Didn't some font of exposition mention that destroying all the gates was bad because of the Snarl, or am I forgetting something?
You are forgetting perhaps that Kraagor's Gate has not yet been destroyed?
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Didn't some font of exposition mention that destroying all the gates was bad because of the Snarl, or am I forgetting something?You are forgetting perhaps that Kraagor's Gate has not yet been destroyed?
I think I'm more forgetting why Roy thinks one gate left up is no big deal.
Also, it'd be hilarious if it turns out Kraagor's Gate was already destroyed, and we just stepped into the apocalyptic funtime endgame.
Also, it'd be hilarious if it turns out Kraagor's Gate was already destroyed, and we just stepped into the apocalyptic funtime endgame.
Although there's been in-panel exposition to the contrary to say Kraagor's Gate it is still intact, that's why I can't help but wonder if Rich is going to pull a surprise whammy on us that says that otherwise or puts a twist in the plan.
Unless he's going a totally different way and obliterating Xykon and Redcloak thanks to Roy's action is the "prophecy fulfilled" part of Elan's "happy ending" illusion.
As the Androgynous V tried to point out, perhaps everything Roy has been told is a lie.
Rich opened up all sorts of possible plot curves with that single line.
Is the snarl story even true? What is really behind those gates?
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Didn't some font of exposition mention that destroying all the gates was bad because of the Snarl, or am I forgetting something?You are forgetting perhaps that Kraagor's Gate has not yet been destroyed?I think I'm more forgetting why Roy thinks one gate left up is no big deal.
Also, it'd be hilarious if it turns out Kraagor's Gate was already destroyed, and we just stepped into the apocalyptic funtime endgame.
I don't think it's that he thinks it's no big deal, it's that he's gambling on it being better to destroy it, given how weakened they are with knowing Xykon is on the way. Xykon will try to harness the gate's power if he can. The party is wounded, without a cleric or wizard. They can try to fight Xykon and will very likely lose, which means Xykon gets the gate. Roy decided destroying the gate was better than Xykon getting it, not that it was in itself a great idea. He had to choose between two evils with only having a vague sense of which was lesser.
Roy does NOT have certain essential information of exactly how risky destroying the gate is (he was dead for awhile), which is why Varsuuvius was trying to warn him. On the other hand, if Xykon did get control of the gate--and kill the Order of the Stick in the process--that would definitely be non productive, not to mention bring a rather abrupt end to the story. ;)
I also agree it would be ironic, at least, if Kraagor's Gate was destroyed--or, perhaps that Xykon already mastered it, so that there's only one gate left and Xykon controls it.
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Did Roy just get hit by a Dalek Ray?
My favorite part though, was the fiendish cockroaches coming out of the refrigerator.
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Several thoughts:
*I'm glad that they finally saw what is going on the other side of tear. Makes it more interesting to see where they go from here.
*Oh come-on now. We're getting Roy killed again??
*Heh - nice Indiana Jones homage (both in the way they escaped and the cockroaches).
*I am mildly surprised Rich didn't turn #900 into something much bigger of a strip/event. But it's all good.
*Oh come-on now. We're getting Roy killed again??
No indication that he's dead. That's just Rich's way of illustrating disintegrate. Roy has a high enough fortitude save he probably survived--though of course we'll have to see.
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Red Cloak is high enough level for disentegrate?
Redcloak is high enough level for Implosion!
LINKIFIED OOTS 826|
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I also agree it would be ironic, at least, if Kraagor's Gate was destroyed--or, perhaps that Xykon already mastered it, so that there's only one gate left and Xykon controls it.
Except the prophecy put Xykon within 1000ft of this gate before Kraagors. At least, I think it did. How did he word it again?
"If the lich sorceror commonly referred to as "Xykon" will ever be, at some future point in time, within a 1000-foot radius of one of these two magical gates, of which of those locations will he be within said radius first, chronologically?"
Phew! :-)
Holy cow! Things are not looking good for our heroes.
I also agree it would be ironic, at least, if Kraagor's Gate was destroyed--or, perhaps that Xykon already mastered it, so that there's only one gate left and Xykon controls it.Except the prophecy put Xykon within 1000ft of this gate before Kraagors. At least, I think it did. How did he word it again?
"If the lich sorceror commonly referred to as "Xykon" will ever be, at some future point in time, within a 1000-foot radius of one of these two magical gates, of which of those locations will he be within said radius first, chronologically?"Phew! :-)
All that means is that he went within 1000 feet of Girard's Gate, and then went to Kraagor's. Being near one gate first is not the same as which gate does he try to conquer.
I honestly think it's unlikely, but we were discussing unexpected twists at the time.
"Sorry about that. I thought you were Roy."
