# Order of the Stick General Discussion Thread (Open Spoilers and Speculation) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 2, 2009, 7:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-general-discussion-thread-open-spoilers-and-speculation/484096 "2009-02-02T07:39:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 74
**Author:** ![Just\_Some\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ad7895/32.png) [@Just\_Some\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Some_Guy)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2009, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-general-discussion-thread-open-spoilers-and-speculation/484096/1461 "2009-06-02T20:46:22Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > The Cloister spell may be preventing the summoning. Also, he really doesn’t have any place to ride it at the moment. He’s been in a cage, or strapped to a rack most of the time since the fall of Azure City, and right now he’s more or less trapped at the top of a tower. The paladin mounts can’t fly, so the mount isn’t much use at the moment. He might not have enough levels in paladin as well. ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2009, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-general-discussion-thread-open-spoilers-and-speculation/484096/1462 "2009-06-02T20:50:17Z")
Also, I’m still pretty sure that O-Chul is dead meat. Ooooh, after he’s dead, could he be turned into a death knight or some such? ---
**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:** [June 2, 2009, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-general-discussion-thread-open-spoilers-and-speculation/484096/1463 "2009-06-02T20:56:24Z")
> [@Ogre](#): > > Also, I’m still pretty sure that O-Chul is dead meat. > > Ooooh, after he’s dead, could he be turned into a death knight or some such? (S)O(th)-Chul? ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2009, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-general-discussion-thread-open-spoilers-and-speculation/484096/1464 "2009-06-02T21:00:28Z")
zackly. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2009, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-general-discussion-thread-open-spoilers-and-speculation/484096/1465 "2009-06-02T22:04:42Z")
> [@Just\_Some\_Guy](#): > > He might not have enough levels in paladin as well. You only need 5 levels in Paladin to be able to summon a celestial mount, and I’m 99% certain O-Chul has more levels in Paladin than that. However, an interesting follow-up question: is he a high-enough level Paladin to have taken an improved mount, and gotten something like a pegasus. 😃 But, yeah, the Cloister spell might foil summoning the mount in the first place. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2009, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-general-discussion-thread-open-spoilers-and-speculation/484096/1466 "2009-06-02T22:05:49Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > The Cloister spell may be preventing the summoning. Cloister specifically [does not block summoning spells](http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0532.html) from within the Cloister. It appears from that comic that the Cloister field can suddenly disappear; it’s possible, if Xykon flees or is incapacitated, that the others will be able to teleport in, if they can find someone to cast the spell. ---
**Author:** ![Grumman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2009, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-general-discussion-thread-open-spoilers-and-speculation/484096/1467 "2009-06-02T22:23:13Z")
> [@Just\_Some\_Guy](#): > > He might not have enough levels in paladin as well. Or his build might have swapped the ability for something else, if he expected to fight on foot all the time. ---
**Author:** ![Lightray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightray/32/391_2.png) [@Lightray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightray)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2009, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-general-discussion-thread-open-spoilers-and-speculation/484096/1468 "2009-06-02T22:33:44Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > You only need 5 levels in Paladin to be able to summon a celestial mount, and I’m 99% certain O-Chul has more levels in Paladin than that. Yeah, he’s obviously been Smiting Evil very effectively, and that’s based on Paladin level. (as is uses/day, although I don’t recall how often O-Chul has Smiten Evil.) I just figured he took one of the builds that swaps out a paladin’s mount for some other benefit. _grumbles_ apparently, **Grumman** took levels in Ninja. ---
**Author:** ![Grumman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2009, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-general-discussion-thread-open-spoilers-and-speculation/484096/1469 "2009-06-02T22:43:02Z")
> [@Lightray](#): > > _grumbles_ apparently, **Grumman** took levels in Ninja. Ninja is for suckers. Real Men take levels in Iaijutsu Master. ---
**Author:** ![Fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bc8723/32.png) [@Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fish)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2009, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-general-discussion-thread-open-spoilers-and-speculation/484096/1470 "2009-06-02T22:44:05Z")
Okay, that I hadn’t thought of before: Xykon is a necromancer. If he kills either Vaarsuvius or O-Chul, he’d probably just raise their corpses and add them to his horde. (It certainly fits his style; that’s what he did with his family, with Professor X, with Lirian, and with everybody else who opposed him.) That changes the face of the possible outcomes, here. ---
**Author:** ![Lightray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightray/32/391_2.png) [@Lightray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightray)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2009, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-general-discussion-thread-open-spoilers-and-speculation/484096/1471 "2009-06-02T22:49:13Z")
Xykon isn’t a necromancer; Xykon is an epic sorcerer, with _raise dead_ as one of his spells. Couple more zombies isn’t a particularly impressive addition to a horde. Unless they’re _flying_ zombies, of course. Revolutionize the whole industry, that. > [@Grumman](#): > > Ninja is for suckers. Real Men take levels in Iaijutsu Master. Well, sure… if they’re _twinks_. Sheesh, couldn’t find something more broken than Iaijutsu Focus to exploit? 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bc8723/32.png) [@Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fish)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2009, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-general-discussion-thread-open-spoilers-and-speculation/484096/1472 "2009-06-02T23:11:03Z")
