IT'S BETTER THAN A NATURAL 1!
Cast
- The Order of the Stick
- Ted ▶
- The Goblin who Killed Fruit Pie ▶
- Eight other Goblins
Transcript
- Panel 1
Two goblins are talking around a watercooler.
Goblin #1: So then he says to me, "Don't work harder, work smarter."
Goblin #2: You're kidding.
Goblin #1: Seriously.
- Panel 2
Goblin #1: And I was all, "Uh, Ted, we have a listed Intelligence score of 10, there's only so much I can do with that."
Goblin #2: I know! What does he think we are? Xvarts?
The Order, invisible, are whispering in the room next door.
Invisible person #1 (whispering): See anything?
Invisible person #2 (whispering): Yeah.
- Panel 3
Roy (whispering): OK, gang, goblins up ahead. Everyone make your Move Silently check.
Invisible person #1 (whispering): Right.
Invisible person #2 (whispering): Got it!
- Panel 4
Invisible person #1 (whispering): I got a 17.
Invisible person #2 (whispering): I got a 24.
Invisible person #3 (whispering): I got a 19.
Elan: I GOT A 4!
- Panel 5
Elan: DID YOU HEAR ME? I GOT—
Roy (whispering): Shut up. Now.
The scene shows a hoard of goblins gathering around the door.
Ted: Invisibility Purge.
The Order become visible again.
- Panel 6
Roy: Time for Plan B, I think.
Haley: Is that the one where we set something on fire?
Roy: Oh, right, then plan C.
Haley: Which one is that?
- Panel 7
Roy: RUN AWAY!!!!
The Order flee, Roy dragging Durkon along as the goblins chase them.
Belkar: Really? Because that always struck me as our Plan A...
Durkon: Such be me lot in life...
D&D Context
- Goblin 1: And I was all, "Uh, Ted, we have a listed Intelligence score of 10, there's only so much I can do with that."
- Goblins have an Intelligence score of 10 in the Monster Manual.
- Xvarts are a type of monstrous humanoid, debuting in the original Fiend Folio. They fill a largely similar niche to goblins, being small, cowardly, evil-aligned creatures that live in tribes and fight in groups.
- The order is making their Move Silently checks to see if they can sneak past the goblins. Elan rolls a 4, which is especially low.
- Invisibility Purge is a third-level Cleric spell that removes all Invisibility effects.
Trivia
- "Work smarter, not harder" is the motto of Scrooge McDuck in the animated TV series DuckTales, which ran from 1987-1990.
- This is the first appearance of Ted. Rich Burlew has specified that the goblin spellcasters in #90, #93, #105, and #107 were not necessarily intended to be the same person, or to have the name Ted, but the Forum thread has decided to make them all the same guy, and this wiki concurs.
- This is the first appearance of the goblin who kills Fruit Pie.