OOTS #254 - The Discussion Thread

[The Giant]

New comic is up.

[Seraph]

misspelt volcanoes for the win.

[Shatteredtower]

And delightful. I kind of like this guy and the way Nale had to get specific before he showed up.

I liked the mop reference too. I wish I could tell you why.

[Vernal]

Dear Rich,

If you continue on this route of superlative humor, I may be forced to commit myself to a hospital for grievous injuries to my sides.

"He Who Must Not Be Toilet Trained" indeed.

Thank you,

Vernal

PS- as a member of the blithering hordes of fans, I command you to take a vaction. :)

[Crolack]

can't...stop...laughing...half...elf...one...ear.. ..

[Midnight Son]

misspelt volcanoes for the win.
And cities buried by them.

[Swordster]

I couldn't believe the one-ear thing at first, I had to get to a quadruple-take before I was sure. That was so funny.

Not to mention the He Who Must Not Be Named anticlimax.

Probably one of your best Rich.

[Leveller]

huddles are fun.

;D ;D ;D

[Arulla]

A clearly-established gender identity.

That's a good one. ;)




Off-topic : My first post, Yay!

[BPDave]

"Thog got to use a mop!" may be the funniest thing I've read all week.

[Krytha]

Funny comic - but I don't understand Sabine's colour comment... Is that some obscure DnD reference that I don't know of? V wears purple robes too doesn't s/he?

Edit : Whoops... purple hair, RED robes

[Annalia]

Too..much...jokes... This one sure is meaty. And great! And I love that hood... And the one-ear idea. And the color change idea. And...everything!

This one was surely classes himself in the top 10!

[watermammal]

Damn you, Giant...can't breathe...tears creating sparks on keyboard...wife looking at me strangely...

<gasp gasp>

I love you, giant. That may have been the funniest one in 2-3 dozen strips. I have to read again!!!

<in commentator voice> And he hits it out of the ball park, folks.

[Lilly]

Eeeeeheeeheee "Thog got to use a mop!"

So Pompey is (darn Harry Potter parody made me think of Madame Pompfrey before the volcano town) an elf only on his left side. Because that is even funnier than just a plain old half elf.

[Matuse]

Prediction: At some point in the next 100 strips, Rich will draw Pompey with an ear (or lack thereof) on the wrong side.

Half-Elf...too funny.


On the issue of opposites:

Vaarsuvius = Vesuvius...volcano in Italy
Pompey = Pompeii...city destroyed when Vesuvius erupted

Pompey has red hair. Vaarsuvius has purple hair.
Pompey has a purple robe. Vaarsuvius has a red robe.
Pompey has a hooded dark purple cape with yellow trim. Vaarsuvius has hoodless dark red cape with ..hrm. pinkish? trim.
Vaarsuvius has shoulder length hair. Pompey's is extremely short.
Vaarsuvius' belt is dark, Pompey's is light. They also have the knots in their belt tied on opposite sides (V=R, P=L).

[Lilly]

Funny comic - but I don't understand Sabine's colour comment... Is that some obscure DnD reference that I don't know of? V wears purple robes too doesn't s/he?

Let's think about V. V's got purple hair and wears red robes. Let's look at Pompey. He's got red hair and wears purple robes.

[RBloom0566]

Now THAT'S what I'm talkin' about!
Excellent and well worth the 9:30p wait time!

"Wizard formerly known as..." *L* Signature spell - "Purple Rain Strike?"

Now, off to the next comic where Rich FINALLY shows us the other recuits? (Not predicting...more like begging).

[watermammal]

I liked the mop reference too. I wish I could tell you why.

I have two theories. First is that as the kid wasn't toilet trained, Thog had to do some cleaning. (More likely) Or, Thog got to do some chopping, then some cleaning. (In my opinion the funnier of the two.)

Incidentally, when Thog said, "Thog like huddles," I couldn't help think of Anchorman when everyone was yelling and the weatherman screamed, "I don't know why we're screaming!"

[Skynet]

Not bad. :)

That said, the half-elf looks pretty lame with his hood on. I'd try to always draw him with it down if I were the Giant.

[watermammal]

A clearly-established gender identity.

That's a good one. ;)

Off-topic : My first post, Yay!

Welcome aboard, Arulla. Happy to have you. Though I am not officially part of the welcoming committee! :P

[The Vorpal Tribble]

Half-elf, so has only one ear. Cute ;)

[Krytha]

Let's think about V. V's got purple hair and wears red robes. Let's look at Pompey. He's got red hair and wears purple robes.


yeaaahhh... I actually checked as soon as I posted and then there was an OOOHHhhh and then there was forum lag so people had to waste their time explaining things to me hahaha

[Arian]

Pompey = Pompeii...city destroyed when Vesuvius erupted

This bodes well for our heroes. Well, 'our protagonists', anyway. :)

BTW, that tagonist joke ('pro' vs 'an') was enough to give any sensitive etymologist nightmares, but it was funny. :)

[sakusha]

On the issue of opposites:
Vaarsuvius = Vesuvius...volcano in Italy
Pompey = Pompeii...city destroyed when Vesuvius erupted

Pompey has red hair. Vaarsuvius has purple hair.
Pompey has a purple robe. Vaarsuvius has a red robe.
Pompey has a hooded dark purple cape with yellow trim. Vaarsuvius has hoodless dark red cape with ..hrm. pinkish? trim.
Vaarsuvius has shoulder length hair. Pompey's is extremely short.
Vaarsuvius' belt is dark, Pompey's is light. They also have the knots in their belt tied on opposite sides (V=R, P=L).


