Burlew put Psionics in OOTS! [Archive] - Wizards Community

Burlew put Psionics in OOTS! [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
RadicalTaoist
10-15-07, 09:32 AM I thought he would, I thought he would, I thought he would! (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0494.html) :D
Xaxor
10-15-07, 10:07 AM Wow. That is pretty surprising. Great joke to boot.
SlanderPanic
10-15-07, 10:23 AM Nice. :D
Kanachi
10-15-07, 10:52 AM Yer tis awesome!

Burlew has included psionics a few other times as I recall.... The oracle seemed like a psionic style NPC to me and I always thought sangwaan (the blind girl who gets eaten by xycon's dragon) was psionic. Though in hindsight they do ask her to cast her trueseeing spell, not manifest it (they may just be ignorant of her psionic nature however).

To be honest I think a more permanent psionic character would open the doorway for a number of jokes and cool sub-plots for mr Burlew, some I’m surprised there has not really been one yet.

Its cool to see psionics make an appearance none the less!
Bacris
10-15-07, 12:32 PM Kind of surprises me, as Rich is not a psi-fan (or at least, was not, if he's since changed his mind).
Tempest Stormwind
10-15-07, 12:55 PM Burlew has included psionics a few other times as I recall.... The oracle seemed like a psionic style NPC to me and I always thought sangwaan (the blind girl who gets eaten by xycon's dragon) was psionic. Though in hindsight they do ask her to cast her trueseeing spell, not manifest it (they may just be ignorant of her psionic nature however).

She was a cleric.

The only time prior to this that a psion's shown up in OotS was in On the Origin of PCs. Roy looks to petition adventurers to form his band to raid the Dungeon of Durokan, first by actively seeking people at the tavern. After this fails miserably, he bumps into Elan, who suggests that he's doing it all wrong, and all he really needs to do is sit alone at a table in a darkened corner, looking mysterious. Roy, out of ideas, gives this a shot... and adventurers seeking quests start lining up by the truckload. (This is how V and Haley join, eventually.)

In the line, there's a psion. The way that Rich draws psions always involves oddball hairstyles, a gem on a staff, and lots of tattoos, usually sans shirt. The psion in the line fits the description perfectly (although I forget if it's exactly the same one as in this most recent strip; it might have been an exact OotS version of Ialdabode).

Naturally, he doesn't get any lines -- the page that shows Roy turning people down from the line focuses on another character (in this case, a monk that looks suspiciously like Ryu). But this is notable as the only appearance of a psion in the OotS storyline until today's throwaway joke.
AntiDjinn
10-15-07, 12:56 PM He finally failed his Will save. Let's have him do an ardent next.
Kanachi
10-15-07, 02:31 PM Amazing, I never knew mr Burlew disliked psionics.

Is there any evidence of this or is it just speculation? If so what are his arguments? It would be interesting to hear them.
InkBlot
10-15-07, 03:10 PM A psion and a magic* train! Who drew this comic and what did they do to Burlew?

*psionic
The_Shaman
10-15-07, 03:14 PM I'm afraid I don't quite get it... I'm sure there was a book or movie with the "who could" theme, but apparently I don't know it. Still, the "I think I can" joke was good ;) . So, any guess on how long before an initiator class appears in the comic?
Ohtar Turinson
10-15-07, 03:19 PM I'm afraid I don't quite get it... I'm sure there was a book or movie with the "who could" theme, but apparently I don't know it. Still, the "I think I can" joke was good . So, any guess on how long before an initiator class appears in the comic?There's a children's book called "the little engine that could" in which the small anthropomorphized train mutters "I think I can, I think I can" to itself while pulling a heavy load up a hill.
SlanderPanic
10-15-07, 03:29 PM I do recall a storyline wherein Elan thought Roy had taken a level of psion.
foxtail
10-15-07, 03:31 PM I'm afraid I don't quite get it... I'm sure there was a book or movie with the "who could" theme, but apparently I don't know it.

That would be "The Little Engine That Could," a story about a young anthropomorphic train that carries a heavy load up a big hill by repeating the "I think I can" mantra. Of course, in a psion's case, it's much more literal.

