OOTS #1230 - The Discussion Thread

[brionl]

...what the hell is Haley holding?

Mummified Osquip Head.
Which, incidentally, would be a great name for a band.

[danielxcutter]

Mummified Osquip Head.
Which, incidentally, would be a great name for a band.

So was "Sonic Reptillian Unicorn"

[Xlsfd]

I like the references to past strips here:

Panel 4:
Strip 4 (Bluffing Ogre, Roy telling Elan he hated him)
Strip 127 (V yelling at Elan)
Strip 124 (Belkar trying to kill Elan for XP)

Panel 7:
Strip 128 (V apologizing to Elan)

[Jaxzan Proditor]

I love that beat in panel 5. I enjoy the Order reflecting on how much they've changed and certainly Elan is one of the more changed elements. But the strip also highlights Roy's continual efforts to be a better leader and also! a little bit of introspection (maybe?) from Belkar.

Now, when does Serini appear?

[Thermophille]

I love that beat in panel 5. I enjoy the Order reflecting on how much they've changed and certainly Elan is one of the more changed elements. But the strip also highlights Roy's continual efforts to be a better leader and also! a little bit of introspection (maybe?) from Belkar.

Now, when does Serini appear?

Probably next strip. In addition to character development, the reason for this scene is to make sure we know what's going on with the Order before they get jumped.

We'll probably have a few rounds of combat with Serini, they'll use newly-found teamwork for an unlikely victory, and then we'll get a few strips of them talking to Serini and trying to convince her to let them help.

Just a guess.

[Fyraltari]

Belkar apologized (relatively) unprompted?
This is the end of the world!

[PattThe]

Whelp Belkar just apologized, this must be the year

What was the most in-fashion form of awakened undead in the 3.5 era? In 5e we throw around revenants left and right. What if the "belkar will die" is followed up with extraplanar nonsense with his soul? We already did the Undead Monster PC (twice, counting a certain golem) so maybe Belkar still gets sent to an evil realm, and thinks of himself as better than the unrepentent spirits and becomes a badass lordly petitioner or fiend.
That said, I wonder how Roy's Dad and Belkar would get along in that barrier realm.

...Now I'm wondering if a certain feline companion is going to die with/before/after Belkar.. If they both passed, they'd be set forever in peace.

[Ragnarok'n'Roll]

Everyone getting along and apologizing ? Uh-oh, heading into the last fight, sounds like Elan is going to die.

[Shining Wrath]

I'd say "Elan, never change", but that would refute the whole point of the strip, which is how they've all changed. Which was their inevitable destiny as a rag-tag group of heroes discover they need to save the world.

[elros]

She got it in a bonus strip last book, and used it to disarm the portal.

Can someone give a brief description of how she got the mouse skull? That's not exactly an item highly coveted by a thief!

As for the comic, it is satisfying to see the character growth, and I think it is relevant that the group is talking about their problems, instead of having "anger and resentment that had simmered through the years of adventuring." Because the Order of the Scribble fell apart because of that anger and resentment, I think that seeing everyone get along will convince Serini that she should work with OOTS instead of taking them captive.

[dancrilis]

Can someone give a brief description of how she got the mouse skull?

Spoiler: Utterly Dwarfed

Show

To memory it was a dwarfs pet that died and he kept it, when he died it was handed down.

This lead to dwarves getting it despite them not really wanting a rotting rodent head but unable to get rid of it unless there was an honourable method, and so they started passing it around whenever honour would permit - the dwarf who had it before Haley honoured her commitment in the conflict with the vampires with this heirloom.

Thus the world was saved.

[mjasghar]

It might just be me being Lawful, but I think that Mechanus is a much better place to end up on than Limbo, even though they are both the "neutral" afterlife.

The closest to a neutral afterlife is the outlands
Limbo and Mechanus are pure Chaos and pure Law.

[Riftwolf]

What's Durkon casting? Is there a spell with a long casting time (like Sending) that you can hold like that till you need it?

[danielxcutter]

What's Durkon casting? Is there a spell with a long casting time (like Sending) that you can hold like that till you need it?

Nnnnnnno, spells don't really work like that.

Maybe he's summoning a Greater Planar Ally? I think he might be high enough level to summon a Planetar or Trumpet Archon with that spell. Trumpet Archons cast as 14th-level Clerics; Planetars as 17th-level. This works because both have considerably lower HD than that.

[Anitar]

Elan did apologise panel 11.

"I'm sorry you took offense" is not an apology at all.

[arimareiji]

"I'm sorry you took offense" is not an apology at all.

