July 14, 2015 Comic: Seeing Ahead Of Yourself

[Aegis J Hyena]

I'm the fortune teller (I like to read tarot in my spare time) around here and yet I didn't see that coming. Now I have some hope for Thaco.

(Wish I'd of foreseen the mugging I received that left me with a broken arm in 3 places this week...)

[Synch]

Edit in the hyperlink to the comic page, Aegis.

[Aegis J Hyena]

Every time I try it just 404s.

http://www.goblinscomic.org/07142015/

Did that work?

[Synch]

Yup!

[The Wyrm Ouroboros]

I just want to see a 3.5/Pathfinder writeup for the cloths. I have a hobgoblin monk who'd love one.

[SpeaksManyLanguages]

The action is a bit hard to read. Can someone try to explain thoroughly what happens on panel 5? Was the impact from the leg-kick so powerful it knocked over thaco WITH the constrcut holding him? But then why is there Thaco's ime on the sound, like he did some action... Also, I'm not sure from which construct did he grab the cloth strap

[Krulle]

Dificult to see. I assume panel two shows the moves which happen in panels 3 and 4.
Apparently the informationw as sufficient for Thaco to grab one of the constructs and pull him down with his own fall in panel 5, giving another hit to the same construct in panel 6. I think the cloth is from the construct he pulled own with him in panels 4,5, and the same construct is not in the panels. anymore afterwards.


The transcription:

► Show Spoiler

Thaco: Wha...?

-

SFX: Th-Clunk
Thaco: Auh!

SFX: Crack

SFX: Clank

SFX: Conk

SFX: Clunnk

SFX: Thwuck
Thaco: Auuh!

Complains of Names: Thaco! The hell are you doing?!
Thaco: I think these pieces of cloth are magical. I think looking through them shows attacks before they happen.
Complains of Names: What? Are you sure?

Thaco: Nope.

-

preview sketch, unshaded image

edits: changed link to fully shaded page; added the image for not-shaded

[Tofu]

Its a fascinating prospect being blinded but still seeing moves and attacks into the future - I'd really prefer to have understood how it is that Thaco learned that a scrap of fabric gave that vision. It's a really difficult thing to comprehend, but its SOOOO awesome!

[Krulle]

panel two is the view of what Thaco sees while his eyes are accidentally covered from a piece of cloth.

[GodTom]

I feel like this would have benefited from it being more obvious that panel two is through cloth - either through some of the panel not being through cloth, or a different border to show the cloth. It took a few looks to understand what was going on.

[Krulle]

I find the black background and the highlighting of weapons movements more than telltale enough.
But that is my opinion.

[HerdsCats]

I wonder if the cloth only works for those constructs, or if it works for ALL attacks...

Thung did say thaco is getting an upgrade in one of his tweets about the vote incentive, which was a sketch of that last panel, so it might be a permanent thing.

[mustache_man]

I'm having a very hard time understanding the action in this one.

[BuildsLegos]

It's about time the only good moment from Donnie Darko was incorporated into an action scene.

[nikohl]

I'm having a very hard time understanding the action in this one.

I understood the blindfold-o-vision panel as soon as I saw it, and grasped that he saw through a trailing piece of blindfold off the back of one of the golem thingies for a fleeting moment. As to who hit who where and when thereafter... No idea. I understand the premise of what's going on... but I have no idea which body parts are where and how in the whole middle section. Especially the panel with the orange "CLANK" - no clue. Did he suplex it? Who knows. I don't mind, though. This is no different than usual for me, I never know what's going on in any action scenes, even in live action stuff. No spatial awareness.

Lucky for Thaco that this blindfold upgrade matches his outfit, though. How annoying would it be if the fancy magic zorro mask was blue or something? That'd clash with his pants.

[HerdsCats]

Blue wouldn't look too terrible. After all, black/charcoal grey goes with most things. I'd be more thankful that it isn't real and pink lepoard spots, with a puce green feather trimming.

[Braineel]

I just want to see a 3.5/Pathfinder writeup for the cloths. I have a hobgoblin monk who'd love one.

Not sure about 3.5e (with all those splats there's probably at least 5 different versions), but Pathfinder already has this item, called the swordmaster's blindfold (found in Ultimate Equipment).

As for the comic itself, are we really seeing the blind monk trope? It seems cliche'd. Makes me wonder what Minmax is going to see when he puts one on, though (as I've no doubt he'll try doing) ÔÇö perhaps it only works for monks? In that case, would Senor Vorpal Kickasso be able to see only 2/11ths of every incoming attack?

...Huh. Is he still level 2/11? He must have earned enough roleplaying XP alone by now to hit level 3/11.

[Someguy]

I just want to see a 3.5/Pathfinder writeup for the cloths. I have a hobgoblin monk who'd love one.

As for the comic itself, are we really seeing the blind monk trope?

Given the way Complains' tail was formed, I thought the blindfolds' effect was a shoutout to the Sharingan's Combat Clairvoyance.

[SpeaksManyLanguages]

Dificult to see. I assume panel two shows the moves which happen in panels 3 and 4.
Apparently the informationw as sufficient for Thaco to grab one of the constructs and pull him down with his own fall in panel 5, giving another hit to the same construct in panel 6. I think the cloth is from the construct he pulled own with him in panels 4,5, and the same construct is not in the panels. anymore afterwards.

I disagree. Out of 2 moves seen through the cloth:
1. The vertical strike in front of the horned statue. That's the leg-kick from panel 4.
2. The diagonal move by the sphere-head statue. That's the throw from panel 7.