And Rich has mentioned psionics in the core strip before, but only in passing; Roy once sarcastically explained to Elan that the reason he could read the bard so easily was because he had taken a level in psion.

Edit: Crud, scooped on both accounts.
Fafnir
10-15-07, 03:48 PM http://img85.imageshack.us/img85/8953/motivator9889261wv8.jpg
InkBlot
10-15-07, 03:54 PM The Little Engine That Could (http://members.tripod.com/ah_coo/engine_that_could.htm)
xXOblivionXx
10-15-07, 04:35 PM The little Psion that could... Awesomeness in a new level:D
ArcTan
10-15-07, 04:37 PM In the line, there's a psion. The way that Rich draws psions always involves oddball hairstyles, a gem on a staff, and lots of tattoos, usually sans shirt. The psion in the line fits the description perfectly (although I forget if it's exactly the same one as in this most recent strip; it might have been an exact OotS version of Ialdabode).

He gets a line. Like all the other applicants, he gives his reaction to Roy's proposal to join his adventuring party -- in his case, "No".

The speech balloon has no little arrow, indicating that he's speaking through telepathy. It's really cute.
ArcTan
10-15-07, 04:39 PM Yer tis awesome!

Burlew has included psionics a few other times as I recall.... The oracle seemed like a psionic style NPC to me and I always thought sangwaan (the blind girl who gets eaten by xycon's dragon) was psionic. Though in hindsight they do ask her to cast her trueseeing spell, not manifest it (they may just be ignorant of her psionic nature however).

Both of those characters merely needed access to the Divination school of magic, not psionics, in order to do what they did.

One actual misconception about the magic/psionics divide is that magic doesn't do *any* "mentalist"-style magic (and therefore this style is somehow inappropriate to D&D) or that psionics is *all* "mentalist"-style magic (and psionics is therefore "boring" for people who don't like that kind of thing).
Fatalis_902
10-15-07, 08:02 PM He gets a line. Like all the other applicants, he gives his reaction to Roy's proposal to join his adventuring party -- in his case, "No".

The speech balloon has no little arrow, indicating that he's speaking through telepathy. It's really cute.

What? I'm looking at that page as I type this, and I can positively assure you that it is not the psion saying, "No." Roy is saying, "No," before the psion has a chance to say anything. The speaker of the line is not featured in the frame, hence, arrowless bubble.

And yes, Tempest, the psion in the strip is the one from Roy's applicant line. Strange that Roy rejected him, ignoring the fact that that was 3.0 Psionics, given his favorite children's story.
ArcTan
10-15-07, 08:04 PM What? I'm looking at that page as I type this, and I can positively assure you that it is not the psion saying, "No." Roy is saying, "No," before the psion has a chance to say anything. The speaker of the line is not featured in the frame, hence, arrowless bubble.

And yes, Tempest, the psion in the strip is the one from Roy's applicant line. Strange that Roy rejected him, ignoring the fact that that was 3.0 Psionics, given his favorite children's story.

No, Fatalis, the Psion is saying "No" with telepathy, hence the arrowless bubble. As you yourself point out, it would make no sense for Roy to be rejecting applicants out of hand (when he's clearly desperate enough to take anyone), and the Psion saying "No" falls right in line with every other panel of the sequence, where every other applicant is giving their response to the offer (and Roy doesn't speak at all).

In comics, an off-panel speaker would generally be conveyed by an arrow pointing off-panel, not with an arrowless bubble. Arrowless bubbles don't have a set default meaning, but the overall impression is, I think, pretty clear -- hearing a voice come out of nowhere, i.e. telepathy.

I'm pretty sure Rich Burlew confirmed this on the GiantITP forums, which are known for killing every OotS joke ever written through slow and pitiless dissection. You can go ask him if you want.

Or you can just look at the current OotS (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0494.html), where the Little Psion That Could speaks with an arrowless bubble.
Millenia
10-15-07, 08:41 PM A psion and a magic* train! Who drew this comic and what did they do to Burlew?

