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2018-05-21, 05:15 PM (ISO 8601)
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Re: OOTS #1122 - The Discussion Thread
I just went "Oh ****" aloud when I got to the last panel. Man, and I'd have thought Hilgya might make it (don't clerics tend to have good Will saves?) but that is Very Not Good. Don't suppose someone can at least turn Belkar's clasp real quick?
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2018-05-21, 05:17 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Mar 2009
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- San Francisco
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Re: OOTS #1122 - The Discussion Thread
Oddly, I still feel like this was Roy and the Order making progress. V fireballed a bunch of vampires, Roy killed a couple of the weaker clerics, and several others are damaged too. Granted, the mind control is a problem, but it's surmountable, probably.
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2018-05-21, 05:18 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Jan 2017
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- Eaten by the Snarl
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Re: OOTS #1122 - The Discussion Thread
Oh, I was expecting to see more of the memory. I guess Durkon's still washing up for as long as it is needed for us to see the memory at a narratively appropriate moment. That's how the OotS world rolls.
I don't agree with that sentiment. Just because clerics have a high will save doesn't mean we'd never get to see a cleric fail one of them. How many times has that happened in the comic anyway? I could be wrong, but I think it's not too many as should be expected.
It's not that unreasonable. I assume the vampires focused on her to neutralize her first because she posed the greatest threat against them, but they got lucky and dominated her fast and then they dominated a bunch of others, too, since they had actions to spare. What I'm wondering is why they didn't try to dominate V too, as evidenced by V's seeming obliviousness to the others getting dominated, but they probably didn't want to attempt two hard dominations. They can get the other dominated people to neutralize V anyway.
Hope this isn't Minrah's time to die unceremoniously.
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2018-05-21, 05:19 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Aug 2017
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- France
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Re: OOTS #1122 - The Discussion Thread
There are no angle with which she would see the vampires and we would see her without teleporting her to the other side of the room. I guess it really pays to have peripheral vision.
Well her spirit was made by Hel. Beyond that I guess she could switch toany god that would accept her (or the Elemental Negative Energy or whatever) but I don't see why she would do so.
EDIT:
Every vampire assumed another one was dominating V. Honestly they alreaddy are pretty lucky tha (apparently) no two vampires tried to dominate one target at the same time.Last edited by Fyraltari; 2018-05-21 at 05:23 PM.
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2018-05-21, 05:23 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Oct 2010
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- Dallas, TX
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Re: OOTS #1122 - The Discussion Thread
Well, Roy is absolutely right -- the Order of the Stick is about to produce a few surprises.
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2018-05-21, 05:24 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Jan 2017
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- Eaten by the Snarl
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Re: OOTS #1122 - The Discussion Thread
Also, did Roy telling Belkar to protect V while they're fighting a powerful undead enemy and Belkar objecting remind you of something? Things haven't change all that much in some ways. This just never goes well for one reason or the other.
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2018-05-21, 05:31 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Nov 2005
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- Reading, England
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Re: OOTS #1122 - The Discussion Thread
Hilgya, a high level Cleric, got hit by Dominate? That's just unlucky.
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2018-05-21, 05:35 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Jan 2015
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- Brazil
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Re: OOTS #1122 - The Discussion Thread
I wonder if the mind blanks are still active.
According to SRD, in an Area Dispel, each Dispel dispells one spell (sorry about that). V says Stoneskin and Death ward were dispelled, so maybe the MB weren't (any spell cast by V would be DC 28 to dispel. Possible, specially for Greg or Ponchulla, but not that easy)Each one of us, alone, is but a drop in the sea
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2018-05-21, 05:36 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Aug 2007
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Re: OOTS #1122 - The Discussion Thread
I think we're missing 1-2 rounds of actions from the rest of the OotS and some passed saves, but that's drama for ya. Maybe missing some failed dispels too but Roy was probably jumping to conclusions on all buffs being gone. Since V was listing them out. I'm going to guess it wasn't just lucky saves and the Giant left at least 1 mind blank active.
