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[Neonivek]

Hey, Rincewind DID one-shot a troll. I'm suprised nobody remembered that.

That was because there was EXACTLY a one in a million chance it would happen.

[LegoLord]

No, they've always been living stone.  And the weak spot in the back of the neck is referenced in Soul Music, when the assassins make an attempt to assassinate the band.

Rock isn't invulnerable, it's just tough.  Fill it with rock organs, and things get a little less so.  But still tough.  They take a beating, but perfectly killable.

That was because there was EXACTLY a one in a million chance it would happen.

And that was mostly because Rincewind was a totally incompetent fighter.

[atomfullerene]

I forget which book this was in (Thud, maybe?) but I thought the bit about dwarven mine-sign was extremely dwarfy.  Basically, dwarves inscribe symbols (examples-  the long dark, the following dark, the waiting dark) and these symbols describe the state of the mine.  Eg, the long dark is just the symbol for mine, following dark means things are really bad (tantrum spiral right around the corner) and the summoning dark basically means you let loose HFS.  Working this into engravings somehow would be awesome.

[Neruz]

Yeah, that's Thud.

It also has one of Vimes's best Crowning Moments of Awesome (Spoiler Ahead):

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

When The Summoning Dark comes face to face with the fact that Vimes is so paranoid he doesn't even trust himself. This level of distrust is so great it has created a supernatural being, "The Watching Dark" that lives inside his mind, watching Vimes and making sure he doesn't stray from the path of righteousness.

The Watching Dark is so powerful it single-handedly boots The Summoning Dark out of Vimes, The Summoning Dark normally reduces people to a state of mindless berserkery in a matter of days. When it tries to do the same to Vimes, Vimes wins. He beats a supernatural mind-demon through sheer force of will.

[Deon]

I forget which book this was in (Thud, maybe?) but I thought the bit about dwarven mine-sign was extremely dwarfy.  Basically, dwarves inscribe symbols (examples-  the long dark, the following dark, the waiting dark) and these symbols describe the state of the mine.  Eg, the long dark is just the symbol for mine, following dark means things are really bad (tantrum spiral right around the corner) and the summoning dark basically means you let loose HFS.  Working this into engravings somehow would be awesome.

Yeah, the sign feature is really cool and it was mentioned earlier on these forums, and I think that with enough effort it can be possible to adjust engraving to be a bit closer to this concept.

Also, considering the fact how DF dwarves mine adamantium with 1 hit, it's not a surprise that they can kill a troll. DF just allows a TOO HIGH skill and strength values .

[Puzzlemaker]

Someone should mail Toady a collection of discworld books.

[Draco18s]

Yeah, that's Thud.

It also has one of Vimes's best Crowning Moments of Awesome (Spoiler Ahead):

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

When The Summoning Dark comes face to face with the fact that Vimes is so paranoid he doesn't even trust himself. This level of distrust is so great it has created a supernatural being, "The Watching Dark" that lives inside his mind, watching Vimes and making sure he doesn't stray from the path of righteousness.

The Watching Dark is so powerful it single-handedly boots The Summoning Dark out of Vimes, The Summoning Dark normally reduces people to a state of mindless berserkery in a matter of days. When it tries to do the same to Vimes, Vimes wins. He beats a supernatural mind-demon through sheer force of will.

I loved that part. <3
Also,

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

I don't think the Watching Dark just booted the Summoning Dark out of Vimes, it kicked it out and sent it running, tail between it's legs, cowering in fear.

Notably, Vimes was a little berzerkery crazy the whole time, but only crazy and not homicidal.

"Who watches them?"
"I do."
"Who watches you?"
"I do."

Oh,

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

It's listed in TV Tropes:

Let us not not forget another moment, also from Thud!, when he  fought off a 10,000 year-old ancient evil, subconsciously no less. Foreshadowed - and given as more proof of his badassery - earlier when two characters felt sorry for  the Summoning Dark at having come up against Vimes. "Quis custodiet ipsos custodes", indeed.

Vetinari: "Given, then, a contest between an invisible and very powerful quasi-demonic thing of pure vengeance on the one hand, and the commander on the other, where would you wager, say... one dollar?"
Drumknott: "I wouldn't, sir. That looks like one that would go to the judges."

[Neruz]

Yeah

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Even when Vimes gives in a little bit to the berserker rage of The Summoning Dark, he still retains sufficient control that he doesn't kill anyone.

[PTTG??]

Yeah

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Even when Vimes gives in a little bit to the berserker rage of The Summoning Dark, he still retains sufficient control that he doesn't kill anyone.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Weeeelll... not anyone, just those who weren't attacking him. I'm pretty sure a couple soldiers got killed, but maybe I read it wrong. On annother note, Wheerrrree'sss Myyyyy Coooooow?

[Neruz]

Yeah

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Even when Vimes gives in a little bit to the berserker rage of The Summoning Dark, he still retains sufficient control that he doesn't kill anyone.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Weeeelll... not anyone, just those who weren't attacking him. I'm pretty sure a couple soldiers got killed, but maybe I read it wrong. On annother note, Wheerrrree'sss Myyyyy Coooooow?

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

When the rest of the Watch get down there, one of them (i think it was Cheery) makes a surprised comment noting that while many have really impressive wounds, none are actually dead.

Remember; Vimes never kills people. No matter what he does not kill. He'll let people kill themselves through their own actions (such as Wolfgang biting the flare) but he never kills people. Ever. He's too afraid of the fact that if you start killing people for good reasons, it's a very small and easy step to killing people for bad reasons.


That's one of the things The Watching Dark does; it makes sure Vimes doesn't kill anyone.

[shadowclasper]

Well... for trolls you could basically tone down the bronze colossus right? Also magma men and such? Wouldn't that work?

Erm... pixies replace kolbolds... Humans stay... Elves would replace goblins I think, tone down the invasion numbers though.... how to simulate ahnk-morpork is the biggest thing... I think the DF editor will have to be implemented first

[RAM]

Maybe Ankh-Morpork could just be a few immortal non-breeding super-child-snatchers...

[Neruz]

Discworld Elves are entirely unlike Goblins though; they're very fast, very tough, very smart and very alien. Only Iron or particulary powerful headology can slow them down. Elves are more like the HFS.

[shadowclasper]

True... oh, and not only headology and iron. Lots of Dwarves and Trolls. Remember? The only reason Lanchra wasn't burned to the ground, then mined down to the bed rock for good measure, was that the witches didn't let the world's second greatest lover head off to fetch the dwarves and trolls. Elves, like most things in diskworld (and in DF) die when you lop off enough, or the right, pieces of them. And there ARE still Elves, not true elves. Read the REALLY early stuff, like Moving Pictures and The Color of Magic. They mention elves a few times in those, as nasty raiders and not so nice guys. They can kinda stand iron because they're mixes of humans and elves.

I guess you could just have "Barbarians" instead. Those apparently pass through every once in a while.

[Draco18s]

Yeah

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Even when Vimes gives in a little bit to the berserker rage of The Summoning Dark, he still retains sufficient control that he doesn't kill anyone.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Weeeelll... not anyone, just those who weren't attacking him. I'm pretty sure a couple soldiers got killed, but maybe I read it wrong. On annother note, Wheerrrree'sss Myyyyy Coooooow?

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

THAT!! IS!!  NOT!!  MY!!  COW!!