# 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:** 232
**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:** [August 30, 2012, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/4622 "2012-08-30T21:13:39Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > Undead are immune to crits and the green flame only shows when he’s fighting undead - see his fight with Xykon in [442](http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0442.html). He was also told by the Azure city smith that the sword would have additional powers. It’s most likely a bane weapon You may well be right, but the smith told Roy that “it is likely that your sword will sometimes glow with a green energy that is particularly harmful to the undead”, which I’d interpret as it glowing unpredictably, and the glow also hurts other things that aren’t undead but not as much as it hurts the undead. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Hamster\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8edcca/32.png) [@The\_Hamster\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Hamster_King)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/4623 "2012-08-30T21:26:29Z")
> [@squeegee](#): > > You may well be right, but the smith told Roy that “it is likely that your sword will sometimes glow with a green energy that is particularly harmful to the undead”, which I’d interpret as it glowing unpredictably, and the glow also hurts other things that aren’t undead but not as much as it hurts the undead. Nah, that’s just how a DM talks when he’s trying to tell the player what a magic item does without quoting stats. It’s part of the joke of the strip because in the OOtS world the player characters are okay with quoting stats. ---
**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:** [August 30, 2012, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/4624 "2012-08-30T21:38:40Z")
Roy has also [green-glowed Sabine](http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0349.html). And most weapon properties that trigger only on crits still trigger even on enemies normally immune to crits. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2012, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/4625 "2012-08-31T00:19:48Z")
[New strip.](http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0862.html) ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2012, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/4626 "2012-08-31T00:28:29Z")
They can call it a victory, I suppose, but I wish one of the Linear Guild v.2.2 had snuffed it. I wonder how long Malack will wander around the dungeon before they manage to get a “retreat” message to him. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2012, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/4627 "2012-08-31T00:37:06Z")
It does get a bit boring if you have endless fight scenes where no one dies. Even the kobold survived this one. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2012, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/4628 "2012-08-31T00:46:29Z")
To be fair, it was Tarquin’s kobold, not Nale’s. ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2012, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/4629 "2012-08-31T01:07:58Z")
I want to know how you throw an axe for subdual damage. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2012, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/4630 "2012-08-31T01:11:05Z")
> [@Yllaria](#): > > I want to know how you throw an axe for subdual damage. I don’t think he threw it for subdual - I can see a blood line on Belkar where the axe hit him. ---
**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:** [August 31, 2012, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/4631 "2012-08-31T01:14:10Z")
Is it just me, or is Tarquin leaving his axe behind? ---
**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:** [August 31, 2012, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/4632 "2012-08-31T01:26:30Z")
Why not? It’s only an axe, isn’t it? Nothing special about it, just a prop in his impersonation of Thog. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2012, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/4633 "2012-08-31T01:30:36Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > Why not? It’s only an axe, isn’t it? Nothing special about it, just a prop in his impersonation of Thog. [In this strip](http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0822.html), he mentions “getting his axe out of storage for the occasion.” So it appears to be an item he places a certain amount of personal value on - plus, it’s almost certainly hugely enchanted. ---
**Author:** ![ekedolphin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ekedolphin/32/10003_2.png) [@ekedolphin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekedolphin)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2012, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/4634 "2012-08-31T01:37:43Z")
Belkar [while jumping]: “ELAN IS IT COOL IF I KILL YOUR BROTHER WHAT CAN’T HEAR YOUR ANSWER SORRY!” Classic Belkar! As if he ever waited for _anyone’s_ permission to kill someone. (Although this would have turned out differently if they’d listened to Belkar’s idea after their first encounter with the Linear Guild. As I recall, it started with “s” and ended with “litting their throats.”) So where’s Elan? ---
**Author:** ![Gray\_Ghost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c0e974/32.png) [@Gray\_Ghost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gray_Ghost)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2012, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/4635 "2012-08-31T03:40:05Z")
As I said, Marty Sue. Seriously. Batman is looking at this guy and going, “Bullshit.” And where the hell is Elan already? But I’m liking this update rate, _a whole lot better_. Guess T’s figuring that Malack can Word of Recall out if he needs to. I mean, it’s not stopping Teleport after all (I think.) And Durkon’s difficulty with Find the Path made me think that the lair was somehow off the grid, so to speak, though I guess that can be handwaved as due to the shifting environmental illusions. Edit: Related to Miller’s concerns about the ax: isn’t there a spell or that can cause an object to transport from anywhere to your hand/person? I’d imagine his personal weapon would have that on it. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2012, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/4636 "2012-08-31T03:53:52Z")
Can an antagonist be a Marty Sue? ---
**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:** [August 31, 2012, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/4637 "2012-08-31T04:42:49Z")
Hah! [“Right after all that arcana was first unearthed.”](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unearthed_Arcana) > [@Miller](#): > > Can an antagonist be a Marty Sue? He is supposed to be very clever and quite a few levels above everyone else present. It’s no surprise he does well. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2012, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/4638 "2012-08-31T04:49:20Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > Hah! [“Right after all that arcana was first unearthed.”](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unearthed_Arcana) Yeah, I thought that was a great line. _sigh_ I miss those days, a little. Unearthed Arcana, Dungeoneer’s Survival Guide, Wilderness Survival Guide…that whole era just before 2nd Ed. was kind of the last great resurgence of TSR. Of course, there are plenty of people who think it was actually the first sign of looming disaster… ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2012, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/4639 "2012-08-31T04:52:57Z")
Man, I was hoping one of those bastards would finally die. Maybe all of them. I’m tired of all these lame side villains. Edit: Looming Disaster? Can those of us who picked up D&D in the early days of third edition get some plot line exposition? ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2012, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/4640 "2012-08-31T05:38:55Z")
> [@Babale](#): > > Edit: Looming Disaster? Can those of us who picked up D&D in the early days of third edition get some plot line exposition? Well, 1st Ed trotted along picking up speed for about 10 years. Around 1989, TSR started coming out with lots of optional rules. Unearthed Arcana was part of that…it expanded allowable player races, introduced new classes, revamped some of the old 1st Ed rules…you can kind of think of it as 1.5 Ed. (although it was closer to 1.10…the changes weren’t even as extensive as 3.0 to 3.5). Along with that came quite a few very specific sourcebooks…Dungeoneer’s Survival Guide, Wilderness Survival Guide, etc. I thought the expansions made the game even more fun, but even then there were a lot of people who just went “ONOZ! They’re ruining the perfect game!” Then shortly thereafter, TSR published (after EXTREMELY intensive playtesting and playerbase polling) 2nd Edition. Which didn’t really change a whole lot, but rather streamlined things and organized the rulebooks (which was needed, to a ridiculous extent). A few years after that, TSR was no more. Wizards of the Coast bought them out and moved everyone to Seattle, lock, stock & barrel. Then, 3rd, 3.5 and 4th. I understand 4th Ed is pretty much World of Warcraft on paper. But yeah, the sense of impending doom was referring to TSR being subsumed by the Wizardly behemoth. ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2012, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/4641 "2012-08-31T05:54:39Z")
Ah. I wouldn’t call it doom since I love 3.5, but to each their own I suppose. I’ve always wanted to try out Basic… and yeah, 4th edition is very much a simplified and trivialized game, but some folks like that. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323.md?page=231) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323.md?page=233)