Wow! I definitely missed a few of those, and I didn't understand the volcanoe references until you explained it here. Thanks Matuse!

And to the Giant, :o ;D AWESOME COMIC! I agree with everyone who has said that they about died laughing when they read it and also went back to re-read it numerous times! I'm pretty sure there was at least one time per cell of the strip that I was almost brought to tears from trying to suppress my giggles.

[Annalia]

Anyone notice Nale's cute little tongue? On another note, I know I should have notice it from the other strip but that pink wall in the background is very cool :D)

[Duraska]

Pompey = Pompeii...city destroyed when Vesuvius erupted


Actually "Pompey" was a historical figure. A retired roman general who was (along with Gias Julius Caesar) the last true consul of Rome. Julius Caesar later went on to fight a civil war against Pompey and eventually became the first ever dictator-for-life (he single handedly changed Rome from a Republic into an Dictatorship).

Of course, everyone would know this if they were even *half* as obsessed with the HBO series "Rome" as I am!

Go Romans!l

[Grey Watcher]

Hehe. This was a nice one. :-)

And, another way V and P are opposed is that V seems fairly well convinced of Elven superiority (ie "my noble Elven metabolism", etc.) while P considers Elves to be scum. Good stuff.

And actually, on the first reading, I thought Thog said "thog got to use a map!" Which I thought meant that there had been maps involved in Thog's toilet training. (Man, I'm weird.) But the mop thing is funnier, because Thog is clearly doesn't realize what a crappy job it is.

[Flak_Razorwill]

Still, Pompeii/Pompey is another volcanic reference. It's also Roman, so who cares?

I always think of Cthulhu whenever I hear "He who must not be named." Something like "The thing that should not be."

[Gleanerizer]

When will I learn never to drink something when I read the new comic? I think I need new lungs for coughing so much. :D

We need some half-elf avatars.. 8)

[mec]

I read "Thog got to use a map" too, and could not figure it out!

Another way that P and V are opposed: P acquires a semaphore, and V releases it.

[Kini]

Half-elf heh. ;D

I liked the one ear thing, though I didn't get it at first. :P

[Duraska]

I read "Thog got to use a map" too, and could not figure it out!

Another way that P and V are opposed: P acquires a semaphore, and V releases it.


Somebody (else) was a computer science major :)

[zibeck]

I'm a bit slightly disturbed that Nale refers to Vaarsuvius as "that elf chick" when he acknowledges him/her to be ambigulously gendered?

[Wilsonism]

"He who must not be toilet trained".....classic. I really want to see what's up with the oots, but this is a pretty great side. I want to see what's up with Xylon

[Ilover_Juventad]

Yet again, the Giant has tickled my spine. Bravo! Keep it coming, I'm dying (figuratively) to see the other replacements.

[Nasrudith]

I'm a bit slightly disturbed that Nale refers to Vaarsuvius as "that elf chick" when he acknowledges him/her to be ambigulously gendered?


That's just the giant taunting us about V's gender. Heck he would get tons of sales publishing an evelope with a symbol of V's gender inside it. And that symbol would be an octogon or something.

[Winged One]

;D

Love the evil half-elf!

EDIT: not like that. Get yer mind outa the gutter. ;)

[Nutmegger]

Of course, the clincher would be for Pompey to have an annoying familiar who is constantly around until needed and then mysteriously vanishes.

[humanpylon]

He who must not be toilet trained. Does that mean he's a crappy mage?

Classic, classic classic comic. ;D

[The Giant]

Heck he would get tons of sales publishing an evelope with a symbol of V's gender inside it. And that symbol would be an octogon or something.

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you GITP's new vice president of marketing.

[Matuse]

Of course, everyone would know this if they were even *half* as obsessed with the HBO series "Rome" as I am!

Yes, but Pompey Magnus has no relation to anything similar to "Vaarsuvius". I also thought of Rome when I first saw the name, but the connection with Pompeii is just too obvious, particularly when you've been there. Spooky place, that.

[DrewDaGreek]

LoL!!

I loved it. Now we know what OOTS half-elves look like. Most execellent!

I'm really loving the linear guild stuf. More Thog!!!

[archon_huskie]

another opposite of V and P.

V is on the bottom left side of the keyboard.
P is on the top right side.

I bet the Giant planned the layout of the keyboads that way.

[humanpylon]

Not to be a nitpicker, but z is bottom left of my keyboard.

