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This is the thread for discussion of The Order of the Stick plot, characters, etc. We have a separate thread for discussing game rules and mechanics. Excessive rules discussions here may be thumped as off-topic.

OP edited to make this header - Fighteer

edited 18th Sep '17 1:08:08 PM by Fighteer

Discar Since: Jun, 2009
#30476: May 26th 2014 at 7:58:40 AM

They should still ask "Hey, why'd you burn a high-level spell slot instead of just performing the proper rites to appease your god?"

Writing a post-post apocalypse LitRPG on RR. Also fanfic stuff.
HandsomeRob Leader of the Holey Brotherhood from The land of broken records Since: Jan, 2015
Leader of the Holey Brotherhood
#30477: May 26th 2014 at 8:01:55 AM

He could just say it's faster.

As for why Durkon never did it, I'm assuming that a certain rule applies.

One Strip! One Strip!
Elfive (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#30478: May 26th 2014 at 8:07:03 AM

Isn't that pretty much what cleric spells are anyway?

Wackd Since: May, 2009
#30479: May 26th 2014 at 8:09:36 AM

If the panel juxtaposition indicates the order of events, I think we can safely say the "speed of thought" thing is bullshit.

Maybe you'd be less disappointed if you stopped expecting things to be Carmen Sandiego movies.
3of4 Just a harmless giant from a foreign land. from Five Seconds in the Future. Since: Jan, 2010 Relationship Status: GAR for Archer
Just a harmless giant from a foreign land.
#30480: May 26th 2014 at 8:13:47 AM

You know what would be the most hilarious Brick Joke? "-two Miss'ssippi, three Miss'ssippi, four Miss'ssippi."

Its not like Thor gives a crap of what the spell is supposed to do anyway? Or to whom its aimed? ^^

edited 26th May '14 8:17:53 AM by 3of4

"You can reply to this Message!"
Discar Since: Jun, 2009
#30481: May 26th 2014 at 8:41:26 AM

Isn't that pretty much what cleric spells are anyway?

The impression I got was that the rite the Western cleric/priest were performing were non-magical in nature, and just a bunch of incense burning and mundane prayers. This is clearly a houserule Rich has cooked up, but it seems to hew closely to what real-world religions do to appease their gods. Like a rain dance, basically.

Writing a post-post apocalypse LitRPG on RR. Also fanfic stuff.
Enlong Court Dragon from The Underground Facility Since: May, 2011 Relationship Status: is commanded to— WANK!
Court Dragon
#30482: May 26th 2014 at 8:43:39 AM

Makes you wonder how it is that a cleric of Hel could possibly manage a spell to override a storm sent by a god in direct opposition to her.

"Oh, a servant of my enemy wants me to back off. Guess I'd better do that."

I have a message from another time...
TobiasDrake (•̀⤙•́) (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Arm chopping is not a love language!
(•̀⤙•́)
#30483: May 26th 2014 at 8:51:39 AM

Faster, my ass. It takes ten minutes of casting to use Control Weather, and then another ten minutes for the effects to manifest. They're going to be in this storm for another twenty minutes before the spell can clear it up.

edited 26th May '14 8:52:33 AM by TobiasDrake

My Tumblr. Currently side-by-side liveblogging Digimon Adventure, sub vs dub.
Hodor Cleric of Banjo from Westeros Since: Dec, 1969
Cleric of Banjo
#30484: May 26th 2014 at 9:05:22 AM

Yet another illustration that D&D cosmology makes no sense.

Also, why are you smiling in the last panel Roy, you poor deluded fool. Using the spell does not prove that Durkula is on good terms with Thor (quite the opposite actually).

Edit, edit, edit, edit the wiki
Arha Since: Jan, 2010
#30485: May 26th 2014 at 11:38:57 AM

You'd think Roy might find it odd that Durkon just skipped talking to Thor and went straight to forcing the situation to follow his command.

Geoduck Bivalve from Pacific NW (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: What is this thing you call love?
Bivalve
#30486: May 26th 2014 at 11:46:36 AM

[up]Roy is going to rationalize and make excuses about this right down to the very bitter end.

The Mansion of E
Euodiachloris Since: Oct, 2010
#30487: May 26th 2014 at 12:06:10 PM

[up]But, in the meantime, this is proof busy piling up, waiting for the realisation to dawn. When it eventually happens. tongue

TotemicHero No longer a forum herald from the next level Since: Dec, 2009
No longer a forum herald
#30488: May 26th 2014 at 12:33:41 PM

There also might be an element of "this spites Belkar" in Roy's reaction.

Expergiscēre cras, medior quam hodie. (Awaken tomorrow, better than today.)
HandsomeRob Leader of the Holey Brotherhood from The land of broken records Since: Jan, 2015
Leader of the Holey Brotherhood
#30489: May 26th 2014 at 3:33:16 PM

Ironic that the character who was once the most good is now a tool for evil, while the former Token Evil Teammate is the only one who sees it.

