# 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:** 363
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2013, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/7242 "2013-09-05T17:14:56Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > It’s similar to the goblin-slaughter. Enemies that are too far below give no XP at all. The party might still get XP from the encounter as a whole, but that’s a bit more slippery on how to assign it. There’s got to be a roleplaying bonus for Roy there, though. ---
**Author:** ![chorpler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chorpler/32/2888_2.png) [@chorpler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chorpler)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2013, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/7243 "2013-09-05T17:16:59Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > And I think it’s interesting that Roy is basing his tactics around shielding the most vulnerable member of his team… Even though that’s Belkar. That’s a good point – is there a way to calculate whether Belkar (and Mr. Scruffy) creating concealment for the Order actually IS worth more than him killing two soldiers? Is Roy actually sacrificing anything to keep Belkar from dying here, and thus his “You’re more useful creating concealment” line is just a rationalization? Or is he correct? ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2013, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/7244 "2013-09-05T17:23:38Z")
In 3.5e, concealment gives a 20% chance of miss, after a hit is rolled. So first you make the attack roll, and if you manage to hit, you then roll the 20% chance of missing. Total concealment raises this to 50%. ---
**Author:** ![yellowjacketcoder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/4bbf92/32.png) [@yellowjacketcoder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yellowjacketcoder)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2013, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/7245 "2013-09-05T17:24:57Z")
> [@chorpler](#): > > That’s a good point – is there a way to calculate whether Belkar (and Mr. Scruffy) creating concealment for the Order actually IS worth more than him killing two soldiers? Is Roy actually sacrificing anything to keep Belkar from dying here, and thus his “You’re more useful creating concealment” line is just a rationalization? Or is he correct? If they get concealment out of the sand, that’s a 20% miss chance for all those crossbowmen, which is not insignificant with the number of bolts coming their way. If it provides total concealment, that goes up to 50%. Edit: ninja’d! ---
**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:** [September 5, 2013, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/7246 "2013-09-05T17:26:47Z")
Killing two of hundreds is meaningless. Belkar is much more useful to everybody kicking up sand. Besides, Roy knows he’s seriously understrength as a team and can ill-afford to lose anybody, what with two members separated, one vamped, one MIA and one down to single digits survival-wise. So it’s not just a rationalization. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2013, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/7247 "2013-09-05T17:32:16Z")
Maybe, but Roy is still LG, and is still loyal to his team - even Belkar. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2013, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/7248 "2013-09-05T17:42:26Z")
One man versus an army! And I note that this episode shows they’re well away from the rift. ---
**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:** [September 5, 2013, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/7249 "2013-09-05T17:42:52Z")
How is Durkon dominating multiple soldiers per round? I thought a vampire’s gaze could trip up one mook at a time. ---
**Author:** ![yellowjacketcoder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/4bbf92/32.png) [@yellowjacketcoder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yellowjacketcoder)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2013, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/7250 "2013-09-05T18:09:21Z")
> [@squeegee](#): > > How is Durkon dominating multiple soldiers per round? I thought a vampire’s gaze could trip up one mook at a time. I don’t think he’s dominating more than one a round - I think he just means that if he dominates one mook a round, they only last 3-4 rounds before they drop. So he can have a few mooks going, but they’re getting killed too fast for him to build up an army. ---
**Author:** ![Lightray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightray/32/391_2.png) [@Lightray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightray)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2013, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/7251 "2013-09-05T18:34:16Z")
V needs to show up again at some point, and since the Fiends assured safety from harm _and_ since V missed most of the action, no doubt still has lots of spells intended for use against Xykon & Co. Wizards are really the best class to deal with an attacking army, too. I’m just thinking that at some point soon there has to be a climax to wrapup this book. V seems likely. ---
**Author:** ![shantih](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f6c823/32.png) [@shantih](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shantih)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2013, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/7252 "2013-09-05T19:14:37Z")
We’re terribly close to the end of the book and all we need is the final crisis and resolution before Rich can lay down his pen (or computer mouse) and massage some feeling back into his drawing hand. I had been thinking that the Order escaping Tarquin and his army by going through the rift was going to be it, but now, with that rift so far off, I think this is all going to end with Tarquin dying. I don’t know how, but I now don’t see him living into the next book. Maybe Sabine does something as soon as her 24 hours of exile are up to avenge Nale? I don’t know, but I think Tarquin has served his purpose in the story. He was there to kill Nale to resolve that subplot and now he’s driven Elan completely away from him. Of course, I could be wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2013, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/7253 "2013-09-05T19:41:33Z")
I dunno. They have to go through the rift at some point - else why is it there? ---
**Author:** ![Lightray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightray/32/391_2.png) [@Lightray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightray)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2013, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/7254 "2013-09-05T19:41:44Z")
Tarquin’s Face-Heel turn is too recent (for him to be killed off now). Although evil, he’d been charming and popular among readers. It wasn’t until the most recent strips, his killing Nale and pigheadedness toward Elan that many readers soured on him. He wasn’t really seen as an enemy of the Order. There needs to be some story time with him in this new light before his storyline is over. ---
**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:** [September 5, 2013, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/7255 "2013-09-05T19:46:17Z")
Actually, druids are the best class to deal with an attacking army. Wizards are still pretty good at it, though. And Tarquin definitely lives through this. Remember, Elan has a great idea for dealing with him (or dealing with the situation, or something…) that hasn’t been revealed yet. ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2013, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/7256 "2013-09-05T19:49:52Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > I dunno. They have to go through the rift at some point - else why is it there? Perhaps as a reminder that [there’s more to the business with the Rifts than we (or the OotS) know](http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0672.html). ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2013, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/7257 "2013-09-05T20:01:22Z")
> [@Steve\_MB](#): > > Perhaps as a reminder that [there’s more to the business with the Rifts than we (or the OotS) know](http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0672.html). Right - and we need to learn what that is. ---
**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:** [September 5, 2013, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/7258 "2013-09-05T20:01:28Z")
I’m going to venture that the next book opens with Lien and O-Chul at or near Kraagor’s tomb. ---
**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:** [September 5, 2013, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/7259 "2013-09-05T20:10:49Z")
A gate will open up and legions of infernal troops sent by the IFCC will attack Tarquin’s and save the Order. The IFCC needs the Order alive, after all. I don’t see any other way of Roy and Belkar surviving this. Roy will succumb to exhaustion after a while. (Yes, I know it’s not that easy to send outsider armies to the Prime Material Plane, otherwise it would’ve become a massive battlefield eons ago. But I got nuttin’ else.) ---
**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:** [September 5, 2013, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/7260 "2013-09-05T20:11:56Z")
Maybe Durkon can dominate an allosaur? ---
**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:** [September 5, 2013, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/7261 "2013-09-05T20:14:43Z")
> [@squeegee](#): > > Maybe Durkon can dominate an allosaur? Do they have enough INT to be dominated? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323.md?page=362) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323.md?page=364)