New Order of the Stick Strip Up

[Dal Selpher]

I'm still waiting for the inevitable, "Hel is about to break loose!" pun to appear.

[strayshift]

I suspect that Roy will fail this save (it's the last frame) and there will be an exposition and/or the Order join the fray for dramatic effect. Roy being a vampire would be... a dark twist.

[John Woodford]

I'm thinking that Durkula grapples and fangs Roy, but then Roy reverses the grapple and carries him outside the chamber just in time for the right side to win the vote. Then Belkar shows up and TWEPs Durkula. Maybe.

[Lord Fyre]

John Woodford wrote:

I'm thinking that Durkula grapples and fangs Roy, but then Roy reverses the grapple and carries him outside the chamber just in time for the right side to win the vote. Then Belkar shows up and TWEPs Durkula. Maybe.

Presuming that Belkar survived that fall.

[Michael Riter]

Lord Fyre wrote:

John Woodford wrote:

I'm thinking that Durkula grapples and fangs Roy, but then Roy reverses the grapple and carries him outside the chamber just in time for the right side to win the vote. Then Belkar shows up and TWEPs Durkula. Maybe.

Presuming that Belkar survived that fall.

From a storytelling perspective, killing a major, likable character offscreen is just an awful choice.

[Aniuś the Talewise]

Lord Fyre wrote:

John Woodford wrote:

I'm thinking that Durkula grapples and fangs Roy, but then Roy reverses the grapple and carries him outside the chamber just in time for the right side to win the vote. Then Belkar shows up and TWEPs Durkula. Maybe.

Presuming that Belkar survived that fall.

hobbits bounce.

On a serious note, I agree with Riter that just killing belkar off anticlimactically offscreen is unsatisfying storytelling, so soon enough we'll find out how he survived the fall.

[Fromper]

I'm assuming the ship, Blackwing, etc were all keeping an eye out for Roy, Belkar, and Durkon. They'd notice the flying halfling, and either toss him a life preserver before he hit ground, or at least a Feather Fall.

[The Raven Black]

Not a fighter alive that knows it.

Sounds suspiciously like casters eradicated the martials who did know that maneuver. Did Roy just paint himself a new and even bigger target on the back ?

[Sebastian]

I don't understand Durkon's last line:

"I admit that I wasn't sure it would be effective against divine magic. But you must admit that it would be far more effective against someone who can't fight."

The "it" refers to the Spellsplinter Maneuver. How would the Spellsplinter Maneuver be far more effective against someone who can't fight? That doesn't make any damn sense.

[Treppa]

If they can't fight, their power is neutralized. If they CAN fight as well as cast, they can still Hit Things Hard.

Took me a minute, too. But I'm no lawyer.

Spoiler:

It was a crappily worded line.

[Sebastian]

Thank you! I think part of what was throwing me was that it also wasn't clear who the "someone" was in the second line of dialogue. I kept reading it as "it would be far more effective against [Roy]" not "it would be far more effective [if I couldn't also fight]."

[Treppa]

I'm glad I'm not the only one who struggled with that line.

[Fromper]

I didn't think it was the least bit confusing. Especially since Durkula jumped Roy as he said it, demonstrating what he meant.

[MannyGoblin]

The Raven Black wrote:

Not a fighter alive that knows it.

Sounds suspiciously like casters eradicated the martials who did know that maneuver. Did Roy just paint himself a new and even bigger target on the back ?

Yep! Fighters not having nice things is a plot of spellcasters.

[The Raven Black]

MannyGoblin wrote:

The Raven Black wrote:

Not a fighter alive that knows it.

Sounds suspiciously like casters eradicated the martials who did know that maneuver. Did Roy just paint himself a new and even bigger target on the back ?

Yep! Fighters not having nice things is a plot of spellcasters.

EXACTLY ! ! !

[The Raven Black]

Note also that the ritual to control the Snark requires casters. Not martials. Casters are the true source of woe in the world. Ask any black dragon ; -)

[The Raven Black]

Fromper wrote:

I didn't think it was the least bit confusing. Especially since Durkula jumped Roy as he said it, demonstrating what he meant.

