OOTS #1020 - The Discussion Thread

[Rack]

Rich said it was a scroll activation mishap. Which would be 4d6 since the scroll was of a 4th level spell.

If both rules are in play (and, hey, why not? ) it could then be 6d6. No big deal with evasion, and the tiger and dino should easily take that damage, even with the losses they already took.

If both rules are in play it would affect Blackwing only. This looks like a wholly invented side effect of miscasting a scroll.

[EccentricFellow]

Oh dear! I feel terrible. I totally forgot about these guys.

Interesting spell thermodynamics. Blackwing is a cagey one indeed.

[goodpeople25]

If both rules are in play it would affect Blackwing only. This looks like a wholly invented side effect of miscasting a scroll.

Don't have roleplaying experience but does it really count as "wholly" invented when the effects given are said to be examples and also pretty much flat out say insert your own here? Heck they don't even say it's randomly chosen. Imo this seems like rule supported "the DM gets to chose what happens". It might be invented sure but a a few things in D&D seem to have that by design.

And Just for the sake of it a couple of the given scroll mishaps could be conceivably stretched to have an effect similar to the one we saw, depends on your definition of minor and what you consider related or contary to locate creature. And technically all we know is that it made an explosion effect and cracked a door (heck could be an illusion lol) not that it did any damage. this part is just for fun though

[War-Wren]

Birds and cats, working together... MASS HYSTERIA!!!

I understood that reference! Who you gonna call?!

[Edit: removed my own post because I messed something up, making up a totally new post.]

I thought this was a very funny strip, but at this point, it is starting to bother me about the fact that all of the characters have not been present together for a while. It did not bother me as much in the Don't Split the Party, and I don't know why. It might be because I am waiting for each new page individually now, and when I started reading, Don't Split the Party was already all on the site and I could read it all. Waiting for things does color one's perception of things. I have another comic that I read, and I often re-read chapters a long time after they come out so I can get all of the pages more cohesively. I should do that with OotS some time soon.

That's a good plan. I generally try to re-read the entire OotS archive at least once a year. It really does help to mesh everything together, without all the gaps

[Bobblit]

Hahah, since I know nothing about scroll rules I barely understood what was going on in the comic until I read this thread. That was clever of Blackwing!

That's a good plan. I generally try to re-read the entire OotS archive at least once a year. It really does help to mesh everything together, without all the gaps

Yeah, with the gaps it gets quite complicated sometimes to keep track of everything that's happening. Most of the time I forget half of what is going on. But that also has an advantage: when you read it for the second time, a lot of it feels new again, so it's like having twice the comic xD

[Vikenlugaid]

Blackwing is God, and Mr. Scruffy his prophet.

[Neoriceisgood]

Blackwing's been a super enjoyable character throughout.


On that note, almost kinda shocking to have an "animal companions own adventure"-comic I actually like, in most other pieces of fiction something like this would just annoy me.

Here it's fun though.

[Bulldog Psion]

Well, it looks like Blackwing and Mr. Scruffy can cooperated tactically. I like it!

[ChillerInstinct]

Well, it looks like Blackwing and Mr. Scruffy can cooperated tactically. I like it!

On that note, I wonder how much Blackwing can lift. With how crafty the little rascal has proven himself, I'd love to see him dive into a battle carrying the Scruffster or Bloodfeast. Fly JUST low enough that Scruffy wouldn't take fall damage and have him plop directly onto someone's face as a distraction, or airdrop Bloodfeast in beside V if a battle turns sour and have him break his polymorph...

Wait, Blackwing WAS able to lift Bloodfeast in his current form, I almost forgot about that. Now the question is, how much more would Scruffy weigh...

[Trobby]

You can tell that Blackwing is now a full-fledged character because he has learned every Roleplayer's sacred mantra.

[Basement Cat]

"Pottericus Mimicus!" Nice one.

I'm glad we cued back to the animal sidekicks as I was worried about Blackwing.

I'm on board with the others hoping that this miscast restored the allosaurus (not that I believe it to be the case but hey, we can dream can't we?).

I'm guessing that this may lead to the Order noticing that Belkar is in a dire situation: Facing a vampire unarmed isn't a good thing and even with his protective magics Belkar's saving throws against mental domination may not be good enough when he's badly wounded.

Once again Blackwing steals the show and Mr. Scruffy proves to be the baddest of bad ass animal companions. I loved this strip.

