War and XPs

The Order of the Stick #3

by Rich Burlew, Patrick Rothfuss (Introduction)

The epic battle between good and evil becomes more epic-y than ever in the long-awaited third volume in The Order of the Stick story, War and XPs. Follow the continuing adventures of Roy, Haley, Elan, Durkon, Vaarsuvius, and Belkar as they persevere prophecies, revenge, true love, heroic battles, villainous treacheries, tragic falls, and one swingin' party. Read in white-knuckled edge-of-your-seat anticipation as the Order leads the charge in a massive siege that makes the Battle of Thermopylae look like a sorority car wash. Continuing directly from the story in the award-winning No Cure for the Paladin Blues, this book is a must-have for those who have been collecting the entire The Order of the Stick story in print format. Only slightly briefer than its namesake, War and XPs is a mammoth 288-page comic book that weighs in at over 2 pounds of comedy and covers all of the OOTS comics between #302 and #484—but we didn't stop until we crammed more than 30 pages of never-before-seen bonus material into this book, too! Check it out:

* More than 15 bonus comics that expand the story as it unfolds!
* Extensive author commentary, providing insight that he will likely regret revealing almost immediately!
* A two-page tourist's guide to Azure City!
* Foreward by Pat Rothfuss, New York Times-bestselling author of The Name of the Wind!
* Preface by Elan the Bard!
* A brief recap of the first two books by Vaarsuvius!
* Translations for Haley's cryptograms!
* Valuable money-saving coupons!

Genres: Fantasy, Comics, Graphic Novels, Humor, Fiction, Webcomic, Graphic Novels Comics

288 pages, Paperback

First published August 27, 2008

Reviews

[Patrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

I actually wrote the intro for this book. Foreword. Whatever.

So rather than re-blurb here, I'll just pull a quote out of that that I'm particularly proud of:

"Rich Burlew obviously knows the fantasy genre inside and out. He knows the common pitfalls of fantasy literature: lazy characterization, sloppy continuity, and rampant cliche. When these forces run amok, they can turn an otherwise pleasant story into a painful, tedious experience roughly akin to eating a bowlful of someone else's cold puke.

But Rich Burlew knows what he's doing. He's obviously aware of the corny villains, stereotypical heroes, and tired plots that plague the fantasy genre. He avoids them deftly, or is careful to twist them just enough to make them strange and wonderful again. The result is something delightfully fresh, fun, satirical, and a joy to read."

So... yeah. Read it. It's good.

[Christopher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Does the idea of someone drawing a sign of insanity onto one of those super bouncy balls and throwing it into a room full of paladins both a) make sense to you, and b) make you laugh? If so, then this is the book for you. If you also c) said "uhm, that's not how that would work in D&D", then this is 100% the series for you, assuming you can get the stick out of your butt and enjoy a comic.

Also, this particular entry in the series has perhaps my favorite line in all of comicdom...



The whole series is free online over at http://www.giantitp.com, though you can certainly buy the paper books if you like.

[Juho Pohjalainen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Characters are fully fleshed out, plot kicks into a high gear, and the quick gags and self-referential humor and fourth-wall breakage all need to squeeze together to make room for stakes and drama and twists, not to mention one hell of a cliffhanger. It's crazy how quick the shift happened. From three-and-a-half to a shining five in the span of a single volume.

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Order of the Stick began as a very silly very simple fourth wall breaking comic sending up various tropes familiar to anyone that has long experience with Dungeons and Dragons. It had no apparent depth, and no obvious ambition beyond landing a punch line at the end of the day's strip. It had only the most trite sort of dungeon crawling story about delving into a stereotypical dungeon to defeat a stereotypical villain. It's protagonist characters were constructed as simple parodies, and drawn as stick figures. It was occasionally funny, but probably only to insiders in a "you had to be there" sort of way typical of most role-playing funny stories.

Somewhere along the way, in the hand's of the Story Teller, this simple story of stick figure heroes acquired true narrative power. It began to elicit emotions other than simple humor. For me, the moment I consciously realized this had happened was the panel drawn in perspective in strip #438, with the little figure of Haley waving far down the battlements. Not only was this moment lovely story telling, and funny, but there was something more to it, and at that moment the stick figure art itself transcended the medium and I found I cared deeply for these little stick figure people and their silly little quest to save a purposefully silly little world.

