OOTS #1199 - The Discussion Thread

[Quebbster]

Thou hath been swordsage'd!

Yeah, it took a while to write that up. Considered stopping after Elan's first line but decided to press on since I am not a quitter.

[The Guardian]

Are they worried about Sending in close proximity to the enemy just due to the casting time or for some other reason?

[danielxcutter]

Are they worried about Sending in close proximity to the enemy just due to the casting time or for some other reason?

Better safe than sorry - it has a verbal component and the casting time might have been longer than the remaining time on their Invisibility or flight spells.

[Jaxzan Proditor]

I too would like to know what happened to O-Chul and Lien. Also, I love Belkar‘s description of the paladins.

[danielxcutter]

I too would like to know what happened to O-Chul and Lien. Also, I love Belkar‘s description of the paladins.

I'm more amused that Belkar mostly just described some of their physical traits and demeanor, and Minrah got who he was talking about immediately.

[Jannoire]

I'm more amused that Belkar mostly just described some of their physical traits and demeanor, and Minrah got who he was talking about immediately.

Because she got the story-dump from Elan, who most likely used some illusions to illustrate some aspects and characters of the story.

[Quebbster]

Because she got the story-dump from Elan, who most likely used some illusions to illustrate some aspects and characters of the story.

Summon Plot Exposition seems suitable.

[Jay R]

I could get why Xykon lowered his defences: he assumes he has backup copy in the Astral plane. But why Redcloak is so reluctant to organize better defences?

Well, they are entering the dungeon and attacking monsters every day. They might not want to spare the extra spell slots to set up and maintain defenses.

[CriticalFailure]

Did anyone else get the impression that Redcloak is so focused on getting to the final gate that he’s throwing caution to the wind a bit? Xykon’s not as much of a planner so without Redcloak being the responsible one it won’t get done.

[KorvinStarmast]

Once she left people behind to fight the good fight, and they all died. It's probably that.

Did anyone else get the impression that Redcloak is so focused on getting to the final gate that he’s throwing caution to the wind a bit? Xykon’s not as much of a planner so without Redcloak being the responsible one it won’t get done.

Yes. I got that impression when he made his points on efficency.

[CriticalFailure]

That and his push for more doors. I hope we see more Team Evil soon, I’m really curious how things will go in terms of the search, Redcloak’s growing desperation, and MiTD’s sabotage. With the distrust in top of that it seems like a very unstable situation.

[Durkoala]

It's not going to happen, but my first thought was that Roy's last line was the perfect setup for Miko to reveal her inexplicable recovery.

[Shale]

It'll be interesting to see if that Sending actually gets through -- whether the new players can block incoming communications (or want to) will tell us something about them.

[LadyEowyn]

Did anyone else get the impression that Redcloak is so focused on getting to the final gate that he’s throwing caution to the wind a bit? Xykon’s not as much of a planner so without Redcloak being the responsible one it won’t get done.

Everything we’ve seen from Redcloak in the last two books emphasizes that he wants to be done with Xykon as soon as possible and that the Plan, and the fight as a whole, has become something of a slog from him. He basically is talking through gritten teeth every moment he’s around Xykon, he hates this dungeon-crawling business with just killing innocent monsters because they’re in the way (makes sense that that would be Redcloak’s least favourite kind of fight), he doesn’t even enjoy killing paladins any more, and what he wants to do are productive things like the Gobbotopia-bugbear trade deals he proposed to Oona.

All of which are indications that if the Order presents the chance of obtaining his goals through peaceful cooperation rather than risking the world’s destruction and hoping the next word is better, they have a decent shot at talking him into accepting it. It won’t be easy, but the foundation is there.

[Giggling Ghast]

“Primate-centric”? Are elves, halflings, and dwarves even considered primates? Boy, way to lump all humanoid species into the same taxonomic order, Blackwing.

In other words, chu-chu-chu-check your privilege!

[Frozenstep]

“Primate-centric”? Are elves and dwarves even considered primates? Boy, way to lump all humanoid species into the same taxonomic order, Blackwing.

In other words, https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=i0C3IhWcJH0 ]chu-chu-chu-check your privilege![/url]

According to a black dragon, elves are primates.

[CriticalFailure]

Everything we’ve seen from Redcloak in the last two books emphasizes that he wants to be done with Xykon as soon as possible and that the Plan, and the fight as a whole, has become something of a slog from him. He basically is talking through gritten teeth every moment he’s around Xykon, he hates this dungeon-crawling business with just killing innocent monsters because they’re in the way (makes sense that that would be Redcloak’s least favourite kind of fight), he doesn’t even enjoy killing paladins any more, and what he wants to do are productive things like the Gobbotopia-bugbear trade deals he proposed to Oona.

All of which are indications that if the Order presents the chance of obtaining his goals through peaceful cooperation rather than risking the world’s destruction and hoping the next word is better, they have a decent shot at talking him into accepting it. It won’t be easy, but the foundation is there.

I agree with this. Though I think that many of his motives for wanting to be done with Xykon don’t lend themselves to letting him drop the plan so I think it’s a mixed bad. He’s lost the fixation on revenge which is an improvement,

Spoiler

Show

lt seems like the drive to avoid feeling shame/guilt for his past actions is as strong or stronger than ever, especially after losing the eye. It seems like he’s also getting desperate to get the vindication/resolution he thins completing the plan will bring. This will make it very difficult to deal with him since he’s so determined, but it could also mean that he’s finding it harder and harder to keep deluding himself and thus make it easier for the Order to break through his obsession.

[understatement]

Blackwing is always just pure gold.

I think it might be plausible that the paladins have waken up, and their captors might force them to say specific stuff in order to lure the Order into a trap? Elsewise the six -- sorry, ten -- of them have absolutely no chance against Team Evil as of right now. (Can they win with the two paladins? They definitely could pull it off if Serini and RC joined their side).

Still not sure how the possible Order-Redcloak alliance will work, since Haley probably wants to feather him on sight.

[Fyraltari]

I think it might be plausible that the paladins have waken up

If they haven't woken up in the thirty-odd hours since their capture, I will be very worried about their health bith long and short term.

[understatement]

If they haven't woken up in the thirty-odd hours since their capture, I will be very worried about their health bith long and short term.

Definitely an upcoming trap, then. How else would the Order get to meet the new voices?

[Stabbey]

Wait a minute, this is strip #1199. Oooh, maybe the Sending WILL work after all.

[bunsen_h]

If they haven't woken up in the thirty-odd hours since their capture, I will be very worried about their health bith long and short term.

There are a number of ways that they could be kept not-woken-up, both magical and non-.

[LadyEowyn]

Wait a minute, this is strip #1199. Oooh, maybe the Sending WILL work after all.

We don’t always get dramatic stuff on big-number strips, but the last several comics have felt like they’re dragging things out a little, so this could be a setup for something big in 1200.

[gatemansgc]

"We're mad about the extra hands comment"
Never change Blackwing.

that one made me crack up hardcore.

[137beth]

According to a black dragon, elves are primates.

Also, Blackwing previously called V a mammal.

[Rogar Demonblud]

Ah, high level play, where the opinion poll needs to include sidekicks, class features and intelligent magic items.

[hamishspence]

And in Good Deeds Gone Unpunished, the elven ghost discusses breastfeeding with the Katos, saying "After the first fifteen years of breastfeeding, it gets much easier."

[Jasdoif]

Ah, high level play, where the opinion poll needs to include sidekicks, class features and intelligent magic items.

Intelligent items do have egos, after all.

[DavidSh]

Nobody expects the corvid interjection.

[Johndoe_142857]

I can't wait to see what happened to the paladins.