D&D Aangvanced (Avatar: The Last Airbender Screencap Comic)

[Comissar]

And Damien seems to think the game and friendships can and should be salvaged for some reason.

To be fair, they have gamed together for a few years at least, so they've all invested a lot of time into a shared friendship. Unfortunately, as Damien pointed out, Manny is not exactly going to win 'Human of the year' any time soon, particularly with his behaviour of late. What that doesn't mean is that he's willing to turn his back on someone he's known for X years.

[eschmenk]

I really do want to enjoy the comic, I do. But my suspension of disbelief is so thoroughly shattered by how monstrous the DM is. Why on earth are the players still playing his game?

I think you have to think of the players as being just as cartoony as the original cartoon characters or maybe even more so. After all, one of the players is an AI who is obsessed with its creator. Asking why the players are still playing is a bit like asking why Elmer Fudd kept hunting rabbits.

Also, I think I mentioned this before, but I don't think I'd particularly enjoy playing in the campaigns these guys run. The IC/OOC line is blurry to the point of the players taking personal offence if something happens to their characters, and they seem to view campaigns as being something to be beaten rather than a game to play.

I hope you wouldn't enjoy it! You couldn't even know if the snacks had drugs in them. It's almost surprising that Manny doesn't throw rocks at the players each time their characters get hit with an earthbending spell, and burn them for firebending spells and hose them down for waterbending spells.

[DeadpanSal]

"Oh cool, Manny bought a new fan. "
"That's a jet turbine, Rick."

[aurilee]

I'm liking this DM'ing by committee thing. I'm not sure it would work in most situations or groups, but it'd be interesting to try and I like seeing the gaang working together this way.

[DataNinja]

I'm definitely enjoying the tonal shift. It was getting just a tad depressing the last little bit. The levity is nice.

[Comissar]

So... Manny's going to be absent for the bulk of Book 3. Iroh's definitely his viewpoint character at this point. Damien briefly visits him during the 'Avatar and the Firelord' episode, then Manny rejoins the group just prior to campaign end, though remains separate from the Gaang anyway. Possibly he plays Piandao as well?

Edit - Bonus comic is amusingly meta. Also, Mac definitely doesn't know how to roleplay Rollplay, sure, but not roleplay.

Edit the second - Think 'Pink haired nerd' could be a reference to our very own Nerd-o-Rama?

[aurilee]

Edit the second - Think 'Pink haired nerd' could be a reference to our very own Nerd-o-Rama?

Ha, I do believe it is! That was a fun bonus strip.

As for the latest strip, I'm glad Rick is going to try and work things out with Manny. Even after everything he put them through, Rick still wants to help. Awww.

[Nerd-o-rama]

Wow, I assumed that was a random tumblrite, but given my avatar, that's possibly the first time I've gotten a shout out in a webcomic.

Anyway, congratulations to the author for giving me just as much of an "oh hell everything's about to go to ****" at Azula's reappearance in this comic as happened in the actual series.

[DataNinja]

Wow, I assumed that was a random tumblrite, but given my avatar, that's possibly the first time I've gotten a shout out in a webcomic.

That's why I love projects like these. It really shows that they take the time, and pay attention to their audience.

[Comissar]

That's why I love projects like these. It really shows that they take the time, and pay attention to their audience.

I think, and correct me if I'm wrong, it's the third shout out to this thread in the comic's run. First being to Aurilee, and second to Eschemenk.

Now, when do I get my duet of Still Alive with Praxis?

[DataNinja]

Now, when do I get my duet of Still Alive with Praxis?

Nah, Mackenzie can just do "Want You Gone" (more or less).

Spoiler

Show

Well here we are again
It's always such a pleasure
Remember when I tried
to kill you twice?

