OOTS #1070 - The Discussion Thread

[Psyren]

Pow! Now that's a way for an update.
(Sure hope it didn't end with Elan cutting a vital rope.)

Probably not, judging by the comic title. This is the Mechane we're talking about.

And as soon as Roy gets healed I hear this tune in my mind.

I thought I was the only one!

[kenlund]

It's great how Elan can now use a spell like healing so much more effectively than a Bard illusion spell which would have probably been his action before being trained by Julio in the ways of the Dashing Swordsman.

I wonder if something like Lesser Confusion would work on the frost giant? Elan has had some success with that spell in the past.

[CoffeeIncluded]

This is the mechane. They're schrodingers ropes.

[hector212121]

The right word is Chekov's Rope.

Saying it's Schrodinger's Rope means that it's between two states.

[JumboWheat01]

So it took 11 tries to pass a concentration check to cast Mending, but one try to cut a rope, swing on said rope, glare at a giant, cast Cure Critical Wounds on someone as you swing by and totally stick the landing. There must've been so many checks that were just passed with a natural 20.

Elan, you've gained quite a lot of badassery points just now.

[Kish]

The right word is Chekov's Rope.

Saying it's Schrodinger's Rope means that it's between two states.

I believe that's what she means, that the ropes are vital to the ship's functioning unless a Dashing Swordsman cuts one, in which case that one was only for heroic swinging.

I'm less than clear on what you're assuming she meant actually (that we should have known Elan would cut a rope as soon as we saw them? That doesn't make any sense).

[TheNecrocomicon]

Well, I hope that doesn't prove structurally or mechanically critical later on, or give Andi another thing to blame if/when the Mechane crash-lands.

On the other hand -- literally -- awesome help by Elan and counterattack by Roy. I'm pretty sure the Order will get out of this eventually, and this was a good place to start on actually improving the situation for once.

[Braininthejar2]

Wait... that charge was interrupted. Long enough for the whole panel of talking.

Did Roy just floor a frost giant with a punch?

[Killer Angel]

Yeah, if we consider who's the owner of the ship, it wasn't a baseless assumpion.

[IDrankWHAT]

I'm beginning to think the Mechane has it's own time/space continuum subspace. Certainly it could be moving faster than everything else (IE: Hammy from Over The Hedge after he drinks Red Bull or Quicksilver from Avengers/X-Men.) For this many things to happen and STILL going to get there on time? Ooooooooooor I could be overthinking it like I usually do and just relax for Mystery Science Thea.....oh no wait. Wrong genre!

[137beth]

Now we can finally argue about the actions of someone other than Andi!

[Peelee]

Now we can finally argue about the actions of someone other than Andi!

So, how 'bout that Andi?

[SilverCacaobean]

Awesome update! Loved every panel.
Oh, also holy **** Elan has come a long way!

[Riftwolf]

Dashing Swordsman ability; add your DS level and charisma bonus to your concentration check if what you're doing can be described as 'daring-do'.

[Snails]

Given it is Julio's ship, maybe it counts as a magic item that someone with Dashing Swordsman class levels can use?

[Kish]

Well, I hope that doesn't prove structurally or mechanically critical later on, or give Andi another thing to blame if/when the Mechane crash-lands.

The wishes of certain forumites aside, I think we're way past the point where anyone in the comic except Andi cares what Andi blames for things, and similarly far past the point of Andi's blaming people other than herself (primarily Bandana) having anything to do with evidence.

[pendell]

I believe that's what she means, that the ropes are vital to the ship's functioning unless a Dashing Swordsman cuts one, in which case that one was only for heroic swinging.

I'm less than clear on what you're assuming she meant actually (that we should have known Elan would cut a rope as soon as we saw them? That doesn't make any sense).

Hooray , an update!

Technically, we don't know that the rope was safe to cut. For all we know, the Mechane will crash to earth in a few strips because that rope was cut.

But at least we've solved the immediate problem; Roy is back on his feet and, given the absence of damage marks, appears to be at near-full HP. He should be able to win this fight even with a cutlass, though it will probably cost him some HP to do so.

