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  1. - Top - End - #61
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    Default Re: A Practical Guide to Evil

    Quote Originally Posted by The Glyphstone View Post
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    There's also the Giants, now that I think of it. They're even on the same continent and we haven't seen a hint of them.
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    Gigantes are extremely xenophobic, killing nearly everyone who crosses into their lands. They seem another of the non-human moralities, however there is a Hero who was brought up among them by a giant wolf. It may be that the Gigantes aren't necessarily humanoid (the wolf may be one of them, though not referred to as such).

  2. - Top - End - #62
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    Default Re: A Practical Guide to Evil

    Spoiler: Book 2, Chapter 45
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    Did...

    Did...

    Did Catherine just become a Lich?

    Did Catherine Motherfracking Foundling just become a LICH?!

    Specifically as a gambit to screw Silly Willy (can I even say that on these forums?) and shaft narrative casuality?

    ...

    ...

    ...

    I have never before understood the waifu phenominon, nor it's inverse husbando, but as of today, I can now say this.

    I would ABSOLUTELY be her loyal minion ANYTIME.

    Jubilee, you had better watch your tail-coats, duck.

    Unholy fracking crap.

    Last edited by Aotrs Commander; 2018-10-24 at 11:39 AM.

  3. - Top - End - #63
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    Default Re: A Practical Guide to Evil

    Quote Originally Posted by Aotrs Commander View Post
    Spoiler: Book 2, Chapter 45
    Show
    Did...

    Did...

    Did Catherine just become a Lich?

    Did Catherine Motherfracking Foundling just become a LICH?!

    Specifically as a gambit to screw Silly Willy (can I even say that on these forums?) and shaft narrative casuality?

    ...

    ...

    ...

    I have never before understood the waifu phenominon, nor it's inverse husbando, but as of today, I can now say this.

    I would ABSOLUTELY be her loyal minion ANYTIME.

    Jubilee, you had better watch your tail-coats, duck.

    Unholy fracking crap.

    Spoiler
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    Apprentice puts her soul back in her body afterwards, though - she's undead, but the amulet is just a catch-net, not a permanent storage unit. I think she's more like a Death Knight here, self-reanimating to pursue her enemy beyond death.

    (you will meet a real lich later though. Technically two of them.)

  4. - Top - End - #64
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    Default Re: A Practical Guide to Evil

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    More of a Death Knight, really.

    Edit: aaaand, ninja'd!
    Last edited by Leewei; 2018-10-24 at 12:03 PM.

  5. - Top - End - #65
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    Default Re: A Practical Guide to Evil

    Praes ye olde tactics:
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    I finally got to the part where they are fighting Diabolist after defeating Summer, and I can't help but notice traditional Praes tactics are a lot like how I play Total War or Heroes of Might and Magic.

    In HoM&M I usually play undead focused on infinite stacks of cheap units and then mindcontrol powers to turn their best units on themselves, while in Total War I tend to focus on light infantry (especially slingers) backed by chariots and War Elephants.

    The one thing I am always for is field works though, which zombie hordes should make easily overnight but Diabolist doesn't seem like leverages troops very well.

  6. - Top - End - #66
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    Default Re: A Practical Guide to Evil

    Quote Originally Posted by Tvtyrant View Post
    Praes ye olde tactics:
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    I finally got to the part where they are fighting Diabolist after defeating Summer, and I can't help but notice traditional Praes tactics are a lot like how I play Total War or Heroes of Might and Magic.

    In HoM&M I usually play undead focused on infinite stacks of cheap units and then mindcontrol powers to turn their best units on themselves, while in Total War I tend to focus on light infantry (especially slingers) backed by chariots and War Elephants.

    The one thing I am always for is field works though, which zombie hordes should make easily overnight but Diabolist doesn't seem like leverages troops very well.
    HoMM works very well as an approximation for how this world works. This probably isn't a coincidence.

  7. - Top - End - #67
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    Quote Originally Posted by Leewei View Post
    HoMM works very well as an approximation for how this world works. This probably isn't a coincidence.
    Somewhere between HoMM and Diablo. At certain points I was sure that different characters were actually high level Diablo fanfics, especially Archer who is clearly a DIII Demonhunter.