"Maybe someone's been yanking everyone's chain."
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Red Cloak is high enough level for disentegrate?Redcloak is high enough level for Implosion!
LINKIFIED OOTS 826
I thought Red Cloak was straight up cleric, not a Mystic Theurge. At a minimum he would have to be a Cleric 5/ Wizard/Sorcerer 2/ Mystic Theurge 8 to have both 6th level arcane disenigrate and 9th level divine implosion.
Being a Mystic Theurge could explain how he was able to turn Xykon into a lich. But (there is always a but), the spell needed for the snarl needs both divine and arcane magic. If he could cast arcane, he would not need Xykon to do it.
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Bella Sara Charter Superscriber
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There is a prior comic where he mentions that he has Disintegrate as a domain spell. It's around the time of the battle for paladin town when he and another cleric have a spell duel.
Edit: Hmmm...I looked up the comic where I thought it was mentioned, but it was the other caster who had an odd domain spell (Hold Monster). It must be in Start of Darkness - he casts Disintegrate a few times in that IIRC.
I'm guessing it's a domain spell. Destruction?
Ninja'd!
Yeah, Redcloak is straight cleric with a nice selection of Domain spells, and possibly the 3.5 feat that lets him spont-cast them instead of being limited to one a day (I forget what it was called). Tsukiko's schtick was Mystic Theurge.
Any caster - arcane or divine - who can reach the necessary spell level (6th I believe, which puts it out of reach of anti/paladins and rangers) and Caster Level (11th) can put together a lich phylactery, it doesn't necessitate one or the other. Arcane liches just seem far more common.
I think the question is, when Lord Shojo (a known trickster) told Roy about the Snarl, did he know what he was saying was false?
Is V dead, then?
The demons said they'd keep his body from harm while he was their "guest" .
I don't see the point of their play anymore. if they're not controling V's body when they swipe his soul, whats the difference between that and killing him?
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I think the terms of his contract was that they get his soul for the same amount of time that s/he was supercharged with magic from the pact. I think it was a few days. So the demons effectively take him off the board for that length of time, then s/he gets to come back. By then, the OoTS has destroyed the gate since V didn't stop them, and Xykon and Redcloak get to trounce them without V there to help.
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[Re: the three fiends]
I don't see the point of their play anymore. if they're not controling V's body when they swipe his soul, whats the difference between that and killing him?
If I had to guess, it has something to do with the world on the other side of the gates. The story about the Snarl is obviously false and/or incomplete; Redcloak's exposition (OOTS #830) about moving a gate to another plane may hold a clue. Perhaps the object isn't to lock away the world on the other side or use the Snarl to threaten the other gods, but to control access to the other world. The three fiends may be in competition with the Dark One.
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"Maybe someone's been yanking everyone's chain."
Looks like Belkar put his ability increase in WIS after all (or is that INT ?)
*Oh come-on now. We're getting Roy killed again??No indication that he's dead. That's just Rich's way of illustrating disintegrate. Roy has a high enough fortitude save he probably survived--though of course we'll have to see.
Well, IIRC, Durkon had enough diamond left for one more Resurrection and Roy convinced him not to waste it on one of Girard's dynasty. So it would be poetic justice to use it on a dead anew Roy.
Of course, Durkon is with the linear guild now.
But really, I could see a three-way fight between the OOTS, the linear guild and the Xykon team about right now. Or even a temporary alliance between the order and the guild against the far greater chaotic evil of Xykon
If I had to guess, it has something to do with the world on the other side of the gates. The story about the Snarl is obviously false and/or incomplete; Redcloak's exposition (OOTS #830) about moving a gate to another plane may hold a clue. Perhaps the object isn't to lock away the world on the other side or use the Snarl to threaten the other gods, but to control access to the other world. The three fiends may be in competition with the Dark One.[Re: the three fiends]
I don't see the point of their play anymore. if they're not controling V's body when they swipe his soul, whats the difference between that and killing him?
A wild hypothesis on my part, that struck me a few days ago and that might have been tried and disproved earlier :
What if the Fiends Three are not from this universe but from the one on the other side of the snarl ?
If I had to guess, it has something to do with the world on the other side of the gates. The story about the Snarl is obviously false and/or incomplete; Redcloak's exposition (OOTS #830) about moving a gate to another plane may hold a clue. Perhaps the object isn't to lock away the world on the other side or use the Snarl to threaten the other gods, but to control access to the other world. The three fiends may be in competition with the Dark One.[Re: the three fiends]
I don't see the point of their play anymore. if they're not controling V's body when they swipe his soul, whats the difference between that and killing him?
Or they're going to try to set the folks inside the gates against the folk outside the gates. I just don't see what being able to shut V down for a few minutes at a time accomplishes for that.