[JessmanCA]

<3 thog

[Duraska]

Yes, but Pompey Magnus has no relation to anything similar to "Vaarsuvius". I also thought of Rome when I first saw the name, but the connection with Pompeii is just too obvious, particularly when you've been there. Spooky place, that.


Too right. I just have this requirement that I plug "Rome" whenever possible. ;D

[thecoweyed]

Yes, but Pompey Magnus has no relation to anything similar to "Vaarsuvius". I also thought of Rome when I first saw the name, but the connection with Pompeii is just too obvious, particularly when you've been there. Spooky place, that.


I have to admit, I fell into the same trap. I was like, "'Pompey'? don't you mean 'Pliny'?" (the naturalist/philosopher who barely escaped the eruption of Vesuvius and whose description of events there is extant.) "Pompey wasn't even ALIVE when--- oohhhh...."

'Cause I'm slow like that.

TCE

[watermammal]

He who must not be toilet trained. Does that mean he's a crappy mage?

Classic, classic classic comic. ;D

Lily, I am disappointed... I thought if anything would do it, that would get your attention!

So when do these gender envelopes go on sale?

[KBF]

The best opposite yet, it is! When Nale said: "Hey, a clearly defined gender, it IS an opposite!" I thought of it like how Homestar Runner talks.

[Some_Guy]

That's just the giant taunting us about V's gender. Heck he would get tons of sales publishing an evelope with a symbol of V's gender inside it. And that symbol would be an octogon or something. That's kind of disturbing in a way I cannot fully explain.

[Duskrider_Moogle]

Pure awesome.

[vampeel]

Thog was great, thog is great, thog is... thog

we want more thog


ohh and pompey has not yellow head gear where Vaarsuvius does

[Edna]

Can't...stop...laughing...

One of the best things about OotS is that when I read a strip a second time, I always find something new. I read this one in a hurry just before I ran out the door to rehearsal, and I loved the half-elf ear (ROTFL!) and the four who Must Not Be Looked At. Now that I'm home and have had a chance to read it more carefully, I'm laughing at the Vesuvius/Pompeii connection, and Thog's enjoyment of the huddle. (And the ear, too!)

Edna

[Asfrith]

This has GOT to be one of the best strip to date... It's hard to compare the different strips, but I think I woke up everybody in my dorm when I laughed out loud just now...

Half elf with one ear... Hilarity!

[Phasm]

Yet more evidence that Phasm has a negative Wisdom modifier... I didn't pick up on the one ear until I read the comic thread. Half an elf... ::snerk:: Complete with annoying smart-kid attitude. Ohhh yes, definitely an Evil Opposite! Dang, I can't wait to see V and Pompey encounter one another now.

But why would anyone take Evocation as a barred school? It works for just about any kind of encounter, and maximized Fireballs are so gloriously pyrotechnic! ;D Mmm, gotta love that flame-roasted flavor!

And I second the motion for Rich to take a Christmas vacation. You do this because it's fun, yes? If it's not fun right now, take a break. Rejuvenate your creative energies and amaze us with your Epic-level humor upon your return!

[MagFlare]

Thog is relentlessly lovable.

[vegetablevoice]

Posted by: Phasm Posted on: Today at 1:17am

But why would anyone take Evocation as a barred school? It works for just about any kind of encounter, and maximized Fireballs are so gloriously pyrotechnic! Mmm, gotta love that flame-roasted flavor!

<Scorpion> TOASTY! </Scorpion>

I'm amused at "I think the Elf uses Evocation." Umm...yeah. Occasionally. A little bit. :o

Great strip, Giant!

-VV

[Aeek]

V's signature tentacle spell, I wonder what P's signature spell is. Not going to think about it, just enjoy it when it sneaks up.

[Kish]

I'm amused at "I think the Elf uses Evocation." Umm...yeah. Occasionally. A little bit. :o

Hm, have we ever seen Vaarsuvius use Enchantment?

Edit: Oh, duh, Suggestion.

[Xarkan]

But why would anyone take Evocation as a barred school? It works for just about any kind of encounter, and maximized Fireballs are so gloriously pyrotechnic! ;D Mmm, gotta love that flame-roasted flavor!

There is very little that you cant solve just as well with conjured beings.. only thing is that casting time on the summon monster spells

[Kish]

Zz'dtri also, befitting Vaarsuvius' opposite, never once cast a named direct damage spell onstage (though there was that lightning thing s/he used on Vaarsuvius at the end).

[U2QueenBee]

Hm, have we ever seen Vaarsuvius use Enchantment?

V doesn't need to, surely, when Elan is so very good at it. *cough* ;D

Vaarsuvius and Pompey...awesome.

[RabiAkiva]

OMG how this comic gets analyzed......

[SirGalrim]

OMG how this comic gets analyzed......
Yes it has become hopeless to read the comic-forum here...

[Lolletzor]

Thog is the best character in the comic!
(rofl huddles)

[mec]

Hm, have we ever seen Vaarsuvius use Enchantment?

Edit: Oh, duh, Suggestion.

And Crushing Despair.

[Spuddly]

Hmm, I liked the 253 better myself. This one was a little TOO nuanced for me. Pff, like I memorize volcanoes ::).

