# The Order of the Stick **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 12, 2007, 11:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-order-of-the-stick/422454 "2007-10-12T11:16:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**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:** [October 12, 2007, 11:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-order-of-the-stick/422454/1 "2007-10-12T11:16:17Z")
First off, if you haven’t read it already, it’s a really good webcomic. Start [reading](http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0001.html) and catch up. Check out Erfworld also at the same site. If you have been reading the webcomic, you should also be reading the books. [_Start of Darkness_](http://www.giantitp.com/StartOfDarkness.html) just came out. It’s all new material that wasn’t posted on the website. It’s the history of Xykon and Redcloak - very good stuff that adds a lot to the story. I highly recommend it to any OOTS fans. And finally, if you have been following along, what do you think will be the big scene in the 500th strip (which is only eight strips away)? At this point, I can only see two possibilities. One is Roy’s resurrection and the other is Haley and Belkar reuniting with the rest of the group. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2007, 11:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-order-of-the-stick/422454/2 "2007-10-12T11:23:23Z")
Read it. Got all the books. I figure it’s GOT to be Roy’s being raised from the dead. He’ll get sent back for some twisted reason. Maybe due to some action of his fathers. Or his dad will appeal to him about completing the oath and getting him out of purgatory. Great webcomic. Truly gifted. ---
**Author:** ![Baldwin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baldwin/32/7264_2.png) [@Baldwin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baldwin)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2007, 11:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-order-of-the-stick/422454/3 "2007-10-12T11:32:04Z")
So, can you give us a rundown? From the one strip I saw, it looks like a spoof of Dungeons & Dragons, from the viewpoint of the characters (who are aware that they’re gaming characters). Is it mainly comedy? ---
**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:** [October 12, 2007, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-order-of-the-stick/422454/4 "2007-10-12T12:18:19Z")
It starts out as a D&D parody (a lot of jokes about rules and such) but over the course of the strip it gains a lot of depth. The humor is still there but there’s an actual story as well. ---
**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:** [October 12, 2007, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-order-of-the-stick/422454/5 "2007-10-12T12:36:03Z")
It’s still a parody. I’m expecting #500 to be Roy’s resurrection. So therefore it will be something else. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![beowulf573](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@beowulf573](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulf573)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2007, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-order-of-the-stick/422454/6 "2007-10-12T12:45:04Z")
A friend of mine works on the OOTS game and has a badge from a game convention with a drawing of himself as an OOTS character by Rich. I think he framed it. 🙂 I love the strip, he’s really gone beyond just being a D&D parody and has created a great group of characters. Hopefully he can keep it going. ---
**Author:** ![smiling\_bandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2007, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-order-of-the-stick/422454/7 "2007-10-12T13:11:39Z")
I love Miko. Obviously, she has her issues, but I that’s why I want her to succeed - eventually. And learn a little [del]humiliation[/del] humility along the way. ---
**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:** [October 12, 2007, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-order-of-the-stick/422454/8 "2007-10-12T13:22:21Z")
I’m thinking I’m gonna have to register over on the OoTS boards, because there’s something that’s been driving me crazy. Roy dies for the first time, and his bureaucratic deva goes through his paperwork for admittance into the afterlife – including the Blood Oath stuff – so that he can use the revolving door when he dies in the future. Eugene, according to Start of Darkness, died a whole bunch of times (check out his tombstone) – but apparently his first meeting with _his_ bureaucratic deva was on his last death… when _he_ found out that the Blood Oath would keep him out of the afterlife. What, bureaucratic procedures change between their two deaths? Eugene should’ve learned the downside to the Blood Oath the first time he died, just like Roy did. Gah. ---
**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:** [October 12, 2007, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-order-of-the-stick/422454/9 "2007-10-12T15:10:55Z")
Who says you remember what happens to you between deaths? ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2007, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-order-of-the-stick/422454/10 "2007-10-12T15:18:23Z")
Maybe they’ll finally reveal Varsuvius’ actual gender. ---
**Author:** ![Balance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Balance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balance)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2007, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-order-of-the-stick/422454/11 "2007-10-12T15:28:34Z")
[QUOTE=Antinor01] Maybe they’ll finally reveal Varsuvius’ actual gender. [/QUOTE] It’ll never happen. Or it will happen, and later be revealed to have only been Belkar’s nightmare, or something. I would guess that #500 will feature Roy’s resurrection, and that he will probably be fed up with Celestia by that point. Given the frequency with which I’m wrong about the strip, however, I know better than to put any confidence in that guess. I’m just going to continue savoring Eugene’s smackdown until then. ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2007, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-order-of-the-stick/422454/12 "2007-10-12T15:53:11Z")
