OOTS #1070 - The Discussion Thread

[Velaryon]

I can't stop laughing at the giant's face in the panel where she's reeling from Roy's punch.

[Pyron]

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

No. It's SHOROYKEN!

[martianmister]

Why the face?

[danielxcutter]

I believe the Geekery thread says that Roy has Improved Grapple, which has Improved Unarmed Strike as a prereq. Also, Roy used punches to attack Thog when he dropped his sword during the arena fight. Perhaps he picked up the feat during or after the second arc, as that was when he suffered the most from losing his sword.

[mr-mercer]

I believe the Geekery thread says that Roy has Improved Grapple, which has Improved Unarmed Strike as a prereq. Also, Roy used punches to attack Thog when he dropped his sword during the arena fight. Perhaps he picked up the feat during or after the second arc, as that was when he suffered the most from losing his sword.

That is quite possible, though it is worth noting that he fought Xykon into not-quite-oblivion barehanded when he first broke the sword (albeit by knocking him into the gate rather than via flat-out combat).

[danielxcutter]

That is quite possible, though it is worth noting that he fought Xykon into not-quite-oblivion barehanded when he first broke the sword (albeit by knocking him into the gate rather than via flat-out combat).

Also possible.

[TheNecrocomicon]

Also a candidate:
T'dr'duzk b'hazg t't!*
As uttered by Cheery Littlebottom, likely the most intelligent member of the Ankh-Morpork City Guard, as she charged an immortal, giant-sized golem

GW

*Today is a good day for someone else to die!

That just made me think of taH pagh taHbe', or otherwise cheghchu' jajvam, jaj QaQ. You have never read Order of the Stick until you have read it in the original Klingon.

And yes, I would gladly challenge somebody skilled and dedicated enough to translate it.

[JumboWheat01]

That just made me think of taH pagh taHbe', or otherwise cheghchu' jajvam, jaj QaQ. You have never read Order of the Stick until you have read it in the original Klingon.

And yes, I would gladly challenge somebody skilled and dedicated enough to translate it.

Oh yeah? Well you fight like a...

Wait, that's not going to do any good in this situation...

[TheNecrocomicon]

Oh yeah? Well you fight like a...

Wait, that's not going to do any good in this situation...

petaQ! Not that kind of challenge anyways

[Kish]

misuse of the word "morosity"

Yeah, she seems pretty optimistic to me.

[Jay R]

It would be very poor design for any single rope to be crucial. The boat can probably be held on by about half the ropes - and it doesn't matter which half, as long as they aren't all on the same side.

It therefore follows that any single rope can be used for heroic swinging.

How else would Julio run an airship?

[mouser9169]

This morning, I thought the trailer for Thor:Ragnarok (just dropped) would be the most badass thing I'd see for a while.

I was wrong.

[Lvl45DM!]

Also, I submit the following for your amusement.
Baruk Khazâd! Khazâd ai-mênu!
Crom! Count the dead!
Ariel! Ariel! I give you blood and souls!

All of which are hardcore uttered by people who could take the Giantess in a straight-up fight (OK, Gimli may need a Legolas assist, and Elric has to be current on his meds).

Arioch.
Arioch gets blood and souls.
Ariel gets thingamabobs and whatsits.

[Forikroder]

It would be very poor design for any single rope to be crucial. The boat can probably be held on by about half the ropes - and it doesn't matter which half, as long as they aren't all on the same side.

It therefore follows that any single rope can be used for heroic swinging.

How else would Julio run an airship?

the Mechane is magical, it moves faster when theres more at stake and always arrives at the nick of time, maybe it always makes sure there is a non-critical rope near anyone who might need to dramatically swing to save the day?

[Cicciograna]

I just recognized that "hi-three" is a pun on "hi-five" with a couple of missing fingers.

I'm giggling more than what would be entirely sane.

[Basement Cat]

I love the expression on the giantess' face when Roy--a tiny speck of a man--jumps up and wallops her.

"Didn't see that coming, did you?"

Also, initially I feared that doom would result from Elan's impressively successful rescue. It was only when I started reading the comments reminding us that this is the Mechane and Elan is a Dashing Swordsman that my anxiety lessened.

Roy and Elan's relationship has improved amazingly since Durkula's betrayal opened Roy's eyes but I'm nonetheless amazed at how rapidly (in story) it's advanced.

[Ariko]

Also a candidate:
T'dr'duzk b'hazg t't!*
As uttered by Cheery Littlebottom, likely the most intelligent member of the Ankh-Morpork City Guard, as she charged an immortal, giant-sized golem

GW

*Today is a good day for someone else to die!