[Blanth]

fire is too great a danger aboard a ship

Ya know... where exactly does that orb teleport back to anyways?

Vampire legion flambé?

[Blanth]

Panel 8 on commercial airliners.

"You're flying the honestly dangerous skies!"

[Basement Cat]

Ya know... where exactly does that orb teleport back to anyways?

Vampire legion flambé?

If I understand your question correctly it isn't enchanted to target any particular location. Instead it's a single use teleporting device that delivers you to your specified location of choice. Then you're on your own.

[Dr. Gamera]

Looking back, the purpose of this panel was probably to Set up a precedent for the current Strip.

I am now 100% certain that the purpose of this panel was to set up a precedent for the current strip. Here's why:

Spoiler: Cryptogram on scroll

Show

strip #970 p5 establishes that magic items explode when activated improperly.

Rich, you clever bastard.

[Ruck]

I am now 100% certain that the purpose of this panel was to set up a precedent for the current strip. Here's why:

Spoiler: Cryptogram on scroll

Show

strip #970 p5 establishes that magic items explode when activated improperly.

Rich, you clever bastard.

Wow. Great catch. I didn't try to translate it, but the number of characters to each word is correct.

That's what I love about this strip-- what happened in #970 was a simple throwaway joke, and it was funny, but much later it also becomes relevant to the plot.

[Moonshade]

I am now 100% certain that the purpose of this panel was to set up a precedent for the current strip. Here's why:

Spoiler: Cryptogram on scroll

Show

strip #970 p5 establishes that magic items explode when activated improperly.

Rich, you clever bastard.

By the heavens you're right!

Mr. Giant, you are magnificent!

[Lordchoculla]

New comic is up.

Brilliant. Utterly brilliant. Thanks mr.Giant

[Lordchoculla]

See, V? This is why we pay attention to our familiars - so they don't blow up our brand-new scroll! Oh, and the ship as well, I suppose...

Details... details...

[Lordchoculla]

When in doubt, wild surge!



Interesting. I've never used the spell, but doesn't Locate Animal just find the nearest animal? I figured the spell was more for if his familiar ever got lost or something.

It is "locate creature". Not "locate animal". Not quite the same, I think.

[MReav]

I just realized...

Spoiler: On the Origin of PCs very minor spoiler

Show

That Buffy the Vampire Slayer-expy from Roy's "terrible interviewees montage" would have been very useful for this arc.

I wonder what she's up to. We do get the occasional Frudu and the One True Ming cutaway gag.

[sotanaht]

The way I'm seeing this, the effect is a "burst of uncontrolled magical energy" dealing damage to a user on the other side of the room, and everything in between.

[Lordchoculla]

Quote Originally Posted by CoffeeIncluded View Post
Hah! I can honestly say I've never seen someone deliberately botch a UMD check to get this result before! Now let's hope it doesn't burn the ship down.

I think it's more of a NetHack move than a DnD move!

Ngh! My apologies for being ignorant/unimaginative/illiterate/stupid/confused/Danish/insertanything, but I need to ask. What does UMD mean?

[PoeticDwarf]

I am now 100% certain that the purpose of this panel was to set up a precedent for the current strip. Here's why:

Spoiler: Cryptogram on scroll

Show

strip #970 p5 establishes that magic items explode when activated improperly.

Rich, you clever bastard.

You are right, fantastic

[Lordchoculla]

I am now 100% certain that the purpose of this panel was to set up a precedent for the current strip. Here's why:

Spoiler: Cryptogram on scroll

Show

strip #970 p5 establishes that magic items explode when activated improperly.

Rich, you clever bastard.

Well spotted!

[Keltest]

Ngh! My apologies for being ignorant/unimaginative/illiterate/stupid/confused/Danish/insertanything, but I need to ask. What does UMD mean?

Use Magic Device.

[pacovf]

...is it ok if Blackwing is my new favourite character? Again?

[Killer Angel]

If both rules are in play it would affect Blackwing only. This looks like a wholly invented side effect of miscasting a scroll.

It's certainly a side effect invented for oots, but, as already noted, there was a precedent for mishaps doing damage all around, so i'd say it's more a clever and funny trick.

Plus it's an area effect. .. swarms take double damage

[Kantaki]

The team's pets are fine. And working as a team. I hope we get to see more of them.

I bet Blackwing is really happy in panel 8. Being able to say that particular sentence is a rare opportunity.

[happycrow]

I was almost expecting "bibbity bobbity boo" there.

That was hilarious, thanks.