Last edited by ericgrau; 2018-05-21 at 05:44 PM.
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2018-05-21, 05:53 PM (ISO 8601)
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- May 2009
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- Bahia, Brazil
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2018-05-21, 06:06 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Dec 2010
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2018-05-21, 06:06 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Mar 2013
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- Y'ha-nthlei
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2018-05-21, 06:11 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Dec 2013
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- Finland
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2018-05-21, 06:12 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Jul 2008
Re: OOTS #1122 - The Discussion Thread
I'd go so far as to say it feels like a whole strip was missing. We know accessing memory is instant, so it must be done by the time action is taking place. That means Durkon's dramatic final memory happened off-panel?
I guess it's leading to a conclusion that it's not the specific events, it's just about who was in them. But this particular transition felt incomplete.I don't actually play D&D. I do play:
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2018-05-21, 06:14 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Mar 2010
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Re: OOTS #1122 - The Discussion Thread
.......I don't think Hilgya's a Cleric. I think she's a Favored Soul. she isn't all that wise or observant, but she does have a personality that stands out and makes you pay attention. that might explain why she got dominated......
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2018-05-21, 06:31 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Jul 2017
Re: OOTS #1122 - The Discussion Thread
IIRC, Rich has made it clear that he intends to to tell a clear, coherent story through the online strip. If there is crucial information in the memory, I predict we will see it next strip or the strip after, since this seems like a good spot for a cutaway. If there is no crucial information in the memory, a situation I find highly unlikely, then in the next few strips the combat will change to take us in the direction of resolution, even if it does not seem resolved now.
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2018-05-21, 06:39 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Jan 2012
Re: OOTS #1122 - The Discussion Thread
Yikes.
On the positive side, though, I think there's only six vampires left.
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2018-05-21, 06:40 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Feb 2013
Re: OOTS #1122 - The Discussion Thread
Well, she specifically self-identified as a cleric in strip 1107, so that's probably untrue. Otherwise, perhaps we're finally learning that high-wisdom and low-intelligence can be just as dangerous as the reverse. Or hell, how even having high scores in both is no antidote to delusion. Just look at Redcloak.
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2018-05-21, 06:55 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Jul 2012
Re: OOTS #1122 - The Discussion Thread
Hm. I would have thought Belkar's protection from evil thing would have protected him from the mind-whammy. But I guess he wasn't glowing yellow and experienceing pain the whole time. Maybe I missed before where he decided not to activate that in favor of a casted buff.
- I'm glad V is still in control of V.
- Elan Mind Controlled.... yea, I'm not all that worried (Sorry, Elan). He might well Mass Cure Light Wounds his party since that was his attack spell for the Vamps. As a certain cartoon rooster was want to say, "That boy's about as sharp as a bowlin' ball."
- Haley Mind Controlled is not good. But I don't know what the limits are of what they can compel her to do. A charm wouldn't let her attack Roy or V, I don't think. CERTAINLY not Kudzu or Elan. But Hilgya or Belkar.... maybe. But I don't know if the limits on Vampire control exceed those of a Charm.
- Belkar Mind Controlled is Very Ungood. Esp if they just want him to stab people. I suppose it's possible this is where he might die.
- Hilgya Mind Controlled is, Double Plus Ungood. OTOH, she might get triple bonus saves at resisting any commands from what she believes is DURKON.
- Minrah is stilll in control of herself, but I doubt she has tooo many good spell slots in reserve. I hope so, though.
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2018-05-21, 06:56 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Dec 2010
Re: OOTS #1122 - The Discussion Thread
I just noticed that the downed vampires are going misty....which I guess isn't an issue if they haven't had a chance to establish a coffin yet (as they will be destroyed after 2 hours). However, it can probably be assumed Durkula does have a coffin somewhere.
