# 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:** 372
**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 19, 2013, 6:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/7422 "2013-09-19T06:38:23Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > It’s something of a callback. > > [Arcanolypse Now: “I love the smell of bat guano in the morning.”](http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0020.html) Ha, nice! And good memory, dude. ---
**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 19, 2013, 6:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/7423 "2013-09-19T06:39:36Z")
BTW, it seems odd to complement the art in a stick figure comic, but the fire effects in this strip were outstanding, and must have been a bunch of work in Illustrator. ---
**Author:** ![choie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/choie/32/7829_2.png) [@choie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/choie)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2013, 7:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/7424 "2013-09-19T07:40:12Z")
I am soooo delighted to get Vaarsuvius back into the action! And just about every panel was golden. I wrote a ridiculously long paean to it on the official forum so I won’t repeat it here, but I’ll say the artwork _was_ lovely, and so was everything out of V’s mouth, especially V’s abrupt change from passive voice to active, revealing so much about the character development V’s gone through–accepting responsibility and taking a sharp, alert measure of the surrounding danger, protecting teammates including Belkar without even a bit of snark, able to get right into strategic action sooner than Blackwing–usually the voice of good sense and rationality–can get his bearings. No long speeches, a quick apology to Roy, and even an admission to Belkar at the end! “Sadly, yes.” And the angle of V flying overhead while casting “Wall of Fire” was stunning. I’m hoping, hoping, hoping that V gets a much-needed win out of this. Poor guy/gal hasn’t kicked ass definitively (on his/her own) since Azure City. I’m just scared to see what danger Tarquin’s motley crew will present once the soldiers are taken care of. All in all, one of my favorite strips of the entire book (along with many from the “Elan realizes his father is a heinous sociopath” series and the haunting of V by the zombie Draketooths, leading to V’s acknowledging that Familicide was a grievous crime not just because the Draketooths were killed, but because killing dragons indiscriminately was unjust and cruel). ---
**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:** [September 19, 2013, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/7425 "2013-09-19T15:11:58Z")
Just saw these online: OOTS cosplay - [here](http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3078/3115711450_1d1fac6eb1_z.jpg) [here](http://farm2.staticflickr.com/1305/878020360_55dad785a2_z.jpg?zz=1) [here](http://www.mrwalkerihs.com/P1000293%20copy%20(Medium).jpg) [here](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3031/2822985301_fd40551b6c_b.jpg) [here](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_madq3wWLo01qdtafxo1_500.jpg) [here](http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mbyuznoBiH1qbfanpo1_500.jpg) ---
**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 19, 2013, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/7426 "2013-09-19T15:30:50Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Just saw these online: OOTS cosplay - [here](http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3078/3115711450_1d1fac6eb1_z.jpg) [here](http://farm2.staticflickr.com/1305/878020360_55dad785a2_z.jpg?zz=1) [here](http://www.mrwalkerihs.com/P1000293%20copy%20(Medium).jpg) [here](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3031/2822985301_fd40551b6c_b.jpg) [here](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_madq3wWLo01qdtafxo1_500.jpg) [here](http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mbyuznoBiH1qbfanpo1_500.jpg) My fav [here](http://www.acparadise.com/acs/display.php?p=548856). ---
**Author:** ![Lok](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e8c25b/32.png) [@Lok](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lok)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2013, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/7427 "2013-09-19T15:31:06Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Just saw these online: OOTS cosplay - [here](http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3078/3115711450_1d1fac6eb1_z.jpg) [here](http://farm2.staticflickr.com/1305/878020360_55dad785a2_z.jpg?zz=1) [here](http://www.mrwalkerihs.com/P1000293%20copy%20(Medium).jpg) [here](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3031/2822985301_fd40551b6c_b.jpg) [here](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_madq3wWLo01qdtafxo1_500.jpg) [here](http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mbyuznoBiH1qbfanpo1_500.jpg) Those are great. Liked the invisible Elan. Just wish I could read the signs they’re holding. ---
**Author:** ![choie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/choie/32/7829_2.png) [@choie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/choie)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2013, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/7428 "2013-09-19T15:37:03Z")
> [@Lok](#): > > Those are great. Liked the invisible Elan. Just wish I could read the signs they’re holding. Ha! Those are awesome. (Except how do you have a Nale and Elan who look nothing alike and don’t even have the blond hair? Tsk!) The invisible Elan is a total win, as was the MitD with Mr. Stiffly. The two different Redcloak signs are first: “Yeah we really blew the special effects on this one” and, in the subsequent picture, “I’m the high priest of the Dark One, so you can kiss my green ass, human.” The Thog signs are “Thog likes puppies” and “Thog’s armor sometimes chafe Thog in Thog’s man parts.” ---
**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:** [September 19, 2013, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/7429 "2013-09-19T17:01:12Z")
> [@Lok](#): > > Those are great. Liked the invisible Elan. Just wish I could read the signs they’re holding. “Thog’s armor sometimes chafe Thog in Thog’s man parts.” “I’m the high priest of the Dark One, so you can kiss my green ass, human.” ---