Coincidentilly, I am in the midst of rereading that book

[KillingAScarab]

Haha, this strip just reminded me of something.

Will we now get a fight like the classic 1960's Batman series?

POW! BANG! BIFF! KAPOW!

We will also need HI-THREE! and, presumably, YAK! or BORT! added to that.

No. It's SHOROYKEN!

The frost giant didn't expect a wake-up shoRoyken? Oh, she's so Pringles, where yo' curleh mustache at?

[Giggling Ghast]

Roy didn't punch that giantess, he just "re-accommodated" her on an over-booked flight.

(Rich just made that joke on Twitter.)

[Darth Paul]

Hi-three.
Because using your touch spells normally is too boring for a swordman as dashing as you are.

I actually wondered if it was a misprint for "Hi-there"? Since he looks to be shaking hands, sort of.

Wait... it's another inside joke, isn't it... because they have only three fingers. He gave him a High Three.

Oh, very nice.

[unbeliever536]

I actually wondered if it was a misprint for "Hi-there"? Since he looks to be shaking hands, sort of.

Wait... it's another inside joke, isn't it... because they have only three fingers. He gave him a High Three.

Oh, very nice.

That is not what an inside joke is.

[Chantelune]

Mmmh, not entirely sure what to think about Roy not picking up the sword... On one hand, it means he won't loose it again. On the other hand, the next disarm might get a lot more litteral.

[Unoriginal]

Ariel! Ariel! I give you blood and souls!

That Little Mermaid live-action remake was pretty hardcore.

Question: why does it look like each of those pannels were drawn by different people?

Mmmh, not entirely sure what to think about Roy not picking up the sword... On one hand, it means he won't loose it again. On the other hand, the next disarm might get a lot more litteral.

He DID pick up the sword. He just punched the giantess because he didn't have the time to get the sword, then he picked it up.

[Blatt]

So Elan slashes a stay¹ and gripping it between his ankles dives down with cutlass in the right hand and performs a cure critical with the left. Is this the same Elan who took 11 tries at mending?!

Check for goatee!!

¹Or was it a shroud?

[ti'esar]

Dashing Swordsmen's talents shine when they get to look cool. Fixing a hole in cloth doesn't look particularly cool.

[Anarion]

That was great by Elan. The Mechane is definitely his natural environment. Hi-three sound effect was awesome as well.

[hamishspence]

That Little Mermaid live-action remake was pretty hardcore.

I'm guessing it was "Arioch" (Lord of Chaos in the Elric of Melnibone stories) but spellchecker changed it.

[Goblin_Priest]

Elan's cure spell came at a good time, but...

I doubt it gives more than 2 rounds' worth of damage, if even that. Probably not even 1 round's worth...

Did Roy pick up improved unarmed strike? Unarmed attacks otherwise provoke attacks of opportunity.

Speaking of which, why did he even get an attack? :P He seemed to interrupt a charge, but there was no reason for her to provoke an attack of opportunity herself. Heck, non-silly large creatures would charge to get up to 10ft from their target, which would have put her out of Roy's reach anyways! We now see very well why she wasn't in charge! Such poor tactical acumen. :P

Which also made me notice... this is the first time she actually hot hit? For 1d3+pittance damage...? A non-leveled frost giant has 133 hp. I'm going to assume that this particular giant probably has many levels, quite possibly over 10. Punching her won't win the fight.

[motub]

Go, Elan! Way to buckle that swash!! An absolutely perfect moment, well-seized. It's taken some time for this team to come together so well that the (formerly) weakest member can be "that guy"-- and have the skills to do exactly the right thing at precisely the right moment to enable the team to succeed.

And with style; not just a Cure Critical Wounds, but via a hi-three .... we've come a long way from the yahoo who blew up Xykon's castle with the Castle Emergency Self-Destruct Rune... by accident, sorta.

I'm very proud on Elan's behalf.

P.S. That "POW!" from Roy was pretty frikkin' cool, too. But we knew he's a past master at seizing opportunity.

[Shining Wrath]

I'm guessing it was "Arioch" (Lord of Chaos in the Elric of Melnibone stories) but spellchecker changed it.

Actually, I went by memory and botched it, but thank you for the benefit of the doubt. Don't age, it does terrible things to your brain.


Everyone, let's just assume Roy has Improved Unarmed Strike, since it explains punching before picking up the sword, and also the ability to deal lethal damage (as indicated by the cross hatch on the chin of the giantess) with a punch. It seems to fit the story, and Assorted Pantheons know that a 3rd edition fighter gets enough feats. If Roy is 15th level, he's accumulated 14 feats (7 fighter bonus, 6 normal character, one for human).