Somewhere in that is a metaphor for everything that makes playing RPG's great.

Rich Burlew is an artist of the highest order.

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't realize web comics could be this amazing. The places are interesting and the mystery wrapped around the world leaves me wanting to know more! The characters are loveable and their actions feel natural. I will be re-reading this series many times!

[Bryce · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Battle for Azure City is an amazing culmination to a twisty-turny storyline. Xykon is an amazing villain, mostly because he's so powerful and utterly inept at the same time. Onwards!

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

War and XPs is the third of The Order of the Stick webcomic and contains strips #302-484, plus a number of new comics and author commentaries. ** Note: there are no spoilers for War and XPs in this review but are some for the first two OotS volumes. **

OotS has become an epic tale and is the most consistently excellent webcomic there is. As of now there are about 850 strips of the webcomic, 4 print collections and another 3 print only books.

This being the third volume I am going to assume anyone reading this review is familiar with the basic concept of OotS. If you are not I highly recommend going back and starting with the first collection (Dungeon Crawling Fools).

Wars and XPs is, as the author relates in the forward, the first OotS book entirely plotted with the overarching story in mind. This really comes through in the pacing, ebbs and flows of the plot, and sense of scale present in the story across these strips.

We resume our tale in Azure City, and after the revelations from Shojo last volume Roy and company set out to find a new lead on Xykon. Other long running plot threads will also take center stage, including Haley's speech impediment and the Linear Guild's nefarious plans.

The story as a whole is magnificent in War and XPs. There are consequences for actions and oversights, well developed character arcs, and incredibly escalating stakes for our heroes.

Familiarity with D&D will add depth, but is not necessary to read and enjoy. The humor grows fairly organically out of the characters and situations, and by this point readers should have an idea if it's to their tastes.

As always OotS's art uses "fleshed out" stick figures. See the cover for an example. This "simplified" art style is used to great effect and fits the comic perfectly, and even with this style you can see the evolution and refinement of the art as time progresses.

I highly recommend Order of the Stick in general, and War and XPs is where the comic truly begins to feel epic. An outstanding volume of an already impressive comic.

[AJ LeBlanc · Rating 4 out of 5]

RPG, CCG, natural 20, roll for initiative, GM, NPC, spot check, +2 against ______, skill points in _____, high level characters, d20, character sheets, magic missile, TSR, XP, HP, D&D, 2nd edition rules, lawful good, saving throw, skill set, GP.

If you understood most of that, you probably already know about The Order of the Stick (OOTS). If you don't, check out Rich Burlew's site.


If you didn't understand any of that (waves hand in a slow half circle) this is not the book you're looking for.

[Shannon Appelcline · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although we got increasingly interesting plot in volume 2, this was the comic that really turned the Order of the Stick into an epic. I mean we get a whole war here, largely onscreen, and when it's done you feel as exhausted as the characters. Whew! The comic isn't as funny as it was in its earliest days, but there's still funny here, and there's even still 3.5E references, that's just now all against the backdrop of an awesome story.

[Heidi Wiechert · Rating 5 out of 5]

The third entry in the Order of the Stick surpassed my expectations. I'm emotionally attached to the characters at this point (like in a long and drawn out DnD game) and things become really tense as they are in very dangerous situations. I kept gasping as I read this one unlike the last one where I laughed most of the time. It's intense, it's thrilling, I can't wait to get my hands on the next one!

[Lissibith · Rating 5 out of 5]

We're full-fledged into epic story style now, and OotS pulls off the move really well. the characters in this little stick-figure comic get more emotion, more depth and often more comedy as well than their more fully drawn-out counterparts. Its incredible, the way he pulls off a full-scale war in a way that never feels small or cheap.

