# 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:** 77
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2011, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/1521 "2011-01-15T22:13:11Z")
> [@appleciders](#): > > What _does_ Belkar spend his skill points on, anyway? As a ranger he gets a reasonable number of them, and we know for a fact that he’s not spending them on Spot, Listen, or Survival. I think it’s also a safe guess that Diplomacy and all the various Knowledge fields are out. I guess we know that he has a few ranks in Profession (Chef), but that can’t account for all of the skill points. He’s also not terribly bright, which reduces the number of skill points he gets. Plus, it’s been a while since he took any ranger levels - I think he’s been a barbarian for some time now. I’m guessing he’s spent most of his points on Profession (Cook) and Craft (Annoy Roy). ---
**Author:** ![Grumman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2011, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/1522 "2011-01-15T22:16:42Z")
We know he’s got lots of ranks in Jump. ---
**Author:** ![Spectralist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Spectralist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectralist)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2011, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/1523 "2011-01-15T22:24:39Z")
Rangers get what? 6+int mod and he’s got some barbarian levels at 4+int mod. His int is probably 10ish so probably around 5 maxed skills and a couple extra points here and there. So if he’s got Hide, Move Silently, Profession(Chef), and Jump I would guess Tumble for the last skill. ---
**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:** [January 15, 2011, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/1524 "2011-01-15T22:33:02Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > I’m guessing he’s spent most of his points on Profession (Cook) and Craft (Annoy Roy). [“I took Craft Disturbing Mental Image as my feat last level.”](http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0249.html) ---
**Author:** ![appleciders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85f322/32.png) [@appleciders](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/appleciders)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2011, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/1525 "2011-01-15T22:33:36Z")
> [@Spectralist](#): > > Rangers get what? 6+int mod and he’s got some barbarian levels at 4+int mod. His int is probably 10ish so probably around 5 maxed skills and a couple extra points here and there. So if he’s got Hide, Move Silently, Profession(Chef), and Jump I would guess Tumble for the last skill. As **Miller** notes, Belkar probably gets 6 _minus_ Intelligence mod; I mean, we know that Wisdom is his dump stat, but I don’t think he’s got more than 10 Intelligence at most. And actually, I don’t think it’s unlikely that he’s got ranks in Handle Animal; I mean, he’s doing so well with Mr. Scruffy that it’s almost a necessity. Unless Mr. Scruffy is his animal companion, I mean. And anyway, I don’t know if Belkar has more than one level in Barbarian. We’ve seen him level twice; once to take Barbarian and once to have that level immediately sucked away by a ghoul. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2011, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/1526 "2011-01-15T22:38:47Z")
Probably put a few points in Profession (Pimp) as well. You can’t pull off an outfit [like this](http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0377.html) without a couple skill ranks. ---
**Author:** ![MHaye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/bbe5ce/32.png) [@MHaye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MHaye)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2011, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/1527 "2011-01-15T23:18:19Z")
> [@Lynn\_Bodoni](#): > > Remember, almost everyone is 0 level. Not in 3.0 or 3.5. Everybody has _at least_ one HD. Guards are usually Warriors, an NPC class with weapon skill and very little else going for it. It has the distinction of being the only class with a class skill list worse than that of the Fighter. Even the _Commoner_’s list is better. (The Commoner is otherwise worst at everything.) Tarquin may have leavened his guards with a few Rogues trained in Spot, Listen and Sense Motive. Even so, the rank-and-file are going to be outclassed by Haley with a Potion of Glibness; her modifier is probably over +50 at this point. That qualifies her to get an effect equivalent to a _Suggestion_ spell, except it’s nonmagical. (That’s an Epic usage of Bluff, true, but Epic skill usages don’t require Epic character level; just the skill modifier.) I suspect that What Will Happen is that the guards will come in and round up the gladiators, and Elan will be dragged off with them. Haley won’t be able to talk them out of it because of the antimagic. ---
**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:** [January 16, 2011, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/1528 "2011-01-16T00:35:10Z")
Fun fact from the GitP forums: there really is a [yellow-footed rock wallaby](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yellow-footed_Rock-wallaby). I’ll bet he’s with the muskrat separatists. ---
