# 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:** 71
**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 30, 2010, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/1401 "2010-11-30T00:23:37Z")
The Ring of Regeneration is to explain away the lack of wound on his chin after the future Mrs. Tarquin attacked him. 3rd edition RoRs don’t actually do anything really useful like regrowing limbs. For that matter, they’re not much use against any non-negligible amount of hit point damage, either: They only give something like 1 HP/hour, which (for a character high enough level to afford one) is only slightly faster than natural healing. ---
**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:** [November 30, 2010, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/1402 "2010-11-30T00:31:59Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > You guys all seem to be taking what Tarquin said at face value. I think that he does genuinely love Elan. I also think that he’d stab Elan in the back if he thought it would advance him (Tarquin) in some way. > [@](#): > > You are my sole remaining son! I do love you. **And I would gain nothing by your demise.** Bolding mine. ---
**Author:** ![Strinka](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/strinka/32/512_2.png) [@Strinka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Strinka)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2010, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/1403 "2010-11-30T01:56:33Z")
Not a comment on this strip, but I’d like to note that [this strip](http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0732.html), in which Durkon estimated he would be in town for thirty strips because plotlines always run long, happened thirty strips ago. ---
**Author:** ![Grumman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2010, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/1404 "2010-11-30T03:25:39Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > 3rd edition RoRs don’t actually do anything really useful like regrowing limbs. For that matter, they’re not much use against any non-negligible amount of hit point damage, either: They only give something like 1 HP/hour, which (for a character high enough level to afford one) is only slightly faster than natural healing. 3E Rings of Regeneration do regrow limbs, but it only regenerates damage suffered while wearing the ring: you can’t just pass it around after an ambush to get everyone back to full combat effectiveness. And it’s one HP per level per hour, meaning you heal 24 times faster than normal, no matter what level you are. ---
**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 30, 2010, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/1405 "2010-11-30T05:38:01Z")
Ah, yeah, I misremembered. They’re still significantly worse than they were in 2e, and not remotely worth the price. ---
**Author:** ![Windwalker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/5e9695/32.png) [@Windwalker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Windwalker)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2010, 7:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/1406 "2010-11-30T07:55:47Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > You guys all seem to be taking what Tarquin said at face value. Well, Tarquin (and virtually everybody else on the planet) has quite a vested interest in the Order Of The Stick succeeding in their mission. I’ve heard that continued survival of the world and everything in it is somewhat of a prerequisite even for evil empire-building. ---
**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:** [November 30, 2010, 9:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/1407 "2010-11-30T09:29:18Z")
The question is, will the Order remember that their quest is more important than bringing an end to Tarquin’s reign of terror? ---
**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:** [November 30, 2010, 10:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/1408 "2010-11-30T10:02:44Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > The question is, will the Order remember that their quest is more important than bringing an end to Tarquin’s reign of terror? I wanna see what happens when Elan tells Hayley this is Tyrinaria ---
**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 30, 2010, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/1409 "2010-11-30T16:18:40Z")
> [@Windwalker](#): > > Well, Tarquin (and virtually everybody else on the planet) has quite a vested interest in the Order Of The Stick succeeding in their mission. I’ve heard that continued survival of the world and everything in it is somewhat of a prerequisite even for evil empire-building. But I think we’re going to see that Tarquin’s interest is more specific than that. He may end up as the equivalent of Hinjo - an evil patron backing the group in contrast to a good patron. Or maybe he’s another of the nine factions that are vying for the Snarl. ---
**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 30, 2010, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/1410 "2010-11-30T18:38:29Z")
> [@](#): > > Or maybe he’s another of the nine factions that are vying for the Snarl. I’m not seeing that one. His perfectly mundane plan for conquest is working quite well, thank you. Why rock the boat? He has very little to gain, and plenty to lose. ---
**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:** [November 30, 2010, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/1411 "2010-11-30T18:52:56Z")
If we take him at face value he appears to be one of the most frighteningly rational characters in the strip. It would be interesting to see he and Redcloak get together for a debate. ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2010, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/1412 "2010-11-30T19:06:51Z")
I rather suspect the Order is going to topple Tarquin’s reign, whether intentionally or otherwise, and he’s going to be rather pissed. I’m fairly sure he’ll become a major villain. ---
**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:** [November 30, 2010, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/1413 "2010-11-30T19:29:50Z")
> [@Bosstone](#): > > I rather suspect the Order is going to topple Tarquin’s reign, whether intentionally or otherwise, and he’s going to be rather pissed. I’m fairly sure he’ll become a major villain. I don’t know - he doesn’t seem the type who would care all that much about revenge. There’s no percentage in it. He’d just shrug, and go off to build another empire. ---
**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 30, 2010, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/1414 "2010-11-30T19:35:08Z")
If he survives. Methinks Haley is going to have something to say when she discovers that her father has been a prisoner of Elan’s father. ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2010, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/1415 "2010-11-30T19:39:41Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > I don’t know - he doesn’t seem the type who would care all that much about revenge. There’s no percentage in it. He’d just shrug, and go off to build another empire. Maybe not, but he may decide that the Order is too great a threat to any continuation or rebuilding of his power base. ---
**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:** [December 1, 2010, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/1416 "2010-12-01T17:03:25Z")
[New!](http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0763.html) Poor Elan-on the thorns of a no-win situation (at least, that’s what his dad wants him to think). ---
**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:** [December 1, 2010, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/1417 "2010-12-01T17:07:24Z")
So it’s all about legendary immortality. Maybe. ---
**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:** [December 1, 2010, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/1418 "2010-12-01T17:10:17Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > I don’t know - he doesn’t seem the type who would care all that much about revenge. There’s no percentage in it. He’d just shrug, and go off to build another empire. Three quatloos on **Alessan**! Good call there…with the latest, we see that Tarquin has this down to, basically, a science. Entirely rational, from his point of view, and quite well-planned. And philosophical, as well. Tarquin has basically created a set-up in which he can’t lose. And, although I am and have always been firmly ensconced in the upper half of the moral/ethical grid, I do find his subversion of Elan’s assertion that a hero WILL destroy his empire to be really enjoyable! Do you think the presence of the Blimpress in that second-to-last panel has any significance? Did she overhear Tarquin boasting about being the real power in the Emp. of Blood? If she did, will she care? Hell, if she did, is she smart enough to understand it? She’s just suddenly revealed to be there…Burlew is very rarely sloppy about that kind of thing, so I think her presence is significant in some way. ---
**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:** [December 1, 2010, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/1419 "2010-12-01T17:22:30Z")
Come to think of it, Elan and Tarquin were dueling on top of the big platform where they were probably seen by thousands of revellers. I wonder if this will be of importance. ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2010, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/1420 "2010-12-01T18:18:07Z")
> [@Hypno-Toad](#): > > So it’s all about legendary immortality. And those really sucky last ten minutes. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323.md?page=70) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323.md?page=72)