OOTS Kickstarter Bonus PDFs: The Discussion Thread *Unmarked spoilers*

[Funmerchant]

Dear Giant,
re; page 8 panel 5, sign in window

You're welcome.

[backstaab]

Haham great comic! Didn't see the twist coming either, probably because it's so "normal" to see Belkar, mmm, sorry Ali, kill everything that moves without any backfire!

Just one comment though, on page 6 panel 7, there's a typo, I believe it should be "baguette" and not "bageutte", at least if you're refering to french bread!

[Forbiddenwar]

I find it wonderful that I and, I presume, most readers, as well as Belker, simply assumed that Belker's most valued skill was in killing things. It was a great insight in how not only Belker sees himself, (bad ass at killing, not jumping) but how the audience and the other characters also see him.

Wasn't Roy who also thought the same of him? That his only redeemable quality is that sometimes Belker killed bad guys, usually by accident?

[Winter]

This was an unexpected read in the morning. :D

[Quarion Nailo]

• Uncivil Servant, starring Belkar Bitterlead (2/21/13)

It's funny, because Belkar's the lead.

[Garwain]

I don't get the Toshiro Mifune reference....

[generic.hybrid]

It's a reference to a Kurosawa film. I'm sure you can see similarities between the plots.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yojimbo_(film)

[Totally Guy]

So I read it last night at home. This morning I find myself asking why the pair ran away from the deputy mayor? And I can't reference the PDF right now as I'm at work.

[Dr. Gamera]

As a non-native english speaker, I had some trouble with the 'stationary' part. But google saved the day. And I still laughed a lot.

When the tailor first mentions "stationary", I think it's a typo for "stationery".

Also, thank you Rich, and thank you anonymous backer!

[Tom Lehmann]

Who knew? We've been told that Belkar has just two skill sets all these years when he actually has three and the third one has been right in front of us all along...

Nicely played, Rich. And, thank you, O Generous Backer for donating and choosing Belkar.

[ChristianSt]

Really great story! <3 Belkar *g* (Can we get another one some day?)

[Only thing that would be a nice addition would be some comment like they're are in the books, but I think we have to wait until the story is actually inside a book]

[stsasser]

You've got a point. A lovely last send-off to Belkar, but it's got a bit of a melancholy feel to it. Then again, he's not dead-dead yet!

Very Chaplin/iris out/Tramp feel to Belkar heading down the road.

[allenw]

Thoughts:

• Is... is that the Giant's hand? Is this the first ever in-comic appearence of Rich?

I would count the police sketch artist as an appearance, even if his actual "appearance" apparently doesn't resemble Rich.

[FujinAkari]

Thoughts:

• Is... is that the Giant's hand? Is this the first ever in-comic appearence of Rich?

Sir Thumb is really sad that no one remembers him...

[Jay R]

Thoughts:
Is... is that the Giant's hand? Is this the first ever in-comic appearence of Rich?

Bold Sir Thumb appeared here.

[King of Nowhere]

I found it more sad than funny for the greater part, but still nice. Couldn't expect anything else from a belkar without roy to control him.

By the way, at page 4 of the pdf file, there are a couple of boots of eldricht supremacy with something written on them. It really looks like a code, and I expect it to contain some random joke like the one when V accepted the soul splice. I don't want to take the effort of translating it, but I'd really appreciate if someone with more passion for eciphering codes did.

[SaintRidley]

So I read it last night at home. This morning I find myself asking why the pair ran away from the deputy mayor? And I can't reference the PDF right now as I'm at work.

Because she set the rules, and they both probably felt like they might be breaking the rules (either by talking to an outsider, or by collusion, or something) so they had to avoid the appearance of breaking the rules.

[Sunken Valley]

Question: What level is Belkar supposed to be in this? He's obviously high level as he can destroy the town and kill the 28HP Ankheg with one blow, but not that high as his first act was to run from the creature, this is set before he was imprisoned by the town guard in Origin and before he gained Level 9 in 12. But if he was any level below 7, the chance of him killing the Ankheg with one blow is low.

Also, since when was Belkar a good jumper before his ring? He did not demonstrate this skill before his ring (Fight with Linear guild being primary example) and he is limited by his height under 3.5 rules.

