Results 61 to 90 of 451
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2012-08-30, 06:45 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Dec 2007
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Re: OOTS #862 - The Discussion Thread
Short Answer: It's useful and it's a Drow military thing.
Long AnswerSpoiler
The Drow are aggressively militant, but at the same time, they're Elves, ergo with exceedingly low reproductive rates, compounded with an Almost Always Chaotic Evil society where members murder one another with a very frequent basis.
Yet they have extremely long lifespans to acquire military skills, and the constant threat of being killed by another Drow means they're pretty much all very well ready for duplicity, treachery, ambush, betrayal, and brutal combat. This translates to adopting commando fighting tactics, and stalking up on enemies is pretty much the norm.
Ergo, most Drow who can be equated to 'adventurers,' or have a combat background know Drow Sign Language, for the purposes of being able to communicate plans for betrayal in secret, or communicate in the pitch black of the Underdark where they can easily see using a purely visual medium. That way, Drow can plot in the dark to kill whatever prey has stumbled into the Underdark, without sounds that would give away their position.
In practice, by the way, this concept is so useful that I've talked pretty much every gaming group in every gaming system into having a Sign Language communication method. It comes up more often than you think.
EDIT: Ninja'd by Squark but I like my answer better =PLast edited by Brom; 2012-08-30 at 06:46 PM.
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2012-08-30, 06:47 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Apr 2009
- Location
- Ontario
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Re: OOTS #862 - The Discussion Thread
Too young to remember, I am not. That makes this update even more fantastic. Thanks, Rich !
DM in Mummy's Mask I, II, III | Keshkaru and Ozkrak in Extinction Curse | Marzena in Age of Worms | Elrembriel in Wrath of the Righteous | Gurmok in Nightmare in Katapesh | DM in Catacombs of Ravenloft Avatar courtesy of Neoseph7
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2012-08-30, 06:48 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- May 2006
- Location
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2012-08-30, 06:48 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- May 2005
- Location
- Sydney, Australia
- Gender
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2012-08-30, 06:53 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Oct 2011
- Location
- The last place you look
- Gender
Re: OOTS #862 - The Discussion Thread
Not about the comic, but these threads are actually how I notice new comics
Now for a comic related thing, so this feels like a worthy post. I must say, I don't think I'd mind Malack joining the Order.Avatar by Venetian Mask. It's of an NPC from a campaign I may yet run (possibly in PbP) who became a favorite of mine while planning.
I am a 10/14/11/15/12/14 LG Clr 2
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2012-08-30, 06:54 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Dec 2010
Re: OOTS #862 - The Discussion Thread
More curiously, how does Roy know they're going to teleport?
Sure, enemies gathering in a spot and regrouping means something, but wouldn't it be sweet if Roy actually has a passing knowledge of Drow sign language and read Tarquin correctly."Those who accept their fate find happiness; those who defy it, glory." ~Princess Tutu
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2012-08-30, 06:55 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Jan 2012
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2012-08-30, 06:58 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Aug 2012
- Gender
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2012-08-30, 07:01 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Nov 2010
Re: OOTS #862 - The Discussion Thread
So, can anyone explain to me in detail the non-dirty variety of interpretation of Tarquin's joke?
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2012-08-30, 07:01 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Nov 2007
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2012-08-30, 07:14 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Dec 2009
Re: OOTS #862 - The Discussion Thread
I don't think it matters if Tarquin knew Drow sign language or not. I think the drow could figure out what he wanted just from the context alone (Tarquin carrying an unconscious Nale and running away from the attackers, Sabine gone, the kobald paralyzed). It was clear that the fight was not going well for the Linear Guild. It wouldn't have been hard to figure out what Tarquin wanted even without Drow sign language.
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2012-08-30, 07:15 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Mar 2009
- Location
- Mobile, AL
- Gender
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2012-08-30, 07:25 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Aug 2012
Re: OOTS #862 - The Discussion Thread
Which "Earthican sign language" were you talking about?
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2012-08-30, 07:26 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Jul 2007
Re: OOTS #862 - The Discussion Thread
If drow sign language is anything like American sign language then the sign for drinking fountain (link below) looks very similar to an illegal drug and a pipe that goes along with it.
http://www.signingsavvy.com/sign/FOUNTAIN/5628/1
http://lifeprint.com/asl101/pages-signs/w/water.htm
http://www.signingsavvy.com/sign/PIPE
Or the signs he could be talking about are pipe and drink, which are similar, unlike drinking fountain, which I cant think of a similar sign for, unless we're using slang sign language, if that's a thing.Last edited by blackspeeker; 2012-08-30 at 07:33 PM.
