PS238 by Aaron Williams
Ps238: The School for Metaprodigy Children
PS238 by Aaron Williams
Ps238: The School for Metaprodigy Children
PS238 by Aaron Williams
Ps238: The School for Metaprodigy Children
PS238 by Aaron Williams
Ps238: The School for Metaprodigy Children
95 thoughts on “2014-04-27”
Kolth
A completely random question undone by someone with a frankly amazing memory. I don’t think I would’ve remembered something so oddly esoteric several hours later.
Go 84! Granted, this still doesn’t guarentee her the eye because she doesn’t know what it is.
jon
yes, trolling dungeon should totally have a several tonnes pile of random junk that could be described as “the eye” in the treasure room
Mechwarrior
Just look for one of the Revenant’s business cards.
someone
or the plain goblet, made of ordinary clay…
JJ Swiontek
“You have chosen wisely.” 🙂
xero
Or the letter I
Van
Maybe Odin dropped his off somewhere and it wound up here. He is always losing that thing.
Jerden
To be fair, the esoteric nature may have helped. Who’d remember a 5 of clubs?
RayNAiken
I dunno about that. My wife can remember all kinds of silly things I’ve done or said long before we were married. (30 plus years ago in 12 more days….. (I’ve got to remember that!))
Rock
Oh, that… that is AWESOME! 😀
I wonder whether we will now see an irate Grigor appear and demand his card back from the fog-guardian.
KillerFish
Unless Grigor *is* the fog guardian?
Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain, folks!
Lycanthromancer
I don’t think that’s the case; otherwise, the guardian wouldn’t have expressed incredulity over her knowing the card exists, since it would’ve been the one to tell her in the first place. It was astonished that she knew; if it was Grigor, it would have had some other reaction.
Messenger
Problem: If this gatekeeper isn’t Grigor, then it asked a question 84 shouldn’t be able to answer. Its point was that answering its questions would be very difficult but not impossible, such as by being truly honest with your self. Dealing with someone as innocent and young as 84, it picked a “What have I got in my pocket?” (to use Someguy’s words) question instead and fully expected 84 to have no chance of answering correctly. You can see this in his reaction. If the gatekeeper chose this question to give 84 a chance to pass- depending on 84’s memory as a result of the courtesy she showed Grigor- it wouldn’t be speaking thusly.
Nobody
Maybe as a magical Guardian it doesn’t know WHY she should know that, only that this question is equally difficult to the ones it asked before.
So it doesn’t understand HOW she knows about that card, because it can’t actually read minds, it just knows the questions and what a right/wrong answer to those questions would be.
Faust
She had the chance to find out the answer in advance. It’s just lucky that she did what she did and remembered.
A hard question doesn’t mean you know that answer, just that you are expected to get it wrong though you had the chance of finding the answer but didn’t know what you would be asked.
Moe Lane
“What card am I holding up?”
“That one, right there.”
Or…
:walking over, looking at it: “It’s a 15 & 1/4 Sunrise Rubies.”
Someguy
What!? Seriously? Julie got a “What have I got in my pocket?” & answered correctly!?
Christopher
Not quite. Wich of those cards (for wich you need to have a chance to answer them) am I holding?
So it HAD to be something she should have been able to answer.
Considering the nature of his questions, what she recently experienced, that Grigor needed that card/had the same deck and how the 2nd riddle was a trap for the guardian as well this was highly logical.
Hyperstrike
Julie Finster. She can kick your butt with both hands tied behind her back, or she can braniac you to death!
Do not taunt Happy Fun 84!
For she is subtle, and quick to mash face!
warun
The test being whether she pays attention to those around her and listens to what they say. As a young lady in a fairy tale, after all, it’s really all a test of diligence – and what better rival for a trickster god than someone who is simply diligent? Tricksters love an attentive audience.
I’ll bet Veles had her picked out from go but put the whole competition together pretty much for his amusement.