**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:** [September 19, 2013, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/7430 "2013-09-19T17:34:57Z")
> [@squeegee](#): > > He’s talking about V being under control of the 3 fiends sometimes. > > **John DiFool** , V owes the Three Fiends 20-some minutes of her soul. The TF can basically take her out of the game for those time periods (two separate time periods remaining) and hold her prisoner, ineffective, for that time. They apparently can’t take over her body or compel her to do things. She’s just on time-out, if and when. Sliiiiight redirect. Two of the fiends get about 20 minutes. One gets 3 minutes and some second because V lost that splice quickly. There’s no WAY that doesn’t come into play at some point. The fiends have three V-assets 20 minutes 20 minutes 3 minutes They have burned one 20 minute chunk. ---
**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:** [September 19, 2013, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/7431 "2013-09-19T18:11:24Z")
> [@choie](#): > > Ha! Those are awesome. (Except how do you have a Nale and Elan who look nothing alike and don’t even have the blond hair? Tsk!) The invisible Elan is a total win, as was the MitD with Mr. Stiffly. > > The two different Redcloak signs are first: “Yeah we really blew the special effects on this one” and, in the subsequent picture, “I’m the high priest of the Dark One, so you can kiss my green ass, human.” The Thog signs are “Thog likes puppies” and “Thog’s armor sometimes chafe Thog in Thog’s man parts.” I also liked the Invisible Elan and MitD. Thog is good, too. Well, Thog is evil, but Thog cosplayer is good. ---
**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 19, 2013, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/7432 "2013-09-19T19:17:52Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > It’s something of a callback. > > [Arcanolypse Now: “I love the smell of bat guano in the morning.”](http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0020.html) And don’t forget the scene in **On the Origin of PCs** where Vaarsuvius is competing on the show “Iron Mage” and the theme ingredient is bat guano. Good times, good times. ---
**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 19, 2013, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/7433 "2013-09-19T19:20:22Z")
> [@squeegee](#): > > My fav [here](http://www.acparadise.com/acs/display.php?p=548856). That first Haley has a bit of a scary face/head, but man, that’s all cool. I like the one where Nale and Sabine are facing off against Elan and Haley. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Goob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c77e96/32.png) [@Mr.Goob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Goob)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2013, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/7434 "2013-09-19T23:47:07Z")
The MitD under the Hello Kitty umbrella made me laugh so hard I scared my cats off my lap. ---
**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 20, 2013, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/7435 "2013-09-20T00:09:29Z")
> [@Jonathan\_Chance](#): > > Sliiiiight redirect. > > Two of the fiends get about 20 minutes. One gets 3 minutes and some second because V lost that splice quickly. There’s no WAY that doesn’t come into play at some point. The fiends have three V-assets > > 20 minutes > 20 minutes > 3 minutes > > They have burned one 20 minute chunk. Like I said, two separate time periods totalling 20-some minutes. ---
**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 20, 2013, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/7436 "2013-09-20T00:12:45Z")
> [@](#): > > I like the one where Nale and Sabine are facing off against Elan and Haley. Yeah, the Twins might not be quite right, but the looks the women are giving each other are perfect. ---
**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 20, 2013, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/7437 "2013-09-20T19:14:21Z")
New one is up! [Hooray!](http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0920.html) ETA: I like the arrow plinking off Belkar – good thing Vaarsuvius showed up when he did. What exactly has the blood drain done to Belkar, that would require a Restoration spell to fix? Does he have a CON score of 1 now, or what? ---
**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 20, 2013, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/7438 "2013-09-20T19:26:47Z")
$5 says they end up in the Rift anyway. Wow. We are getting character growth right and left. ---
**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 20, 2013, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/7439 "2013-09-20T19:32:41Z")
> [@chorpler](#): > > New one is up! > > [Hooray!](http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0920.html) > > ETA: I like the arrow plinking off Belkar – good thing Vaarsuvius showed up when he did. What exactly has the blood drain done to Belkar, that would require a Restoration spell to fix? Does he have a CON score of 1 now, or what? Yeah, I was wondering the same thing. Why not give Belkar that potion Roy just quaffed? ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2013, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/7440 "2013-09-20T19:40:02Z")
Belkar would be suffering from combined energy drain (lost levels) and blood drain (lost constitution). A simple healing potion wouldn’t fix either. So what feat is required to stab _through_ a dinosaur and kill its rider 😃 ---
**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:** [September 20, 2013, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/7441 "2013-09-20T19:42:53Z")
If Belkar gets the potion, but Roy dies because he didn’t get that potion…the mission fails, and the whole group probably dies (or dies again). If Roy gets the potion, but Belkar dies because he didn’t get it, then the group’s chances of pulling through are much better. Plus, of course, nobody in the group actually LIKES Belkar, they just put up with him, unless he’s cooking. Don’t get me wrong, I love Belkar as a character, but if I was in a group with him, I’d want to kill him. Daily. Possibly hourly. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323.md?page=371) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323.md?page=373)