I do lessthanthree Thog. His nonverbosity makes his one liners that much more lawlersk8s.

[captainno]

can't...stop...laughing...half...elf...one...ear.. ..

Me too. I laughed for a good 5 minutes on that one.

[ref]

Amazing comic! So many jokes... hehe...

And it seems Phasm loves the smell of bat guano in the morning, too...

And one thing...


Another way that P and V are opposed: P acquires a semaphore, and V releases it.


HUH?

[Kish]

There is very little that you cant solve just as well with conjured beings..
"Sacrificing minions....Is there any--" *ducks*

[thecoweyed]

I really hope it's not just the ear, but that the kid is actually an Elf on his left side and a Human on his right.... it opens up the door to some great Iolanthe-style jokes.

(Iolanthe, for those who haven't heard of it, is a G&S operetta about a man who's a fairy from the waist up and mortal from the waist down. "And while my upper half is immortal, my lower half grows older every day. And what's to become of my upper half when I've buried my lower half, I really don't know.")

Mon bisous,

TCE

[Wrecan]

Excellent comic, Giant!

[Orzel]

Finally, half elf jokes.

[MasseJoark]

Hmm, I liked the 253 better myself. This one was a little TOO nuanced for me. Pff, like I memorize volcanoes ::).

I didn't get the volcano reference either so I went back into the comic to try and see where the Giant mentions volcanoes only to find out I didn't pay enough attention in high school. <shrug> History was always my most hated subject.

I also looked up the P vs V semophore reference, but I didn't come up anything so I thank you to the person who told me it was a Computer Science reference. Never would have gotten that one.

Giant, This is a terriffic arc. Thanks for giving me something to laugh at multiple times a week.

~ MJ

[shnu]

Amazing comic! So many jokes... hehe...

And it seems Phasm loves the smell of bat guano in the morning, too...

And one thing...

on Dec 7th, 2005, 10:15pm, mec wrote:
Another way that P and V are opposed: P acquires a semaphore, and V releases it.


HUH?

From http://www.clapper.org/software/java/util/javadocs/util/api/org/clapper/util/misc/Semaphore.html:


[Edsgar] Dijkstra developed the concept of semaphores ... as an aid to synchronizing processes. A semaphore is a variable that can be operated upon only by the synchronizing primitives, P and V (letters corresponding to words in Dijkstra's native language, Dutch) defined as follows:

P(S): wait for S to become greater than zero and then subtract 1 from S and proceed
V(S): add 1 to S and then proceed
"P allows a process to block itself voluntarily while it waits for an event to occur. V allows another process to wake up a blocked process. Each of these operations must be performed indivisibly; that is, the are not interruptible. The V-operation cannot block the process that performs it.

[GreyRat]

"OMG how this comic gets analyzed......"

"Yes it has become hopeless to read the comic-forum here..."

The writer of Babylon 5 (sci-fi show) justified the timing of space-journeys by claiming that all ships in his universe travelled at the speed of Plot.
I think some people should accept that things in OoTS happen because the chracters are bound by the laws of narrative more than the laws of physics, etc.

(BTW, is anyone else amused that the Linear Guild is anything but LG when it comes to alignment?)

[Sundog]

Not entirely. I believe Nale is LE, the exact opposite of Elan's CG. That would make his girlfriend a Devil, probably.

Whatever, they don't seem to worry about the Law-Chaos axis much. As long as Pompey's evil, that seems to be enough for the Guild.

[Starbuck_II]

Couldn't Pompey be CN or NE?

V seems LN or TN...I don't consider her too good. Too involved in magic to care I see V as.

So what does the linear Guild miss still?
They have:
Thog=Roy
Nale=Elan
Sabine=Haley
Pompey=V

They need Belkar, Durkon, and maybe Miko?
Does the Guild know of the Paladin?

[Mjoellnir]

Why does everybody think that Elan is CG??? Elan doesn't understand neither law nor chaos http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/GiantITP/ootscript?SK=68 . I would say he's NG. As Haley said "he can't be lawful", but I see no reason why Elan should be chaotic.

[Alfryd]

"That's just the giant taunting us about V's gender. Heck he would get tons of sales publishing an evelope with a symbol of V's gender inside it. And that symbol would be an octogon or something."
That's kind of disturbing in a way I cannot fully explain.
I want to see it anyway.

[Rizzo]

As always Thog made me laugh out loud. Strip #51 is still, by far, my favourite though :)
Thanks for a great comic Rich.

[Kadi]

I believe Elan's CG-ness is inferred from the fact that his mother was CG.

[Sylian]

Why does everybody think that Elan is CG??? Elan doesn't understand neither law nor chaos http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/GiantITP/ootscript?SK=68 . I would say he's NG. As Haley said "he can't be lawful", but I see no reason why Elan should be chaotic.
His mother is/was CG. His brother is LE.
He acts Chaotic.

[Leveller]

Couldn't Pompey be CN or NE?

V seems LN or TN...I don't consider her too good. Too involved in magic to care I see V as.

