# Order of the Stick - Book 6 Discussion Thread **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 3, 2014, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-6-discussion-thread/682755 "2014-03-03T16:07:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 272
**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:** [December 17, 2018, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-6-discussion-thread/682755/5422 "2018-12-17T14:39:35Z")
> [@Jophiel](#): > > The fan Wiki says he has 14-17 Int which makes sense but also gives him 13+ dexterity which I’m skeptical about and 8+ Constitution which is _technically_ true in that it’s over 8, but I’d say it’s well well over 8. Looking at Roy’s fight with Thog and against Tarquin’s army he does appear to be a tank, although whether that’s high Constitution or just a huge amount of hit points isn’t clear. I go back and forth on Dexterity - Roy is awfully good at flinging his sword but other than that doesn’t seem particularly dextrous, and the sword-flinging may be enhanced by the whole legacy weapon thing. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2018, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-6-discussion-thread/682755/5423 "2018-12-17T14:47:40Z")
Well, you don’t get a huge amount of hit points with a Constitution score of 8 😉 Does 3.5 have class minimums? I guess since it’d be hard to pin down his exact Constitution score, they may just be saying “It has to be at least 8”. Roy mentions that [he hasn’t touched a bow](http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0904.html) since his two mandated semesters of archery in Fighter College which makes me guess that his talents don’t lie in ranged (Dex) weapons. I don’t think he’s Durkon levels of Dexterity bad, but I wouldn’t pin it over 12 unless there’s a strip suggesting otherwise. ---
**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:** [December 17, 2018, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-6-discussion-thread/682755/5424 "2018-12-17T14:49:15Z")
If that information comes from the Class and Level Geekery thread, they’re very conservative in their assumptions. They only post numbers when there’s hard, solid evidence for that particular number. So everyone agrees that Roy probably has a pretty good Con, but we can’t tell just how “pretty good” it is, but someone, somewhere, found some piece of evidence that it absolutely cannot be below 8, so the listing says “8+”. **Alessan** , I would argue that the sorts of personality issues which would lead to flunking out of school are precisely the sort of thing that low Wisdom represents. ---
**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:** [December 17, 2018, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-6-discussion-thread/682755/5425 "2018-12-17T15:22:51Z")
> [@Jophiel](#): > > Nah. He’s smart but more like 15 or 16 smart. There’s the one early gag comic where the mind flayers are eating Roy’s brain but the obvious joke is that they are not going for the more intelligent Vaarsuvius’ brain. Since V indigently states that s/he has an 18 Int, you’re left to either assume that the mind flayers found something else yummy about it or that Roy, rather improbably, has a 19 or 20 Int. I dunno. Remember, Roy became a fighter rather than a wizard to spite his father, a mage. I think we were meant to understand that he was equally qualified for both professions, or even that he could have been a better magic-user than a fighter if his dad had been less of a jerk. **Chronos** , I’ve always understood Int and Wis to represent mental rather than psychological qualities. You can be brilliant and wise and still be a messed-up individual; in fact, half of western fiction is based on this premise. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2018, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-6-discussion-thread/682755/5426 "2018-12-17T16:17:23Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > I dunno. Remember, Roy became a fighter rather than a wizard to spite his father, a mage. I think we were meant to understand that he was equally qualified for both professions, or even that he could have been a better magic-user than a fighter if his dad had been less of a jerk. Eh, I wouldn’t assume that. His father wanted him to be a mage because he was a mage, not because Roy was uniquely gifted for it. Roy also went to fighter college because he was inspired by his grandfather; spiting his father was just a nice side effect. Roy has a higher than average intelligence but there’s no reason to assume that it’s as high as 18. Heck, most mages who are actually mages don’t have an 18 intelligence. Roy having a 15 or 16 intelligence would put him in line with a whole lot of arcane magic users. ---
**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:** [December 17, 2018, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-6-discussion-thread/682755/5427 "2018-12-17T17:02:30Z")
> [@Jophiel](#): > > That said, Roy did very well in the genetic 3d6 lottery with 18 (natural) strength, high constitution, moderately high intelligence and better than average wisdom and charisma. The only stat where he’s likely average is dexterity and he’s not bad at it, just not noteworthy. I question how high his wisdom is. Roy has definitely shown signs of not being particularly wise. He’s often made the mistake of assuming he understands a situation when he doesn’t. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2018, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-6-discussion-thread/682755/5428 "2018-12-17T17:37:31Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > I question how high his wisdom is. Roy has definitely shown signs of not being particularly wise. He’s often made the mistake of assuming he understands a situation when he doesn’t. The deva at Roy’s post-mortem judging [asks Roy](http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0490.html) why he never considered being a cleric and says that he has the stats to be competent at it. Given the context, I assume “halfway decent” means “better than average” since people with 10 WIS scores don’t tend to become clerics and the deva obviously thinks he would have been successful at it. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2018, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-6-discussion-thread/682755/5429 "2018-12-17T17:51:29Z")
