Friendship is Dragons
Updates Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays
Page 329 - Unaligned Harmony
Author Notes:
Notice: Guest comic submissions are open! Guidelines here. Deadline: February 20th.
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64 Comments:
So is Saturday the first guest comic, or the last regular comic? Which day are we looking at the transition?
This storyline has had one of the longest endings to date, used to very good effect. I keep wondering what else has been left to say and it keeps turning out to be something worthwhile.
I was hoping Spike's daydream sequence would be used as part of a fight, and that the Parasprite thing would come back up. I guess that would make it too complicated though.
Parasprite revenge could make for an amusing punchline to the whole story arc, though I think it would be a bit out of place here.
Time to find out if you and I are still monopolizing today's comment section.
...Wow. I guess those kidnappers were worth every penny I paid them.
Time to find out if you and I are still monopolizing today's comment section.
...Wow. I guess those kidnappers were worth every penny I paid them.
I told you man! My people are the best.
... Wait... kidnap? oh... aaahhhhhhh... I really hope you don't want to see those people again..
... Wait... kidnap? oh... aaahhhhhhh... I really hope you don't want to see those people again..
This conversation between Applejack and Rarity should be required reading for every player that runs a rogue and everyone that plays alongside them.
Agreed. PCs who work along-side their teammates and provide the stealth and recon for the mission are rogues.
PCs who keep stealing from other players and antagonizing the team are jerks.
PCs who keep stealing from other players and antagonizing the team are jerks.
True and very important, but I thought it made one other worthwhile point. Playing a rogue isn't a license for other players to stalk every move, perform hourly shakedowns, or otherwise abuse the character based on her or his talents.
Oooh, a VERY important point indeed!
In fact, that very point was the headliner of why my group's last D&D game broke down. My wife was playing a rogue (flavored as a ninja, but IC she claimed to be an adventurer). Because of meta-thinking, she got a lot of untrusting glares and assumptions that she was just a theif from party members.
Ended in a heated out-of-character fight when she came up with a plan to sneak into a fort and it was declared "too complicated" because it required prep time, disguises, and sneak skill checks.
I mean, at the heart of it, what *IS* a rogue? The concept that they're just thieving brigands out for themselves and anything they can steal is too narrowminded a definition. Yes, many rogues are simply thieving brigands, but in a more broad sense they should be the type of class of adventurer that relies not on their sword or their spell, but their Skills.
In fact, that very point was the headliner of why my group's last D&D game broke down. My wife was playing a rogue (flavored as a ninja, but IC she claimed to be an adventurer). Because of meta-thinking, she got a lot of untrusting glares and assumptions that she was just a theif from party members.
Ended in a heated out-of-character fight when she came up with a plan to sneak into a fort and it was declared "too complicated" because it required prep time, disguises, and sneak skill checks.
I mean, at the heart of it, what *IS* a rogue? The concept that they're just thieving brigands out for themselves and anything they can steal is too narrowminded a definition. Yes, many rogues are simply thieving brigands, but in a more broad sense they should be the type of class of adventurer that relies not on their sword or their spell, but their Skills.
Good point, and you've helped make something click in my head. I'd wondered about the reluctance many players have to skill challenges, only to completely overlook how often the reluctant play characters that are only good at one skill. This entirely misses the point of skill challenges, where the average difficulty is pretty much auto-success for an expert and within nearly anyone else's grasp. I'd forgotten all the times I saw people argue against skill challenges based on the fact that it would be best to leave everything to the rogue types. Combine that with the example you gave and I realize how often I've seen arguments that any challenge best suited to a rogue's talents should be skipped. Even when a ranger or rogue expresses a desire to scout out an area, the typical party's reaction is, "We'll wait until you're done."
A lot of players don't get that you're better off failing a skill challenge than you are for failing to play.
A lot of players don't get that you're better off failing a skill challenge than you are for failing to play.
Yes, that is it exactly. Skills are an important part of all characters, not just rogues. Failing is important too, it sets up lots of great RP opportunities and can lead to creative ideas on overcoming low skill sets.