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2018-05-21, 06:59 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Apr 2014
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2018-05-21, 06:59 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Nov 2004
Re: OOTS #1122 - The Discussion Thread
It is a casted buff. It casts Protection from Evil, which is as much a spell as the Protection from Law spells Hilgya used to protect Haley, Elan, and herself, and probably a lot more dispellable since by default magical items that cast spells do so with the minimum possible caster level to cast the spell, and there's no indication Belkar planned to pay extra for a clasp with a caster level higher than first.
Last edited by Kish; 2018-05-21 at 06:59 PM.
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2018-05-21, 07:30 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Mar 2017
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- County Whatcom
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2018-05-21, 07:59 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Jul 2013
Re: OOTS #1122 - The Discussion Thread
I know it all looks grim to the heroes, here, but there's still the (slight) chance that Roy's last lines apply not only to Durkula, but to the readers as well:
- You think you know us so well, don't you? But we still have a few surprises in store.
Meaning they might've anticipated a scenario where everyone was dominated.
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2018-05-21, 08:04 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Oct 2015
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Re: OOTS #1122 - The Discussion Thread
It does feel strange that we cut back to the fight without any follow-up on the memory cliffhanger. I wonder if the two will intersperse (they interact at the speed of thought, after all) or if that information will be revealed later.
Heh, you know, it did, and if anything it's a sign of the Order's growth that Belkar had a tactically sound reason for objecting instead of just "I'd rather kill things," and that he actually listened to Roy-- well, for now.
*tugs shirt collar*
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2018-05-21, 08:23 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Mar 2013
Re: OOTS #1122 - The Discussion Thread
My reaction to the last panel was a hastily-screamed "Quick, Roy! Protect Minrah!"
I mean, as A-List main characters of the comic, none of the Order is going to die to a lame C-list miniboss like Durkula (or his minions), and Rich is clearly too invested in the Hilgya-Durkon-Kudzu family drama for Hilgya or Kudzu to die just yet, so the only sympathetic character who could possibly get killed off here is Minrah.
Oh, who am I kidding. She's a dwarf, she'd want to die with honor.
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2018-05-21, 08:24 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Jan 2015
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- Behind you. RIGHT NOW.
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2018-05-21, 08:29 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Feb 2015
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- Ithilien
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Re: OOTS #1122 - The Discussion Thread
I expect we'll spend the next few strips alternating between the memory and the fight (either that or the next few strips are going to alternate a few panels in the memory, a few panels in the fight) with the climactic moment of the fight at around the same time as the most important/climactic moment of the memory.
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2018-05-21, 08:33 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Feb 2011
Re: OOTS #1122 - The Discussion Thread
Good strip, good strip. Love the tension building up.
Besides the chance she just got unlucky, as a high level cleric she probably got tagged as a priority target and had to save against multiple dominates.
V meanwhile is the squishiest party member once the buffs are out, so the vampires are probably confident they can finish him off the old fashioned way (in particular if, say, Belkar starts stabbing him).
Hey, original-party-member-gone-to-the-dark-side is at least B-list boss!Last edited by deuterio12; 2018-05-21 at 08:35 PM.
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2018-05-21, 08:35 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Jun 2010
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- PDX
Re: OOTS #1122 - The Discussion Thread
I doubt the cut back to the external battle here will seem at all strange once the sequence is concluded and can be read all at once. Mid-scene, it's awfully easy to leap to conclusions about how the scene-in-progress is being structured, and then to feel wrong-footed when those expectations aren't fulfilled. When you don't have days between strips to build up those expectations, but only seconds between one page and the next, that wrong-footing just doesn't happen in the same way.
I also thought we were going to head straight into Durkon's memory here, but I don't think there's anything inherently awkward about the scene-shift. It's continuing to build up the tension on two simultaneous fronts. It's a fine structure, just not exactly the structure that some of us (myself included) were expecting, that's all.