History Awesome / TheOrderOfTheStick

--->'''Belkar:''' Wow, it's almost like [[SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome I'm a seasoned warrior and you two]] [[StealthInsult are glorified pickpockets!]] [[SarcasmMode Imagine that!]]

!Other Characters/Meta

* [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0931.html "GIVE ME MY STAFF!"]]

* "I'm just saying, if I knew my Evil Doom Plan might hinge on me invading a subterranean country, [[ExplainExplainOhCrap I might not worry too much]]...[[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots1101.html about the sun."]]

* [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0945.html The Snarl's first "real" appearance in the comic. Terrifying, and awe-inspiring.]]

[[folder:Kickstarter Project a.k.a.: The Fans]]
* Rich Burlew wanted to do a fundraiser on Kickstarter to see if he could raise enough money to fund the reprint of ''[=War And XPs=]''. He wasn't expecting much, thinking that he wouldn't even get the $57,750 he needed, and joking that at least he'll have an excuse as to why he doesn't do another print run. What happened instead blew him, and countless others away. He made the $57,750 within a day and a half, before finally coming to a grand total of $1,254,120 by 14,952 backers. Put in perspective:
** That's an average of about $83.87 per person.
** That's an average of about $40,455.48 per day.
** That's 2,127% funded from the initial goal of $57,750.
** That's the third-ever project to surpass a million on Kickstarter.
** That's the most funded project by a single person (rather than a company), ever, on Kickstarter.
** That's enough to fund a size increased print run for 7 books (whatever a print run is, plus 2000 extra), plus all the included swag.
** That's enough that after taking into account all the swag funding, the print costs, the local taxes, and the postage, Rich actually ran out of ideas on what to spend it all on. He opted for site and comic maintenance, plus some extra for funding assorted projects.
** At the time, that was the second most amount pledged to a Kickstarter project. Admittedly, it has since been surpassed so many times it's not even in the top 10, but it was an accomplishment.
** During the last hour of the kickstarter, fans checking the progress of the kickstarter actually brought down the entire server for Kickstarter.
* For more information, check [[http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/599092525/the-order-of-the-stick-reprint-drive/posts for Rich's Kickstarter updates]] (plus an entertaining graph). For details on the amount raised, check [[https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0ArQXJtruni7EdFZTRFY4V1kyZHJtTFF4MElKQ1ptR2c#gid=0 to get an in depth look at the funds raised.]]
[[/folder]]

** The fact that through sheer guile, she actually managed to do the one thing that nobody believed possible - get the Order of the Scribble to work together one last time. By playing herself up as a helpless little halfling girl in over her head, she was able to get the other members to help in the construction of her gate without any of them being wiser to each other's presence.

** Her opening encounter for the real dungeon that hides Kragor's Gate shows how devious she is as a dungeon master. The first encounter appears to be a regular old giant monster, only it turns out that the giant monster is a distraction from the real first encounter, a small pack of disenchanters that come out from hidden passageways and the enchantments on the party's magic items, along with a paragon rust monster to eat whatever remains. And then while the party is dealing with having all their equipment destroyed, [[FromBadToWorse a swarm of fumblebees comes out and starts draining everyone's Dexterity]]. And should the party somehow survive all of that, the way out is blocked and they still have to deal with the giant monster while both underequiped and Dex-drained. Tomb of Horrors eat your heart out.

** Furthermore, given the confirmation [[https://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots1277.html that one must complete every dungeon in order to gain access to the final dungeon]], the Monster's plan would have thwarted Team Evil's efforts completely, and the others would have no idea ''why''.

* You want to see the awesome might of [[MundaneMadeAwesome pure, undiluted, non-metaphorical wisdom and willpower]]? '''TAKE 'EM ALL!''' Durkon finally unleashes upon the High Priest of Hel a lifetime of memories of how he dealt with his mother's sacrifice, of confusion and mixed feelings, the complex but resolute moral foundation upon which he built decades of his life and faith...''which the High Priest has no experience or lifetime dealing with'', and transforms the vampiric spirit (which is just him in the lowest moment of his life) -- into the complete him. That's right. Durkon weaponized an entire lifetime of ''CharacterDevelopment''. Even more awesome is the fact that Durkon effectively got the High Priest to ''agree'' to be flooded with all his memories. Thor himself basically describes it as "[[TalkingTheMonsterToDeath talk[ing] a vampire into nonexistence]]".

* At the beginning of ''Recap/StartOfDarkness'', Redcloak displays the powers of the Crimson Mantle by instantly killing a Sapphire Guard paladin (splitting the paladin's head open while ''he was still alive'') to save his brother.

** Defending Hinjo's docked ship, she explains that her parents were fishermen, and that if any hobgoblin approaches she'll use her BladeOnAStick to gut them like the catch of the day. When the hobgoblins fail to be properly intimidated, she follows through by impaling two of them in one go. Her speech was so awesome it [[TropeNamer named]] [[NotHyperbole a trope]].

'''Belkar:''' Now, the get-the-hell-out-of-here part, though, I can get behind. Try to lay low. Bet you can hide on your ditzy girlfriend's cloud. Bring your sister, too. And hey, maybe some ''other'' hero will pop out of nowhere to stop this Snarl thing at the last minute. Who knows? [[TakeThatUs It would probably make a better story than this one]].\\

--> '''Roy:''' You're right; that did feel better than before.

---> '''Wrecan:''' A bodyguard who raises arms against the priest of another god must be put to death immediately!\\
'''Roy:''' Are there any rules about what happens if a bodyguard attacks ''their own'' priest?
---> '''Wrecan:''' ...No.
---> ''Roy charges.''
---> '''Wrecan:''' ''(Smiling)'' No, there are not.