*psionic
Keith Baker? :D
Jaxgaret
10-15-07, 08:42 PM I'm pretty sure Rich Burlew confirmed this on the GiantITP forums, which are known for killing every OotS joke ever written through slow and pitiless dissection.

:rofl:

All too true.

Also, I <3 Belkar.
Tempest Stormwind
10-15-07, 08:43 PM I was only responding from memory and got it wrong. I've read the book only once (I don't own a copy; it was my then-girlfriend's, who has since disappeared off the face of the earth).

Thanks for the correction, ArcTan.
ArcTan
10-15-07, 08:44 PM Keith Baker? :D

Perhaps in the OotS-verse Eberron is a fairy tale for children.
larry_the_titan
10-16-07, 01:56 PM Keith Baker did also appear in "Start of Darkness", so I wouldn't put it past him.
Fatalis_902
10-16-07, 06:07 PM No, Fatalis, the Psion is saying "No" with telepathy, hence the arrowless bubble. As you yourself point out, it would make no sense for Roy to be rejecting applicants out of hand (when he's clearly desperate enough to take anyone), and the Psion saying "No" falls right in line with every other panel of the sequence, where every other applicant is giving their response to the offer (and Roy doesn't speak at all).

In comics, an off-panel speaker would generally be conveyed by an arrow pointing off-panel, not with an arrowless bubble. Arrowless bubbles don't have a set default meaning, but the overall impression is, I think, pretty clear -- hearing a voice come out of nowhere, i.e. telepathy.

I'm pretty sure Rich Burlew confirmed this on the GiantITP forums, which are known for killing every OotS joke ever written through slow and pitiless dissection. You can go ask him if you want.

Or you can just look at the current OotS (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0494.html), where the Little Psion That Could speaks with an arrowless bubble.

I would concede, if only because you made your argument coherently and without resorting to insult, and you brought other sources to back it up. However, I refuse to concede, because every time I look at the psion's face, it doesn't show any emotion consistant with the rest of the people who are refusing. That, and it makes for a better(if more anti-psionic) joke if Roy is refusing the psion even in his desparate state of affairs. One way or another, I don't really care who's right. It's like any piece of art. Two people can have radically different interpretations of the same piece, and still be right, even if their interpretations are wildly different from the artist's intent. ...And yes, I do consider comics as much a form of art as literature and music.
ArcTan
10-17-07, 04:37 PM I would concede, if only because you made your argument coherently and without resorting to insult, and you brought other sources to back it up. However, I refuse to concede, because every time I look at the psion's face, it doesn't show any emotion consistant with the rest of the people who are refusing.

I think that's part of the point -- Psions always look naturally serene.

Although, to be honest, I'm not sure what you mean by not showing any emotion. Some of the applicants are jerks about rejecting, while some of them are polite and calm about it (and some of them don't actually *reject* the offer at all, they just respond to it in a way that makes them wildly unsuitable, like the Mr. Fizzypop guy). I don't have the comic on me right now and can't point it out specifically, but I do remember that Elric, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Gandalf and Frodo all respond politely in their refusals. ("Sorry, liches aren't really my speciality", "I'm afraid we have other business", etc.)

That's kind of the charm of the montage, that it's a whole bunch of wildly different people and different reactions that, sadly, all share only one thing in common, that they're dud applications.

That, and it makes for a better(if more anti-psionic) joke if Roy is refusing the psion even in his desparate state of affairs.

I respect Mr. Burlew's sense of humor too much to think that he'd make an incongruous "Psionix sux" joke without any context and expect his audience to get it (which would require that the vast majority of his audience already think "Psionix sux").

For one thing, I don't think most people would've even gotten the hint that Mr. Tattooed Crystal Guy *was* a Psion if not for the arrowless telepathy bubble.
Fatalis_902
10-17-07, 07:37 PM I think that's part of the point -- Psions always look naturally serene.