Unless the Giantess also has a healing item of some kind, of course.

Respectfully,

Brian P.

[Shining Wrath]

Right now Andi is probably complaining that Elan hurt her ship by cutting a rope.

Hides beneath desk

[JoeyTheNeko]

yes, as others have said this is Julios ship. so yes, half probably are.

[Debatra]

I hope no one is too attached to this frost giant, because it is essentially impossible for even the slowest wit among us to run out of either ice or giant puns. Elan will be unstoppable.

It's time to put this giant...on ice!

[happycrow]

I hope no one is too attached to this frost giant, because it is essentially impossible for even the slowest wit among us to run out of either ice or giant puns. Elan will be unstoppable.

It's time to put this giant...on ice!

They're dialoguing, and frozen conflicts such as this one tend to move at glacial pace....

[Quibblicious]

I hope no one is too attached to this frost giant, because it is essentially impossible for even the slowest wit among us to run out of either ice or giant puns. Elan will be unstoppable.

It's time to put this giant...on ice!

That's a huge challenge.

Q

[Shining Wrath]

The giant needs to chill out and remember the fate of the Titanic.

[gooddragon1]

I only have one thing to say for now: SHORYUKEN!

[Wysper]

This is probably the most Badass thing that Elan has ever done. Swinging on a rope, hanging by his LEGS, to massively heal an ally.

[Lombard]

Ha. Can't decide if Elan is more Julio's protege or Tarquin's son in that moment.

[dtilque]

Elan is getting better and better at playing to his strengths, which are, as it turns out, substantial... (including, apparently, being so dashing as to conjure a rapier out of thin air...)

That's the Chaos sabre that Julio gave him. And he had it in his scabbard all along. Elan's sword is never visible when sheathed.

Some time back, perhaps about 9 or 10 strips ago, I suggested that when Elan was done fixing the gas bag, he would find a handy rope and swoop down to the poop deck. I figured that since this was Julio's ship, there would be such handy ropes all over. I guess I was right, except for the destination of his swoop.

[PH7]

Panel 3, the Indiana Jones theme started playing in my head.

Elan would be great in Cirque du Soleil.

[Balance]

At first, I, too, was surprised that Elan took eleven attempts. Isn't he likely to succeed by blind luck well before then, even if he has no ranks in Concentration?

I think the answer is that, for Elan, he actually get negatives for this kind of thing. I think that Elan takes an RPing penalty for some checks into order to potentially earn extra big Dashing bonuses when in the spotlight. (Before he met Julio, he did the same RPing, but did not get any future bonuses out of it.)

In order to arrive at the dramatically appropriate moment, Elan had to be delayed. Therefore, he automatically failed enough checks so that he arrived just in the nick of time.

Mechanically, if I were implementing this, I'd probably go with something like an Edge or Moxie pool, only charged by forfeiting actions. Each round of automatic failure taken in a stress situation gets you a point. The points can be spent to modify die rolls--which is generally what Edge and Moxie do in their respective systems. They can additionally be spent on Fortuitous Arrivals, like in the Fate system, but at a cost of 1 point per full round of movement, provided the destination is a place where they can do something dramatic. Using the pool triggers a Cinematic Sequence, which consists of a series of move actions and one full round of dramatic action; at the end of a Sequence or at the end of the scene/combat, the pool is emptied, even if not all points have been spent.

So, Elan would have banked 11 Drama points, spent probably 2 on movement to reach Roy, then maybe 7 to buy an automatic success on his Concentration check. That leaves him 2 to add to his Dex check or buy a re-roll. If he makes the Dex check naturally, and doesn't use them for anything else, those points disappear at the beginning of his next round.

[Rogar Demonblud]

The right word is Chekov's Rope.

Saying it's Schrodinger's Rope means that it's between two states.

Actually, it's both.

As a Schrodinger's Rope, it exists simultaneously in the twin states of Vital Structural Support and Only There For Cool Swinging Moves. Which state the rope resolves into depends on who cuts it.

As a Chekov's Rope, it is there to be swung on heroically.