Order of the Stick: Varsuvius possibly a man

[Trainz]

I was going through the archives, and found this:

http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0009.html

Make of that what you will...

[Dacke]

But on the other hand, the Order doesn't blink when placing V in the same room as Haley at the inn.

[Trainz]

But on the other hand, the Order doesn't blink when placing V in the same room as Haley at the inn.

Hence the "Possibly".

Still, this is the first reference of the writer's gender of V, before starting innuendo about his potential sex. So, at first he viewed V as a dude, ("V-Man" is thrown in casually) so he is.

[doc]

He's a hesheit

[Trainz]

He's a hesheit

AH! You said "HE's a hesheit"!

I KNEW it!

[Pigs in Space]

he/she's an elf right?

So what do we care, they're all the same.

[Bregh]

.

[Trainz]

English still uses "he" as the default neutral pronoun. :tongue:

Is V the only elf (except that drow in the Linear Guild) that we've seen in the series so far? I can't recall.

I think so.

It would be interesting indeed to see more elves and further complicate things...

[Freedom Canadian]

Lirian, the druid in Start of Darkness, is an elf and quite obviously female. :)

[Dacke]

Is V the only elf (except that drow in the Linear Guild) that we've seen in the series so far? I can't recall.
There was also the geeky half-elf in Linear Guild Mk2.

[doc]

When's OOTS going 4t edition ?

[Trainz]

When's OOTS going 4t edition ?

I can't wait to see that one. It's going to be a riot.

[Dacke]

I'm kind of hesitant as to whether it will. On one hand, it would make sense with the comic's backstory - it is clear that the previous generation of adventurers used earlier editions of the rules (for example, Haley's dad was a Thief, not a Rogue). On the other hand, there's too much invested in the characters being built the way they are to change it. The biggest problem is of course Elan, whose class no longer exists (at least until the PHB2 is released).

In a way, I think the best place to change to 4th edition would be the last comic. Among other things, it would be nicely symmetrical, seeing as the first comic was about upgrading to 3.5.

[The Winslow]

I think Elan and Haley's kids will be 4th edition, but it'd be better if the current heroes remain 3rd ed.

[Pigs in Space]

On the other hand, there's too much invested in the characters being built the way they are to change it.
What are you talking about? They are comic book characters, not character sheets.

The artist can do whatever he wants and it won't ruin anything? I expect Elan will be exactly the same, but he'll just call himself a multiclass or something.

[Name Lips]

"Pick, pick, pick the masterwork dwarven lock!"
"Um... that doesn't work anymore Elan. If it ever did..."

[Janos]

I think Elan and Haley's kids will be 4th edition, but it'd be better if the current heroes remain 3rd ed.

Yup, I'd love to see them wrap-up the current heroes and retell the next generation. With flashbacks to the older ones and "in my day, you had to flank to sneak attack, none of this new age hippy, become one with your foe and buttstab him once a day jibberjabber."

[Dacke]

What are you talking about? They are comic book characters, not character sheets.
But they are also characters in a story, one that's been going on for almost five years now. Just changing them to 4th ed would feel wrong.

I agree with the Winslow that the best option would be to make "Son of Order of the Stick" (assuming there is one) 4e, but keep OOTS 3.5e.

[doc]

I think Elan and Haley's kids will be 4th edition, but it'd be better if the current heroes remain 3rd ed.

When did Haley sink that low ?

[Dacke]

When did Haley sink that low ?
You mean getting it on with Elan? She's had a crush on him pretty much from the start (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0028.html), and they consummated their relationship in comic #400 (http://www.kaytastrophe.com/vb/redirector.php?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.giantitp.com%2 Fcomics%2Foots0400.html).

[Trainz]

OOTS started with the shift from 3.0 to 3.5 and it allowed for some hilarious shit. I think there is great potential in doing it with 4th ed. The halfling becoming un-nerfed, Varsuvius loosing his pletora of spells, the party meeting Solo kobolds and having their asses handed to them by kobolds, Elan not being able to do anything at ALL (since his class disappeared) until he goes for another class...

It's a comic strip, and thus is only limited by the creator's imagination.

[Trainz]

ANOTHER HINT!!!

[Harry]

People in OotC - PCs, NPCs, critters, BBEGs, other-dimensional beings and all - call Varsuvius anything and everything all the time. I think the imp has called V "she" many times now, even while others call V "he" or "?" in the same individual strip.

[Freedom Canadian]

I think the imp has called V "she" many times now,


That's what I remember as well.

[Trainz]

That's what I remember as well.

Yeah. Thought as much, but still...

[Cat of Ulthar]

When's OOTS going 4t edition ?



Those of you not currently involved in playing Dungeons & Dragons may or may not be aware that Wizards of the Coast is set to release a new version of the rules—the “Fourth Edition” rules—in less than a month. If the details of such things are of little interest to you, feel free to skip reading this overly verbose news post. You won’t miss much.

Ever since the announcement was made last August, I have gotten roughly 1.3 billion emails asking about whether The Order of the Stick will “convert” to the new system. It is a question I have deliberately avoided answering, much to the consternation of those who like to ask such questions. I will be answering it now: No.

But not in the way you might think. I’m not making some ideological stand about how the current 3.5 Edition is superior or any such thing. I’m simply saying that there will not be a conscious and visible change in the comic strip, wherein the characters convert to a new set of rules as they did in the very first strip. There are many reasons for this, not the least of which is that the purpose of the comic has shifted away from its original goal of simply poking fun at a game to an actual story, and it is that story on which I would like to focus.

Equally important is the fact that the new edition departs radically from prior versions of the game in terms of what classes and races are initially described. Whether or not this is good for the game isn’t really my concern; I’m more interested in the fact that converting would introduce dozens of unnecessary changes in my story. At the very least, I would need to devote many strips to showing off the ways that characters have been changed by the new rules, strips I would rather devote to advancing the story. This sort of thing isn’t as crucial a problem for a gaming group considering the new game, but when switching would force several of my main characters to significantly change their powers and abilities—and some wouldn’t even have their new abilities defined yet for at least another year!—it becomes less palatable. Again, though, to be crystal clear: This is not a condemnation of the new rules by me. I have not read them yet, having failed to get my hands on an advance copy some time ago. They may well be the finest fantasy roleplaying rules ever written. I wouldn’t know. What I DO know is that they are not suited to my needs as a storyteller at this time.

However, this does NOT mean that I will stop making jokes about the fact that the characters exist within a world that operates like a roleplaying game. Nor will I limit myself to either jokes about 3.5 Edition or 4th Edition. I’ll go where the humor takes me, and if that happens to create gross inconsistencies, then so be it. As an added benefit, I expect it will drive the fans who try to figure out exactly what is occurring in each strip from a strict D&D rules perspective absolutely nuts. If it really bothers anyone, simply imagine that the OOTS world follows someone’s homebrewed hybridization of 3.5 and 4th Editions, using bits and pieces from whichever ruleset they think works better.

Ultimately, as I alluded to in my first paragraph, many (maybe even most) of my readers are not actively involved in playing the current D&D game. Many were players of older editions in their youth who simply enjoy following a story that reminds them of their own past experiences. Others have no interest in roleplaying at all, and just like reading a comedic fantasy comic. My job as an author is not to reflect the current trends, but to deliver the most entertaining story, and I feel I can best do that by continuing on as I have been. Besides, the difference between those playing one version of the rules and another is not really that important in the final analysis. We all either play the same game, or at least appreciate it, and it is to that sense of unity between those who enjoy the hobby (and the genre that it inhabits) that I hope The Order of the Stick will continue to speak..