Quote Originally Posted by hakflem View Post
On the matter of OOTS levelling, I think you guys underestimate how far they've gone since the time they had to flee from a dozen goblins or a couple ogres. Trying to guess their lvl according to their number of attacks or highest level of spells cast can be done but won't be very accurate. Just like stating that according to my experience as a RPG player, when Roy came in possession of a +5 sword a very long time ago I will guess that he must have been lvl 13-14 at the very least at the time.
I think you don't understand one fundamental trait of "OOTS leveling": NPCs don't need to actually level up. They can be paradropped in front of the PCs any time and when that happens, they'll magically be at the "right" level, appropriate for the story and challenge.

So, regardless of what we do or do not know about Tarquin's background, he's clearly a fair bit higher level than the Order. I had called that before we knew Durkon's Holy Word hadn't affected him -- that piece of confirming evidence wasn't even needed to know it, because it's so obvious that it (should normally) go without saying: when the PCs meet a new big bad villain, the said big bad villain is more powerful than them, no matter how many years of adventuring he's got under his belt.