Although, to be honest, I'm not sure what you mean by not showing any emotion. Some of the applicants are jerks about rejecting, while some of them are polite and calm about it (and some of them don't actually *reject* the offer at all, they just respond to it in a way that makes them wildly unsuitable, like the Mr. Fizzypop guy). I don't have the comic on me right now and can't point it out specifically, but I do remember that Elric, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Gandalf and Frodo all respond politely in their refusals. ("Sorry, liches aren't really my speciality", "I'm afraid we have other business", etc.)

That's kind of the charm of the montage, that it's a whole bunch of wildly different people and different reactions that, sadly, all share only one thing in common, that they're dud applications.

Well this was fun while it lasted, but I suppose I must concede. Even as I review it now, it does begin to appear as if the psion was speaking. Perhaps if the line was different, perhaps something like, "No...NO...NEXT!" or something to that effect, but it is beginning to seem that you were right.

I respect Mr. Burlew's sense of humor too much to think that he'd make an incongruous "Psionix sux" joke without any context and expect his audience to get it (which would require that the vast majority of his audience already think "Psionix sux").

For one thing, I don't think most people would've even gotten the hint that Mr. Tattooed Crystal Guy *was* a Psion if not for the arrowless telepathy bubble.

I have no comment on the comedian's sense of humor, and/or whether or not I respect it, at this time.

On an unrelated note, Buffy's obvious, though I admit to having overlooked it before, Gandalf and Frodo are obvious, but who is this "Elric" of whom you speak?
InkBlot
10-17-07, 07:57 PM He's refering to Edward Elric (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elric_of_Melnibon%C3%A9), from Full Metal Alchemist (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stormbringer), of course. Full Metal Alchemist was hugely influenced by D&D (http://forums.legendscomics.com/index.php?showtopic=146), so it only makes sense.
ArcTan
10-17-07, 08:04 PM No, I'm actually not. No one in the lineup looks like Edward Elric (none of them have a metal prosthetic arm or anything).

I mean the *original* Elric, that Edward Elric's probably named after. Elric of Melnibone (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elric_of_Melnibon%C3%A9). He's the pale goth-looking dude with the eight-pointed star around his neck and the great big black sword, who says "Nay".

As Rich Burlew said on the Giant ITP forums, I'm afraid I'm gonna have to confiscate your Geek Membership Card till you read up on your Michael Moorcock.
InkBlot
10-17-07, 08:06 PM *psst* look at the links I peppered my post with
Tsuul
10-18-07, 04:16 AM That trap was laid to well InkBlot. Your Geek Membership card just moved up from DR/scissors to DR/woodchipper.
Omnirahk, half-Rahkshi
10-18-07, 11:51 PM She was a cleric.

The only time prior to this that a psion's shown up in OotS was in On the Origin of PCs. Roy looks to petition adventurers to form his band to raid the Dungeon of Durokan, first by actively seeking people at the tavern. After this fails miserably, he bumps into Elan, who suggests that he's doing it all wrong, and all he really needs to do is sit alone at a table in a darkened corner, looking mysterious. Roy, out of ideas, gives this a shot... and adventurers seeking quests start lining up by the truckload. (This is how V and Haley join, eventually.)

In the line, there's a psion. The way that Rich draws psions always involves oddball hairstyles, a gem on a staff, and lots of tattoos, usually sans shirt. The psion in the line fits the description perfectly (although I forget if it's exactly the same one as in this most recent strip; it might have been an exact OotS version of Ialdabode).

Naturally, he doesn't get any lines -- the page that shows Roy turning people down from the line focuses on another character (in this case, a monk that looks suspiciously like Ryu). But this is notable as the only appearance of a psion in the OotS storyline until today's throwaway joke.

Well, there is also that time the mind flayer did appear. Remember, Elan cried out "Ah it's a . . ." [thought bubble]Illithid? Mind flayer? Psionic danger?[/thought bubble] Squid thingie!" Issue #30. He's even holding a book: Psionics & You.
ArcTan
10-18-07, 11:56 PM *psst* look at the links I peppered my post with

Well played, friend. Well played.
brothersutek
10-19-07, 12:40 AM As Rich Burlew said on the Giant ITP forums, I'm afraid I'm gonna have to confiscate your Geek Membership Card till you read up on your Michael Moorcock.

