The OotS thread

[Samuel]

Glad to see Belkar on his feet and killing again.

This moment was the best Shojo moment for me.

Also, reading back through the Belkar/Shojo interaction, is #610 the first time we've seen Belkar's alignment stated outright?

We've known he is chaotic since they were at the Inn, and that he was evil since the first few strips. But this is the first time it was said together.

Nope. He's stated to be Chaotic Evil in # 489. The one where it's said that without Roy's influence Belkar would be worse than "the hypothetical offspring of Cruella deVille and Sauron". Heh.

The measurements are in "kiloNazis"... anyone want to quantify that?

[Sriad]

That's...just...neat.

Man, this has been a good day for stick-figure comics. We finally get to see Marena's DBT, and now Belkar kicks some serious butt...now we just need XKCD to declare war on Abstruse Goose and it'll be perfect!

I dunno...

http://xkcd.com/505/ was pretty hella epic already.

[SilverWingedSeraph]

The measurements are in "kiloNazis"... anyone want to quantify that?

Clearly, a kiloNazi is a measurement of evilness! Having a rating of one kiloNazi means you're as evil as one-thousand Nazis. That's pretty evil! If there's a more accurate way to quantify evil, I have yet to hear of it.

[Molyneux]

That's...just...neat.

Man, this has been a good day for stick-figure comics. We finally get to see Marena's DBT, and now Belkar kicks some serious butt...now we just need XKCD to declare war on Abstruse Goose and it'll be perfect!

I dunno...

http://xkcd.com/505/ was pretty hella epic already.

That is a darn good point.

[Soldier of Entropy]

After months (a year?) of silence as my unknown self, you have compelled me to post.

This was the first webcomic I ever read, although I have never played a game of D&D (though I recently purchased the 4th edition core set and will be hopefully starting a campaign with a few freinds, none of whom have ever played either (I'm DM)).

In fact, a while back, I made an OOTS vs Fellowship thread, right... here.

[Ender]

612 is up Nice, I didn't see that coming. I expected Belkar to go "poke poke" And I like how in panel 4, Mr Scruffy has the same Ved eyebrows as Belkar. But the fact that UCoL isn't backing Belkar up for the boss fight, coupled with the prophecy, makes me uneasy. A writer wouldn't revive a character and give them a new dynamic just to off them right afterwards, right?

[CaptainChewbacca]

Rich Burlew just LOVES surprising his readers. His awesomely dark destruction of Miko, her lack of redemption, and the fact that he didn't turn her evil or bring her back caught everyone by surprise.

[Lord Relvenous]

I had this comic mentioned to me years ago, but I never looked it up. The OP reminded me, and after roughly 3 days, I've read through it. Great, great humor throughout. I have never played D&D in a campaign, but I have played other RPG systems, and I know enough about it to appreciate the jokes. Belkar has been one of my least favorite characters up until now, but this recent storyline has swung my opinion of him.

[Imperial Overlord]

The undead don't breath, but they sure can stab. That's one solution to the problem. There are probably others.

[Peptuck]

Rich Burlew just LOVES surprising his readers. His awesomely dark destruction of Miko, her lack of redemption, and the fact that he didn't turn her evil or bring her back caught everyone by surprise.

Really, I liked Miko, weird as that sounds, and her death arc was both one of the best bits of the series thus far and also one of the most surprising.

I'm kinda miffed she hasn't shown up yet in the afterlife with Roy, but I guess her alignment likely shifted her to a lawful neutral afterlife instead of a lawful good one. But she's probably happier there anyway.

[SilverWingedSeraph]

I'm kinda miffed she hasn't shown up yet in the afterlife with Roy, but I guess her alignment likely shifted her to a lawful neutral afterlife instead of a lawful good one. But she's probably happier there anyway.

Even if her alignment hadn't changed, they wouldn't meet up there anyway. When Roy first died and got up to heaven, he wondered why there more people from the battle up there with him, and it was explained that Different Religions, Different Afterlives, basically.

'Sides, heaven's a big place, and I doubt Roy would really consider it much of a paradise if he bumped into Miko up there.

[eyl]

Even if her alignment hadn't changed, they wouldn't meet up there anyway. When Roy first died and got up to heaven, he wondered why there more people from the battle up there with him, and it was explained that Different Religions, Different Afterlives, basically.

'Sides, heaven's a big place, and I doubt Roy would really consider it much of a paradise if he bumped into Miko up there.

Just to nitpick, it seems different religions, different processing areas, not the afterlife itself; IIRC, we say at least one guy from Azure City when Roy was climbing the mountain.

[Ender]

613 is up. Which brings me back to my sole complaint about this comic - it is like married sex when you are 80. It is supposed to be up three times a week, but in reality...

Anyway, nice one, and I'm digging Belkar playing along with the "character development" to get some good lines at haley.

[Molyneux]

613 is up. Which brings me back to my sole complaint about this comic - it is like married sex when you are 80. It is supposed to be up three times a week, but in reality...

Anyway, nice one, and I'm digging Belkar playing along with the "character development" to get some good lines at haley.

It actually reminds me a bit of that song from The King and I. "Whistle a happy tune"...

It's also nice to see Belkar realizing that a) you can be a hero in the classical sense, and still be damn evil, and b) enlightened self-interest still lets you be as evil as you like to everyone who you DON'T want owing you favors.

