MitD XVII: [Y]ou were quite clear. I was just being pedantic

[theangelJean]

[puts both hands up] I haven't read all the threads, and I don't know D&D well so this explains precisely zero mechanically ... I just had an idea on re-reading the section with the tombstones of previous worlds. Feel free to shoot me down, especially if this has been discussed before.

Could the MitD be some kind of Outsider who has been mind-wiped between worlds?

That's about the full extent of the idea. It would explain the MitD's familiarity with the Astral Plane - that's where they hang out between worlds - and its lack of memories. Not clear on how this works out to not being able to identify the Gates - maybe it doesn't, or maybe it's a side effect of an ongoing memory wipe.

Of course, this doesn't narrow down which type of Outsider, some of which have already been suggested. But while looking at the list for Outsiders which might have a connection to previous worlds, I came across the Native subtype:

A subtype applied only to outsiders. These creatures have mortal ancestors or a strong connection to the Material Plane ... Creatures with this subtype are native to the Material Plane (hence the subtype’s name). Unlike true outsiders, native outsiders need to eat and sleep.

Anyway, throwing this out there as a story theme.

[NobleCuriosity]

Yes it is?

GW

Sorry, that was poorly phrased on my part. I meant that there wasn’t any link to stats or much description at all; “1E monster, so hard to tell if he'd be strong enough. Fairly disturbing, and might have access to teleport items” doesn’t explain to me why it’s climbed onto the leaderboard of guesses.

Normally I’d just Google this myself, but I tried that and it didn’t work. I expected it to at least spit up some reference to this thread, but it seems to have missed it.

[Grey_Wolf_c]

Sorry, that was poorly phrased on my part. I meant that there wasn’t any link to stats or much description at all; “1E monster, so hard to tell if he'd be strong enough. Fairly disturbing, and might have access to teleport items” doesn’t explain to me why it’s climbed onto the leaderboard of guesses.

Normally I’d just Google this myself, but I tried that and it didn’t work. I expected it to at least spit up some reference to this thread, but it seems to have missed it.

Loculi are a race of semi-humanoid reptile monsters with an age power-progression chart just like dragons. They don't look crazy-weird but they aren't something you see every day, kind of like a cross between a lizard man and an armadillo. They have 6 legs, a pair of useable arms and a heavy, bony ankylosaurus-like tail. Their back and limbs are heavily armor plated which get tougher as they get older, their young are pretty fragile but they get sturdier as they get older, really old ones can use magic and psionic abilities and, the piece de resistance: they'll eat just about anything but they particularly enjoy eating gnome and dwarf meat (they get along fine with elves and humans, but they hate dwarves and gnomes).

Ok, so, babies are 6" tall while freakishly ancient ones are 10' tall, but I'm going to focus on just regular, run-of-the-mill ancient ones (a d100 roll of "99" rather than "100"). A 511-800 year old Loculi is 7' 4" tall, the armored parts are AC1 (roughly equal to platemail plus a shield), its got 9d8+8 hp (which is in the ballpark of an adult or even old red dragon in 1E AD&D, the version when the Loculi was introduced), the only stat they list is INT (14, which isn't bad. There are deities with 18s and below for stats) but its tail-smash hits for 2d12+2 and its bite hits for 2d10 which is nearly ancient dragon territory so its probably extremely strong. They have a range of psionic and magic-user/illusionist spells though nothing is analogous to Teleport or Wish. I might actually do a proper presentation of it later.

GW c

[NobleCuriosity]

GW c

Thanks you for alleviating my confusion! I appreciate it.

[Beni-Kujaku]

Thanks you for alleviating my confusion! I appreciate it.

To note is that they are an incredibly obscure monster, published only in White Dwarf #36 (a mainly Warhammer-focused magazine nowadays, then a general RPG-aimed resource), which was firmly in the AD&D 1st edition era. It also only goes up to 3rd level spells as psionic abilities. The mostly interesting part is that they learn languages as they grow up. Youngs don't speak at all, they learn to speak their own language at age 20, and to speak common at age 120. This would handily fit the "It speaks? And in common no less!" thing. Of course, the overall power level of the thing is much too low for our purposes, and MitD doesn't seem to be an Ancient or a Grandmother to have such psionic abilities, but still, kudos to the guy who found that.

