# Order of the Stick - Book 5 Discussion Thread **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 31, 2009, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323 "2009-08-31T04:09:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 114
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2011, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/2261 "2011-07-06T23:11:13Z")
> [@Gray\_Ghost](#): > > While Burlew hasn’t yet come into that thread to clarify matters, he’s usually quick with the banhammer for threads that delve too much into his personal life. (Or that bitch about the update rate of the strip.) This is what bothers me. I went over to their forums for the very first time to see why it wasn’t being updated and there was someone saying that ‘he has health issues and you’re not allowed to talk about them and I might get banned for this’. Seriously? Very childish and unprofessional if people are afraid they might be banned over something as small as that. ---
**Author:** ![Grumman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2011, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/2262 "2011-07-06T23:44:22Z")
The moderation is why I left their forums. The final straw was when I got another warning because I had the audacity to respond to an “Obama goes on Mythbusters” with a birth certificate joke. And then, when I posted in their “saying goodbye” thread to tell them I was leaving because the mods were incompetent, they censored that too. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2011, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/2263 "2011-07-07T00:37:31Z")
> [@Chimera](#): > > This is what bothers me. I went over to their forums for the very first time to see why it wasn’t being updated and there was someone saying that ‘he has health issues and you’re not allowed to talk about them and I might get banned for this’. > > Seriously? Very childish and unprofessional if people are afraid they might be banned over something as small as that. People don’t get banned just for saying that. They might get warnings if they post speculation about what his health issues are. But not for simply saying he has health issues. Discussing it could get the thread closed, and posts deleted. But someone won’t be banned. Not unless it’s the latest in a series of misbehaviour. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2011, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/2264 "2011-07-07T00:46:38Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > People don’t get banned just for saying that. They might get warnings if they post speculation about what his health issues are. But not for simply saying he has health issues. Discussing it could get the thread closed, and posts deleted. But someone won’t be banned. Not unless it’s the latest in a series of misbehaviour. Even so, I just read through the forum rules and it is a minefield of irrational and petty little eggshells. ---
**Author:** ![Yookeroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yookeroo/32/323_2.png) [@Yookeroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yookeroo)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2011, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/2265 "2011-07-07T02:06:53Z")
> [@Gray\_Ghost](#): > > I still think this is unprofessional for someone who is a full-time cartoonist. Why? Are you not getting fair value? Why must he produce to your timetable? Offer him a contract, and if he accepts, then he’ll owe you cartoons. Until then, you’re sounding pretty whiny. If he’s banning people for just speculating on his illness, yeah, that’s pretty lame. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2011, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/2266 "2011-07-07T03:21:02Z")
> [@Gray\_Ghost](#): > > I still think this is unprofessional for someone who is a full-time cartoonist. All he needed to do was put out a simple hiatus announcement that the strip would be off-line for however long he felt he needed to get better/caught up, what have you. If he got better faster than he anticipated, then I guess have used the time to build up his “buffer”. I may get annoyed about the publication delays over the books. But I have a hard time working up a sense of outrage over the schedule somebody keeps who is posting free webcomics. I feel that the term professional literally doesn’t apply when nobody’s paying him. ---
**Author:** ![Stanislaus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stanislaus/32/3391_2.png) [@Stanislaus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stanislaus)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2011, 9:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/2267 "2011-07-07T09:38:04Z")
On another topic… Am I the last person to realise that Hayley’s uncle has been (unwillingly) working on Bozzok’s behalf to keep Ian Starshine safely locked up? The penny dropped on a recent reread when I picked up that A) “Somehow” the guards are always wise to Ian’s plans to escape ([770](http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0770.html)), B) Uncle Geoff volunteers to “uh, stay behind and keep an eye on him” when he could have got out with Haley ([774](http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0774.html))and C) he is very interested in the fate of Bozzok ([779](http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0779.html)). ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2011, 9:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/2268 "2011-07-07T09:45:20Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > When did he do that? “Stop oppressing my culture, you ethnocentric bitch !” ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Shine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr_shine/32/464_2.png) [@Mr\_Shine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Shine)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2011, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/2269 "2011-07-07T13:03:15Z")
> [@Kobal2](#): > > “Stop oppressing my culture, you ethnocentric bitch !” And you think Miko was fooled even for a nanosecond? ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2011, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/2270 "2011-07-07T15:48:06Z")
