OotS plot moving right along

[Rast]

http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0877.html
http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0886.html

Three major characters dead in the last ten strips, though given the
history of the comic and the fact that it's DND-based, they shouldn't
remain that way long.

Comic hasn't really been funny in a long time, and as a story it's only
ho-hum, but after nearly 900 strips I'm not going to just stop reading.

spoiler space:





















I think that Durkon "just" needs to be slain, then Resurrected.

Belkar's body can be teleported to a cleric for a Raise Dead, assuming
he's willing to come back. There have been hints that he would be
perma-killed at some point, but I'd hate to think it would come in such
an anti-climactic way.

Xykon will regenerate from his phylactery in 1d10 days.

[WDS906 (less the 906)]

Better look at that last comic more closely.

[Shawn Wilson]

On May 6, 1:59 pm, Rast <ra...@yahoo.com> wrote:

> http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0877.htmlhttp://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0886.html

What makes you think ANYTHING we've seen since entering the pyramid is
real? The Draketooth's specialty is illusions after all. Those runes
on the wall and especially the swirly eyes thing is about something...

[dr...@bin.sh]

Alien mind control rays made Shawn Wilson <ikono...@gmail.com> write:
> What makes you think ANYTHING we've seen since entering the pyramid is
> real? The Draketooth's specialty is illusions after all. Those runes
> on the wall and especially the swirly eyes thing is about something...

ah yes, the old "adventure fail was just a dream" trick...

--
.--===-+---===--.
|> |\__|___/\---|= dr...@bin.sh (CARRIER LOST) <http://www.bin.sh/>
|| || ()= | | <| --------------------------------------------------------
|> |/~~|~~~\/---|= The Right of Way Belongs to the Biggest Guns
`--===-+---===--'

[Gutless Umbrella Carrying Sissy]

dr...@bin.sh wrote in
news:jvKdnYzH0Z7q1BTM...@iphouse.net:

> Alien mind control rays made Shawn Wilson <ikono...@gmail.com>
> write:
>> What makes you think ANYTHING we've seen since entering the
>> pyramid is real? The Draketooth's specialty is illusions after
>> all. Those runes on the wall and especially the swirly eyes
>> thing is about something...
>
> ah yes, the old "adventure fail was just a dream" trick...
>

And only Bob Newhart can make that gag funny.

--
Terry Austin

"Terry Austin: like the polio vaccine, only with more asshole."
-- David Bilek

Jesus forgives sinners, not criminals.

[Rast]

dr...@bin.sh wrote...

> Alien mind control rays made Shawn Wilson <ikono...@gmail.com> write:
> > What makes you think ANYTHING we've seen since entering the pyramid is
> > real? The Draketooth's specialty is illusions after all. Those runes
> > on the wall and especially the swirly eyes thing is about something...
>
> ah yes, the old "adventure fail was just a dream" trick...

Ugh, I think you're right. My bad.

So much for the plot advancing.

To salvage this thread: would a slain vampire be willing to be
Resurrected by his good former allies?

[tussock]

Rast wrote:

>
> http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0877.html
> http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0886.html
>
> Three major characters dead in the last ten strips, though given the
> history of the comic and the fact that it's DND-based, they shouldn't
> remain that way long.

Shouldn't that go after the spoiler space? Then again, the thread title
kinda points out it's going to be spoilery. 8]

> Comic hasn't really been funny in a long time, and as a story it's only
> ho-hum, but after nearly 900 strips I'm not going to just stop reading.

I think he's going quite well since his break, humor wise. Certainly
improved the pacing a bit, rounding up some of his endless plot-holes.

> spoiler space:
>
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> I think that Durkon "just" needs to be slain, then Resurrected.
>
> Belkar's body can be teleported to a cleric for a Raise Dead, assuming
> he's willing to come back.

Belkar's already back, check the last panel again.

> There have been hints that he would be perma-killed at some point, but
> I'd hate to think it would come in such an anti-climactic way.

That wasn't anti-climactic, that was a proper plot-twist which resolved
a few outstanding story issues. It was fast, but for gods sake don't hold
that against him! We don't want another six months in a leaky boat.

> Xykon will regenerate from his phylactery in 1d10 days.

Not if they finally get around to breaking the damn thing. Dude's only a
lich, and it's about time One-Eye got promoted again. Web comics, eh.

--
tussock

[Jim Davies]

On the grave of Rast <ra...@yahoo.com> is inscribed:

Don't see why not. After all, if he's alive he gets to do eeevil
things. Or whatever else he feels like. Basically, ask the question:
"what's in it for me?". Besides, Belkar is not Good.