[consequences]

I'm actually really curious about Belkar's build now. Maybe Bozzok just totes around a hefty magical shield(which makes me wonder why the heck he would drop the darned thing), but Belkar seems to be frankly whoring two high level rogues, one of which should be about the same level as him, and the other four levels or more higher. Granted, when they attacked him simulanteously from either side he was doubtless doing a total defense action, but he's never seemed that hard to hit before(he's always been damned tough for a halfling when you do hit him though).


But all in all, these are minor curiosities that should in no way detract from the awesomeness still unfolding.

[Molyneux]

I'm actually really curious about Belkar's build now. Maybe Bozzok just totes around a hefty magical shield(which makes me wonder why the heck he would drop the darned thing), but Belkar seems to be frankly whoring two high level rogues, one of which should be about the same level as him, and the other four levels or more higher. Granted, when they attacked him simulanteously from either side he was doubtless doing a total defense action, but he's never seemed that hard to hit before(he's always been damned tough for a halfling when you do hit him though).


But all in all, these are minor curiosities that should in no way detract from the awesomeness still unfolding.

Repeat after me:

Sexy shoeless god of war.

Got it?

[consequences]

Repeat after me:

Sexy shoeless god of war.

Got it?

It's the nature of the beast that seems to be shifting, from an Ares to more of an Athena if you will.

Before now, he's always seemed content to take the hits while killing things. Which leads me to believe that the sneaky little bastard has a plan.

[Ender]

I'm actually really curious about Belkar's build now. Maybe Bozzok just totes around a hefty magical shield(which makes me wonder why the heck he would drop the darned thing), but Belkar seems to be frankly whoring two high level rogues, one of which should be about the same level as him, and the other four levels or more higher. Granted, when they attacked him simulanteously from either side he was doubtless doing a total defense action, but he's never seemed that hard to hit before(he's always been damned tough for a halfling when you do hit him though).


But all in all, these are minor curiosities that should in no way detract from the awesomeness still unfolding.

They could have just rolled low and missed. Though I expect the shield has a decent bonus to it - as head of the guild Bozzak would fear assassination prompting him to want good gear, and if Crystal is toting around +4 stuff I'd expect him to have even better things as he is the boss.


Also, I just got the title - "hero" is a type of sandwich.

[Molyneux]

I'm actually really curious about Belkar's build now. Maybe Bozzok just totes around a hefty magical shield(which makes me wonder why the heck he would drop the darned thing), but Belkar seems to be frankly whoring two high level rogues, one of which should be about the same level as him, and the other four levels or more higher. Granted, when they attacked him simulanteously from either side he was doubtless doing a total defense action, but he's never seemed that hard to hit before(he's always been damned tough for a halfling when you do hit him though).


But all in all, these are minor curiosities that should in no way detract from the awesomeness still unfolding.

They could have just rolled low and missed. Though I expect the shield has a decent bonus to it - as head of the guild Bozzak would fear assassination prompting him to want good gear, and if Crystal is toting around +4 stuff I'd expect him to have even better things as he is the boss.


Also, I just got the title - "hero" is a type of sandwich.

That's a groaner...

[Sriad]

I'm actually really curious about Belkar's build now. Maybe Bozzok just totes around a hefty magical shield(which makes me wonder why the heck he would drop the darned thing), but Belkar seems to be frankly whoring two high level rogues, one of which should be about the same level as him, and the other four levels or more higher. Granted, when they attacked him simulanteously from either side he was doubtless doing a total defense action, but he's never seemed that hard to hit before(he's always been damned tough for a halfling when you do hit him though).


But all in all, these are minor curiosities that should in no way detract from the awesomeness still unfolding.

I assume he dropped it for a big 2-handed power attack on Belkar counting on Crystal to provide flanking, but by knocking her prone Belkar has a movement advantage (IIRC, these days I'm just occasionally playing 4th) to avoid flanking, a +4 or so shield, and a couple rounds of total defense: he's sitting on +12-15 extra AC than he'd usually have, and Rogues don't have the best Base Attack Bonus (BAB) progression. (+2 for a (relatively) large shield and another +4 or so for presumed enchantment, +4-6 for total defense (if he has 5 ranks of Tumble), +1 size modifier, probably +1 Dodge.)

I think in the next strip Belkar will be pressed a lot harder; Crystal was prone for her first attack, her next two were against full defense +shield, and Bozzak only got flanking benefits on one attack before he decided to coup de grace Haley.

[Coalition]

They also have a nice choice. Kill Belkar and let the sylph (and Haley) get away and get help; or one of them tries to kill the sylph, and the other tries to hold off/kill Belkar.

Still, "Brainy Pete".

[EarthScorpion]

That's a groaner...

A groaner? From Order of the Stick!

Surely you jest, sir!

In all honesty, I only discovered this series the weekend before last, and read it all in one marathon sitting. It's gooood. Or that may just be all the subliminal messengering hitting me in one massive overdose. I hate to think what it's like for everybody else, though, for how long Roy must have been dead for them.

[Ender]

I hate to think what it's like for everybody else, though, for how long Roy must have been dead for them.

It is quickly closing on two years.

[The Grim Squeaker]

Just popping in to mention that i'm a massive fan (I remember the double digit days), and avid reader of the strip .

Also, the filler stuff finally looking to start wrapping up (in a while) looks good, slower than I'd like, but the Belkar stuff is finally speeding along nicely .

[The Defenestrator]

So I guess we're continuing the theme of "OotS member gets new/improved equipment after the old one is lost or broken."