> [@Stanislaus](#): > > On another topic… > > Am I the last person to realise that Hayley’s uncle has been (unwillingly) working on Bozzok’s behalf to keep Ian Starshine safely locked up? The penny dropped on a recent reread when I picked up that A) “Somehow” the guards are always wise to Ian’s plans to escape ([770](http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0770.html)), B) Uncle Geoff volunteers to “uh, stay behind and keep an eye on him” when he could have got out with Haley ([774](http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0774.html))and C) he is very interested in the fate of Bozzok ([779](http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0779.html)). Did you also notice: 1. [609 It Takes TWO Thieves, Actually - Giant in the Playground Games](http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0609.html) Some friends of Bozzok wrote to Ian to lure him over to the other continent. 2. [770 Hard Time - Giant in the Playground Games](http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0770.html) Ian’s sister Ivy wrote to him asking him to come over. It is probably Ivy that is Bozzok’s henchman, and sabotaging his escapes, since she was the one that wrote to Ian. Uncle Geoff may, or may not, be part of it. His remark doesn’t prove that he is working for Bozzok. ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2011, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/2271 "2011-07-10T22:30:01Z")
[795 is up for real.](http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0795.html) ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2011, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/2272 "2011-07-10T22:51:04Z")
> [@ultrafilter](#): > > [795 is up for real.](http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0795.html) Awesome. See you in August. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2011, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/2273 "2011-07-10T22:58:42Z")
> [@ultrafilter](#): > > [795 is up for real.](http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0795.html) When I saw the thread bump, I was going to go Librarian-poo on somebody. But this time it was the Real Thing. I need a drink. ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2011, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/2274 "2011-07-10T23:17:03Z")
> [@Mr\_Shine](#): > > And you think Miko was fooled even for a nanosecond? Absolutely. If she hadn’t, she would have cut him into ribbons then and there. That’s what paladins do (in fact, that’s what Miko herself was set on doing to the whole OOTS just because Roy registered as Evil to her gamma rays). ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2011, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/2275 "2011-07-10T23:20:36Z")
nm ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2011, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/2276 "2011-07-11T00:00:41Z")
I think it’s more that Miko is so used to be absolutely certain about everything, that experiencing a shadow of doubt just totally confused her, and so she didn’t know what to do about Belkar. Note how, even when they’re directly dueling, she still tries to Detect Evil on him. In other words, Miko’s plan is something like “Detect Evil on the halfling. Once he comes up evil, smite him.”. But she can’t finish the first part of the plan, so she can’t continue to the second part. And on to today’s strip, it took me a few minutes to actually appreciate what happened, but Elan is an absolute genius (in his own way). He’s finally realizing just how powerful his Genre-Savvy skill[sup]\*[/sup] is, and is using it to actively re-shape the world around him to conform with dramatic tropes. When he said “I just hope the others are doing OK”, that forced the scene to shift to follow the others. And by forcing the scene to shift away from him before Nale and Sabine caught him, he guarantees that he’ll be able to escape somehow, in a vaguely-alluded-to manner, off-panel. - I long ago came to the conclusion that the Stickverse has a Genre Savvy (Charisma-based) skill. Elan, Tarquin, and probably Nale are all trained in it, and Elan is using it whenever he has an ominous feeling, or when he timed his jump from the fireball, or when he stumbled across the treasure chest in the desert. Xykon isn’t trained in it (or only one rank, if it’s a trained-only skill), but his Charisma modifier is so monstrously high that he makes pretty good skill checks even untrained. And Haley has started to train in it since her relationship with Elan has been established, but neither her Charisma nor her skill ranks are as high as Elan’s, so she’s not nearly as good at it. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2011, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/2277 "2011-07-11T00:05:20Z")
Looks like Nale’s learning a little medium savviness with his warning to Elan about switching scenes. ---
**Author:** ![Enderw24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba9def/32.png) [@Enderw24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enderw24)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2011, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/2278 "2011-07-11T01:21:32Z")
> [@Enderw24](#): > > [Comic #795 is](http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0795.html) [up already!](http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0795.html) I have a right mind to call the moderators on the lot of you all. Here I am trying to give you all a sneak peak of the comic and I get unanimously berated for almost an entire month. The nerve of you! I never. Well I say, I never. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2011, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/2279 "2011-07-11T04:36:03Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > - I long ago came to the conclusion that the Stickverse has a Genre Savvy (Charisma-based) skill. Elan, Tarquin, and probably Nale are all trained in it, and Elan is using it whenever he has an ominous feeling, or when he timed his jump from the fireball, or when he stumbled across the treasure chest in the desert. Xykon isn’t trained in it (or only one rank, if it’s a trained-only skill), but his Charisma modifier is so monstrously high that he makes pretty good skill checks even untrained. And Haley has started to train in it since her relationship with Elan has been established, but neither her Charisma nor her skill ranks are as high as Elan’s, so she’s not nearly as good at it. Roy appears to understand the basics, even if he doesn’t have the feat. He knows enough to send Elan out expecting him to stumble over the plot, as I recall. ---
**Author:** ![Agent\_Foxtrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc29f/32.png) [@Agent\_Foxtrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agent_Foxtrot)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2011, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/2280 "2011-07-11T13:39:09Z")
Ooo. Thog RAGE! And Roy’s already a bit cut up. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323.md?page=113) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323.md?page=115)