Thank you for making this point well. (^_^)b
(I tried to, but drowned it in explanations and qualifiers e.g. "but I want to think he intended to apologize".)

[dancrilis]

"I'm sorry you took offense" is not an apology at all.

I disagree - apologies are about the individuals involved Elan seems to have meant it as an apology and Vaarsuvius seems to have taken it as an apology.

[Wraithfighter]

I disagree - apologies are about the individuals involved Elan seems to have meant it as an apology and Vaarsuvius seems to have taken it as an apology.

I mean, I'm willing to accept the poor phrasing as just early writing fumbles, I do think Elan was sincere (if only because early Elan had nary an insincere bone in his body). It is worth noting the number of times that "I'm sorry you were offended" has been used by SOBs to make an entirely insincere apology, as there's a drive into deep left field by Castellanos and that'll be a home run. And so that'll make it a 4-0 ballgame, and we need to make teach people why apologies like that need to be sincere and not weaselly.

[Peelee]

I disagree - apologies are about the individuals involved Elan seems to have meant it as an apology and Vaarsuvius seems to have taken it as an apology.

I agree.

I mean, I'm willing to accept the poor phrasing as just early writing fumbles, I do think Elan was sincere (if only because early Elan had nary an insincere bone in his body). It is worth noting the number of times that "I'm sorry you were offended" has been used by SOBs to make an entirely insincere apology, as there's a drive into deep left field by Castellanos and that'll be a home run. And so that'll make it a 4-0 ballgame, and we need to make teach people why apologies like that need to be sincere and not weaselly.

I agree.

[bunsen_h]

Edit: I finally got my wish, though not in the form I expected... apparently some people don't think pipeweed is tobacco, which I'll take as an omen to give up for the night.

This is partly because LotR is purportedly European "before-times" but tobacco is a New-World plant. The same problem applies to the potatoes that Sam was so fond of.

And partly wishful thinking that the hobbits and wizards were stoned all the time.

[Peelee]

This is partly because LotR is purportedly European "before-times" but tobacco is a New-World plant. The same problem applies to the potatoes that Sam was so fond of.

Imean, once you introduce wizards and dragons into the mix, it seems a bit of an odd issue to take. "All European versions died out because why not" is a perfectly valid plug into those peoples' alleged hole.

[danielxcutter]

Also if it's not literally Earth then I don't think it's that much of a problem.

[Good Coyote]

My preferred explanation is that dragons can fly, and since they appear in wideranging world mythologies (sort of), they clearly get around. Seeds could travel in the mud on a dragon's talons.

This opens interesting story avenues about invasive species of plants, and what impact that has on the local flora and fauna.

Can't wait for someone to get around to making a full TV show Samwise Gamgee prequel where he deals with these issues as a gardener.

[Fyraltari]

This is partly because LotR is purportedly European "before-times" but tobacco is a New-World plant. The same problem applies to the potatoes that Sam was so fond of.

And partly wishful thinking that the hobbits and wizards were stoned all the time.

One of the books (Unfinished Tales most likely) has a description of Nùmenorean fruits that sound suspiciously like tomatoes too.

Imean, once you introduce wizards and dragons into the mix, it seems a bit of an odd issue to take. "All European versions died out because why not" is a perfectly valid plug into those peoples' alleged hole.

It's not like the Professor included a note in the book explaining that the pipe-weed is definitely tobacco brought from the True West, is it? Yes, it is.
Also, there are Dùnedain ships circumnavigating the world in the Silmarillion.

Also if it's not literally Earth then I don't think it's that much of a problem.

It is, though Arda (German: Erde, English: Earth) is literally supposed to be our planet in the long long ago. This whole thing was conceived as a British mythology, remember.

[danielxcutter]

It is, though Arda (German: Erde, English: Earth) is literally supposed to be our planet in the long long ago. This whole thing was conceived as a British mythology, remember.

How long ago are we talking about? Long enough to invent french fries?

[dancrilis]

How long ago are we talking about? Long enough to invent french fries?

I think it is meant to be like Star Wars except instead of 'in a galaxy far far away' it is more 'before magic died and the world transformed'.

But I could be wrong it has been a long time since I read any of them.

[Fyraltari]

How long ago are we talking about? Long enough to invent french fries?

And then to forget about them, I guess.

[danielxcutter]

And then to forget about them, I guess.

And then for someone to come up with the exact same story and then have it made into a movie then.

It's the Circle of Life~

[Blatt]

Anticlimax coming...

[danielxcutter]

Anticlimax coming...

I mean the Serini fight isn't exactly the climax anyways.