OOTS #968 - The Discussion Thread

[Keltest]

I really enjoy watching Durkula maneuver and scheme right under Roy's nose. It's a combination of Durkula's charisma (+4 from the vampire template), bluff score (which must have more ranks than Durkon), and a bonus because Roy wants to believe him.

That been said, I don't understand the punchline in the last panel. What are all of the gnome colors so drab? There were some gnomes wearing bright colors when they arrived, so what am I missing?

Historically, Elan has gone "Dun dun DUN!" whenever something dramatic is happening, even when he doesn't know whats going on. In this case, he is NOT doing so during a dramatic moment, instead commenting on the colors of the bags.

[Clistenes]

I really enjoy watching Durkula maneuver and scheme right under Roy's nose. It's a combination of Durkula's charisma (+4 from the vampire template), bluff score (which must have more ranks than Durkon), and a bonus because Roy wants to believe him.

That been said, I don't understand the punchline in the last panel. What are all of the gnome colors so drab? There were some gnomes wearing bright colors when they arrived, so what am I missing?

At first it seems that Elan is making ominous music following Durkula ominous statement, but in fact he is complaining because all the Holding Bags are dun-colored and he doesn't like them.

[Peelee]

To simplify what Keltest and Clistenes said, it's solely for the sake of a joke.

[elros]

Thanks for the explanation (but a bit embarrassed I needed it). I didn't realize "DUN" was a color!

[Lord Vukodlak]

It's funny how Vaarsuvius should logically be the party member with the highest number of skillpoints, but didn't bother to max out hir 4 main knowledges. Where did all those points go?

She likely considered studying religion a pointless endeavor as clearly Durkon a man of faith would be invested in such things.

[Tragak]

She likely considered studying religion a pointless endeavor as clearly Durkon a man of faith would be invested in such things.

I wouldn't say that it's "likely" that he considers studying religion to be a pointless endeavor so much as she has explicitly stated that he does

[littlebum2002]

Has Elan done the "dun dun DUN" gag other than the chimera and this strip? I swear I remember him doing it another time.

[Jasdoif]

Has Elan done the "dun dun DUN" gag other than the chimera and this strip? I swear I remember him doing it another time.

Last panel of 591.

[Bulldog Psion]

Last panel of 591.

For whatever, I find the statement "Maybe you're squeezing him too hard" in that frame to be quite humorous.

[littlebum2002]

I knew it was a more common gag than 950 something strips ago

EDIT: Hey, I was really close! 947 strips ago. That was an amazingly good guess.

[Porthos]

Also at the beginning of the Crayons of Time story during the trial in Azure City

[Throknor]

Nale isn't a fan.

[Jay R]

Nale isn't a fan.

Well, that explains a lot. Of course he thinks bards are underpowered, if he ignores their important class features.

[littlebum2002]

Thanks for the explanation (but a bit embarrassed I needed it). I didn't realize "DUN" was a color!

I think most people reading the comic didn't either. I've actually learned a lot of random useless information from this comic, mainly from having to look up some of V's longer words.

[Rogar Demonblud]

I think most people reading the comic didn't either

Which is odd, because it's a fairly common color for a horse.

[jere7my]

Which is odd, because it's a fairly common color for a horse.

It's also a D&D term—the dun pudding dates back to the Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth, and then the original MM2.

[Jaxzan Proditor]

Which is odd, because it's a fairly common color for a horse.

It's also a D&D term—the dun pudding dates back to the Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth, and then the original MM2.

Also, if you're a LOTR fan there is "Dunland".

[ORione]

For whatever, I find the statement "Maybe you're squeezing him too hard" in that frame to be quite humorous.

Elan's a squeaky toy!

[Kareasint]

Elan's a squeaky toy!

I'm sure that Haley agrees.

Well, the HPOH got his bonus points for trying. I guess we will move on from here. I am still a bit curious as to what Belkar was looking for in the city.

[Itrogash]

I'm sure that Haley agrees.

Well, the HPOH got his bonus points for trying. I guess we will move on from here. I am still a bit curious as to what Belkar was looking for in the city.