--
Jim

http://www.aaargh.org

[Anonymous Jack]

On May 7, 5:04 pm, Rast <ra...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> To salvage this thread:  would a slain vampire be willing to be
> Resurrected by his good former allies?

IMHO? Caveat, haven;'t read vampire lore in a while :)

The good Durkon mind/soul is still in there "somewhere." Right now,
his will and mind are dominated by his master, but there is probably a
bit of Durkon in there behind all the bloodlust, that is aware and
horrified at what he has become and what he is doing

If/When they slay his vampiric form, and the red glowing eyes fade,
that is the part that says, "thank you for freeing me from that
horror"

So yeah, unless he has serious guilt, sure, why not get resurrected?

[tussock]

Rast wrote:
> dr...@bin.sh wrote:

>> Shawn Wilson write:
>>> What makes you think ANYTHING we've seen since entering the pyramid is
>>> real? The Draketooth's specialty is illusions after all. Those runes
>>> on the wall and especially the swirly eyes thing is about something...
>>
>> ah yes, the old "adventure fail was just a dream" trick...
>
> Ugh, I think you're right. My bad.

As long as Rich doesn't read this and take it as a good idea. Don't be
tempting fate, you lot!

> So much for the plot advancing.
>
> To salvage this thread: would a slain vampire be willing to be
> Resurrected by his good former allies?

He's a 3e rules comic, same as all the good ones. So you can't kill
undead, only destroy them, and a destroyed vampire turns into ... a dead
Dwarf Cleric, in this case.

--
tussock

[Shawn Wilson]

On May 7, 7:23 am, tussock <sc...@clear.net.nz> wrote:

> > Belkar's body can be teleported to a cleric for a Raise Dead, assuming
> > he's willing to come back.
>
>     Belkar's already back, check the last panel again.

Well, damn. I missed that. F*king obvious too. More evidence that
this battle at least is just an illusion. I fear Durkon is really a
vampire though, 'Real' Belkar has the bite marks he suffered there.

Note also, V is not among those with swirly eyes. So V apparently
made the Will save.

[Rast]

Shawn Wilson wrote...

> Note also, V is not among those with swirly eyes. So V apparently
> made the Will save.
>

V isn't in that panel, so he might not even be there at all.

[Phil Turner]

In <b5732dcb-2184-401b...@ua8g2000pbb.googlegroups.com> Shawn Wilson <ikono...@gmail.com> writes:

>On May 7, 7:23=A0am, tussock <sc...@clear.net.nz> wrote:

>> > Belkar's body can be teleported to a cleric for a Raise Dead, assuming
>> > he's willing to come back.
>>

>> =A0 =A0 Belkar's already back, check the last panel again.

>Well, damn. I missed that. F*king obvious too. More evidence that
>this battle at least is just an illusion. I fear Durkon is really a
>vampire though, 'Real' Belkar has the bite marks he suffered there.

>Note also, V is not among those with swirly eyes. So V apparently
>made the Will save.

Or hasn't caught up yet, or failed it somewhere else, and either way
the V we've just seen was part of the illusion.

[tussock]

Phil Turner wrote:
> Shawn Wilson wrote:

>> tussock wrote:
>
>>>> Belkar's body can be teleported to a cleric for a Raise Dead, assuming
>>>> he's willing to come back.
>>>

>>> Belkar's already back, check the last panel again.
>>
>> Well, damn. I missed that. F*king obvious too. More evidence that
>> this battle at least is just an illusion. I fear Durkon is really a
>> vampire though, 'Real' Belkar has the bite marks he suffered there.
>
>> Note also, V is not among those with swirly eyes. So V apparently
>> made the Will save.
>
> Or hasn't caught up yet, or failed it somewhere else, and either way
> the V we've just seen was part of the illusion.

I guess it makes sense that the mind-controlled characters in the last
panel are the real OOTS, and everything else in the current tunnel is an
illusion of their deepest desires. V comes back, Roy kills Xykon, Belkar
bites the dust, One-Eye is trapped: so everyone's happy, and also stuck in
the trap.

Cool. The world only moves on in the way the characters want it too in a
mechanically allowable dream sequence. That's more Rich's speed in story
terms, in five more years it might happen for real. 8]

--
tussock

[tussock]

Rast wrote:

>
> http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0877.html
> http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0886.html

http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0887.html

> spoiler space:
>
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And everyone lives happily ever after.

As much as I'm not going to, it would be a /really/ good time to stop
reading. Every single convoluted plot thread wrapped in that last comic,
including riding the Tarrasque and getting a lollypop.

