# 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:** 54
**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:** [August 6, 2010, 9:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/1061 "2010-08-06T09:12:13Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > Oh, yeah, Durkon is Lawful with a vengeance. Technically, he’s too lawful to be a cleric of Thor. Per 3.x rules, a cleric can’t be more than one step off of his deity’s alignment. Clerics of Thor can be Neutral Good, or Chaotic Neutral, but never Lawful Good. OOTS is v4, I believe, and Durkon can be [swayed](http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0170.html) from his alignment sometimes. And that’s probably not even dwarven beer. If Durkon wanted to really work on human/dwarven relations, he should have started a pub, and sold dwarven ale to humans. That would have made most humans feel much more kindly towards dwarves. And if a customer got too drunk, just Neutralize Poison on them. > [@Alessan](#): > > It won’t be that easy, you know. It’s never that easy. > > No character is stronger than a sadistic DM. I used to have a pinback button that said “When the GM smiles, it’s already too late.” But yeah, this is going to get a lot more messy before things work out. Or at least, that’s what I hope. ---
**Author:** ![Grumman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2010, 9:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/1062 "2010-08-06T09:26:17Z")
> [@Lynn\_Bodoni](#): > > OOTS is v4, I believe It’s not. The most recent proof is chapter 733, in which Durkon says that he prepared four Sending spells. ---
**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:** [August 6, 2010, 9:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/1063 "2010-08-06T09:40:50Z")
> [@Grumman](#): > > > [@Lynn\_Bodoni](#): > > > > OOTS is v4, I believe > > It’s not. The most recent proof is chapter 733, in which Durkon says that he prepared four Sending spells. I’m pretty sure [this T-shirt](http://www.cafepress.com/cp/moredetails.aspx?showBleed=false&ProductNo=420244147&colorNo=60&pr=F)is canonical, too. (See also his May 20 2008 post in “News”). ---
**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:** [August 6, 2010, 9:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/1064 "2010-08-06T09:48:30Z")
Or just check out the [very first comic](http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0001.html); “I believe we are being converted to the new 3.5 edition.” ---
**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:** [August 6, 2010, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/1065 "2010-08-06T17:43:39Z")
Sure, the gladiatorial games won’t actually be that easy, but then, neither would the jailbreak, if they’d gone that route. ---
**Author:** ![Grumman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2010, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/1066 "2010-08-07T03:17:48Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Sure, the gladiatorial games won’t actually be that easy, but then, neither would the jailbreak, if they’d gone that route. The party is at least level 11. They should carve through the other gladiators like a hot chainsaw through butter. ---
**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:** [August 7, 2010, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/1067 "2010-08-07T05:54:33Z")
> [@](#): > > The party is at least level 11. 14 or 15, currently. But the fact that they’d carve through ordinary gladiators that easily guarantees that whatever they end up against won’t be just ordinary gladiators. If it were, it’d be boring. ---
**Author:** ![One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/838e76/32.png) [@One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/One_And_Only_Wanderers)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2010, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/1068 "2010-08-15T14:16:35Z")
New Strip! [http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0742.html](http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0742.html) ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2010, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/1069 "2010-08-15T14:44:20Z")
Kill me now. [As in death by double-entendre puns] ---
**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:** [August 15, 2010, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/1070 "2010-08-15T15:00:28Z")
Does “washing behind the ears” refer to exceptionally enthusiastic “lunch at the Y?” 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Gray\_Ghost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c0e974/32.png) [@Gray\_Ghost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gray_Ghost)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2010, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/1071 "2010-08-15T17:42:06Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Does “washing behind the ears” refer to exceptionally enthusiastic “lunch at the Y?” 😃 That was my guess. At least he didn’t make a joke about big ear lobes… Was waiting for Burlew to bring out the punch line to the Tarquin/Amun-Zora conversation: Tarquin never said whose side the dragoons would join, did he, only that they would join the battle tomorrow. Guess we’ll see it in a future strip. Thankfully, they’re coming a lot faster than they did last year. Serious question. With Burlew’s noted significant health issues, has he storyboarded the entire plot of OOTS to somewhere, in case he keels over before this whole thing ends? At least tell me he’s left notes somewhere as to: What the Snarl is, who the MITD is, who gets Belkar in the end, etc… ---
**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:** [August 15, 2010, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/1072 "2010-08-15T17:44:28Z")
I understand he asked George R.R. Martin to finish 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:** [August 15, 2010, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/1073 "2010-08-15T18:41:05Z")
> [@Gray\_Ghost](#): > > Serious question. With Burlew’s noted significant health issues, has he storyboarded the entire plot of OOTS to somewhere, in case he keels over before this whole thing ends? I understand that he’s said that his condition is not life-threatening, nor likely to incapacitate him permanently. ---
**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:** [August 15, 2010, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/1074 "2010-08-15T18:50:16Z")
Good point, **Gray Ghost**. The Empire of Tears probably would be a more valuable ally than a single Free City. But of course, he can’t come out and say that until after he’s gotten his primate cleansed. ---
**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:** [August 15, 2010, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/1075 "2010-08-15T19:26:32Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > I understand he asked George R.R. Martin to finish it. You…are an evil, evil person. ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2010, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/1076 "2010-08-16T13:31:43Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Good point, **Gray Ghost**. The Empire of Tears probably would be a more valuable ally than a single Free City. But of course, he can’t come out and say that until after he’s gotten his primate cleansed. Or spanked. ---
**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:** [August 18, 2010, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/1077 "2010-08-18T22:09:31Z")
[743 up!](http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0743.html) Special diet…hmmm… I bet that he doesn’t drink…wine. ---
**Author:** ![Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malleus_incus_stapes/32/3293_2.png) [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2010, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/1078 "2010-08-18T23:58:15Z")
So… who did Haley worship before her, er, “conversion”? ---
**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:** [August 19, 2010, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/1079 "2010-08-19T00:16:09Z")
> [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](#): > > So… who did Haley worship before her, er, “conversion”? Someone on the OOTS forum mentioned Banjo. And others pointed out the lack of black speech bubbles and [this stroll](http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0719.html) past sunlit arches, which pretty much rules out my dietary theory. ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2010, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/1080 "2010-08-29T14:18:11Z")
Took a while, but we have [744](http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0744.html). “Oof, this is going to repeat on me later”…snerk. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323.md?page=53) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323.md?page=55)