Also, circumstantially, Roy has broken/resisted Durkon’s _Dominate Person_ effect which would be a Will save, keyed to Wisdom. And when Durkon was fighting Malack, he asks the cat if he could possibly bring back Roy, realizing that anyone else would probably get Dominated like Belkar. ---
**Author:** ![Uniqueorn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/uniqueorn/32/2807_2.png) [@Uniqueorn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uniqueorn)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2018, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-6-discussion-thread/682755/5430 "2018-12-17T17:52:02Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > But consider the MitD angle. Xykon planted a hidden compulsion with the MitD to attack Redcloak if Redcloak ever betrayed him. That means Xykon was considering that possibility at least four years ago and making plans for it. This shows that Xykon is capable of making long-term plans. Heck, the fact that he’s still trying to capture the Gates after thirty years shows that. > > Xykon isn’t Nale or Tarquin; he doesn’t form elaborate plans just for the sake of it. Ninety-nine percent of the time he solves problems by brute force because it works. But he is capable of other solutions in the one percent of the time when brute force won’t work. But does having a contingency plan that has not been triggered for several years make it a long-term plan? ---
**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:** [December 17, 2018, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-6-discussion-thread/682755/5431 "2018-12-17T17:53:11Z")
[1149 Enough Diamonds Already](http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots1149.html) ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2018, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-6-discussion-thread/682755/5432 "2018-12-17T17:55:46Z")
Ok… “lol” ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Shine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr_shine/32/464_2.png) [@Mr\_Shine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Shine)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2018, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-6-discussion-thread/682755/5433 "2018-12-17T17:56:39Z")
Totally saw that coming a mile off, but well played anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2018, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-6-discussion-thread/682755/5434 "2018-12-17T17:58:10Z")
Hey, _Raise Dead_ is only half the price of a _Resurrection_! ---
**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:** [December 17, 2018, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-6-discussion-thread/682755/5435 "2018-12-17T17:58:22Z")
Okay, it’s a joke that everyone saw coming. But could it actually be a problem, because doesn’t Hel now get his soul? I expect the Rule of Funny triumphs, but… ---
**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:** [December 17, 2018, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-6-discussion-thread/682755/5436 "2018-12-17T17:59:08Z")
I can’t prove it, but I knew something like that was going to happen. ---
**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:** [December 17, 2018, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-6-discussion-thread/682755/5437 "2018-12-17T18:02:15Z")
Don’t open til after reading the new strip does the double death and rez mean he loses two levels? ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2018, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-6-discussion-thread/682755/5438 "2018-12-17T18:02:19Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > Okay, it’s a joke that everyone saw coming. But could it actually be a problem, because doesn’t Hel now get his soul? I expect the Rule of Funny triumphs, but… If it’s anything like Roy’s afterlife, Durkon would actually kick around the outer plane area until he’s judged\*. Plus I don’t know if the deity ruling his destination plane really gets a say in whether or not he returns, provided Durkon is willing. I felt a little bad at her pushing Kudzu’s hand away from reaching for Durkon ☹ \*Granted, neither was previously judged as Roy was but I’d guess that Word of Thor trumps standard bureaucracy. ---
**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:** [December 17, 2018, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-6-discussion-thread/682755/5439 "2018-12-17T18:02:23Z")
BTW did anyone note that Durkon got resurrected with clothes, but Roy did not? ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Shine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr_shine/32/464_2.png) [@Mr\_Shine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Shine)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2018, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-6-discussion-thread/682755/5440 "2018-12-17T18:03:30Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > Okay, it’s a joke that everyone saw coming. But could it actually be a problem, because doesn’t Hel now get his soul? I expect the Rule of Funny triumphs, but… I think it’s been established that only the last death counts. For example Uncle Squeaky et al were raised. The implication being they were going to Hel, but now they might not. Same with Minrah, if she dies less than honourably after her raise, she misses out on Valhalla. ---
**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:** [December 17, 2018, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-6-discussion-thread/682755/5441 "2018-12-17T18:07:03Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > Okay, it’s a joke that everyone saw coming. But could it actually be a problem, because doesn’t Hel now get his soul? I expect the Rule of Funny triumphs, but… No, because being in hell doesn’t stop Raise Dead from working. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-6-discussion-thread/682755.md?page=271) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-6-discussion-thread/682755.md?page=273)