Goblins XIX: New Year, New Updates

[137beth]

The Minimax Forgath reunion went better than I expected. I...don't get what new chief is so existential about?

[Fyraltari]

The Minimax Forgath reunion went better than I expected. I...don't get what new chief is so existential about?

He's worried about the fact that he's turning into a demon.

[Pax1138]

I think he's also trying to be over-angsty/melodramatic on purpose, but the bit ruined his moment. Attempted edgelord interrupted by comedic interlude.

[Neoriceisgood]

I do wonder if him turning more demonic is actually going to have any real effect in the long run. Goblins' tends to change the appearance of characters left and right all the time, so I never know if it's just another little visual change or if there's more planned with stuff like the demonic shifting.

[Anonymouswizard]

I do wonder if him turning more demonic is actually going to have any real effect in the long run. Goblins' tends to change the appearance of characters left and right all the time, so I never know if it's just another little visual change or if there's more planned with stuff like the demonic shifting.

I'm guessing he might get wings, and this might bring him into conflict with whatshername the winged goblin saviour lady and it turns out that just as THAC0 was meant to be chief his son was meant to be uberchief.

Plus we'll probably find out that this means Complains is rocking PC stats plus the bonus for being chief plus whatever the Fiendish template gives you, and he'll think he's lost his soul but hasn't got some reason. Goblins trends towards ridiculous power boosts almost as much as appearance changes.

[Laurentio III]

https://www.goblinscomic.com/comic/page-16-2023
First time I actually like Complains. Kudos.

[Pax1138]

After the last couple of updates, I wasn't expecting a finished, full-color page to show up like this. It kinda feels like this comic is back on track, but who knows if that'll last.

Also, the cast remembers there was a plot and things they were supposed to be concerned about! Win-win!

[remetagross]

It kinda feels like this comic is back on track

Yeah, my feeling exactly. It's a pretty pleasant feeling at that.

[Vinyadan]

New page https://www.goblinscomic.com/comic/page-17-2023

[Cygnia]

New page https://www.goblinscomic.com/comic/page-17-2023

...and back to the misery...

[Quild]

...and back to the misery...

Except if:

Spoiler

Show

He now has a more or less direct way to create a portal to Hell

[Traab]

Except if:

Spoiler

Show

He now has a more or less direct way to create a portal to Hell

Plane shift perhaps? Maybe he is demon enough for banishment to work and send him with the axe to hell?

[Anonymouswizard]

Plane shift perhaps? Maybe he is demon enough for banishment to work and send him with the axe to hell?

He might count as a native outsider, so Banishment might not work. I can't remember my 3.0 creature types and subsets, so I can't remember if demons get plane shift as standard (I don't think they do, but do get Teleport Self+50lbs).

[Devlerbat]

Y'know, it is starting to seem like the angel was making stuff up when she said Complains would make a good Chief.

[NontheistCleric]

Maybe standards for goblin chiefs just aren't that high. I mean, the only other two we've actually seen in the comic are Chief and Duv, and they weren't excellent at the job either.

[Anonymouswizard]

Y'know, it is starting to seem like the angel was making stuff up when she said Complains would make a good Chief.

Unfortunately he's still basically an angry teenager who's not listening to advice from his advisors (i.e. the rest of the party). Once he matures he'll a much, much better chief, likely almost as good as THAC0 would be.

Also isn't the Fortune Teller meant to be involved in prayers? I'm sure it's Fumbles who did it before.

[Kish]

Maybe standards for goblin chiefs just aren't that high. I mean, the only other two we've actually seen in the comic are Chief and Duv, and they weren't excellent at the job either.

Chief was actually prophesied to be a bad chief, though.

For the first book, when Complains was the one pointing out the ridiculous and artificial restrictions the goblins lived under and planning out actually effective ways of fighting the adventurers, I would have gone "well, duh" at the suggestion that he'd be an amazing chief. Unfortunately, in the time between then and the angel actually saying as much, Ellipsis entirely dropped that aspect of the setting and flanderized Complains from "complains about things that are manifestly stupid" to "just complains constantly with or without an actual reason, usually without."

[Pax1138]

And now he's actually dumb enough to accidentally turn himself into a demon and finishing opening the way for the uber demon? Maybe E got tired of doing the comic and decided to skip to the end!

[Morgaln]

Y'know, it is starting to seem like the angel was making stuff up when she said Complains would make a good Chief.

She did admit to being high at the time, after all...

[NontheistCleric]

Chief was actually prophesied to be a bad chief, though.

Was he? I thought he just wasn't going to be the kind of great chief Thaco would have been, and admittedly, he does seem to have been below average. But I don't think it was actually foretold he would be bad, per se.

For the first book, when Complains was the one pointing out the ridiculous and artificial restrictions the goblins lived under and planning out actually effective ways of fighting the adventurers, I would have gone "well, duh" at the suggestion that he'd be an amazing chief. Unfortunately, in the time between then and the angel actually saying as much, Ellipsis entirely dropped that aspect of the setting and flanderized Complains from "complains about things that are manifestly stupid" to "just complains constantly with or without an actual reason, usually without."