[Brenton · Rating 4 out of 5]

The last page of the preceding Order of the Stick main storyline book, No Cure For The Paladin Blues, teased a massive battle to come. And the last supplemental volume, Start of Darkness, made clear that the villains could be expected to be devious, dirty, and enormously destructive; the Azurites and the Order members who fought alongside them were going to suffer. War and XPs takes its time getting to the Battle for Azure City, but when it does - well, it’s hard to imagine how creator Rich Burlew can keep outdoing himself like this.

The previously mentioned knowledge of just how awful the villains can be will keep readers on edge as the first half of War and XPs paces itself through a subplot or two and some dramatic character development. The Order pokes about in Azure City, getting to know the inhabitants, and each other, better, and they also step out on a couple of side quests, achieving B-plot victories and garnering crucial information concerning their main quest. All of this serves to build up apprehension for the coming battle, apprehension for what good things the battle will take away.

The entire second half of the book consists of this battle. Burlew lays out a large-scale, complicated engagement that twists and turns and involves dozens of major players across several different stages. Each main character is given some focus, allowing them to show off their unique fighting abilities. This shifting focus also shows how their individual personalities and alignments affect their actions, and how those in turn affect the battle at large. And it all works. Beginning to end, it’s an exhilarating ride, right down to the gut-churning developments that leave no doubt Burlew will not give your favorite good characters Plot Armor.

As in prior books, here Burlew exhibits talent for humor, meaningful drama, and action. He has a deft hand for giving his characters moments of growth and triumph before then threatening those advancements with high-stakes conflict; he’s adept at keeping tension high even as the jokes keep flowing. Burlew hits on a lot of the classic fantasy and RPG tropes, but it never feels like he’s just coloring by number; he makes those tropes work for his story effectively. Or, barring that, he makes fun of the trope. Or he does both. And every once in a while he sets up a trope only to subvert it. In this case, the OOTS get their own Battle of Helm’s Deep, but there are no Riders of Rohan at the end, come to save the day. In fact, War and XPs ends much like The Empire Strikes Back, with the heroes tattered, weary, and scattered. It will take another volume of the tale to tell how, or if, they find each other and continue their quest.

[Andre · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been following the webcomic for years and it's done an amazing job of taking a metagaming funny webcomic (drawn using stick figures...) and making a "serious" work of it while keeping its funny tone. I look forward to every new comic and reading them in the book format, with the comment and a better flow as I do not have days (weeks) between panels, makes me appreciate them anew.

[Spiros Kakouris · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is where OotS shifts into a more serious gear and it almost lost me if not for some well timed jokes as it was originally served. The plot gets darker and more, well, plot-ty, I guess but it's still a great comic on D&D!

[Courtney Bedrava · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book!

[Joshua · Rating 5 out of 5]

The third volume of The Order of the Stick, War and XPs, isn’t when the story starts to get good. That was the second volume. No, the third volume is when the story starts to get superlatively good. Everything that comprises the story – characters, plotlines, humor, artwork, and more – takes a quantum leap in quality. I’m seriously not kidding when I tell you that this comic with stick figures is better than a great many stories that I can think of.

In case you missed my review of the second volume (don’t even bother picking up the first), the Order of the Stick is the story of a group of semi-trained quasi-profesional adventurers trying to defeat an evil lich named Xykon. Of course, it’s actually a lot more than that, as the second volume revealed that the threat that Xykon posed is far grander than anyone suspected. Also, the Linear Guild, the Order’s “evil opposites” is still out for pointless revenge.

Perhaps the most interesting characteristic of the Order of the Stick is its ability to combine drama with humor. Even as the good and evil factions of the comic prepare for all out war, Burlew is able to keep the story light enough to not overwhelm us with darkness, but dark enough to convince you that matters have gotten more serious than before. And he manages to do all this in a world where the characters actually know that they’re part of a comic strip. Now that’s talent.

War and XPs is also fairly notable because Burlew isn’t pulling any punches with the storylines. People end up dead, gruesomely so sometimes. No one, no matter how important, is safe from death. Long-running plotlines are resolved, sometimes very quickly indeed. One of the most hilarious scenes occurs when a character who missed a rapid series of developments is totally bewildered that so much character development has occurred.