On the question of body parts: frame 3 has a half-sphere-head construct holding Thaco in a lock like it did on the last frame of previous page. We see construct's right shoulder and right hand. Some other construct (with the no-horns-coin-head?) hits him.
Frame 4: the leg-kick. I guess, it has so much force, Thaco is able to suplex the half-sphere construct on frame5
frame 6: he elbows the half-sphere guy he suplexed and steals the blindfold?
frame 7: the sphere guy comes around, grabs and throws thaco further (as predicted by blind-vision)

...as i understand it all now.

[The Wyrm Ouroboros]

I just want to see a 3.5/Pathfinder writeup for the cloths. I have a hobgoblin monk who'd love one.

Not sure about 3.5e (with all those splats there's probably at least 5 different versions), but Pathfinder already has this item, called the swordmaster's blindfold (found in Ultimate Equipment).

(Clipped)

As for the comic itself, are we really seeing the blind monk trope?

Given the way Complains' tail was formed, I thought the blindfolds' effect was a shoutout to the Sharingan's Combat Clairvoyance.

The swordmaster's blindfold gives blindsight 5 ft (or only within the reach of the melee weapon you're wielding) as well as locate weakness; this is definitely not that. The 'combat clairvoyance' is exactly what it is, looking to the next turn and seeing what the attacks are going to be.

I'm honestly not sure how I'd run that. I think I'd be tempted to make it an item that gives no innate AC, takes up -- I dunno, either the 'head', the 'headband', or the 'eyes' slot -- but gives a bonus which can be shifted as the wearer desires between AC bonus and hit bonus.

[SpeaksManyLanguages]

Fully shaded http://www.goblinscomic.org/07202015/

[Deebles]

Here's one way it could run:
+2 insight bonus to defence
+2 bonus to hit in melee against any opponent who has made an attack roll against you since your previous round
Never flatfooted
-4 to Spot and Search checks

Price: ???

[Or some part of the above effects, for less simulationism and more rules simplicity]

What happens if you only cover one eye, though?

[Someguy]

The swordmaster's blindfold gives blindsight 5 ft (or only within the reach of the melee weapon you're wielding) as well as locate weakness; this is definitely not that. The 'combat clairvoyance' is exactly what it is, looking to the next turn and seeing what the attacks are going to be.

I'm honestly not sure how I'd run that. I think I'd be tempted to make it an item that gives no innate AC, takes up -- I dunno, either the 'head', the 'headband', or the 'eyes' slot -- but gives a bonus which can be shifted as the wearer desires between AC bonus and hit bonus.

'Headband' slot which can be toggled (Free Action as part of a Lock and Load Montage) so long as the 'eyes' slot is not occupied.

Here's one way it could run:
+2 insight bonus to defence
+2 bonus to hit in melee against any opponent who has made an attack roll against you since your previous round
Never flatfooted
-4 to Spot and Search checks

(Clipped)

What happens if you only cover one eye, though?

Easy, half the bonuses & penalties but with DM discretion on Spot and Search results depending on which side of the room is checked by which eye.

[The Wyrm Ouroboros]

'Headband' slot which can be toggled (Free Action as part of a Lock and Load Montage) so long as the 'eyes' slot is not occupied.

Here's one way it could run:
+2 insight bonus to defence
+2 bonus to hit in melee against any opponent who has made an attack roll against you since your previous round
Never flatfooted
-4 to Spot and Search checks

What happens if you only cover one eye, though?

Easy, half the bonuses & penalties but with DM discretion on Spot and Search results depending on which side of the room is checked by which eye.

Yecch. Why bother with the headband slot if it's going to take up the Eye slot anyhow? Set it at the Eye slot and be done with it.

Fold of the blind monk
Though bound across the eyes, the fold of the blind monk allows a monk - and only a monk - to see normally, and better than normally. Only a monk may use the apparently-simple strip of cloth the way it was designed to be used; all others are blinded as normal for tying a double-thick strip of cloth across your eyes.

When so worn, the monk sees both the current moment as well as a moment ahead in time, and so is never surprised or flat-footed. In addition, the headband gives her a general idea of what action she might take to best protect herself, providing a +2 insight bonus to AC and on Reflex saves. This insight bonus is lost whenever the monk would lose their Dexterity bonus to AC.

In essence, this gives the monk the benefit of a permanent 'foresight' (9th level) spell as long as the blindfold is tied across his eyes. Powerful, yes, but my Hero Lab is also showing foresight as a 6th level spell for something, if I could only discover what.

[nikohl]

In essence, this gives the monk the benefit of a permanent 'foresight' (9th level) spell as long as the blindfold is tied across his eyes. Powerful, yes, but my Hero Lab is also showing foresight as a 6th level spell for something, if I could only discover what.

Cleric with the Time domain gets it at 8, the Warlock gets "Dark Foresight" which replicates the effect only better at equivalent spell level 9, though they don't have spell levels - earliest available learnin' is at Warlock Level 16. I don't know anything off the top of my head that gets it at spell level 6. Not saying you're wrong; it's just if something gets it at 6, a) that's bloody good and b) I don't know what it is.

Having said that, whilst it's one of the less-good 9th level spells (...or 8th, for those few Time clerics), you're severely undervaluing 'Foresight' if you think it should be given in a permanent item to a level 3 character

The reason it's generally considered to be rather sucky as a spell is that it takes your 9th level spell slot for 10 min/level of entirely-subjective-according-to-your-DM's-style help. Conversely, having it permanently-on via an item in the 'eye' slot (which is an underused item slot and therefore extra-nice) and with no expenditure of a valuable high level spell slot is, even if your DM is the type to just say "duck" when a barrage of truestricken slaying arrows are incoming rather than give you the RAI round-by-round feedback on your stated considered actions in addition to warnings of impending combat-based doom, to use the parlance of our times... amazeballs.