater poisons" table, which includes colossal scorpion venom (DC 33, 1d10 Con/1d10 Con) and its 9,900gp price tag....And Dungeonscape's first printing was a couple months before #435 was posted.

[danielxcutter]

…Huh. Okay then.

[Metastachydium]

....i just realized that the poison that was going to kill Hinjo, designed to get through even a paladin's saves, is the same poison Kubota later used to ensure Therkla's demise. It makes perfect sense in hindsight, since the convict had to have gotten that poison from SOMEWHERE and it was explicitly an agent of Kubota who made the assassination offer, but still. I'm amazed I didn't catch that sooner.

Other than being both green, a common color for cliché poisons, there is no hint about being the same poison.
But, there is no particular reason not to be. Eiichirō Oda would say you are right.

it's heavily implied to be the same kind of poison (kubota explicitly names it as Lotus Extract and the conversation belkar had heavily implied it was lotus extract they were dealing with without dropping the name itself), but yeah it's not 100% confirmed that it was kubota's stash that was used in the attempt on hinjo during the battle, though the window for the assassin to have secured his own source before the battle is somewhere between tight to nonexistant

To me the would-be assassin's dialogue reads like he procured the poison himself. He knew how much it cost, he didn't say Kubota gave him the poison, and he made it sound like he came up with the idea himself ("This morning, right after we were let out, a messenger finds me and brings me to that noble, Kubota. He promises me 100,000 gp if I kill Hinjo during the battle and make it look like an accident. I figure, some Sneak Attacks made with yellow-fletched arrows dipped in poison should do the trick")

Hm. I kind of think the implicit reference to previous doses of Lotus Extract used points in the direction ZhonLord'd have us face, but then…

I'll point out that the Giant wrote chapter six in Dungeonscape ^(#24) that has the "greater poisons" table, which includes colossal scorpion venom (DC 33, 1d10 Con/1d10 Con) and its 9,900gp price tag....And Dungeonscape's first printing was a couple months before #435 was posted.

(When did you get a promotion to "Repository of All Forbidden Knowledge Regarding the Giant and His Work" and does it come with a higher salary?)

[danielxcutter]

I'd assume it came with the position of curating the Giant's quotes.

Also, Black Lotus Extract is kind of an iconic D&D poison I think, and back then Rich was still writing fairly close to the mechanics. And maybe didn't have a specific poison in mind for that particular strip. But yeah, he probably thought of that chapter even if the intention for that strip was generic Con-damage poison.