# 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:** 244
**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:** [February 8, 2013, 10:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/4862 "2013-02-08T10:20:00Z")
“Say, you’re a death priest, right? I’ve been told I’m destined to ‘breath my last’ pretty soon; what are the options in the undead killing machine field?” ---
**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:** [February 8, 2013, 11:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/4863 "2013-02-08T11:15:04Z")
ISTR Roy was told that who has told Haley, and that they’re keeping that little info nugget from Belkar. Belkar will of course die in some unexpectedly selfless way, probably saving Mr Scruffy. He will then discover that due to his recent behavior and dying act he’s been booted over to the True Neutral afterlife from the Chaotic Evil one, where he will encounter Miko who has also been booted there from the Lawful Good one. Hijinx then ensue. ---
**Author:** ![Gagundathar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a183cd/32.png) [@Gagundathar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gagundathar)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2013, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/4864 "2013-02-08T14:40:16Z")
Sometimes I think Mr. Scruffy has a higher INT than does Belkar. “Meow meow meow.” The crazed ranger should listen to his animal companion! ---
**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:** [February 9, 2013, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/4865 "2013-02-09T01:08:13Z")
Nah, Belkar’s actually got a pretty good Int. The cat certainly has a higher Wis than him, though. ---
**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:** [February 9, 2013, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/4866 "2013-02-09T01:41:13Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > Belkar will of course die in some unexpectedly selfless way, probably saving Mr Scruffy. He will then discover that due to his recent behavior and dying act he’s been booted over to the True Neutral afterlife from the Chaotic Evil one, where he will encounter Miko who has also been booted there from the Lawful Good one. Hijinx then ensue. **Neutral Spirit** : “Miko Miyazaki, you have expressed the desire to move yourself to a different alignment afterlife. Therefore, a mentor who has achieved the same task himself has been appointed to help you accomplish this.” **Belkar:** “Hi babe! I guess I’m your new guide to enlightenment or something.” **Miko:** “AAAH!” ---
**Author:** ![Gagundathar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a183cd/32.png) [@Gagundathar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gagundathar)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2013, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/4867 "2013-02-09T02:44:05Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Nah, Belkar’s actually got a pretty good Int. The cat certainly has a higher Wis than him, though. I sit corrected. What is the minimum WIS for a ranger? ---
**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:** [February 9, 2013, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/4868 "2013-02-09T03:02:38Z")
> [@Gagundathar](#): > > I sit corrected. > > What is the minimum WIS for a ranger? There’s no requirement in 3rd ed, but tracking and perception skills all key off wisdom, as does their spell casting ability, so a ranger with a poor wisdom is gimped in a lot of his class’s main functions. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2013, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/4869 "2013-02-09T03:04:59Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Nah, Belkar’s actually got a pretty good Int. The cat certainly has a higher Wis than him, though. > [@Gagundathar](#): > > I sit corrected. > > What is the minimum WIS for a ranger? I don’t know what the official minimum Wis for rangers is, but I don’t think that Belkar has met that minimum. I’ve seen rocks with higher Wis than Belkar. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2013, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/4870 "2013-02-09T03:21:54Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > There’s no requirement in 3rd ed, but tracking and perception skills all key off wisdom, as does their spell casting ability, so a ranger with a poor wisdom is gimped in a lot of his class’s main functions. [Belkar hasn’t taken any ranks in survival](http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0213.html) ---
**Author:** ![Gagundathar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a183cd/32.png) [@Gagundathar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gagundathar)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2013, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/4871 "2013-02-09T03:42:55Z")
Remind me again, why is Belkar a ranger? I am so old-school that the idea of an evil ranger or one that isn’t a human/elf/half-elf is difficult to grasp. Not that I don’t really like the character, but… ---
**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:** [February 9, 2013, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/4872 "2013-02-09T04:43:04Z")
He’s a ranger because he likes killing stuff with two weapons at once, he likes stealth, and he’s not stupid enough to choose monk. ---
**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:** [February 9, 2013, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/4873 "2013-02-09T06:59:33Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > [Tarquin ordered him to come.](http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0822.html) And he got separated by large steel door right at the start of the ambush that sent Tarquin packing, so he wasn’t picked up with the rest in the evacuation spell. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2013, 7:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/4874 "2013-02-09T07:24:49Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > He’s a ranger because he likes killing stuff with two weapons at once, he likes stealth, and he’s not stupid enough to choose monk. He’s neither lawful nor patient, so no, he can’t be a monk. I LOVED my 2nd ed monk, though the world I was in at the time had a lot of house rules, so I don’t know if I would have loved playing a standard monk 2nd ed monk. There were three schools of monk, Good, Neutral, and Evil, for instance. ---
**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:** [February 9, 2013, 7:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/4875 "2013-02-09T07:36:22Z")
> [@Lynn\_Bodoni](#): > > I LOVED my 2nd ed monk, though the world I was in at the time had a lot of house rules, so I don’t know if I would have loved playing a standard monk 2nd ed monk. There were three schools of monk, Good, Neutral, and Evil, for instance. That was true back when I was into Advanced Dungeons and Dragons as well; LG, LN and LE. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2013, 7:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/4876 "2013-02-09T07:49:36Z")
I couldn’t remember if it was official or if it was a house rule, and my old books are packed away. ---
**Author:** ![Gagundathar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a183cd/32.png) [@Gagundathar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gagundathar)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2013, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/4877 "2013-02-09T14:52:59Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > He’s a ranger because he likes killing stuff with two weapons at once, he likes stealth, and he’s not stupid enough to choose monk. Many thanks, oh great timekeeper! That makes a modicum of sense. Belkar is established as chaotic evil, correct? At what point did D&D start allowing evil rangers? ---
**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:** [February 9, 2013, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/4878 "2013-02-09T16:25:00Z")
> [@Gagundathar](#): > > Many thanks, oh great timekeeper! That makes a modicum of sense. Belkar is established as chaotic evil, correct? At what point did D&D start allowing evil rangers? Since 3.0. In [the very first OOTS strip](http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0001.html), the Order is converted to 3.5, and Belkar says he’s been doing “this ranger crap” for 3 years. 3.5 came out 3 years after 3.0. ---
**Author:** ![Gagundathar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a183cd/32.png) [@Gagundathar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gagundathar)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2013, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/4879 "2013-02-09T17:01:09Z")
Thank you, **jayjay**. I really should go back and reread this entire story. Getting it episodically makes some of the details blend into the background at times. ---
**Author:** ![Strassia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e8c25b/32.png) [@Strassia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Strassia)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2013, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/4880 "2013-02-12T22:44:13Z")
[New strip.](http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0869.html) Looks bad for Belkor. ---
**Author:** ![mlees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@mlees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlees)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2013, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/4881 "2013-02-12T22:54:35Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > He’s a ranger because he likes killing stuff with two weapons at once, he likes stealth, and he’s not stupid enough to choose monk. Heh. Recently, while playing Knights of the Old Republic online, I saw in the General Chat channel: “Hi everybody! I love Star Wars! So. What class has mad DPS skills, especially in PVP?” I would have been perfect if that toons name was “Belkar”. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323.md?page=243) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323.md?page=245)