Hey, Roy is the good guy, here. Lawful good, to be exact. He’s expecting resurrection. He’s expecting to go back to fighting the bad guys. So he doesn’t need to get fed up with heaven or dragged back to the blood oath in order to cooperate with resurrection. He’s a responsible guy and he’s expecting to do the responsible thing. That said, I really enjoyed getting to see him allowed into heaven when his father wasn’t. I’m glad he got that confirmation. I also enjoyed the boost he got from seeing his father’s face when he was allowed in. ---
**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:** [October 12, 2007, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-order-of-the-stick/422454/13 "2007-10-12T16:04:29Z")
[QUOTE=E-Sabbath] Who says you remember what happens to you between deaths? [/QUOTE] Eugene’s bureaucratic deva should have remembered. In fact, he should have already met with Eugene just like Roy’s deva did – Eugene was an adventurer, too, and would have used the revolving door as well. Or would have, if his Blood Oath wouldn’t have prevented it. But the first time his Blood Oath causes any afterlife problems is apparently after several times dead. What’s cool is that I think it’s unusual that there’s even a quibble to be made here. The Giant is very good at consistency. ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2007, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-order-of-the-stick/422454/14 "2007-10-12T16:17:26Z")
[QUOTE=Little Nemo] First off, if you haven’t read it already, it’s a really good webcomic. Start [reading](http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0001.html) and catch up. Check out [Erfworld](http://www.giantitp.com/comics/erf0001.html) also at the same site. [/QUOTE] Definitely. (Link to start of Erfworld story added to quote.) > [@](#): > > If you have been reading the webcomic, you should also be reading the books. [_Start of Darkness_](http://www.giantitp.com/StartOfDarkness.html) just came out. It’s all new material that wasn’t posted on the website. It’s the history of Xykon and Redcloak - very good stuff that adds a lot to the story. I highly recommend it to any OOTS fans. That (and some of the events of the Battle of Azure City arc in the webcomic) definitely elevate Xykon from “villainous buffoon” to “dangerous evil SOB”. > [@](#): > > And finally, if you have been following along, what do you think will be the big scene in the 500th strip (which is only eight strips away)? At this point, I can only see two possibilities. One is Roy’s resurrection and the other is Haley and Belkar reuniting with the rest of the group. Getting to either of those points in nine pages (it’s now on [#492](http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0492.html)) might be a bit tricky (unless the next few pages have a lot of double or even triple strips). ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2007, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-order-of-the-stick/422454/15 "2007-10-12T16:23:33Z")
[QUOTE=Yllaria] Hey, Roy is the good guy, here. Lawful good, to be exact. He’s expecting resurrection. He’s expecting to go back to fighting the bad guys. So he doesn’t need to get fed up with heaven or dragged back to the blood oath in order to cooperate with resurrection. He’s a responsible guy and he’s expecting to do the responsible thing. [/QUOTE] He said a while ago that he was after Xykon because of his threat to the world, and if it were just a matter of the blood oath Eugene could [shove it up his “wrinkled incorporeal ass”](http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0293.html). ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2007, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-order-of-the-stick/422454/16 "2007-10-15T13:40:52Z")
So… anybody else have a certain Tom Lehrer tune stuck in their heads after [the latest strip](http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0494.html)? ---
**Author:** ![Baldwin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baldwin/32/7264_2.png) [@Baldwin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baldwin)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2007, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-order-of-the-stick/422454/17 "2007-10-15T15:32:50Z")
[QUOTE=Steve MB] So… anybody else have a certain Tom Lehrer tune stuck in their heads after [the latest strip](http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0494.html)? [/QUOTE] He really loved his mother. ---
**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:** [October 15, 2007, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-order-of-the-stick/422454/18 "2007-10-15T15:40:56Z")
The title of this one is vaguly disturbing: **DMILF** ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2007, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-order-of-the-stick/422454/19 "2007-10-15T15:48:52Z")
[QUOTE=Hal Briston] The title of this one is vaguly disturbing: **DMILF** [/QUOTE] And the one before that ([“Led Zeppelin Lied to Us All”](http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0493.html)) opposite the reveal of the [“Knights In Stanley’s Service”](http://www.giantitp.com/comics/erf0082.html) in Erfworld really rocked the joint. ---
**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:** [October 15, 2007, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-order-of-the-stick/422454/20 "2007-10-15T16:13:46Z")
[QUOTE=Hal Briston] The title of this one is vaguly disturbing: **DMILF** [/QUOTE] Julia’s (dead) mom has got it goin’ on. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-order-of-the-stick/422454.md?page=2)