**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:** [January 16, 2011, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/1529 "2011-01-16T02:04:01Z")
> [@](#): > > Not in 3.0 or 3.5. Everybody has at least one HD. I only played 3.0 for a few months. I’m used to everyone having half a HD, unless they actually have a level, for some reason. For a long, long time, almost 10 years, I played mostly the original D&D, with some additions from the 2nd edition AD&D sourcebooks. ---
**Author:** ![Grumman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2011, 7:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/1530 "2011-01-16T07:39:15Z")
> [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](#): > > Fun fact from the GitP forums: there really is a [yellow-footed rock wallaby](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yellow-footed_Rock-wallaby). I didn’t realise this was under debate. You northerners and your “normal” animals! ---
**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:** [January 16, 2011, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/1531 "2011-01-16T21:01:50Z")
Actually, I always figured Belkar as having about a 14 Int. Yeah, there are plenty of examples of him being an idiot, but they’re all a low-Wis sort of idiocy, not a low-Int sort, and he’s very cunning when it suits him. Oh, and he also seems to have some craft (trapmaking), judging from his duel with Miko. ---
**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:** [January 24, 2011, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/1532 "2011-01-24T16:51:17Z")
[New strip is up.](http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0769.html) Can’t be a coincidence that both fathers think alike. ---
**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:** [January 24, 2011, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/1533 "2011-01-24T17:02:01Z")
> [@Crowbar\_of\_Irony\_3](#): > > [New strip is up.](http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0769.html) > > Can’t be a coincidence that both fathers think alike. That’s gonna be a REALLY awkward rehearsal dinner… ---
**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:** [January 24, 2011, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/1534 "2011-01-24T18:24:40Z")
I just realized that if Roy and crowd decide to become brigands, they can change their name to The Order of the Stick-Up. ---
**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:** [January 24, 2011, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/1535 "2011-01-24T23:30:22Z")
You won’t believe what animal I saw today. No, really, [guess](http://www.palmbeachzoo.org/animals/yellow-footed-rock-wallaby.html). (You would believe it, with photographic proof, except that $#@%ing cell phone cameras are not my friend. All my pictures apparently suffered an existential crisis). ---
**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:** [January 24, 2011, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/1536 "2011-01-24T23:35:28Z")
> [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](#): > > You won’t believe what animal I saw today. > > No, really, [guess](http://www.palmbeachzoo.org/animals/yellow-footed-rock-wallaby.html). > > (You would believe it, with photographic proof, except that $#@%ing cell phone cameras are not my friend. All my pictures apparently suffered an existential crisis). From your link: > [@](#): > > Location at Palm Beach Zoo > > ``` > * Near the...Burmese python. > > ``` Why am I reminded of the Far Side cartoon [Trouble Brewing](http://s641.photobucket.com/albums/uu137/Kaltazar/Unsorted/?action=view¤t=FarSideTroubleBrewing2B0015B15D.jpg&newest=1)? ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2011, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/1537 "2011-01-25T01:24:30Z")
Wow, the first five minutes back with Dad, and already he’s annoying her. Guess you can take the boy out of Greysky City, but… ---
**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:** [January 25, 2011, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/1538 "2011-01-25T04:12:39Z")
> [@Leaper](#): > > Guess you can take the boy out of Greysky City, but… I think that’s the point. Ian never really got out of Greysky City - Tyrinaria/Empire of Blood is pretty much the same. The Starshines grew up in a setting where evil was the norm so they assumed everyone is evil. But Haley has now traveled around some and seen places where evil is not routine. She now realizes that good is a real possibility. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2011, 6:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/1539 "2011-01-25T06:38:36Z")
I just thought of something (probably already brought up on the GitP forum, but what the hell: wouldn’t it be interesting (and by “interesting” I mean “ultra-cool”) if Ian were to buy into Tarquin’s plan as a direct participant? ---
**Author:** ![Wolverine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ba9def/32.png) [@Wolverine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolverine)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2011, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/1540 "2011-01-26T23:40:21Z")
New strip is up. [#770](http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0770.html) As far as master plans go, not so good. Sorry Leaper, this one seems to contradict your theory. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323.md?page=76) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323.md?page=78)