OOTS #976 - The Discussion Thread

[Torzini]

I honestly do not know if that was serious or not.

If you're referring to what Mr_Scruffy_Kilz said, I don't either lol... the discussion of when Belkar is going to die is most certainly not dead. I think it's been well established that the "prophecies have already been fulfilled through the illusion" theory was just that- a theory- and a pretty poor one.

[Tykopulus]

*gg* Have´nt laught that much about an OOTS Comic in a long time!!!
Great Comic .... great great great!

[Bulldog Psion]

I think you're gravely misunderstanding this plotline and the scene of Belkar stabbing the Oracle.. The Oracle intentionally made it sound like he was trying the cheat Belkar so that Belkar would kill him, thus fulfilling his prophecy and activating his Mark of Justice, because the Oracle doesn't like Belkar. The Oracle was always the intended target for that prophecy.

I think actually the Oracle was trying to avoid getting killed, even though he knew he was going to. Just because you know something is unavoidable doesn't mean you don't try to avoid it. I mean, even knowing a resurrection is coming, who would want to die?

1. It's got to be a singularly unpleasant experience -- pain, terror, failing senses, weakness/paralysis/bodily failure, etc.

2. Who would entirely trust that they were really going to be brought back from the dead until it happened?

So he was trying any specious excuse to avoid the stabbing. Lickmyorangeballshalfling was just a way to get revenge for something he would have greatly preferred to avoid, but was helpless to.

[Killer Angel]

I think it's been well established that the "prophecies have already been fulfilled through the illusion" theory was just that- a theory- and a pretty poor one.

Yep. I will be very happy, when it will be put to a definitive rest.

[MReav]

Something hit me: Is this to comment about the impracticality of magical/masterwork item shops in general? Those adamantine weapons would have been hanging around for decades, meaning that the gnome's father sunk at least 4000 GP into buying the raw materials for weapons no one ever bought. Considering that that much gold is worth over a million dollars, I think this gnome's business venture into failure has been coming for at least a generation.

[Keltest]

Something hit me: Is this to comment about the impracticality of magical/masterwork item shops in general? Those adamantine weapons would have been hanging around for decades, meaning that the gnome's father sunk at least 4000 GP into buying the raw materials for weapons no one ever bought. Considering that that much gold is worth over a million dollars, I think this gnome's business venture into failure has been coming for at least a generation.

Well, its not like adamantine has an expiration date or anything. So long as the cost of acquiring the materials did not bankrupt him, it wasn't a poor decision.

[Rogar Demonblud]

Depends on if the acquisition of the adamantine negatively impinged on the business' cash flow to the point of reducing the ability to partake of multiple economic opportunities.

Basically, that's the difference between Chapter 7 and Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Are you temporarily strapped for cash, or completely destitute of financial reserves?

And I'm talking like Vaarsuvius, so it's time to break for lunch.

[Jasdoif]

Depends on if the acquisition of the adamantine negatively impinged on the business' cash flow to the point of reducing the ability to partake of multiple economic opportunities.

I like to think that a party commissioned the adamantine weapons for use against the constructs of a specific enemy, said enemy found and killed them before the weapons were completed (using those same constructs for irony adamanty), and the gnome weaponsmith ended up with pricey inventory he couldn't easily sell instead of the "guaranteed" profit of several thousand gold he had expected.

[Grey Watcher]

Something hit me: Is this to comment about the impracticality of magical/masterwork item shops in general? Those adamantine weapons would have been hanging around for decades, meaning that the gnome's father sunk at least 4000 GP into buying the raw materials for weapons no one ever bought. Considering that that much gold is worth over a million dollars, I think this gnome's business venture into failure has been coming for at least a generation.

Maybe they were commissioned and never got delivered for some reason?

[Rakoa]

I notice that the old gnome is holding a handaxe, a dagger, and a shortsword, and says he has "a handaxe, a dagger, a short sword, and-". What could he have followed this statement up with, I wonder, having listed all the visible items?

[Zyzzyva]

I notice that the old gnome is holding a handaxe, a dagger, and a shortsword, and says he has "a handaxe, a dagger, a short sword, and-". What could he have followed this statement up with, I wonder, having listed all the visible items?

"- a quiver of endless (adamantine) arrows in the back room."

[Peelee]

I notice that the old gnome is holding a handaxe, a dagger, and a shortsword, and says he has "a handaxe, a dagger, a short sword, and-". What could he have followed this statement up with, I wonder, having listed all the visible items?

"- and MY OWN FISTS. I'm also a 16th level monk, see."

[Rakoa]

"- and MY OWN FISTS. I'm also a 16th level monk, see."

BEST POSSIBLE REPLY!

[KillingAScarab]

"- and MY OWN FISTS. I'm also a 16th level monk, see."

*pulls book out from behind him* "Yes, you can have a body like mine. It's all here in my patented exercise program, I Have Ki Strike (Adamantine) and So Can You! If you order now, I'll throw in this wondrous belt."

[drazen]

Well, its not like adamantine has an expiration date or anything. So long as the cost of acquiring the materials did not bankrupt him, it wasn't a poor decision.

Whether or not it was a poor decision would depend on the inflation rate in the Gnomish economy and whether a better return could have been made by investing those funds elsewhere, perhaps with less risk of unmovable stock.

[Peelee]

Whether or not it was a poor decision would depend on the inflation rate in the Gnomish economy and whether a better return could have been made by investing those funds elsewhere, perhaps with less risk of unmovable stock.

And we've already established the gnome is a monk, not an economist.

[Jasdoif]

And we've already established the gnome is a monk, not an economist.

Really? I thought the current shopkeeper was the monk, whose father produced the adamantium handaxe, short sword and dagger.