Simon
And also that she was smart enough to realise that she’d been given a clue. On the face of it, this was a question that she had absolutely no chance of answering. But she remembered that someone else had mentioned a specific card to her… and perhaps also remembered that the backing of this card matched the deck Grigor was playing with. And with that cue, she was fortunately able to remember the card he was looking for.
ThatGuy
And thus the reason why she needs to be the champion. This moment right here. So funny and yet so true. The most absurd thing that could be picked solved by a simple answer which technically makes sense. (If you reread the dwarf with the game then it actually does make sense. Kind of like watching the how to solve it map to the dungeon. Except complicated)
Veritas
Interesting. So the question apparently had to be one that 84 COULD answer – a difficult question, but not an impossible one (as a completely random card would have been). And even the guardian seems to have forgotten that (or is putting on a show of such). In this case it was testing her memory, rather than her self-awareness as those who went before – but it wasn’t a question of mere luck.
Mike
It’s entirely possible the guardian only knows that its question is of a particular difficulty, but not why it’s that difficult. Which would explain the “You peeked” – it really didn’t know how she could have gotten it correct, even though it knows (based on the “rules” it works under) that she had to have some small chance of doing so.
Or, it could be “playing dumb” as a way to draw out her full reasoning. Maybe if she had gotten it technically right, but couldn’t remember how she knew about the card or explain why she should know that’s the card in the guardian’s “hand”, then her answer would have fallen into the same “incomplete” category as Firedrake and Conjurer’s answers.
I’m thinking my first guess is the most likely. Hopefully we’ll find out one way or the other in the next page or two.
HappyHead
Each of the questions required a person to be honest and answer something about themselves and their motivations – in this case, it’s a bit of a trick – the question isn’t really about the card, it’s about whether she was genuinely interested in and concerned for the NPC she met right at the entrance. Remembering details about him like what card he was looking for (the card back is the same as his deck) shows that she was being honest and genuine in her conversation with Grigor.
Moe Lane
:stunned look from the rest of the table:
Player #1: “So, to recap:
1). If the NPC has a name and the GM knows it right off the bat, the NPC is significant.
2). Take notes. Write down EVERYTHING
3). Talk, THEN punch.
4). Graph your path.
5). No touchy the other party members. No touchy!
…I really should charge the rest of you money for this. Where are the chips?”
Rufusmoray
That very reason is why as a GM I will often “Struggle” to name a NPC. Also if you interact with an NPC in my games. Even random guardsmen B… He has a name. If you ask me more questions he will even have a back story. (No I don’t make them up ahead of time, but there are some great resources for personality generation and being able to think on your feet is great.)
Moe Lane
Oh, yeah, there are counters to all of those. It all depends on your table’s group dynamic, I think. It’s just not a good campaign for some players if they’re not matching wits with the GM.
kentda
Names can work in your favor quite well, especially if you take advantage of how names are often perceived. There are names that are so common, most people forget about them almost instantly. Imagine a modern day Spy Thriller. You could very likely end up meeting two different Mister Smiths over the course of a few game sessions since Smith is a relatively common name. They might even be related!
Of course you could also do this on purpose, taking advantage of how names can often have meaning.
The Gerenhalt family is well known as The best wine makers you can find short of a kingdom’s budget. Nameless NPC is a Gerenhalt, or at least his Grandfather was anyway. Oh, and he hates alcohol. This works out quite well if there is something going on that involves the Gerenhalt family.
Another example, give a nameless unimportant NPC the same last name as the current King. They’re not related at all, the ‘commoner’ is just from another country, that’s all. But of course you don’t bring this guy into the story unless there are questions about the king’s lineage or the like.
In both cases, you’ve handily distracted them for a bit, all because of how the name is Perceived. Or, if there is enough interest, you weave them into the story.
Kheldarson
Knew a player who would do just that. And he took anything not pinned down in an adventure. We had a stupid rich party by the end of the first adventure.
zmortis
This is why games eventually need to develop weight/encumbrance rules. 😉
Kheldarson
Oh, we had those rules.
