OOTS #1119 - The Discussion Thread

[Shining Wrath]

66 years ago as of Paladin Blues, which was a bit less than 1 year before the present. Rounding off, about 67 years ago.

http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0276.html

Halflings live about 50% longer than humans per SRD. Sereni could expect to live to be 100 + 5d20, or 155, assuming that she didn't die as a consequence of routinely being around some of the most dangerous monsters in the world.

If the story requires her, she's still alive.

[TRH]

Since Dorukan didn't die of old age, there is no particular reason to think Serini did either. She might have, but it is far from a certainty.

GW

If anything killed her, it seems more likely it would have been Xykon rather than natural causes. He isn't really the type to steal something like the diary and just sneak out.

[zimmerwald1915]

If anything killed her, it seems more likely it would have been Xykon rather than natural causes. He isn't really the type to steal something like the diary and just sneak out.

See also: Fyron's crown.

[dtilque]

The fact of Mass Cure Light Wounds proves that Elan is at least Bard13. It seems like a fair guess that he is Bard14/Dash1 with a caster level 14.

He's definitely at least Bard 14, with an outside chance of 15.

[The MunchKING]

Thanks a lot

All in a Day's work.

[Thurulian]

If anything killed her, it seems more likely it would have been Xykon rather than natural causes. He isn't really the type to steal something like the diary and just sneak out.

Yeah but its never stated it seems he found her journal but there is never any mention of her being killed for it. I would love to see what the banter between her and belkar would be like.

[KorvinStarmast]

I knew Hilgya was still carrying the flame for Durkon just not that way :)

*golf clap*

Halflings live about 50% longer than humans per SRD. Sereni could expect to live to be 100 + 5d20, or 155, assuming that she didn't die as a consequence of routinely being around some of the most dangerous monsters in the world. If the story requires her, she's still alive.

She's the Act End Boss for Kraagor's Tomb. And I suspect that she'll have a few minions assisting her ... hmm, I need to look up in the SRD about rings of monster control ... Hmm, maybe wands of Monster Summoning IV, rods of rulership ... hmmm... thinking

I would love to see what the banter between her (Sereni) and belkar would be like.

That would be a fun thing, and I think Rich could make that ROFLworthy and deep at the same time.

[Fyraltari]

Assuming she wasn't already middle aged at the time, she could fairly plausibly still be alive with a halfling's lifespan, though she would certainly have retired.

Considering she drew hearts around the head of the cool edgy rebel of the group in her diary, I will take my chances and bet that she wasn't middle aged when Soon's wife died.

[Keltest]

Considering she drew hearts around the head of the cool edgy rebel of the group in her diary, I will take my chances and bet that she wasn't middle aged when Soon's wife died.

As a sorcerer, Gerard would have the most charisma of the group by far. Only Soon and Serini would remotely have reason to compete with him, and Soon as a paladin would be too MAD to be able to do so. Its quite possible she finds him attractive because of that, and not specifically because he's "edgy" or "cool".

Not that I think she was remotely close to middle age, but there are legitimate reasons to be enamored with a sorcerer or bard.

[Shining Wrath]

As a sorcerer, Gerard would have the most charisma of the group by far. Only Soon and Serini would remotely have reason to compete with him, and Soon as a paladin would be too MAD to be able to do so. Its quite possible she finds him attractive because of that, and not specifically because he's "edgy" or "cool".

Not that I think she was remotely close to middle age, but there are legitimate reasons to be enamored with a sorcerer or bard.

I think the point is that drawing hearts is "teen" behavior, while an older woman might show more restraint.
At any rate, if she was anything less than 134 she's plausibly still alive (100 + 5d20 years maximum).

Serini is both alive and dead until we discover what the Giant's story requires. She's Schrodinger's hobbit.

[Ruck]

Is Serini still alive? I'm pretty sure the Order of the Scribble's adventures were close to a century before the Order of the Stick came together, and while elves can live that long, I'm not sure halflings can.

As others have outlined, she could still be alive, although Vaarsuvius being unable to send to her + how unlikely it is that Xykon would take her diary without killing her, if killing her was an option for him, are not good indicators for her health.