+++ HA ha ha! geek membership card! :clap:

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
RadicalTaoist 10-15-07, 09:32 AM	I thought he would, I thought he would, I thought he would! (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0494.html) :D
Xaxor 10-15-07, 10:07 AM	Wow. That is pretty surprising. Great joke to boot.
SlanderPanic 10-15-07, 10:23 AM	Nice. :D
Kanachi 10-15-07, 10:52 AM	Yer tis awesome! Burlew has included psionics a few other times as I recall.... The oracle seemed like a psionic style NPC to me and I always thought sangwaan (the blind girl who gets eaten by xycon's dragon) was psionic. Though in hindsight they do ask her to cast her trueseeing spell, not manifest it (they may just be ignorant of her psionic nature however). To be honest I think a more permanent psionic character would open the doorway for a number of jokes and cool sub-plots for mr Burlew, some I’m surprised there has not really been one yet. Its cool to see psionics make an appearance none the less!
Bacris 10-15-07, 12:32 PM	Kind of surprises me, as Rich is not a psi-fan (or at least, was not, if he's since changed his mind).
Tempest Stormwind 10-15-07, 12:55 PM	Burlew has included psionics a few other times as I recall.... The oracle seemed like a psionic style NPC to me and I always thought sangwaan (the blind girl who gets eaten by xycon's dragon) was psionic. Though in hindsight they do ask her to cast her trueseeing spell, not manifest it (they may just be ignorant of her psionic nature however). She was a cleric. The only time prior to this that a psion's shown up in OotS was in On the Origin of PCs. Roy looks to petition adventurers to form his band to raid the Dungeon of Durokan, first by actively seeking people at the tavern. After this fails miserably, he bumps into Elan, who suggests that he's doing it all wrong, and all he really needs to do is sit alone at a table in a darkened corner, looking mysterious. Roy, out of ideas, gives this a shot... and adventurers seeking quests start lining up by the truckload. (This is how V and Haley join, eventually.) In the line, there's a psion. The way that Rich draws psions always involves oddball hairstyles, a gem on a staff, and lots of tattoos, usually sans shirt. The psion in the line fits the description perfectly (although I forget if it's exactly the same one as in this most recent strip; it might have been an exact OotS version of Ialdabode). Naturally, he doesn't get any lines -- the page that shows Roy turning people down from the line focuses on another character (in this case, a monk that looks suspiciously like Ryu). But this is notable as the only appearance of a psion in the OotS storyline until today's throwaway joke.
AntiDjinn 10-15-07, 12:56 PM	He finally failed his Will save. Let's have him do an ardent next.
Kanachi 10-15-07, 02:31 PM	Amazing, I never knew mr Burlew disliked psionics. Is there any evidence of this or is it just speculation? If so what are his arguments? It would be interesting to hear them.
InkBlot 10-15-07, 03:10 PM	A psion and a magic* train! Who drew this comic and what did they do to Burlew? *psionic
The_Shaman 10-15-07, 03:14 PM	I'm afraid I don't quite get it... I'm sure there was a book or movie with the "who could" theme, but apparently I don't know it. Still, the "I think I can" joke was good ;) . So, any guess on how long before an initiator class appears in the comic?
Ohtar Turinson 10-15-07, 03:19 PM	I'm afraid I don't quite get it... I'm sure there was a book or movie with the "who could" theme, but apparently I don't know it. Still, the "I think I can" joke was good . So, any guess on how long before an initiator class appears in the comic?There's a children's book called "the little engine that could" in which the small anthropomorphized train mutters "I think I can, I think I can" to itself while pulling a heavy load up a hill.
SlanderPanic 10-15-07, 03:29 PM	I do recall a storyline wherein Elan thought Roy had taken a level of psion.
foxtail 10-15-07, 03:31 PM	I'm afraid I don't quite get it... I'm sure there was a book or movie with the "who could" theme, but apparently I don't know it. That would be "The Little Engine That Could," a story about a young anthropomorphic train that carries a heavy load up a big hill by repeating the "I think I can" mantra. Of course, in a psion's case, it's much more literal. And Rich has mentioned psionics in the core strip before, but only in passing; Roy once sarcastically explained to Elan that the reason he could read the bard so easily was because he had taken a level in psion. Edit: Crud, scooped on both accounts.