Well, considering all, he probably has much to prepare for. Maybe he's searching for some way to counter Domination attempts. Maybe he replenishes his stash of wooden sticks and holy water. Ha maybe even went to the darker alleys of Tinkertown to search allies in taking HPoH down! Or maybe...

Nah, who am I kidding. He probably went straight to brothel

[Rogar Demonblud]

I would've said he was looking for a way to restore Bloodfeast, but yeah, a brothel is statistically speaking a lock.

[F.Harr]

Ha!

Elan makes SUCH great use of the last pannel!

Belkar too, if I have to be honest.

[Amphiox]

A small detail I noticed:

The cleric who knew HPoH's true nature was not the highest ranking cleric in the group (if we make the assumption that the highest ranking cleric is the one with the fancy and most "pope-like" hat and vestments).

That would suggest the possibility that the specific knowledge regarding how vampirism works isn't one that clerics would be likely to get via the normal progression channels of leveling up and rising in the ranks of their own churches, and earning new ranks in Knowledge:Religion via the story-mechanism of getting access to the "secret" lore of the faith that higher level clerics are allowed to know. It is rather something specific to that lower-ranking cleric, possibly private or individual.

ie, it isn't just 1 in 4, its even rarer than that. It requires some specific (unrevealed) backstory reason for any particular character to know.

[St Fan]

ie, it isn't just 1 in 4, its even rarer than that. It requires some specific (unrevealed) backstory reason for any particular character to know.

Or it just mean that the highest-ranking cleric will not necessarily be the one with the highest knowledge (religion) score. As has been pointed out already, cleric tends to put points in other skills, like spellcraft. The one who knew has probably higher intelligence and thus more skill points to allow, plus as the Giant suggested the skill focus feat.

[rewinn]

Oddly enough, the color scheme for this website includes a lot of bland brown, not really beige, more like taupe; some might call it drab.

Almost as if The Giant were hinting at us "Taupe-taupe-TAUPE!"

[gerryq]

Now I think of it, "Dun dun dun" clearly confirms that Durkula has some significant plans from visiting the shrines. Not that we couldn't have told that from the Durkula-Roy thread.

[nonamearisto]

Turning doesn't stop a vampire, it just drives it away. They weren't trying to smite it. If anything, they were trying to protect themselves from the perceived threat, at the expense of whoever else the vampire might encounter next had they successfully turned it. Unless you're significantly higher-level than the threat, or can trap it in a corner or dead-end, turning is actually a horrible tactic to employ against a foe you intend to destroy.

Turn Undead is also the anti-undead spell that most people are familiar with, so that is why it was put in, I suppose. Either way, "stopping" a vampire and "destroying" it are two different things. No matter which they were trying to do, they were attempting to fight Durkula. And failing at it.

[nonamearisto]

There's nothing in the actual comic to suggest that the cleric's tone changed or that he was audibly interrupted. That's all your interpretation. There's no change from capitals to lower-case letters or anything else to visually make it clear. And a hyphen in interrupted suggests something different that an ellipsis (...) - it means it didn't trail off, the text was just continued from one panel to the next.

Look at his expression and how it changes. That suggests a change in tone.

[Keltest]

Look at his expression and how it changes. That suggests a change in tone.

It suggests a change in expression. If you want to read a change in tone as well, that is your prerogative, however there is nothing that explicitly suggests a change in tone.

[brian 333]

It seems The Giant is using an alternate version of domination. Without verbal instructions in a language understood by the dominated creature, only basic instructions will be understood. By no means does it confer telepathy or the ability to issue complex instructions, (such as would be necessary to command the cleric to alter his statement as he did,) without some visible or audible command. However, house rules may allow it, and the DM has final say on this.

This strip confirms my thesis that HPoH is scouting for 'recruits' and 'converts' to Hel's faith. He is using Roy as a shield to find the highest level cleric in town to begin a cascade of conversions. Vamp the top clerics who then vamp the next highest, and so on. Within days Hel has 1000% more clerics than ever before. Meanwhile, Durkula moves on, perhaps with an acolyte or two to 'keep an eye on that evil vampire.'