We rocked the first block of posts, didn't we? :)
We rocked the first block of posts, didn't we? :)
A meteor the size of a short bus is hurtling towards Detroit. How remarkably appropriate. As the meteor gets closer, people panic in the crowded residential area that it's headed for. At the last second, Raxon saves the day. Not because he made it just in time, but because doing it sooner wouldn't have been dramatic enough, and he's all about the showmanship.
"Chill, folks. I'm not gonna let you down. Man, you should have seen the look on your faces! Oh well, I'll just-"
Raxon Dunwich is levitating and levitating the meteor above him, while holding one hand high over his head toward the space boulder.
This is an easy concentration check. Three or higher easy. Raxon rolls a one. He's not paying attention, and smacks into a flagpole sticking out of a building. He gets clotheslined, and knocked to the ground twenty feet below. He is followed immediately by the rock he was carrying, which completely crushes his legs and lower half of his torso. He has to call the league for backup because he dropped a rock and crippled himself.
By the time help arrives, he's fending off crows with a rolled up newspaper some bystander was kind enough to lend him.
Now imagine if you weren't an epic wizard when you tried this! That is what people are afraid of.
I see that even Raxon isn't immune to Lady Luck's fickle nature. Next time he flies through the city, learn to... polevault. :)
People are afraid of working with other players in a social game? I'm missing your point, Raxon.
And thank you for getting yesterday off to a good start, Digo.
And thank you for getting yesterday off to a good start, Digo.
Raxon has met the avatar of luck.
They are not friends.
Heh. I dunno... one campaign I played in, one of the PCs was a Kender. The other players took turns shaking him upside down at the end of every session to retrieve all our stuff. Half the flavor of the game was things like that... of course, this was a setting where we managed to accidentally kill Father Christmas and bring him back as a zombie... it was that sort of campaign.
Actually rouges in our team rarely try to steal or cheat anybody in my group - they may have secret agenda, but then again every other player may too. But recently argument broke, because teams rogue stole (but later returned) other character journal out of curiosity. Wizard, to whom this journal belonged was angry not because somebody read it - he would give it to any other character if asked for - but because it was missing and he kept it well hidden with his magical gear.
He secretly expected some kind of spying or sabotage from outside forces (but didn't want to tell anybody about them), and was afraid to use anything without checking it first for some kind of curse or trap which hindered him greatly.
In the end rogue apologized and promised to respect other characters privacy and wizard promised to be more outgoing about his problems and intel. I doubt they will stick to it, but who knows?
He secretly expected some kind of spying or sabotage from outside forces (but didn't want to tell anybody about them), and was afraid to use anything without checking it first for some kind of curse or trap which hindered him greatly.
In the end rogue apologized and promised to respect other characters privacy and wizard promised to be more outgoing about his problems and intel. I doubt they will stick to it, but who knows?
Why can't I every play a game with rogues like that? Whenever I play a game with other people playing rogues they are almost always plotting to steal or cheat money from the other players constantly.
I always like to play the dashing Loveable Rogue type that enjoys working with others. For me it's not about the loot (well, okay maybe it's #2 on the list) but about the adventure together! The quips! The daring sword fights!
Kind of like Inigo Montoya, though not usually with a vendetta.
Kind of like Inigo Montoya, though not usually with a vendetta.
I'm trying something similar with my bard, Torval the Debonair. He's trying to become a famous adventurer so as to impress the father of a young maiden he's sweet on. So far he's most impressive feat is slicing the head off a blue thing (I forgot what it was called) and saving an outpost. He has a ways to go before he's a cape weary, fancy hat sporting, rapier wielding hero of legend.
I've actually done that...
The trick being, I did it at a LARP.
Yeah, I reverse-pickpocketed several sets of silverware into one player's spell component pouch. After the first set, he started keeping an eye on me. That just made it more challenging...
Then there was the guy who insulted my character. I managed to clean out his pouch, and substituted a couple rocks so he'd never notice... Until the middle of the troll fight when he screams "WHO PUT ROCKS IN HERE?!"
And let me remind again: This was a LARP. I had to do this by hand, as in my own stealth, guile and cunning.
The trick being, I did it at a LARP.
Yeah, I reverse-pickpocketed several sets of silverware into one player's spell component pouch. After the first set, he started keeping an eye on me. That just made it more challenging...