Fafnir 10-15-07, 03:48 PM	http://img85.imageshack.us/img85/8953/motivator9889261wv8.jpg
InkBlot 10-15-07, 03:54 PM	The Little Engine That Could (http://members.tripod.com/ah_coo/engine_that_could.htm)
xXOblivionXx 10-15-07, 04:35 PM	The little Psion that could... Awesomeness in a new level:D
ArcTan 10-15-07, 04:37 PM	In the line, there's a psion. The way that Rich draws psions always involves oddball hairstyles, a gem on a staff, and lots of tattoos, usually sans shirt. The psion in the line fits the description perfectly (although I forget if it's exactly the same one as in this most recent strip; it might have been an exact OotS version of Ialdabode). He gets a line. Like all the other applicants, he gives his reaction to Roy's proposal to join his adventuring party -- in his case, "No". The speech balloon has no little arrow, indicating that he's speaking through telepathy. It's really cute.
ArcTan 10-15-07, 04:39 PM	Yer tis awesome! Burlew has included psionics a few other times as I recall.... The oracle seemed like a psionic style NPC to me and I always thought sangwaan (the blind girl who gets eaten by xycon's dragon) was psionic. Though in hindsight they do ask her to cast her trueseeing spell, not manifest it (they may just be ignorant of her psionic nature however). Both of those characters merely needed access to the Divination school of magic, not psionics, in order to do what they did. One actual misconception about the magic/psionics divide is that magic doesn't do any "mentalist"-style magic (and therefore this style is somehow inappropriate to D&D) or that psionics is all "mentalist"-style magic (and psionics is therefore "boring" for people who don't like that kind of thing).
Fatalis_902 10-15-07, 08:02 PM	He gets a line. Like all the other applicants, he gives his reaction to Roy's proposal to join his adventuring party -- in his case, "No". The speech balloon has no little arrow, indicating that he's speaking through telepathy. It's really cute. What? I'm looking at that page as I type this, and I can positively assure you that it is not the psion saying, "No." Roy is saying, "No," before the psion has a chance to say anything. The speaker of the line is not featured in the frame, hence, arrowless bubble. And yes, Tempest, the psion in the strip is the one from Roy's applicant line. Strange that Roy rejected him, ignoring the fact that that was 3.0 Psionics, given his favorite children's story.
ArcTan 10-15-07, 08:04 PM	What? I'm looking at that page as I type this, and I can positively assure you that it is not the psion saying, "No." Roy is saying, "No," before the psion has a chance to say anything. The speaker of the line is not featured in the frame, hence, arrowless bubble. And yes, Tempest, the psion in the strip is the one from Roy's applicant line. Strange that Roy rejected him, ignoring the fact that that was 3.0 Psionics, given his favorite children's story. No, Fatalis, the Psion is saying "No" with telepathy, hence the arrowless bubble. As you yourself point out, it would make no sense for Roy to be rejecting applicants out of hand (when he's clearly desperate enough to take anyone), and the Psion saying "No" falls right in line with every other panel of the sequence, where every other applicant is giving their response to the offer (and Roy doesn't speak at all). In comics, an off-panel speaker would generally be conveyed by an arrow pointing off-panel, not with an arrowless bubble. Arrowless bubbles don't have a set default meaning, but the overall impression is, I think, pretty clear -- hearing a voice come out of nowhere, i.e. telepathy. I'm pretty sure Rich Burlew confirmed this on the GiantITP forums, which are known for killing every OotS joke ever written through slow and pitiless dissection. You can go ask him if you want. Or you can just look at the current OotS (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0494.html), where the Little Psion That Could speaks with an arrowless bubble.
Millenia 10-15-07, 08:41 PM	A psion and a magic* train! Who drew this comic and what did they do to Burlew? *psionic Keith Baker? :D
Jaxgaret 10-15-07, 08:42 PM	I'm pretty sure Rich Burlew confirmed this on the GiantITP forums, which are known for killing every OotS joke ever written through slow and pitiless dissection. :rofl: All too true. Also, I <3 Belkar.