So what does the linear Guild miss still?
They have:
Thog=Roy
Nale=Elan
Sabine=Haley
Pompey=V

They need Belkar, Durkon, and maybe Miko?
Does the Guild know of the Paladin?


V is good, the giant said so himself. And P is evil, he said so himself. and they do not know of Miko. And they have anti belkar and anti durkon too.

[sniffles]

Why does everybody think that Elan is CG??? Elan doesn't understand neither law nor chaos http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/GiantITP/ootscript?SK=68 . I would say he's NG. As Haley said "he can't be lawful", but I see no reason why Elan should be chaotic.
Oh, no, it's my avatar's evil opposite!! ;)
To me, Elan's behavior is the very model of chaotic. He doesn't think before he acts. :)

I just can't get over how good Rich is at making every strip laugh-out-loud funny. The man is amazing.
"Hey, a clearly established gender identity! He is an evil opposite! Now get away from my woman, Ear Boy." :D :D :D

[mossfoot]

The writer of Babylon 5 (sci-fi show) justified the timing of space-journeys by claiming that all ships in his universe travelled at the speed of Plot.

Always nice to see a B5 fan :D

Funny strip... since these guys are evil I'd be sorely disappointed if Sabine didn't sleep with Pompey behind Nales' back... if for no other reason than to be evil ;)

[Ebon_Drake]

Heh, half-elf. And thank the Gods for the forums, otherwise I never would've got the Pompey joke (I was thinking of Pompey the Great too.)

[Gwain]

Actually "Pompey" was a historical figure. A retired roman general who was (along with Gias Julius Caesar) the last true consul of Rome. Julius Caesar later went on to fight a civil war against Pompey and eventually became the first ever dictator-for-life (he single handedly changed Rome from a Republic into an Dictatorship).

Of course, everyone would know this if they were even *half* as obsessed with the HBO series "Rome" as I am!

Go Romans!l


being italian i guess i should answer:

Pompei: City being destroyed by the Vesuvio
Pompeo: Historical Figure
Vesuvio: Volcano

:*

edit: corrected a typo

[zibeck]

That's just the giant taunting us about V's gender. Heck he would get tons of sales publishing an evelope with a symbol of V's gender inside it. And that symbol would be an octogon or something.

My point was that the term "chick" implies physical attraction, whereas Nale clearly admidts in the latest strip to being unsure of V's gender.

[evileeyore]

My point was that the term "chick" implies physical attraction, whereas Nale clearly admidts in the latest strip to being unsure of V's gender.
Not necessarily. I use chick, woman, female, babe, and honey pretty much interchangeably depending on the mood, time of day, alignment of the stars, whatever.

[Amalthea]

Why does everybody think that Elan is CG??? Elan doesn't understand neither law nor chaos http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/GiantITP/ootscript?SK=68 . I would say he's NG. As Haley said "he can't be lawful", but I see no reason why Elan should be chaotic.
[Edit: I was pointing out the same theory as everyone else who replied before me, so I'm replacing my two lines with a treatise on entropy and the law v chaos alignment axis.]

The principle of entropy states that the default state of matter tends towards chaos, and energy is required to impose order.
This could be paralleled by the default state of alignment being chaotic, and a certain amount of intelligence is necessary in order to have a lawful or neutral alignment, with the amount of intelligence being equal to that necessary to comprehend law v. chaos and apply that to ones chosen actions.*

*This does not work in the opposite direction, one may of course choose chaotic actions without being a dunce.

In simpler terms: In order to chose to do a lawful act, you need to understand that it is a lawful act, otherwise you're just chosing based on your preferences (which is chaotic).
If you compare Elan, Haley and Belkar, they're all chaotic, their actions are dictated by their own desires without regard for lawfulness or unlawfulness. However Haley and Belkar specifically chose their chaotic actions, whereas Elan is much more childlike.
He's just too adorably dumb to understand lawfulness, therefore he's chaotic by default.

[Devils_Advocate]

And Crushing Despair.
And Sleep and Hold Person. I think it might be V's most used school after Evocation and maybe Abjuration. (If that's true, the fact that someone couldn't even remember V casting an enchantment just goes to show how evocation-happy the elf is.)

I can see the reasoning behind a Conjurer banning Evocation. You've already got Summon Monster spells to help you in combat, and Evocation isn't useful for much but combat. Of course, if you really wanted to focus on dealing damage, it might be best to have both, but there are less direct tactics that are also quite useful in battle.

Enchanment is also a good banned school if you're going to be in a party with a bard. Or a sorceror who specializes in enchanment spells! :D

[humanpylon]

One good reason to avoid enchantment spells is the reliance on saving throws. With evocation spells they usually do damage no matter what the saving throw. When a higher lever caster uses enchantment spells, chances are the monsters he faces have really good saving throws, making it an all or nothing gamble.

[Wrecan]

Why does everybody think that Elan is CG??? Elan doesn't understand neither law nor chaos http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/GiantITP/ootscript?SK=68 .

In that same strip, he seems to perfectly understand both evil and good. That would make him True Neutral, which he isn't because the Giant has already said that Elan is good-aligned.