  8. - Top - End - #68
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    Default Re: A Practical Guide to Evil

    Quote Originally Posted by The Glyphstone View Post
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    Apprentice puts her soul back in her body afterwards, though - she's undead, but the amulet is just a catch-net, not a permanent storage unit. I think she's more like a Death Knight here, self-reanimating to pursue her enemy beyond death.

    (you will meet a real lich later though. Technically two of them.)
    Spoiler: book2 chapter 45
    Show
    Which makes her a spirit-bound Lich - like me - not a phylactery-bound, which is even better.




    Spoiler: book2 chapter 46
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    Okay, she literally just ripped someone's spine out. Without her Name powers.

    Wow.

    I... Think the temperture in the room just slightly increased.


    Also ahahahahahahahahaha! All three Aspects back! Akua, you done fracked up HARD.


    This series, may be, in fact, the actual Best.


    Edit:
    Spoiler: book 2, chapter 47
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    Ahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!

    I...

    Aaaaaaaaaah-hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhaha!

    Can't...

    Bwahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!

    Too... Perfect...

    Ahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!
    Last edited by Aotrs Commander; 2018-10-24 at 03:06 PM.

  9. - Top - End - #69
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    Spoiler: 2-47
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    Catherine's gambit here succeeds incredibly well, and is one of the best Moments of Awesome in the series. Note that a big part of the reason her claim to the throne and the crown of Callow works is because the island is now in Arcadia Resplendent - an entire pseudo-reality made of the stuff of stories. While the chapter outlines this is happening, it gets overshadowed by the marvelous action, and so is a bit easy to miss.

  10. - Top - End - #70
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    Default Re: A Practical Guide to Evil

    Quote Originally Posted by Leewei View Post
    Spoiler: 2-47
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    Catherine's gambit here succeeds incredibly well, and is one of the best Moments of Awesome in the series. Note that a big part of the reason her claim to the throne and the crown of Callow works is because the island is now in Arcadia Resplendent - an entire pseudo-reality made of the stuff of stories. While the chapter outlines this is happening, it gets overshadowed by the marvelous action, and so is a bit easy to miss.
    Spoiler: 2-47
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    I definitely didn't miss it, which is why I was laughing so damn hard.

    Beautiful.


    I have to profusely thank you for bringing this to my attention, by the by, it is ridiculously entertaining. And being able to actually relate proper-like to characters is... Almost a first for me.

  11. - Top - End - #71
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    Praes is not, in the grand scheme, IMPORTANT in the slightest. The rest of Calernia (which is only one continent in a world where the battle between Good and Evil has been OVERWHELMINGLY decided in favor of Good everywhere else) views it as pretty much a joke.
    I have not seen any sort of evidence towards that. Its closer to a constant thorn in everyone's side thats utterly unpredictable. Sometimes demons, somethings invisible tigers.
    But yes, when they are in the tiger-phase then they do seem to be ignored in favor of the more constant threats.

    Before the current Crusade there wasn't a concerted effort to stamp out Praes from any of the Good powers because they were too busy with mortal wars and the larger, more terrifying conflicts with forces like The Dead King and the Chain of Hunger. The only reason Praes won for as long as it did was, in short, that Black manipulated the ancient story of Callow being invaded for its resources...and then KEPT GOING instead of pulling out like Praes has always done before, choosing instead to corrupt/reform Callow into a new nation.

    Even that was not considered a big deal; nobody on Calernia gave enough of a **** about fantasy Poland to try and take it back, so the Calamities were able to slaughter or turn nascent Heroes before they became a threat. Catherine in particular was a candidate for Hero status before Black got to her.

    It was only when Akua started mimicking the old Villains and slaughtered 100, 000 people in a single night that the rest of Calernia woke up like they'd been slapped in the face; it was only then they realized that Praes was a true threat again and should be dealt with (and as a bonus, Procer gets to conquer and rape Callow again; win-win).
    Well there were not really anyone close enough to care. Procer were busy with a succesion war as i recalled. And i dont recall that many other nations who are directly good. A fair bit of the others seemed neutral.
    And even after Akura turned a entire town undead its still mainly Procer who are busy with the crusading. The rest of Calernia seems mainly content to take small strikes of oppotunity on either side.

