Mad Props!

Like many people, I experimented at university. Dabbled, you might say. However, I can honestly say that I have not played Dungeons & Dragons for over 12 years.

Having said that, I do play games like Neverwinter Nights, which is based on the D&D rules, so I have a pretty good understanding of the system.

That's one reason I love The Order of the Stick. The other is that it's just plain funny, even if you don't get all the gags about D&D. Rich has crafted a bunch of likeable characters that interact with each other in a humorous way, and it makes me look forward to each new issue.

So a few weeks ago, as a birthday present to myself, I decided to buy Rich's two OOTS books: Dungeon Crawlin' Fools and On the Origin of PCs. I'm glad I did. The first book includes the first 100-or-so comics that were published on the web site, plus a slew of bonus material in the form of extra comics and commentary-text from Rich himself. The second is all new material, outlining the back stories of the characters (in glorious monochrome to give it a "historic" feel).

The books aren't what I would call inexpensive, but I found that it was a good way of paying Rich back for the enjoyment he gives me three times a week. Recommended.