# Order of the Stick book 7 discussion thread **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** comic-strips\ **Created:** [February 3, 2020, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-7-discussion-thread/847438 "2020-02-03T17:48:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 130
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2026, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-7-discussion-thread/847438/2584 "2026-01-09T15:37:52Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Nope, donkeys aren’t an option. Animal companions can be horse or pony, though. Of course, neither are cats (who can be familiars for arcane casters but not animal companions for druids or rangers) ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2026, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-7-discussion-thread/847438/2585 "2026-01-09T15:50:38Z")
House rules. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2026, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-7-discussion-thread/847438/2586 "2026-01-09T16:01:03Z")
I think all of those are options, you just have to agree with the DM on the details. ---
**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 10, 2026, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-7-discussion-thread/847438/2587 "2026-01-10T01:57:27Z")
> [@Babale](#): > > Of course, neither are cats (who can be familiars for arcane casters but not animal companions for druids or rangers) Which does open up another possibility by which Mr. Scruffy might be saved: Ordinarily, druids (or rangers) can choose from a few default animals, like a wolf or horse, or they can choose a more powerful animal, at the expense of a penalty to their effective level for the benefits the animal gains from being a companion (like, you can choose between a really souped-up wolf, or an out-of-the-box T. rex). Since a housecat is a less powerful animal than the default choices, Belkar might be treated as if he has a bonus to his level for Scruffy’s companion buffs, and so he might have more HD than he’s “supposed” to. > [@Jophiel](#): > > While the final panel is cool, it does feel over the top for what’ll likely be a single round daze (plus maybe a weaken) effect for most of them 😃 What’s nasty is that most fiends who can use Blasphemy, get it at will. Which means that if you’ve got one fiend who can use it, and an entire party that’s subject to it at all, that one fiend can keep on trading actions with the entire party forever. And if that one fiend has any allies at all, those allies can just keep on doing whatever they do forever without the party ever getting any chance to do anything to stop them. An enemy with at-will Blasphemy is a very definite “you must be at least this tall to ride” encounter. Though in this case, with Belkar and Serini unaffected, that might not work out so well for the Linear Guild. It’d effectively boil down to those two versus Thog and Sabine, while Nale keeps everyone else occupied, and both of the halflings fight dirty. Yet again, though, Nale really doesn’t actually want to destroy the Order. This is just about stopping them from killing him, and getting a little revenge in the process. ---
**Author:** ![blue\_infinity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blue_infinity/32/2817_2.png) [@blue\_infinity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blue_infinity)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2026, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-7-discussion-thread/847438/2588 "2026-01-26T15:06:05Z")
1339 - [Weak Interaction](https://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots1339.html) ---
**Author:** ![colinfred](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colinfred/32/21338_2.png) [@colinfred](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/colinfred)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2026, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-7-discussion-thread/847438/2589 "2026-01-26T15:10:48Z")
Scruffy’s still alive, so that’s good. Any way Rich could have done that without serious fudging? ---
**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:** [January 26, 2026, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-7-discussion-thread/847438/2590 "2026-01-26T15:18:41Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Yet again, though, Nale really doesn’t actually want to destroy the Order. This is just about stopping them from killing him, and getting a little revenge in the process. You may have spoken too soon. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2026, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-7-discussion-thread/847438/2591 "2026-03-02T14:30:41Z")
> **[1340 Down the Chute - Giant in the Playground Games](https://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots1340.html)** ---
**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:** [March 2, 2026, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-7-discussion-thread/847438/2592 "2026-03-02T15:10:01Z")
Crapped into The Abyss! ---
**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:** [March 2, 2026, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-7-discussion-thread/847438/2593 "2026-03-02T15:21:11Z")
32 days that time puts him behind the pace of the last 3 years. ---
**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:** [March 2, 2026, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-7-discussion-thread/847438/2594 "2026-03-02T19:30:15Z")
I like that as a devil/demon/whatever, Nale is able to see V in purely soul-form. And Nale of course , claims the “new guys” have joined the Guild, as if Nale was still in charge. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2026, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-7-discussion-thread/847438/2595 "2026-03-02T19:38:09Z")
I like the graphics in this strip ---
**Author:** ![blue\_infinity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blue_infinity/32/2817_2.png) [@blue\_infinity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blue_infinity)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2026, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-7-discussion-thread/847438/2596 "2026-03-26T13:17:19Z")
1341 - [Also Fully Biodegradable](https://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots1341.html) ---
**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:** [March 26, 2026, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-7-discussion-thread/847438/2597 "2026-03-26T14:30:02Z")
I forget just how resilient paladins can be. Even after the heavy-duty smack-down from Nale, they can keep going, albeit much reduced. ---
**Author:** ![Eonwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eonwe/32/240_2.png) [@Eonwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eonwe)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2026, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-7-discussion-thread/847438/2598 "2026-03-26T14:34:06Z")
“Tissue paper skin and balsa bones”. I like that. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2026, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-7-discussion-thread/847438/2599 "2026-03-26T14:55:19Z")
That’s from Larry Biden, isn’t it? “Man of steel, woman of tissue paper” ---
**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:** [March 26, 2026, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-7-discussion-thread/847438/2600 "2026-03-26T15:16:29Z")
Niven, but yeah. ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2026, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-7-discussion-thread/847438/2601 "2026-03-26T15:20:59Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > Larry Biden > [@silenus](#): > > Niven, but yeah C’mon, man! ---
**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:** [March 26, 2026, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-7-discussion-thread/847438/2602 "2026-03-26T15:31:02Z")
Niven wrote the well-known essay but it’s not as though he invented or has a monopoly on the idea that tissue paper is fragile or “like tissue paper” as a description of fragility. I’m unsure why O-Chul feels he can’t remove the contact lens from Sunny. ---
**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:** [March 26, 2026, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-7-discussion-thread/847438/2603 "2026-03-26T15:56:18Z")
Because he’s too weak? Almost paralyzed, can barely move at all? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-7-discussion-thread/847438.md?page=129) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-book-7-discussion-thread/847438.md?page=131)