Finally, any hint as to which story is next on the line up.

PS: the twist at the end is the greatest i've seen. It made me go back and check everything (something I rarely do). "Money for the boys" indeed.

[Advance Strat..]

http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0270.html

I dunno if Rich actually remembered that panel or not, but either way there you have it!

[Forbiddenwar]

Also, since when was Belkar a good jumper before his ring? He did not demonstrate this skill before his ring (Fight with Linear guild being primary example) and he is limited by his height under 3.5 rules.

Ah, detailed analysis. The only thing I know for sure is that is is a prequel, and so is under 3.0 rules, which, IIRC, have no height limits on jump. Ergo, Belkar didn't need his ring of jumping until strip 1 when they upgraded to 3.5 rules.

[Morty]

I really doubt that 3.5 rules played any part in this story.

[Toper]

Aaah so good! My favorite gag was the magical shoemaking elves, but there was a lot of awesomely clever dialogue, like the "stationary store" exchange.

[hamishspence]

Ah, detailed analysis. The only thing I know for sure is that is is a prequel, and so is under 3.0 rules, which, IIRC, have no height limits on jump. Ergo, Belkar didn't need his ring of jumping until strip 1 when they upgraded to 3.5 rules.

Isn't it the other way round- with 3.0 having a height-based cap on jump checks, not 3.5?

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/skills/jump.htm

[King of Nowhere]

belkar has always had his jump maximized or close to that. so he could already jump high enough.

And for the killing the ankeg with one hit, I think you're taking it too literally. rich can't show all the hits in a battle, especially since belkar is likely to have 5 or 6 attacks per round. they were probably several blows.

Last, in the first scene belkar run away from the ankeg because he is unarmed. the second time he has a knife with him (a bread knife, true, but still a weapon) so he fight.

[JosephOrJoe]

This is fantastic. The "monsters with skin like a baguette" line is hilarious, and panel 1, page 5 is a wonderful moment -- serene Belkar.

Thanks.

[Beacon of Chaos]

One thing I find really interesting about this story is that it plays up Belkar's extremely low wisdom as the basis for much of his character. It seems like a lot of "evil" is simply being concerned for his personal well-being and at the same time being totally unable to distinguish between violence that people think is useful or good and violence that is monstrous and abhorrent.

It actually makes me think that the "Belkar becomes good when he gains wisdom" gag from way back in strip 58 had a real insight into the character, rather than simply being a throwaway gag.

Huh. I didn't remember that. It's a pretty interesting thing. Nice catch.

[NerdyKris]

So I read it last night at home. This morning I find myself asking why the pair ran away from the deputy mayor? And I can't reference the PDF right now as I'm at work.

Hiring "ringers", or professionals, as employees to win a company charity event is generally frowned upon. That's what they were doing with Belkar. There's lots of examples of this in media. Most notably the "Homer at the Bat" episode of The Simpsons, where Burns hired real baseball players into entry level positions so they could play on the company softball team.

edit to add- Technically, a ringer is anyone entered under false pretenses, not just the fact that they're a professional. But in terms of charity or company teams, it usually means finding a proffessional player and hiring them temporarily, just for the purpose of playing on your team.

[Analytica]

Very interesting. Did not predict the twist, at all.

Agree that low Wisdom behind Evil shines through in his case. Particularly to start with, he seems almost autistically oblivious to a lot of things, and frequently the victim of circumstances because of it. Hungry, ragged Belkar does evoke my sympathy, as well as Belkar fleeing the ankheg.

Then, with every chance he gets, he verbally argues for Evil as a system, as in Evil is the only way the world makes sense for him, getting and receiving in like measure. He hasn't learned yet that others may think differently.

Yes, very low Wisdom, and shaped by a poor, hard life. Neither of which made him anything other than Evil.

[ThePhantasm]

http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0270.html

I dunno if Rich actually remembered that panel or not, but either way there you have it!

Very nice catch. I hadn't made that connection.

[Peelee]

Very nice catch. I hadn't made that connection.

I'm confused. Is that referring to the last line, "It's as true today as it was when I started adventuring: 'when in doubt, set something on fire?'" The only thing set on fire were his old clothes. Or am I missing something?