[Crusher]

To note is that they are an incredibly obscure monster, published only in White Dwarf #36 (a mainly Warhammer-focused magazine nowadays, then a general RPG-aimed resource), which was firmly in the AD&D 1st edition era. It also only goes up to 3rd level spells as psionic abilities. The mostly interesting part is that they learn languages as they grow up. Youngs don't speak at all, they learn to speak their own language at age 20, and to speak common at age 120. This would handily fit the "It speaks? And in common no less!" thing. Of course, the overall power level of the thing is much too low for our purposes, and MitD doesn't seem to be an Ancient or a Grandmother to have such psionic abilities, but still, kudos to the guy who found that.

Thanks for adding this. Yeah, exactly, the Ancient Mother or whatever it’s called oldest possible
Version is surprisingly close to working and I keep almost putting together a case for it, except that it’s the oldest and biggest version so it’s be weird for someone think him small or for his dad to be bigger. Also, the name strongly suggests it has to be female (though the fluff is vague), which MitD obviously isn’t.

[NobleCuriosity]

To note is that they are an incredibly obscure monster, published only in White Dwarf #36 (a mainly Warhammer-focused magazine nowadays, then a general RPG-aimed resource), which was firmly in the AD&D 1st edition era. It also only goes up to 3rd level spells as psionic abilities. The mostly interesting part is that they learn languages as they grow up. Youngs don't speak at all, they learn to speak their own language at age 20, and to speak common at age 120. This would handily fit the "It speaks? And in common no less!" thing. Of course, the overall power level of the thing is much too low for our purposes, and MitD doesn't seem to be an Ancient or a Grandmother to have such psionic abilities, but still, kudos to the guy who found that.

Ah, that explains how Google could have never heard of it. Thanks for the clarification.

[Darth V]

@Crusher: Please change my guess from "Protean" to "Protean > White Slaad turning into Black Slaad upon reveal > Snorlax"

While I totally stand by the arguments for the Protean, MitD becoming finally visible only to turn into a black blob with two eyes would be absolutely hilarious and such a meta joke i certainly would not put past Rich Burlew. This comic started as a parody after all...
Snorlax solely because it's downright scary how much it would fit if it wasn't for copyright issues and/or the massive genre shift it would entail.


I also would like to express my opinion again that the MitD can read minds to explain most of his unusual/surprising knowledge (half of the ritual, knowing Team Evil uses fake names, Astral Plane without remembering being there, Goblin politics, maybe even learning Go and some others)

[Laurentio III]

I also would like to express my opinion again that the MitD can read minds to explain most of his unusual/surprising knowledge (half of the ritual, knowing Team Evil uses fake names, Astral Plane without remembering being there, Goblin politics, maybe even learning Go and some others)

Optional explaining: MitD is reading the comic as it's published.

[Edreyn]

Optional explaining: MitD is reading the comic as it's published.

One of my own first thoughts about MitD was that he is the manifestation of writer, his child, friend or whatever.

3d in stick world is ugly yet beautiful, extra dimension grants strength, being a writer, or close to him allows to make otherwise impossible things and so on.

But I believe this had been discussed, probably many times.

One of proposed ideas in original post also explains why this idea is, most chances, wrong one.

[Crusher]

You might find it interesting but it's a bit glaring to see two of my choices sandwiched between them.

Sorry! Life is a cruel zero-sum game. One person's "interesting" is another person's "distraction from hard-earned glory".

@Crusher: Please change my guess from "Protean" to "Protean > White Slaad turning into Black Slaad upon reveal > Snorlax"

So noted.

[Peelee]

Optional explaining: MitD is reading the comic as it's published.

MitD: What the hell am I looking at? When does this happen in the comic?
Redcloak: Now. You’re looking at now. Everything that happens now is happening now.
MitD: What happened to then?
Redcloak: We passed it.
MitD: When?
Redcloak: Just now. We’re in now now.
MitD: Go back to then!
Redcloak: When?
MitD: Now!
Redcloak: Now?
MitD: Now!
Redcloak: I can’t!
MitD: Why?
Redcloak: We missed it!
MitD: When?
Redcloak: Just now!
MitD: When will then be now?
Redcloak: Soon.