Tempest Stormwind 10-15-07, 08:43 PM	I was only responding from memory and got it wrong. I've read the book only once (I don't own a copy; it was my then-girlfriend's, who has since disappeared off the face of the earth). Thanks for the correction, ArcTan.
ArcTan 10-15-07, 08:44 PM	Keith Baker? :D Perhaps in the OotS-verse Eberron is a fairy tale for children.
larry_the_titan 10-16-07, 01:56 PM	Keith Baker did also appear in "Start of Darkness", so I wouldn't put it past him.
Fatalis_902 10-16-07, 06:07 PM	No, Fatalis, the Psion is saying "No" with telepathy, hence the arrowless bubble. As you yourself point out, it would make no sense for Roy to be rejecting applicants out of hand (when he's clearly desperate enough to take anyone), and the Psion saying "No" falls right in line with every other panel of the sequence, where every other applicant is giving their response to the offer (and Roy doesn't speak at all). In comics, an off-panel speaker would generally be conveyed by an arrow pointing off-panel, not with an arrowless bubble. Arrowless bubbles don't have a set default meaning, but the overall impression is, I think, pretty clear -- hearing a voice come out of nowhere, i.e. telepathy. I'm pretty sure Rich Burlew confirmed this on the GiantITP forums, which are known for killing every OotS joke ever written through slow and pitiless dissection. You can go ask him if you want. Or you can just look at the current OotS (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0494.html), where the Little Psion That Could speaks with an arrowless bubble. I would concede, if only because you made your argument coherently and without resorting to insult, and you brought other sources to back it up. However, I refuse to concede, because every time I look at the psion's face, it doesn't show any emotion consistant with the rest of the people who are refusing. That, and it makes for a better(if more anti-psionic) joke if Roy is refusing the psion even in his desparate state of affairs. One way or another, I don't really care who's right. It's like any piece of art. Two people can have radically different interpretations of the same piece, and still be right, even if their interpretations are wildly different from the artist's intent. ...And yes, I do consider comics as much a form of art as literature and music.
ArcTan 10-17-07, 04:37 PM	I would concede, if only because you made your argument coherently and without resorting to insult, and you brought other sources to back it up. However, I refuse to concede, because every time I look at the psion's face, it doesn't show any emotion consistant with the rest of the people who are refusing. I think that's part of the point -- Psions always look naturally serene. Although, to be honest, I'm not sure what you mean by not showing any emotion. Some of the applicants are jerks about rejecting, while some of them are polite and calm about it (and some of them don't actually reject the offer at all, they just respond to it in a way that makes them wildly unsuitable, like the Mr. Fizzypop guy). I don't have the comic on me right now and can't point it out specifically, but I do remember that Elric, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Gandalf and Frodo all respond politely in their refusals. ("Sorry, liches aren't really my speciality", "I'm afraid we have other business", etc.) That's kind of the charm of the montage, that it's a whole bunch of wildly different people and different reactions that, sadly, all share only one thing in common, that they're dud applications. That, and it makes for a better(if more anti-psionic) joke if Roy is refusing the psion even in his desparate state of affairs. I respect Mr. Burlew's sense of humor too much to think that he'd make an incongruous "Psionix sux" joke without any context and expect his audience to get it (which would require that the vast majority of his audience already think "Psionix sux"). For one thing, I don't think most people would've even gotten the hint that Mr. Tattooed Crystal Guy was a Psion if not for the arrowless telepathy bubble.
