THE OotS Thread, Part IV.

[Irbis]

After rest of LG suffered a TPK? Granted, Lee, Nero and Cedrik could have fixed it, but why?

Meh, betting on Bozzok, or Therkla, to dodge the obvious

[Rogue 9]

Oh right, it's Haley he's watching. Obviously Bozzok, because Thog wouldn't sneak around and would probably go after Roy anyway. Never mind.

(And Therkla's stone dead, so it would be kind of odd if it was her. )

[Irbis]

(And Therkla's stone dead, so it would be kind of odd if it was her. )

*cough* Roy *cough* Durkon *cough* Xykon *cough*

[Simon_Jester]

Well, Therkla could have been revived, but why? Who would have done that, and for what purpose?

Perhaps Qarr would have told them about Therkla, her obsession with Elan, and they might have some way of raising her (they've got plenty of access to magic) and using her as a weapon against the Order of the Stick. If nothing else, she's got to be massively jealous of Haley.

The covert observation is, yes, not Thog's style. Also, Thog has no reason to be personally angry at Elan or Haley, and in the last panel the orc face looks angry.

While it seems improbable, I'm actually going with the Therkla theory.

[Bedlam]

Well, Therkla could have been revived, but why? Who would have done that, and for what purpose?

Perhaps Qarr would have told them about Therkla, her obsession with Elan, and they might have some way of raising her (they've got plenty of access to magic) and using her as a weapon against the Order of the Stick. If nothing else, she's got to be massively jealous of Haley.

The covert observation is, yes, not Thog's style. Also, Thog has no reason to be personally angry at Elan or Haley, and in the last panel the orc face looks angry.

While it seems improbable, I'm actually going with the Therkla theory.

I'd say it's unlikely, the general rule is that you can't be raised unless you want to and she specifically said she'd rather stay deal. Undeath might be a possibility though.

[Crazedwraith]

Also an amusing blink-and-you'll-miss-it wand joke from, uh... B. The woman from the airship.

I had to read it a few times before I saw it. The glacial pacing hurt here - the setup was back in July.

Oh it's wand = penis and Bandana's a lesbian?

Didn't realise there was a joke beyond' B's not backing Haley up' there until Simon said it.

[Irbis]

Well, Therkla could have been revived, but why? Who would have done that, and for what purpose?

Perhaps Qarr would have told them about Therkla, her obsession with Elan, and they might have some way of raising her (they've got plenty of access to magic) and using her as a weapon against the Order of the Stick. If nothing else, she's got to be massively jealous of Haley.

Well, the problem with Bozzok is, that Haley's arc is mostly done. Guild had their asses kicked, Bozzok lost top minion, he should be quiet and try to consolidate power now. Of course, he could lost the control of the guild or be here on business trip, but he doesn't look like the type to come back for petty revenge.

Therkla, on the other hand, may be dead, but her story arc was cut short and she had a lot of drama left in her, doubly so with Haley around Elan. I don't know, for storytelling purposes I'd say she has lesser reasons not to come back, dead or not

Anyway, we will find out in 2015... if we're lucky

[Irbis]

Anyway, we will find out in 2015...

New OotS up, was off by two days.

Guess who didn't stay dead!

[Grumman]

I did not see that coming.

[Simon_Jester]

Ditto.

Guessing, since this is Greysky City we're dealing with, that Crystal has been remade as a flesh golem, not a zombie or other undead.

That'd explain the stitching, and the preternatural strength that lets her knock Elan around, although I'm not sure if flesh golems are supposed to be able to talk. Self-aware undead can.

[Irbis]

That'd explain the stitching, and the preternatural strength that lets her knock Elan around, although I'm not sure if flesh golems are supposed to be able to talk. Self-aware undead can.

Flesh golem has both "A flesh golem golem cannot speak, although it can emit a hoarse roar of sorts" and "Int Ø" strikes against that. Though, I am sure at this point it could recite Shakespeare in Middle English and GitP forums would be all 'just homebrewed genius golem, there are no rules, I can't hear you, lalalalalala'

Also, that preternatural strength? Just Str 21, less than Roy or Belkar have

[LadyTevar]

I do recall there was a Golem-maker that Haley robbed way back when to get Roy's corpse back. He'd have plenty of reason for revenge, and Bozzok would not mind handing over Crystal to him for a 'upgrade'. It would question if Crystal still counts as "Nemesis", but I'm betting that's been moved over to Bozzok. Now, we wait 2months for this fight scene to be resolved.

