OOTS #960 - The Discussion Thread

[ti'esar]

Well, sometimes good points or interesting speculation are raised.

It does seem like the most recent threads have been getting more and more readily derailed, though. :/

I've said before that I think it directly relates to the time between strips coming out. Eventually pretty much everyone that has something relevant to say about the comic itself has said it, and so the only people with a reason to keep posting in the thread are those arguing about something.

[Keltest]

I've said before that I think it directly relates to the time between strips coming out. Eventually pretty much everyone that has something relevant to say about the comic itself has said it, and so the only people with a reason to keep posting in the thread are those arguing about something.

That's certainly part of it. Any sufficiently lengthy internet discussion will eventually tangent itself into talking about cats.

[Jaxzan Proditor]

Is there even a point to having dedicated strip discussion threads?

Sometimes things go okay, especially if there is a short time between strips. Although, a lot of times discussion about the comic winds up in new threads or in pre-existing threads, which kind of makes the question worth asking.

[zinycor]

What can we say anyway?

How much awesome do you think Belkar is? Cause i think he is very awesome... and if you don't think that way he's gonna stab you!!

[Stella]

Thog has multiple personalities??

Quick! We must determine who the other personalities are!

Several of them are puppies.

Any sufficiently lengthy internet discussion will eventually tangent itself into talking about cats.

Or puppies.

[Rogar Demonblud]

I guess we're done here than. We're now talking about cats and puppies.

[Emperordaniel]

I guess we're done here than. We're now talking about cats and puppies.

It should be obvious which is inherently superior. tortoises

[Amphiox]

It should be obvious which is inherently superior. tortoises

And so it begins....

[Jaxzan Proditor]

It should be obvious which is inherently superior. tortoises

I was going to go with catpuppies myself.

[Lexible]

I was going to go with catpuppies myself.

Puppycats. (This is a super apt description of the breed... I had one—picked up from the SPCA—strange chocolate-lab color, and I was calling him "puppy cat" long before I found such descriptions in the web)

[Skull the Troll]

I think that the Linear Guild as whole is dead, since Nale and Zz'dtri are (hopefully permanently dead). However, I am sort of hoping that Sabine or maybe another member of the guild pops up again (except maybe Hilgya).

I thought that it was almost a certainty that she would show back up. She and Durkula are now priests of the same god. There is also that matter of the prophesy ie: Durkon bringing disaster to the Dwarven people when he returns. I can't see her missing out on that.

[zimmerwald1915]

She and Durkula are now priests of the same god.

What? When did Loki and Hel become the same person!?

[Kevium]

unless Sabine has some subplot where she tries to get Nale and co resurrected.

As much as I've been lurking, I still find it surprising that I haven't seen anyone suggest that Sabine's dusting in #918 was her collecting Nale's ashes for a future resurrection.

[ti'esar]

As much as I've been lurking, I still find it surprising that I haven't seen anyone suggest that Sabine's dusting in #918 was her collecting Nale's ashes for a future resurrection.

I suspect the fact that she's dusting on an entirely different plane of existence from the one Nale was disintegrated on has something to do with that.

[DaggerPen]

As much as I've been lurking, I still find it surprising that I haven't seen anyone suggest that Sabine's dusting in #918 was her collecting Nale's ashes for a future resurrection.

I've seen it suggested once, but it makes little sense. She was in Hell and Nale's ashes were up in the desert in a plane she was banished from for 24 hours. She was just sweeping up the remains of the smashed TV that she broke.

[Jaxzan Proditor]

As much as I've been lurking, I still find it surprising that I haven't seen anyone suggest that Sabine's dusting in #918 was her collecting Nale's ashes for a future resurrection.

With all the other crazy theories of this forum, I'm also surprised not to have seen it mentioned while I have been here. It doesn't make much sense, but that's almost par for course here.