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2012-08-30, 07:26 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Aug 2012
Re: OOTS #862 - The Discussion Thread
It took me too long to realize that "Bring my accountant" meant "Bring Kilkil".
*facepalm* Clearly I'm a fool.
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2012-08-30, 07:34 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Apr 2009
Re: OOTS #862 - The Discussion Thread
I don't see why we need to dwell on the believability or lack thereof of Tarquin knowing Drow sign language. It is not a necessary component of LG escaping this time.
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2012-08-30, 07:37 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Jan 2010
Re: OOTS #862 - The Discussion Thread
Looks like Pop is going to have to add Nondetection to his list of Batman prep if he didn't already have it. -4 to -9 vs. Scrying thanks to sudden OtS custody of that neato axe.
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2012-08-30, 07:39 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Aug 2010
- Location
- Lacey, Washington
- Gender
Re: OOTS #862 - The Discussion Thread
10 gp says the axe has the Calling Enchantment.
^~Cody T.~^
"I see now that the circumstances of one's birth are irrelevant; it is what you do with the gift of life that determines who you are." - Mewtwo
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2012-08-30, 07:40 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- May 2007
- Location
- M'wakee, 'Sconsin
- Gender
Re: OOTS #862 - The Discussion Thread
Ha! Oh, Tarquin, you crazy ol' campaigner!
Originally Posted by Tarquin
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2012-08-30, 07:44 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Sep 2008
Re: OOTS #862 - The Discussion Thread
2012 Kickstart Pledge Drive Backer# 12,851
Their: a possessive pronoun like “her” or “our”
There: refers to a place ("the Kobold is over THERE"), or to indicate the existence of something, or to mention something for the first time. ("THERE is a Halfling sneaking up on him")
They're: a contraction of “they are.”
Also: Your/You're, Its/It's, Then/Than.
And... I believe in you.
—click!
C fl epefggj cd gpyb hcex jpz.
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2012-08-30, 07:47 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Oct 2011
- Location
- Wisconsin, USA
- Gender
Re: OOTS #862 - The Discussion Thread
Though the drug theory is inventive, given Tarquin's discourse about curvy female drow, his personality, and the fact that it's a lot easier to see our sign for "drinking fountain" as "oral sex" than "smoking", I'd vote for Tarquin having shown his sly linguistic skills to the lady, rather than the other.
Spoiler
So the song runs on, with shift and change,
Through the years that have no name,
And the late notes soar to a higher range,
But the theme is still the same.
Man's battle-cry and the guns' reply
Blend in with the old, old rhyme
That was traced in the score of the strata marks
While millenniums winked like campfire sparks
Down the winds of unguessed time. -- 4th Stanza, The Bad Lands, Badger Clark
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2012-08-30, 07:50 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Aug 2011
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2012-08-30, 08:06 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Aug 2012
- Location
- I'm never quite sure
- Gender
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2012-08-30, 08:14 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Aug 2011
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2012-08-30, 08:18 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Jan 2012
Re: OOTS #862 - The Discussion Thread
At least we are now sure that Suggestion has worn off.
Otherwise, Belkar may have run off looking for mansion whores. (And yes, the lack of swirly eyes)Last edited by Smolder; 2012-08-30 at 09:28 PM.
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2012-08-30, 08:25 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Sep 2008
Re: OOTS #862 - The Discussion Thread
Boy, that would have been a really good time to have a spell-disrupting sword move...
I wonder if that gives us some (weak) information about how many times Roy has levelled since being raised.
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2012-08-30, 08:28 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Jan 2012
Re: OOTS #862 - The Discussion Thread
You guys remember Tarquin also mentioning knowing the elf-ambasador-in-disquise was a drow and was sending them gift baskets? Yeah... it seems Tarquin has more relations to them than we might think... heck, I wonder if he really DOES have a true neutral half-drow son somewhere called lean or anel?
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2012-08-30, 08:44 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Nov 2008
- Location
- Hunter Valley, Australia
- Gender
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2012-08-30, 09:14 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Feb 2006
- Location
- California
- Gender
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2012-08-30, 09:19 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Sep 2007
- Location
- In your head.
- Gender
Re: OOTS #862 - The Discussion Thread
Hmm, might the axe have an enchantment on it that would give Tarquin a latent advantage over the Order, even though he's no longer present?
All the runes along the blade made me think of spells like Instant Summons, though that's just an example and not really applicable here (as the runes would appear on the sapphire component of the spell, and it would just call the weapon back)."Come play in the darkness with me."
Thanks for the avatar, banjo1985!
Spoiler
I guess I'm a Neutral Good Human Wizard (4th Level)
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Dexterity- 15
Constitution- 17
Intelligence- 20
Wisdom- 20
Charisma- 12
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