OOTS #1043 - The Discussion Thread

[CardboardPizzas]

This is why Belkar is my favourite character.

[Kish]

No, by D&D rules, holy water wouldn't hurt Belkar (as, indeed, Protection from Evil wouldn't).

I advise against caring; Rich sure doesn't.

[Gift Jeraff]

I bet Felix is actually the one who will inherit the Mechane.

[Jaxzan Proditor]

I'm glad that we're getting more information on the rivalry between Sally Andi and Bandana, although I can't help but feel that some petty feelings are involved here. Also, Belkar is such a hilarious little psychopath.

[Clistenes]

That engineer chick has "traitor for petty reasons" written all over her. Rich has stressed her dissatisfaction about not owning the ship too much for it not being plot-relevant.

I bet she will spark another mutiny and leave Bandana and the Order of the Stick stranded at the dwarven lands (she will convince the others to leave while the Order are hunting the vampire).

I guess that's the problem with a (probably) chaotic crew: They only follow Julio Scoundrel because they are his fans and they want to follow him. The minute that admiration isn't glueing them together, a struggle for power starts.

[Keltest]

I'm honestly with Belkar on this one, I couldn't care less. But 10gp says Roy's longstanding tradition of ignoring NPCs means he'll be blindsided by whatever turmoil ends up erupting from the crew.

I agree with belkar as well. Also, I need a shower. But I cant see a mutiny plot doing anything particularly beneficial for the comic. Among other reasons, the conflict between Andi and Bandana is so trivially unimportant, especially since its apparently just Andi being jealous of Bandana, compared to the stakes (heh) the Order is already in.

[hroþila]

I agree with belkar as well. Also, I need a shower. But I cant see a mutiny plot doing anything particularly beneficial for the comic. Among other reasons, the conflict between Andi and Bandana is so trivially unimportant, especially since its apparently just Andi being jealous of Bandana, compared to the stakes (heh) the Order is already in.

I imagine it's simply meant to provide an in-universe reason for the Mechane to go out of the picture when necessary.

[DaggerPen]

Given the Order's long and storied history of transportation issues, combined with the focus on Andi's dissatisfaction with Bandana being in charge, I fully expect a mutiny plot to throw a wrench into the race for the final Gate.

[Keltest]

I imagine it's simply meant to provide an in-universe reason for the Mechane to go out of the picture when necessary.

Possibly, but I think "The crew only has so much good will to go around" was already a sufficient explanation. I find it much easier to swallow characters having things to do besides ferrying around the PCs than having one of them death grip the conflict ball.

[silvadel]

I wonder how Belkar will take it when he fails an evil test at some point in the future. IE when something that affects evil, fails to affect him.

[Burner28]

I wonder how Belkar will take it when he fails an evil test at some point in the future. IE when something that affects evil, fails to affect him.

I doubt that will happen.

[Onyavar]

By the way, is Andi female? I would guess so, but not 100% sure about it.

... she has breasts.

I am going to assume female.

No, please! Forget that she is shaped female! Andi already (almost) has a ship. She doesn't need any shipping! And don't dare to consider Belkar for that! (Just saying this preemptively before a thread is started, just like for poor Oona)

[Lkctgo]

With the fact that Belkar basically owes his life to durkon.. I think it's only right storywise if he kills Durkula and dies with him (probably through some sort of evil-burning type equipment or magic item). And with the increasing amount of emphasis on Belkar going "I need to kill Durkula to save Durkon", I hope that's where the story ultimately ends up.

[dancrilis]

No, please! Forget that she is shaped female! Andi already (almost) has a ship. She doesn't need any shipping! And don't dare to consider Belkar for that! (Just saying this preemptively before a thread is started, just like for poor Oona)

You do realise that prophecy can be self-fulfilling right?

Fortunately I think she might be somewhat immune - she has escaped it for nearly 100 pages (Oona didn't last 10).

She is one of my favourite minor NPCs (for now at least) so hopefully she stays immune (well looks like we have both damned her now).

[Draconi Redfir]

Iiiii don't quite get the last pannel... i mean, homophone means two words that have the same pronounciation but different meaning etc

But the way Belkar is saying it to the crewman i can't help but feel like he was called a "homophobe" and misunderstood it or something, which makes no sense given there is no context for that. *Shrugs*

[dancrilis]

Iiiii don't quite get the last pannel... i mean, homophone means two words that have the same pronounciation but different meaning etc

But the way Belkar is saying it to the crewman i can't help but feel like he was called a "homophobe" and misunderstood it or something, which makes no sense given there is no context for that. *Shrugs*

homophone: each of two or more words having the same pronunciation but different meanings, origins, or spelling

Effectively Belkar assumed that a steak through the heart was what was needed to kill Durkon (hence the title 'He Assumed It Was a Cholesterol Thing'), the cook presumedly pointed out that he was wrong and that 'no steak is merely a homophone of stake', Belkar not knowing what homophone meant responded with 'no, you're a homophone'.

There I think I have sufficently killed that joke via explanation now.

... Clearer?

[Peelee]

Iiiii don't quite get the last pannel... i mean, homophone means two words that have the same pronounciation but different meaning etc

But the way Belkar is saying it to the crewman i can't help but feel like he was called a "homophobe" and misunderstood it or something, which makes no sense given there is no context for that. *Shrugs*

Belkar wanted to make stakes. He made steaks instead. Cook probably said that was a homophone. Belkar responds, "no, you're a homophone!"