I also saw it as a nod to the black dragon mother using Anti-magic Field against V to great effect. But I felt too that the sentence was a bit too allusive and not crystal clear ;-)

[BigNorseWolf]

Treppa wrote:

I'm glad I'm not the only one who struggled with that line.

perhaps the vampire is trying to confuse roys inner grammarian for combat advantage?

[John Woodford]

The Raven Black wrote:

Note also that the ritual to control the Snark requires casters. Not martials. Casters are the true source of woe in the world. Ask any black dragon ; -)

(emphasis mine)

Was that deliberate, or a fortuitous typo?

[The Raven Black]

John Woodford wrote:

The Raven Black wrote:

Note also that the ritual to control the Snark requires casters. Not martials. Casters are the true source of woe in the world. Ask any black dragon ; -)

(emphasis mine)

Was that deliberate, or a fortuitous typo?

My subconscious at work. I have been spending far too much time and energy on the RPGSS threads this last month ;-))

[Andostre]

The Snark is a the antagonist for the OotS sequel, I bet!

Anyway, new comic. I think I'm pinning all of my hopes and dreams on the Greenhilt sword's undead bane proc that still hasn't happened, yet.

[The Raven Black]

"Still no ranged weapon of your own". How often I have said this to the half-orcs barbarians and paladins in my party :-))

Though it is pretty obvious that Roy aimed there on purpose :-)

[Maneuvermoose]

BigNorseWolf wrote:

Treppa wrote:

I'm glad I'm not the only one who struggled with that line.

perhaps the vampire is trying to confuse roys inner grammarian for combat advantage?

You mean Roy's inner grammarian! Unless you're also trying to confuse Roy's inner grammarian...

are you in league with Hel?!?

[137ben]

Speaking of which:
1004: Climbing Tensions

[Fromper]

I loved the weasel throwing comment. Now that's an OLD reference to a past event in Roy and Durkon's lives.

[strayshift]

That last frame looks like it would hurt...

[The Raven Black]

Well, keeping within melee range of a Fighter equipped with his preferred weapon might not have been Durkula' best idea.

[baron arem heshvaun]

After all the print books, its time in Dragon, and 1000 plus strips, Rich still keeps me wanting more.

Thank you Rich Burlew, a modern day maestro.

It's not said often enough, I dig your work sir.

[BPorter]

baron arem heshvaun wrote:

After all the print books, its time in Dragon, and 1000 plus strips, Rich still keeps me wanting more.

Thank you Rich Burlew, a modern day maestro.

It's not said often enough, I dig your work sir.

Amen, brother. Rich rocks!

[BigNorseWolf]

Shouldn't Hel be addressing loki as "Mom" ?

[Drejk]

BigNorseWolf wrote:

Shouldn't Hel be addressing loki as "Mom" ?

Nope. Loki fathered Hel (and Fenrir and Jormungandr) with giantess Angrboda (or Angrbotha?). He is mother of the Odin's horse, Sleipnir.

[Misroi]

New comic is up. Things are about to get really bad for Baldur's emissary.

[John Woodford]

Yeah--we've all seen that scene in the movie, and Baldur's emissary has "expendable extra" written all over him.

(Which means that Rich is going to play with our heads and have the vamps attack all the other clerics....)

[137ben]

And since this is the internet, the Giant also just told us:
A minor insight into the coloring of Roy's injuries during this fight.
Why most dwarves die honorably,
and
The barrier at the top of the stairs in strip 1005 is a normal part of the Moot, and it prevents clerics from nullifying their own votes by leaving the temple.
Because leaving to nullify your own vote would be a loophole in the "no backsies" rule, that the Lawful gods apparently decided should be eliminated.

[Sebastian]

Banjo was referenced...I'm not saying that's foreshadowing (unless it is, in which case I am)...

[137ben]

Sebastian wrote:

Banjo was referenced...I'm not saying that's foreshadowing (unless it is, in which case I am)...

