Order of the Stick #407!

[I'm A Banana]

How often does the chinese zodiac get to order take out on someone's paladinhood?

Indeed, I think a lot of Azure City has shown us just how well you can blend the Asian and European motifs in D&D....

 

[Jakar]

Clearly it does to him.

People, IMO, just have to realise that it is a comic. It does not have to follow the rules of d&d or the zodiac to be funny.

 

[jeffh]

[sblock]There was an argument on a thread a while ago which weighed morality based upon intent, act and consequence. Some held that an act was evil if the intent and the act were evil, others discounted intent and held consequences to be of the most import. One example given was a woodsman cutting down a tree which fell upon, and killed, a child. The "consequence basis of morality" held that because an evil result came from cutting down the tree, then the action of cutting was evil.

In this strip, the consequence of Shojo dying does not occur until after the withdrawl of grace, so it is not his death that makes Miko's act evil. This strip seems to support the argument that intent and action are the more important factors in determining an action's morality.[/sblock]

So someone WAS nearly that silly, in other words.

The above is not what people, including myself, who believe in consequence-based ethics normally hold; it looks more like an unfriendly caricature of it. The view is (most plausibly) based on the reasonably expected consequences of one's actions; you don't hold bizarre flukes against someone.

 

[Pbartender]

IIRC, isn't the punishment death? That might give Belkar some pause.

Nope... "The effect of the mark is identical with the effect of bestow curse."

Bestow curse is just:

"You place a curse on the subject. Choose one of the following three effects.

* -6 decrease to an ability score (minimum 1).
* -4 penalty on attack rolls, saves, ability checks, and skill checks.
* Each turn, the target has a 50% chance to act normally; otherwise, it takes no action.

You may also invent your own curse, but it should be no more powerful than those described above."

 

[Argus Decimus Mokira]

I think people using a comic that shows one person's interpretation of the (rather open-ended ) descriptions of paladinhood as an argumentative smack-down is funnier than the actual strip. Not funny ha-ha, either.

-Matt

 

[Plane Sailing]

I enjoy the juxtaposition between poorly-roleplayed paladin (Miko)...

FWIW I would consider Miko to be a particularly well-roleplayed paladin. I would admire and encourage a player who managed to act out a role of a PC on the edge, teetering and tottering towards it, rather than just automatically filling the cookie-cutter role that might be expected of them.

Cheers

 

[Nifft]

Miko and Belkar are an interesting contrast: they're both fueled by anger and resentment, but Belkar knows and embraces the dark origin of his motivation... while I think Miko has just realized it for the first time.

It'll be interesting to see what she does with this knowledge.

Cheers, -- N

 

[Pbartender]

Judgement without thought,
Sepia tone samurai.
Repentant? Fallen.​

 

[Hypersmurf]

Judgement without thought,
Sepia tone samurai.
Repentant? Fallen.​

Must slay the traitor!
I know what Shojo's up to!
Killing him solves...
Oops.

-Hyp.

 

[LoneWolf23]

Miko and Belkar are an interesting contrast: they're both fueled by anger and resentment, but Belkar knows and embraces the dark origin of his motivation... while I think Miko has just realized it for the first time.

It'll be interesting to see what she does with this knowledge.

Cheers, -- N

...And thus we have a good reason for Nale recruiting her into the Linear Guild.. As a counterpoint to Belkar.