I would say he's NG. As Haley said "he can't be lawful", but I see no reason why Elan should be chaotic.

I think he completely acts Chaotic. Although he did serve as a squire to a lord, he seems to have no respect for authority figures, customs, or traditions. He'll blow up cosmic gates solely to increase dramatic tension. He's a walking chaos-maker!

[Phasm]

And it seems Phasm loves the smell of bat guano in the morning too...
Yes, Phasm does, referee! :D That line of V's was in my sig for quite a while. While it is quite amusing to kick back with a mai tai and watch a summoned greater earth elemental pound one's enemies into chunky salsa, Xarkan... I just have this thing for great balls o' fire. One reason I love V so much!

While Enchantment can be dicey, when it works it's almost as much fun as fireballs. Ever dominated an enemy barbarian and sent him at the enemy mage? ;D It's beautiful, absolutely beautiful. V demonstrated the joys of enchantment quite well on the black dragon. Of course, it's a colossal pain when it happens to your party... which is why a prudent caster always keeps at least one Dispel Magic handy.

Oh, and being a total geology nerd, I happened to love the volcano names.

[RebelRogue]

(BTW, is anyone else amused that the Linear Guild is anything but LG when it comes to alignment?)
No. I've actually been confused about this a few times myself, until I realized it was an abbreviation :)

alignment of the stars
Depends on the star. Death stars, for intance, are neutral evil ;)

[zibeck]

And Sleep and Hold Person. I think it might be V's most used school after Evocation and maybe Abjuration. (If that's true, the fact that someone couldn't even remember V casting an enchantment just goes to show how evocation-happy the elf is.)


It would depend on your criteria for V's secondary school. The only abjuration spells V uses are Dispel Magic and Explosive Runes, although he uses them quite frequently. He have seen V use a greater variey of enchantment spells though.

[RebelRogue]

(BTW, is anyone else amused that the Linear Guild is anything but LG when it comes to alignment?)
No. I've actually been confused about this a few times myself, until I realized it was an abbreviation :)

alignment of the stars
Depends on the star. Death stars, for intance, are neutral evil ;)

[RebelRogue]

(BTW, is anyone else amused that the Linear Guild is anything but LG when it comes to alignment?)
No. I've actually been confused about this a few times myself, until I realized it was an abbreviation :)

alignment of the stars
Depends on the star. Death stars, for instance, are neutral evil ;)

[Mr._Blinky]

No. I've actually been confused about this a few times myself, until I realized it was an abbreviation :)
Depends on the star. Death stars, for instance, are neutral evil ;)

Why did you post the same thing three times?

But, yeah, the LG thing screwed me up a lot too. I wonder if the Giant did it on purpose...

[Tariskat]

I may regret this, and please don't hate me for asking. But what is a "barred school"? :-[

[Winged One]

A school of magic that a specialist wizard gives up in exchange for the class features he or she gets from specializing in another school. All but divination require 2 barred schools under 3.5 edition rules.

[Some_Guy]

Depends on the star. Death stars, for instance, are neutral evil ;)I dunno. The whole point of the Death Star was to enforce evil tyrrany through fear and intimidation. (And to blow up anyone who resisted, obviously)

That says Lawful Evil to me. ;)

[Tariskat]

so the new kid can't cast anything from those two schools, but he can have them cast on him? I was wondering if there was a relation to what would not have an effect on him. But the "evil opposite" is just that V always casts those two, but P will never, is all?
btw, thanks for answering me.

[JeffreyToTheMax]

P can have those types of spells cast on him, but he just can't cast them himself. Unless there are some crazy alternate rules here, but I doubt it.

(Yes! I beat my more knowledgable peers to answering a D&D question! I never thought this day would come...)

[KBF]

so the new kid can't cast anything from those two schools, but he can have them cast on him? I was wondering if there was a relation to what would not have an effect on him. But the "evil opposite" is just that V always casts those two, but P will never, is all?
btw, thanks for answering me.

Not only that he can't use those spells, either(I forget which one) 1,2, or 3 has all the differences.

[Matuse]

The whole point of the Death Star was to enforce evil tyrrany through fear and intimidation. (And to blow up anyone who resisted, obviously)

That says Lawful Evil to me.

The Death Star is unaligned (no, not neutral). Its users are LE.

[Xilehxt]

Quick question..anyone know what V's banned schools are? Since Pompey in conjuration, V might have conjuration as his banned school (haven't seen her cast any of those spells) What could the other banned school be?

[KBF]

V isn't a a specialist until Rich desides to make V a specialist.

(See how I avoided gender words?)

[Tariskat]

Not only that he can't use those spells, either(I forget which one) 1,2, or 3 has all the differences.


Ah, sorry; not quite understanding that one. All the differences ..?

[CharPixie]

I'm sure it was mentioned at some point.

[Tariskat]

I don't believe so; it was me he quoted and was trying to answer. So Pompy can't cast those two types of spells, but the 1,2,3 thing...

Edit: page numbers! it's all so clear now...

