OotS #385 is up

[Olaf the Stout]

I felt like that strip was more of a builder strip than the punchline one. Just setting the scene up for the next strip or two.

Olaf the Stout

 

[Brennin Magalus]

Nigh-immortality of elves and wizards aside, the problem lies in the cheater and not in every single person who chooses to humor them.

Amen to that.

 

[WhatGravitas]

I felt like that strip was more of a builder strip than the punchline one. Just setting the scene up for the next strip or two.

Olaf the Stout

Yeah, but a builder strip with a hefty dose of funny in it!

 

[orsal]

Oh, he can do damage. He just gets progressively weaker after he does so and the MoJ activates.

... or not, in which case he's about to learn that the Mark is a hoax.

 

[Falkus]

... or not, in which case he's about to learn that the Mark is a hoax.

What makes you think that?

 

[Nyaricus]

It just gets better and better. I can't wait for the next 3-5 strips Here's hoping for some doubles!

cheers,
--N

 

[Tiberius]

What makes you think that?

There's been some speculation that the "Mark of Justice" isn't the real McCoy due to the fact that it displays properties usually associated with Arcane Mark, specifically being invisible to the naked eye and becoming visible to those using Detect Magic. I tend to disagree with this assessment, as there's no good reason for them to have faked it (given Belkar's homicidal tendencies) and the SRD text of Mark of Justice mentions nothing about the mark having to be visible.

You draw an indelible mark on the subject and state some behavior on the part of the subject that will activate the mark.

This is the only line of the text dealing with the construction of the mark, and it only tells us that the mark must be drawn on the target and is indelible. There is no requirement that it must be drawn in ink rather than, say, lemon juice, which would be invisible.

The idea of having the mark appear if you were to hold Belkar's head over a flame is an amusing image.