OOTS #281 - The Discussion Thread

[Solara]

Ok, but now, EVEN IF Miko wins, her victory will be tainted by the 'mercy' of a psycopathic halfling

Of course the ironic thing is that she doesn't even seem to realize he could have killed her. Stunned MOMENTARILY, yeah right! :D Of course, I don't think it was really "mercy" so much as the realization that if Miko was dead she couldn't be frustrated and infuriated anymore.

And I have nothing else constructive to add, but I'll just say that I love that psychotic little ADD midget even more now! This is now my all time favorite Belkar comic, he just doesn't get solo scenes often enough. :)

[fwiffo]

Way to go, Belkar!

With any luck, the little psychopath might actually succeed in keeping the company as Order Of The Stick, and not as Order Of The Stick Up The Ass.

[Gralamin]

Gaaah! How does everybody but me know what happened in that offscene fight? Did the Giant describe it? Help!
Anyway, I think that her being able to take on a party of 6 adventurers at his level at once more than makes up for that.

yes he did someone probaly saved it.

[evnafets]

Gaaah! How does everybody but me know what happened in that offscene fight? Did the Giant describe it? Help!
Anyway, I think that her being able to take on a party of 6 adventurers at his level at once more than makes up for that.

In fact the giant did describe it.
Its in Order of the Stick: November II Reply 488

[Pvednes]

Something I don't get: If Miko could beat the entire Oots, then she could probably kill belkar. Why would he put his life at such risk just for fun?

If Miko dies, Belkar can't hurt her anymore.

[iltharanos]

If Miko dies, Belkar can't hurt her anymore.

Perhaps Belkar is waiting to off Miko when he's got someone else around to witness his offing Miko, since he doesn't want a repeat of http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/Gian...otscript?SK=42

[soni]

huh huh huh.. the lead sheet said 'wang'... huh huh huh


Miko obviously has no respect for the law- she cast Detect Evil on Belkar even though she was served with an injucntion against casting it on Belkar...

maybe Celia can have her hauled into jail for violating that restraining order... heh

[Tawkis]

Fifth Page!! Woot


Belkar is great, and who says he has no honour....

[infiniteviking]

Hahahahaha! I agree with Belkar -- Miko's funnier alive than dead.

Her ego is clearly as healthy as his... each lives in a little self-created world and ignores whatever facts don't fit in. Setting them at odds was an act of genius. Great comic!

[Deuce]

Nice! Loved it.

NOW this is getting interesting. :)

[Zargon]

Love it! One of my favorites in the last while!
Second panel, Miko wasn't about to fall for the trap again!
The lead sheet. From the same place as familiars. And other things that aren't being used right now.
Miko looks pretty heavily injured. I guess she was out of lay on hands, otherwise she would have used it by now. Perhaps her poor health made her more vunerable to be knocked out (not just stunned) for quite a few rounds (or that was one heavy sheet of lead sneak attack!).
See - helmets are useful for more than putting a cool pair of horns!
Panel 5 - Belkar continues to bitch about the S class for halflings.
Panel 6 - Belkar true nature. It has to FUN to be worth it. (ps. and he also loves an audience). Lots of comics show that. His sense of fun, is kinda fatal for others. But in this case, I suspect his end game is for Miko to be defeated somehow, especially humiliated and if possibly for her to lose her power and he'd probably would love the rest of the Oots to see that he did that (he thinks, for the most part correctly so, that they are on his side about Miko - especially after the last time she beat their group). Killing her now would be like him killing that goblin ninja all by himself... and nobody noticed...
Belkar checks her inventory and finds the potion - his heart is into fun killing, desire for thievery doesn't appear to be more than the basics (unlike Haley).
Knife tossed at her, deliberately handle side to wake her up.
Next to last - Miko thought she was just stunned! Hmm... wait 'til she looks for that potion.
Last panel - I think Miko heard what he said! And Belkar is happy again!
I'm done! Loved the strip!

edit: oh...
If their positions were reversed, I suspect that Miko would do the coup-de-gras (especially in her state of mind). Mr chaotic-evil, nope!

[theKOT]

In fact the giant did describe it.
Its in Order of the Stick: November II Reply 488

Thank you! That has annoyed the heck out of me. I guess the Giant never really had a Belkar-Miko faceoff then....

[PhoeKun]

I'm not sure what to say. Belkar has my grudgin respect right now, enough that I won't be sad if he lives. Frankly, I'm not sure how I feel about that. Lousy Giant and his amazing writing skills...

Just... to everyone saying (again), that Miko should fall, please review the Paladin class one more time.

