# 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:** 405
**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:** [November 19, 2013, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/8082 "2013-11-19T01:26:11Z")
> [@Malacandra](#): > > Let’s get [back on topic](http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0931.html), then. Great line by Elan! Coming up with a line like that should have boosted him a Level right then and there. Maybe two. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2013, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/8083 "2013-11-19T02:05:38Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > Coming up with a line like that should have boosted him a Level right then and there. > > Maybe two. And as I suspected, the line is exactly 25 words long. I love you, Burlew. Edit: as was the earlier one, with the understanding that “wanna” and “if’n” are each one word. ---
**Author:** ![Foggy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foggy/32/1082_2.png) [@Foggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Foggy)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2013, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/8084 "2013-11-19T03:22:27Z")
[931](http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0931.html) is up ---
**Author:** ![Knorf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2013, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/8085 "2013-11-19T03:41:00Z")
> [@Malacandra](#): > > Let’s get [back on topic](http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0931.html), then. Great line by Elan! > [@Foggy](#): > > [931](http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0931.html) is up **Foggy** , sorry to tell you this, but you were slightly late to the party. ---
**Author:** ![Foggy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foggy/32/1082_2.png) [@Foggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Foggy)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2013, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/8086 "2013-11-19T03:53:24Z")
> [@Knorf](#): > > **Foggy** , sorry to tell you this, but you were slightly late to the party. Goddamn it! :mad: :smack: [sobs] I want to be first.[/sobs] ---
**Author:** ![Crowbar\_of\_Irony\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f08c70/32.png) [@Crowbar\_of\_Irony\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crowbar_of_Irony_3)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2013, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/8087 "2013-11-19T06:37:47Z")
Judging from the nicknames they have for each other, I daresay Tarquin and Julio seem to know each other quite well. I wonder what sort of stories they have… ---
**Author:** ![Garula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ea666f/32.png) [@Garula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Garula)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2013, 6:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/8088 "2013-11-19T06:39:20Z")
Elan might not have a lot of raw intelligence, but his charisma must be through the roof. That’s a pretty darn impressive act of persuasion. Laurin seems to be slacking a bit. Surely she must have something more potent in her toolbox than slowly continuing to strangle V. Though maybe she really is low on PP at this point. ---
**Author:** ![Garula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ea666f/32.png) [@Garula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Garula)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2013, 6:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/8089 "2013-11-19T06:43:56Z")
It just occurred to me, one of the Kickstarter side stories is supposed to feature Julio, isn’t it? Smart money says that will flesh out the Julio/Tarquin backstory. ---
**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:** [November 19, 2013, 10:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/8090 "2013-11-19T10:03:14Z")
> [@Garula](#): > > Elan might not have a lot of raw intelligence, but his charisma must be through the roof. ISTR his 18 Charisma being mentioned on occasion. > [@](#): > > Laurin seems to be slacking a bit. Surely she must have something more potent in her toolbox than slowly continuing to strangle V. Though maybe she really is low on PP at this point. She’s opened a lot of wormholes and disintegrated Nale even before this particular melee, and I can’t imagine her “zap everyone in the party” trick was cheap on points. Plus, wouldn’t the energy drain have affected that as well? ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2013, 10:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/8091 "2013-11-19T10:26:16Z")
Yes - Laurin is temporarily shy of a couple of her highest-level powers and enough points to power them. [Psionic Powers Overview :: d20srd.org](http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/psionicPowersOverview.htm), “Negative Levels”. ---
**Author:** ![MHaye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/bbe5ce/32.png) [@MHaye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MHaye)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2013, 11:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/8092 "2013-11-19T11:11:28Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > ISTR his 18 Charisma being mentioned on occasion. That mention was very early; back when he tried naturism for the protection it gave him. > [@](#): > > She’s opened a lot of wormholes and disintegrated Nale even before this particular melee, and I can’t imagine her “zap everyone in the party” trick was cheap on points. Plus, wouldn’t the energy drain have affected that as well? Laurin has just received two negative levels, which is a triple whammy for her. If we assume that she was an 18th level psion with an Int of 28. Normally she could manifest 9th level powers and have a total of 361 power points per day (280 from her class and another 81 from her high Int), This neglects the possibility of additional power points from feats or psionic items. Durkon’s Energy Drain inflicts two negative levels. Each negative level reduces the character’s class level for calculation of effects based on the class level - such as spells and powers. Therefore Laurin is currently functioning as a 16th level Psion. 16th level Psions cannot manifest 9th level powers- she needs to be at least 17th level for that. 16th level Psions receive 221 power points per day from class abilities. Additionally, since the bonus pp from abilities are calculated by a formula that includes class level, she gets only 72 bonus PP, not 81. Thus her total pp/day is 303 not 361. So Laurin has lost access to her most potent powers while at the same time having had her remaining available power points reduced by 58. Ouch. ---
**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:** [November 19, 2013, 11:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/8093 "2013-11-19T11:22:44Z")
> [@Garula](#): > > It just occurred to me, one of the Kickstarter side stories is supposed to feature Julio, isn’t it? Smart money says that will flesh out the Julio/Tarquin backstory. The Kickstarter story is supposed to be based on a specific incident that was mentioned in one of the published stories. Burlew had just made up a name at the time but he promised he would make up a story to go with it. ---