Fatalis_902 10-17-07, 07:37 PM	I think that's part of the point -- Psions always look naturally serene. Although, to be honest, I'm not sure what you mean by not showing any emotion. Some of the applicants are jerks about rejecting, while some of them are polite and calm about it (and some of them don't actually reject the offer at all, they just respond to it in a way that makes them wildly unsuitable, like the Mr. Fizzypop guy). I don't have the comic on me right now and can't point it out specifically, but I do remember that Elric, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Gandalf and Frodo all respond politely in their refusals. ("Sorry, liches aren't really my speciality", "I'm afraid we have other business", etc.) That's kind of the charm of the montage, that it's a whole bunch of wildly different people and different reactions that, sadly, all share only one thing in common, that they're dud applications. Well this was fun while it lasted, but I suppose I must concede. Even as I review it now, it does begin to appear as if the psion was speaking. Perhaps if the line was different, perhaps something like, "No...NO...NEXT!" or something to that effect, but it is beginning to seem that you were right. I respect Mr. Burlew's sense of humor too much to think that he'd make an incongruous "Psionix sux" joke without any context and expect his audience to get it (which would require that the vast majority of his audience already think "Psionix sux"). For one thing, I don't think most people would've even gotten the hint that Mr. Tattooed Crystal Guy was a Psion if not for the arrowless telepathy bubble. I have no comment on the comedian's sense of humor, and/or whether or not I respect it, at this time. On an unrelated note, Buffy's obvious, though I admit to having overlooked it before, Gandalf and Frodo are obvious, but who is this "Elric" of whom you speak?
InkBlot 10-17-07, 07:57 PM	He's refering to Edward Elric (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elric_of_Melnibon%C3%A9), from Full Metal Alchemist (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stormbringer), of course. Full Metal Alchemist was hugely influenced by D&D (http://forums.legendscomics.com/index.php?showtopic=146), so it only makes sense.
ArcTan 10-17-07, 08:04 PM	No, I'm actually not. No one in the lineup looks like Edward Elric (none of them have a metal prosthetic arm or anything). I mean the original Elric, that Edward Elric's probably named after. Elric of Melnibone (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elric_of_Melnibon%C3%A9). He's the pale goth-looking dude with the eight-pointed star around his neck and the great big black sword, who says "Nay". As Rich Burlew said on the Giant ITP forums, I'm afraid I'm gonna have to confiscate your Geek Membership Card till you read up on your Michael Moorcock.
InkBlot 10-17-07, 08:06 PM	psst look at the links I peppered my post with
Tsuul 10-18-07, 04:16 AM	That trap was laid to well InkBlot. Your Geek Membership card just moved up from DR/scissors to DR/woodchipper.
Omnirahk, half-Rahkshi 10-18-07, 11:51 PM	She was a cleric. The only time prior to this that a psion's shown up in OotS was in On the Origin of PCs. Roy looks to petition adventurers to form his band to raid the Dungeon of Durokan, first by actively seeking people at the tavern. After this fails miserably, he bumps into Elan, who suggests that he's doing it all wrong, and all he really needs to do is sit alone at a table in a darkened corner, looking mysterious. Roy, out of ideas, gives this a shot... and adventurers seeking quests start lining up by the truckload. (This is how V and Haley join, eventually.) In the line, there's a psion. The way that Rich draws psions always involves oddball hairstyles, a gem on a staff, and lots of tattoos, usually sans shirt. The psion in the line fits the description perfectly (although I forget if it's exactly the same one as in this most recent strip; it might have been an exact OotS version of Ialdabode). Naturally, he doesn't get any lines -- the page that shows Roy turning people down from the line focuses on another character (in this case, a monk that looks suspiciously like Ryu). But this is notable as the only appearance of a psion in the OotS storyline until today's throwaway joke. Well, there is also that time the mind flayer did appear. Remember, Elan cried out "Ah it's a . . ." [thought bubble]Illithid? Mind flayer? Psionic danger?[/thought bubble] Squid thingie!" Issue #30. He's even holding a book: Psionics & You.
ArcTan 10-18-07, 11:56 PM	psst look at the links I peppered my post with Well played, friend. Well played.
brothersutek 10-19-07, 12:40 AM	As Rich Burlew said on the Giant ITP forums, I'm afraid I'm gonna have to confiscate your Geek Membership Card till you read up on your Michael Moorcock. +++ HA ha ha! geek membership card! :clap: