Expecto Webcomic-um! (Wands & Wizardry, a Screencap Webcomic)

[miner3203]

Personally, I find it rather fun, but I'm also really comfortable with the people I play it with, and we probably use a bunch of houserules as well (none of us actually have a copy of the instructions, so we're not certain on some of the fine points). The W&W GM, however...

[keybounce]

You actually can make the argument that monopoly destroyed the boardgame industry in the United States. Less because of the game itself, and more because people teach it (often wrong) rather than anything else.

Monopoly does have a couple of serious design flaws; leader run away, random number God, does not force an ending (I have seen games where one person gets the four railroads and two utilities, while no other person has a monopoly; this results in everyone else's money staying about the same, while the railroad/utility person has more money than they know what to do with. Even a trade wouldn't've solved this, as no one else had the money to start making houses), eliminated people are bored with nothing to do, scaling across the number of players (more people results in more total money in the game resulting in the properties having a higher value because there's more money), etc.

But consider: even chess had to have some rule changes over the years. Heck, Go had a recent change to its scoring system.

I will go read that other thread now. Thank you.

[keybounce]

Back on topic:

I like this Hermione. It's like the actor is a perfect match for the character.

I can't really see Harry -- even now -- as a munchkin/loot gobbler. I mean, it's not like he gets ... three different artifacts, a massive bank account, big prizes along the way, ... OK, yea, I guess he really is a loot guy. He just seemed so "I don't care" in the movies, you don't realize just how much he has.

[miner3203]

I mean, it's not like he gets ... three different artifacts, a massive bank account, big prizes along the way, ... OK, yea, I guess he really is a loot guy. He just seemed so "I don't care" in the movies, you don't realize just how much he has.

And, depending on how you construe it: an enchanted sword, a magical golden ball-with-wings, and the three Hallows.

[keybounce]

By three artifacts, I was thinking of the Hallows. What does he do?

Drops one on the floor of the forest.
Buries one in a tomb (NB: I like the movie's break it in half better, but the movie forgot to repair his old wand -- actually left him without a wand, silly film).
And ... what did he do with the cloak in the stories? I'm pretty sure he has it after the end of year 7, I don't recall if he gave it to his son for his adventures or not, and ... well, I guess it's fanfic sillyness between now and then :-)

The gold-ball-with-wings: Well, in fairness, there's one of those each game.
The Sword: Seems to be something that moves around from Gryffindor to Gryffindor. Or maybe it's something that Neville (the other chosen one) was the one to pull it out of the hat.

How did Voldemort mark Neville, and make him his equal? By teaching him to fight, so that he stood up to Voldemort and faced him. Only got the snake, but still...

[Kantaki]

Of course Harry wants to loot Slytherin.
I mean if they are already there- and even look like someone else -so why waste the opportunity?
Any adventurer worth the title would do it.

[Belksworth]

Hey! I read your comic, and was inspired to create something similar for A Game of Thrones.Do you have any advice for using Powerpoint? What other tools do you use to make the comic?

[keybounce]

Ohh, a software bug in an untested, cumbersome, special-purpose device that took a month to build :-).

[miner3203]

Hey! I read your comic, and was inspired to create something similar for A Game of Thrones.Do you have any advice for using Powerpoint? What other tools do you use to make the comic?

I use PowerPoint and a media player that doesn't mind being alt-tabbed. Other than that, it's just screenshots and speech bubbles. Tips--go wild. Be creative. Nothing is too far out. And remember that however critical you are of your own work, everyone else is going to criticize it about a quarter that much. So don't be afraid to post things.

Good luck! (Also, I'd love to see what you come up with if you want to provide me with a link.)

[keybounce]

Oh yes. No matter how convoluted the die rolling may be, if it lets me attack my rival ...

[DeadpanSal]

This comic just reminds me of how little quidditch we got and how great it was when we did. I kind of want to see how the table handles gradually losing it.

[Kantaki]

So no broken vanished bones for Harry?
A bit disappointing. I kinda wanted to see the reaction. Not that it makes a difference rest-wise.

[keybounce]

Anti-magic shield is just a white-colored protection from white :-)

[miner3203]

This comic just reminds me of how little quidditch we got and how great it was when we did. I kind of want to see how the table handles gradually losing it.

Not even gradually--the last game is played in third year, and then it's never mentioned again. Ever. Of course, that'll change in the comics, but still. That part of the movies annoyed me.

So no broken vanished bones for Harry?
A bit disappointing. I kinda wanted to see the reaction. Not that it makes a difference rest-wise.

Not this time. Lockhart as I've chosen to portray him is an idiot, not strictly incompetent (he has to have at least some skill to survive all his time-travelling), and he's definitely going to have more than his share of critical fumbles already.