As a sorcerer, Gerard would have the most charisma of the group by far. Only Soon and Serini would remotely have reason to compete with him, and Soon as a paladin would be too MAD to be able to do so. Its quite possible she finds him attractive because of that, and not specifically because he's "edgy" or "cool".

Not that I think she was remotely close to middle age, but there are legitimate reasons to be enamored with a sorcerer or bard.

The point, I think, is more that Serini expresses that infatuation more as a teenager would than as an adult might, at least in what we've seen.

[Fyraltari]

I think the point is that drawing hearts is "teen" behavior, while an older woman might show more restraint.
At any rate, if she was anything less than 134 she's plausibly still alive (100 + 5d20 years maximum).

Serini is both alive and dead until we discover what the Giant's story requires. She's Schrodinger's hobbit.

The point, I think, is more that Serini expresses that infatuation more as a teenager would than as an adult might, at least in what we've seen.

Yes. Blablabla.

[lcavalheiro]

Yeah but its never stated it seems he found her journal but there is never any mention of her being killed for it. I would love to see what the banter between her and belkar would be like.

There's a precedent that being the owner of an object desired by Xyklon would harm your life expectancy, and stronger precedent says that if Xyklon kills you to get the object he desires, probably he won't remember doing that.

[lcavalheiro]

As others have outlined, she could still be alive, although Vaarsuvius being unable to send to her + how unlikely it is that Xykon would take her diary without killing her, if killing her was an option for him, are not good indicators for her health.



The point, I think, is more that Serini expresses that infatuation more as a teenager would than as an adult might, at least in what we've seen.

I don't know. Even adult women can be silly when infatuated, and looks like Stickverse doesn't forbid or prevent inter-species romance, so it might be sincere from her. But having something Xyklon wants can cut your life short indeed, so...

[Shining Wrath]

OTOH, if anyone could hide when they saw Xykon coming, it would be an epic-level rogue.

I retain the opinion that no one should be surprised by any option chosen by the Giant; alive, alive but doesn't appear, dead and death is mentioned, or dead and death is not mentioned.

[zimmerwald1915]

OTOH, if anyone could hide when they saw Xykon coming, it would be an epic-level rogue.

I retain the opinion that no one should be surprised by any option chosen by the Giant; alive, alive but doesn't appear, dead and death is mentioned, or dead and death is not mentioned.

Some weird indeterminate state. . .

[GreatWyrmGold]

Halflings live about 50% longer than humans per SRD.

That's about 40-60% longer than I expected. Man, humans really got the short end of the lifespan stick, didn't they? It seems like lifespan in D&D is inherently related to morality; the idealized demihumans all live significantly longer than humans do (with elves naturally living the longest), the demonized demihumans all live shorter lives, and humans (with their unavoidable mix of good and bad that players will be intimately familiar with) are in the middle, along with most races that aren't really idealized or demonized.
I think that's a another thing cribbed from Tolkien; IIRC, there was even stratification within elvenkind, with the "best" elves (closest to their original homeland and whatnot) living longer.

As a sorcerer, Gerard would have the most charisma of the group by far. Only Soon and Serini would remotely have reason to compete with him, and Soon as a paladin would be too MAD to be able to do so. Its quite possible she finds him attractive because of that, and not specifically because he's "edgy" or "cool".
Not that I think she was remotely close to middle age, but there are legitimate reasons to be enamored with a sorcerer or bard.

Infatuation based on appearance or force of personality is not a terribly mature trait. (I mean, infatuation in general isn't, but Cha-based infatuation even less so.) It's not absolute, but it's certainly a probabilistic indicator...especially when combined with the hearts.

[Sienar]

OTOH, if anyone could hide when they saw Xykon coming, it would be an epic-level rogue.

I retain the opinion that no one should be surprised by any option chosen by the Giant; alive, alive but doesn't appear, dead and death is mentioned, or dead and death is not mentioned.

Serin-dinger's rogue?