The only way to decide whether or not it is foreshadowing is a pie eating contest!

[The Raven Black]

It seems a bit unlikely that Durkula's machinations would prevent the demigods' priests from reaching the voting area.

After all, Hel's plan hinges on them voting for her side ;-)

So, maybe an unforeseen complication arose off-screen. Like a falling halfling being rescued by his teammates and telling everyone about Durkula's dark deeds.

Circle of Truth FTW !!!

EDIT - Also I love Lawful Good Roy trying to convince Lawful Evil Durkula of the benefits of going the Chaotic way :-))

[Matthew Downie]

Or a badly injured halfling crawling up a cliff and personally murdering the priests in question?

[The Raven Black]

Would any priest turned vampire be able to spontaneously convert his spells to Inflict Wounds right away, or would he need to pray Hel at the appropriate moment (ie, likely at night) before he gets this ability ?

If the latter, they cannot heal themselves that easily yet. And they already spent their high level spells.

[Matthew Downie]

Didn't Durkon start Inflicting Wounds (supposedly by accident) immediately after he got vamped?

[Aniuś the Talewise]

the priest has to be physically present in the room in order for the god's vote to count, right?

If so, is then the tie now broken? Then the demigod priests aren't needed anymore.

[Paul Watson]

Technically, he is present. He's a mist, but he is present.

[Tectorman]

137ben wrote:

And since this is the internet, the Giant also just told us:

A minor insight into the coloring of Roy's injuries during this fight.
Why most dwarves die honorably,
and
The barrier at the top of the stairs in strip 1005 is a normal part of the Moot, and it prevents clerics from nullifying their own votes by leaving the temple.
Because leaving to nullify your own vote would be a loophole in the "no backsies" rule, that the Lawful gods apparently decided should be eliminated.

Only the last link is working. I managed to find the post describing Roy's differently colored injuries, anyway, but I haven't seen the Giant's explanation of why most dwarves die honorably. Is it something you could quote here?

[Aniuś the Talewise]

Paul Watson wrote:

Technically, he is present. He's a mist, but he is present.

great. as a mist he will be harder to remove from the premises.

[Matthew Downie]

Tectorman wrote:

Only the last link is working. I managed to find the post describing Roy's differently colored injuries, anyway, but I haven't seen the Giant's explanation of why most dwarves die honorably. Is it something you could quote here?

Link works for me. Excerpt:

"...I imagine honor duels are probably a very common way of settling the score between two feuding dwarves: If I win, then I win, but if I lose, I still get an honorable death. And again, if you're sick, why not provoke a duel you know you will lose?

Also, there are certainly ways to die with honor that don't involve combat. If there's a cave-in and you take the time to save another dwarf but can't get out yourself before it collapses, that's an honorable death even though you were killed by a falling rock.

Basically, this all comes down to the fact that the dwarves know, for a fact, that this is how the world works for them. There's no reason to assume that they don't have methods for dealing with it."

[Telsyn Setiva]

The links worked for me. I'm on a PC.

[DM_Kumo Gekkou]

I wonder if the people drakula turned are killing any dimigod priests that would vote NO, then they are going to come. Thus the escorts are dead until the turned priests are done.

[Andostre]

Is the moot actually in the Dwarven Homelands? If not, I wasn't exactly expecting Durkula to die here as he still has to fulfill his prophecy.

[Fromper]

Andostre wrote:

Is the moot actually in the Dwarven Homelands? If not, I wasn't exactly expecting Durkula to die here as he still has to fulfill his prophecy.

I'm pretty sure it is, and he already fulfilled that prophecy by coming here.

[137ben]

DM_Kumo Gekkou wrote:

I wonder if the people drakula turned are killing any dimigod priests that would vote NO, then they are going to come. Thus the escorts are dead until the turned priests are done.

That would probably violate the terms of the Moot.

It occurs to me, what if the first person to hear the cries for help is Belkar? Then he could run in, tell the others that the Creed of Stone people are all vampirized, and then help Roy.
...and maybe that's when he'll discover that his Protection from Evil item no longer hurts him....