[Jasdoif]

I've seen it suggested once, but it makes little sense. She was in Hell and Nale's ashes were up in the desert in a plane she was banished from for 24 hours. She was just sweeping up the remains of the smashed TV that she broke.

Huh. Now I'm wondering what the going rates for a multi-planar janitorial service are, and if dustpans and brooms that operate across planar boundaries can be rented.

[DaggerPen]

Huh. Now I'm wondering what the going rates for a multi-planar janitorial service are, and if dustpans and brooms that operate across planar boundaries can be rented.

They can, but the rates are out of this world.

[ericgrau]

The axe is almost certainly the best weapon he has, but it got blown up along with the pyramid and I'm guessing nobody in the Order knows how to use a whip.

Bards get free whip proficiency, and only bards among the core classes for that matter. So Elan could use it. Also thematic for him and it's a finessable weapon meaning he could disarm well with it.

I don't think others will blow a feat to use it even if the Order has done such a thing before. It's not merely the matter of one feat, but also specialization in ability scores, existing feats and equipment they have that go in entirely different directions. So it would be a far greater cost than one feat. Roy could use it well enough as a secondary weapon after blowing a feat on proficiency. But for a secondary tactic zero feat cost sounds a lot better.

[Keltest]

Bards get free whip proficiency, and only bards among the core classes for that matter. So Elan could use it. Also thematic for him and it's a finessable weapon meaning he could disarm well with it.

I don't think others will blow a feat to use it even if the Order has done such a thing before. It's not merely the matter of one feat, but also specialization in ability scores, existing feats and equipment they have that go in entirely different directions. So it would be a far greater cost than one feat. Roy could use it well enough as a secondary weapon after blowing a feat on proficiency. But for a secondary tactic zero feat cost sounds a lot better.

I could see Elan using it, but only if its a magical whip. If it isn't magical, he could have gotten one anywhere, but since he hasn't that says to me he has little interest in using it for... I dunno, whatever a bard uses a whip for.

[jidasfire]

I could see Elan using it, but only if its a magical whip. If it isn't magical, he could have gotten one anywhere, but since he hasn't that says to me he has little interest in using it for... I dunno, whatever a bard uses a whip for.

It belonged to Tarquin. Based on the rest of his equipment, it's probably no less than a +3 or chock full of other crazy abilities.

[ericgrau]

I could see Elan using it, but only if its a magical whip. If it isn't magical, he could have gotten one anywhere, but since he hasn't that says to me he has little interest in using it for... I dunno, whatever a bard uses a whip for.

Disarming weapons and objects from a safe distance: e.g., holy symbols required to cast many divine spells, poorly secured spell component pouches required to cast many arcane spells, the many many plot important items the order has run into. If he had a high strength he could trip with it too, but Elan is pretty much limited to tripping kobolds. There are feats that make it even better at these, but the long reach means no immediate counter-attack means a bard can easily pick up a random whip as a secondary weapon to use against easy disarm/trip targets without any real feat investment. Plus "easy disarm target" includes anyone with light weapons, ranged weapons, and random objects. Even strong foes. Especially if Elan yanks it away with both hands. D&D gives massive bonuses for that.

And ya it is probably enchanted up the wazoo with who knows what.

[Tragak]

I could see Elan using it, but only if its a magical whip. If it isn't magical, he could have gotten one anywhere, but since he hasn't that says to me he has little interest in using it for... I dunno, whatever a bard uses a whip for.

I don't know about Bards, but a Dashing Swordsman might appreciate bringing his own rope to dramatic windows

[DaggerPen]

Yeah, given A. How fitting a whip is for both a Bard and a Dashing Swordsman, B. How little use it got when Tarquin was fighting (he used it to toss V around some, but that's not much play comparatively) and C. The fact that V was clearly shown with the whip when Laurin was disarmed makes me think that Elan is very, very likely to get that whip.