    In short the time that Evil won in this scenario is beyond abnormal. Not just for Calernia, but the cosmos as a whole. The general state of affairs is "Villain first stage succeeds, stopped last minute by plucky Heroes who coincidentally have abilities tailored to overcome all challenges set before them", which the Calamities subvert by using heroic tactics and story-fu to skew battles in their favor.
    The only reason for why the general state of affairs is like that, is that Villain first stage last as long as they are winning. Last minutte is then when they lose at last. If you keep rolling the dice then eventually you will lose.
    And we have seen that if the first team of plucky heroes fail, then a slightly more experience team is given the chance.

    EVEN THEN, a tiny mistake is enough to end a powerful Villain; Captain was baited into a trap and killed with little fanfare for her importance because of that. The universe is inherently stacked against Evil in any conflict, because stories that end in "and the Villain is defeated, everyone lives happily ever after" are the most common, and even Pyrrhic victories are still villainous defeats in the grand scheme.
    And of course a tiny mistake is enough to get you killed when your suddenly fighting someone your own level for a change.
    But it was not that small of a mistake. Black underestimated his opponent, and grew predictable in the way he used Captain.
    He knew that there were something off about the caravans. But failed to realise someone more skilled at twisting stories might be around.

    I disagree on that the universe is inherently stacked againt Evil in any given conflict. The only thing Good is guaranteed is to win "in the end".
    And when Evil insist on continuing to play until they lose, then there will come an end sooner or later.
    But as we saw in the fight between the Tyrant and the White knight, then its actually pretty much back and forth when both sides play by the rules.



    Spoiler until (serious) hero party number 3
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    What i did like is how we got to see 3 different stages of the hero party.

    We had William and his rather dysfunctional party. None of them got any noteworthy degree of experience outside their narrow fields.
    The Lone Swordsman is a demon with a (angel) blade. Thief can steal anything she get her hands on, ect. But they lack life experience, and mainly get along by luck.
    Thinking about it, i actually do miss William a little. I liked him.

    Then we have the White Knight, whom i guess represent the hero party at its prime.
    All of them are getting along now. And rely mostly on teamwork. Their party leader is an actual leader.
    They have fokus on their goals. They are able to make plans. And they are likely the closest we got to actual by the book heroes.

    And lastly we have The Grey Pilgrim, The Saint of Swords, The Witch of the West.
    Who are the retired heroes. The Leviathans good have stashed away for things like the Dead King.
    They are ruthless to a shocking degree, but also some of the most badass fighters we have seen.
    I loved the first fight that we saw The Saint of Swords in. It was about one of the first times we saw a Hero on her own that did not get pushed around by Villains.


    thnx to Starwoof for the fine avatar

  12. - Top - End - #72
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    Default Re: A Practical Guide to Evil

    Quote Originally Posted by Aotrs Commander View Post
    I have to profusely thank you for bringing this to my attention, by the by, it is ridiculously entertaining. And being able to actually relate proper-like to characters is... Almost a first for me.
    You, sir, are very welcome!

  13. - Top - End - #73
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    Default Re: A Practical Guide to Evil

    “Thirty-one: use a sword fit for your height and built, not the largest chunk of metal you can find. It will both improve your life expectancy and save you a great many jokes about overcompensation.”
    -“Two Hundred Heroic Axioms”, unknown author
    Not that that isn't sound advise, no matter which team you're playing for, but honestly?

    Those grand final clashes between the champions of light and dark loose something if neither side is enthusiastically waving around pieces of architecture posing as weaponry.
    "If it lives it can be killed.
    If it is dead it can be eaten."

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  14. - Top - End - #74
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    Default Re: A Practical Guide to Evil

    Quote Originally Posted by Kantaki View Post
    Not that that isn't sound advise, no matter which team you're playing for, but honestly?

    Those grand final clashes between the champions of light and dark loose something if neither side is enthusiastically waving around pieces of architecture posing as weaponry.
    Well, in fairness, they're not at all shy about using buildings, pieces of the landscape, and livestock as weaponry when the situation calls for it. It's just their standard sidearms that are usually more or less regular weapons.