Then there was the guy who insulted my character. I managed to clean out his pouch, and substituted a couple rocks so he'd never notice... Until the middle of the troll fight when he screams "WHO PUT ROCKS IN HERE?!"
And let me remind again: This was a LARP. I had to do this by hand, as in my own stealth, guile and cunning.
I should probably mention: I wasn't playing a Rogue.. but rather a Templar (Paladin, basically).
I also proved absurdly good at the Hide In Shadows thing. Once, our group was ambushed by orcs. I managed to get behind a tree and hide, but could not get away. Rescue party is preceeded by the master thief... who picks me to hide behind. Not the tree, me. It was a very awkward sort of surprise.
I also proved absurdly good at the Hide In Shadows thing. Once, our group was ambushed by orcs. I managed to get behind a tree and hide, but could not get away. Rescue party is preceeded by the master thief... who picks me to hide behind. Not the tree, me. It was a very awkward sort of surprise.
Oh, and I'll note that the GURPS item 'Purge Stone' is a great thing to sneak into someone's pouch... though it's fairly valuable, so you'll want to be handy to take it back while the victim is... purging.
Everything.
Everything.
I would say that you can't be afraid to change people you play with until you have right amount of people whose vision of the game is similar to yours. I know teams that have only players without any loyalty or those who ignore rules completely or follow every rule to the letter - I feel bad both as GM and player with them, but they have fun and I believe there is no "right" way to play. I was GM for around 70+ people during last 13 years, but today I have only 16 with whom I'm willing to play. Look for other players and GMs and if things don't work out how you like it, just try again. Sooner or later you will have a team that just clicks.
Yeah. That was back when I lived in a really small town. Not a whole lot of people too choose from. Luckily the difficult players weren't really regulars so I didn't have to worry about it too often.
While Raxon is momentarily distracted with my Ottoluke's Irresistable Quarter, today's story time:
"Give a story on a time your character was forced to default or use a skill outside their area of expertise due to the situation at hand." what was at stake? Did they succeed?
Teen Titans style RPG. The team:
Gynoid Brawler (Cyborg expy)
Alien Shapeshifter (Beastboy expy)
Elf Healer (Raven expy)
Blaster Type (Cyclops expy)
The team vehicle (a Nissan Titan truck) gets hit with a landmine and flipped. We're attacked by Lobo who was paid to get rid of us. The gynoid took a head cuncission (forcing a reboot sequence) and the healer took the brunt of the land mine so he's bleeding out.
Lobo put himself in between the remaining heroes. This meant the blaster had to try to heal the healer while the shapeshifter had to help the gynoid reboot (the shapeshifter was Amish).
Lobo pounded the baster, but not before he stablized the healer. Shapeshifter got the gynoid back online and those two tag-teamed Lobo and kept him on the defensive long enough for the healer to crawl away with the blaster.
The team escaped, badly beaten up, but they all survived. It could have been much worse.
"Give a story on a time your character was forced to default or use a skill outside their area of expertise due to the situation at hand." what was at stake? Did they succeed?
Teen Titans style RPG. The team:
Gynoid Brawler (Cyborg expy)
Alien Shapeshifter (Beastboy expy)
Elf Healer (Raven expy)
Blaster Type (Cyclops expy)
The team vehicle (a Nissan Titan truck) gets hit with a landmine and flipped. We're attacked by Lobo who was paid to get rid of us. The gynoid took a head cuncission (forcing a reboot sequence) and the healer took the brunt of the land mine so he's bleeding out.
Lobo put himself in between the remaining heroes. This meant the blaster had to try to heal the healer while the shapeshifter had to help the gynoid reboot (the shapeshifter was Amish).
Lobo pounded the baster, but not before he stablized the healer. Shapeshifter got the gynoid back online and those two tag-teamed Lobo and kept him on the defensive long enough for the healer to crawl away with the blaster.
The team escaped, badly beaten up, but they all survived. It could have been much worse.
I have two examples. The first was with a bard character I had. He was socially focused, and had almost no ability to do anything else. However, due to his paranoia, he was always checking for traps, despite his utter ineptitude.