**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:** [November 19, 2013, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/8094 "2013-11-19T13:57:23Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > The Kickstarter story is supposed to be based on a specific incident that was mentioned in one of the published stories. [http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0392.html](http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0392.html) “I fenced the devil-king of dinosaur island” Hey, wait. Tarquin has pun-dueled before. And he has dinosaurs. And his old helmet had devil horns. As has been pointed out earlier in the thread. So, yes, it looks quite likely that it will be their earlier encounter. ---
**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:** [November 19, 2013, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/8095 "2013-11-19T14:26:04Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > [392 Death From Above - Giant in the Playground Games](http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0392.html) > > “I fenced the devil-king of dinosaur island” That was strip 392 - and strip 932 is upcoming. Coincidence or what? ---
**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:** [November 19, 2013, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/8096 "2013-11-19T14:54:31Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > The Kickstarter story is supposed to be based on a specific incident that was mentioned in one of the published stories. Burlew had just made up a name at the time but he promised he would make up a story to go with it. > [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > [392 Death From Above - Giant in the Playground Games](http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0392.html) > > “I fenced the devil-king of dinosaur island” No, I meant that Burlew told us what specific story it would be: > [@](#): > > Last year’s Snips, Snails, and Dragon Tales featured a story in a more action-oriented comic book style about the original Dashing Swordsman, Julio Scoundrél. At the end of that story, I ran a letters page which featured a blurb by Julio himself plugging the fictional “next issue,” in which I tried to come up with the most ridiculous, over-the-top plot I could summarize in one paragraph. It went mostly like like this (I deleted one spoiler for the events of that story): > > NEXT MONTH! It’s more thrilling sky pirate action as Virginia and I find ourselves caught between the Flying Submarine of Doctor Obstreperous and the Broomstick Gang of Peculiar Peak! Can I keep those crazy witches off of my ship long enough to unlock the secret of the not-so-good doctor’s Possibility Eraser? Can I rescue Virginia when she’s taken captive by the cabal’s secret benefactor?.. And what does all this have to do with the search for the Cosmic Soupcan?? Find out in the next exciting issue of Julio Scoundrél! > > Keep in mind I had no idea what any of that stuff meant when I wrote that. But now? Now that you’ve pledged $120,000 to help me reprint two different Order of the Stick books? > > Now I will write that story. > > How long will it be? Don’t know. What will happen in it? Haven’t a clue. What’s a Cosmic Soupcan? Darned if I know. But I’m doing it anyway, because you deserve it and I like the challenge of it. I’ll write it, draw it in the “enhanced stick figure” style of the previous Julio story, and deliver it to every backer of $10 or more via PDF, either at the same time as the O-Chul story or in a separate download a few weeks later (depending on how long it takes to finish). And that’s on top of the three “bonus stories” I’ll be writing thanks to the backers who pledged $1250 in order to choose a character that they’d like to see more of. (No word yet on who will star in those, but I’ll let you know when I know.) How’s that for value? ---
**Author:** ![Garula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ea666f/32.png) [@Garula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Garula)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2013, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/8097 "2013-11-19T15:15:19Z")
Yeah, Elan was mentioned as having 18 charisma way back when. My guess is that was his starting charisma from back when he was level 1. By now, he’s probably increased it by 3 or 4 points from levels, and probably has a +4 or +6 item, so he’s likely operating in the mid-20s. Well, that’s a pretty convincing answer to what the Julio story will be about. Sigh, I’m never going to get a prediction to come true. ---
**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:** [November 19, 2013, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/8098 "2013-11-19T15:28:36Z")
Never fear. Tarquin could be the “secret benefactor.” ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2013, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/8099 "2013-11-19T16:03:20Z")
> [@Measure\_for\_Measure](#): > > How does that Deck work during games anyway? I always thought that a deck that might kill you, change your alignment or give you 50 gems (or whatever) was sort of odd. Do players use it when they’re about to die anyway? Doesn’t the deck risk upending the game? [SRD:Deck of Many Things - D&D Wiki](http://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/SRD:Deck_of_Many_Things) Why would anyone use that artifact? You have what looks to be a 40% chance of some vaguely decent outcomes, a 10% chance of nothing much, and a 50% of truly awful, permanent stuff happening. Locked away in a alternate plane of reality forever with no hope of retrieval vs. a handful of gems or a loyal retainer? I think not. Even the best couple of outcomes (wish or knowledge) don’t seem worth risking, say, unresurrectable death. ---
**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:** [November 19, 2013, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/8100 "2013-11-19T17:27:48Z")
> [@Finagle](#): > > Why would anyone use that artifact? You have what looks to be a 40% chance of some vaguely decent outcomes, a 10% chance of nothing much, and a 50% of truly awful, permanent stuff happening. Locked away in a alternate plane of reality forever with no hope of retrieval vs. a handful of gems or a loyal retainer? I think not. Even the best couple of outcomes (wish or knowledge) don’t seem worth risking, say, unresurrectable death. Why do people gamble away their life savings? Why do people waste their money on the lottery? It seems like the same principle to me…people who have really bad risk-assessment skills thinking they have a chance to get something good for free. With the added remove of it not actually being real for the player making the decision. ---
**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:** [November 19, 2013, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/8101 "2013-11-19T17:41:29Z")
And of course, adventurers are, by their very nature, inherently risk-takers. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323.md?page=404) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323.md?page=406)