# 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:** 382
**Author:** ![shantih](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f6c823/32.png) [@shantih](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shantih)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2013, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/7622 "2013-10-03T12:24:38Z")
> [@Measure\_for\_Measure](#): > > Incidentally, has anybody ever watched a movie for 90 seconds, turned it off, and speculated what happens next? And then repeated that for the rest of the flick? I’m guessing that our predictive power would be a heck of a lot better than it is with Oots. > > Hilariously, such a cinematic exercise seems bizarre. Yet this thread is fairly awesome. Go Giant Go! QFT. One reason I enjoy the OotS so much is that in retrospect, everything makes perfect sense, but in the moment, I am usually surprised by each advancement in the story line. Rich Burlew is one hell of a storyteller, and I’m loving this ride! ---
**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:** [October 3, 2013, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/7623 "2013-10-03T16:15:31Z")
> [@Measure\_for\_Measure](#): > > Incidentally, has anybody ever watched a movie for 90 seconds, turned it off, and speculated what happens next? And then repeated that for the rest of the flick? I’m guessing that our predictive power would be a heck of a lot better than it is with Oots. When you read TV Tropes and they mention OOTS it’s usually to point out how Burlew averted some trope by doing something unexpected. ---
**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:** [October 4, 2013, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/7624 "2013-10-04T15:56:47Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > Maybe the Rift is a \*time \*rift? If the Order gets sent a thousand years to the past, Belkar can live a long and happy life and still technically be dead by the end of the year. I’ve expressed the following theory before: Belkar time travels back into the past, where he discovers the secret of making [pineapples explode](http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0515.html). He then lives his life as [Baron Pineapple](http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0276.html). Mr Scruffy is [still his companion](http://www.giantitp.com/Images/bcx/Misspelled003.gif). He lives a long life before finally dying of old age this (in comic) year. ---
**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:** [October 4, 2013, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/7625 "2013-10-04T16:00:14Z")
Y’know… That could actually work. ---
**Author:** ![Enderw24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba9def/32.png) [@Enderw24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enderw24)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2013, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/7626 "2013-10-07T14:27:08Z")
I looked back at the “flashback” posted in this strip and it never appeared. The closest we get is [comic 784](http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0784.html) where it’s implied that Belkar released it. But that exact panel never happened. ---
**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:** [October 7, 2013, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/7627 "2013-10-07T15:18:05Z")
Correction: It happened, it just wasn’t shown on-panel. ---
**Author:** ![Wolverine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ba9def/32.png) [@Wolverine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolverine)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2013, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/7628 "2013-10-09T05:59:13Z")
[#923 is up.](http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0923.html) Yes Elan, dinosaur rides are awesome. ---
**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:** [October 9, 2013, 8:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/7629 "2013-10-09T08:12:38Z")
So that bigger dinosaur that Belkar’s allosaurus attacked – might that have been a T-rex? ---
**Author:** ![Grumman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2013, 8:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/7630 "2013-10-09T08:39:04Z")
> [@chorpler](#): > > So that bigger dinosaur that Belkar’s allosaurus attacked – might that have been a T-rex? I think it was the same sort, just standing more upright. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2013, 9:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/7631 "2013-10-09T09:09:40Z")
Can Belkar have a second animal companion? ---
**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:** [October 9, 2013, 9:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/7632 "2013-10-09T09:34:12Z")
Nope, although he could technically ditch the cat and replace it with the dinosaur. Rangers have supernatural abilities that let them charm/control beasties for a good long while though, so he could keep it _ad vitam_ if he so wished. Assuming he’s figured out Rangers can cast spells by now 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Grumman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2013, 9:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/7633 "2013-10-09T09:50:37Z")
> [@Leaper](#): > > Can Belkar have a second animal companion? There’s a prestige class that explicitly makes this possible - Beastmaster. There’s also a feat, but I’d need to check whether it can be used to get a second animal companion or just makes your existing animal companion better. There’s also a Halfling-specific prestige class that advances multiple companion-type creatures at the same time, if he wanted to use ACF to get the allosaurus as a special mount. ---
**Author:** ![yellowjacketcoder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/4bbf92/32.png) [@yellowjacketcoder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yellowjacketcoder)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2013, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/7634 "2013-10-09T12:14:42Z")
> [@Kobal2](#): > > Nope, although he could technically ditch the cat and replace it with the dinosaur. > > Rangers have supernatural abilities that let them charm/control beasties for a good long while though, so he could keep it _ad vitam_ if he so wished. Assuming he’s figured out Rangers can cast spells by now 🙂 However, casting Ranger spells requires a WIS above 10, which I’m pretty sure the Belkster doesn’t have. Hence why V had to cast Owl’s Wisdom before he could read and scrolls way back in Dorukan’s Dungeon. ---
**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:** [October 9, 2013, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/7635 "2013-10-09T12:18:00Z")
Man, I hope Burlew hasn’t seen _The Dirty Dozen_. ---
**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:** [October 9, 2013, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/7636 "2013-10-09T16:05:17Z")
Rangers and druids both have the Wild Empathy ability, which basically lets you befriend animals (think of St. Francis with the birds and you get the idea), and also have access to the Handle Animal skill, which lets you train animals and get them to do tricks. Both of them are based on Charisma, which the Belkster isn’t very good at, but he’s high-enough level by now that that’s overwhelmed by the large numbers from his level (assuming he’s been putting skill points into Handle Animal, but that’s not much of a stretch even for Belkar, since rangers get tons of skill points). ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2013, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/7637 "2013-10-09T16:12:47Z")
I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop. It can’t be that easy…can it? In a milestone that will interest absolutely no one, this is the hundredth strip since I started following this thing. Took about–I dunno, a month?–to read 823 strips, a couple of years to read a hundred. 🆒 ---
**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:** [October 9, 2013, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/7638 "2013-10-09T16:24:16Z")
> [@yellowjacketcoder](#): > > However, casting Ranger spells requires a WIS above 10, which I’m pretty sure the Belkster doesn’t have. Hence why V had to cast Owl’s Wisdom before he could read and scrolls way back in Dorukan’s Dungeon. Someone should really tell him there are some pretty cool melee buffs in his spell list (Freedom of Movement, anyone ?), he’d spring for +WIS gear in a New York minute. [QUOTE=Chronos] (assuming he’s been putting skill points into Handle Animal, but that’s not much of a stretch even for Belkar, since rangers get tons of skill points). [/QUOTE] We’re talking about a ranger who’s skipped _Survival_ entirely. And possibly Perception. 😛 ---
**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:** [October 9, 2013, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/7639 "2013-10-09T16:28:47Z")
Cool episode today. Somebody help me out, though. When did Haley obtain the power of flight? ---
**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:** [October 9, 2013, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/7640 "2013-10-09T16:32:08Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > Cool episode today. Somebody help me out, though. > > When did Haley obtain the power of flight? [V says he has one additional Fly spell left.](http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0920.html) Presumably he used it on Haley. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2013, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/7641 "2013-10-09T16:36:17Z")
[#921](http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0921.html). 6th panel in the background. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323.md?page=381) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323.md?page=383)