Admittedly he could have been a monk too, but then he could also have been a monk with max ranks in Profession (economist), so it doesn't matter in the slightest.

[Quild]

The monk lines on panel 2 are so out of character :/

[StLordeth]

Was away from the internet for 4 months. Gotta say I'm a bit disappointed in the new strips.

Anyway, I like the new art at least, I guess I'm expecting too much because of how amazing Book 5 was.

B)

[Peelee]

Really? I thought the current shopkeeper was the monk, whose father produced the adamantium handaxe, short sword and dagger.

Admittedly he could have been a monk too, but then he could also have been a monk with max ranks in Profession (economist), so it doesn't matter in the slightest.

Oops. Cant have Profession (Economist) though, since both father and son have Profession (Shopkeeper). Current gnome just hasnt kept pumping it up.

[Skull the Troll]

The mature love of an elderly couple about to embark on a lifestyle of adventure amid the tropics, but they start to grow bored and open up a trouble shooting office for people in need... I smell spin-off.

My name Is Ferdinand Weapons, and I used to be a spy Weapons Merchant.
When your wall is smashed (4th wall or not), you've got nothing.....

[Peelee]

The monk lines on panel 2 are so out of character :/

Not at all! Monks are proficient with club, crossbow (light or heavy), dagger, handaxe, javelin, kama, nunchaku, quarterstaff, sai, shuriken, siangham, and sling. A fine, masterwork-quality quarterstaff or nunchaku is still far superior to magic or some new-fangled gizmo.

[Throknor]

I know not if it has already been said, but I wonder if I am the only one worried about the possibility Haley just tossed that lovely couple the funds that were supposed to pay for the repairs on the Mechane... someone please prove me wrong.

If you are going to haggle me to less than 1/4 of my initial bid I'm not starting without a sizable deposit, if not the full amount, up-front. Especially for a rush job on a flying machine that would let you waltz out easily.

[Amphiox]

Something hit me: Is this to comment about the impracticality of magical/masterwork item shops in general? Those adamantine weapons would have been hanging around for decades, meaning that the gnome's father sunk at least 4000 GP into buying the raw materials for weapons no one ever bought. Considering that that much gold is worth over a million dollars, I think this gnome's business venture into failure has been coming for at least a generation.

In a universe that runs by the rules of narrative convention, the weapons, once made, are bound to eventually be needed by a desperate and rich adventurer who will overpay oodles for it.

And this is of course exactly what happened.

The wise old gnome, see, was merely initiating a very long term investment into his child's retirement fund.

[davidbofinger]

The one you're asking about is probably a poleaxe—spike at the end, axe on the side, the pieces forged separately instead of from a single piece like a halberd.

If you mean the one standing vertically on the right, I think you could call it a simplified halberd or simplified pollaxe or some kind of simplified pollaxe-halberd hybrid. The weapons look similar, the main differences from our point of view are that the halberd has a wider spear head where the pollaxe has a narrow spike, and the halberd would have a broader axe and the pollaxe a narrower one. In each case the halberd is optimised for hurting people and the pollaxe for punching through armour.

On that basis the point is quite a bit wider than the shaft so it looks more like a halberd than a pollaxe. But the axe head is small compared with others we see, suggesting a pollaxe. I think it's a hybrid, someone's put together the thrusting part of a halberd and the cutting part of a pollaxe. Which could be fair enough, if you say expected to fight light cavalry and heavy infantry.

There's supposed to be a thing at the back of the axe: a hook for a halberd (for pulling people off horses) or a spike for a pollaxe (for when the axe blade just isn't penetrating). The gnome who made it hasn't bothered with that, instead he's just made the axe itself suitable for hooking. It might be a cheapass job. I've never seen a weapon exactly like it, but it's believable.

The other weapon is a lot weirder. A big axe on the front, again modified for hooking, no thrusting component, and a back with a more than passing resemblance to the Batman logo which might be some kind of ignoble compromise between spike, hook, spear and bronze-age dagger-axe. Gods only know what he was smoking when he came up with that.

Compared to these, the horizontal axe with the oversized head seems excessive but reassuringly normal.

[Bulldog Psion]

If you are going to haggle me to less than 1/4 of my initial bid I'm not starting without a sizable deposit, if not the full amount, up-front. Especially for a rush job on a flying machine that would let you waltz out easily.

Yes, it definitely sounds like a "cash down" transaction.

[Corneel]

Really? I thought the current shopkeeper was the monk, whose father produced the adamantium handaxe, short sword and dagger.

Admittedly he could have been a monk too, but then he could also have been a monk with max ranks in Profession (economist), so it doesn't matter in the slightest.

You can't have "Profession (economist)", Profession(...) has wisdom as its base ability...

[CalmProto]

maybe I am getting old, but 'retire in the tropics' made me laugh the loudest.

[davidbofinger]

If you are going to haggle me to less than 1/4 of my initial bid I'm not starting without a sizable deposit, if not the full amount, up-front. Especially for a rush job on a flying machine that would let you waltz out easily.

And if the other party in the deal hadn't been under the influence of a high-level rogue's unreasonably potent negotiating powers, he probably would have done exactly that.

[Keltest]

And if the other party in the deal hadn't been under the influence of a high-level rogue's unreasonably potent negotiating powers, he probably would have done exactly that.

Its a rather moot point. Either way if Rich wants to keep the Order on the island for much longer (in terms of days, not comics), he needs to give them something other than financial issues to keep them there. If Haley paid up front, theres no problem. If she didn't, then the ship is going to be repaired whether she ends up paying for it or not, and the Order can just leave. Roy would feel bad about it, but theres a deadline hanging over their heads.