[SaintRidley]

I thought that it was almost a certainty that she would show back up. She and Durkula are now priests of the same god. There is also that matter of the prophesy ie: Durkon bringing disaster to the Dwarven people when he returns. I can't see her missing out on that.

Um, she's a priest of Loki. Durkon (the vampire) is the only priest of Hel there is.

[TheMiningDwarf]

I thought that it was almost a certainty that she would show back up. She and Durkula are now priests of the same god. There is also that matter of the prophesy ie: Durkon bringing disaster to the Dwarven people when he returns. I can't see her missing out on that.

You might be wrong on account of the whole Loki and Hel thing but Loki is a god of chaos and destruction or something along those lines. If it means taking out Thor they might team up against him maybe? It all depends how seriously are Thor and Loki enemies are they enemies or enemies?

[Jaxzan Proditor]

You might be wrong on account of the whole Loki and Hel thing but Loki is a god of chaos and destruction or something along those lines. If it means taking out Thor they might team up against him maybe? It all depends how seriously are Thor and Loki enemies are they enemies or enemies?

Comparing Thor's scenes with Loki and with Hel, it definitely seems like he can get along with Loki, whereas Hel seems to passionately hate him. A team up could happen, but I don't think it will.

[Aedilred]

There's probably a limit to how far we can get into this while remaining within the forum rules, but Loki's relationship with the Aesir/Vanir is generally pretty complicated (preserved, albeit in an odd way, in the Marvel film version) and I've always found it really interesting. He has a relationship with them that veers between friendly and overtly antagonistic; he's broadly speaking "on their side" but has his own agenda (usually "for the lulz"); he solves most of their problems, but also causes most of them; he's one of Odin's best mates, but it's not entirely clear why given he clearly can't be trusted; he lives among them but is not one of them, and almost actively resists becoming so.

If I remember rightly the 3.0 rules listed him as Chaotic Evil, which is probably accurate, but Chaotic is definitely the dominant feature there and you could almost make an argument for CN at times. An alliance between him and Thor would be perfectly reasonable and feasible (assuming the OOtS version follows the normal conventions of that pantheon - indeed Thor and Loki canonically had a couple of adventures together), so long as Thor goes into it aware that Loki will abandon/backstab/Gilligan him if it works to his advantage, he's bored, etc.

That said, iirc canonically Hel is Loki's daughter? That might affect the likelihood of a team-up.

[Keltest]

There's probably a limit to how far we can get into this while remaining within the forum rules, but Loki's relationship with the Aesir/Vanir is generally pretty complicated (preserved, albeit in an odd way, in the Marvel film version) and I've always found it really interesting. He has a relationship with them that veers between friendly and overtly antagonistic; he's broadly speaking "on their side" but has his own agenda (usually "for the lulz"); he solves most of their problems, but also causes most of them; he's one of Odin's best mates, but it's not entirely clear why given he clearly can't be trusted; he lives among them but is not one of them, and almost actively resists becoming so.

If I remember rightly the 3.0 rules listed him as Chaotic Evil, which is probably accurate, but Chaotic is definitely the dominant feature there and you could almost make an argument for CN at times. An alliance between him and Thor would be perfectly reasonable and feasible (assuming the OOtS version follows the normal conventions of that pantheon - indeed Thor and Loki canonically had a couple of adventures together), so long as Thor goes into it aware that Loki will abandon/backstab/Gilligan him if it works to his advantage, he's bored, etc.

That said, iirc canonically Hel is Loki's daughter? That might affect the likelihood of a team-up.

Loki fathered and/or mothered a lot of things. That doesn't necessarily mean much, especially because Loki in the myths was not a "true" god at all but some sort of weird giant god hybrid thing for no particular reason. Since that's pretty clearly not the case in OOTS, I doubt the origin myths conform very tightly, if at all, to the source mythology.

[Gift Jeraff]

Thor and Loki in OOTS always felt more like a friendly rivalry. If anything I can see a team-up with those 2 to stop Hel.