The next was with a wizard I was playing. We were attempting to gain entry to the home of a powerful NP. However, the large tower was surrounded by several rings of ridiculously effective, self-resetting traps. We used our horse and some large rocks to blaze a trail through the first few rings, where we spent eventually camped out to restore my spells, to try to give us a slightly better chance of survival. This was where we learned that the traps reset behind us, as we had tried to send our ranger back to town to look for help, because nobody in our group had a single rank in disable device. He barely survived. Eventually I took over the attempted trap removal, especially around the front door, because I was the one with the highest INT, and therefore the highest disable device. It didn't really work. The traps all blew up in my face. I was lucky enough to survive long enough to reach the door. I then had the ranger open it, as he had quite a few hitpoints. The door was magically trapped, conjuring a pillar of fire in front whenever it was opened. The door also managed to close when the ranger caught on fire. So then it was my turn. I opened the door, and the trap got high damage, barely not killing me. I was a few points away from dead.
On the plus side, I managed to prop the door open with my unconscious and bleeding out body long enough for everyone else to get in, and also make sure I didn"t die.
The next was with a wizard I was playing. We were attempting to gain entry to the home of a powerful NP. However, the large tower was surrounded by several rings of ridiculously effective, self-resetting traps. We used our horse and some large rocks to blaze a trail through the first few rings, where we spent eventually camped out to restore my spells, to try to give us a slightly better chance of survival. This was where we learned that the traps reset behind us, as we had tried to send our ranger back to town to look for help, because nobody in our group had a single rank in disable device. He barely survived. Eventually I took over the attempted trap removal, especially around the front door, because I was the one with the highest INT, and therefore the highest disable device. It didn't really work. The traps all blew up in my face. I was lucky enough to survive long enough to reach the door. I then had the ranger open it, as he had quite a few hitpoints. The door was magically trapped, conjuring a pillar of fire in front whenever it was opened. The door also managed to close when the ranger caught on fire. So then it was my turn. I opened the door, and the trap got high damage, barely not killing me. I was a few points away from dead.
On the plus side, I managed to prop the door open with my unconscious and bleeding out body long enough for everyone else to get in, and also make sure I didn"t die.
Wow, that's one heck of a trapped tower! Who was the owner, Grimtooth? :)
We were facing off against a blade master, one who wielded blades with frightening expertise. The party consisted of a barbarian who wielded a chain mace, a wizard, a ranger, a cleric, and myself, the bard, who wielded my instrument in addition to a rapier because I thought it looked cool. We were taking massive damage, it looked like it would be a TPK. Our entire party's lives were LITERALLY on the line. Then the blade master noticed my rapier, and offered to duel me for the lives of the party.
Now, here's the thing. The only points I'd put into sword fighting were enough that I could draw the rapier without slicing my belt and dropping my pants (that still happened a couple of times when I rolled a 1 to draw it. Yes, the DM made me roll to draw my sword since I was so inept with it). It was a skill challenge, and the DM determined based on comparative stats, I would need to roll a 15 or higher to block each attack, and only a nat 20 would let me deliver a blow.
However, my Int and Cha stats were quite high. I told the blade master that I had a form of duel he could never defeat me in. He accepted the challenge, since his honor wouldn't allow him to refuse. I challenged him to an insult sword fight.
Now, the DM decided that meant I could use either Int or Cha for each attack roll if I succeeded on my insult. And I was very creative with insults.
I'll have to tell you guys about his fight with power girl sometime. It was the fight in which he proved his skill to the league. He passed the test with flying colors.
Aww, this ending just gets more & more heartwarming, with that wonderful, added dose of comedy~.
~Though despite what Zuche said about maybe not ending it with a punchline of Parasprite revenge, I think it should totally end with a punchline of Parasprite revenge. But, your call, of course; you'll know how to end it best~
~Though despite what Zuche said about maybe not ending it with a punchline of Parasprite revenge, I think it should totally end with a punchline of Parasprite revenge. But, your call, of course; you'll know how to end it best~
Right now I'm a Dark Sun campaign. My halfling slayer's skills are mostly focused on physical stuff, athletics, acrobatics, that sort of thing.
So, of course, we start out dumped in the desert and forced to find our way out and look for food. And so the whole party ends up having to use nature and perception to survive and maybe one party member has it train. To this day I'm sure we managed to survive by sheer dumb luck.
