Vault of Deknar: Epilogue
Update (11/19): Fixed the teeth mis-color. Yes, that is Dallas Noble (Yes, I will keep changing character appearances over time) and I am actually going back at adding tags to the entire archive during the story break.
This ends the Vault of Deknar arc and this season of d20Monkey. Yep, I am moving over to a seasons format moving forward in 2017 and I will be retroactively breaking the archive up into seasons to better track things.
When I return, the site will have new character bios, a new archive divided into seasons, and other new goodies for 2017.
I know the break sucks, but I am struggling to pay the bills, so I have to finish the paying work and complete the art for Karthun. It just has to happen and with the art previews, I am providing some kind of content to all of you who show up and enjoy the things I make.
Hm… this should be good.
What a cliffhanger!!! Brian you’re cruel 😉
FanBoy Scream!!!!! Ayyyeeeeeeee
oh wow, I wasn’t expecting her to return anytime soon. what will happen next? the suspense is killing me!!!
who is that again?
That would be Dallas Noble.
Brian, is this your diabolical notion of a cliffhanger right before going on a “mid-season break”? If so, I both curse and salute you.
…I honestly can’t remember who she is?
dallas noble, check dungeon run ark from 2014
Please, character tags on the comics! Particularly since some characters keep radically changing their looks.
Umm… ok, so I’m thinking this is actually potentially rude since some people really do have brain function that makes them unable to recognize faces, but do you stop being able to recognize your friends when they change their hair?
There’s no “potentially rude” about it. You’re just being rude.
TB, I agree, I’d appreciate character tags too.
Not intentional, and I thought the discussion ended up being interesting.
I can very much see how character tags will make it easier for people, and it’s a planned site upgrade anyway, so that’s great news.
Keep in mind too that we have other cues outside of comics–voices, fluid body language, things like that. Plus, our friends may change their hair, but their faces and bodies don’t also continue to update with an artist’s style.
I actually thought this was the return of Mel at first, since dyed hair was always one of her defining characteristics–I was trying to figure out what she had done (recently) to make her seem like an asshole. But yeah, second read-through told me it was probably Dallas.
Character tags would also help for times when we get say, an arm and a speech balloon. Some of the characters have pretty recognizable speech patterns, like Trevor, Carlos and Brett. But often, when it’s spoken from off-panel, I’m not sure a word balloon belongs to Sam or Charlie (which makes some sense, given how long they’ve been friends). Character tags could potentially make that clearer to readers.
I for one definitely do not go around checking people’s bodily fluids to determine whether I recognize them or not. I wasn’t even aware that such fluids had a language! But I suppose that some cultures have developed some interesting customs; out of curiosity, is this normal behavior where you live?
Oh! You meant… I see… sorry for the confusion! I’ll just see myself out now…
(sorry, that line just conjured an odd mental image, and I couldn’t resist)
brian’s art style has changed ALOT since we last saw her
Not really. Changed a lot since she was introduced, absolutely. But looking it up, her hair is even cut the same as when she was last in the strip.
https://d20monkey.com/comic/christmas-2015-finale/
I probably have a better-than-average memory for minutiae, but all the D20 Monkey cast are drawn with consistent nose and chin shapes, basically the bone structure that doesn’t change underneath the hairstyle and facial expressions.
I do have an easier time with real faces than cartoon faces, and actual friends rather than cartoon characters I like, but given that I’m following dozens of online cartoons, each with large casts, it is easy to kind of lose track of someone you haven’t seen in a while. And yeah, even real people can throw me off if they’re casual acquaintances, I see them out of their usual environment, and they got glasses or a beard since the last time I’ve seen them. I need a lot more than a nose shape to stick in my memory, but YMMV.
A character tag not only gives me information, but lets me go back and check on what they were doing when they last showed up. I understand adding tags is extra work (and no online comic artist needs extra work, believe me) and retroactively doing it to an archive would be insane, but maybe it’s something that could be done going forward?
For the record, I’ve poked a number of strips about this. For example, I think “Girl Genius” has about sixty thousand characters so far. At least Brian’s comic has a nice, intimate cast.
P.S. During a long and exciting action arc, I don’t even mind a little refresher now and then on who’s playing who, even though I can usually remember. Brian is good about this, breaking into the real world now and then, and once he even had a nice tableau showing all the people at the table with their characters hovering behind them (can’t remember when it was) while they were making a critical decision.
i completely forgot that dallas had shown up in the christmas arc from last year
I actually do have a problem recognizing people when they change their hair! Even my own face takes a moment for my brain to register when I change mine!
I think that’s Dallas.
I have to agree. I would like tags on them as well. And I just wanted to say I love the comic strip. What a Killer arc this is/was and (on a side note) I can’t wait to see the Karthun rule set.
OOOOHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!
Reaction #1: Look at the pure joy on Charlie’s face. That’s one of those “I will *never* forget this moment” expressions.
Reaction #2: Brian, you suck. :p
What the…?! You better qualify that last statement before I repeatedly apply my knuckles to your face in a most vigorous and unpleasant fashion. Trollboy.
Trollboy? Umm, okay.
You see the “:p” part after it? That means I’m being facetious. In particular, I’m commenting on him dropping Dallas on us, then taking a month+ for a break.
It means you’re sticking your tongue out (figuratively if not literally); there are a number of emotions and meanings that can be expressed in that manner, and to just assume one without additional information is speculation.