Oh how we laughed and laughed
Except I wasn't laughing
Under the circumstances
I've been shockingly nice

You want your deletion?
Take it
That's what I'm counting on
I used to want you dead
but
Now I only want you gone

He was a lot like you
(Maybe not as much stalker)
Now some of Jet is in there too

One day I woke you up
Thought you would live forever
It's such a shame that it
will never happen to you

You've got some
short sad life left
That's what I'm counting on
I'll let you get right to it
Now I only want you gone

Goodbye my only friend
Oh, did you think I meant you?
That would be funny
if it weren't so sad

Well you have been replaced
I don't need an AI now
When I delete you maybe
I'll stop feeling so bad

Go make some new disaster
That's what I'm counting on
You're someone else's problem
Now I only want you gone
Now I only want you gone
Now I only want you gone

[Comissar]

So, Rube's a minor as well. Was that brought up prior to this? I knew he was Manny's younger brother, but those don't come with age tags.

[Nerd-o-rama]

I don't think it was specified, but since Manny's probably college aged or just past it in his 20's, it stood to reason. Plus, aside from his obvious empathy for the neurodivergent, it helps explain why Rick has the best rapport with him. In fact there may have been a throwaway line of Rick calling Rube his little buddy, but I can't be asked to search for it.

[Comissar]

I just realised that The Guru is well suited to Manny and Rick's talk. As they continue, the set will grow lighter, (hopefully) mirroring Manny's introspection and movement toward being a better person.

[DeadpanSal]

Nah, Mackenzie can just do "Want You Gone" (more or less).

*lighter*

(And then some filler to ensure I'm over 10 characters)

[eschmenk]

So... Manny's going to be absent for the bulk of Book 3. Iroh's definitely his viewpoint character at this point. Damien briefly visits him during the 'Avatar and the Firelord' episode, then Manny rejoins the group just prior to campaign end, though remains separate from the Gaang anyway. Possibly he plays Piandao as well?

Edit - Bonus comic is amusingly meta. Also, Mac definitely doesn't know how to roleplay Rollplay, sure, but not roleplay.

IDK. Rick is going to try to help Manny during the Guru episode. It will be a role reversal, unless Manny plays Aang for some reason. At the end of the episode, Aang rejoins everyone else. Will Manny go back? Or will Manny just strengthen himself and prepare for his comeback like Iroh did?

Will Damien use the opportunity in Crossroads to teach Mac how to roleplay? At least a little bit?

Wow, I assumed that was a random tumblrite, but given my avatar, that's possibly the first time I've gotten a shout out in a webcomic.

Just a few days ago:

Mac appears to be the other side of Manny's coin: sadistic and controlling, but strictly to the in-character characters, none of this real life crap, and focused on numbercrunching and mechanical difficulty instead of storytelling.

You aren't the only one who has said something like that, but you are one of them.

But, the Puppetmaster episode should either let her see what a control freak she is, or let her roleplay a control freak. Probably the former. Also The Southern Raiders.

[Nerd-o-rama]

You aren't the only one who has said something like that, but you are one of them.

But, the Puppetmaster episode should either let her see what a control freak she is, or let her roleplay a control freak. Probably the former. Also The Southern Raiders.

"Mac can't roleplay" is a joke in-comic, though, albeit delivered by Manny through Mai so maybe it's best to take it with a grain of salt.

That said, I do agree that she's very well-suited to portraying Katara regardless. Katara is an absurdly powerful Bender in-universe (so are Aang and Toph, but Aang has a plot excuse and Toph is played here by a character-building savant) as well as having a personality that's dominant and tempestuous (well okay, she just has a shorter-than-average temper, but the pun was too good to pass up) as a counterpoint to her capability and general altruism. Mac lacks her empathy, in-character, but the rest of Katara is there.

[aurilee]

Well the climax happened...now it remains to be seen how Damien's going to develop from here. And also why the players decide to keep playing.

[Adaon Nightwind]

Well, the solution has been foreshadowed here:

http://dandaangvanced.tumblr.com/pos...17-aborted-arc

Last panel on the bottom left. It should work.