So, of course, we start out dumped in the desert and forced to find our way out and look for food. And so the whole party ends up having to use nature and perception to survive and maybe one party member has it train. To this day I'm sure we managed to survive by sheer dumb luck.
Well, as far as ships go, that is one of those with better chemistry...
Especially if you're hamfistedly attempting to do something wherein doing it and cocking it up will not only cock it up for you, but will screw over the actual expert as well: Stealth, for instance. In any game which is not a video game, being spotted by the guards and not killing them before they can raise the alarm puts the whole place on the alert, and now the actual stealth experts are going to be up shit creek because even though they're good, they're now up against an enemy who is aware they're coming and actively taking steps to be alert of all the ways a skilled sneak could get in.
Or hacking, in Shadowrun. If a non-hacker attempts to hack with the actual hacker, all he's going to do is trigger a security alert and get security hackers to log into the system, and while the team hacker might be good enough to consistently avoid patrolling IC, sooner or later a security hacker will get lucky coinciding with the hacker getting unlucky, and the jig will be up. (Or worse, the system might shut down or disconnect from the Matrix.)
So really, oftentimes it does work out better not to try than to try something you're hopelessly inept at and screw it up.
It's a good theory and probably true in most situations. Though, the GM has to be fair about how much the security knows about the intruders.
Like in your first example: if they don't know the number of PCs in the building and they spot the obvious one, but not the stealthy one, they shouldn't be assumed to think there's another in the building (not without interrogation at least). :)
And yeah, does look like AJ is totally crushing. Cute. :)
Like in your first example: if they don't know the number of PCs in the building and they spot the obvious one, but not the stealthy one, they shouldn't be assumed to think there's another in the building (not without interrogation at least). :)
And yeah, does look like AJ is totally crushing. Cute. :)
All I did was design an internal combustion engine that would free us of our oil dependency.
It was a ceramic engine, with all ceramic parts. It needed to be because it used some kind of flourine compound and magnesium, with O2 added to the pressurized mix.
They said I was too crazy for MIT.
And I wasn't applying there or anything. I just sent them my plans, and they sent me a restraining order.
True story.
Yeah i tried designing a ceramic engine that burned Acetylene once but couldn't find a material with both a sufficiently high melting point to handle the combustion cycle and enough sheer strength to handle the stresses the crankshaft would experience. Ahh Highschool.
Lost my right dewclaw in a biking accident, though.
I still stand by my statement that mountain biking while wearing flip flops is totally safe and reasonably.
One of my players earned the Superheroic nickname "Captain Default" because he never bothered investing into skills. And often had to roll at their default levels.
Yes, it makes him sound like a villain.
I also have a character that I never fully developed, called Captain Sociopath.
A skill challenge isn't the same as a group check, which is what you're describing, ShadowDragon8685, though I have to admit I like 4E's general rule about success being determined by majority (granting success on a tie). As much as it might suck to be the one that blows the ambush, it's a lot less likely when half the party is good at Stealth. It's also good when you aren't good at it and manage to be counted among the successes anyway, especially when it's that one time you're the guy that prevents one of the sneakier types from stepping on the "squeaky toy".
A skill challenge, however, has one person keeping a guard distracted while the others sneak in (only one needing to succeed on a Stealth check), leaving one member of the group free to concentrate on where they need to go and another to handle an obstacle or two on the way... or perhaps be in charge of handling the extraction afterward.
It's good to give a particular character a chance to shine at times like this. It just shouldn't come at the expense of leaving the others doing nothing.
A skill challenge, however, has one person keeping a guard distracted while the others sneak in (only one needing to succeed on a Stealth check), leaving one member of the group free to concentrate on where they need to go and another to handle an obstacle or two on the way... or perhaps be in charge of handling the extraction afterward.
It's good to give a particular character a chance to shine at times like this. It just shouldn't come at the expense of leaving the others doing nothing.
Is there going to be another submission from the One Piece 3 point 5 crew?
Speaking of which, their website has been inaccessible to me for a week now.
they're still updating on deviantart but their comic server is down
No, DragonTrainer didn't submit any guest comics this time. (He might be working on something in secret to submit at the last second, but I haven't gotten an email or anything.) But considering I still owe him six pages' worth, I figure he's under no obligation to do so.
I might go subscribe to DT's awesome comic, and be a regular contributor.