Also, I'd like to thank all everyone for still following the comic even though the update speed is rather glacial at the moment--it'll pick up after the first couple weeks of May, once AP exams are over and I'm free again. I promise.

[keybounce]

Good point; quiddich was constant in the books.

===

I am still sick of the very common "The golden snitch is OP" that I keep seeing about the game. We know that the total points is what matters, not the game win/loss rate.

So lets look at Hogwarts. 4 teams. 6 games. What happens if 2 teams are 2-1 at the end of the year?

Answer: Nothing that those catchers did matters; both gained equal points from the snitch. It's the rest of the team that determines which team played better. And the whole Hogwarts "Game points adds to house points" that puts academics and athletics on equally important footing to the houses.

As long as 2-1/2-1/1-2/1-2, or 2-1/2-1/2-1/0-3 are the common end-of-year stats, then the worst you can say is that 1 or 2 of the houses are out of the competition based on bad performance from one star player from the house.

And that's it -- quiddich only means that each house tries to find one really skilled person for one job, and then those that do (can't be all of them) are in the running for the rest of the challenge.

[Alandra]

Winning or losing does matter in the Championship, though.

If the Chasers and Keepers are more or less on the same level (not like Irland and Bulgaria), then the Snitch is kind of overpowered, but the Beaters could help with that, if they mostly focus on the opposing Seeker.

[miner3203]

I think the major issue with the Snitch is that in Hogwarts, where there's basically one good Seeker and the rest of the Quidditch players are mediocre at best (none of them are professionals, that's for sure), it does end up being visibly overpowered for the duration of the books. But once you get into higher-level, professional play, where your Beaters can pelt opposing Seekers with Bludgers with precision accuracy and your Chasers are actually capable of scoring several hundred points under normal circumstances, the Snitch becomes less of an "I win" button and more of a highly-coveted wildcard.

[keybounce]

So, we are now in a new session. Starting with the results of brewing the polyjuice potion.

https://sites.google.com/site/emeral...-wizardry/0178

"Are there any trolls?"
<Sigh> "No"
"Well, anything else?"
<roll> <roll> <roll>

Never tempt fate :-)

Still, there's this at the bottom of 179:

Anything is scarier when you make it sentient. Basilisk isn't terrifying enough? Make it talk! Not sure how to make the beasts of the forest properly formidable? Give them a dark and evil culture! Players defeating tarrasques far too easily? Give one sentience and class levels in wizard and barbarian!

Other than eternally drowning one, what is a half-way decent way to stop a tarrasque? They don't have credit cards to remove.

[Kantaki]

Well Ron, if I had to guess I would say that they are so calm because they knew what was coming.
I wouldn't be surprised if they got the ghost to leave them alone by promising her someone more... entertaining to play with.

[keybounce]

https://sites.google.com/site/emeral...-wizardry/0180

I'm glad that the girl's bathroom did not become a running joke.

I mean, that might have lead to people thinking that there was only one girl's bathroom in the whole school, instead of just the one on that floor in that area.

[miner3203]

https://sites.google.com/site/emeral...-wizardry/0180

I'm glad that the girl's bathroom did not become a running joke.

I mean, that might have lead to people thinking that there was only one girl's bathroom in the whole school, instead of just the one on that floor in that area.

Well, it is the only girls' bathroom that other random students are not apt to randomly walk into. In canon, at least.

[keybounce]

https://sites.google.com/site/emeral...-wizardry/0181

That's an odd exit. Even for a ghost. She splashes. She actually moves the water.

Corporeal ghosts? Or was this something that the movie people didn't think about?

[Ellen]

Randomly howl and dive into a toilet? What's so strange about that? I knew a dog who did it all the time.

Hmm, obviously, Myrtle was a dog-animagus in life and no one thought to mention it to us.

[keybounce]

Splash the water at the same time that she dies into the toilet.

I'm pretty sure the book didn't mention water splashing. And I can see how the movie people would think it made good touch.

But that implies that ghosts in this world can affect the material world; if they can move water, they can pull triggers, etc.

[miner3203]

Well, obviously the water made its to-hit roll. After all, ghosts only have a 50% chance of being unaffected by corporeal weapons.

[DeadpanSal]

Statistically speaking, she'll hit about half of the water molecules in the toilet.

[keybounce]

New update
https://sites.google.com/site/emeral...-wizardry/0182

It's dueling club time.

[keybounce]

https://sites.google.com/site/emeral...-wizardry/0183

Dueling club strike number one.

[keybounce]

https://sites.google.com/site/emeral...-wizardry/0184

[keybounce]

https://sites.google.com/site/emeral...-wizardry/0185

Remember, arguing with the DM is likely to make you "selected" ...