## [RT][HF]The Iron Teeth: A Tradesman's Tools 6.1 * Author: u/dsraider *Goblin King** * URL: http://www.ironteethserial.com/dark-fantasy-story/online-story/tradesmans-tools-6-1/ * Score: 11 * Created: 2016-04-03T16:43:50 ### Post: [Link to content](http://www.ironteethserial.com/dark-fantasy-story/online-story/tradesmans-tools-6-1/) ### Comments: > **u/OutOfNiceUsernames** [+5] *fear of last pages* (18 hours later) > > The story was enjoyable to read, but I don’t think it should be labeled as a [RationalFic.](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/RationalFic) > > --- > > *(spoilers)* > > To explain my reasoning, here are some conflicts + resolutions that happen in the story. > > Thug leader #1 > - > Method of killing: walking up to him and to a group of his henchmen disguised as one of his people and [slitting his throat from behind.](http://imgur.com/hZn7ZGr) > > Criticism: Among more than 10 members of a 20-25 persons-large group of deserters, who have been working with each other for a while, everybody fails to notice not only that he’s an outsider but also that he’s not a human. I mean, sure, [a cloak can conceal you somewhat](http://imgur.com/YfSMfxI) (movie logic \ game logic) — but not when you’re walking in broad daylight and [have a green face with a huge nose.](http://carloscara.deviantart.com/art/The-Iron-Teeth-578476140?purchase=print) This disguise successfully works for him for the rest of the story as well. > > Group of thugs > - > Method of killing: Waiting until the first two members turn a corner, then quickly approaching and slitting the throat of the 3rd one. Then quickly approaching the first two and surprise-attacking them before they realise their third has been killed. > > Criticism: They would’ve still heard it when the dying thug started choking on his blood. > > Thug leader #2 > - > Method of killing: sneaking under his bed, waiting until he’s vulnerable (getting undressed for bed) and attacking him with dagger+sword. > > Criticism: The thug had no serious weapons nearby, which would be rather out of character for a paranoid band leader in the middle of a turf war. He also didn’t utilize his super-strength to its full potential and didn’t try running away to get assistance from his mooks. > > Many of the beasts (harpies, the mimic, the troll) are nerfed into an easy-AI mode too when they are fighting directly with the protag and his team. > > --- > > As I’ve said, the story itself isn’t necessarily bad — it’s just not qualifying as a RF. >> **u/dsraider** [+2] *Goblin King* (22 hours later) >> >> I think you're being a little strict. No story can be completely rational, and there is always subjective opinion involved. >> >>   >> >> Rational fiction, instead of rationalist fiction, is described on this subreddit as: >> >> * Nothing happens solely because 'the plot requires it'. If characters do (or don't do) something, there must be a plausible reason. >> >> * Any factions are defined and driven into conflict by their beliefs and values, not just by being "good" or "evil". >> >> * The characters solve problems through the intelligent application of their knowledge and resources. >> >> * The rules of the fictional world are sane and consistent. >> >>   >> >> I think The Iron Teeth definitely fits those criteria. When I write I always try to keep those rules in mind. >>> **u/OutOfNiceUsernames** [+2] *fear of last pages* (23 hours later) >>> >>> If there weren’t other — more rational \ clever — approaches available for solving those conflicts, then you may have been right. Let’s take a look at the criteria first, however. >>> >>> > Nothing happens solely because 'the plot requires it'. If characters do (or don't do) something, there must be a plausible reason. >>> >>> People don’t notice anything wrong with Blacknail’s green face and big green nose when he’s cloaked solely because the plot requires them not to. On multiple occasions he has been in a well-lit environment in close proximity to humans and they never noticed that he was a goblin. I don't think a simple cloak with no established glamours on it would provide such an advanced disguise. >>> >>> Additionally, Bn just happens to conveniently stumble into an information broker when his plot advancement needs one and into Khita when she’s about to get assaulted. >>> >>> > The characters solve problems through the intelligent application of their knowledge and resources. >>> >>> In all the [above-mentioned](https://www.reddit.com/r/rational/comments/4d6trv/rthfthe_iron_teeth_a_tradesmans_tools_61/d1p7hzi) examples the characters didn't choose the more intelligent solution to their problem. >>> >>> Here are examples of *some* possible alternative solutions: >>> >>> * deserters: They could’ve sent a small group of units who were well trained in reconnaissance (or just Bn alone) to find out a weak point in the deserters’ group and then used that. This could’ve been, for instance, locating their water supply and poisoning it — or finding out that people were not happy with the Vessel’s leadership and surprise-attacking and killing him first. >>> * city leader: Bn could’ve placed the missing coin in such a way that the leader would see part of it sticking out from under the bed and pick it up without having to look underneath the bed. If we factor in the goblin’s intrinsic greed, then he could’ve prepared the dagger for a strike when the coin rolled near him and pierced the leader in the eye (bonus points for Initiative) when he was surprised by seeing the unidentified creature under his bed. Instead the scene gets unnecessarily complicated either for comedy’s sake or for a later plot element (e.g. for the mage to take a blood sample from him). >>> * three thugs: Calculating his chances against 5 people and deeming them too bad, Bn could’ve either warned Khita outright or made it look like he stole her bag. This could’ve been used to tell how Bn lures both Khita and her assailants into an area that he’s familiar with and uses the updated [environment](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/BenevolentArchitecture) [to his benefit.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apocalypto) >>> * Similarly I don’t see the canon approach used against the troll working as described — even when blinded it would’ve been unlikely to give his hunters enough time to trap and restrict him to a sufficient degree. Any number of indirect approaches could’ve worked (poisoning a sacrifice\tribute for him to eat, preparing a trap at the mouth of the cave, going back to the base and preparing for him there, preparing a bottleneck for the mage to attack it and not miss, etc), while the direct attack would’ve likely resulted in the majority of the humans dying. >>> >>> There are likely to be much better solutions than the ones I provided, of course, but the point is that the canon solutions just weren’t good enough. >>> >>> >I think you're being a little strict. >>> >>> And as I’ve said, I don’t criticize the story for being bad in general. It was an enjoyable work to read which had an interesting solution for avoiding both the clichéd moral knight stereotype (it’s a goblin that stabs people) and the more recently popular asshole-protagonist one (it’s a creature that’s just not aware yet of the philosophical issues arising from its lifestyle). >>>> **u/dsraider** [+2] *Goblin King* (a day later) >>>> >>>> When I do my next edit I'll be sure to keep what you've said in mind, especially in regard to Blacknail's disguise. ---