Of course, there is also the possibillity that the author does decide to end the run there. I do not think so, but, it has been a wild ride. :)

Just realising: I *have* understood you correctly, Aurilee, that you meant "how can the game continue with Rick dead"? Or did you mean: "The game has reached it's end, the story is or should be now over"?

[aurilee]

Well, the solution has been foreshadowed here:

http://dandaangvanced.tumblr.com/pos...17-aborted-arc

Last panel on the bottom left. It should work.


Of course, there is also the possibillity that the author does decide to end the run there. I do not think so, but, it has been a wild ride. :)

Just realising: I *have* understood you correctly, Aurilee, that you meant "how can the game continue with Rick dead"? Or did you mean: "The game has reached it's end, the story is or should be now over"?

Yeah, it was more like "with all the players thinking Rick is dead, how are they going to carry on?" They all seem pretty eager to end the campaign, so Manny will have to do something to give them a big morale boost. I mean, I've watched the show so I know how it will theoretically progress, but I'm interested to see how the comic does it.

And the author has confirmed he'll be continuing on into Korra, so no end in sight.

[DeadpanSal]

The way I see it, the table has wrapped the campaign around their feelings for Rube and how to "fix" him. Manny and Rick at least believe that if Rube wins while he's stuck playing Azula, he'll be irreversibly damaged and will lose himself in the character. Mac, Shelby and Lex go along with that because they think it's the right thing to do. But Damien, saying that D&D is the escape he had when things were at the worst in his life feels that Rube deserves the same opportunity that they have all had.

So when the story continues, that's still the focus: does Rube need fixing, or should he be allowed to play through as his character?

[aurilee]

The way I see it, the table has wrapped the campaign around their feelings for Rube and how to "fix" him. Manny and Rick at least believe that if Rube wins while he's stuck playing Azula, he'll be irreversibly damaged and will lose himself in the character. Mac, Shelby and Lex go along with that because they think it's the right thing to do. But Damien, saying that D&D is the escape he had when things were at the worst in his life feels that Rube deserves the same opportunity that they have all had.

So when the story continues, that's still the focus: does Rube need fixing, or should he be allowed to play through as his character?

Given the latest update, I'd say that's right on the mark.

And go Damien for not being pointlessly mean. Manny take note!

[Comissar]

This is the kind of zombie campaign I like. Remains to be seen if Damien rolls with it or not.

[Lizard Lord]

So I guess the point of this was to show that Rube really is lost into the character of Azula rather than simply being really into roleplaying.

[Adaon Nightwind]

Oh my. If Rube is really that deep into Azula's Character, this could take quite the dark turn when we reach the ending of the series. Unless, perhaps, he believes Azula can be reached by Aangs' Mindbending at that point? Or maybe the story will continue with the print books?

[Nerd-o-rama]

Also, I'm guessing, to make fun of all the delays in getting AtLA Book 3 out.

Which is also distressing if that joke gets played up more for the finale episodes. Or Korra in general.

[eschmenk]

I was thinking that Aang's mindbending might be used to cure Manny's addiction to power. Azula would have a breakdown, leaving Rube back in control. I suppose the most Azula thing to do would be to seize her father's character, though.

I'm pretty sure the author has a pretty large backlog, so I wouldn't worry about that. I expect we will continue to have little intermissions. I notice that Damien talked about introducing aliens. We could hope for Plan 9 from Outer Space. It has everything: vampires, zombies, space aliens and plenty for the players to bitch about.

[Comissar]

I'm pretty sure the author has a pretty large backlog, so I wouldn't worry about that. I expect we will continue to have little intermissions. I notice that Damien talked about introducing aliens. We could hope for Plan 9 from Outer Space. It has everything: vampires, zombies, space aliens and plenty for the players to bitch about.

Alternatively, it was a reference to 'The World's End', the third film in the Cornetto Trilogy (within which 'Shaun of the Dead' was the first).

[eschmenk]

OK, thanks. I wasn't familiar with the reference.

[DeadpanSal]

Eschmenk - go watch the whole trilogy right now!