No, it wouldn’t revolutionize Xykon’s hordes; but I believe it would add an extra step to bringing Vaarsuvius or O-Chul back from the dead were either raised as a zombie. Would Rich go that far? ---
**Author:** ![Lightray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightray/32/391_2.png) [@Lightray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightray)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2009, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-general-discussion-thread-open-spoilers-and-speculation/484096/1473 "2009-06-02T23:24:45Z")
I don’t think we’ll see that plot point happening for the simple fact that Rich _already did it_ – with having Roy’s corpse turned into a bone golem. And corpse-into-bonegolem is funnier than corpse-into-zombie, really. ---
**Author:** ![Fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bc8723/32.png) [@Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fish)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2009, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-general-discussion-thread-open-spoilers-and-speculation/484096/1474 "2009-06-03T00:16:45Z")
If you’re right, **Lightray** , then it’s even more telling: if Rich is going to _avoid_ zombifying O-Chul and Vaarsuvius, it strongly suggests that they won’t die — or if they do, they won’t leave clean corpses. That’s what I mean by changing the face of the possible outcomes; it allows us to eliminate certain courses of future plot. ---
**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:** [June 3, 2009, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-general-discussion-thread-open-spoilers-and-speculation/484096/1475 "2009-06-03T00:25:23Z")
He also did it with the evil goth girl and Miko. ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2009, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-general-discussion-thread-open-spoilers-and-speculation/484096/1476 "2009-06-03T00:31:54Z")
> [@Fish](#): > > If you’re right, **Lightray** , then it’s even more telling: if Rich is going to _avoid_ zombifying O-Chul and Vaarsuvius, it strongly suggests that they won’t die — or if they do, they won’t leave clean corpses. That’s what I mean by changing the face of the possible outcomes; it allows us to eliminate certain courses of future plot. O-Chul seems to be planning on doing as much damage to team evil as he can before they take him out. I don’t see him choosing to escape (which he as much said in the latest strip). ---
**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:** [June 3, 2009, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-general-discussion-thread-open-spoilers-and-speculation/484096/1477 "2009-06-03T02:17:26Z")
> [@Lightray](#): > > Couple more zombies isn’t a particularly impressive addition to a horde. Unless they’re _flying_ zombies, of course. Revolutionize the whole industry, that. > [@Fish](#): > > No, it wouldn’t revolutionize Xykon’s hordes; I think that was a reference to one comic where Xykon zombified some fliers and made the “Revolutionize the whole industry !” comment. EDIT : [Here](http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0193.html), in fact. ---
**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:** [June 4, 2009, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-general-discussion-thread-open-spoilers-and-speculation/484096/1478 "2009-06-04T00:13:19Z")
Being as we seem to have a general discussion going on here, I’d like to re-open a [topic](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=505851) I mentioned a few months back: > [@](#): > > **What are the nine sides in OOTS?** > In Order of the Stick [548](http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0548.html), one of the demon roachs says that there are at least nine sides in the central conflict of the strip. > > Now that particular strip was talking about Xykon and Redcloak - they’re working together but they have different goals. So that’s two sides. > > The Order of the Stick itself is another side. It’s opposing both Xykon and Redcloak. > > Hinjo and the Sapphire Guard seem to have some differences with Roy and the OOTS about how this thing should be handled so that might count. > > The [last time](http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0458.html) we saw Nale, it appeared the Linear Guild was going to make a play for the Snarl. > > Maybe the Snarl itself would count as a faction. > > But this is only six possible sides we’ve seen. So either there’s going to be more factions being introduced or some of the existing factions will split up. > > We haven’t seen Girard’s or Kraagor’s Gates yet so we don’t know what the situations are there. So they might be the source of new factions. > > The Order is currently split up so they might end up having different directions. And we’ve seen hints that Sabine is keeping secrets from Nale. > > We’ve also seen a couple of mentions of the Holey Brotherhood being involved at the heart of all this with no explanation of who they are. Obviously, one new faction has emerged; the Inter-Fiend Cooperation Commission has entered the game. I’d like to see anyone’s opinions on this. But I’d rather do it here rather than add my previous thread to Xykon’s forces. ---
**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:** [June 4, 2009, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-general-discussion-thread-open-spoilers-and-speculation/484096/1479 "2009-06-04T00:33:28Z")
> [@Captain\_Carrot](#): > > You can order it online. I guess I’m gonna have to- because Barnes and Noble doesn’t have it either. _grrr_ ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2009, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-general-discussion-thread-open-spoilers-and-speculation/484096/1480 "2009-06-04T00:43:11Z")
Once again. LG NG CG NG TN CN LE NE CE I understand there _may_ be a double meaning, but it’s a direct reference. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-general-discussion-thread-open-spoilers-and-speculation/484096.md?page=73) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/order-of-the-stick-general-discussion-thread-open-spoilers-and-speculation/484096.md?page=75)