OOTS #1201 - The Discussion Thread

[Fyraltari]

The same way any salesmen of potions manage to get to the room before the final boss regardless of the level of the enemies around them.

Grey Wolf

They've got an agreement with the owners of these little shops that weren't there yesterday.

[Kantaki]

If it comes into play at all. Remember, Redcloak switched the phylactery for a newly made fake. Unless there's something else of importance there the whole thing has basically no function.

As I said. Bonus dungeon.
Usually entirely optional and with little to no connection to the (main) plot.
Very often with a boss far stronger than the actual end-boss.

Neo-Xykon Mk VII the Mecha-Lich maybe?

[gerryq]

Anyone know what the title refers to?

[Fyraltari]

Anyone know what the title refers to?

The two lovers, I would wager.

[Skull the Troll]

Triss > Yennifer. Never let her leave on the boat.

[The MunchKING]

The same way any salesmen of potions manage to get to the room before the final boss regardless of the level of the enemies around them.

Grey Wolf

O'aka pretty much just explicitly follows you guys around while not doing anything that gets him in trouble with the religious group that ends up fighting you. SO he doesn't have to fight the people and can easily get where ever your going to be without needing to worry about bosses. But he is still bothered by monsters, which explains a lot of stretches without him. The rest I don't know how they do it.

[Schroeswald]

No, a final dungeon.

Yeah, I'm thinking that we're seeing a final dungeon crawl make up most of this book, we haven't really seen one of those since DCF (unless you count Girard's Gate), adds some nice symmetry and callback stuff.

[AstralFire]

O'aka pretty much just explicitly follows you guys around while not doing anything that gets him in trouble with the religious group that ends up fighting you. SO he doesn't have to fight the people and can easily get where ever your going to be without needing to worry about bosses. But he is still bothered by monsters, which explains a lot of stretches without him. The rest I don't know how they do it.

In Dragon Age, it became a plot point in DA2 that forecast plot events in DAI

[Hekko]

Yes, but how did the potion dealer pop into existence?

He was always there, at the last turning point. It's just that Mechane and those aboard reached that point at that very moment.

[Jay R]

OK, now it feels like the adventure is about to start.

[And my post has the right title.]

[Shale]

She probably can cast the regular sending the moment she notices the blood oath connection isn't active anymore.

Grey Wolf

Since Roy specified that if they're based in Cliffport they should look out for her, he might just be expecting her to show up in person.

[Psyren]

Huh, if the final dungeon merchant pops up here does that mean... Xykon's Astral Tomb-Fortress is a bonus dungeon?

Possibly - but more likely is that Xykon's massive deathtrap fortress was a giant waste of time for him / monument to his hubris that will be plumbed by high-level adventurers for centuries to come, long after he is little more than a footnote in history. His personal Idiot Tax, if you will.

[The MunchKING]

Since Roy specified that if they're based in Cliffport they should look out for her, he might just be expecting her to show up in person.

Yeah, but Julia needs to Sending with Roy to find out he needs a lift.

[SlashDash]

If it comes into play at all. Remember, Redcloak switched the phylactery for a newly made fake. Unless there's something else of importance there the whole thing has basically no function.

Thor told Durkon he'll hear about the fortress later on. So it'll probably go into the story some way or another.

Of course it's possible Redcloak will just say "Yeah, he thinks the real one is in the fortress, but I have it here"
But I doubt it.

Since Roy specified that if they're based in Cliffport they should look out for her, he might just be expecting her to show up in person.

Julia is in cliffport. That's where her magic school is.
Remember that whole sub plot of Nale kidnapping her and tricking Roy into taking him into the party instead of Elan?

[ebarde]

It's been a while since OOTS has had a "random thing appears out of nowhere as a meta joke", I feel that because the story was so heavy as of late, the meta shenanigans got a bit toned down

[Fincher]

He was always there, at the last turning point. It's just that Mechane and those aboard reached that point at that very moment.

Conversely, he was on the ship the whole time, and no one acknowledged his existence until it was relevant.

[Shale]

Julia is in cliffport. That's where her magic school is.
Remember that whole sub plot of Nale kidnapping her and tricking Roy into taking him into the party instead of Elan?

And therefore she could just walk over to wherever the Mechane is docked, that's my point.

[Fyraltari]

Thor told Durkon he'll hear about the fortress later on. So it'll probably go into the story some way or another.

Of course it's possible Redcloak will just say "Yeah, he thinks the real one is in the fortress, but I have it here"
But I doubt it.

No, Thor said Durkon could hear about about it and Thor was probably not supposed to tell him about it.
Also the strip is titled But it probably won't ccome up.

[Jaxzan Proditor]

Aw, how sweet. I enjoy having a strip that’s very much about genre conventions. Also, Roy’s plan, while ominous, does make sense.

[The MunchKING]

No, Thor said Durkon could hear about about it and Thor was probably not supposed to tell him about it.
Also the strip is titled But it probably won't ccome up.

I thought that title was supposed to be sarcastic. "oh yeah he built a super-cool fortress thingie in the Astral Plane to fight through, the PCs will definitely NEVER see that!"

[AvangionQ]

"Lots of health potions and supplies just lying around ... game just autosaved ... boss fight."

That cliche of the merchant before the boss never gets old.

PS, you numbered this thread one too high.

[Fyraltari]

I thought that title was supposed to be sarcastic. "oh yeah he built a super-cool fortress thingie in the Astral Plane to fight through, the PCs will definitely NEVER see that!"

"Such thrilling hard-fought battles, though! so many twistings and turnings! Death beckoned in every hall. And so visually complex too! I'm glad no-one had to draw a picture of any of that."

[Agi Hammerthief]

why is thread title one number higher than latest comic?

[Fyraltari]

why is thread title one number higher than latest comic?

Either a typo or a rift in the space-time continuum.

[MoonCat]

Conversely, he was on the ship the whole time, and no one acknowledged his existence until it was relevant.

Honestly, I'm betting that the next strip will have the merchant explaining that he's a backstop instated by Julio whose is to be summoned* by the fulfillment of specific endgame narrative conventions.

*I have no idea about the necessary mechanics, given the Dimensional Lock, perhaps he can still be poofed in from a hidden part of the boat, or the Mechane just exerts a loophole on summonings from the Merchant Dimension for dramatic purposes.

[Bedinsis]

What would captain Bandana do if Roy and the casters don't make it?

[littlebum2002]

Honestly, I'm betting that the next strip will have the merchant explaining that he's a backstop instated by Julio whose is to be summoned* by the fulfillment of specific endgame narrative conventions.

*I have no idea about the necessary mechanics, given the Dimensional Lock, perhaps he can still be poofed in from a hidden part of the boat, or the Mechane just exerts a loophole on summonings from the Merchant Dimension for dramatic purposes.

Maybe end-dungeon merchants are just so extremely high level that the end bosses are scared enough to leave them alone.

[username1]

That's giving me flashbacks to the end of FFXV, the literal Prince of light had to sell everything he owned for potions.

[Fyraltari]

What would captain Bandana do if Roy and the casters don't make it?

Die with the rest of the planet?

[brionl]

As I said. Bonus dungeon.
Usually entirely optional and with little to no connection to the (main) plot.
Very often with a boss far stronger than the actual end-boss.

Neo-Xykon Mk VII the Mecha-Lich maybe?

Does that mean they are going to be saved by a teen aged Eric from an alternate timeline in the future?