And character development is another thing that Burlew does spectacularly. It’s often so subtle that you barely notice, but a close examination of the novel will prove that our characters decidedly aren’t the same people as they were when the whole thing started. The stick figures that comprise this comic get as much development and personality as many characters in much more acclaimed books than this one.

While War and XPs may not be as epic as its namesake, which I admittedly have not read, it is still an amazing read and a story that I regard highly. From the amazing characters to the droll humor to the shocking twists that occur over the course of the story, War and XPs has something for everyone. Even you.

[Mary Catelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first volume that was planned as a volume, to be a unit in itself, enlivened by bonus cartoons that did not appear online. Spoilers ahead for the earlier works.

Does have some differing sections. A lightsome opening where everyone celebrates the New Year -- except of course Miko, incapable of celebrating anything. An excursion out of Azure City when Nale regroups and finds that Julia, Roy's sister, is at the school there, which ends with an apparent victory, that only later becomes real. But then they land back in Azure City where politics and intrigue and a secret's getting out complicate the arrival of Xykon and his forces.

And much more. Belkar's cooking a pot of vulture stew. Nale's pondering how Julia and Roy acts as if they don't have a bloodthirsty hatred of each other-- don't all siblings? A training montage, and a mentor who never wants to see his student again, so that he won't die in his arms and leave the student pleading revenge. Halley discovering what she really, really, really wants to say -- and shortly thereafter, Elan figuring out a way to keep her from babbling. V's advice to Elan on how to make his illusion useful at the docks. Thor's allowing a Weather Control spell to be used as a sonic attack Nale's overestimating the loyalty of his new cohorts. Some clues about the Creature in the Dark -- also a tea party with him.

It ends on a down-note. Remember that you can read onward online, or in the fourth volume.

[Harold Smithson · Rating 2 out of 5]

As it turns out, Rich Burlew does have one remarkable writing skill: He handles tonal shifts well.

The third arc of The Order of the Stick has a couple powerful moments-played entirely for drama-that merge more or less seamlessly with the story’s more prevalent comedic elements. Burlew’s characterization, though otherwise unoriginal, is remarkable in the sense that he can create characters whose personalities can be played for laughs at one moment and drama the next. In fact, the drama feels more natural than the humor (usually). I sometimes wonder what the series would have been like had Burlew written a serious series rather than a funny one.

Then again, contrast breeds importance in a narrative. If everything is dramatic then, comparatively, nothing is. The humor strengthens the dramatic moments by making them more memorable through their rarity.

Of the webcomic’s five completed arcs this is the second strongest, rivaled only by the fifth arc’s first half and surpassed by the fourth. The humor still isn’t great and the climax gave me the impression that the villains have plot armor, but a few character arcs are concluded.

In short: It’s marginally better than the second arc.

[Lucy Cokes · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars.

Have I ever indulged on my love for this series? Here I go.

As a geek girl, it may surprise you that the only fantasy RPGs I've played have been through a computer. So approaching this series was slightly strange for me: because of my love of fantasy and gaming, I had an appreciation for how this world works, but yet....I've never played a desktop RPG.

Well, consider me hooked.

This series is genius. Actual genius, even if I don't understand every single D&D reference - I can appreciate the level of storytelling, the level of character development Rich Burlew puts into these comics whose stories I am heartily invested in. The commentary in the published books are basically a writer's/storybuilder's tutorial: I feel I have learnt so much from them, they are almost as enjoyable as the strips themselves.

Funny, emotional, devastating, surprising: who knew that stick figures could inspire such a range of emotions?!

(I haven't quite come up with the specifics yet, but my half-elf cleric has blue hair. Is that even a thing that can happen?!)

[Adysnewbox · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is probably my favorite "Order of the Stick" compilation...I just love all the story arcs in the book! Elan and Haley in particular get a lot of good character growth, a bunch of cool secondary characters (Good and Evil) are introduced, there's a great Linear Guild battle/conundrum, and of course best of all...the battle of Azure City, probably the most epic, cool, awesome battle ever waged in a humorous stick-figure comic! The geography of the battle is set up very clearly, there are huge character & dramatic stakes (some important characters even die!), and there are lots of thrills and chills and (still) laughs. The outcome of the book leaves the Order reeling and separated, and it sets up many many exciting potential story lines. Whether all those story lines actually SUCCEED is a different story, but you can't say that "War and XPs" didn't set up those story lines almost perfectly.