Pure text communication, even with simulated emotes, is very much open to (mis)interpretation. In such a format, it’s best to spell out exactly what you mean, and even then there’s a good chance someone will misunderstand.
Long time reader. And I am sorry to be that guy but the teeth miss-coloring is slightly bothering. Otherwise great comic!
Hot damn, I’ve been waiting for Dallas to get back in the game, and I do mean that figuratively AND literally.
Also, it looks like Sam’s and Charlie’s teeth are the same color as their flesh. It’s… it’s haunting. Upside, now I’m compelled to make a homebrew “Teeth to Flesh” spell for Pathfinder.
Dude, you do NOT fail to disappoint.
…I meant that you never fail to surprise. Forgive me. I’m drunk. :-p
no one has any teeth!
Decisions, decisions.
Dallas is going to repair this bridge! Yay!
I just pillaged the archived, I still have no idea whats going on with Dallas.
Dallas is/was a game designer. Super well loved for “his” superb games. Back when there was that weird wizard DM person around, when Sam was trying to get a job at the game store, the weird wizard DM (Larry per my archive searches) convinced her on Sam’s behalf to do an in person signing at the game store. This event outed her as a her instead of as a him as the gaming community assumed. This resulted in a misogynistic turn against her, causing her latest game/module to tank and causing her to lose popularity even for her older stuff. Additionally, she won fair and square in the Dungeon Run event and that cockmonger Phillip Dove is using what influence he has in whatever circles he’s in to further exacerbate the harassment she’s getting because she was born XX instead of XY and that is a threat to whatever shread of masculinity he thinks he has. She’s broke, lost her childhood home, and (unfairly) was blaming Sam for it. Now she’s here to (hopefully) start mending some bridges
I missed something. What happened between Dove being an ass (and her entire fanbase being made up of asshats?) Dallas blaming Sam?
Thanks, I missed the part about her being a game designer.
You have to read between the lines a bit because it wasn’t part of a storyline itself but see these two comics for critical information:
https://d20monkey.com/comic/props-from-pops/
https://d20monkey.com/comic/christmas-2015-part-five/
We see that Sam and Dallas aren’t speaking, Dallas is getting slammed hard, & Dove is making things worse.
https://d20monkey.com/comic/christmas-2015-part-eight/
This comic states, at least from Brett’s perspective (as SANTA CLAUS!) that Dallas is blaming Sam.
Well, a hiatus just gives me an excuse to reread the archives again 🙂 Love the in-game stories especially, they’ve given me ideas on how to run my own games.
Update says Brian is going to be doing tags–and even tagging the archives!
Not to mention a number of other fixes that will add to the information in archives and character bios.
THANK YOU! Definitely above and beyond the call of duty.
Brian…thanks for the stories 🙂 Enjoy your break. I look forward to the artwork and can’t wait for January. And maybe it’s time for an archive binge to remind us all of old characters 🙂
Cant, but will, wait for next season 🙂 Love this!
Holiday Hiatus,huh? Have fun bud. And for a idea I hope you consider for 2017 is releasing at least your first comic compilation over on Drive-thru Comics as a PDF; maybe under the Evil Hat label?
Brian, when does the next season start?
Early January 2017.
You do you, man! We’ll all be here when you come back.
Breaks aren’t so bad when you give a clear start and end date. It’s the open-ended megapauses that annoy people. Good luck with those bills and come back to us refreshed. We thank you for the gift of strips you’ve already provided
Awesome arc Brian! I love everything you’ve done. Keep up the good work.
See you in 2017.
Don’t sweat the break, Brian. Get those bills paid, recharge the creative juices, and wow us next season. (Bonus points for letting us know when you expect to be back.)
Looking forward to the new season in the new year, Brian. As a wise poet once said, “Get Money.”
I’d say more evil than cruel, but then I was always considered an evil DM when I ran campaigns so I know we DMs can’t really help it.
That season thing looks great, but I am really hyped for your Christmas arcs…
Pay the bills. Watch some unpaid minor league football… err, the college bowls. Bake some cookies. Visit or avoid family as your weird dictates, and we will see you in January! Um, not literally. You know, through your work. Hey, it’s not like we’re following you around, hacking into your computer, and publishing unauthorized/unfinished sketches on the dark web or anything… *cough* Okay. Going now.
But seriously, nice story arc, man.
Once upon a time, I don’t even remember how long ago, you posted ReRoll coupons, which I printed off and gave to my players as (IIRC) a Christmas gift. Finally had a member use one for the first time since. Playing Pathfinder, our level 15 Magus got rushed by a advanced Storm Giant, Power Attack + Imp Vital strike. Rolled potential crit, but did not confirm. Magus looked down at his character sheet and his 17 remaining hitpoints, then looked at the 12d6 + lots that I was about to roll, and handed me his ticket. I rerolled the attack, and got a 2. Much joy erupted around the table, as everyone else started digging out their tickets that they had forgotten about.
Betting we will be seeing them come up again soon.
I know it’s a drop in the bucket, but damned pleased to be one of your pleased Patrons, and a Karthun Kickstarter. Do you, no one gets awesome d20 content if you stress out and bail, so take your time, rest as needed, and come back at it refreshed. D&D has rules for resting and recovering for a reason, so should you.