[Fyraltari]

I think that's a another thing cribbed from Tolkien; IIRC, there was even stratification within elvenkind, with the "best" elves (closest to their original homeland and whatnot) living longer.

Uh no. Elves live forever in Tolkien's Legendarium, they may "fade away" whatever that means but they never die, ever. Dwarves do live longer than human (Thorin is almost 200 by the Hobbit and explicitly very old while it is said that Dain went to (and died in) battle despite his advanced age (230-50, I think). And Ents lifespans are just ridiculous.

It might even be true of Orcs too (the immortality I mean) if one takes Shagrat's comment on the Old Days as something he personnally witnessed (2000 years prior).

[Stiletto]

Cure Light Wounds maximizes at 1d8 +5 (not level), even the mass version, so Elan's CLW, Mass really didn't do too much. I'm sure his zinger did much more!

[zimmerwald1915]

Cure Light Wounds maximizes at 1d8 +5 (not level), even the mass version, so Elan's CLW, Mass really didn't do too much. I'm sure his zinger did much more!

Mass cures and inflicts are different spells with different damage formulas from their single-target counterparts.

[Doorhandle]

H: Pyromaniac? :lol:



How much does Resist Fire cancel out though?

30 at best, which still leaves it as a solid smack at 45 damage

[Kish]

Mass cures and inflicts are different spells with different damage formulas from their single-target counterparts.

Indeed, as +25 is different from +5.

[eilandesq]

Indeed, as +25 is different from +5.

I had to look that one up--I never actually used that spell in a game before.

[Shining Wrath]

Uh no. Elves live forever in Tolkien's Legendarium, they may "fade away" whatever that means but they never die, ever. Dwarves do live longer than human (Thorin is almost 200 by the Hobbit and explicitly very old while it is said that Dain went to (and died in) battle despite his advanced age (230-50, I think). And Ents lifespans are just ridiculous.

It might even be true of Orcs too (the immortality I mean) if one takes Shagrat's comment on the Old Days as something he personnally witnessed (2000 years prior).

Orcs were elves corrupted by Morkoth back in the First Age, so they might partake of the elvish immortality. Makes their use as cannon fodder rather sad, in a way.

[Sloanzilla]

"Mommy's going to cover your sweet little eyes while she burns it all down"

Metal AF

[Covenant12]

Empowered Flame Strike takes up a level 7 spot (5 normally, +2 because it's Empowered), meaning that Hilgya is, at the very least, level 13. So far it has really been going the Order's way. I'm kind of expecting Greg to pull out some secret trick soon.

Or at the very least realize there's a higher priority than "the bard". A 13th level cleric is a major enemy to vampires, and a god among vampire spawn. A free action verbal command to focus fire could be incoming quick.

Honestly the order is looking pretty good here. Team vampire is losing members and the order has tons of healing. Not-Durkon has 2-3 decent spellcasters but d12+0 isn't a ton of hit points, and V is due for his* turn. Even the vamps that made their saving throws took significant divine damage from that empowered flame strike.

*Yeah, I know a main joke is we don't know V's gender, but for years I saw -ius and assumed a Roman male gender.

[Jannoire]

I'm not informed on the actual level of Durkon (or Durkon*, for that matter), but I'd expect Hilgya to be of the same level, since she's something we could consider to be a personal nemesis, like Crystal was to Haley...

[Sloanzilla]

Heh, Belkar has the highest confirmed kill total in this combat. Doomsealer indeed.

[GreatWyrmGold]

Orcs were elves corrupted by Morkoth back in the First Age, so they might partake of the elvish immortality. Makes their use as cannon fodder rather sad, in a way.

I'm having trouble thinking of what element about the orcs' backstory isn't sad. Probably the worst part is the victim-blamey component of "If the elves wanted to, they could die instead of turning into orcs". Well, and the Original-Sin-ish bit where the kids of elves-turned-orcs are stuck with orcishness, too. (Of course, both of those are far from unique in Tolkien's mythos, what with the Christianity-inspired elements. Incidentally, me misremembering bits from that article is why I thought some elves were more immortal than others.)