[ManuelSacha]

I'm gonna start using "you're a homophone" as an insult / accusation in random online conversations, just to mess with people.
Let's see how many catch up.

[dancrilis]

I'm gonna start using "you're a homophone" as an insult / accusation in random online conversations, just to mess with people.
Let's see how many catch up.

It isn't really an insult, and as a accusation it lacks any bite - as if they are are a homophone that will likely be the intention of their internet handle where if they are not that it merely makes it look like you don't know what words mean.

[Hawkstar]

No, please! Forget that she is shaped female! Andi already (almost) has a ship. She doesn't need any shipping! And don't dare to consider Belkar for that! (Just saying this preemptively before a thread is started, just like for poor Oona)

Andromeda/Mechane confirmed OTP. "Planks for the good time last night."

[Anonymouswizard]

Andromeda/Mechane confirmed OTP. "Planks for the good time last night."

Throwing my support on this one. Time to start shipping Andi with the ship.

Also, I don't think there'll be a munity storyline, I think after dropping the order off the Mechane will go to find Julio (and rescue him from some dramatic situation just in the nick of time, hoping for a cutaway panel).

[Sith_Happens]

In before people assuming that "holy water burns" necessarily means that it damages him. Never mind, too late.

[blunk]

Time to start shipping Andi with the ship.

"Wow, Bender - are you and the ship an item? I mean, I know you're both items, but how can you date a ship, anyway?"

[Doug Lampert]

Possibly, but I think "The crew only has so much good will to go around" was already a sufficient explanation. I find it much easier to swallow characters having things to do besides ferrying around the PCs than having one of them death grip the conflict ball.

But "the crew" isn't a single entity that speaks with a single mouth. For "the crew" to decide to do something that the captain doesn't want them to do, requires that someone take the lead in telling the captain, "No, we're not going to spend the rest of our lives playing 'how close to the North Pole can this airship go'".

Rich is setting up to have a crewmember available to say "No, we're not doing that" when the time comes. Imagine that the famous "Mechane Crewman with eyepatch and beard (panel 6)" is the one to do so, would that feel reasonable?

Nope, this is necessary setup for "the crew" to run out of goodwill. Because the crew only does anything when someone in the crew decides the crew should do that thing and the others agree. Andi is (possibly) being set up as the member of the crew who triggers that action.

[Keltest]

But "the crew" isn't a single entity that speaks with a single mouth. For "the crew" to decide to do something that the captain doesn't want them to do, requires that someone take the lead in telling the captain, "No, we're not going to spend the rest of our lives playing 'how close to the North Pole can this airship go'".

Rich is setting up to have a crewmember available to say "No, we're not doing that" when the time comes. Imagine that the famous "Mechane Crewman with eyepatch and beard (panel 6)" is the one to do so, would that feel reasonable?

Nope, this is necessary setup for "the crew" to run out of goodwill. Because the crew only does anything when someone in the crew decides the crew should do that thing and the others agree. Andi is (possibly) being set up as the member of the crew who triggers that action.

Ok, except Andi's conflict is clearly with Bandana, not the Order, and is totally personal in nature. None of the rest of the crew have given any indication they would prefer Andi in charge, and in fact when conflict did arise, Andi was the only member of the crew not absolutely satisfied with the resolution.

[Takver]

Oh, this is why Andi is hostile to Bandana then.

Wouldn't have guessed that Bandana's claim on the Mechane wasn't that strong.

I mean...according to Andi, it isn't, but she's pretty biased. Seems to think she's near the front of the line to inherit the Mechane just because she's a long-serving engineer, which doesn't make sense to me. As an engineer, she might know everything there is to know about the ship, but not necessarily commanding the crew or making the decisions. I think she could be deluding herself about what it means that Bandana is getting command experience and she isn't.

[Cavenskull]

What does it mean when Holy Water burns your skin? (asking for a friend).

It means you need to be more careful handling boiling water.

[MaverickMopete]

This isn't the first time Belkar has failed with words.

Remember There's More Than One Way to Fail a Listen Check? (Comic #676)

Where he confused a "sextant" with a "sex taint" and tried to find Roy a hooker, or where he confused a cartographer with a "cart o' gophers"?

[Gift Jeraff]

I still think Andi is an IFCC agent.

[Kish]

Clearly Andi would like to lead a mutiny and throw Bandana and her new friends off the ship. But I'm not seeing how she'd do that. The last time the subject came up, she lost--decisively--and lost because, of Andi and Bandana, one was indeed out of touch with the wishes of most of the crew, and it wasn't Bandana. The Order can easily pay the crew more, if they start feeling ill-used again. Andi would need to convince them to up their demands to "far more than is reasonable or than they would have gotten in the same time frame if Julio was still there" before the Order wouldn't agree, and last I saw, she was trying ineffectively to convince them to return to active piracy as a matter of principle.

Oh, and for the benefit of anyone who reads this not getting the punchline: Belkar went to make steaks, and the ship's cook let him start doing so, or possibly discovered him in the kitchen having already started to cook them. Then, while cooking, Belkar clarified that he meant them to destroy the vampire(s), and the cook said, "No, no, that's a homophone." Belkar, thinking the cook was unjustly accusing him of a prejudice against LGBT people which he doesn't have, replied, "No, you're a homophone!" And apparently the cook explained to Belkar that the kind of stake that could destroy vampires was a piece of sharpened wood off-panel. The fate of the steaks Belkar got partway into cooking is unknown; I would guess that if Belkar didn't finish them the cook probably did, since it wouldn't make much sense to let them go to waste.