So hey, I have what's probably a dumb question about Minmax

[SumGai]

I remember Minmax using the phrase "Maxo Kickaxo" more than a few times as and after he and Fumbles started up their friendship. But... that doesn't make sense to me. Didn't Minmax trade away his ability to rhyme on purpose for Improved Unarmed Strike?

Did Minmax get a feat that allowed him to rhyme again while leveling up? Is "Maxo Kickaxo" not pronounced in a rhyming fashion? Or am I just thinking too hard about this?

[Sessine]

That's because Minmax didn't make it up. Fumbles did.

http://www.goblinscomic.org/05132015/

[SumGai]

I know, but wouldn't he still be having to rhyme on purpose to say it correctly? I swear I'm not trying to pick a fight or anything, I'm just wondering.

Come to think of it, did Minmax make up his door-finding song and dance on his own?

[Krulle]

No, he apparently learnt that from Forgath: http://www.goblinscomic.com/07082011/
[Edit] he remembers it totally wrong:

► Show Spoiler

I'm a little teapot. Short and fat.
Here is my handle, here is my spout.
When I get all steamed up, hear me whine.
Tip me over and pour me everywhere

► Show Spoiler

It's more a small dance-performance for small kids.:
I'm a little teapot, short and stouts
Here is my handle, here is my spout.
When I get all steamed up hear me shout
Tip me over and pour me out

So, Forgath is actually making fun of the not-rhyming in front of Kin (who may not know this English children's song, I did know it rudimentary, without the exact texts, so I never noticed Minmax's version is wrong).
[/edit]

So, MM possibly can learn rhymes, and recite them on purpose, but he cannot create rhymes himself on purpose (it might happen accidentally, though, as only "on purpose" has been traded).
I have no problem with that distinction, and having traded only one of the two.

It is a good question though. Depending on the exact formulation of the trade with the DM, the DM might revoke the advantages and throw in a batch of negative XP as penalty for bad role playing ("reciting" can be considered to be "on purpose") .
But we do not know the exact wording of the trade agreement.
[edit] But the teapot "spliying" version shows us, that likely even learnt and recited rhymes are not allowed anymore.
But then the name Maxo-Kickaxo is rather short, possibly just fitting his name-memory, and less his non-funtioning rhyme memory.[/edit]

[edit] wanted to add in some minor comments about Minmax's version not rhyming at all, found a youtube video (because I wanted to say the song is not a rhyme, but a dance performance) which actually showed me how wrong I was right from the start [/edit]

[nikohl]

I raised that question when the phrase originally arose - Thunt's answer was that Maxo Kickaxo is a name, and Minmax can say names, because they override the rhyming rule. So he could say Shaun Vaughan or Paul Hall and he can therefore say Maxo Kickaxo.

I disagree with the ruling, but that's the official word.

[Guus]

It's a joke from early on in the comics that is now stuck to the official lore, so I'd think it's an oversight from THunt about the consequences a joke like that could have in the remainder of the comic. It's to be expected when you are making a web comic, especially if it's been running for a long time. It's just a minor thing however, so I don't let it bother me.

[Krulle]

Just for fun: here's the thread of the comic where "Maxo Kickaxo" was introduced, with the first post asking that question.

And here's the link to the post with Thunt's twitter answers.

For simplicity, and completeness, I'll repeat the tweets here:

@Thunt_Goblins Does "Maxo Kickaxo" count as Minmax rhyming purposefully, I wonder?

[...] Maxo kickaxo is okay for Minmax because it's like a name. If someone's name is Fred Pled, he would be able to say it.

[...] But he couldn't name someone Fred Pled or come up with maxo kickaxo. Poems or songs are right out, though.

[SumGai]

Ahhh, okay. I wasn't sure if it had been addressed before - mystery solved!