Yes, that's true. Personally, I do find the incidents of Complains grabbing the axe stupid and contrived. I'm just not sure it's enough to put him in 'bad chief' territory, at least relatively speaking.

[Morgaln]

The whole prophecy about chief (can be found here: https://www.goblinscomic.com/comic/02102006) makes zero sense.

Chief was an infant at the time his father, the previous chief, died; and yet, there were enough goblins who thought Chief should lead due to his bloodline that it would have resulted in civil war if Chief hadn't become chief at that point. As a newborn! But somehow, the decline of the clan is his fault, not the fault of the idiots who put an infant in charge.

Also, the prophecy said that there was a goblin destined to lead the clan to glory (we know that was Thaco). But if Thaco had become chief, the resulting civil war would have been the end of the clan. Those can't both be true at the same time. How do you lead a clan to glory if your leadership means its demise?

The whole story about how Chief became chief is complete bollocks. The question is, is it bollocks within the story, i. e. it's not actually the truth, and we've yet to find out what really happened? Or is it bollocks because Elli didn't think this through at all?

[Keltest]

The whole prophecy about chief (can be found here: https://www.goblinscomic.com/comic/02102006) makes zero sense.

Chief was an infant at the time his father, the previous chief, died; and yet, there were enough goblins who thought Chief should lead due to his bloodline that it would have resulted in civil war if Chief hadn't become chief at that point. As a newborn! But somehow, the decline of the clan is his fault, not the fault of the idiots who put an infant in charge.

Also, the prophecy said that there was a goblin destined to lead the clan to glory (we know that was Thaco). But if Thaco had become chief, the resulting civil war would have been the end of the clan. Those can't both be true at the same time. How do you lead a clan to glory if your leadership means its demise?

The whole story about how Chief became chief is complete bollocks. The question is, is it bollocks within the story, i. e. it's not actually the truth, and we've yet to find out what really happened? Or is it bollocks because Elli didn't think this through at all?

IIRC, the more literally you describe a prophecy/see the future, the more its like looking at the sun. Presumably that is the prophecy as filtered through metaphor, allegory and poetry, with the gist of it being "Thaco is the better chief, but if it wasn't Chief then there would be Big Trouble."

[NontheistCleric]

Chief was an infant at the time his father, the previous chief, died; and yet, there were enough goblins who thought Chief should lead due to his bloodline that it would have resulted in civil war if Chief hadn't become chief at that point. As a newborn! But somehow, the decline of the clan is his fault, not the fault of the idiots who put an infant in charge.

I don't think the story really treats it as being Chief's fault. Thaco even praises him later on for bravely doing the best he could. Naturally, he does blame himself, but that's just his personality.

Also, the prophecy said that there was a goblin destined to lead the clan to glory (we know that was Thaco). But if Thaco had become chief, the resulting civil war would have been the end of the clan. Those can't both be true at the same time. How do you lead a clan to glory if your leadership means its demise?

Well, it could have been a glorious civil war.

[Fyraltari]

The whole prophecy about chief (can be found here: https://www.goblinscomic.com/comic/02102006) makes zero sense.

Chief was an infant at the time his father, the previous chief, died; and yet, there were enough goblins who thought Chief should lead due to his bloodline that it would have resulted in civil war if Chief hadn't become chief at that point. As a newborn! But somehow, the decline of the clan is his fault, not the fault of the idiots who put an infant in charge.

Also, the prophecy said that there was a goblin destined to lead the clan to glory (we know that was Thaco). But if Thaco had become chief, the resulting civil war would have been the end of the clan. Those can't both be true at the same time. How do you lead a clan to glory if your leadership means its demise?

The whole story about how Chief became chief is complete bollocks. The question is, is it bollocks within the story, i. e. it's not actually the truth, and we've yet to find out what really happened? Or is it bollocks because Elli didn't think this through at all?

It could be that the clan would have been destroyed but Thaco would hae lead goblinkind to glory afterward.

But also, that's the only time in the comic we hear of an "if A then B but if C then D"-type of prophecy. Every other time what'd prophesied will happen, no ifs or buts.

[Kish]

If I thought Ellipsis had thought it through that much, I'd expect to learn that Thaco was just plain supposed to be chief, but Young-And-Beautiful also saw that he would do things she didn't like, so she made up something to claim the new chief had to be someone she saw doing whatever she said.

[Morgaln]

New page already, but it's in about three different stages of production at the same time. https://www.goblinscomic.com/comic/page-18-2023

[remetagross]

All the same, two pages within a span of three days is pretty amazing.

[Divayth Fyr]

Guess someone really wants to milk their patrons :P

I'll also note that this page still remains as it was. https://www.goblinscomic.com/comic/page-9-2023

[Anonymouswizard]

All the same, two pages within a span of three days is pretty amazing.

Is her Patreon still set to per-comic? This feels like rent was due and she was a bit short.

[Pax1138]

I don't know, I could totally be wrong, but I could see this one staying this way on purpose, if it looks like this for meta reasons. Black and white like the original pages, with a panel of color just to identify everyone for those unclear, and then devolving into a sketchy look as reality unravels.

I mean, probably not. It popped up on December 1st so that's probably Patreon goals going ding, but it was my first thought, anyway.