-->'''High Priestess of Hel:''' That staff is the property of the Church of Hel, and the official regalia of the high priest. I hereby issue a formal request that it be turned over at once, in accordance with protocol.
--> '''Roy:''' ''(small)'' Oh, of course, gotta follow protocol.
--> ''Roy snaps the staff in half and tosses the pieces in her face.''
-->'''Roy:''' [[TakeThat The Order of the Stick is not responsible for any damage that may occur during the delivery of unholy relics.]]

--> "Darn it! Now I have to go find someone to let capture me."

--> '''Elan''': Now, Roy might threaten to drop you off a cliff, and Belkar might threaten to cut out your kidneys... (Actually, he might do that even if you cooperate.) But me, I have a different method of persuasion. Tell us what we need to know, OR-
--> '''Goblin''': Do your worst!
--> '''Elan''': -I'll ''cry.''
--> '''Goblin''': ...What?
--> '''Elan''': You heard me. I'll start bawling like a toddler that dropped his ice cream on the sidewalk. In front of your friends, your teachers, any girls you like, and I'll tell them it's because YOU wont be my friend.
--> '''Goblin''': You wouldn't!
--> '''Elan''': ''I think I might be misting up already.''

-->'''Elan:''' He said to do whatever needed to be done, so I did. Does it matter?
-->'''Haley:''' [[SoProudOfYou Only for the purposes of accurately calibrating my proudness.]]

--> '''Serini:''' What is [[CloudCuckoolander he]] babbling about? [...] [[OhCrap No, no, wait! Don't do it! Stay strong!]]

-->'''Lien''': This is ridiculous. Razor, go!
-->'''Serini''': What's a "ray-zergo"?
-->''(Behind her, Razor the shark has emerged from Lien's [[Franchise/{{Pokemon}} Poké Ball]].)''

-->'''Pete''': They let me in because it was my house, didn't they? It's all part of my big plan!
-->'''Cleric''': I guess you have all the angles worked out then. You're a real smart guy, huh? [[PreMortemOneLiner Maybe we ought to start calling you...]] '''''[[PreMortemOneLiner Brainy Pete]]'''''.

--> '''Elan''': But I have a different method of persuasion. Tell us what we want to know, or...
--> '''Goblin''': Or ''what?!'' Do your worst, human!
--> '''Elan''': ''I'll cry.''
--> '''Goblin''': ...what?
--> '''Elan''': You heard me. I'll start bawling like a toddler that dropped his ice cream on the sidewalk. In front of your friends, your teachers, any girls you like, and I'll tell them it's because ''you'' wont be my friend.
--> '''Goblin''': You wouldnt!

** An unspoken one: Tsukiko was only able to figure out the spell doesn't do what Xykon thinks it does because she's a Wizard multiclass. Xykon is sorcerer who not only doesn't ''need'' to know how spells work to use it, but is only interested in how much it helps him be able to murder people. Redcloak hid his deception right under Xykon's nonexistant nose by exploiting that fact..

-->'''Roy:''' Of course! Kraagor wasn't a rogue, he was a barbarian! It's not a shell game, it's a '''gauntlet!'''.

-->'''Roy:''' Of course! Kraagor wasn't a rouge, he was a barbarian! It's not a shell game, it's a '''gauntlet!'''.

*** And then, [[https://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots1277.html it's revealed]] that the actual mechanic that hides the gate is ''even more devious'' than it seems. When the order managed to get Serini to, with extreme reluctance, admit that Team Evil's current method of scanning the dungeons will eventually let them find the right door, she adamantly refuses to disclose which one it is regardless out of her rampant paranoia. V nonetheless deduces the answer from that: [[spoiler:''all the mini-dungeons'' have to be opened and searched in one go in order to reveal the correct way to the gate]].
-->'''Roy:''' Of course! Kraagor wasn't a rouge, he was a barbarian! [[spoiler:It's not a shell game, it's a '''gauntlet!''']].

:: [[invoked]] Bonus points for the "you'll live" being an IronicEcho to Tarquin's prior reaction to Elan's GoThroughMe moment. There's also the sheer FridgeBrilliance of finding a reason he shouldn't have killed Nale that Tarquin can [[EvilCannotComprehendGood actually understand]][=:=] without Nale as his foil, Elan is no longer "the Good twin" and so does not have all the former motivations he had, including potential motivations towards Tarquin. ''Elan effectively [[BeyondTheImpossible weaponized an]]'' '''[[BeyondTheImpossible anticlimax]]''' and managed to make it into a genuinely awesome climactic moment. It is a fitting achievement for the party's bard. And to rub salt in the wound, as lampshaded by The Giant himself, Elan gave Tarquin a FateWorseThanDeath[=:=] making him irrelevant to the story and making sure he got the point across to his father - he's not the BigBad, and is at ''best'' an ArcVillain.
-->'''Tarquin:''' '''''THIS IS A TERRIBLE ENDING!!!'''''

--> '''Elan''': ''I'll cry!''

--> '''Elan''': You heard me! I'll start bawling like a toddler that dropped his ice cream on the sidewalk! In front of your friends, your teachers, any girls you like, and I'll tell them it's because ''you'' wont be my friend!

--> '''Elan''': ''I think I might be misting up already!''

* The entire group instantly shoots down Hel's idea she could still somehow win with her one surviving vampire she can actually do anything with through sheer intelligence and pragmatism: they instantly put the entire council put under watch by soldiers with silver blades and holy water, have wards against mental influence put on them at all times, and just to be sure put together a party to hunt down the surviving vampires just in case.