[Lord of the Abyss]

I do recall there was a Golem-maker that Haley robbed way back when to get Roy's corpse back. He'd have plenty of reason for revenge, and Bozzok would not mind handing over Crystal to him for a 'upgrade'.

He was apparently killed in a bonus strip, according to the GitP forum.

[Simon_Jester]

That'd explain the stitching, and the preternatural strength that lets her knock Elan around, although I'm not sure if flesh golems are supposed to be able to talk. Self-aware undead can.

Flesh golem has both "A flesh golem golem cannot speak, although it can emit a hoarse roar of sorts" and "Int Ø" strikes against that. Though, I am sure at this point it could recite Shakespeare in Middle English and GitP forums would be all 'just homebrewed genius golem, there are no rules, I can't hear you, lalalalalala'

Even if it's not in the Monster Manual, it's hardly an implausible idea that a person could somehow be revived from death in a golem-like state of discolored flesh and stitched-together skin, and be able to speak (haltingly).

So while I can hear you just fine, I don't think it's actually a problem.

And anyway, undead or golem, either way Revived!Crystal is immune to critical hits and sneak attack damage. Not good.

Also, that preternatural strength? Just Str 21, less than Roy or Belkar have

Heh, true about Roy at least. Still more than any normal human, thus 'preternatural.' As was noted recently...

Roy: I'm a fighter. I don't have any magic.
Belkar: You're as strong as a giant and recently survived being stabbed by a triceratops.
Roy: Okay, that, but...

That said- when did we find out Belkar's strength?

[Irbis]

972 up.

Did anyone expected plot progression? No? Good

Tune in two or tree weeks maybe?

[Simon_Jester]

Well, plot progression here would entail the fight being over in one strip, which is a bit disappointing if you're counting strips. If you're counting weeks, not so much.

This "once per two weeks" arrangement really does create a dilemma there. We don't want the whole story to be over in just a few dozen strips- but we'd like it to be over some time this decade. At, say, two strips a week, having fights take three strips to resolve would be less annoying.

[Irbis]

Well, plot progression here would entail the fight being over in one strip, which is a bit disappointing if you're counting strips. If you're counting weeks, not so much.

Not necessarily fight being over. Just Bozzok showing himself, or us learning something more relevant than 'she is from MY past'. Thank you, Haley, but we know that, even if some readers already forgot given how long ago in real time that was (in 2008).

Also, hmm. That's some mighty strong sneak attack, considering she was IIRC assassin with greatly diminished sneak attack. Unless that was well, death attack with paralysing option, but that would require Crystal to study Elan for a few turns then attack him, not Haley. The problem? It's save is based on assassin's Int, giving Elan huge bonus. Can you say "author no longer cares"?

[Rogue 9]

Assassins don't have a reduced sneak attack progression, but sneak attack isn't all that much damage to begin with.

[Rogue 9]

973 is up.

[Bedlam]

Were they really unlucky shots or do golems have a better AC than it's look would suggest?

[Grumman]

Were they really unlucky shots or do golems have a better AC than it's look would suggest?

Golems do have relatively good AC, but most of that is natural armour - the Flesh Golem only has a touch AC (i.e. what it takes to actually hit it) of 8.

[Irbis]

Were they really unlucky shots or do golems have a better AC than it's look would suggest?

Triple shot from a feat comes with penalty, but meh, +5 bow should offset it and Haley's BAB + magic bonus + dexterity should allow her to hit even high AC no problem. Bad luck or some sort of homebrew defence. Or you know, licentia poetica

[Ted C]

Were they really unlucky shots or do golems have a better AC than it's look would suggest?

Triple shot from a feat comes with penalty, but meh, +5 bow should offset it and Haley's BAB + magic bonus + dexterity should allow her to hit even high AC no problem. Bad luck or some sort of homebrew defence. Or you know, licentia poetica

Rolled a 1?

[Jub]

Were they really unlucky shots or do golems have a better AC than it's look would suggest?

Triple shot from a feat comes with penalty, but meh, +5 bow should offset it and Haley's BAB + magic bonus + dexterity should allow her to hit even high AC no problem. Bad luck or some sort of homebrew defence. Or you know, licentia poetica

It could just be a high CR foe with some serious magic helping out its AC. At the levels the party seems to be at +5 deflection bonuses to AC aren't outside the realm of the expected, let alone anything else like a haste bonus to AC, or an item that grants a luck, dodge, or even untyped bonuses to AC.

[LadyTevar]

Nope, it's simple. She Rolled a 1