Belkar may be more of a team-player, but he doesn't have nearly enough credibility to convince anyone that Durkon isn't himself anymore.

One Strip! One Strip!
Hodor Cleric of Banjo from Westeros Since: Dec, 1969
Cleric of Banjo
#30490: May 26th 2014 at 4:28:20 PM

I had a thought regarding Burlew's choice for vampirism to involve Demonic Possession:

It has been much criticized (including by myself), but the Belkar/Roy conflict wouldn't really work without it. Because while Durkon would never want to be an undead (and the group knows this), if Durkula was just an Evil!Durkon, it would be hard to argue against his desire to (at least temporarily) stay as he is and Belkar would look really uneasonable, even if Burlew made clear he was motivated by what Durkon would want. To some extent this makes Belkar Accidentally Accurate/ Right for the Wrong Reasons as things are, because he doesn't know what we know about Durkula. However, I think that in an actual Evil!Durkon situation, there wouldn't be this element of him pretending to be in Thor's good graces, and he'd be a lot franker about his situation- such that Roy wouldn't be in denial as much and Belkar would perhaps be less hostile.

edited 26th May '14 4:31:38 PM by Hodor

Edit, edit, edit, edit the wiki
odafangirl Indeed. Since: Oct, 2010
Indeed.
#30491: May 26th 2014 at 9:33:15 PM

[up] Considering that Burlew probably went for the option that allowed both Belkar and Durkon character development, and that I approve of.

Despite my screen-name, ranting to you about One Piece is not my top priority.
Medinoc from France (Before Recorded History)
#30492: May 27th 2014 at 1:11:58 AM

Indeed, I think without the possession Durkula would hide much less. He'd probably even say he's now a cleric of Hel, and just hide that she has a specific mission for him.

"And as long as a sack of shit is not a good thing to be, chivalry will never die."
GAP Formerly G.G. from Who Knows? Since: May, 2011 Relationship Status: In love with love
Formerly G.G.
#30493: May 27th 2014 at 1:28:43 AM

Belkar goes through 'fake' character development when he starts going to the route of enlighten self-interest. Belkar hides his violent tendencies better but his 'fake' character development became real when starts caring about the cat and eventually the dinosaur. Belkar is the evil character is play some role players and his archetype isn't one to receive character development.

Durkon is the wise sage character so his archetype isn't one to receive character development as his character development is over by the time the series starts. Durkon is dwarf and duty is important to dwarves but it hasn't been challenged or even explored in the comic. Durkon may receive character development but it may go in different direction then what most readers might expect.

"Fan, a Mega Man character."
odafangirl Indeed. Since: Oct, 2010
Indeed.
#30494: May 27th 2014 at 10:30:58 AM

That's an awfully static view of Belkar you have there. How is being angry at Durkula and the implication that he's disturbed by Durkon's sacrifice being ignored part of 'fake' character development?

Despite my screen-name, ranting to you about One Piece is not my top priority.
Noaqiyeum we must dissent (it/they) from across the gulf of space (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: Arm chopping is not a love language!
we must dissent (it/they)
#30495: Jun 1st 2014 at 6:20:09 PM

Medinoc - Just to tie off this side-conversation, the twist is that Mephistopheles has no claim to Beethoven's soul to begin with, so ultimately Beethoven is giving his most precious legacy, which Fate and the ghost of Mozart describe as a manifestation of the voice of God, to Hell, in exchange for the happiness of an unknown girl, and made to think that this is a selfish choice rather than noble. But to do the conventionally right thing and not make deals with demons would actually be more spiritually dangerous, but would keep a work of divine beauty out of the hands of Hell.

ERROR: The current state of the world is unacceptable. Save anyway? YES/NO
GAP Formerly G.G. from Who Knows? Since: May, 2011 Relationship Status: In love with love
Formerly G.G.
#30496: Jun 1st 2014 at 6:28:30 PM

That's an awfully static view of Belkar you have there. How is being angry at Durkula and the implication that he's disturbed by Durkon's sacrifice being ignored part of 'fake' character development?

I was referring to how Belkar was going to pretend to have some sort of Badass Decay and fake his character development. Belkar's 'fake' character development became real during the Tarquin arc. Durkon didn't receive any sort of character development until recently.

"Fan, a Mega Man character."
Medinoc from France (Before Recorded History)
#30497: Jun 2nd 2014 at 3:15:54 AM

[up][up]Thanks.

"And as long as a sack of shit is not a good thing to be, chivalry will never die."
odafangirl Indeed. Since: Oct, 2010
Indeed.
#30499: Jun 3rd 2014 at 4:36:45 PM

That... makes a staggering amount of sense actually.

Despite my screen-name, ranting to you about One Piece is not my top priority.
nomuru2d Gamer-turning-maker from Port Saint Lucie, FL Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: Longing for Dulcinea
Gamer-turning-maker
#30500: Jun 3rd 2014 at 4:47:08 PM

[up]What does?

Long live Cinematech. FC:0259-0435-4987

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