Except one, of course, how do they get out of the illusion trap? I fear
solving that one may reopen the others. Such a price to pay. Wait, is it
Belkar's greatest wish for Belkar to die too?

--
tussock

[Rast]

tussock wrote...

>
> And everyone lives happily ever after.
>
> As much as I'm not going to, it would be a /really/ good time to stop
> reading. Every single convoluted plot thread wrapped in that last comic,
> including riding the Tarrasque and getting a lollypop.
>
> Except one, of course, how do they get out of the illusion trap?

The first step is more filler strips.

http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0888.html

Presumably we'll get at least one for each character.

[WDS906 (less the 906)]

Nope. Check again.

[Sea Wasp (Ryk E. Spoor)]

God-DAMN. *ELAN* saves the day?


--
Sea Wasp
/^\
;;;
Website: http://www.grandcentralarena.com Blog:
http://seawasp.livejournal.com

[WDS906 (less the 906)]

On 5/20/2013 9:36 AM, Sea Wasp (Ryk E. Spoor) wrote:
> God-DAMN. *ELAN* saves the day?

Yeah. He figured something out on his own! Maybe he put a point in IQ
the last time he leveled.

[dr...@bin.sh]

Alien mind control rays made "Sea Wasp (Ryk E. Spoor)" <sea...@sgeinc.invalid.com> write:
>> Nope. Check again.
>
> God-DAMN. *ELAN* saves the day?

massive wisdom penalty aside, bards have a pretty good will save.
and he has the 'dramatic comprehension' feat, or something.

now i guess we find out how deep the rewind button goes.

--
._n_______n_. dr...@bin.sh (CARRIER LOST) <http://www.bin.sh/>
| --------- |== -----------------------------------------------------------
I"/""|"|Z7""' "There's a time for sneakin' around, my brother, and a
lJ | | time for dropping an attack chopper full of pissed-off
|_l 19-year olds in full body armor on somebody, and we
have reached that appointed hour." -- Col Vance

[Rast]

dr...@bin.sh wrote...

> Alien mind control rays made "Sea Wasp (Ryk E. Spoor)" <sea...@sgeinc.invalid.com> write:
> >> Nope. Check again.

Thank goodness.

> > God-DAMN. *ELAN* saves the day?
>
> massive wisdom penalty aside, bards have a pretty good will save.
> and he has the 'dramatic comprehension' feat, or something.
>
> now i guess we find out how deep the rewind button goes.

Probably to where Roy opens that door and triggers a magical trap.

[tussock]

dr...@bin.sh wrote:
> Sea Wasp (Ryk E. Spoor) wrote:

>> WDS906 wrote:
>>> Nope. Check again.
>>
>> God-DAMN. *ELAN* saves the day?
>
> massive wisdom penalty aside, bards have a pretty good will save.
> and he has the 'dramatic comprehension' feat, or something.

Wisdom penalty is the key. He's never grown up and all his desires are
stupid kid stuff like riding the Tarrasque, which he got to do. Someone had
to come up with a reasoned argument for why their fondest wishes couldn't
possibly be true to get a save in the first place.

Roy's player wasn't willing to argue that Fighters suck. Haley's player
wasn't willing to argue the DM will never deal with her character background
properly. Belkar's player was informed his character was dead, so shutup.

> now i guess we find out how deep the rewind button goes.

885, panel 4-5, haley looks at the runes and says

> But if they were going to blow up, they would have done so by now.

They /had/ blown up, or at least gone all purple-glowy, we just don't
see that 'till the end of 886, and again now in final panel 889.

--
tussock

[Sea Wasp (Ryk E. Spoor)]

I would point out that there were similar runes on the DOOR, so the
rewind might go all the way back to when Haley first started working on
that door.

[dr...@bin.sh]

Alien mind control rays made tussock <sc...@clear.net.nz> write:
> And everyone lives happily ever after.

> Except one, of course, how do they get out of the illusion trap?

and do they get any XP for their lengthy adventures in illusion?

--
._n_______n_. dr...@bin.sh (CARRIER LOST) <http://www.bin.sh/>
| --------- |== -----------------------------------------------------------

I"/""|"|Z7""' "A sucking chest wound is Nature's way of telling you
lJ | | to slow down."
|_l

[tussock]

dr...@bin.sh wrote:
> tussock wrhto:

>> And everyone lives happily ever after.
>> Except one, of course, how do they get out of the illusion trap?
>
> and do they get any XP for their lengthy adventures in illusion?

It's still a 3e comic, so yes, the trap should have a CR assigned.

--
tussock