Tee hee hee hoo hoo hwa hah hah hah hah.
Hmm... Evil giggle needs a bit of work.
Thanks! i would never have known they moved to a new location!
AJ: You gonna steal from US?
R: Dear, I'm not THAT kind of thief.
R: Dear, I'm not THAT kind of thief.
I remember one game i had played as a ninja in a D&D 3.5 game. basically just a OP rogue that i broke more by playing a kitsune. I quickly came to adore being able to turn invisible whenever i wanted to once a day. The rest of my team was rather cross when i did it the first time with everyone thinking i had ditched them because i was the rogue. (mind you this was 6 bleeding minutes into the game. so much love right?) So i say "fine you want help or not?" the guy who is harassing me. (full blown warrior idiotically strong but useless for anything else) grunts and then proceeds to miss on hitting the fencer in front of him. so i calmly walk around behind her completely invisible and kill the chick in a single sneak attack. Once she was dead i just looked at the fighter now standing shocked in front of me and stuck out my tongue. He called me the Invisabitch the entire rest of that game.
Later on in the game we had the same issue when we came across one of the new players about to be unjustly hanged for being a witch. (she was but who would turn down a free wizard to save?) So the fighter is all like "let's just go in scare off the peasants and kill them." so i say that was stupid and enact my own plan. I go invisible and sneak into the middle of the town. Rolling a perception and history check i find out the town has been run like old school Salem with people in constant fear of any magic and always looking to their god for protection. The main preist of the town was secretly controlling them all with this fear and killing anyone who talked against him by casting his own magic around them and blaming his target. So i reappear after dropping a few colored smoke bombs and roll a perform check. Passing the easy challenge i begin to scream and dance in the most horrifying way possible. Now having the entire towns attention i use one of my other kitsune abilities to make two copies of myself to enhance the feel of being a crazed evil witch sent to kill them all. At this point my team gets the idea of what i am doing and sneakily cuts down the wizard. She instantly casts a summon storm spell to really add to it. Needless to say i scared off the entire town except for a small hand full of guards and the priest instead of the whole town fight that the DM had planned. It was glorious.
Later on in the game we had the same issue when we came across one of the new players about to be unjustly hanged for being a witch. (she was but who would turn down a free wizard to save?) So the fighter is all like "let's just go in scare off the peasants and kill them." so i say that was stupid and enact my own plan. I go invisible and sneak into the middle of the town. Rolling a perception and history check i find out the town has been run like old school Salem with people in constant fear of any magic and always looking to their god for protection. The main preist of the town was secretly controlling them all with this fear and killing anyone who talked against him by casting his own magic around them and blaming his target. So i reappear after dropping a few colored smoke bombs and roll a perform check. Passing the easy challenge i begin to scream and dance in the most horrifying way possible. Now having the entire towns attention i use one of my other kitsune abilities to make two copies of myself to enhance the feel of being a crazed evil witch sent to kill them all. At this point my team gets the idea of what i am doing and sneakily cuts down the wizard. She instantly casts a summon storm spell to really add to it. Needless to say i scared off the entire town except for a small hand full of guards and the priest instead of the whole town fight that the DM had planned. It was glorious.
Since I discovered the Divine Trickster homemade class, I always one to play one when I have the chance. For those who dont know it, heres the link... Have a look its awesome AND BALANCED O_O :
http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=9623145#post9623145
Not only it makes the other players more at ease too... After all, if the group dont have a other healer, its hard to hate the character. In my old groups of D&D 3.5, clerics were not first choices most of the time.
I dont have a good story this time, unfortunatly...
Hope you'll enjoy your break time Newbiespud. I cant wait to see what did you plan next :)
So how are the guest comics coming along? Well, when I asked for a full run of 25 comics a couple of months ago, I thought that was a pretty neat stretch goal. As of right now, I have 23 comics fully submitted, and I'm in contact with a handful more guest authors getting ready to submit at least one more entry. I'll actually be exceeding my stretch goal!
Since I'm going over, I'm changing my sabbatical plans slightly. For each comic page I have over 25, I'm going to extend my sabbatical by one regular update. To balance this and prevent latecomers from extending the hiatus indefinitely, I'm making August 31st a hard deadline. No more new entries after that date.