[Fyraltari]

MitD: What the hell am I looking at? When does this happen in the comic?
Redcloak: Now. You’re looking at now. Everything that happens now is happening now.
MitD: What happened to then?
Redcloak: We passed it.
MitD: When?
Redcloak: Just now. We’re in now now.
MitD: Go back to then!
Redcloak: When?
MitD: Now!
Redcloak: Now?
MitD: Now!
Redcloak: I can’t!
MitD: Why?
Redcloak: We missed it!
MitD: When?
Redcloak: Just now!
MitD: When will then be now?
Redcloak: Soon.

Xykon: The guy with the moustache?

[Psyren]

I was originally Team Slaad but put me down for Protean too.

What is the thread title a reference to? I haven't been keeping up.

[Keltest]

I was originally Team Slaad but put me down for Protean too.

What is the thread title a reference to? I haven't been keeping up.

Its something that was said near the end of the previous thread which was felt to very well encapsulate the general attitude the posters in this thread generally take to each other.

[Psyren]

Ah, I see the exchange now. And the [Y]?

(Sorry if I'm ruining the joke by having it explained)

[Peelee]

Ah, I see the exchange now. And the [Y]?

(Sorry if I'm ruining the joke by having it explained)

It was originally a lowercase y. I didn't see any issue at all with changing the case without any fanfare or notation, but I don't name the thread.

[Fyraltari]

It was originally a lowercase y. I didn't see any issue at all with changing the case without any fanfare or notation, but I don't name the thread.

Changing the y's case would have been quite clear. Grey Wolf was just being pedantic.

[Grey_Wolf_c]

Changing the y's case would have been quite clear. Grey Wolf was just being pedantic.

Precisely.

GW

[Shining Wrath]

Precisely.

GW

Therefore, Y not?

[Crusher]

I was originally Team Slaad but put me down for Protean too.

What is the thread title a reference to? I haven't been keeping up.

Noted.

Surprisingly, I did not already have a vote down for you.

[Psyren]

Noted.

Surprisingly, I did not already have a vote down for you.

Not your fault, I think I voted Black Slaad once multiple threads ago and have only popped back in occasionally e.g. when something MitD-related happens in the comic.

[Hardcore]

Noted.

Surprisingly, I did not already have a vote down for you.

I want to change my vote too.

Make it Imentesh>Snorlax

[Crusher]

I want to change my vote too.

Make it Imentesh>Snorlax

Your change is noted.

[Shining Wrath]

I think I'm down for Protean as my second choice, and I'd like to withdraw that.
For the meta-reason that I don't think Rich wants to draw a Protean character over and over, and it would be (IMNHO) dramatically unsatisfying for MitD to emerge and then vanish.

[Crusher]

I think I'm down for Protean as my second choice, and I'd like to withdraw that.
For the meta-reason that I don't think Rich wants to draw a Protean character over and over, and it would be (IMNHO) dramatically unsatisfying for MitD to emerge and then vanish.

Sorry, I didn't completely follow you. You want to add Protean as your 2nd choice after partially decapitated Dread Linnorm?

[Peelee]

Sorry, I didn't completely follow you. You want to add Protean as your 2nd choice after partially decapitated Dread Linnorm?

Replace "down for" with "recorded as having", which is the intended meaning.

"I think I'm down for recorded as having Protean as my second choice, and I'd like to withdraw that."

[Crusher]

Replace "down for" with "recorded as having", which is the intended meaning.

"I think I'm down for recorded as having Protean as my second choice, and I'd like to withdraw that."

Ah, I see. Atm, I only have a single guess down for Shining Wrath. Which, now that I think about it, seems odd as I sort of recall adding another guess in the waning days of the last thread. Hmm, I'll check.

[TaiLiu]

I vote for Protean! Ruck convinced me a while back but I haven't voted till now.

[Crusher]

I vote for Protean! Ruck convinced me a while back but I haven't voted till now.

You vote has been recorded! Ruck was pretty convincing.

Ah, I see. Atm, I only have a single guess down for Shining Wrath. Which, now that I think about it, seems odd as I sort of recall adding another guess in the waning days of the last thread. Hmm, I'll check.

Hmm, I guess I misremembered. Nothing in the last 10 or so pages of the last thread. Maybe it was just before that and I missed it.