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** Roy and Wrecan in the final panel of [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0997.html this comic]], where they learn that the purpose of the Godsmoot [[spoiler: is to vote on whether the three remaining pantheons should destroy the world. [[FridgeHorror Gets even worse]] when you realize that Vampire!Durkon has been killing off other priests who would most likely vote 'no'.]]
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** Strips #825 and #826, [[spoiler:when the Resistance party discovers that the enemy found their hideout, and that Redcloak ''himself'' is there to welcome them, with several high-level summoned creatures at his side, and all the other members of the Resistance dead]].
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** Strips #825 and #826, [[spoiler:when the Resistance party discovers that the enemy found their hideout, and that Redcloak ''himself'' is there to welcome them, with several high-level summoned creatures at his side, and all the other members but one member of the Resistance dead]].
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** A flashback shows a young Durkon visit his HonoraryUncle in hope to get the answer to a question to which his mother his mother refuses to answer. His "uncle" panics and hopes he's not about to ask him about sex. Durkon, being a SomeoneToRememberHimBy baby, asks him how his father died and how his mother lost her arm. His "uncle" immediately diverts the conversation to sex.
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** A flashback shows a young Durkon visit his HonoraryUncle in hope to get the answer to a question to which his mother his mother refuses to answer. His "uncle" panics and hopes he's not about to ask him about sex. Durkon, being a SomeoneToRememberHimBy baby, asks him how his father died and how his mother lost her arm. His "uncle" immediately diverts the conversation to sex.
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** Shortly before their first confrontation with the heroes, Xykon rehearses the Monster in the Darkness's big reveal.
--->'''[=MitD=]:''' Order of the Stick! Your broken corpses will taste delicious lightly seasoned with nutmeg!\\
'''Xykon:''' That's... that's what you are going with?\\
'''[=MitD=]:''' What?\\
'''Xykon:''' As your big line? As your first impression?\\
'''[=MitD=]:''' It's not scary enough?\\
'''Xykon:''' It's a little less scary, a little more... domestic.\\
'''[=MitD=]:''' Oh, well, I had another idea, too.\\
'''Xykon:''' Alright, well, it's got to be better than your first choice.\\
Ahem. "Not when I have the power of THIS on my side!"\\
'''[=MitD=]:''' Order of the Stick! I will bathe in your blood with lavender bath gel and a good loofa!\\
'''Xykon:''' You know what? My bad. You stick with the first one.
--->'''[=MitD=]:''' Order of the Stick! Your broken corpses will taste delicious lightly seasoned with nutmeg!\\
'''Xykon:''' That's... that's what you are going with?\\
'''[=MitD=]:''' What?\\
'''Xykon:''' As your big line? As your first impression?\\
'''[=MitD=]:''' It's not scary enough?\\
'''Xykon:''' It's a little less scary, a little more... domestic.\\
'''[=MitD=]:''' Oh, well, I had another idea, too.\\
'''Xykon:''' Alright, well, it's got to be better than your first choice.\\
Ahem. "Not when I have the power of THIS on my side!"\\
'''[=MitD=]:''' Order of the Stick! I will bathe in your blood with lavender bath gel and a good loofa!\\
'''Xykon:''' You know what? My bad. You stick with the first one.
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-->'''Roy:''' "We're not really going to have our fate decided by this guy, are we?"
-->'''Hinjo:''' "Oh, no. Lord Shojo will be managing the trial, but he will not be rendering the verdict."
-->'''Roy:''' "Whew!"
-->'''Hinjo:''' "For that, our clerics have summoned a being of pure Law and Good from the Upper Planes to render judgment."
-->'''Being of Pure Law and Good:''' "Vengeance shall be brought upon the guilty! There shall be no excuses! A cleansing fire will burn them!"
-->'''Roy:''' "Yeah, y'know, on second thought, is it too late to go with the old guy and the cat?"
** A flash-back shows a young Durkon visit his HonoraryUncle in hope to get the answer to a question to which his mother his mother refuses to answer. His "uncle" panics and hopes he's not about to ask him about sex. Durkon, being a SomeoneToRememberHimBy baby, asks him how his father died and how his mother lost her arm. His "uncle" immediately diverts the conversation to sex.
-->'''Hinjo:''' "Oh, no. Lord Shojo will be managing the trial, but he will not be rendering the verdict."
-->'''Roy:''' "Whew!"
-->'''Hinjo:''' "For that, our clerics have summoned a being of pure Law and Good from the Upper Planes to render judgment."
-->'''Being of Pure Law and Good:''' "Vengeance shall be brought upon the guilty! There shall be no excuses! A cleansing fire will burn them!"
-->'''Roy:''' "Yeah, y'know, on second thought, is it too late to go with the old guy and the cat?"
** A flash-back shows a young Durkon visit his HonoraryUncle in hope to get the answer to a question to which his mother his mother refuses to answer. His "uncle" panics and hopes he's not about to ask him about sex. Durkon, being a SomeoneToRememberHimBy baby, asks him how his father died and how his mother lost her arm. His "uncle" immediately diverts the conversation to sex.
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-->'''Hinjo:''' "Oh,
'''Hinjo:''' Oh, no. Lord Shojo will be managing the trial, but he will not be rendering the verdict.
-->'''Roy:''' "Whew!"
-->'''Hinjo:''' "For
'''Roy:''' Whew!\\
'''Hinjo:''' For that, our clerics have summoned a being of pure Law and Good from the Upper Planes to render judgment.
-->'''Being
'''Being of Pure Law and Good:'''
-->'''Roy:''' "Yeah,
'''Roy:''' Yeah, y'know, on second thought, is it too late to go with the old guy and the
** A
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** When Roy discovers that the man presiding over their trial is a senile old man taking orders from his cat:
-->'''Roy:''' "We're not really going to have our fate decided by this guy, are we?"
-->'''Hinjo:''' "Oh, no. Lord Shojo will be managing the trial, but he will not be rendering the verdict."
-->'''Roy:''' "Whew!"
-->'''Hinjo:''' "For that, our clerics have summoned a being of pure Law and Good from the Upper Planes to render judgment."
-->'''Being of Pure Law and Good:''' "Vengeance shall be brought upon the guilty! There shall be no excuses! A cleansing fire will burn them!"
-->'''Roy:''' "Yeah, y'know, on second thought, is it too late to go with the old guy and the cat?"
** A flash-back shows a young Durkon visit his HonoraryUncle in hope to get the answer to a question to which his mother his mother refuses to answer. His "uncle" panics and hopes he's not about to ask him about sex. Durkon, being a SomeoneToRememberHimBy baby, asks him how his father died and how his mother lost her arm. His "uncle" immediately diverts the conversation to sex.
** When Roy discovers that the man presiding over their trial is a senile old man taking orders from his cat:
-->'''Roy:''' "We're not really going to have our fate decided by this guy, are we?"
-->'''Hinjo:''' "Oh, no. Lord Shojo will be managing the trial, but he will not be rendering the verdict."
-->'''Roy:''' "Whew!"
-->'''Hinjo:''' "For that, our clerics have summoned a being of pure Law and Good from the Upper Planes to render judgment."
-->'''Being of Pure Law and Good:''' "Vengeance shall be brought upon the guilty! There shall be no excuses! A cleansing fire will burn them!"
-->'''Roy:''' "Yeah, y'know, on second thought, is it too late to go with the old guy and the cat?"
** A flash-back shows a young Durkon visit his HonoraryUncle in hope to get the answer to a question to which his mother his mother refuses to answer. His "uncle" panics and hopes he's not about to ask him about sex. Durkon, being a SomeoneToRememberHimBy baby, asks him how his father died and how his mother lost her arm. His "uncle" immediately diverts the conversation to sex.
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Completed speculation (and natter), this has no place on a main article.
Deleted line(s) 426 (click to see context) :
*** And the elven nation has driven the humans and lizardfolk into the desert, locking them in a ForeverWar for control of the handful of livable territories (and apparently they destroy any government that seems likely to unite the humans and end the war.)
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Useless clutter.
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[[spoiler:(May also be a [[StealthPun stealth]] [[RocksFallEverybodyDies pun]])]]\\\
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** Xykon attempts to give Vaarsuvius a BreakingSpeech about [[TheReasonYouSuckSpeech the reasons that V is inferior to him]]. Rather than break V, however, the speech inspires V to change for the better, and to start using [[AmbiguousGender his/her]] abilities more creatively...starting right then and there. Case in point: V manages to escape Xykon's lair with O-Chul in tow, using a very limited selection of spells, very nearly destroying Xykon's phylactery in the process.
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* OverusedCopycatCharacter: Spoofed when Nale claims that every drow in this world is like [[Literature/TheDarkElfTrilogy Drizzt Do'Urden]] now. This is soon shown to be untrue when it's revealed that the Linear Guild members are evil, and the only other drow we ever see[[labelnote:*]](one of the adventurers who attack Roy in the afterlife)[[/labelnote]] is also evil. V [[ExploitedTrope takes advantage]] by getting Zz'dtri hauled away by copyright lawyers.
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* OverusedCopycatCharacter: OverusedCopycatCharacter
** Spoofed when Nale claims that every drow in this world is like [[Literature/TheDarkElfTrilogy Drizzt Do'Urden]] now. This is soon shown to be untrue when it's revealed that the Linear Guild members are evil, and the only other drow we ever see[[labelnote:*]](one of the adventurers who attack Roy in the afterlife)[[/labelnote]] is also evil. V [[ExploitedTrope takes advantage]] by getting Zz'dtri hauled away by copyrightlawyers.lawyers.
** In ''Invaders from the Fourth Dimension'', Belkar makes the rather bold claim that 4th Edition rangers are all overused copycat characters of ''him''.
** Spoofed when Nale claims that every drow in this world is like [[Literature/TheDarkElfTrilogy Drizzt Do'Urden]] now. This is soon shown to be untrue when it's revealed that the Linear Guild members are evil, and the only other drow we ever see[[labelnote:*]](one of the adventurers who attack Roy in the afterlife)[[/labelnote]] is also evil. V [[ExploitedTrope takes advantage]] by getting Zz'dtri hauled away by copyright
** In ''Invaders from the Fourth Dimension'', Belkar makes the rather bold claim that 4th Edition rangers are all overused copycat characters of ''him''.
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Clarifying Stealth Pun Noodle Incident
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[[spoiler:(May also be a [[StealthPun stealth]] [[RocksFallEverybodyDies pun]])]]\\\
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* OminousLatinChanting: Spoofed in [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0635.html "I See a Red Robe and I Want to Paint it Black"]]. Apparently the IFCC has a ghostly choir composed entirely of freshly "[[GroinAttack snipped]]" dead [[AcceptableTargets pedophiles]] that sings fake Latin whenever they complete a deal. You can sing the fake Latin in place of the lyrics of Sephiroth's "One-Winged Angel" or "Ave Satani" from ''Film/TheOmen''.
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* OminousLatinChanting: Spoofed in [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0635.html "I See a Red Robe and I Want to Paint it Black"]]. Apparently the IFCC has a ghostly choir composed entirely of freshly "[[GroinAttack snipped]]" dead [[AcceptableTargets pedophiles]] that sings fake Latin whenever they complete a deal. You can sing the fake Latin in place of the lyrics of Sephiroth's "One-Winged Angel" or "Ave Satani" from ''Film/TheOmen''.''Film/TheOmen1976''.
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* {{Mondegreen}}: Roy mistakes [[spoiler: the High Priest of Hel saying "Go Hel! Know? Thor won't!"]] as "Hell No! Thor won't go!" This is [[spoiler:[[InvokedTrope exactly as the High Priest of Hel intended]]; he chose the rather awkward syntax so he could be saying something that technically counts as praying to Hel but would sound like praise of Thor to anybody listening in...and as a vampire his +8 bonus to Listen mean he certainly was aware of Roy's approach well before Roy could put his ear to the door]].
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* {{Mondegreen}}: Roy mistakes [[spoiler: the High Priest of Hel saying "Go Hel! Know? Thor won't!"]] as "Hell No! Thor won't go!" This is [[spoiler:[[InvokedTrope exactly as the High Priest of Hel intended]]; he chose the rather awkward syntax so he could be saying something that technically counts as praying to Hel but would sound like praise of Thor to anybody listening in... and as a vampire his +8 bonus to Listen mean he certainly was aware of Roy's approach well before Roy could put his ear to the door]].
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** [[spoiler: [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0980.html Crystal pounds Bozzok to the ground, eventually killing him,]]]] after Haley pointed out that he stabbed her in the back.
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%%** Redcloak asked a hobgoblin to make a copy of Xykon's phylactery and gave it to Xykon, who decided to hide it somewhere no one could reach it. As Redcloak is keeping the real phylactery with himself, he is only making it easier for others to grab and destroy it.
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** [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0979.html Bozzok when]] [[spoiler:golem Crystal goes after him.]]
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** [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0979.html Bozzok when]] [[spoiler:golem Crystal goes after him.]]htmlb Bozzok's expression]] [[spoiler:when he hears "YOU DID THIS TO ME!" from an enraged, supercharged flesh golem assassin turning against him]] is a thing of beauty.
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** [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0979.html Bozzok when]] [[spoiler:golem Crystal goes after him.]]
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*** And the elven nation has driven the humans and lizardfolk into the desert, locking them in a ForeverWar for control of the handful of livable territories (and apparently they destroy any government that seems likely to unite the humans and end the war.)
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** Xykon can do it too when pissed off. And don't try to change the subject with trivial concerns, like breathing.
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** Xykon can do it too when pissed off. off, notably to Vaarsuvius and Jirix. And don't try to change the subject with trivial concerns, like breathing.breathing.
** [[spoiler:Crystal as a flesh golem]] lifts Haley by the neck in the process of [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0978.html giving her a thorough beat-down.]]
** [[spoiler:Crystal as a flesh golem]] lifts Haley by the neck in the process of [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0978.html giving her a thorough beat-down.]]
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** Gnome Engineer: '''NO!''' Use the '''''harpoons''''', not the lightning gun! You're just going [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0977.html charge her... up."]]
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Irrelevant to the trope, nattering your own example.
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* OneDoseFitsAll: The poison aspect of this trope is inverted and lamsphaded, as Miko tells her summoned warhorse Windstriker that it's fortunate that healing potions don't need to be adjusted for body mass, snidely implying he's been getting fat (in fairness, most people are not in the best mood after having a horse land on them).
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* OneDoseFitsAll: The poison aspect of this trope is inverted and lamsphaded, as Miko tells her summoned warhorse Windstriker that it's fortunate that healing potions don't need to be adjusted for body mass, snidely implying he's been getting fat (in fairness, most people are not in the best mood after having a horse land on them).mass.
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** Julio Scoundrél once: when he is bringing Elan to Azure City, he has the city's defenses destroyed to prevent them from further attacking the ''Mechane''. Unfortunately, this is just a few days before the Hobgoblin[=/=]Undead army led by Xykon reaches the city, and those defenses might have been able to help stop the attack.
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* OneDoseFitsAll: The poison aspect of this trope is inverted and lamsphaded, as Miko tells her summoned warhorse Windstriker that it's fortunate that healing potions don't need to be adjusted for body mass, snidely implying he's been getting fat (in fairness, most people are not in the best mood after having a horse land on them).
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* OurOrcsAreDifferent: They use HulkSpeak and AllLowercaseLetters. ''On the Origin of [=PCs=]'' also features orc fans of Music/HeavyMetal.
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* OurOrcsAreDifferent: They use HulkSpeak and AllLowercaseLetters. ''On the Origin of [=PCs=]'' also features orc fans of Music/HeavyMetal.HeavyMetal.
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* {{Mondegreen}}: Roy mistakes [[spoiler: the High Priest of Hel saying "Go Hel! Know? Thor won't!"]] as "Hell No! Thor won't go!"
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* {{Mondegreen}}: Roy mistakes [[spoiler: the High Priest of Hel saying "Go Hel! Know? Thor won't!"]] as "Hell No! Thor won't go!"go!" This is [[spoiler:[[InvokedTrope exactly as the High Priest of Hel intended]]; he chose the rather awkward syntax so he could be saying something that technically counts as praying to Hel but would sound like praise of Thor to anybody listening in...and as a vampire his +8 bonus to Listen mean he certainly was aware of Roy's approach well before Roy could put his ear to the door]].