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    Although this doesn't stop Catherine from grousing several times about how unfair it is that she doesn't get to use enchanted arms or armor, and I think Archer's bow is mentioned as being unusually large and possibly magical.

  15. - Top - End - #75
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    Default Re: A Practical Guide to Evil

    Teetering on giving up for like five chapters now. I'm at the point where
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    Catherine and the other squire candidates talk.

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    Default Re: A Practical Guide to Evil

    While that is not one of the more awesome parts, t leads to some, so I dont quite get how you are tethering on giving up?

    I mean yeah, spelling and grammar are oftentimes all over the place, but Setting, Plot and Cool Factor more than make up for this. Trust me. ;)
    A neutron walks into a bar and says, “How much for a beer?” The bartender says, “For you? No charge.”

    01010100011011110010000001100010011001010010000001 10111101110010001000000110111001101111011101000010 00000111010001101111001000000110001001100101001011 100010111000101110

    Later: An atom walks into a bar an asks the bartender “Have you seen an electron? I left it in here last night.” The bartender says, “Are you sure?” The atom says, “I’m positive.”

  17. - Top - End - #77
    Eldritch Horror in the Playground Moderator
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    Default Re: A Practical Guide to Evil

    And I'm finally caught up. Now I get to join the waiting game each week.

  18. - Top - End - #78
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    Default Re: A Practical Guide to Evil

    This falls just on the wrong side of the line between 'look how smart this character is' and 'look how smart I am for coming up with this character and because it is my avatar' for me.

  19. - Top - End - #79
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    Default Re: A Practical Guide to Evil

    Quote Originally Posted by Sapphire Guard View Post
    Teetering on giving up for like five chapters now. I'm at the point where
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    Catherine and the other squire candidates talk.
    This is shortly before one of the first major setpieces, IIRC. What you've been through so far is more or less prologue, IMO; the meat of the story doesn't kick off until

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    Catherine fully claims Squire from the burning wreckage of the other contestants and has her first encounter with the Lone Swordsman.


    The spoilered sequence sets the style and themes that will carry through the rest of the story; I'd read to that and decide if it's going to be something you'll enjoy from there.

  20. - Top - End - #80
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    Default Re: A Practical Guide to Evil

    Mostly caught up now. I am enjoying book 4 a lot more than book 3, which I felt got a little silly by the end.

  21. - Top - End - #81
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    Spoiler: Spoiler level - latest
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    Well.. at least we got a little reminder of just what it meants to be a classic villain.
    Maseko might be amusingly inept socially. But he is still also a utter monster.
    Thats 3 people casually killed during the opening bit of a party.

    Compared to them even the worst hero is still good.

    thnx to Starwoof for the fine avatar

  22. - Top - End - #82
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    Default Re: A Practical Guide to Evil

    I am currently trying to get through chapter two.

    It's not that it's bad writing, it's that the world building is dense.

    Chapter one's court scene ... three deaths, and we're told that there will be more offscreen, and they're ok with it?

    "With great madness comes great possibility" -- that should be attributed to Crazy Eddie :-)

    (Well, ok, Crazy Eddie's Master, it's the mediators that go.)

    ---

    -“Two Hundred Heroic Axioms”, unknown author

    Shouldn't that be something like 275, assuming it's the list of evil overlord rules?

    *****

    WHOOPS! IT READS FROM THE END!

    For some reason, the blog is showing the LAST chapter first. That's not the start of the book. No wonder it was hard to figure out what's going on.
    Last edited by keybounce; 2018-10-26 at 05:35 PM.
    Not "fire at". I never used the word "at"
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  23. - Top - End - #83
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    Default Re: A Practical Guide to Evil

    -“Two Hundred Heroic Axioms”, unknown author

    Shouldn't that be something like 275, assuming it's the list of evil overlord rules?
    Its not. It is the opposite list. The one designed for heroes.

    WHOOPS! IT READS FROM THE END!