[KBF]

It was: the very bottom of page 1. Go look please.

EDIT: Sorry, I'm kinda tired.

[Tariskat]

Oh!! Sorry, that's my bad. I was talking about strictly magic skills opposition, not all 'evil opposite' differences between the two characters. I read those; so sorry that's me not being clear.

[Xilehxt]

[SPOILER FROM ORIGIN OF PCS!!!!!!]


I don't see it. However, V is a evoker. That's for sure. Her character sheet syas so. To be an opposite, P has banned evocation and enchantment. V has used (to my knowledge) abjuration, enchantment, evocation, illusion, and transmutation, which leaves conjuration, divination, and necromancy. Since divination can't be chosen as a prohibited school, she is a evoker, with prohibited schools in conjuration and necromancy.

[END SPOILER]

Unless V's character uses the 3rd edition specialization rules, which are very irregular and I'm lazy...but as OOTS#1 says, they are completly converted.

Oh and I use feminine pronouns because although I know that it is undetermined, I think she's female.

[DarkCloud]

But why would anyone take Evocation as a barred school? It works for just about any kind of encounter, and maximized Fireballs are so gloriously pyrotechnic! Mmm, gotta love that flame-roasted flavor!


Evocation and Enchantment- two of the most useful schools...

I made the mistake of taking both as prohibited schools in Icewind Dale II- and sorely regretted it. My wizard wasn't even half-way useful until level 4. Until then, I just gave him a sling and told him to stay out of the way.

Great work Rich- I didn't even catch on to the Vaarsuvius/Pompey duality until I read the boards here! ;D

[bluish_wolf]

Quick question..anyone know what V's banned schools are? Since Pompey in conjuration, V might have conjuration as his banned school (haven't seen her cast any of those spells) What could the other banned school be?

The tentacle spell V cast back in strip 20 is clearly conjuration.

[Euphemism]

I seem to recall one of the tentacle spells being Evocation - it was strange to me then, but explains the spell here.

[Xilehxt]

Hmmm...that's true...tentacles...yes..

Then what is her prohibited school?
Abjuration: Protection from arrows
Conjuration: Evan's tentacles of Forced Intrusion
Evocation: FIREBALL
Enchantment: Suggestion
Illusion: Invisibility Sphere
Transmutation: Owl's wisdom

The only schools are divination and necromancy, and as V being a power gmaer, she probably bent the rules abit and just took divination as ...wait. It just thought of something. Detect magic...that's divination. Hmm, the strips point her as just a wizard then. Is the Origin of the PCs misinformed then?

[Adghar]

Some possibilities that may not have been considered.

"Hi, I'm a powergamer wizard that doesn't specialize in any schools."
"HEATHEN! MONSTER! YOU CAN'T EXIST! NOOOOOOOOooooooooooo!"

"Hi, I'm a powergamer Evoker with no barred schools due to an abused house rule."
"HEATHEN! MONSTER! YOU CAN'T EXIST! NOOOOOOOOooooooooooo!"

[Phasm]

"Hi, I'm a powergamer wizard who doesn't specialize in any schools!"
::cough, innocent look:: This would be a "who, me?" moment. ;) I've only ever played one specialist wizard, and that's due to a campaign setting rule on the part of the DM (all wizards in this place specialize). So I took Divination. See, the aspect I love most about wizards is the ability to compile a huge honkin' set of spellbooks with a spell for every occasion. Specializing cuts back on your potential knowledge!

Judging by past strips, V seems to have more of this generalist philosophy than a specialist philosophy. We need to get past a bunch of goblins? Invisibility Sphere! Want to know what that belt does? Identify! Chimera attacking? FIREBALL! And Lightning Bolt, and Evan's Spiked Tentacles of Forced Intrusion for good measure! A true evoker would've just used three fireballs. (Which is a fine strategy, but it does lack the panache of Spiked Tentacles. :D )

::chortles, imagining the showdown between V and Pompey:: Sadly, this probably won't happen for a while. Ah well, such is life with webcomics. If I wanted instant gratification, I'd be buying print comics. And going even more broke than I already am. :P

[Gralamin]

Why does everybody think that Elan is CG??? Elan doesn't understand neither law nor chaos http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/GiantITP/ootscript?SK=68 . I would say he's NG. As Haley said "he can't be lawful", but I see no reason why Elan should be chaotic.

http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/GiantITP/ootscript?SK=206
Last panel, Nuff Said.

[Devils_Advocate]

Interesting. Well, V certainly acts like an evoker.

By elimination, Vaarsuvius's barred schools must be Necromancy and Conjuration. Evan's Spiked Tentacles must be an evocation. I'm not sure why V asks Zz'dtri about trading Fly for Vampiric Touch in #49. Maybe V has a scroll of it, and some sort of feat that allows him/her to use scrolls from banned schools, or ranks in Use Magic Device.

Oh, and even if OOTS does have a house rule allowing Divination as a prohibited school (and requiring Diviners to bar two schools, presumably, and maybe get more spells (http://www.giantitp.com/Func0011.html)?), we know V can cast Divination spells; remember him/her Identifying the Girdle of Femininity/Masculinity?

