OOTS #1240 - The Discussion Thread

[Cazero]

Belkar can throw rocks at Sunny. It might get Serini mauled by a tiger in a few years.

[danielxcutter]

In terms of helping the Order - is this just about Haley's bow? With the magic off, V is "a fragile pointy-eared monkey", and the rest are basically melee-only (plus, Durkon & Minrah could see anyway). With the possible exception of better chances to dodge bolts, can anyone else do anything they couldn't already?

Well, it's better than pissing in the dark that's for sure. Also Belkar's pretty decent at throwing daggers.

[sillymel]

Well looks like bl/winking isn't a free action.

My guess is what Haley did would work by using a readied action mechanically? Not sure if that can interrupt a free action or not, though.

Perform, on the other hand, doesn't have any ability to influence people's behavior.

Sure it does. What is Performing for money, if not using the Perform skill to influence people into giving you money? (Disclaimer: I only know of Performing for money from 5e, so I don’t know whether it exists in 3.5e or not.)

[chanman]

A bard using the power of words, and words alone, to solve a problem. That's well played, well role-played, and good story telling.

And Serini seems worried - as well she should be.

EDIT: She should be worried because action economy is a thing that matters a lot in D&D. There's going to be a whole lot of people doing creative things, even if they can't cast spells.

I was going to point out that she's letting either tunnel vision or sunk cost fallacy cloud her actions - After seeing Haley's reflex dodge the first couple shots, she should have shifted to taking down the supporting party members. Making sure the casters go stay down in case something happens to their AM should have been a higher priority, and Serini's wasted enough darts/bolts on Haley that she could have taken down half of the remaining party members instead.

[Bellerophon]

Bluff isn't only about lying. It can also be used to make someone react as you wish for a short time, which is exactly what's happening here. Perform, on the other hand, doesn't have any ability to influence people's behavior.

Could it be a somewhat unconventional intimidate (Demoralize Opponent) check?

[Lord Torath]

"monologue about cutting onions.
Chop, chop"!

"Belkar, save the puns for Elan!" Yes, I know he's unconscious, but that's probably what he'd say.

Aside from Sunny talking about their powerful imagination, I think that was my favorite part!

Personally, I think this is Elan's battle to win. It needs to be won with words, not blades.

[DLcygnet]

Could it be a somewhat unconventional intimidate (Demoralize Opponent) check?

It's more like a feint or diversion in combat. That sort of situation is fully covered by the bluff skill since you can use it to cause a diversion and even hide after the bluff works. Except instead of saying "What's that?" and pointing to the ceiling, the bard tells a story and gets a blink. Plus, Elan is a Dashing Swordsman and should have at least 9 or more ranks in Bluff. Haley stole the show with his potion of glibness, it'd be a shame if Elan never got to show off his bluff skills.

Or his Perform (comedy) ranks.

"There's a shortage of perfect jests in the world. T'would be a shame to lose yours."

Anyway, great strip! Loved every panel, title, and winky face.
I never knew I wanted a set of beholder emojis until now.

[Kantaki]

That was downright evil.
My respect Elan.
Now excuse me, it still feels like there's something in my eyes.

[bunsen_h]

I can't wait to see Roy's reaction later when they tell him how Elan saved the day.

They've both grown quite a bit. Roy has asked Elan for advice recently. At this point, I think it's possible that Roy wouldn't be surprised by such news.

[Precure]

By the course of that speech, I was expecting Elan or Haley to put some dirt in Sunny's eye.

[danielxcutter]

They've both grown quite a bit. Roy has asked Elan for advice recently. At this point, I think it's possible that Roy wouldn't be surprised by such news.

Maybe not shocked, but still more impressive/unexpected than, say, Durkon or Haley. At least to Roy.

[Psyren]

Of all the potential things that could save the day, a flare arrow (that Serini can extinguish in any number of ways as soon as her round is up) was the one you grabbed first?
Eh, hopefully there was some sleight of hand involved and Haley managed to pocket something else real quick.

Now she can see to shoot him in the eye though. That should be enough for the elaborate turnaround.

[Blue Dragon]

How fun is to be fully competent, Elan?

[Steveio]

Unclear. The potion of glibness in #767 has a label saying “+30 to Bluff” and it “only works on things that aren't true”, so it seems like Bluff is only about lies in the OotS universe.

Glibness adds +30 to Bluff, but it only when using Bluff to make people believe things that aren't true.

The same page here also lists examples of other uses of Bluff (which the spell doesn't help with), one of which is to communicate a hidden message via innuendo, which is presumably what Elan is doing here.