It’s why he bought a cart to haul everything out of the dungeon once we were done >.<
Swamp Thang
You should have gotten a henchman.
luagha
I believe it is either Monte Cook, Robin Laws, both or neither who have on their list of gamemastering tips:
1. Always have a sheet of paper with a list of ten appropriate, reasonably unique names on it. So if your players ask the name of random guard C, you have one and he doesn’t end up being named ‘bob’.
Marie
When they start going out of their way to ask for the names of every spear carrier, you SHOULD name them all Bob.
Kirala
Bob was there, too.
Eh? What?
FYI since I looked it up: http://ps238.nodwick.com/comic/2014-11-24/
(how 5 months fly by)
Christopher
Wait a second, does that mean th Cloudy guy stole the card Grigor needs to get out?
Actually that would fit rastovs 2nd test quite well, wich was also a trap for the guardian.
Foradain
OK, I would’ve missed that one. In my defense, though, it was five months ago. And my memory is not nearly as good as Julie’s. ^_^
Russell White
THAT!…..was…..brilliant!….on one hand Mr.Williams needs to start writing for DC?Marvel….onthe other hand PS238 forever!
Mechwarrior
Actually, Aaron has written for both already. He wrote a one-shot story for Spider-Man Unlimited (which was published just before that title was discontinued) and his limited series North 40 was published by DC’s Wildstorm.
Moe Lane
PhoenixPaw called it.
Knug
You win !
Umm, not sure what you win, but Congrats !
JJ Swiontek
Well Done! Have a cookie. 🙂 (Cookies are traditional for Congrats.)
Knug
Hmmm. Perhaps this is why Grigor has been trapped inside the egg (he can’t win his solitaire game). I wonder if 84 gets to keep the card and give it to him. . .
Maybe the card is the eye, after all, the “eye” could be the nickname of the 15.25 sunrise ruby card.
kentda
Ok, that would be just twisted twisted wrong, in a good way. The whole set of the Sunrise Rubies could also be called The Eye. Which would be somewhat fitting. The true ‘guard’ of The Eye is Not past the gates, but before they even Get to the gates. However to complete the set they’d still need to face the smoke guardian to get the missing card.
The game itself could even be called The Eye. Grigor can’t win unless he has that card.
Delver
Grigor could be the object of the quest. Maybe he is a loyal servant that needs releasing. And to do that you have to get the ‘eye’ card.
Nobody
Maybe Grigor is not “trapped” at all, but is actually lives/works there. He did call it his “job” after all, and aside from wanting to concentrate on his solitaire game didn’t seem put out by being there or anything.
Think about it! He gets a stipend, a leaky boat, all the time he wants to play cards, and immortality! He might have totally volunteered. Or he might not have.
artificer-urza
I’m just amazed she remembered the exact name of the card…
Could she have gotten away with “That card that Grigor was looking for?”
Wanderer
Hey, he told her it was needed to win this round and to concentrate. OTOH, in a kid that age, listening to someone and remembering what they told you practically counts as a superpower…
Stephen R. Bierce
“Countin’ Flowers on the Wall/That don’t bother me at all
Playin’ Solitaire till dawn with a deck of fifty-one
Smokin’ cigarettes and watchin’ Captain Kangaroo
Now don’t tell me I’ve nothin’ to do”…
Frith Ra
Well I’m stuck inside a magic sphere where everything is mad
people disappear around me when they do something bad
Maybe I should head back out, except it’s kinda hard
The only exit that I know is by the guy who has the card
But I know that wouldn’t interest anybody outside a small circle of friends.
Mike
I need to show my kids your poem so they know their Dad isn’t the only guy who’s nuts in that way. I’m envious, by the way – wish I’d come up with that.
Bob!
I remembered the music, but had to look up “outside of a small circle of friends” on Wikipedia
Phil Ochs released 1967
Kilyle
God of the Sun you may be, O Frith, but not God of the Rhyme: You missed an easy center rhyme with better cadence.
