# 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:** 98
**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:** [April 12, 2011, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/1941 "2011-04-12T15:02:11Z")
> [@shantih](#): > > I don’t think it could be a relative of the MITD – the MITD (or CITD) seems to be a very young one of its kind and appears larger than the Champ here, based on where its eyes are placed. I wonder about Thog; he’s quite a good fighter, but is he ferocious and strong enough to be the unknown fighter here? I can’t think of anyone else we’ve already encountered who could be in that armor. I suppose we’ll know soon enough. > > ::drums fingers impatiently:: Thog’s a barbarian. In berserker mode, he’d be pretty tough. ---
**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:** [April 12, 2011, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/1942 "2011-04-12T15:04:10Z")
> [@shantih](#): > > I don’t think it could be a relative of the MITD – the MITD (or CITD) seems to be a very young one of its kind … I’ve never thought of it as young-- more like it was spellbound, or perhaps took a good, brain-scrambling shot to the head at some point. ---
**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:** [April 12, 2011, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/1943 "2011-04-12T15:27:47Z")
I’m betting on it being Complains-of-Names. 🙂 ---
**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:** [April 12, 2011, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/1944 "2011-04-12T16:12:15Z")
Heh. ---
**Author:** ![shantih](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f6c823/32.png) [@shantih](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shantih)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2011, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/1945 "2011-04-12T17:25:40Z")
> [@Hypno-Toad](#): > > If it is Thog, they can distract him with puppies and ice cream. thog would be a good puppy-daddy. > [@chorpler](#): > > I’m betting on it being Complains-of-Names. 🙂 If we see a purple IME blazing out of those eyeholes, we’ll know for sure! ---
**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:** [April 12, 2011, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/1946 "2011-04-12T17:30:26Z")
It’s a bit out of character for Thog or another barbarian to wear armor that heavy, though. They don’t get heavy armor proficiency by default, and even if they take the feat for it, they lose their faster movement rate in heavy armor. ---
**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:** [April 12, 2011, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/1947 "2011-04-12T18:05:14Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > It’s a bit out of character for Thog or another barbarian to wear armor that heavy, though. They don’t get heavy armor proficiency by default, and even if they take the feat for it, they lose their faster movement rate in heavy armor. When you’re a gladiator, you don’t get much choice. ---
**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:** [April 12, 2011, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/1948 "2011-04-12T18:08:23Z")
I think it’s a new character that we’ve never seen before, and will probably only appear in a few strips and never be seen again. ---
**Author:** ![Jragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Jragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jragon)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2011, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/1949 "2011-04-12T18:14:15Z")
Could it be Nale? Tarquin, like Elan, is a sucker for drama. And having Elan’s brother pop up during his welcome party would certainly be dramatic. ---
**Author:** ![Grumman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2011, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/1950 "2011-04-12T18:22:58Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > It’s a bit out of character for Thog or another barbarian to wear armor that heavy, though. They don’t get heavy armor proficiency by default, and even if they take the feat for it, they lose their faster movement rate in heavy armor. You mean there are Barbarians that _don’t_ swap Fast Movement out for Pounce? ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2011, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/1951 "2011-04-12T18:28:18Z")
> [@Jragon](#): > > Could it be Nale? Tarquin, like Elan, is a sucker for drama. And having Elan’s brother pop up during his welcome party would certainly be dramatic. Doubtful considering that the bounty hunters confused Elan for Nale just a couple of days ago (implying that Nale is still on the loose) and the champion has clearly been around for a while. Not only that, but Nale’s build (multi-class fighter/rogue/sorceror who specializes in enchantment spells) doesn’t seem like the material needed for building a feared gladiator. Elan once took him down with a rapier. ---
**Author:** ![Jragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Jragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jragon)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2011, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/1952 "2011-04-12T18:38:13Z")
> [@Finagle](#): > > Doubtful considering that the bounty hunters confused Elan for Nale just a couple of days ago (implying that Nale is still on the loose) and the champion has clearly been around for a while. Not only that, but Nale’s build (multi-class fighter/rogue/sorceror who specializes in enchantment spells) doesn’t seem like the material needed for building a feared gladiator. Elan once took him down with a rapier. It could be a legacy role, every time the Champion dies they sweep it under the rug and replace him. In addition, there could have been other Bounty Hunters that actually found Nale in the meantime. But Occam’s Razor and all that. ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2011, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/1953 "2011-04-12T18:59:08Z")
> [@Jragon](#): > > It could be a legacy role, every time the Champion dies they sweep it under the rug and replace him. In addition, there could have been other Bounty Hunters that actually found Nale in the meantime. But Occam’s Razor and all that. Well, if the Champion dies, it would be in the arena, so that would have to be a mighty big rug. It would certainly satisfy Elan’s sense of dramatic irony if Champion was someone the Order had run into before, but most of the actual fighters they’ve run across are now dead, Thog being the most notable exception. ---
**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:** [April 12, 2011, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/1954 "2011-04-12T19:02:24Z")
> [@shantih](#): > > If we see a purple IME blazing out of those eyeholes, we’ll know for sure! Or if we hear it say “GRAAAAAAAAAAAH!” ---
**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:** [April 12, 2011, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/1955 "2011-04-12T19:05:54Z")
> [@Jragon](#): > > It could be a legacy role, every time the Champion dies they sweep it under the rug and replace him. “I,” he said, “am not the real Dread Champion Roberts.” ---
**Author:** ![Jragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Jragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jragon)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2011, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/1956 "2011-04-12T19:30:43Z")
> [@Finagle](#): > > Well, if the Champion dies, it would be in the arena, so that would have to be a mighty big rug. > > It would certainly satisfy Elan’s sense of dramatic irony if Champion was someone the Order had run into before, but most of the actual fighters they’ve run across are now dead, Thog being the most notable exception. Eh, there’s plenty of magical trickery in the D&D world that I’m sure could make it look like he was alive. Like if it looked like he was down, someone cast an Animate Dead from the rafters, and he won, then gracefully had the enchantment wear off under the pit. Would make one hell of a “dramatic comeback” too for the spectators. ---
**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:** [April 15, 2011, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/1957 "2011-04-15T22:38:36Z")
[New strip.](http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0787.html) Love the Queen riff. And Roy’s so considerate. ---
**Author:** ![shantih](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f6c823/32.png) [@shantih](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shantih)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2011, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/1958 "2011-04-15T22:58:07Z")
Hee! Love the title of this strip – now my only problem will be getting the earworm out of my brain. Nice reveal, nice underlining of Roy’s moral compass. Can’t wait to see what comes next! ---
**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:** [April 15, 2011, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/1959 "2011-04-15T23:07:43Z")
Easy. Elan is going to intervene on Thog’s behalf, on account of how they got to be buddies when Elan escaped from chokey. ---
**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:** [April 15, 2011, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323/1960 "2011-04-15T23:46:33Z")
I did not think it would be him. \ [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323.md?page=97) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-5-discussion-thread/508323.md?page=99)