[Fergie0044]

In terms of helping the Order - is this just about Haley's bow? With the magic off, V is "a fragile pointy-eared monkey", and the rest are basically melee-only (plus, Durkon & Minrah could see anyway). With the possible exception of better chances to dodge bolts, can anyone else do anything they couldn't already?

Assuming I was a member of the order and not an omniscience viewer of their adventures, turning the lights back on seems like a good first step! How are they to know it won't do a lot to help?

[CountDVB]

In terms of helping the Order - is this just about Haley's bow? With the magic off, V is "a fragile pointy-eared monkey", and the rest are basically melee-only (plus, Durkon & Minrah could see anyway). With the possible exception of better chances to dodge bolts, can anyone else do anything they couldn't already?

True, though V is still pretty intelligent and they could thus probably come up with something to figure it out. Plus, Minrah might surprise us. She IS a Fighter after all as well as a Cleric so she could have a couple tricks up her sleeve that someone like Durkon may not have

[Lo'Tek]

By the course of that speech, I was expecting Elan or Haley to put some dirt in Sunny's eye.

by panel 3/4 i thought Elan assumed Sunny is from the South, which isn't far fetched near the north pole, and was inducing home sickness, tears and blinking. Imagine sand in your eyes feels almost blunt ^^

The "you know how robust my imagination is" is a nice wink at the beho... multi-eyed-monster fluff.

[KorvinStarmast]

That kind of bull**** is the exact reason why RPGs are played with a game master.

In the ideal case, yes.

I just noticed that in panel 2, Serini loosed a bolt (it has left the rail of her hand crossbow) but I didn't see it in any of the other panels. (We see her unloaded hand crossbow in panel 5).
I wonder where it went. I have a mental image of a dart bouncing off of Minrah's armor, off screen.

[Jaxzan Proditor]

Ugh, now I have the urge to blink hard too. Too bad Belkar still doesn’t have a chance to unleash the beast here.

[ShinigamiKenji]

Hmm, both the casters were suspiciously out of the strip... Wonder what they did in the blink of an eye (pun completely intended)

[danielxcutter]

Hmm, both the casters were suspiciously out of the strip... Wonder what they did in the blink of an eye (pun completely intended)

Considering what AMFs do, "be useless" seems legit.

[jpnuar1]

Elan being effective intentionally, kind of brings a tear to my eye.

Oh, I see what you did there. If we were in Erfworld, I'd tip that pun a schmucker.

[Arkain]

Bloodfeast when? Chop chop, let's go

[KorvinStarmast]

Bloodfeast when? Chop chop, let's go

With Bloodfeast, it's chomp chomp.

[gatemansgc]

Technically the air's cut off from the outside whether or not the magic's intact.

i would have to assume this has been THOROUGHLY discussed since bloodfeast was put in the bag in the first place? i only stop by to read a few pages of discussion and contribute a bit. o.o

[JSSheridan]

Thanks Giant!

[Doug Lampert]

It's more like a feint or diversion in combat. That sort of situation is fully covered by the bluff skill since you can use it to cause a diversion and even hide after the bluff works. Except instead of saying "What's that?" and pointing to the ceiling, the bard tells a story and gets a blink. Plus, Elan is a Dashing Swordsman and should have at least 9 or more ranks in Bluff. Haley stole the show with his potion of glibness, it'd be a shame if Elan never got to show off his bluff skills.

Or his Perform (comedy) ranks.

"There's a shortage of perfect jests in the world. T'would be a shame to lose yours."

Anyway, great strip! Loved every panel, title, and winky face.
I never knew I wanted a set of beholder emojis until now.

That's a fan made page you're linking to for Elan to have bluff. It's not official, it doesn't say anything about what Elan's skills are in the comic. It says, somewhere, there is a fan who cared enough to write a prestige class based on the comic and that fan thinks it needs nine ranks of bluff. It says nothing about what Rich Burlew thinks it needs or about what was actually in the fictional third party splat that Julian found the class in.

[wingnutx]

Elan has true grit.

[WanderingMist]

Bluff isn't only about lying. It can also be used to make someone react as you wish for a short time, which is exactly what's happening here. Perform, on the other hand, doesn't have any ability to influence people's behavior.

Yes, it does? An entertaining performance is going to cause people to stop, stare, applaud, cry, or even attempt to join in themselves. The "make someone react as you wish" bit for Bluff is clearly implying that it can be used for threats and extortion, not evoking mental images through a well-crafted story or reminiscnce.

[LookieLouE1707]

Well, it's better than pissing in the dark that's for sure. Also Belkar's pretty decent at throwing daggers.

Or he could just throw Mr. Scruffy. I expect a cat to the eyeball would have the required effect without escalating the conflict unnecessarily.