Vaarsuvius shows us a use for an oft-overlooked spell.
Cast[]
- The Order of the Stick
- The Goblin who Killed Fruit Pie ◀
- Two other Goblins
Transcript[]
- Panel 1
Vaarsuvius: Sir Greenhilt has fallen behind. The goblins are right on his heels.
Haley: He needs to invest in a decent pair of running shoes if we are going to keep fleeing from things like this.
Belkar: Pffft. Shoes are for suckers. All part of a big conspiracy on the part of the cobblers.
Elan: The peach desserts? Wow, they always looked so innocent.
- Panel 2
Belkar: Crap! A dead end! We are so screwed!!
Haley: Start searching for secret doors.
Vaarsuvius: I do not sense a secret door.
Haley: It's a dungeon, V, there's always a secret door.
- Panel 3
A trapdoor opens
Unseen Voice (under the trapdoor): Pssst!! Hey, down here. It's safe.
Haley: Eek!
- Panel 4
Belkar: It's a trap door!
Haley: Told you so.
- Panel 5
Haley: Wait, we need to be careful. Who are you?
Unseen Voice: I can tell you who we are not. We are not 50 angry goblin soldiers.
Haley: Point taken.
- Panel 6
Haley: Everyone down the trap door.
Elan: (jumping down) Wheee!,
Vaarsuvius: I shall wait for Sir Greenhilt and Master Thundershield. I have an idea.
- Panel 7
Roy: They are right behind us!
Haley: In! In!
Roy: V, stop writing on the wall and get down there!
Vaarsuvius: Yes, yes, one moment...
- Panel 8
The trapdoor shuts
- Panel 9
Goblin #1: Aha! Now we've got you...trapped?
Fruit Pie Goblin: Dead end! Start searching for secret doors.
Goblin #2: Why?
Fruit Pie Goblin: It's a dungeon, there's always a secret door.
- Panel 10
Goblin #1: Wait, is there something written on the wall over there?
Various Other Goblins: Oh yeah. What's it say? I wanna see!
Fruit Pie Goblin: Hold on, it's real tiny, I gotta get close.
- Panel 11
Vaarsuvius' message reads: "I prepared Explosive Runes this morning"
Goblin #2: Huh. I wonder what that—
- Panel 12
The Runes explode, killing the goblins.
D&D Context[]
- Elves gain a bonus to sensing hidden doors.
- Explosive Runes is a 3rd-level Wizard spell that produces a rune that explodes when someone reads it.
- Haley: It's a dungeon, V, there's always a secret door.
- DMs often build many secret passages, traps, and doors into their dungeons.
- Halflings don't wear shoes; their feet have tough leathery soles and hairy insoles, obviating the need for shoes.
Trivia[]
- This is the first appearence of Explosive Runes, which becomes a running gag of the comic.
- This is the final appearance of the goblin who killed Fruit Pie.
- Reading Is Fundamental (RIF) is the largest nonprofit literacy organization in the U.S.