“I’m stuck inside a magic sphere where everything is mad;
People ’round me disappear when they do something bad”
Other than that and the general cadence… well, in general I love it when people come up with spur-of-the-moment poetry 😀
Nightmask
Hmmm, so Chekov’s Card?
DanielLC
I’d have gone with “that one”.
TB
Of course I had to go back and look at the Solitaire strip.
May I express my immense admiration for an online comic that actually has THUMBNAILS in their archive listings?
Naldru
If 84 had answered either of the first two questions, she would have answered honestly and won. 84 is the one with the secret shame, and that secret is that feels she is not worthy. If she had answered the second, she could have truthfully said that she was there to help the people. She truly expects devastation if the team fails and has at least some hope that Veles will keep his word if the team succeeds.
At the time of the second question, the Conjuror knew this. Therefore, he should have given the question to 84 because he knew he had other motives. Based on this, one could argue that Conjuror was acting unethically since the reason that he answered it was that he wanted the credit, and hoped that he could overcome problems caused by his own behavior.
Phlogiston and Firehawk actually acted with good intentions. I suspect that they will get some sort of consolation prize. Perhaps they could form their own fire based team.
The final conclusion is that 84 will get the gold and Phlogiston and Firehawk will share the silver. As for the others, I suspect that Veles will use his imagination when deciding what to give them. If nothing else, he may publicize their actions.
toughluck
No, Julie has no secret shame. She knows she is not worthy and has expressed this on a number of occasions. In a way, it’s like Firehawk’s “secret”.
It’s Conjuror. His secret shame is that while he knows a lot, he is not a powerful magician (kinda like many expert programmers know the ins-and-outs of the systems they program for, but they’re simply bad at programming proper). Or that he’s using his mask to hide some hideous deformity and normally uses magic to disguise it.
The only prize that Veles had for the winner was becoming Earth’s new champion. Others were fighting for their own freedom (and possibly for the city to be spared). And the only purpose this puzzle served for Veles himself was his own enjoyment.
Mutant for Hire
I think it’s too soon to tell what Conjuror’s secret shame is. That said, I do hope that Phlogiston learns of the second question from Firehawk and the two of them press him on the truth after Julie gets back.
Mechwarrior
Conjurer’s secret shame is that he likes Vanilla Ice music.
waylon
These are ordinary people we’re talking about, even if they are people with super-powers. Everyone has shame of some kind, whether it’s secret or not. Some people are just better at hiding it than others. Feelings of inadequacy and unworthiness seem like part of a pretty good working definition of shame.
Devlerbat
Would it matter if she did peak? He didn’t call no peaking.
Devlerbat
That is to say, that the only rules previously established was that one must come up with a correct and satisfactory answer to the question asked. As far as I can tell how one comes up with the answer is irrelevant as long as the answer itself is good.
Swamp Thang
He didn’t call no super powers either.
Lackey
I was wondering when that would finally come up. Expected it to be in treasure room with the eye and maybe force a choice between helping the polite NPC or achieving the adventure goal, though.
Mollyscribbles
Long time reader — I even have issue #0 in print — but only a recent arrival to the web version. I knew it was being posted online, but since I’d gotten the last trade and it was slowly catching up last time I checked, I didn’t feel the need to check in . . .
Saw someone mention it the other day, in my travels in the wilds of the internet, and I mainlined all the new content. Thus I am here cheering and waiting for Wednesday.
Alex C
This is a well woven story. The author must have written this comic backward.
rylen
A good question and a good memory. I’d have liked to hear her try to answer the relationship she wants to have with the Infinite Vanguard. It would have tied the start and end of the chapter together and required her to face something about herself.
Pander
Makes you wonder… even if she hadnt been told, couldnt she technically just take the card from him at superspeed, look at it, then say what it is? His question was not ‘Tell me what card this is without looking at it?’