[Silivren]

huh huh huh.. the lead sheet said 'wang'... huh huh huh


Miko obviously has no respect for the law- she cast Detect Evil on Belkar even though she was served with an injucntion against casting it on Belkar...

maybe Celia can have her hauled into jail for violating that restraining order... heh

Unless, of course, Shojo had the restraining order lifted, or it was only valid in the jurisdiction of the kingdom of Somewhere...

[Kanashimi]

totally awesome. I can't believe he didn't take the opportunity to slit her throat while she was stunned. Kinda makes you wonder who is the cat and who is the mouse in the situation.

Facist cow... Ha!!!

[The_Weirdo]

This was the best strip ever... Belkar humiliating Miko, absurd weapons, random CN craziness... Giant, I'll sacrifice a goat to you because of this strip! (Sacrifices, as per Book of Vile Darkness, add to a test to gain power...) :D

[xyzchyx]

It's obvious

Belkar wants Miko to commit an act that will cause her to lose her paladinhood.

*THEN* he'll finish her the first chance he gets.

[Jothki]

Unless, of course, Shojo had the restraining order lifted, or it was only valid in the jurisdiction of the kingdom of Somewhere...

Or if Miko is letting her anger overcome her reason...

[Nasrudith]

Great comic but the wang sound effect?

[kyrin]

It could very well be that Miko has just a few hp left, if the subdual damage from a lead sheet could take her down. It would have been cool if the sheet had had a dent in it. :D

Nice job as always, Giant.

JIM
aka kyrin

[somatic]

Belkar... not evil?

How could someone who is evil not take advantage of that situation? Or maybe that's not the way he wants to kill her? Or maybe he wants to make her fall instead of just killing her? Or maybe he has some larger plan that she needs to be alive for? Gah!

Still, it would have been a harsh and definitely un-funny way to kill someone, so I'm glad he didn't.

[Galad]

This strip made me little sad actually, I don't believe Miko would have shown as much mercy towards Belkar :-/

Then again, I might be wrong about her. But great great strip, one of my favorites.

[Starbuck_II]

Belkar... not evil?

How could someone who is evil not take advantage of that situation? Or maybe that's not the way he wants to kill her? Or maybe he wants to make her fall instead of just killing her? Or maybe he has some larger plan that she needs to be alive for? Gah!

Still, it would have been a harsh and definitely un-funny way to kill someone, so I'm glad he didn't.

Evil does not mean kill if you can. Even good kills if it can (if enemy, etc).

Evil means you don't care about killing morally (unless family or friends as it says in PHB).
Morally, he has no issue killing her, but he is out for fun only.

I vote for making her fall first:
Be careful when you look into the abyss: the abyss doesn't look back.
Or something like that (forget how quote goes)

So did Belkar keep the potion or throw it away?

Edit: Thanks Kish, I missed that first look over comic. You get a cookie.

[Kish]

He drank it.

[Aser]

Fantastic, Rich. I laughed harder at this strip than at any other. Belkar really has Miko's number, but it seems she has his, too.

Perhaps it's not LOVE, but purely perfectly opposite personalities. Without the mitigating factor of comraderie.

Rage. Revenge. Spite. Go, Hollywood movie!!!!

[theKOT]

This strip made me little sad actually, I don't believe Miko would have shown as much mercy towards Belkar :-/

The strip makes it pretty clear that Belkar wasn't doing it for mercy's sake, but was simply out to have fun. I still think it is stupid of him....

Belkar is great, and who says he has no honour....

Me and Miko

[Mr Croup]

Not to nitpick, but in the last panel, everyone's favorite halfling psychopath says, "I said, 'I'm look forward to cutting out your pancreas, you fascist cow.'"

Shouldn't that be "I said, 'I'm looking forward to cutting out your pancreas, you fascist cow.'"

First time poster, part time fascist grammarian.

[Annalia]

Totally fantastic!

I must agree with the loss of paladinhood theory but I think it should be put as spoiler...

Anyway, hooray for the multifunctional lead sheet!

[Erimore]

OK, my first post, but I absolutely love this strip.

Not only does it show Belkar's obvious intelligence, perfect understanding of the gaming rules, and showcase his obvious chaotic nature, but it proves to me that he is definitely NOT evil.

Evil would have performed a coup de grace without a second thought.

Besides, the only "evil" he has truly shown is a absolute disdain for humans...and that is not evil.

Giant, I rank this issue as the best since...well...I think evilgasm...which I still chuckle about.

Wang...*LOL* Oh I gotta use that.

[xyzchyx]

Not to nit pick, but in the last panel, everyone's favorite halfling psychopath says, "I said, 'I'm look forward to cutting out your pancreas, you fascist cow.'"

Shouldn't that be "I said, 'I'm looking forward to cutting out your pancreas, you fascist cow.'"

First time poster, part time fascist grammarian.

Apparently, you have a very different definition of nitpick than the rest of the world. :)