EDIT: Ah, so that's why V was buying potions of Mage Armor back in #135! :)

[Mjoellnir]

http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/GiantITP/ootscript?SK=206
Last panel, Nuff Said.

I always play chaotic good chars, please do NOT mistake total dumbness with chaotic alignment if you don't won't to get murdered by Belkar in your dreamless sleep. ;)
Well I don't want to make a big philosphical discussion about the D&D Alignment system or the OOTS Comic. For me Elan ist NG (I think his chaotic behaviour comes from dumbness not from alignment), and Vaarsuvius-V-Man is male, for others Elans behaviour is chaotic, so he must be it from alignment and V is a girl. Everyone can read the comic how he likes it best.

Oh, and to Pompey, I don't think he will make much trouble, he banned two of the best schools. ;D

[Snicker-Snack]

Oh, and to Pompey, I don't think he will make much trouble, he banned two of the best schools. ;D

When you say two if the best, you mean two of the eight best, right? ;D

[Flippy]

Did anyone else notice the relation between the names of Pompey(Pompeii) and Vaarsuvius(Vesuvius)? What happened to Pompeii when the Vesuvius erupted? And what's V's favorite spell? Precisely

EDIT: Yes it has. I should read the forums more often

[Amalthea]

I always play chaotic good chars, please do NOT mistake total dumbness with chaotic alignment if you don't won't to get murdered by Belkar in your dreamless sleep. ;)
I did point out that one may have a chaotic alignment because one choses chaotic actions. (I even used Belkar and Haley as examples of this.)

I just said that chaotic is the default behavior if you're too dumb to understand the concept of lawfulness.

[Edit] I'm truely curious - when did Mr. Burlew say that V was definatively good (as opposed to merely being non-evil)? Does anyone have a link?

[bluish_wolf]

I seem to recall one of the tentacle spells being Evocation - it was strange to me then, but explains the spell here.

Evard's Black Tentacles
Conjuration (Creation)
Level: Sor/Wiz 4
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Effect: 1d4 tentacles + one tentacle/level, all within 15 ft. of a central point
Duration: 1 hour/level
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No
This spell conjures many rubbery black tentacles. These waving members seem to spring forth from the earth, floor, or whatever surface ...

Of course, the spikey version could be different, but I don't see why.

[Mjoellnir]

When you say two if the best, you mean two of the eight best, right? ;D


Hm, I was never a big friend of conjuration or Necromancy. ;) But you're right, the decision is very hard, even when I make villains for my group. Especially warlocks from WarCraft who have three barred schools. ;D



I did point out that one may have a chaotic alignment because one choses chaotic actions. (I even used Belkar and Haley as examples of this.)

I just said that chaotic is the default behavior if you're too dumb to understand the concept of lawfulness.

[Edit] I'm truely curious - when did Mr. Burlew say that V was definatively good (as opposed to merely being non-evil)? Does anyone have a link?

Yes, sorry, that I didn't answer, but your post was some pages back thanks to the time difference (here it's 17:27)

Sure that chaotic behavior comes from dumbness? What about ants? ;D That's a point we could argue days over. Is the lack of order chaos? What's neutrality then?

[Qwernt]

I am having a hard time thinking of a panel that I like more than the last one... especially the rocket skates.

Super-Genius in deed!

[Amalthea]

Sure that chaotic behavior comes from dumbness? What about ants? ;D That's a point we could argue days over. Is the lack of order chaos? What's neutrality then?
Alignment is a very subtle thing though. For example, I can make a case for Belkar performing a Lawful Evil action that reinforces his Chaotic Evil alignment.

I would, however, point out that ants, as animals, are incapable of moral action of any sort, and are neutral as defined by the PHB. Either that or they're super geniuses bent on world domination. Take your pick. ;)

Hmm, this is getting a little off topic ;D but if you like, I can dredge up my "Rules of Alignment" sheet and we can talk about alignment on the gaming board.

[Mjoellnir]

Alignment is a very subtle thing though. For example, I can make a case for Belkar performing a Lawful Evil action that reinforces his Chaotic Evil alignment.

I would, however, point out that ants, as animals, are incapable of moral action of any sort, and are neutral as defined by the PHB. Either that or they're super geniuses bent on world domination. Take your pick. ;)

Hmm, this is getting a little off topic ;D but if you like, I can dredge up my "Rules of Alignment" sheet and we can talk about alignment on the gaming board.


Ohoh, we will argue days over this... Good english training for me! ;)

[Wakshaani]

As for the rest of Nale's group? Anti-Durkon could be a warrior with a good head for numbers, something which Durkon never has been able to handle. Making him opposite of a Dwarf would imply something big. Like, say, a Half-Ogre.

Perhaps a Half-Ogre who mastered the complexities of AoO, something Roy himself only got a C- in back in college, and who has fought the Order of the Stick before?

"Wait. Didn't you fall off of a two hundred foot cliff?"

"Yeah. Dropped a bunch of 1's for damage. Funny, huh?"

*grumble*