[Miss Ryoko · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actual rating: 3.5

I am so bummed.... the library only has the first three books of this series. I suggested the purchase the 4th and 5th... I hope they do because I'd love to keep reading it.

I'm giving this volume a lower rating than previously because I really do miss the gaming mechanics humor. While there were still plenty of it, this volume was definitely more serious than the previous, with Burlew himself said it'd be. And it was great! I enjoyed the story and the antics, and there were a lot of GREAT Belkar moments. I've really enjoyed this series, and what I love most about it is the gaming mechanics humor and poking fun of. The characters are also super fun, and seeing all the trouble they get into is great.

Rich Burlew had a great idea with this webcomic and I'm happy to see it blew up and got the recognition it deserved. If you are a RPG gamer, you MUST read these books, because you will love and appreciate every page of it!

[Darth Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is literally a high fantasy epic. It's roughly 480 pages, and I mean, yes it is a comic, but it's also extremely text heavy. Like, it took me months to read... The story is also very intricate and most of the characters are pretty compelling. I especially like Varsuuvius, the androgynous elf. It's book 4 and they still haven't said what gender s/he is.

The story in this reminds me a lot of Dragon Age Inquisition, but I think that's mostly because there are rifts in both stories.

The setting is still thinly veiled Japan, which is at times hit and miss. Some jokes about Japan are just so tired, ya know.

Overall, I really really liked this book and this series. I'm looking forward to reading number 5!***

***I just realized this was book 3 and I'm actually about to read 4! But I'm very happy to discover there's another one after 4 :D

[This Is Not The Michael You're Looking For · Rating 5 out of 5]

The third collection of The Order of the Stick webcomic, this is the first of the books which completely embraces an overarching long-term story. With this book, Rich Burlew really catches his stride as a storyteller, pulling his characters in unexpected ways and pushing the bounds of fantasy as we know it, all while keeping a continuous undertone of humor.

[Ben · Rating 5 out of 5]

Woohoo! More Order of the Stick!

Okay so, it's really just more of the same. It's funny, dramatic, silly, romantic, action-packed, epic, surprising and funny. It's got the return of the Linear Guild. It's got Thog in a Leprechaun outfit. It's got a training montage. It's got a freakin' war.

However, I can't believe Burlew killed

[Audrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clever, fantastical, rib-cracking, and overall amazing, the third book in the Order of the Stick has made its entrance as everything it was expected to be. Rich Burlew keeps readers hanging on the edges of their seats with murderous paladins, terrible deaths, love, and unexpected twists. Anyone who has read OOTS will keep reading to be sure!
This book is aimed at older age groups (YA, adult)

[Blue · Rating 3 out of 5]

strips #302-484

Books 1 and 2 held my attention to keep me binging, but this is the section where the series blows up the scope and starts being fully its own instead of a parody. Unlike other comics this one did not lose its continuity nor retcon any parody bits but leaves them woven in while also playing with character growth and some major world building.

[Adam Shaeffer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I know I'm revealing my hidden (or not so hidden) geekiness, but I love OOTS. It brings back all of my old D&D memories in hilarious fashion. Check out the Order of the Stick website for all the back comics to date. Brilliant stuff for geeks like me :-)

[R. August · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice siege, and the cryptograms are gone which can only be an improvement. Miko's plot-line was resolved rather nicely as well. Didn't hit many points that actually made me laugh out loud, probably since the humor remained in the same vein. Starting to appreciate Belkar more than before...

[Kathryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another great compilation from Rich Burlew with some interesting author commentary and bonus strips. I definitely recommend the compilation books for fans of The Order of the Stick - they are well worth the money.

[Brian Rogers · Rating 5 out of 5]

This volume is where Burlew's work comes to full flower - it's complex and subtle, funny and shocking at points. The characters and their interactions are well developed enough to work perfectly over the short and long term. Everything from this part in is gold.