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Changed line(s) 99,101 (click to see context) from:
--->'''Belkar:''' Can't we go back to dealing with [Roy's] [[spoiler:daddy issues]]*
* Mondegreen: Roy mistakes [[spoiler: as the High Priest of Hel saying "Go Hel! Know? Thor won't"]] as "Hell No! Thor won't go!"
* MookChivalry: Subverted.
* Mondegreen: Roy mistakes [[spoiler: as the High Priest of Hel saying "Go Hel! Know? Thor won't"]] as "Hell No! Thor won't go!"
* MookChivalry: Subverted.
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--->'''Belkar:''' Can't we go back to dealing with [Roy's] [[spoiler:daddy issues]]*
issues]]?
*Mondegreen: {{Mondegreen}}: Roy mistakes [[spoiler: as the High Priest of Hel saying "Go Hel! Know? Thor won't"]] won't!"]] as "Hell No! Thor won't go!"
* %%* MookChivalry: Subverted.
*
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--->'''Belkar:''' Can't we go back to dealing with [Roy's] [[spoiler:daddy issues]]?
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--->'''Belkar:''' Can't we go back to dealing with [Roy's] [[spoiler:daddy issues]]?issues]]*
* Mondegreen: Roy mistakes [[spoiler: as the High Priest of Hel saying "Go Hel! Know? Thor won't"]] as "Hell No! Thor won't go!"
* Mondegreen: Roy mistakes [[spoiler: as the High Priest of Hel saying "Go Hel! Know? Thor won't"]] as "Hell No! Thor won't go!"
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-->'''Blackwing:''' (''faintly'') My feathers hurt. How come my feathers hurt?
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-->'''Blackwing:''' (''faintly'') My feathers hurt. [[HowIsThatEvenPossible How come my feathers hurt?hurt]]?
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TheOrderOfTheStick/TropesAToC | TheOrderOfTheStick/TropesDToF | TheOrderOfTheStick/TropesGToI | TheOrderOfTheStick/TropesJToL | '''Tropes M To O''' | TheOrderOfTheStick/TropesPToR | TheOrderOfTheStick/TropesSToU | TheOrderOfTheStick/TropesVToZ
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TheOrderOfTheStick/TropesAToC | TheOrderOfTheStick/TropesDToF | TheOrderOfTheStick/TropesGToI | TheOrderOfTheStick/TropesJToL | '''Tropes M To to O''' | TheOrderOfTheStick/TropesPToR | TheOrderOfTheStick/TropesSToU | TheOrderOfTheStick/TropesVToZ
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TheOrderOfTheStick/{{Tropes A-C}} | TheOrderOfTheStick/{{Tropes D-F}} | TheOrderOfTheStick/{{Tropes G-I}} | TheOrderOfTheStick/{{Tropes J-L}} | '''Tropes M To O''' | TheOrderOfTheStick/{{Tropes P-R}} | TheOrderOfTheStick/{{Tropes S-U}} | TheOrderOfTheStick/{{Tropes V-Z}}
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TheOrderOfTheStick/{{Tropes A-C}} | TheOrderOfTheStick/{{Tropes D-F}} | TheOrderOfTheStick/{{Tropes G-I}} | TheOrderOfTheStick/{{Tropes J-L}} | '''Tropes M To O''' | TheOrderOfTheStick/{{Tropes P-R}} | TheOrderOfTheStick/{{Tropes S-U}} | TheOrderOfTheStick/{{Tropes V-Z}}
----
!!!''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'' provides examples of the following tropes:
[[foldercontrol]]
[[folder:M]]
* MacGuffin: The Gates. Xykon even refers to them as such. Redcloak discusses this trope in [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0466.html "I Think I Left It in the Bag..."]] (spoilers!), noting that the [=MacGuffins=] aren't the only things that matter in a battle.
* MacGuffinDeliveryService: Discussed.
-->'''Tarquin:''' In any race for hidden treasure, it is always the protagonists who sweat and bleed and die to overcome the many challenges inherent in finding it, only for the antagonists to seize it from them at the last minute.
* MacGuffinGuardian:
** The outdated monsters guarding Dorukan's Talisman. Justified, since it's the Talisman itself which lured them there.
** The Black Dragon guarding the Starmetal fragment in the Wooden Forest.
** Kraagor's Gate is said to be protected by a bunch of dangerous monsters.
* MadeFromRealGirlScouts:
** The "Kid's Meal" in [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0117.html "Delayed Gratification"]]; revisited in [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0549.html "Grueling Ordeal"]].
** Malack's recipe for "bloodwart tea" doesn't utilise the herb "bloodwort"; it's made from blood and warts.
* MadnessMantra: Sir François in ''On the Origins of [=PCs=]''.
-->'''Sir François:''' Don't break the Paladin Code by strangling Elan, don't break the Paladin Code by strangling Elan, don't break the Paladin Code by strangling Elan...
* MageKiller: Zz'dtri is {{minmax|ing}}ed to be the perfect counter to other arcane casters (specifically Vaarsuvius), [[DeconstructedTrope which leaves him in trouble against pretty much any other class]]. V wins a fight with him by [[spoiler:Dominating a kobold to shoot him full of arrows,]] and later [[spoiler:a vampirized Durkon is able to knock him out with a [[TapOnTheHead single punch]] and then kill him with a NeckSnap.]]
* MagicAIsMagicA: "Truly, more wizards have been laid low by [[VancianMagic the writings of]] Creator/JackVance than by any single villain."
* MagicFeather: Enor, the blue ogre/dragon hybrid, is given a [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0777.html piece of lizardfolk Victory String]] by Gannji to give him courage in battle (it's just a piece of string, of course). Roy lampshades this trope when Belkar points it out. Belkar tries to give him a "halfling Courage Rock", but Roy won't take it, and instead suggests Belkar keep it someplace safe. [[AssShove And dark]].
* MagicKnight: Durkon, and the paladins of Azure City.
%% MagnificentBastard belongs on the YMMV tab.
* MainliningTheMonster: A head-regenerating hydra which was incapacitated by the Order has become the source of meat for an enterprising goblin's hydra-head sandwich franchise.
* MakeMeWannaShout:
** [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0458.html The "Shout" spell.]]
** The [=MitD=]'s voice can be quite powerful too, [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0475.html if he chooses so]].
* MakeOutKids: Once they get together, Elan and Haley tend to have difficulty keeping their hands off of each other, so much so that announcing they are going to have sex is actually a quite believable excuse. After the siege of Azure City, what was meant to be a see-you-soon kiss quickly devolves into tearing each other's clothes off in front of everyone, before they're reminded that they have jobs to do.
* MakingLoveInAllTheWrongPlaces:
** Roy and Celia while they're flying, which isn't ''that'' wrong, though it's still weird.
** In [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0690.html "Riders on the Worm"]], Elan and Haley, on the ''back of a [[SandWorm giant, purple worm]]''... which the rest of the party is also riding. Haley notes the Freudian imagery as a major turn-on.
* MamaBear:
** Kazumi, despite [[PregnantBadass not having given birth yet]]. She goes ''to town'' on some ninjas. [[DualWielding Using two swords]]. She killed the first one with his own sword by disarming him with ''[[ImprovisedWeapon a pillow]]''.
** [[spoiler:The ancient black dragon. Even though V already killed her child, so she wants to avenge, not protect him.]]
** [[spoiler:Vaarsuvius, defending his/her children and spouse from the aforementioned ancient black dragon. May count as PapaWolf or MamaBear, depending on his/her gender.]]
** Tsukiko to her wights.
--->'''Tsukiko:''' (''while blasting Thanh'') You big bully! He's just a child! I only made him four weeks ago.
* TheManBehindTheMan:
** [[spoiler:Redcloak has been subtly manipulating Xykon for his own ends.]]
** The Dark One is the goblin god behind the goblin high priest.
** Malack and Tarquin are the ones truly in charge of the Empire of Blood -- which isn't too hard to guess after one glance at the Empress.
** [[spoiler:Hel is the death goddess behind the vampire spirit hijacking Durkon's body]].
* ManOnFire:
** Belkar douses Miko in sake and tosses a match at her.
** Tarquin has Elan's name spelled out in burning escaped slaves.
* MasculineLinesFeminineCurves: Males have box-shaped bodies, while females have bean-shaped ones.
* MassOhCrap:
** Strip #688, the Order's reaction to the giant worm bursting out of the desert.
** Strips #825 and #826, [[spoiler:when the Resistance party discovers that the enemy found their hideout, and that Redcloak ''himself'' is there to welcome them, with several high-level summoned creatures at his side, and all the other members of the Resistance dead]].
** [[spoiler:Roy, Haley and Elan in #885, when Xykon appears out of nowhere. Ironically, Xykon says the phrase, but the protagonists are the ones who fit the spirit of the trope.]]
%%* MatterOfLifeAndDeath
* MauveShirt:
** Kazumi and Daigo were {{Red Herring Shirt}}s until they [[NominalImportance revealed their names]]. Daigo still keeps his last name unknown, "in case of an emergency".
** Jirix is a villainous MauveShirt. His name had been mentioned on multiple occasions before [[spoiler:O-Chul killed him during his escape from Xykon's imprisonment]], and he was deemed important enough that Redcloak [[spoiler:resurrected him]] (at Xykon's demand). Redcloak then appointed Jirix the prime minister of the sovereign nation of Gobbotopia (built on the former site of Azure City).
* MaybeMagicMaybeMundane: The deceased Lord Shojo appears to Belkar when the halfling falls into a coma, as a result of triggering his Mark of Justice. Shojo says he could be either the real deal's spirit, appearing to Belkar from beyond the grave, a personification of the Mark of Justice (which makes sense since when it was first activated it also produced an image of Shojo), or simply a fever-induced hallucination.
* MeaningfulBackgroundEvent: Nobody notices Elan and Haley discussing something important in [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0764.html "Small Talk"]], and merely assume they ran off to make out somewhere.
* MeaningfulEcho: "[[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0747.html What the heck is it going to take for you to see that your dad is bad news?]] [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0759.html Do you need, like, 200-foot-tall flaming letters or something??]]"
* MeaningfulName:
** Of course, we have Roy Greenhilt with his signature ancestral sword -- which still doesn't help Xykon remember Roy's name.
** Elan has a lot of [[http://www.thefreedictionary.com/%C3%A9lan élan]].
** Suitably for an air elemental, Celia's name means "heavenly" in Latin.
** Blink and you'll miss the etymology behind [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0018.html the chimera Trigak's]] name. It is [[spoiler:the sound he makes when Belkar slays him: all three heads crying "GAK!"]]
** Argent the wolf is named after the French word for "silver", and he has silver-lined fangs that make his attacks more deadly towards devils. Lampshaded: the strip this fact is introduced in is called "His Name Probably Helps, Too".
** Tarquin is named after Lucius Tarquinius Priscus and Lucius Tarquinius Superbus, two legendary kings of Rome. The former was a foreign commoner who charmed his way into power and ruled as a benevolent dictator, while the latter was a scheming and malevolent despot whose overthrowing heralded the beginning of the Roman Republic.
** The gladiator that Belkar fights in [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0780.html "The Duel Everyone's Been Waiting For"]] gets eviscerated rather nastily. His name was [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0782.html Evisceratus.]] Along with the aptly-named Notseenicus and Offpanelo.
** It turns out the Draketooth clan [[spoiler:has dragon ancestry. Specifically, they're of the lineage that V's familicide spell wiped out.]]
* MediumAwareness:
** Virtually every character in the strip is (to some extent) aware that they exist in a webcomic; they are able to [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0602.html notice cutaway panels]], compare WebcomicTime to "real" time, and [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0649.html on one occasion]], Haley even left the strip for one panel to steal a diamond from the ''website's cast page'' ([[SugarWiki/FunnyMoments leaving an I.O.Me behind in its place]]).
** Characters are also explicitly aware that their setting operates on ''Dungeons & Dragons'' rules and mechanics; even the comic's first strip depicted their reactions to being upgraded from the 3rd to 3.5 edition ruleset ''mid-battle''. ([[WordOfGod Word of the Giant]] has it that the comic will not be upgraded to 4th edition rules.)[[invoked]] References to HitPoints, skill checks, dice rolls, experience and class levels, spell slots, etc. are ubiquitous throughout the comic.
** To combine the two above examples, a dwarven assassin points out to his Shadowdancer companion that his "shadow jump" ability is useless because this is a stick figure comic with ''no shadowing''.
* MenAreTheExpendableGender: The hobgoblin cannon fodder is exclusively male.
* MentorOccupationalHazard: Julio Scoundrél defies the trope by [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0392.html intending to stay away from Elan.]] [[spoiler: Then he double-defies it, by deciding to come back ''anyway'' specifically so he could thwart this trope.]]
* MercurysWings: One of the paladins guarding the Azure City throne room has winged boots allowing flight.
* MilhollandRelationshipMoment: Sort of played with in a villainous example in [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0854.html "Not Much Chance of That"]]. [[spoiler:After Malack blasted Tarquin and the rest of the Order with a Flamestrike spell when he grew impatient of Tarquin toying with them, he delivers a blistering tirade about how Tarquin demanded he put his personal vendetta against Nale aside, but Tarquin was wasting time in order to assess Elan's growth in battle. Sabine even lampshades to Qarr about how Malack and Tarquin are about to "get into it". But after Malack has finished ranting, Tarquin takes a moment to think and sincerely apologises to him, admitting Malack is completely right and he didn't know what he was thinking.]]
* MillionMookMarch: Tarquin's army, complete with dino-cavalry and pterosaur air force, in a [[WhamShot Wham Panel]] at the end of "[[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0910.html Marching On]]".
* MillionToOneChance: Spoofed in [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0454.html "The Longshot"]] and [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0584.html "Improbable Causes"]].
-->'''Vaarsuvius''': [=*sigh*=] And once again, Probability proves itself willing to sneak into a back alley and service Drama as would a copper-piece harlot.
* MindControlEyes: As seen regularly for mind-affecting spells like [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0183.html Suggestion]], [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0383.html Charm Person]], [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0448.html Symbol of Insanity]] or [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0800.html Dominate Person]]. Lampshaded in the first example.
* MinorInsultMeltdown: V to Elan.
* MissionFromGod: Redcloak is on a mission from the Dark One to [[spoiler:use the Snarl to force the gods to]] give goblins standing in the world.
** [[spoiler:The dark spirit inhabiting vampire!Durkon's body is on a mission from Hel.]]
* MixAndMatchCritters:
** The absurdity of the owlbear ([[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin a bear with the head of an owl]]) is discussed, as it was apparently created by mixing a bear with a ''less'' deadly creature, thus defeating the purpose.
** Also discussed in [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0814.html "The Answer Is Blowing in the Wind"]].
--->'''Roy:''' Isn't a "brontosaurus" really just an apatosaurus with the head of a different dinosaur?\\
'''Tarquin:''' And a hippogriff is really just a horse with the head and wings of a bird, but I've still got eight squadrons mounted on the damn things.\\
'''Roy:''' Hmm. Fair enough.
* TheMole: [[spoiler:Redcloak manages to infiltrate the Azure City Resistance by polymorphing a hobgoblin into a human.]]
* MonsterFromBeyondTheVeil: [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0465.html Invoked and subverted.]] An angry Tsukiko plans to create an uber-powerful undead warrior from the first corpse she finds (which just so happens to be [[spoiler:Miko's]]). "It'll be free-willed and evil and mean, with [[RedAndBlackAndEvilAllOver cool black and red armor]]..." Then she notices that the body is [[HalfTheManHeUsedToBe Half the Woman She Used to Be]], and [[AntiClimax gives up on the plan altogether.]]
* MoodWhiplash:
** The prize goes to ''Start of Darkness'': [[spoiler:while Right-Eye is blasted from the sky and Xykon literally drains Dorukan's life-force away, the Monster in the Darkness decides to hold a taco fiesta.]] The well-executed switches are often cited as one of the comic's main sources of appeal.
** The latest book alternates between [[spoiler:V condemning him/herself to hell to save V's family and the Three Archfiends making college jokes.]]