    For some reason, the blog is showing the LAST chapter first. That's not the start of the book. No wonder it was hard to figure out what's going on.
    Bwahaha

    Well.. your lucky. Its likely one of the least spoilering chapters you could have jumped into.
    It only reveals actions in broad strokes you hopefully dont even recall now due to names being unfamiliar.
    thnx to Starwoof for the fine avatar

  24. - Top - End - #84
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    Default Re: A Practical Guide to Evil

    I really want them to meet a
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    Invisible Sentient Tiger.

  25. - Top - End - #85
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    Default Re: A Practical Guide to Evil

    Quote Originally Posted by lord_khaine View Post
    Spoiler: Spoiler level - latest
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    Well.. at least we got a little reminder of just what it meants to be a classic villain.
    Maseko might be amusingly inept socially. But he is still also a utter monster.
    Thats 3 people casually killed during the opening bit of a party.

    Compared to them even the worst hero is still good.

    Spoiler
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    Masego casually slaughtered two people. It could be argued they were enemies.

    The Pilgrim casually slaughtered hundreds of innocents.

    Both are evil. The only difference is the Pilgrim wrings his hands over it after.

  26. - Top - End - #86
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    Quote Originally Posted by lord_khaine View Post
    Spoiler: Spoiler level - latest
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    Well.. at least we got a little reminder of just what it meants to be a classic villain.
    Maseko might be amusingly inept socially. But he is still also a utter monster.
    Thats 3 people casually killed during the opening bit of a party.

    Compared to them even the worst hero is still good.

    Spoiler: Latest
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    Yes. Because killing two people who are your enemies, and a third in self defense who is also an enemy is somehow worse than, for example, the Ashuran bureaucracy and Caste System that keeps people enslaved in thankless jobs or homeless just because their ancestors were jerks.

    Is worse than Procer's tendency to attempt to kill people and steal their lands that's been going on so long that the hatred for them is so intense that it took a literal stable hellgate to get everyone to go 'Ok, maybe the imperialistic jerks have a point.'?

    Is it worse than the Grey Pilgrim's casual sacrifice of an entire town to get to his enemy?

    Is it worse than Williams plot to literally enslave the entire population of Liesse?
    Spoiler
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    Quote Originally Posted by AvatarZero View Post
    I like the "hobo" in there.
    "Hey, you just got 10000gp! You going to buy a fully staffed mansion or something?"
    "Nah, I'll upgrade my +2 sword to a +3 sword and sleep in my cloak."

    Non est salvatori salvator, neque defensori dominus, nec pater nec mater, nihil supernum.

    Torumekian knight Avatar by Licoot.

    Note to self: Never get involved in an ethics thread again...Especially if I'm defending the empire.

  27. - Top - End - #87
    Eldritch Horror in the Playground Moderator
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    Default Re: A Practical Guide to Evil

    None of this should surprise anyone, considering one of the story's central themes is how neither Good nor Evil have a monopoly on good or evil deeds respectively.

  28. - Top - End - #88
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    Default Re: A Practical Guide to Evil

    @Irritant

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    I just got to the one where Irritant uses a figurative pyramid scheme to pay for a literal pyramid scheme. The author of this should be a comic.

  29. - Top - End - #89
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    Default Re: A Practical Guide to Evil

    Quote Originally Posted by lord_khaine View Post
    Well.. your lucky. Its likely one of the least spoilering chapters you could have jumped into.
    It only reveals actions in broad strokes you hopefully dont even recall now due to names being unfamiliar.
    The funny thing? I want to read a story based on that intro now.

    What kind of story starts with a formal court meeting where we find that the main character is a half deamon child of a man and a male cubi, who starts by killing two unnamed people at the court under the pretense of "insulting the queen", with another murder shortly after because "Hey, it's not my fault that my lethal protection spell killed them for trying to eavesdrop", to be followed by the statement that there were even more murders later that night off-screen.

    With the next chapter basically having a character organizing military groups into an army for a war/revolt.
    Not "fire at". I never used the word "at"
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  30. - Top - End - #90
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    Default Re: A Practical Guide to Evil

    Spoiler: A very minor spoiler, but a spoiler nonetheless
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    Masego is adopted.
    Last edited by The Glyphstone; 2018-10-26 at 11:48 PM.

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