The Order of the Stick

[Huanir]

used with permission

I think I just failed a Spot check.

Starting off with a gag a week, this Dungeons and Dragons inspired webcomic soon has its characters involved in a plot of universal significance. Known for its characters (Belkar, for example, is the posterboy Heroic Sociopath) and its minimalist aesthetic (i.e. it's all stick-figures), this series is a favorite of many a nerd, both D&D gamers and non-gamers alike.

OOTS is the only webcomic for which I've purchased merchandise (not sure if HS music counts - if so, then this statement is a lie; also, I bought a SBaHJ shirt for a friend as a gift, but I'm not sure if that counts either?). Feel free to love on it and discuss recent updates.

You can also feel free to hate on it, but that won't make me feel as warm and fuzzy on the inside.

[Varkarrus]

OOTS is the first webcomic I've read, and by my count, I've been reading it for 7 years now. That's a significantly long period of time.

[Wesley Foxx]

I like it, I guess. Dunno how long I've been reading it for though.

[myu2k2]

i've been reading OotS before i found MSPA.... so... yeah....

I don't know when i started, but it was before the Linear Guild showed up. I lost track of it for a little while, but that was due to the comic's update schedual going purple.

[ragmaan]

I like it, but the update schedule went down the deep end

[deathsbuddy]

OotS is lots of fun. Much more fun because I've played in the d20 system, though.

On the flip side, it's a great way to introduce people to D&D!

[Wiwaxia]

OotS is lots of fun. Much more fun because I've played in the d20 system, though.

On the flip side, it's a great way to introduce people to D&D!

OotS is probably what got me into D&D.

[Wesley Foxx]

That one episode of Dexter's Lab is what got me into it. #coolstorybro

[ghastlyMeme]

!!

I have all the books, including the prequels and the Dragon book! Haha I love that comic.

[kaoticAntagonist]

Its definitely one of the better comics storywise.

[Dentrala]

I agree, but I think the biggest issue with it is the same issue Homestuck has - you need some degree of investment to be able to follow it.

[kaoticAntagonist]

Thats also true. I thought it was pretty average joke a day strip with some plot up until around the Sapphire City.

[deathsbuddy]

Huh.
I wonder how this new opportunity will turn out for them. I'm going to guess badly.

[Trek]

I literally just started reading it a week ago. I'm on comic #533 and it is so good. After I catch up I'll have to do a reread right away because I tend to skip a bunch of dialogue because pictures. I actually got into it from the D&D game, which my neighbor has. I tried playing it but couldn't understand it, but it got me into the comic and now I want to learn to play it pretty badly.

[Akazani]

One thing that sets it apart, especially as the comic goes on, is how much you get per page, and even if it's a lot of talking it's still super-easy to read and take in because of how it's set out, unlike some webcomics (Drowtales I'm looking at you).

It's very funny and clever, if I could only look at one webcomic for whatever reason, it'd probably be this one.

[fabricatedPastry]

i read this

[Wiwaxia]

Ok, as resident paleonerd, the Brontosaurus joke in today's strip amused me far too much.

Also, Belkar is a bumbling sidekick. Absolutely.

[Hazel]

I've never even played D&D, and quite a lot of the references go over my head, but I love OotS. Binge reading the whole archive was a blast. In fact, I should do it again sometime soon.

[tectonicRobot]

They have really nice forums.

And the comic strip is cool, too!

[Gigabacon]

I think the comic started out really excellent, but the quality of the writing / jokes decreased a bit over time. Not to say it got bad, I just think it became good / great rather than excellent. But i must say, Tarquin's speeches on these pages, especially the second one, are excellent.

Actually, now that you mention it, I think I'll catch up with it now.

[Nimz]

I don't remember exactly how I got started with OotS, so I will reconstruct a plausible scenario: I think I started reading OotS around the heaven arc. When the creator of D&D died some one (or maybe more than one) of the webcomics I read pointed to the OotS tribute, and I figured I'd read how the story got to that point. This story may be slightly implausible in that I remember seeing the cast page before Haley stole the diamond from herself, and it seemed like forever since I looked at the cast page when I checked it again afterwards. Oh well.

Now OotS a thumbtacked site on my Top Sites preview thingy in my default browser. I've not played D&D, but I know a few people who do play D&D that I at least have enough passing knowledge to get most of the jokes. I find it amusing how self-aware the characters are that they are characters in an RPG. This is how our universe is, so let's take advantage of the universal quirks if at all possible. "Be the other guy" is a tactic that can get you out of an otherwise impossible corner. xD

[Liza]

Oh man, I adore OotS - it mixes deadly serious and emotional plotting and characterization with zany antics and hilarious 4th-wall breaking. All of which are reasons I also love MSPA. Heck I once got a friend to read Problem Sleuth by calling it "Order of the Stick, only with a film-noir based JRPG instead of D&D" It worked. Very very well.

[Huanir]

Any hope for books 2-4 being reprinted at any point in the future?

[Shadow of the Lotus]

I hope Book 4 is reprinted sometime soon. I have all the books except for book 4.

And I started reading OOTS right after Rich did the guest comic for 8-bit theater.

[armeggedonCounselor]

I read this. My only complaint is the sporadic update schedule. It's understandable, considering Rich has his health problems, but it still sucks sometimes.