** One small example: Miko and Redcloak are fighting in one of the towers at the Azure City borders. Redcloak has managed to hit Miko hard enough to make her drop her katana, and he asks for Xykon's help... upon which we see Xykon placing a bet on the fight's outcome with the Demon-Roaches -- he bets on ''Miko'' winning -- while the [=MitD=] has [[PassThePopcorn a popcorn bucket]] and a giant hand, supporting Redcloak as one would support his football team.
** [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0497.html "PLANE SHIFT!"]]
** The comic titled [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0759.html "Yes, Apparently"]] pulls off a rather jarring one. It takes five panels for Elan to go from [[spoiler:hugging his dad]] in a heartwarming moment to realizing that [[spoiler:his dad is burning thirty people alive]].
** After a while, one gets used to Xykon being an [[AffablyEvil affable]], [[OrcusOnHisThrone lazy]] tyrant content to crack jokes and lounge about while Redcloak runs his army. Then [[spoiler:Soul-Spliced Vaarsuvius pushes his BerserkButton.]] The immediate change in attitude is jarring, to say the least.
** After Tarquin [[spoiler:orders his giant army to kill the whole Order of the stick minus Elan and Haley]] in [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0916.html "Executive Order"]]:
--->'''Belkar:''' Can't we go back to dealing with [Roy's] [[spoiler:daddy issues]]?
* MookChivalry: Subverted.
* {{Mooks}}: One of the comic's themes seems to be to {{deconstruct|edTrope}} the concept. GodsNeedPrayerBadly, so goblins were explicitly created to be low-level fodder for their clerics to gain XP. The comic's main plot is driven by the goblins (especially their High Priest) [[RageAgainstTheHeavens rebelling against the gods]] who forced them into this role.
* MoralDissonance: Intentionally. Moments like the slaughter of Redcloak's village and the brutal execution of a hobgoblin prisoner from Azure City by the Elvish liberation forces remind us why Redcloak is on his crusade, and lead us to wonder if he might not have a bit of a point.
%% MoralEventHorizon: YMMV trope, go in the YMMV tab.
* MoralityKitchenSink
* MoralityPet:
** Mr. Scruffy, for Belkar.
--->'''Belkar:''' Stupid cat. A ranger is supposed to influence an animal's behavior. You're doing it backwards!
** O-Chul for the Monster in the Darkness. [[spoiler:It did help him escape, after all.]]
** Blackwing invokes this. He now works as a sort of [[TheConscience conscience]] for V.
* MoralMyopia: A vicious cycle: the gods consider the goblins nothing more than XP fodder; this leads the goblins (and hence Redcloak) to decide that humans are fair game to kill also, leading to a CycleOfRevenge.
* MoreCriminalsThanTargets: Parodied with Greysky City, which is so crime-ridden as to seemingly consist of nothing ''but'' criminals.
* MorphicResonance: Shapeshifters keep their overall color scheme.
** Seen with [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0353.html Leeky Windstaff]].
** Vaarsuvius, whether (s)he [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0638.html shapechanges]] [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0697.html voluntarily]] or [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0176.html is victim]] of a BalefulPolymorph.
** Also, thus far Sabine always kept her skin tone (except for facepaint) and her black hair color (with a couple exceptions) in human form.
* MostCommonCardGame: [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0050.html Check.]]
* MostDefinitelyNotAVillain:
** Belkar gets on stilts to disguise himself as a human.
--->'''Belkar:''' Hello, fellow Medium-sized creature! How are you enjoying being Medium-sized, like me, on this lovely day?\\
'''Paladin:''' Just fine, thanks for asking!
** Nale disguising himself as his twin brother Elan. Though his repeated statements of "I'm Elan" don't raise any eyebrows since that is deemed [[{{Cloudcuckoolander}} in character]] for Elan.
--->'''Nale-as-Elan:''' I'm Elan!\\
'''Vaarsuvius:''' Yes, so you have told me no less than seven times in the last hour.
** Celia as [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0538.html Darkblood Gloomgloom]] qualifies too, though in this case it's "Most Definitely a Villain".
--->'''Celia:''' My Dark power? Right! Right. [-Because I'm totally a necromancer, and not a sorcerer who didn't happen to take any necromancy spells...-]
** [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0743.html Haley pretending to be a Thor worshiper.]]
* MotivationalLie: Elan uses one on Thog so that Thog will break them both out of jail.
* MotivationOnAStick: Roy does this with a spice-infused Belkar to [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0689.html use a sandworm as transport]].
* MrExposition:
** Lord Shojo, first and foremost.
** Later the IFCC, lampshaded in [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0668.html "Moving the Pieces"]].
* MuggingTheMonster: Repeatedly mocked. Crime does ''not'' pay in this 'verse -- inevitably, a low-level thug ''will'' try to take on a high-level adventurer and end up reduced to a meager handful of [[ExperiencePoints XP]] and [[GlobalCurrency GP]].
** Parodied in [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0158.html "The Economics of Banditry"]].
** Directly referenced at the [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0170.html end of that arc]]:
--->'''Durkon:''' One a' these days, yer just gonna end up trying ta rob like a level 16 fighter by accident and get massacred.
** Played straight after the end of the bandit arc in [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0189.html "Tied Up Nicely"]], where the former leaders of the bandits get killed picking on a much higher-level character.
** Played straight (albeit more mildly) in [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0673.html "Too Slow"]]; [[GiveMeBackMyWallet Pickpocketing the Rogue]] if you will.
** Xykon once [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0434.html tried to steal a cool crown from a librarian]].
--->'''Xykon:''' ...and it turned out oops! He was also an archmage! Needless to say, {{hilarity ensue|s}}d.
* MultipleChoiceFormLetter: In ''Start of Darkness'', although Eugene Greenhilt correctly switches the part of the BloodOath saying "Insert Target Name Here" with Xykon's name, the halfling tattoo artist carving said oath clearly implies it isn't always the case.
* MummiesAtTheDinnerTable: PlayedForLaughs with the [=MitD=] hosting a tea party with Roy's corpse and a paralyzed O-Chul (or, as he calls them, Flopsy and Mr. Stiffly.)
* {{Munchkin}}: [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0216.html The half-ogre spiked-chain-wielding mook.]]
* MundaneUtility: V mentions using the invisibility spell [[AmbiguousGender whenever going to the bathroom]].
* MurderIsTheBestSolution:
** Belkar's modus operandi.
** Miko would rather kill those she sees as evil than bring them to justice.
** Vaarsuvius' has a few of these moments too, as illustrated by the following quote:
--->'''Vaarsuvius:''' As the size of an explosion increases, the number of social situations it is incapable of resolving approaches zero.
* MyFriendsAndZoidberg: Belkar gets this treatment a few times.
** In [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0079.html "The Heavens Moved"]], Durkon says that the rest of the Order is a fine enough group, for humans. And an elf.
--->'''Hilgya:''' And a halfing.\\
'''Durkon:''' No, I left 'im out on purpose.
** In [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0231.html "From the Mouths of Babes"]], while Roy is mistaken for the King of Nowhere:
--->'''Roy:''' Hey, you know, we're all enjoying this luxury, but we should at least share it with the others. We should get Vaarsuvius and Belkar up here.\\
(''{{beat panel}}'')\\
'''Roy:''' We should get Vaarsuvius up here.\\
'''Elan:''' Yeah, definitely!\\
'''Haley:''' Sure, let's get V in here.\\
'''Durkon:''' Aye.
** In [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0442.html "We Can Do This the Easy Way..."]], Roy talks to Xykon about why he has to take him down ''now,'' instead of taking the lich up on his offer to be released from the battle and level up for a few years to make it a better fight:
--->'''Roy:''' You may not be out to destroy the physical planet, but living under the heel of a walking villain cliché like you will destroy its soul. If I don't beat you here and now, then soon this nonsensical screwed-up world won't exist anymore. There won't be any place left for introverted dwarves. Or androgynous elves. Or idiotic bards or greedy rogues... or sexy sylphs. Or hell, even raging narcissistic paladins. Bloodthirsty halflings will probably get along fine, though.
** In [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0740.html "The Great(ish) Escape"]], Durkon informs Haley that Roy and Belkar have been locked up in prison:
--->'''Haley:''' Crap! We need to break Roy out of there! And then decide what to do about Belkar!
* MyGodWhatHaveIDone:
** Redcloak gets to do this twice: once when he realizes how stupid his bigotry towards hobgoblins is, and once in the prequel ''Start of Darkness'', after he [[spoiler:kills his brother Right-Eye]].
** Vaarsuvius, after the Soul Splice. Subverted at first -- since V considers the black dragons to be AlwaysChaoticEvil, the elf is more remorseful about [[spoiler:the DealWithTheDevil itself, and the wasteful use made of it, than the Familicide spell itself. However, upon discovering how the Draketooth Family died -- and further realising that countless other humans could have been killed by the spell -- V goes into a full-blown HeroicBSOD.]]
* MySignificanceSenseIsTingling:
** Elan sometimes, as a result of his Genre Savviness.
--->'''Elan:''' ... Hey, did anyone else get that foreboding feeling just now?
** Spoofed by Belkar in [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0418.html Hinjo's Junk strip]].
--->'''Belkar:''' I sense a great disturbance... as if a thousand double entendres cried out, and were suddenly silenced...
* MySpeciesDothProtestTooMuch: Zz'dtri uses this to justify his presence, claiming (through Nale) that due to imitation of a certain Dark Elf ranger his entire race is like this now. He's lying, but the Order buys it.
* MythArc: Roy and the Order's quest to destroy Xykon once and for all -- and, once they discover their significance, to secure the Gates if possible. Villains other than Xykon (for example, Nale and Kubota) are actually referred to in dialogue as "side quests".
* MythologyGag: In [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0954.html comic #954]], the blackboard behind the theology professor sports [[https://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/ll_20110614_1.jpg the original alignment diagram]] from the early days of ''D&D'', as well as the "Great Wheel" diagram of the Outer Planes.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:N]]
* {{Narrator}}: Spoofed in the prologue to the print volume of the first arc.
* NeckLift:
** Roy Greenhilt seems to like this as an intimidation method for interrogating mooks. He does it to a goblin teen in [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0101.html "Man-to-Man Chat"]], and then to Pompey of the Linear Guild in [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0356.html "Knight Takes Pawn"]].
** Xykon can do it too when pissed off. And don't try to change the subject with trivial concerns, like breathing.
* NeckSnap:
** Xykon does this to [[spoiler:Lirian]] in ''Start of Darkness''.
** Miko does this to Sabine on her first day in jail as a fallen paladin. Of course, since Sabine is an Outsider, [[HeadTurnedBackwards it just annoys her.]]
** [[spoiler:Durkon, post vampirization]] does this (one-handed) to [[spoiler:Zz'dtri]].
* {{Necromancer}}s:
** Xykon; Redcloak; Tsukiko; Haerta Bloodsoak
** Celia as [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0538.html Darkblood Gloomgloom]] briefly pretends to be one.
** Hieronymus Grubwiggler may protest that he isn't creating undead, but he's still animating dead bodies as flesh or bone golems.
* NeglectfulPrecursors: The gods definitely come across as such in the creation story of the Snarl. ''Start of Darkness''... ''really'' doesn't help their case.
* NeutralityBacklash: Poor Therkla...
* NeutralNoLonger: The Elvish war party.
* NeverASelfMadeWoman: Deconstructed, and then reconstructed. Haley Starshine essentially has her father to thank and to blame for everything in her life; he taught her to be a fantastic thief by teaching her to mistrust everyone, and the only reason she joined an adventuring party in the first place was to raise money to pay his ransom. By the time she resolves her issues with her father, [[spoiler:by realizing that Ian's paranoia and trust issues were poisonous and that she needed to move on, because it made it impossible to open up to the man she loves]], she's already in a relationship with Elan, and now her personal issues revolve around learning to open up to people (naturally, with Elan's help).
* NeverLiveItDown: In-universe examples.
** Vaarsuvius over, uh, "time sharing" his/her soul.
--->'''Vaarsuvius:''' I have a plan.\\
'''Blackwing:''' Does it involve selling your soul?\\
'''Vaarsuvius:''' No.\\
'''Blackwing:''' Really?\\
'''Vaarsuvius:''' No! I mean, yes, really. It involves coordination.\\
'''Blackwing:''' Coordinated soul-selling?\\
'''Vaarsuvius:''' NO!\\
'''Blackwing:''' Is that a "maybe"?
** Also, the destruction of Lirian's Gate in a forest fire seems to be this for Redcloak.
--->'''Redcloak:''' Look, it was an accident! OK? Let it drop already. Geez!
* NeverSpeakIllOfTheDead: On [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0663.html "Or Mention That He's Getting Too Old for This"]], O-Chul takes partial responsibility for the destruction of the gate. [[ExactWords He's not telling the whole story]] to avoid further dishonoring [[spoiler:Miko Miyazaki.]]
-->'''Hinjo:''' I see. Then you were the one who made the decision to destroy the Gate rather than let it fall into Xykon's clutches.\\
'''O-Chul:''' I did make that decision, and it was my blade that did the deed. (I shall say no more about it, lest I speak ill of the dead.)
* NeverSplitTheParty:
** Basically, the whole point of the fourth completed arc. Some bad things happened. The compilation book, containing said arc, is titled ''Don't Split the Party''.
** And then they did it again, resulting in Vaarsuvius, Haley, and Elan getting captured by bounty hunters.
* NewRulesAsThePlotDemands: Rich Burlew claims to follow this pattern, but he's usually actually very good about replicating ''D&D'''s rule system in a believable way. Some of the few straight examples are the fact that goblins and sprites are medium-sized and AlwaysChaoticEvil races are more {{Punch Clock Villain}}s. As one might expect, it doesn't exactly hurt the comic.
* NiceJobBreakingItHero:
** Miko actually does this twice. Once when she kills Shojo, resulting in her being stripped of her status as a paladin (and all the benefits that go along with it) and creating a power vacuum that results in Daimyo Kubota's forces spending more time trying to assassinate Hinjo than defend the city. And, again, by destroying the sapphire in the throne (and Soon's gate trapped within it) as Xykon is about to be re-killed by the ghosts of the Sapphire Guard, thus causing the ghosts to dissipate.
** In ''Start of Darkness'', when Xykon is confronting [[spoiler:Lirian]], he doesn't know that there are four other gates until...
--->[[spoiler:'''Lirian:''']] Even if you locate them, my friends will stop you from conquering the other four Gates.\\
(''{{beat panel}}'')\\
(''beat panel'')\\
'''Xykon:''' Did you-- Did you just say, "the ''other'' four Gates"?\\
(''beat panel'')\\
[[spoiler:'''Lirian:''']] Crap.
** In [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0842.html "All in the Family"]], we get to see the ramification of [[spoiler:V's (or rather, Haerta's) [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0639.html Familicide]]: [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0842.html The death of]] the ''entire Draketooth bloodline'', who've been defending Girard's Gate all this while.]]
** Girard Draketooth's obsessive paranoia around paladins led him to rig his gate with several traps to prevent them from interfering -- which only serve to make the job of the heroes much more difficult.
* NiceJobFixingItVillain:
** Redcloak, after holding a group of Azurites hostage during one of his interrogations of O-Chul, decides to let them live, hoping that they'll spread word of how the (seemingly) last Sapphire Guard was willing to let them die, which will break the will of the other prisoners. However, this backfires big time, as they instead interpret events as a member of the Sapphire Guard having survived the battle and still heroically resisting the enemy's attempts to break him (which is true), which raises the hopes of the prisoners.
** Nale takes an opportunity to pre-emptively kill off [[spoiler:Malack]], depriving Tarquin of one of his greatest allies. This also allows [[spoiler:Vampire!Durkon]], who now appears to be considerably more powerful, to regain his free will, effortlessly kill off [[spoiler:Zz'dtri]], and side with the Order of the Stick once more.
** The Fiends call in [[spoiler:Vaarsuvius's]] debt with them, and while their soul is in hell their body is magically protected from all harm... allowing it to survive the [[spoiler:destruction of Girard's Gate]].
* NinjaLog:
** [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0270.html Belkar to Miko.]]
** [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0608.html Haley to Crystal,]] with bonus PsychoStrings.
** [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0797.html Blackwing to Qarr.]]
* NinjaPirateZombieRobot:
** An allusion on the trope is found in [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0560.html "Meanwhile, His Teammate Was in Rhodes"]].
** Also, [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0599.html "Separate Ways"]]:
--->'''Elan:''' They were dire halfdragon bone-eating saltwater werepiranhas. OK???
** The vampiric half-dragon half-troll lycanthropic fiendish snail from ''Snips, Snails, and Dragon Tales''. He's also a phrenic snail, giving him psionic powers.
* NinjaProp:
** The best example would probably be the diamond from the cast page, which Haley stole from herself in order to pay for a spell in the main comic.
** In one strip, a mute Haley holds a mental argument with herself while on the road, drowning out Elan's Blah Blah Blah dialogue. In the final panel, it's revealed that he's literally been saying "blah blah blah" the entire time, hoping to set a new world record in consecutive use of the word.
** In the comic book compendium of this webcomic, the party uses the narrator to distract the monster guarding the entrance to the dungeon.
** Lien knew that Qarr was up to no good from his sinister-looking Speech Bubbles (red text on a black background).
** It's possible to feign death by drawing X marks over one's eyes and lying very still.
* NobodyPoops:
** Humorously averted in [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0086.html "The Most Important Quest"]].
** Played with when Qarr the imp notices that V uses [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0624.html invisibility before going to piss.]]
* NoChallengeEqualsNoSatisfaction: When they first meet, Xykon tells Roy to go away, level up a few times, and come back when he's tough enough to be a challenging opponent.
* NoDialogueEpisode:
** [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0313.html "Words Fail"]]
** Again in [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0750.html "Making Up for Lost Time"]] (except for the final panel).
** And then the [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0887.html "Happy Ending"]].
* [[NoEyeInMagic No Ear in Magic]]: Durkon casts Holy Word on the Linear guild, which attacks anyone not Good-aligned, and [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0860.html usually results in deafness]]. It interferes with Zz'dtri's casting as he can't hear his own spells, and when Nale tries to use a [[CompellingVoice Suggestion spell]] on [[TokenEvilTeammate Belkar]], the latter can't hear it.
* NoFourthWall:
** Most of the characters seem aware that their world works on RPG rules and occasionally refer to the fact that they're [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0060.html in a comic]], but Roy seems thoroughly confused when the Oracle goes even further and directly addresses the readers.
** Reached new heights in [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0649.html "It's a Shame She Didn't Grab That Script While She Was There"]]. Heck, even the [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/ootscast.html cast page]] is on that joke.
** And in [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0518.html "At Least It Wasn't the Fourth Wall Again"]], the third wall takes a beating, too.
** [[spoiler:Roy is really tired of this trope, so much he calls a [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0885.html kibosh]]]].
* NoHoldsBarredBeatdown:
** [[spoiler:Xykon, beating the crap out of Vaarsuvius in a mage duel, and then literally ''beating'' V with a giant chunk of debris to break the Soul Splice. Then he gets serious.]]
** And then there's [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0796.html the arena fight.]]
* NoHonorAmongThieves: In "Blood Runs in the Family", several of the villains end up being slain by other villains, rather than the heroes.
* NoKillLikeOverkill:
** The Vaarsuvius Double-tap: "{{Disintegrat|orRay}}e. Gust of Wind." Designed to ensure there's no piece of the enemy's body left [[FromASingleCell from which to reanimate them]]. (Evidently this device is as much [[SortingAlgorithmOfDeadness for the author's peace of mind]] as for the heroes'.)
** [[spoiler:Tsukiko]] is level-drained to death by wights, who are commanded to devour her, and then to eat each other one by one until the last remaining one sets itself on fire. This is partly to make absolutely sure of the death and LeaveNoWitnesses, and partly [[spoiler:to illustrate just how different Redcloak's opinions of the undead are to those of Tsukiko, who goes out begging her "babies" to stop "hurting Mommy".]]
* NominalImportance:
** Mentioned as early as [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0021.html strip #21]], where Haley complains that the fact that they killed a ''named'' chimera implied it should have become a recurring villain.
** Lampshaded by Kazumi and Daigo, two Azurite soldiers, who go from {{Red Shirt}}s to {{Mauve Shirt}}s just by [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0472.html revealing their names]]. (Daigo, observing the power of this effect, wisely decides to save his last name for a future emergency.)
** [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0784.html Lampshaded again.]]
--->'''Elan:''' Hooray! The people whose names I know are saved!
** However, Rich Burlew is also quite willing to subvert the trope, by having characters introduced by name and then killed ''in the very same strip''. Case in point: [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0259.html Kodrog the Slayer & Jim]]; [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0133.html the three barbarians]]; Shelby the Dragonslayer; [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0539.html Solt Lorkyurg]]; [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0685.html Buggy Lou]]... (Yep, it happens a lot around Belkar or Xykon.)
** And in the prequel book ''Recap/StartOfDarkness'', Nominal Importance [[InvertedTrope is plain and simply inverted]]. Actually saying his name is what really gets a lizardman killed: it was too complex for Xykon to remember.
* NoMrBondIExpectYouToDine: The Monster in the Darkness's [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0475.html tea party]].
* NoNameGiven: The Monster in the Darkness; the Oracle; [[DaChief the Chief]]; the Rookie; the Cleric of Loki
* NonCombatEXP: The first time the Order levels up on-screen, Belkar, their [[HeroicComedicSociopath psychotic evil halfling ranger]], is a mere handful of XP shy from leveling up with everyone else. When killing rats proves to not grant XP and party kills are banned from him, he resorts to pulling out a [[AssPull sob story]] for roleplaying XP.
* NonMammalMammaries: [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0676.html Lampshaded, of course:]] when seen on a female lizardfolk, they happen to be fake.
* NonSequiturThud:
** [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0186.html "The wheels on the bus go round and round..."]] -- a black dragon after surviving one Disintegrate spell, [[FamousLastWords before being vaporized by another]].
** Haley sings "I'm Henry the 8th, I am, Henry the 8th, I am, I am..." after receiving a stunning kick from Miko in [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0200.html "The Confrontation"]].
** Happens to Belkar in [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0748.html "Top of the List"]]:
--->'''Belkar:''' 'mfine. Halfings may only be able to advance to level 8, but I've got Attack Rank G.\\
'''Guard:''' That boy got his ass [[RPGMechanicsVerse knocked back to Basic]]!
* NoodleImplements: Elan and Thog's plan to get back into Azure City apparently involved a corkscrew, skis, a basketball, a box of soap, a traffic cone, a leprechaun costume, and a giant wooden alpaca full of potato salad. It should be mentioned that the costume was, for several comics, all we saw. The rest of it showed up in a comic titled [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0389.html "As Good an Explanation as is Forthcoming"]] which, of course, only raised further questions.
* NoodleIncident: Several.
-->'''Eugene Greenhilt:''' What happened during my time in the valley remains a mystery, as does why Mr. Belvedere was following me when I departed.\\\
'''Elan:''' Are--are you hitting on me? Because, whatever you heard about what happened at Summer Camp--\\\
'''Serini:''' We don't want a repeat of the Roc Incident.\\\
'''Hinjo:''' Unnhhh... I'm sorry, Uncle. I'll never swipe a drink from your private stash again...\\\
'''Roy:''' It was just a joke! We didn't know Mrs. [=McNulty=] was allergic to weasels!\\\
'''Elan:''' It's exciting being part of a family where they DON'T try to frame you for murder!\\
'''Haley:''' Oooo, I probably shouldn't tell you about Cousin Sheila, then...\\\
'''[=MitD=]:''' Uh, hi. I know I'm not allowed in your room since the thing with the peanut butter...\\\
'''Tarquin:''' I still haven't figured out how [Thog] managed to flood the palace with lemon pudding that time...\\\
'''Hobgoblin Cleric:''' A real [reward], definitely. Not like what happened with Shelby.[[note]]This one is explained by added material in the printed version.[[/note]]\\\
'''Ranch Dressing Elemental:''' Thank you, [Vaarsuvius]! You have restored Prince Oozalot to the throne of the Hidden Valley and rescued his true love, Gootrude, from the evil sauce dragon!\\\
'''Malack:''' You always have gone that extra mile for the punchline. Remember the Rajah?\\
'''Tarquin:''' HA! And you said there was no way I'd hold that much creamed spinach in my mouth for the whole coronation!\\\
'''Miron:''' This isn't going to be like that time with the marids, is it?
* NoPeriodsPeriod: Averted, though Sabine's example is an excuse.
-->'''Sabine:''' It's, uh... ''that'' time of the century. You know... the Red Knight is requesting lodging.\\\
'''Haley:''' Think how testy I can get, and I'm only the "Empress of Blood" a few days each month.
* NoPeripheralVision: [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0778.html Vermillius, Ceruleaus and a guard in the arena]]; lampshaded by Tarquin.
* NoSell: Happens often. Such as when Malak tries to Poison Durkon ("Tastes like me mum's crabapple pie!") or Slay Living Nale ("Please, my lover drains levels with her lips. I purchase elixirs of Negative Energy Protection in bulk.")
* TheNoseless: All characters, due to the art style. With LampshadeHanging, [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0339.html naturally]]:
-->'''Rookie:''' What are those weird bumpy things between their eyes?
* NotAGame: O-Chul to Haley before the Azure City battle.
* NotHyperbole:
** [[TropeNamer Named for]] [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0473.html Lien's little speech]]:
--->'''Lien:''' My parents were fishermen. When I was a little girl, I stood right here and learned how to clean the fish that they caught. I'm telling you this so that you know that when I say that if you take one more step, I will gut you like the catch of the day -- IT IS NOT HYPERBOLE!
** In [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0017.html "Rapier Wit"]], Belkar states that he could sunder Elan's rapier by speaking too loudly.
--->'''Belkar: [++DAMN IT!++]'''\\
(''[[UnsoundEffect sunder!]]'')
** In [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0685.html "On Friendship"]], when Belkar says, "[[Film/FullMetalJacket I am going to rip off your stupid bug head and piss down your neck hole!]]", he happens to be serious.
** It appears that one of these was the last straw in the marriage of Elan's parents.
--->'''Tarquin:''' You sound like your mother. "Oh Tarquin, you jerk! When you said that you would liquefy every man in the tavern if one of them grabbed my butt again during my shift, I didn't think you meant it!"
* NotRightInTheBed: The evil twin variant is used when Elan, a good-natured naïve bard, is [[spoiler:framed and swapped with his evil twin brother Nale, who proceeds to attempt to woo Haley (with aims to murder her at the height of passion), since she had up to this point had a hidden crush on Elan.]] Haley notices the startling change in behaviour, including the initiative he takes in arranging a romantic date, but ignores her instincts (and that of her inner personalities).
* NotSoDifferent:
** V and Belkar have always opted for a brute force style in facing their problems, but thanks to CharacterDevelopment, they've also seen other ways of looking at the world. To drive the point even further, they both have dark fates in store. [[spoiler:Belkar is slated to die before the end of the year, while V is indebted to the service of the IFCC for 44 minutes and 16 seconds.]]
** Nale and Tarquin. [[spoiler:When rejected by family members, they both react by stabbing the rejecter. They also think that anything that happens near them is about them.]]
* NotThatKindOfMage:
** Xykon is mistaken for a wizard early in ''Start of Darkness'''s narrative. He doesn't take as much offense here as one might expect, given his distaste for wizards.
** In a later strip, a bit character intentionally mislabels Vaarsuvius as a warlock to draw the elf into battle.
** The Oracle of Sunken Valley has sometimes been mistaken for a cleric, when in fact he's just been blessed by Tiamat.
* NotTheIntendedUse: In [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0860.html "Wasn't Going to Listen to Orders Anyway"]], when Durkon uses ''Holy Word'' (that only affects non-good characters), Belkar is also deafened, rendering Nale's Suggestion useless.
-->'''Roy:''' It's not a bug, it's a feature.
* NotWhatItLooksLike:
** Played with in [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0269.html "A Familiar Face"]], when Celia recalls finding out her boyfriend "[[LiteralMetaphor slipping the wood]]" to a dryad. He says it's not what it looks, but it's unclear what it looks like in the first place....
** Subverted when Nale seduces Haley in order to betray and kill her, only to be stopped when his enraged girlfriend Sabine arrives. She realizes what's going on immediately, but [[TheOnlyOneAllowedToDefeatYou wanted to kill Haley herself]]:
--->'''Nale:''' It's not what it looks like.\\
'''Nale:''' (''simultaneous'') I was going to KILL her.\\
'''Sabine:''' (''simultaneous'') YOU WERE GOING TO KILL HER!
* TheNudifier: In one of the ''Dragon Magazine'' strips, Belkar takes delivery of a Wand of Dispel Clothing.
* NumberOfTheBeast:
** [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0631.html According to Qarr]], the application form for a DealWithTheDevil is 666 pages long.
** "Inverted" with the IFCC's adress, which is "9 Hells Plaza, Lower Planes 00999".
* NumberTwo: Haley is briefly mentioned as being Roy's second-in-command during the battle of Azure city. She's not too confident about her abilities in this regard, having suckered Roy into naming her second-in-command in the first place in ''On the Origins of [=PCs=]'' only for a bigger share of treasure.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:O]]
* OccamsRazor: Redcloak and O-Chul disagree over the application of this principle in a strip entitled [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0546.html "O-Chul's Razor"]]. While not brought up, Redcloak is also defying HanlonsRazor in assuming that the Sapphire Guard were being devious geniuses rather than blinkered fools.
* OddShapedPanel:
** Roy and Thog in the tunnel of the Earth Sigil in Dorukan's Dungeon. Lampshaded later by the latter.
** A spiral following the usual MindControlEyes shape to represent the dream world created by Girard's LotusEaterMachine.
* OffhandBackhand:
** [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0446.html Xykon uses the magical equivalent on a nameless Azurite soldier]], while taking a break in the middle of a battle to conduct a job interview.
** Belkar kills a rogue with two thrown daggers without looking up from the bard he's in the middle of smooching.
* OffWithHisHead:
** [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0360.html Nale to Cliffport Chief.]]
** [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0435.html Belkar to Grand Larcenist.]]
** [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0461.html Miko to Jirix.]]
** [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0685.html Belkar to Buggy Lou.]]
* OhCrap: Several times.
** Yokyok's is [[CurseCutShort interrupted]] in [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0357.html "Pen Beat Sword"]]
** Most notably [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0449.html "Land of the Rising..."]].
** And again in [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0462.html "Good Idea, Bad Idea"]], when Xykon realizes that [[spoiler:he's facing the prospect of [[KilledOffForReal permanent death]], not merely waiting until he grows a new body]].
** Qarr says it out loud when V cast ''See Invisibility'' in [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0624.html "This Happens to Telemarketers All the Time"]]
** The expression on Elan's face at the end of [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0759.html "Yes, Apparently"]].
** Haley says it too in [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0788.html "A Vexation or Irritation"]].
** When Nale finds out [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0819.html what magic item Tarquin recently got]].
** Redcloak when [[spoiler:[[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0829.html Tsukiko reveals she's on to him.]]]]
** Tsukiko when [[spoiler:[[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0830.html Redcloak turns her beloved Wights against her.]]]]
** Vaarsuvius [[spoiler:[[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0842.html found out s/he inadvertently annihilated the entire Draketooth clan. Whoops.]]]]
** Hinjo when he realizes that [[spoiler:[[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0865.html the Resistance has been destroyed and that Xykon has recovered his phylactery meaning that he's once again on the move.]]]]
** Roy when [[spoiler:Xykon appears right in front of him in Girard's pyramid]], out of nowhere.
** Haley when [[spoiler:she receives Hinjo's message about the defeat of the Resistance]].
** Malack when [[spoiler:Zz'dtri dispels his Protection from Daylight spell.]]
** Tarquin twice in [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0936.html "End of the Line"]].
** Miron's [[spoiler:whole expression when witnessing ''something eldritch'' burst through the rift in [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0945.html "Jumbled Up"]].]]
** [[spoiler:The High Priest of Hel, when everyone realizes that the storm is being caused by Thor in [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0952.html "Weather or Not"]].]]
* OhMyGods:
** Often done with Azurites, whose civilization is based on East Asia, saying, "Twelve Gods damn you!"
** Durkon the Dwarven cleric also invokes Thor's various body parts as exclamations. "Thor's Beard!" "Thor's Teeth!" "Thor's Duodenum!"
** At one point, the undead CardCarryingVillain Xykon exclaims, "Unholy crap!"
** Most of the other characters just say "Oh my gods." (Or "Great elven gods.") Though for some reason, they usually use the singular when followed by "damn it!"
** Interestingly, Julio Scoundrél once says, "How in the name of [[Creator/GaryGygax Gygax]]..."
* OhNoNotAgain:
** Not infrequent in the webcomic:
--->'''Roy:''' [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0099.html Damnit! Not again!]]\\\
'''Celia:''' [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0615.html Darn it! Not again!]]\\\
'''Vaarsuvius:''' [++[[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0646.html NOT AGAIN!]]++]\\\
'''Durkon:''' [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0732.html Och, not AGAIN!]]\\\
'''Xykon:''' [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0885.html Ah, crap. Not THIS guy again.]]
** And in the prequel book ''On the Origin of [=PCs=]'', when Sir François the paladin can't stand his herald's stupidity any longer and ditches him... guess how Elan reacts.
--->'''Elan:''' Awww, not again.
* OhTheHumanity: [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0040.html Said by Surtur's victims.]]
* OminousFloatingCastle: In [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0833.html "Villainy Afoot"]], Xykon is shown to have built a "[[BuffySpeak fortress-tomb-thingy]]" in the Astral Plane as a safe hiding place for his phylactery.
* OminousLatinChanting: Spoofed in [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0635.html "I See a Red Robe and I Want to Paint it Black"]]. Apparently the IFCC has a ghostly choir composed entirely of freshly "[[GroinAttack snipped]]" dead [[AcceptableTargets pedophiles]] that sings fake Latin whenever they complete a deal. You can sing the fake Latin in place of the lyrics of Sephiroth's "One-Winged Angel" or "Ave Satani" from ''Film/TheOmen''.
* TheOnlyOneAllowedToDefeatYou:
** Invoked by Belkar, once he resolves to be more of a team player. He has Haley's nemesis Crystal at his mercy, but leaves her alive at zero hit points because he doesn't want to be a kill-stealer.
** DangerouslyGenreSavvy [[spoiler:Tarquin [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0763.html accepts]] that Elan will be the one to defeat him. He takes ''pleasure'' from the idea it can ''only'' be Elan.]]
* OnlySaneMan: Most of the main characters are in this position ''vis-à-vis'' the others at one point or another, but the role most often falls to Roy, Hinjo, and, on the villains' side, Redcloak.
* OOCIsSeriousBusiness:
** Roy's reaction to his WreckedWeapon. "YOU. BROKE. MY. SWORD." The usually stoic leader of the [=OotS=] flipping out does startle the rest of the party, including Belkar.
** [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0141.html The first time]] [[QuirkyBard Elan]] proves he can actually be useful, it comes as a shock to his teammates.
** [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0591.html Vaarsuvius passing on a perfect opportunity]] to say "IToldYouSo" can get Durkon really worried.
** Belkar is a HeroicComedicSociopath and BloodKnight at all times, so when he suddenly starts [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0620.html advocating the most peaceful solution to a conflict]] to reduce the bloodshed... it seriously freaks out Haley and Celia. ([[GenreSavvy Which was of course his intention all along.]])
** Roy at last complimenting Elan for doing a good job ([[spoiler:[[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0891.html after snapping the party out of Girard's phantasm]]]]) and apologizing for having yelled at him earlier [[spoiler:makes Elan think they are still trapped in an illusion where his fondest dreams are coming true]].
** Roy is rather unnerved when Belkar, Constitution-drained and fragile, starts behaving like an actual ranger in their battle with [[spoiler:Tarquin]], using Wild Empathy [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0922.html to control the enemy's battle dinosaur]] instead of just leaping into hand-to-hand combat.
--->'''Roy:''' Okay, now I know we're doomed. Belkar is acting like a '''ranger'''.
* OohMeAccentsSlipping: Durkon, once [[spoiler:he becomes a vampire. Lampshaded in his first conversation with Hel: his vampiric self is deliberately putting the accent on in order to seem more like his old self.]]
%% * OperationBlank: Spoofed.
* OpponentSwitch: Done by the villains in the first Order-vs.-Linear Guild fight: Nale and Thog swap opponents (Elan and Roy) to avoid the FearfulSymmetry of fighting their own opposite numbers. It doesn't work, since Elan's magic actually works on Thog and Roy's ecstatic at the chance to whale on someone who looks like Elan, since he was still TheLoad then.
* OppositesAttract: Thoroughly discussed (and contrasted with BirdsOfAFeather) by Vaarsuvius in "[[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0223.html Love, in the Abstract]]".
* OrcusOnHisThrone:
** One of the few cases in which it is [[JustifiedTrope satisfactorily explained]]. When the main characters first encounter Xykon, he is sitting around his throne room doing nothing much. We come to find out that this is purely because the [[MacGuffin Gate]] he wished to access can only be opened by "one who is pure of heart," so he has literally been held up by a lack of adventurers.
** Later, after he [[spoiler:conquers Azure City]], he spends the entire "Don't Split the Party" storyline sitting on his butt in his castle torturing a captured paladin. Turns out, this was all [[DragonWithAnAgenda Redcloak]]'s doing: he's been deceiving Xykon into not leaving until [[spoiler:the hobgoblins have solidified their hold on the city]]. Xykon loses patience with this when his phylactery gets lost, taking Redcloak's [[EyeScream eye]] (or rather forbidding him to regenerate it) and commanding that they leave immediately after finding the phylactery. Now Redcloak appears to have no intention of giving it back, using a substitute.
* OrphanedPunchline: [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0265.html On Hinjo's introduction.]]
-->'''Hinjo:''' --and so he said, "Rectum? I darn near KILLED 'im!"\\
'''Elan:''' HAHAHAHA!\\
'''Hinjo:''' [[NoodleIncident And that's the story of how I became a paladin.]]
* OstentatiousSecret:
** The gender of Vaarsuvius, V's mate and their (adopted) children.
** What is the Monster in the Darkness, anyway?
* OurDwarvesAreAllTheSame: Lampshaded in [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0602.html "Clerical Temp"]]. Durkon Thundershield fits the stereotype perfectly, including the combination of NorseMythology and Scottish accent. When the party is split and one half hires a cleric to magically contact Durkon, the cleric gets an accurate description and then asks what sets Durkon apart from every other dwarf in existence. However, they are known to have odd anatomical features such as ''[[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0375.html two livers]]''. (Though that may be just natural selection in action.)\\\
On the other hand, it should be noted that Durkon is calm, introverted, mild-mannered, and makes use of his spellcaster abilities as often as his weapons. He takes his job as a healer very seriously, not limiting it to use of magic (he has significant medical knowledge, as seen when he's examining Haley and giving advice to a pregnant woman). All this sets him very much apart the usual drunken, axe-throwing and curse-spewing stereotype, making this more of a Zig-Zagging Trope instead.
* OurElvesAreBetter: Averted.
** Vaarsuvius is an InsufferableGenius with a sensitive ego and a penchant for speechifying whose pursuit of arcane knowledge consumes much of her life. Though initially only occasionally callous but nevertheless good, her morals deteriorate as time goes on until she's forced to reassess everything and make a conscious effort to change.
** The elves aiding the Azurite resistance, with their "the only good goblin is a dead one" policy, are walking justifications for Redcloak's behaviour.
** Aarindarius, V's master, is apparently powerful enough to take on a full adult black dragon without looking away from the book s/he's reading, though this was according to Vaarsuvius in the middle of an arc throughout which [[UnreliableExpositor V's judgement was severely impaired]].
* OurFounder:
** [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0660.html Redcloak's statue]] in Gobbotopia City.
** [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0750.html Tarquin has one too]] in Bleedingham.
* OurOrcsAreDifferent: They use HulkSpeak and AllLowercaseLetters. ''On the Origin of [=PCs=]'' also features orc fans of Music/HeavyMetal.
* OurVampiresAreDifferent:
** The first vampire we are introduced to is [[spoiler:Malack. Unusual in that he's a SnakePerson rather than a humanoid.]] Also, he demonstrates the ability to bend ''D&D'' rules for vampires -- he can talk in his [[SuperSmoke vapor form]] and, when creating another vampire, use his staff to shorten the reanimation process so the whole "buried for 3 days" rule doesn't apply. He also has a custom-made ''Protection from daylight'' spell.
** [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0946.html Strip #946]] reveals that [[spoiler:vampires[[note]]and not just Durkon but all ''OOTS'' vampires, as confirmed by Rich Burlew in the forum[[/note]] are controlled by a foreign evil spirit while the original spirit is trapped helpless in the same body.]]
* OutOfCharacterAlert: Belkar thinks that [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0954.html Durkon having the right spell to solve the problem at hand]] is further proof [[spoiler:that he's not the real Durkon]].
* OutrunTheFireball: Spoofed [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0119.html at the climax of]] ''Dungeon Crawling Fools''. Elan actually insists he and Roy ''wait for the fireball'' to better outrun it by jumping away.
-->'''Elan:''' Wow! Just like a Creator/VinDiesel movie!
* OutscareTheEnemy: Tarquin combines this with IHaveYourWife in order to keep his army in line; his soldiers know that while the enemy might kill them, Tarquin will slaughter their families if they displease him.
* OverusedCopycatCharacter: Spoofed when Nale claims that every drow in this world is like [[Literature/TheDarkElfTrilogy Drizzt Do'Urden]] now. This is soon shown to be untrue when it's revealed that the Linear Guild members are evil, and the only other drow we ever see[[labelnote:*]](one of the adventurers who attack Roy in the afterlife)[[/labelnote]] is also evil. V [[ExploitedTrope takes advantage]] by getting Zz'dtri hauled away by copyright lawyers.
* OwMyBodyPart:
-->'''Blackwing:''' (''faintly'') My feathers hurt. How come my feathers hurt?
[[/folder]]
----
----
!!!''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'' provides examples of the following tropes:
[[foldercontrol]]
[[folder:M]]
* MacGuffin: The Gates. Xykon even refers to them as such. Redcloak discusses this trope in [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0466.html "I Think I Left It in the Bag..."]] (spoilers!), noting that the [=MacGuffins=] aren't the only things that matter in a battle.
* MacGuffinDeliveryService: Discussed.
-->'''Tarquin:''' In any race for hidden treasure, it is always the protagonists who sweat and bleed and die to overcome the many challenges inherent in finding it, only for the antagonists to seize it from them at the last minute.
* MacGuffinGuardian:
** The outdated monsters guarding Dorukan's Talisman. Justified, since it's the Talisman itself which lured them there.
** The Black Dragon guarding the Starmetal fragment in the Wooden Forest.
** Kraagor's Gate is said to be protected by a bunch of dangerous monsters.
* MadeFromRealGirlScouts:
** The "Kid's Meal" in [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0117.html "Delayed Gratification"]]; revisited in [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0549.html "Grueling Ordeal"]].
** Malack's recipe for "bloodwart tea" doesn't utilise the herb "bloodwort"; it's made from blood and warts.
* MadnessMantra: Sir François in ''On the Origins of [=PCs=]''.
-->'''Sir François:''' Don't break the Paladin Code by strangling Elan, don't break the Paladin Code by strangling Elan, don't break the Paladin Code by strangling Elan...
* MageKiller: Zz'dtri is {{minmax|ing}}ed to be the perfect counter to other arcane casters (specifically Vaarsuvius), [[DeconstructedTrope which leaves him in trouble against pretty much any other class]]. V wins a fight with him by [[spoiler:Dominating a kobold to shoot him full of arrows,]] and later [[spoiler:a vampirized Durkon is able to knock him out with a [[TapOnTheHead single punch]] and then kill him with a NeckSnap.]]
* MagicAIsMagicA: "Truly, more wizards have been laid low by [[VancianMagic the writings of]] Creator/JackVance than by any single villain."
* MagicFeather: Enor, the blue ogre/dragon hybrid, is given a [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0777.html piece of lizardfolk Victory String]] by Gannji to give him courage in battle (it's just a piece of string, of course). Roy lampshades this trope when Belkar points it out. Belkar tries to give him a "halfling Courage Rock", but Roy won't take it, and instead suggests Belkar keep it someplace safe. [[AssShove And dark]].
* MagicKnight: Durkon, and the paladins of Azure City.
%% MagnificentBastard belongs on the YMMV tab.
* MainliningTheMonster: A head-regenerating hydra which was incapacitated by the Order has become the source of meat for an enterprising goblin's hydra-head sandwich franchise.
* MakeMeWannaShout:
** [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0458.html The "Shout" spell.]]
** The [=MitD=]'s voice can be quite powerful too, [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0475.html if he chooses so]].
* MakeOutKids: Once they get together, Elan and Haley tend to have difficulty keeping their hands off of each other, so much so that announcing they are going to have sex is actually a quite believable excuse. After the siege of Azure City, what was meant to be a see-you-soon kiss quickly devolves into tearing each other's clothes off in front of everyone, before they're reminded that they have jobs to do.
* MakingLoveInAllTheWrongPlaces:
** Roy and Celia while they're flying, which isn't ''that'' wrong, though it's still weird.
** In [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0690.html "Riders on the Worm"]], Elan and Haley, on the ''back of a [[SandWorm giant, purple worm]]''... which the rest of the party is also riding. Haley notes the Freudian imagery as a major turn-on.
* MamaBear:
** Kazumi, despite [[PregnantBadass not having given birth yet]]. She goes ''to town'' on some ninjas. [[DualWielding Using two swords]]. She killed the first one with his own sword by disarming him with ''[[ImprovisedWeapon a pillow]]''.
** [[spoiler:The ancient black dragon. Even though V already killed her child, so she wants to avenge, not protect him.]]
** [[spoiler:Vaarsuvius, defending his/her children and spouse from the aforementioned ancient black dragon. May count as PapaWolf or MamaBear, depending on his/her gender.]]
** Tsukiko to her wights.
--->'''Tsukiko:''' (''while blasting Thanh'') You big bully! He's just a child! I only made him four weeks ago.
* TheManBehindTheMan:
** [[spoiler:Redcloak has been subtly manipulating Xykon for his own ends.]]
** The Dark One is the goblin god behind the goblin high priest.
** Malack and Tarquin are the ones truly in charge of the Empire of Blood -- which isn't too hard to guess after one glance at the Empress.
** [[spoiler:Hel is the death goddess behind the vampire spirit hijacking Durkon's body]].
* ManOnFire:
** Belkar douses Miko in sake and tosses a match at her.
** Tarquin has Elan's name spelled out in burning escaped slaves.
* MasculineLinesFeminineCurves: Males have box-shaped bodies, while females have bean-shaped ones.
* MassOhCrap:
** Strip #688, the Order's reaction to the giant worm bursting out of the desert.
** Strips #825 and #826, [[spoiler:when the Resistance party discovers that the enemy found their hideout, and that Redcloak ''himself'' is there to welcome them, with several high-level summoned creatures at his side, and all the other members of the Resistance dead]].
** [[spoiler:Roy, Haley and Elan in #885, when Xykon appears out of nowhere. Ironically, Xykon says the phrase, but the protagonists are the ones who fit the spirit of the trope.]]
%%* MatterOfLifeAndDeath
* MauveShirt:
** Kazumi and Daigo were {{Red Herring Shirt}}s until they [[NominalImportance revealed their names]]. Daigo still keeps his last name unknown, "in case of an emergency".
** Jirix is a villainous MauveShirt. His name had been mentioned on multiple occasions before [[spoiler:O-Chul killed him during his escape from Xykon's imprisonment]], and he was deemed important enough that Redcloak [[spoiler:resurrected him]] (at Xykon's demand). Redcloak then appointed Jirix the prime minister of the sovereign nation of Gobbotopia (built on the former site of Azure City).
* MaybeMagicMaybeMundane: The deceased Lord Shojo appears to Belkar when the halfling falls into a coma, as a result of triggering his Mark of Justice. Shojo says he could be either the real deal's spirit, appearing to Belkar from beyond the grave, a personification of the Mark of Justice (which makes sense since when it was first activated it also produced an image of Shojo), or simply a fever-induced hallucination.
* MeaningfulBackgroundEvent: Nobody notices Elan and Haley discussing something important in [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0764.html "Small Talk"]], and merely assume they ran off to make out somewhere.
* MeaningfulEcho: "[[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0747.html What the heck is it going to take for you to see that your dad is bad news?]] [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0759.html Do you need, like, 200-foot-tall flaming letters or something??]]"
* MeaningfulName:
** Of course, we have Roy Greenhilt with his signature ancestral sword -- which still doesn't help Xykon remember Roy's name.
** Elan has a lot of [[http://www.thefreedictionary.com/%C3%A9lan élan]].
** Suitably for an air elemental, Celia's name means "heavenly" in Latin.
** Blink and you'll miss the etymology behind [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0018.html the chimera Trigak's]] name. It is [[spoiler:the sound he makes when Belkar slays him: all three heads crying "GAK!"]]
** Argent the wolf is named after the French word for "silver", and he has silver-lined fangs that make his attacks more deadly towards devils. Lampshaded: the strip this fact is introduced in is called "His Name Probably Helps, Too".
** Tarquin is named after Lucius Tarquinius Priscus and Lucius Tarquinius Superbus, two legendary kings of Rome. The former was a foreign commoner who charmed his way into power and ruled as a benevolent dictator, while the latter was a scheming and malevolent despot whose overthrowing heralded the beginning of the Roman Republic.
** The gladiator that Belkar fights in [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0780.html "The Duel Everyone's Been Waiting For"]] gets eviscerated rather nastily. His name was [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0782.html Evisceratus.]] Along with the aptly-named Notseenicus and Offpanelo.
** It turns out the Draketooth clan [[spoiler:has dragon ancestry. Specifically, they're of the lineage that V's familicide spell wiped out.]]
* MediumAwareness:
** Virtually every character in the strip is (to some extent) aware that they exist in a webcomic; they are able to [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0602.html notice cutaway panels]], compare WebcomicTime to "real" time, and [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0649.html on one occasion]], Haley even left the strip for one panel to steal a diamond from the ''website's cast page'' ([[SugarWiki/FunnyMoments leaving an I.O.Me behind in its place]]).
** Characters are also explicitly aware that their setting operates on ''Dungeons & Dragons'' rules and mechanics; even the comic's first strip depicted their reactions to being upgraded from the 3rd to 3.5 edition ruleset ''mid-battle''. ([[WordOfGod Word of the Giant]] has it that the comic will not be upgraded to 4th edition rules.)[[invoked]] References to HitPoints, skill checks, dice rolls, experience and class levels, spell slots, etc. are ubiquitous throughout the comic.
** To combine the two above examples, a dwarven assassin points out to his Shadowdancer companion that his "shadow jump" ability is useless because this is a stick figure comic with ''no shadowing''.
* MenAreTheExpendableGender: The hobgoblin cannon fodder is exclusively male.
* MentorOccupationalHazard: Julio Scoundrél defies the trope by [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0392.html intending to stay away from Elan.]] [[spoiler: Then he double-defies it, by deciding to come back ''anyway'' specifically so he could thwart this trope.]]
* MercurysWings: One of the paladins guarding the Azure City throne room has winged boots allowing flight.
* MilhollandRelationshipMoment: Sort of played with in a villainous example in [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0854.html "Not Much Chance of That"]]. [[spoiler:After Malack blasted Tarquin and the rest of the Order with a Flamestrike spell when he grew impatient of Tarquin toying with them, he delivers a blistering tirade about how Tarquin demanded he put his personal vendetta against Nale aside, but Tarquin was wasting time in order to assess Elan's growth in battle. Sabine even lampshades to Qarr about how Malack and Tarquin are about to "get into it". But after Malack has finished ranting, Tarquin takes a moment to think and sincerely apologises to him, admitting Malack is completely right and he didn't know what he was thinking.]]
* MillionMookMarch: Tarquin's army, complete with dino-cavalry and pterosaur air force, in a [[WhamShot Wham Panel]] at the end of "[[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0910.html Marching On]]".
* MillionToOneChance: Spoofed in [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0454.html "The Longshot"]] and [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0584.html "Improbable Causes"]].
-->'''Vaarsuvius''': [=*sigh*=] And once again, Probability proves itself willing to sneak into a back alley and service Drama as would a copper-piece harlot.
* MindControlEyes: As seen regularly for mind-affecting spells like [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0183.html Suggestion]], [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0383.html Charm Person]], [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0448.html Symbol of Insanity]] or [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0800.html Dominate Person]]. Lampshaded in the first example.
* MinorInsultMeltdown: V to Elan.
* MissionFromGod: Redcloak is on a mission from the Dark One to [[spoiler:use the Snarl to force the gods to]] give goblins standing in the world.
** [[spoiler:The dark spirit inhabiting vampire!Durkon's body is on a mission from Hel.]]
* MixAndMatchCritters:
** The absurdity of the owlbear ([[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin a bear with the head of an owl]]) is discussed, as it was apparently created by mixing a bear with a ''less'' deadly creature, thus defeating the purpose.
** Also discussed in [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0814.html "The Answer Is Blowing in the Wind"]].
--->'''Roy:''' Isn't a "brontosaurus" really just an apatosaurus with the head of a different dinosaur?\\
'''Tarquin:''' And a hippogriff is really just a horse with the head and wings of a bird, but I've still got eight squadrons mounted on the damn things.\\
'''Roy:''' Hmm. Fair enough.
* TheMole: [[spoiler:Redcloak manages to infiltrate the Azure City Resistance by polymorphing a hobgoblin into a human.]]
* MonsterFromBeyondTheVeil: [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0465.html Invoked and subverted.]] An angry Tsukiko plans to create an uber-powerful undead warrior from the first corpse she finds (which just so happens to be [[spoiler:Miko's]]). "It'll be free-willed and evil and mean, with [[RedAndBlackAndEvilAllOver cool black and red armor]]..." Then she notices that the body is [[HalfTheManHeUsedToBe Half the Woman She Used to Be]], and [[AntiClimax gives up on the plan altogether.]]
* MoodWhiplash:
** The prize goes to ''Start of Darkness'': [[spoiler:while Right-Eye is blasted from the sky and Xykon literally drains Dorukan's life-force away, the Monster in the Darkness decides to hold a taco fiesta.]] The well-executed switches are often cited as one of the comic's main sources of appeal.
** The latest book alternates between [[spoiler:V condemning him/herself to hell to save V's family and the Three Archfiends making college jokes.]]
** One small example: Miko and Redcloak are fighting in one of the towers at the Azure City borders. Redcloak has managed to hit Miko hard enough to make her drop her katana, and he asks for Xykon's help... upon which we see Xykon placing a bet on the fight's outcome with the Demon-Roaches -- he bets on ''Miko'' winning -- while the [=MitD=] has [[PassThePopcorn a popcorn bucket]] and a giant hand, supporting Redcloak as one would support his football team.
** [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0497.html "PLANE SHIFT!"]]
** The comic titled [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0759.html "Yes, Apparently"]] pulls off a rather jarring one. It takes five panels for Elan to go from [[spoiler:hugging his dad]] in a heartwarming moment to realizing that [[spoiler:his dad is burning thirty people alive]].
** After a while, one gets used to Xykon being an [[AffablyEvil affable]], [[OrcusOnHisThrone lazy]] tyrant content to crack jokes and lounge about while Redcloak runs his army. Then [[spoiler:Soul-Spliced Vaarsuvius pushes his BerserkButton.]] The immediate change in attitude is jarring, to say the least.
** After Tarquin [[spoiler:orders his giant army to kill the whole Order of the stick minus Elan and Haley]] in [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0916.html "Executive Order"]]:
--->'''Belkar:''' Can't we go back to dealing with [Roy's] [[spoiler:daddy issues]]?
* MookChivalry: Subverted.
* {{Mooks}}: One of the comic's themes seems to be to {{deconstruct|edTrope}} the concept. GodsNeedPrayerBadly, so goblins were explicitly created to be low-level fodder for their clerics to gain XP. The comic's main plot is driven by the goblins (especially their High Priest) [[RageAgainstTheHeavens rebelling against the gods]] who forced them into this role.
* MoralDissonance: Intentionally. Moments like the slaughter of Redcloak's village and the brutal execution of a hobgoblin prisoner from Azure City by the Elvish liberation forces remind us why Redcloak is on his crusade, and lead us to wonder if he might not have a bit of a point.
%% MoralEventHorizon: YMMV trope, go in the YMMV tab.
* MoralityKitchenSink
* MoralityPet:
** Mr. Scruffy, for Belkar.
--->'''Belkar:''' Stupid cat. A ranger is supposed to influence an animal's behavior. You're doing it backwards!
** O-Chul for the Monster in the Darkness. [[spoiler:It did help him escape, after all.]]
** Blackwing invokes this. He now works as a sort of [[TheConscience conscience]] for V.
* MoralMyopia: A vicious cycle: the gods consider the goblins nothing more than XP fodder; this leads the goblins (and hence Redcloak) to decide that humans are fair game to kill also, leading to a CycleOfRevenge.
* MoreCriminalsThanTargets: Parodied with Greysky City, which is so crime-ridden as to seemingly consist of nothing ''but'' criminals.
* MorphicResonance: Shapeshifters keep their overall color scheme.
** Seen with [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0353.html Leeky Windstaff]].
** Vaarsuvius, whether (s)he [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0638.html shapechanges]] [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0697.html voluntarily]] or [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0176.html is victim]] of a BalefulPolymorph.
** Also, thus far Sabine always kept her skin tone (except for facepaint) and her black hair color (with a couple exceptions) in human form.
* MostCommonCardGame: [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0050.html Check.]]
* MostDefinitelyNotAVillain:
** Belkar gets on stilts to disguise himself as a human.
--->'''Belkar:''' Hello, fellow Medium-sized creature! How are you enjoying being Medium-sized, like me, on this lovely day?\\
'''Paladin:''' Just fine, thanks for asking!
** Nale disguising himself as his twin brother Elan. Though his repeated statements of "I'm Elan" don't raise any eyebrows since that is deemed [[{{Cloudcuckoolander}} in character]] for Elan.
--->'''Nale-as-Elan:''' I'm Elan!\\
'''Vaarsuvius:''' Yes, so you have told me no less than seven times in the last hour.
** Celia as [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0538.html Darkblood Gloomgloom]] qualifies too, though in this case it's "Most Definitely a Villain".
--->'''Celia:''' My Dark power? Right! Right. [-Because I'm totally a necromancer, and not a sorcerer who didn't happen to take any necromancy spells...-]
** [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0743.html Haley pretending to be a Thor worshiper.]]
* MotivationalLie: Elan uses one on Thog so that Thog will break them both out of jail.
* MotivationOnAStick: Roy does this with a spice-infused Belkar to [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0689.html use a sandworm as transport]].
* MrExposition:
** Lord Shojo, first and foremost.
** Later the IFCC, lampshaded in [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0668.html "Moving the Pieces"]].
* MuggingTheMonster: Repeatedly mocked. Crime does ''not'' pay in this 'verse -- inevitably, a low-level thug ''will'' try to take on a high-level adventurer and end up reduced to a meager handful of [[ExperiencePoints XP]] and [[GlobalCurrency GP]].
** Parodied in [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0158.html "The Economics of Banditry"]].
** Directly referenced at the [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0170.html end of that arc]]:
--->'''Durkon:''' One a' these days, yer just gonna end up trying ta rob like a level 16 fighter by accident and get massacred.
** Played straight after the end of the bandit arc in [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0189.html "Tied Up Nicely"]], where the former leaders of the bandits get killed picking on a much higher-level character.
** Played straight (albeit more mildly) in [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0673.html "Too Slow"]]; [[GiveMeBackMyWallet Pickpocketing the Rogue]] if you will.
** Xykon once [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0434.html tried to steal a cool crown from a librarian]].
--->'''Xykon:''' ...and it turned out oops! He was also an archmage! Needless to say, {{hilarity ensue|s}}d.
* MultipleChoiceFormLetter: In ''Start of Darkness'', although Eugene Greenhilt correctly switches the part of the BloodOath saying "Insert Target Name Here" with Xykon's name, the halfling tattoo artist carving said oath clearly implies it isn't always the case.
* MummiesAtTheDinnerTable: PlayedForLaughs with the [=MitD=] hosting a tea party with Roy's corpse and a paralyzed O-Chul (or, as he calls them, Flopsy and Mr. Stiffly.)
* {{Munchkin}}: [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0216.html The half-ogre spiked-chain-wielding mook.]]
* MundaneUtility: V mentions using the invisibility spell [[AmbiguousGender whenever going to the bathroom]].
* MurderIsTheBestSolution:
** Belkar's modus operandi.
** Miko would rather kill those she sees as evil than bring them to justice.
** Vaarsuvius' has a few of these moments too, as illustrated by the following quote:
--->'''Vaarsuvius:''' As the size of an explosion increases, the number of social situations it is incapable of resolving approaches zero.
* MyFriendsAndZoidberg: Belkar gets this treatment a few times.
** In [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0079.html "The Heavens Moved"]], Durkon says that the rest of the Order is a fine enough group, for humans. And an elf.
--->'''Hilgya:''' And a halfing.\\
'''Durkon:''' No, I left 'im out on purpose.
** In [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0231.html "From the Mouths of Babes"]], while Roy is mistaken for the King of Nowhere:
--->'''Roy:''' Hey, you know, we're all enjoying this luxury, but we should at least share it with the others. We should get Vaarsuvius and Belkar up here.\\
(''{{beat panel}}'')\\
'''Roy:''' We should get Vaarsuvius up here.\\
'''Elan:''' Yeah, definitely!\\
'''Haley:''' Sure, let's get V in here.\\
'''Durkon:''' Aye.
** In [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0442.html "We Can Do This the Easy Way..."]], Roy talks to Xykon about why he has to take him down ''now,'' instead of taking the lich up on his offer to be released from the battle and level up for a few years to make it a better fight:
--->'''Roy:''' You may not be out to destroy the physical planet, but living under the heel of a walking villain cliché like you will destroy its soul. If I don't beat you here and now, then soon this nonsensical screwed-up world won't exist anymore. There won't be any place left for introverted dwarves. Or androgynous elves. Or idiotic bards or greedy rogues... or sexy sylphs. Or hell, even raging narcissistic paladins. Bloodthirsty halflings will probably get along fine, though.
** In [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0740.html "The Great(ish) Escape"]], Durkon informs Haley that Roy and Belkar have been locked up in prison:
--->'''Haley:''' Crap! We need to break Roy out of there! And then decide what to do about Belkar!
* MyGodWhatHaveIDone:
** Redcloak gets to do this twice: once when he realizes how stupid his bigotry towards hobgoblins is, and once in the prequel ''Start of Darkness'', after he [[spoiler:kills his brother Right-Eye]].
** Vaarsuvius, after the Soul Splice. Subverted at first -- since V considers the black dragons to be AlwaysChaoticEvil, the elf is more remorseful about [[spoiler:the DealWithTheDevil itself, and the wasteful use made of it, than the Familicide spell itself. However, upon discovering how the Draketooth Family died -- and further realising that countless other humans could have been killed by the spell -- V goes into a full-blown HeroicBSOD.]]
* MySignificanceSenseIsTingling:
** Elan sometimes, as a result of his Genre Savviness.
--->'''Elan:''' ... Hey, did anyone else get that foreboding feeling just now?
** Spoofed by Belkar in [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0418.html Hinjo's Junk strip]].
--->'''Belkar:''' I sense a great disturbance... as if a thousand double entendres cried out, and were suddenly silenced...
* MySpeciesDothProtestTooMuch: Zz'dtri uses this to justify his presence, claiming (through Nale) that due to imitation of a certain Dark Elf ranger his entire race is like this now. He's lying, but the Order buys it.
* MythArc: Roy and the Order's quest to destroy Xykon once and for all -- and, once they discover their significance, to secure the Gates if possible. Villains other than Xykon (for example, Nale and Kubota) are actually referred to in dialogue as "side quests".
* MythologyGag: In [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0954.html comic #954]], the blackboard behind the theology professor sports [[https://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/ll_20110614_1.jpg the original alignment diagram]] from the early days of ''D&D'', as well as the "Great Wheel" diagram of the Outer Planes.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:N]]
* {{Narrator}}: Spoofed in the prologue to the print volume of the first arc.
* NeckLift:
** Roy Greenhilt seems to like this as an intimidation method for interrogating mooks. He does it to a goblin teen in [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0101.html "Man-to-Man Chat"]], and then to Pompey of the Linear Guild in [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0356.html "Knight Takes Pawn"]].
** Xykon can do it too when pissed off. And don't try to change the subject with trivial concerns, like breathing.
* NeckSnap:
** Xykon does this to [[spoiler:Lirian]] in ''Start of Darkness''.
** Miko does this to Sabine on her first day in jail as a fallen paladin. Of course, since Sabine is an Outsider, [[HeadTurnedBackwards it just annoys her.]]
** [[spoiler:Durkon, post vampirization]] does this (one-handed) to [[spoiler:Zz'dtri]].
* {{Necromancer}}s:
** Xykon; Redcloak; Tsukiko; Haerta Bloodsoak
** Celia as [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0538.html Darkblood Gloomgloom]] briefly pretends to be one.
** Hieronymus Grubwiggler may protest that he isn't creating undead, but he's still animating dead bodies as flesh or bone golems.
* NeglectfulPrecursors: The gods definitely come across as such in the creation story of the Snarl. ''Start of Darkness''... ''really'' doesn't help their case.
* NeutralityBacklash: Poor Therkla...
* NeutralNoLonger: The Elvish war party.
* NeverASelfMadeWoman: Deconstructed, and then reconstructed. Haley Starshine essentially has her father to thank and to blame for everything in her life; he taught her to be a fantastic thief by teaching her to mistrust everyone, and the only reason she joined an adventuring party in the first place was to raise money to pay his ransom. By the time she resolves her issues with her father, [[spoiler:by realizing that Ian's paranoia and trust issues were poisonous and that she needed to move on, because it made it impossible to open up to the man she loves]], she's already in a relationship with Elan, and now her personal issues revolve around learning to open up to people (naturally, with Elan's help).
* NeverLiveItDown: In-universe examples.
** Vaarsuvius over, uh, "time sharing" his/her soul.
--->'''Vaarsuvius:''' I have a plan.\\
'''Blackwing:''' Does it involve selling your soul?\\
'''Vaarsuvius:''' No.\\
'''Blackwing:''' Really?\\
'''Vaarsuvius:''' No! I mean, yes, really. It involves coordination.\\
'''Blackwing:''' Coordinated soul-selling?\\
'''Vaarsuvius:''' NO!\\
'''Blackwing:''' Is that a "maybe"?
** Also, the destruction of Lirian's Gate in a forest fire seems to be this for Redcloak.
--->'''Redcloak:''' Look, it was an accident! OK? Let it drop already. Geez!
* NeverSpeakIllOfTheDead: On [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0663.html "Or Mention That He's Getting Too Old for This"]], O-Chul takes partial responsibility for the destruction of the gate. [[ExactWords He's not telling the whole story]] to avoid further dishonoring [[spoiler:Miko Miyazaki.]]
-->'''Hinjo:''' I see. Then you were the one who made the decision to destroy the Gate rather than let it fall into Xykon's clutches.\\
'''O-Chul:''' I did make that decision, and it was my blade that did the deed. (I shall say no more about it, lest I speak ill of the dead.)
* NeverSplitTheParty:
** Basically, the whole point of the fourth completed arc. Some bad things happened. The compilation book, containing said arc, is titled ''Don't Split the Party''.
** And then they did it again, resulting in Vaarsuvius, Haley, and Elan getting captured by bounty hunters.
* NewRulesAsThePlotDemands: Rich Burlew claims to follow this pattern, but he's usually actually very good about replicating ''D&D'''s rule system in a believable way. Some of the few straight examples are the fact that goblins and sprites are medium-sized and AlwaysChaoticEvil races are more {{Punch Clock Villain}}s. As one might expect, it doesn't exactly hurt the comic.
* NiceJobBreakingItHero:
** Miko actually does this twice. Once when she kills Shojo, resulting in her being stripped of her status as a paladin (and all the benefits that go along with it) and creating a power vacuum that results in Daimyo Kubota's forces spending more time trying to assassinate Hinjo than defend the city. And, again, by destroying the sapphire in the throne (and Soon's gate trapped within it) as Xykon is about to be re-killed by the ghosts of the Sapphire Guard, thus causing the ghosts to dissipate.
** In ''Start of Darkness'', when Xykon is confronting [[spoiler:Lirian]], he doesn't know that there are four other gates until...
--->[[spoiler:'''Lirian:''']] Even if you locate them, my friends will stop you from conquering the other four Gates.\\
(''{{beat panel}}'')\\
(''beat panel'')\\
'''Xykon:''' Did you-- Did you just say, "the ''other'' four Gates"?\\
(''beat panel'')\\
[[spoiler:'''Lirian:''']] Crap.
** In [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0842.html "All in the Family"]], we get to see the ramification of [[spoiler:V's (or rather, Haerta's) [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0639.html Familicide]]: [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0842.html The death of]] the ''entire Draketooth bloodline'', who've been defending Girard's Gate all this while.]]
** Girard Draketooth's obsessive paranoia around paladins led him to rig his gate with several traps to prevent them from interfering -- which only serve to make the job of the heroes much more difficult.
* NiceJobFixingItVillain:
** Redcloak, after holding a group of Azurites hostage during one of his interrogations of O-Chul, decides to let them live, hoping that they'll spread word of how the (seemingly) last Sapphire Guard was willing to let them die, which will break the will of the other prisoners. However, this backfires big time, as they instead interpret events as a member of the Sapphire Guard having survived the battle and still heroically resisting the enemy's attempts to break him (which is true), which raises the hopes of the prisoners.
** Nale takes an opportunity to pre-emptively kill off [[spoiler:Malack]], depriving Tarquin of one of his greatest allies. This also allows [[spoiler:Vampire!Durkon]], who now appears to be considerably more powerful, to regain his free will, effortlessly kill off [[spoiler:Zz'dtri]], and side with the Order of the Stick once more.
** The Fiends call in [[spoiler:Vaarsuvius's]] debt with them, and while their soul is in hell their body is magically protected from all harm... allowing it to survive the [[spoiler:destruction of Girard's Gate]].
* NinjaLog:
** [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0270.html Belkar to Miko.]]
** [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0608.html Haley to Crystal,]] with bonus PsychoStrings.
** [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0797.html Blackwing to Qarr.]]
* NinjaPirateZombieRobot:
** An allusion on the trope is found in [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0560.html "Meanwhile, His Teammate Was in Rhodes"]].
** Also, [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0599.html "Separate Ways"]]:
--->'''Elan:''' They were dire halfdragon bone-eating saltwater werepiranhas. OK???
** The vampiric half-dragon half-troll lycanthropic fiendish snail from ''Snips, Snails, and Dragon Tales''. He's also a phrenic snail, giving him psionic powers.
* NinjaProp:
** The best example would probably be the diamond from the cast page, which Haley stole from herself in order to pay for a spell in the main comic.
** In one strip, a mute Haley holds a mental argument with herself while on the road, drowning out Elan's Blah Blah Blah dialogue. In the final panel, it's revealed that he's literally been saying "blah blah blah" the entire time, hoping to set a new world record in consecutive use of the word.
** In the comic book compendium of this webcomic, the party uses the narrator to distract the monster guarding the entrance to the dungeon.
** Lien knew that Qarr was up to no good from his sinister-looking Speech Bubbles (red text on a black background).
** It's possible to feign death by drawing X marks over one's eyes and lying very still.
* NobodyPoops:
** Humorously averted in [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0086.html "The Most Important Quest"]].
** Played with when Qarr the imp notices that V uses [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0624.html invisibility before going to piss.]]
* NoChallengeEqualsNoSatisfaction: When they first meet, Xykon tells Roy to go away, level up a few times, and come back when he's tough enough to be a challenging opponent.
* NoDialogueEpisode:
** [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0313.html "Words Fail"]]
** Again in [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0750.html "Making Up for Lost Time"]] (except for the final panel).
** And then the [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0887.html "Happy Ending"]].
* [[NoEyeInMagic No Ear in Magic]]: Durkon casts Holy Word on the Linear guild, which attacks anyone not Good-aligned, and [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0860.html usually results in deafness]]. It interferes with Zz'dtri's casting as he can't hear his own spells, and when Nale tries to use a [[CompellingVoice Suggestion spell]] on [[TokenEvilTeammate Belkar]], the latter can't hear it.
* NoFourthWall:
** Most of the characters seem aware that their world works on RPG rules and occasionally refer to the fact that they're [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0060.html in a comic]], but Roy seems thoroughly confused when the Oracle goes even further and directly addresses the readers.
** Reached new heights in [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0649.html "It's a Shame She Didn't Grab That Script While She Was There"]]. Heck, even the [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/ootscast.html cast page]] is on that joke.
** And in [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0518.html "At Least It Wasn't the Fourth Wall Again"]], the third wall takes a beating, too.
** [[spoiler:Roy is really tired of this trope, so much he calls a [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0885.html kibosh]]]].
* NoHoldsBarredBeatdown:
** [[spoiler:Xykon, beating the crap out of Vaarsuvius in a mage duel, and then literally ''beating'' V with a giant chunk of debris to break the Soul Splice. Then he gets serious.]]
** And then there's [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0796.html the arena fight.]]
* NoHonorAmongThieves: In "Blood Runs in the Family", several of the villains end up being slain by other villains, rather than the heroes.
* NoKillLikeOverkill:
** The Vaarsuvius Double-tap: "{{Disintegrat|orRay}}e. Gust of Wind." Designed to ensure there's no piece of the enemy's body left [[FromASingleCell from which to reanimate them]]. (Evidently this device is as much [[SortingAlgorithmOfDeadness for the author's peace of mind]] as for the heroes'.)
** [[spoiler:Tsukiko]] is level-drained to death by wights, who are commanded to devour her, and then to eat each other one by one until the last remaining one sets itself on fire. This is partly to make absolutely sure of the death and LeaveNoWitnesses, and partly [[spoiler:to illustrate just how different Redcloak's opinions of the undead are to those of Tsukiko, who goes out begging her "babies" to stop "hurting Mommy".]]
* NominalImportance:
** Mentioned as early as [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0021.html strip #21]], where Haley complains that the fact that they killed a ''named'' chimera implied it should have become a recurring villain.
** Lampshaded by Kazumi and Daigo, two Azurite soldiers, who go from {{Red Shirt}}s to {{Mauve Shirt}}s just by [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0472.html revealing their names]]. (Daigo, observing the power of this effect, wisely decides to save his last name for a future emergency.)
** [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0784.html Lampshaded again.]]
--->'''Elan:''' Hooray! The people whose names I know are saved!
** However, Rich Burlew is also quite willing to subvert the trope, by having characters introduced by name and then killed ''in the very same strip''. Case in point: [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0259.html Kodrog the Slayer & Jim]]; [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0133.html the three barbarians]]; Shelby the Dragonslayer; [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0539.html Solt Lorkyurg]]; [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0685.html Buggy Lou]]... (Yep, it happens a lot around Belkar or Xykon.)
** And in the prequel book ''Recap/StartOfDarkness'', Nominal Importance [[InvertedTrope is plain and simply inverted]]. Actually saying his name is what really gets a lizardman killed: it was too complex for Xykon to remember.
* NoMrBondIExpectYouToDine: The Monster in the Darkness's [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0475.html tea party]].
* NoNameGiven: The Monster in the Darkness; the Oracle; [[DaChief the Chief]]; the Rookie; the Cleric of Loki
* NonCombatEXP: The first time the Order levels up on-screen, Belkar, their [[HeroicComedicSociopath psychotic evil halfling ranger]], is a mere handful of XP shy from leveling up with everyone else. When killing rats proves to not grant XP and party kills are banned from him, he resorts to pulling out a [[AssPull sob story]] for roleplaying XP.
* NonMammalMammaries: [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0676.html Lampshaded, of course:]] when seen on a female lizardfolk, they happen to be fake.
* NonSequiturThud:
** [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0186.html "The wheels on the bus go round and round..."]] -- a black dragon after surviving one Disintegrate spell, [[FamousLastWords before being vaporized by another]].
** Haley sings "I'm Henry the 8th, I am, Henry the 8th, I am, I am..." after receiving a stunning kick from Miko in [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0200.html "The Confrontation"]].
** Happens to Belkar in [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0748.html "Top of the List"]]:
--->'''Belkar:''' 'mfine. Halfings may only be able to advance to level 8, but I've got Attack Rank G.\\
'''Guard:''' That boy got his ass [[RPGMechanicsVerse knocked back to Basic]]!
* NoodleImplements: Elan and Thog's plan to get back into Azure City apparently involved a corkscrew, skis, a basketball, a box of soap, a traffic cone, a leprechaun costume, and a giant wooden alpaca full of potato salad. It should be mentioned that the costume was, for several comics, all we saw. The rest of it showed up in a comic titled [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0389.html "As Good an Explanation as is Forthcoming"]] which, of course, only raised further questions.
* NoodleIncident: Several.
-->'''Eugene Greenhilt:''' What happened during my time in the valley remains a mystery, as does why Mr. Belvedere was following me when I departed.\\\
'''Elan:''' Are--are you hitting on me? Because, whatever you heard about what happened at Summer Camp--\\\
'''Serini:''' We don't want a repeat of the Roc Incident.\\\
'''Hinjo:''' Unnhhh... I'm sorry, Uncle. I'll never swipe a drink from your private stash again...\\\
'''Roy:''' It was just a joke! We didn't know Mrs. [=McNulty=] was allergic to weasels!\\\
'''Elan:''' It's exciting being part of a family where they DON'T try to frame you for murder!\\
'''Haley:''' Oooo, I probably shouldn't tell you about Cousin Sheila, then...\\\
'''[=MitD=]:''' Uh, hi. I know I'm not allowed in your room since the thing with the peanut butter...\\\
'''Tarquin:''' I still haven't figured out how [Thog] managed to flood the palace with lemon pudding that time...\\\
'''Hobgoblin Cleric:''' A real [reward], definitely. Not like what happened with Shelby.[[note]]This one is explained by added material in the printed version.[[/note]]\\\
'''Ranch Dressing Elemental:''' Thank you, [Vaarsuvius]! You have restored Prince Oozalot to the throne of the Hidden Valley and rescued his true love, Gootrude, from the evil sauce dragon!\\\
'''Malack:''' You always have gone that extra mile for the punchline. Remember the Rajah?\\
'''Tarquin:''' HA! And you said there was no way I'd hold that much creamed spinach in my mouth for the whole coronation!\\\
'''Miron:''' This isn't going to be like that time with the marids, is it?
* NoPeriodsPeriod: Averted, though Sabine's example is an excuse.
-->'''Sabine:''' It's, uh... ''that'' time of the century. You know... the Red Knight is requesting lodging.\\\
'''Haley:''' Think how testy I can get, and I'm only the "Empress of Blood" a few days each month.
* NoPeripheralVision: [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0778.html Vermillius, Ceruleaus and a guard in the arena]]; lampshaded by Tarquin.
* NoSell: Happens often. Such as when Malak tries to Poison Durkon ("Tastes like me mum's crabapple pie!") or Slay Living Nale ("Please, my lover drains levels with her lips. I purchase elixirs of Negative Energy Protection in bulk.")
* TheNoseless: All characters, due to the art style. With LampshadeHanging, [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0339.html naturally]]:
-->'''Rookie:''' What are those weird bumpy things between their eyes?
* NotAGame: O-Chul to Haley before the Azure City battle.
* NotHyperbole:
** [[TropeNamer Named for]] [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0473.html Lien's little speech]]:
--->'''Lien:''' My parents were fishermen. When I was a little girl, I stood right here and learned how to clean the fish that they caught. I'm telling you this so that you know that when I say that if you take one more step, I will gut you like the catch of the day -- IT IS NOT HYPERBOLE!
** In [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0017.html "Rapier Wit"]], Belkar states that he could sunder Elan's rapier by speaking too loudly.
--->'''Belkar: [++DAMN IT!++]'''\\
(''[[UnsoundEffect sunder!]]'')
** In [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0685.html "On Friendship"]], when Belkar says, "[[Film/FullMetalJacket I am going to rip off your stupid bug head and piss down your neck hole!]]", he happens to be serious.
** It appears that one of these was the last straw in the marriage of Elan's parents.
--->'''Tarquin:''' You sound like your mother. "Oh Tarquin, you jerk! When you said that you would liquefy every man in the tavern if one of them grabbed my butt again during my shift, I didn't think you meant it!"
* NotRightInTheBed: The evil twin variant is used when Elan, a good-natured naïve bard, is [[spoiler:framed and swapped with his evil twin brother Nale, who proceeds to attempt to woo Haley (with aims to murder her at the height of passion), since she had up to this point had a hidden crush on Elan.]] Haley notices the startling change in behaviour, including the initiative he takes in arranging a romantic date, but ignores her instincts (and that of her inner personalities).
* NotSoDifferent:
** V and Belkar have always opted for a brute force style in facing their problems, but thanks to CharacterDevelopment, they've also seen other ways of looking at the world. To drive the point even further, they both have dark fates in store. [[spoiler:Belkar is slated to die before the end of the year, while V is indebted to the service of the IFCC for 44 minutes and 16 seconds.]]
** Nale and Tarquin. [[spoiler:When rejected by family members, they both react by stabbing the rejecter. They also think that anything that happens near them is about them.]]
* NotThatKindOfMage:
** Xykon is mistaken for a wizard early in ''Start of Darkness'''s narrative. He doesn't take as much offense here as one might expect, given his distaste for wizards.
** In a later strip, a bit character intentionally mislabels Vaarsuvius as a warlock to draw the elf into battle.
** The Oracle of Sunken Valley has sometimes been mistaken for a cleric, when in fact he's just been blessed by Tiamat.
* NotTheIntendedUse: In [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0860.html "Wasn't Going to Listen to Orders Anyway"]], when Durkon uses ''Holy Word'' (that only affects non-good characters), Belkar is also deafened, rendering Nale's Suggestion useless.
-->'''Roy:''' It's not a bug, it's a feature.
* NotWhatItLooksLike:
** Played with in [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0269.html "A Familiar Face"]], when Celia recalls finding out her boyfriend "[[LiteralMetaphor slipping the wood]]" to a dryad. He says it's not what it looks, but it's unclear what it looks like in the first place....
** Subverted when Nale seduces Haley in order to betray and kill her, only to be stopped when his enraged girlfriend Sabine arrives. She realizes what's going on immediately, but [[TheOnlyOneAllowedToDefeatYou wanted to kill Haley herself]]:
--->'''Nale:''' It's not what it looks like.\\
'''Nale:''' (''simultaneous'') I was going to KILL her.\\
'''Sabine:''' (''simultaneous'') YOU WERE GOING TO KILL HER!
* TheNudifier: In one of the ''Dragon Magazine'' strips, Belkar takes delivery of a Wand of Dispel Clothing.
* NumberOfTheBeast:
** [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0631.html According to Qarr]], the application form for a DealWithTheDevil is 666 pages long.
** "Inverted" with the IFCC's adress, which is "9 Hells Plaza, Lower Planes 00999".
* NumberTwo: Haley is briefly mentioned as being Roy's second-in-command during the battle of Azure city. She's not too confident about her abilities in this regard, having suckered Roy into naming her second-in-command in the first place in ''On the Origins of [=PCs=]'' only for a bigger share of treasure.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:O]]
* OccamsRazor: Redcloak and O-Chul disagree over the application of this principle in a strip entitled [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0546.html "O-Chul's Razor"]]. While not brought up, Redcloak is also defying HanlonsRazor in assuming that the Sapphire Guard were being devious geniuses rather than blinkered fools.
* OddShapedPanel:
** Roy and Thog in the tunnel of the Earth Sigil in Dorukan's Dungeon. Lampshaded later by the latter.
** A spiral following the usual MindControlEyes shape to represent the dream world created by Girard's LotusEaterMachine.
* OffhandBackhand:
** [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0446.html Xykon uses the magical equivalent on a nameless Azurite soldier]], while taking a break in the middle of a battle to conduct a job interview.
** Belkar kills a rogue with two thrown daggers without looking up from the bard he's in the middle of smooching.
* OffWithHisHead:
** [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0360.html Nale to Cliffport Chief.]]
** [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0435.html Belkar to Grand Larcenist.]]
** [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0461.html Miko to Jirix.]]
** [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0685.html Belkar to Buggy Lou.]]
* OhCrap: Several times.
** Yokyok's is [[CurseCutShort interrupted]] in [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0357.html "Pen Beat Sword"]]
** Most notably [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0449.html "Land of the Rising..."]].
** And again in [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0462.html "Good Idea, Bad Idea"]], when Xykon realizes that [[spoiler:he's facing the prospect of [[KilledOffForReal permanent death]], not merely waiting until he grows a new body]].
** Qarr says it out loud when V cast ''See Invisibility'' in [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0624.html "This Happens to Telemarketers All the Time"]]
** The expression on Elan's face at the end of [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0759.html "Yes, Apparently"]].
** Haley says it too in [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0788.html "A Vexation or Irritation"]].
** When Nale finds out [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0819.html what magic item Tarquin recently got]].
** Redcloak when [[spoiler:[[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0829.html Tsukiko reveals she's on to him.]]]]
** Tsukiko when [[spoiler:[[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0830.html Redcloak turns her beloved Wights against her.]]]]
** Vaarsuvius [[spoiler:[[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0842.html found out s/he inadvertently annihilated the entire Draketooth clan. Whoops.]]]]
** Hinjo when he realizes that [[spoiler:[[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0865.html the Resistance has been destroyed and that Xykon has recovered his phylactery meaning that he's once again on the move.]]]]
** Roy when [[spoiler:Xykon appears right in front of him in Girard's pyramid]], out of nowhere.
** Haley when [[spoiler:she receives Hinjo's message about the defeat of the Resistance]].
** Malack when [[spoiler:Zz'dtri dispels his Protection from Daylight spell.]]
** Tarquin twice in [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0936.html "End of the Line"]].
** Miron's [[spoiler:whole expression when witnessing ''something eldritch'' burst through the rift in [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0945.html "Jumbled Up"]].]]
** [[spoiler:The High Priest of Hel, when everyone realizes that the storm is being caused by Thor in [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0952.html "Weather or Not"]].]]
* OhMyGods:
** Often done with Azurites, whose civilization is based on East Asia, saying, "Twelve Gods damn you!"
** Durkon the Dwarven cleric also invokes Thor's various body parts as exclamations. "Thor's Beard!" "Thor's Teeth!" "Thor's Duodenum!"
** At one point, the undead CardCarryingVillain Xykon exclaims, "Unholy crap!"
** Most of the other characters just say "Oh my gods." (Or "Great elven gods.") Though for some reason, they usually use the singular when followed by "damn it!"
** Interestingly, Julio Scoundrél once says, "How in the name of [[Creator/GaryGygax Gygax]]..."
* OhNoNotAgain:
** Not infrequent in the webcomic:
--->'''Roy:''' [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0099.html Damnit! Not again!]]\\\
'''Celia:''' [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0615.html Darn it! Not again!]]\\\
'''Vaarsuvius:''' [++[[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0646.html NOT AGAIN!]]++]\\\
'''Durkon:''' [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0732.html Och, not AGAIN!]]\\\
'''Xykon:''' [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0885.html Ah, crap. Not THIS guy again.]]
** And in the prequel book ''On the Origin of [=PCs=]'', when Sir François the paladin can't stand his herald's stupidity any longer and ditches him... guess how Elan reacts.
--->'''Elan:''' Awww, not again.
* OhTheHumanity: [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0040.html Said by Surtur's victims.]]
* OminousFloatingCastle: In [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0833.html "Villainy Afoot"]], Xykon is shown to have built a "[[BuffySpeak fortress-tomb-thingy]]" in the Astral Plane as a safe hiding place for his phylactery.
* OminousLatinChanting: Spoofed in [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0635.html "I See a Red Robe and I Want to Paint it Black"]]. Apparently the IFCC has a ghostly choir composed entirely of freshly "[[GroinAttack snipped]]" dead [[AcceptableTargets pedophiles]] that sings fake Latin whenever they complete a deal. You can sing the fake Latin in place of the lyrics of Sephiroth's "One-Winged Angel" or "Ave Satani" from ''Film/TheOmen''.
* TheOnlyOneAllowedToDefeatYou:
** Invoked by Belkar, once he resolves to be more of a team player. He has Haley's nemesis Crystal at his mercy, but leaves her alive at zero hit points because he doesn't want to be a kill-stealer.
** DangerouslyGenreSavvy [[spoiler:Tarquin [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0763.html accepts]] that Elan will be the one to defeat him. He takes ''pleasure'' from the idea it can ''only'' be Elan.]]
* OnlySaneMan: Most of the main characters are in this position ''vis-à-vis'' the others at one point or another, but the role most often falls to Roy, Hinjo, and, on the villains' side, Redcloak.
* OOCIsSeriousBusiness:
** Roy's reaction to his WreckedWeapon. "YOU. BROKE. MY. SWORD." The usually stoic leader of the [=OotS=] flipping out does startle the rest of the party, including Belkar.
** [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0141.html The first time]] [[QuirkyBard Elan]] proves he can actually be useful, it comes as a shock to his teammates.
** [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0591.html Vaarsuvius passing on a perfect opportunity]] to say "IToldYouSo" can get Durkon really worried.
** Belkar is a HeroicComedicSociopath and BloodKnight at all times, so when he suddenly starts [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0620.html advocating the most peaceful solution to a conflict]] to reduce the bloodshed... it seriously freaks out Haley and Celia. ([[GenreSavvy Which was of course his intention all along.]])
** Roy at last complimenting Elan for doing a good job ([[spoiler:[[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0891.html after snapping the party out of Girard's phantasm]]]]) and apologizing for having yelled at him earlier [[spoiler:makes Elan think they are still trapped in an illusion where his fondest dreams are coming true]].
** Roy is rather unnerved when Belkar, Constitution-drained and fragile, starts behaving like an actual ranger in their battle with [[spoiler:Tarquin]], using Wild Empathy [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0922.html to control the enemy's battle dinosaur]] instead of just leaping into hand-to-hand combat.
--->'''Roy:''' Okay, now I know we're doomed. Belkar is acting like a '''ranger'''.
* OohMeAccentsSlipping: Durkon, once [[spoiler:he becomes a vampire. Lampshaded in his first conversation with Hel: his vampiric self is deliberately putting the accent on in order to seem more like his old self.]]
%% * OperationBlank: Spoofed.
* OpponentSwitch: Done by the villains in the first Order-vs.-Linear Guild fight: Nale and Thog swap opponents (Elan and Roy) to avoid the FearfulSymmetry of fighting their own opposite numbers. It doesn't work, since Elan's magic actually works on Thog and Roy's ecstatic at the chance to whale on someone who looks like Elan, since he was still TheLoad then.
* OppositesAttract: Thoroughly discussed (and contrasted with BirdsOfAFeather) by Vaarsuvius in "[[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0223.html Love, in the Abstract]]".
* OrcusOnHisThrone:
** One of the few cases in which it is [[JustifiedTrope satisfactorily explained]]. When the main characters first encounter Xykon, he is sitting around his throne room doing nothing much. We come to find out that this is purely because the [[MacGuffin Gate]] he wished to access can only be opened by "one who is pure of heart," so he has literally been held up by a lack of adventurers.
** Later, after he [[spoiler:conquers Azure City]], he spends the entire "Don't Split the Party" storyline sitting on his butt in his castle torturing a captured paladin. Turns out, this was all [[DragonWithAnAgenda Redcloak]]'s doing: he's been deceiving Xykon into not leaving until [[spoiler:the hobgoblins have solidified their hold on the city]]. Xykon loses patience with this when his phylactery gets lost, taking Redcloak's [[EyeScream eye]] (or rather forbidding him to regenerate it) and commanding that they leave immediately after finding the phylactery. Now Redcloak appears to have no intention of giving it back, using a substitute.
* OrphanedPunchline: [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0265.html On Hinjo's introduction.]]
-->'''Hinjo:''' --and so he said, "Rectum? I darn near KILLED 'im!"\\
'''Elan:''' HAHAHAHA!\\
'''Hinjo:''' [[NoodleIncident And that's the story of how I became a paladin.]]
* OstentatiousSecret:
** The gender of Vaarsuvius, V's mate and their (adopted) children.
** What is the Monster in the Darkness, anyway?
* OurDwarvesAreAllTheSame: Lampshaded in [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0602.html "Clerical Temp"]]. Durkon Thundershield fits the stereotype perfectly, including the combination of NorseMythology and Scottish accent. When the party is split and one half hires a cleric to magically contact Durkon, the cleric gets an accurate description and then asks what sets Durkon apart from every other dwarf in existence. However, they are known to have odd anatomical features such as ''[[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0375.html two livers]]''. (Though that may be just natural selection in action.)\\\
On the other hand, it should be noted that Durkon is calm, introverted, mild-mannered, and makes use of his spellcaster abilities as often as his weapons. He takes his job as a healer very seriously, not limiting it to use of magic (he has significant medical knowledge, as seen when he's examining Haley and giving advice to a pregnant woman). All this sets him very much apart the usual drunken, axe-throwing and curse-spewing stereotype, making this more of a Zig-Zagging Trope instead.
* OurElvesAreBetter: Averted.
** Vaarsuvius is an InsufferableGenius with a sensitive ego and a penchant for speechifying whose pursuit of arcane knowledge consumes much of her life. Though initially only occasionally callous but nevertheless good, her morals deteriorate as time goes on until she's forced to reassess everything and make a conscious effort to change.
** The elves aiding the Azurite resistance, with their "the only good goblin is a dead one" policy, are walking justifications for Redcloak's behaviour.
** Aarindarius, V's master, is apparently powerful enough to take on a full adult black dragon without looking away from the book s/he's reading, though this was according to Vaarsuvius in the middle of an arc throughout which [[UnreliableExpositor V's judgement was severely impaired]].
* OurFounder:
** [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0660.html Redcloak's statue]] in Gobbotopia City.
** [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0750.html Tarquin has one too]] in Bleedingham.
* OurOrcsAreDifferent: They use HulkSpeak and AllLowercaseLetters. ''On the Origin of [=PCs=]'' also features orc fans of Music/HeavyMetal.
* OurVampiresAreDifferent:
** The first vampire we are introduced to is [[spoiler:Malack. Unusual in that he's a SnakePerson rather than a humanoid.]] Also, he demonstrates the ability to bend ''D&D'' rules for vampires -- he can talk in his [[SuperSmoke vapor form]] and, when creating another vampire, use his staff to shorten the reanimation process so the whole "buried for 3 days" rule doesn't apply. He also has a custom-made ''Protection from daylight'' spell.
** [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0946.html Strip #946]] reveals that [[spoiler:vampires[[note]]and not just Durkon but all ''OOTS'' vampires, as confirmed by Rich Burlew in the forum[[/note]] are controlled by a foreign evil spirit while the original spirit is trapped helpless in the same body.]]
* OutOfCharacterAlert: Belkar thinks that [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0954.html Durkon having the right spell to solve the problem at hand]] is further proof [[spoiler:that he's not the real Durkon]].
* OutrunTheFireball: Spoofed [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0119.html at the climax of]] ''Dungeon Crawling Fools''. Elan actually insists he and Roy ''wait for the fireball'' to better outrun it by jumping away.
-->'''Elan:''' Wow! Just like a Creator/VinDiesel movie!
* OutscareTheEnemy: Tarquin combines this with IHaveYourWife in order to keep his army in line; his soldiers know that while the enemy might kill them, Tarquin will slaughter their families if they displease him.
* OverusedCopycatCharacter: Spoofed when Nale claims that every drow in this world is like [[Literature/TheDarkElfTrilogy Drizzt Do'Urden]] now. This is soon shown to be untrue when it's revealed that the Linear Guild members are evil, and the only other drow we ever see[[labelnote:*]](one of the adventurers who attack Roy in the afterlife)[[/labelnote]] is also evil. V [[ExploitedTrope takes advantage]] by getting Zz'dtri hauled away by copyright lawyers.
* OwMyBodyPart:
-->'''Blackwing:''' (''faintly'') My feathers hurt. How come my feathers hurt?
[[/folder]]
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