Order of the Stick: September I

[RBPRX1204]

LOL, 2 V comics in a row. OMG, I'm in frikkin heaven. Thanks Rich.

[drothgery]

why? why?
I've been having happy dreams about exploding paladins since monday.

Exploding evil halflings are much more fun.

[Techonce]

I still say that V is in danger of having her alignment slip into evil territory.

What's evil about setting fire to an evil halfling? Especially one that is planning on doing harm to an good horse?

[Rethorn]

Great comic Rich, 2 awesome Explosive Runes comics in a row :)

[Taren]

Heh...another gem. But one that makes me start wondering again...Is Miko going to be a permanent addition to the group? In short, is she a PC, or an NPC?

I mean, the way she's been acting seems to indicate she's a PC, but at the same time, she did, even if it was with a significant advantage, take on the entire party at once. Even with the advantage of the storm, it's entirely reasonable to assume that she might be higher level than the average of the group.

Beyond that, Miko reminds me of several NPCs in games I've played in, the purpose of which was to keep the players in line and on track. Her appearance seemed to give the party a new direction to move in. Also, Miko has little reason to stay with the group after they reach thier current destination, although that could easily change.

I could probably go into this in alot more detail, but now is neither the time, nor is this the place...I just wanted people's opinions.

[enigma]

You know, I don't think it was entirely intentional that Belkar got the explosion. It seems to me just a happy coincidence. V didn't know what Roy would do with the paper, so it was just V's good fortune that Belkar's Int is sub-par.

Enigma

[phlip]

What's evil about setting fire to an evil halfling? Especially one that is planning on doing harm to an good horse?

Two wrongs don't necessarily make a right...

A more LG thing to do in that situation would be to disarm the runes somehow, rather than tricking Belkar into reading it...

[Nihility]

Personally, I'm kind of upset that Roy saved Miko from the explosion. I've been looking foward to the sight of roast paladin since Monday afternoon. Oh well.. Maybe Rich has something else up his sleeve in store for Miko.. And poor Belkar.. Seriously needs to bump up that wisdom score.

[Sundog]

Anything bad happening to Belkar is automatically good.

I just loved that V got him twice - once with Explosive Runes, and once with that last comment!

[Malachi, the Lich King]

I must say that I enjoyed the strip today but its definitely of the variety that I think I'll appreciate better once it gets compiled into a book. I like sitting down and reading a ton of the strips at once. Getting a strip such as this every other day just doesn't satisfy the urge well enough. I get more into the story when I can read the strips rapidly in order.

[just_al]

I must say that I enjoyed the strip today but its definitely of the variety that I think I'll appreciate better once it gets compiled into a book. I like sitting down and reading a ton of the strips at once. Getting a strip such as this every other day just doesn't satisfy the urge well enough. I get more into the story when I can read the strips rapidly in order.

You could take a few weeks off and then catch up. I keep meaning to do that so I won't be twitching when a comic isn't up at 12:01a on any given Monday, Wednesdy or Friday

I can take that time off any time I want, I just don't want to.

[phlip]

"I'm not addicted, I can stop any time I want! I just don't want to right now"

Come to think of it, I'm the same way...

[kriklaf]

I can take that time off any time I want, I just don't want to.

Ah, yes--the 'I can quit at any time' addict's cry. Right there with you, Al--I just yesterday got Rich's new book from my friend who went to GenCon--I've now read it twice.

Great comic today, too--I love the way Rich managed to get us all to laugh twice in a row with the Explosive Runes gag. And I agree with Enigma--V was aiming for Miko, not Belkar, but wasn't upset that the halfling got it instead.

[meowthwack]

You could take a few weeks off and then catch up. I keep meaning to do that so I won't be twitching when a comic isn't up at 12:01a on any given Monday, Wednesdy or Friday

I can take that time off any time I want, I just don't want to.

Taking a week off is pretty tough, it's true.

When I'm getting twitchy about a new comic (or just feel like refreshing the story), I just start reading from the beginning again.

On V's gender: I've thought V was female since I started reading, but strip #123 was enough evidence to make me certain that V is a her.

[Falkus]

I mean, the way she's been acting seems to indicate she's a PC, but at the same time, she did, even if it was with a significant advantage, take on the entire party at once. Even with the advantage of the storm, it's entirely reasonable to assume that she might be higher level than the average of the group.

You mean she took on a fighter using a primitive weapon that he was no specialized in, and a rogue geared towards ranged combat who was in melee. The rest of the party didn't contribute much during said fight.

[Kish]

Well, for starters, if Roy doesn't object to Vaarsuvius blowing up Belkar (which he doesn't appear to be), Vaarsuvius can point at him and say "Hypocrite!" for his saying "you can't harm a member of this team." Then, except when Belkar was hanged, Vaarsuvius has always seemed to despise him. Finally, blowing up Belkar is an excellent way to get back in the good graces of most* people who thought it reflected badly on Vaarsuvius that s/he wanted to blow up Miko (kind of like faction ratings in EverQuest 2). ;D

*Most, not all. I'm sure some people think Vaarsuvius shouldn't have blown up anyone, and a few probably think Vaarsuvius should be able to blow up anyone s/he pleases. I just don't expect to see a lot of overlap between the list of people who were saying, "It was wrong to try to blow up Miko" and the list now saying, "It was wrong to blow up Belkar,"--or between the list of people saying, "It was hilarious to try to blow up Miko" and the list now saying, "It was hilarious to blow up Belkar."

[Overelemental]

would much rather it had hit miko, but i guess the lizard payback was due.
Hope V's comments makes Roy realize Miko isn't part of the group.

[silvadel]

Yep it sure looks like V is in revenge mode... We knew she did not forgive Belkar.... However...

1) She probably did NOT want to get stuck with the blame for blowing up the horse with explosive runes if belkar got the horse to read it...

2) She wants personal revenge on the paladin not proxy revenge.

3) She didnt want the spell to go to waste nor have it kicking around so knowing belkars nature she figured this was a use for the spell..

4) She does NOT like her magical powers being used by others period... I mean what Belkar was planning to do with the paper (WITHOUT ASKING) was very similar to what Miko did (without the elf affront).

---

At any rate Belkar has NOT seen the last of V's revenge for the salamander... What is odd is Belkar doesnt even realize WHY V is taking revenge out on him...

[Malachi, the Lich King]

You could take a few weeks off and then catch up. I keep meaning to do that so I won't be twitching when a comic isn't up at 12:01a on any given Monday, Wednesdy or Friday

I can take that time off any time I want, I just don't want to.

'Sha, like that's going to happen ;)

You're giving me far too much credit for willpower that I don't have.

[although]

would much rather it had hit miko, but i guess the lizard payback was due.
Hope V's comments makes Roy realize Miko isn't part of the group.

Actually, I can see this as a possible beginning for a decent working relationship between Miko and V. V has made an emphatic point about Miko's arrogant ways, has seen the runes hit an unintended but nonetheless satisfying target, and has had the chance to chew out both Roy and Miko. For now, V seems satisfied -- s/he calls Miko by name, rather than as "That Paladin", and readily sides with Windrunner over Belkar.

If Miko is ready to make a few concessions of her own and show a modicum of respect for her traving companions/prisoners, maybe even learn all their names (all of which will probably happen only if Roy and/or Durkon confront Miko and make her see her own faults), then V might be ready to bury the hatchet. Haley will be slower to tolerate Miko...and Belkar, of course, will be bitterly matching wits with that horse for the rest of their lives.

[fwiffo]

Belkar's plan appears to have a minor flaw in it. I know paladin horses are supposed to be pretty darn smart, but I would think that even they might have problems being able to read a scroll. I've known a few horses in my life and none of them were particularly literate.

But, then, there are some areas of the country where same can be said about high school students, so what do I know?

[Roland]

**Applause** wonderful strip I laughed out loud at the office which I almsot never do.

Also as the alignment ramifications of explosive runeing someone....think of it as Vs version of a punch to the jaw, if a warrior type decides he's annoyed with you and slugs you does that make him an evil man? Provided he isn't actively trying to kill you just beat the stuffin' out of you its not really evil. Else every barbarian and fighter who ever got into a bar fight would be evil.

[Ilaun_Undil]

Well, this probably being stated already, I won't spend much time one it, but I believe that V is CN Which means that s/he will do evil things, but also good. We know that V is not evil from strip 201 or 202. well that is all I've got to say right now at this percise moment, other than, it would have be funny if the horse read it!!!

[Leveller]

Can someone explain to me why the runes did not blow up in Mikos face if they indeed were spelled right?

[Midnight Son]

The Giant did not want them to blow up in Miko's face.

[Dark]

Can someone explain to me why the runes did not blow up in Mikos face if they indeed were spelled right?

Roy must have been able to grab the paper before she finished reading the runes. I haven't found any rules about what happens when they're read halfway... they just detonate "when read". If wizards have the same kind of handwriting as doctors, then reading them could take a while :)

[Kelmon]

Maybe they didn't explode because Roy stopped Miko before she could read (and say) "explosive runes".

[Oracle]

*lol*

Oh my. I love me some V.

I have to say, I totally agreed with everything V said. Yay, elven androgynous huffiness! ;D

[Leveller]

Just seems strange that she would've read enought to say "explosive ru-" out loud but not have read "-nes".

[omikapsi]

Interesting, mondays strip was 'laugh out loud' for most people, but I found it merely amusing. It was todays strip that had me suppressing guffaws.

V's alignment: V isn't going to become 'evil' for doing a single evil act any more than belker is going to become 'good' if he were to do a single good act. Ones alignment should be the aggregate of ones actions, and only shift as the result many actions strongly of a particular alignment. On top of that, using 'explosive runes' in this manner qualifies as a practical joke, since it's no more dangerous to the other party members than a firecracker would be to us.
6d6 has no chance of killing any member (other than V herself) who has full hit points. It'll do 3 damage minimum, 21 damage on average, and 36 damage maximum. Assuming the party is 12th level, with average hit points, Miko and Roy should have at least 65 hit points each, Belker should have 52 hit points, and Elan and Haley should have 39 hit points each. Only if she pulled something like this on Elan or Haley would it come close to qualifying as evil.

Oh, and a note on the mountains. Since pretty much the entire strip is done in 3/4 profile, regardless of where the characters are facing, it's entirely possible that the shifting background is due to changing 'camera angles'. For example, in strip #220, between panels 6 and 8, we can see that Roy and Miko appear to be slightly farther apart in the second. I posit that the cameral angle shifted to show this, since perspective is all but nonexistent due to the style of the strip. Since the camera is constantly shifting, we see a different portion of the background in each frame. It's just an amazing coincidence, perfectly orchestrated by the giant, that makes them all appear to line up the way that they do.