Order of the Stick #796: Smash

[wingsandsword]

I was saying that too, at least about 1:1 matches. Considering Roy beat away Thog the last time they had a "duel"... For once, the Linear Guild looks like they'll actually have a chance of winning.

Yeah, Roy's down (and quite possibly out). . .V is losing to Z, Haley is defeated, and Elan is on the run from Nale and Sabine.

They'd need a deus ex machina to keep them from being wiped out right now. Most likely results:

1. Girard shows up. He's had some kind of past with Tarqin, and he's an Epic-level wizard (illusionist), and we know that epic-level casters are pretty dang rare in this setting, so he could be invisible the entire time watching this, or could have scryed and divined who the OotS are (especially after his warning beacon in the desert went off, like how Shojo had the OotS scryed after the destruction of Dorukan's Gate).

2. Belkar and Durkon save the day. Z is only winning because he's highly optimized specifically to take out V so involvement from one of those two tips the tide of battle, a Heal spell (especially with the Reach Spell metamagic) would change the tide of the Roy/Thog battle (and since Thog broke the rules of the duel by attacking after Roy surrendered, Durkon might be able to cut through his too-LG-for-his-own-good limitations to help Roy) or a Dispel Evil could eliminate Sabine from the fight. Belkar is still pretty strong and if he knows what is happening to Mr. Scruffy, expect him to Rage as well. I kind of see Belkar as actually dying in this encounter, since the Oracle has made it very clear Belkar will die permanently, and soon.

3. Tarquin intervenes. He apparently won't stop the Z vs. V fight, but if he knew Nale was after Elan he might get involved there since Nale is still a wanted criminal in the Empire of Blood, or since Thog appears to have broken the rules of the arena he could have an excuse to finally have him killed. We know Tarquin wants Thog dead, he just needs a reason to sic his soldiers at him since he's strong enough in a one-on-one fight to take on anything Tarquin can throw at him as a gladiatorial fight.

 

[CotV]

Damn..... Do not break Thogs Tusk!

 

[Scott DeWar]

with
Roy down, i wonder if a certain female winged being with lightning crackleing from her finger tips might show up?

 

[Orius]

Tarquin intervenes. He apparently won't stop the Z vs. V fight, but if he knew Nale was after Elan he might get involved there since Nale is still a wanted criminal in the Empire of Blood, or since Thog appears to have broken the rules of the arena he could have an excuse to finally have him killed. We know Tarquin wants Thog dead, he just needs a reason to sic his soldiers at him since he's strong enough in a one-on-one fight to take on anything Tarquin can throw at him as a gladiatorial fight.

And about Tarquin, right now, he's sitting alone, and he sent his guards out to deal with V and Z. I wonder if Nale is watching and might try to use the opportunity to stick it to the old man while he's apparently undefended.

 

[frankthedm]

But that last panel in the previous comic having an actual mechanical effect is total bs.

Not if Thog has stunning fist. Being stunned is an automatic disarm. The chatter about Thog indicated he was VERY powerful, so a near epic fighter barbarian Frenzied Barbarian monk mush-pot is within possibility.

 

[blargney the second]

You don't even have to be a monk to take Stunning Fist - it's certainly possible that Thog's got that one.

 

[SnowleopardVK]

Belkar and Durkon save the day. Z is only winning because he's highly optimized specifically to take out V so involvement from one of those two tips the tide of battle, a Heal spell (especially with the Reach Spell metamagic) would change the tide of the Roy/Thog battle (and since Thog broke the rules of the duel by attacking after Roy surrendered, Durkon might be able to cut through his too-LG-for-his-own-good limitations to help Roy) or a Dispel Evil could eliminate Sabine from the fight. Belkar is still pretty strong and if he knows what is happening to Mr. Scruffy, expect him to Rage as well. I kind of see Belkar as actually dying in this encounter, since the Oracle has made it very clear Belkar will die permanently, and soon.

I don't see Durkon saving the day, mostly because he already wiped the floor with the Linear Guild last time they fought in Cliffport. Mechanically it makes sense that he'd be able to do it again, but story-wise it seems unlikely. Not to mention the final Linear Guild member, Durkon's Opposite, has yet to even make an appearance.

Belkar finally taking advantage of his own ability to rage on the other hand... Well that's personally what I'm hoping for.

 

[Kannon]

This could well be Belkar's time to go out in a blaze of glory, with Durkon fixing up Haley and Elan to wipe out the mage and other rogue. Which would be pretty awesome.

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

You don't even have to be a monk to take Stunning Fist - it's certainly possible that Thog's got that one.

And that Roy failed a FORTITUDE save DC that factors in Thog's Wisdom score?

I thought an author's supposed to maintain his audience's willing suspension of disbelief?

 

[SnowleopardVK]

And that Roy failed a FORTITUDE save DC that factors in Thog's Wisdom score?

I thought an author's supposed to maintain his audience's willing suspension of disbelief?

To be fair to Thog, Nale said a long time ago that Int was his dump stat. Thog's Wisdom score has never actually been brought up as far as I know, the discussion has always been about Intelligence. For all we know Thog might have decent (or at least near-average) Wisdom.

On the other hand having both Wis and Int as dump stats could explain Thog's phenomenal combat prowess compared to Roy, who seems to be relatively balanced in all his ability scores.