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I am thinking that there goal is to have all of the gates destroyed, it must not have anything to do with the Snarl, but in some way it may help them. And I don't think it's going to be about shutting down V for five minutes, like thejeff said, it stop her from stopping Roy from not destroying the gate. Also, the other two have a much longer amount of time they can keep V contained or out of commission. Dum dum dum DUM!!
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And I don't think it's going to be about shutting down V for five minutes, like thejeff said, it stop her from stopping Roy from not destroying the gate. Also, the other two have a much longer amount of time they can keep V contained or out of commission. Dum dum dum DUM!!
Not true. One of the fiends is exercising his option for 20 minutes and 35 seconds, which is one of the longer times. Haerta only possessed V for 3 minutes and 6 seconds.
And I don't think it's going to be about shutting down V for five minutes, like thejeff said, it stop her from stopping Roy from not destroying the gate. Also, the other two have a much longer amount of time they can keep V contained or out of commission. Dum dum dum DUM!!Not true. One of the fiends is exercising his option for 20 minutes and 35 seconds, which is one of the longer times. Haerta only possessed V for 3 minutes and 6 seconds.
That's still 21 rounds... don't wanna see when that hits.
31 rounds. Not to say that won't be the worst 31 rounds to be out of commission. Those three minutes will be held for the most dramatically appropriate moment.
Anyone else thinking that the final big reveal is going to have to include the monster under the umbrella? There's a good chance there's some tie-in between that thing and the snarl story.
Anyone else thinking that the final big reveal is going to have to include the monster under the umbrella? There's a good chance there's some tie-in between that thing and the snarl story.
I still say that thing is the paizo golem
That would be hilarious TBH.
31 rounds. Not to say that won't be the worst 31 rounds to be out of commission. Those three minutes will be held for the most dramatically appropriate moment.
Well, if you want to do arithmetic correctly and all...
I love the idea of Monster being the Paizo Golem... heh.
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31 rounds. Not to say that won't be the worst 31 rounds to be out of commission. Those three minutes will be held for the most dramatically appropriate moment.Well, if you want to do arithmetic correctly and all...
I love the idea of Monster being the Paizo Golem... heh.
Now I'm wondering if the world in the snarl is a Pathfinder/4e/AGE/D&DNext world.
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And it DOES have a "stomp the ground and create shockwaves" ability.
No mention of an at-will teleport or anything like that though, but hey, maybe it's a variant =)
I have to wonder what sort of creature the Monster really is. Rich surely has to know by now that if he reveals too much, he legion of fans will comb the Monster's Manual to identify it. It wouldn't surprise me if there isn't a list of possibilities floating around, somewhere. Every time the Monster does something, the list is reviewed and some lines are crossed off.
Aside from Elan's PrC, OotS hasn't really deviated from the rules very much, unless it's for the sake of comedy.
In my opinion the "monster" has demonstrated a continual movement towards deliberately frustrating Xykon's goals. Originally this was presented as the result of the monster perhaps being confused because Xykon has not revealed his goals and intentions very well, or because the monster has some quirky interest or fascination with someone or something in the OOTS team. However, in this last exchange, the monster has come right out and made statements that indicate a more explicit knowledge than the monster has demonstrated before, and a seeming deliberate desire to thwart Xykon.
That makes me wonder what the monster's real agenda is.
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When first introduced the MotD was very childish, innocent, and unaware of reality. As the strip's gone on, it's simply grown up. And, between spending time with O'Chul and simply watching Redcloak and Xykon at work, it's developed a conscience and morality of its own. Note how it keeps referencing O'Chul and considers the heroes his friends - I think it's less out of general kindness or care for Roy and friends and more for the fact that it respects them because they're O'Chul's friends.
I don't think it's deliberately out to thwart Xykon, so much as it actually has a friend in O'Chul - the first person in the comic to treat it politely and respectfully, rather than abuse/insult it (Xykon, Redcloak) or ignore/avoid it (pretty much everyone else) - and is trying to aid him. The fact that helping the paladin (and his friends) means interfering with Xykon is, mostly, a pleasant coincidence; I have no doubt that the MotD, if it were possible, would try to resolve things so both sides could have their way. It seems the type.
Incidentally, has anyone ever seen stats for Redcloak's various True Elementals? I'd be interested in seeing and possibly using them.
It will be all the more tragic when O'Chul bites it in front of the MotD, causing him to blame the OotS and go into full evil rampage mode.
I am expecting it to go the other way; O'Chul gets attacked by Redcloak or Xykon in front of MitD, and that's when he gets revealed and turns on Team Evil (at a crucial time of course), buying OotS a reprieve just when they need it most.