Tarquin, you magnificent bastard! I want to read your book! Great comic.
I want I signed copy.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Keld Denar
If the players figure out and try to stop this from occuring, the wizard instantly crafts a HUGE mound of quarterstaves and clubs to obscure himself before teleporting out.
This, of course, raises the question of why Tarquin sent the OOTS off: to reinforce Girard against Nale, to get them out of his hair, for some reason related to why Penelope died, just to get the band back together and to their destination, or because he knows Girard is predisposed to hate them? Or some other reason entirely?
Also, so much for any theories that Tarquin and Nale are in cahoots.
he didnt want to send them off per se but had no way to convince them to stay without revealing he knew Nale was there pre-mature
since they were convinced he was heading to windy canyon they would hurry there ASAP and Tarquin would have no way to stop them short of force or by severly hampering there mission
In case you haven't noticed, Tarquin seems to know about and makes plans to prevent all the tropes.
Well, just the ones he doesn't like. Evil is cool like that.
Your admiration makes me wonder just a little bit less why so many turn to evil.
Um, actually, I consistently test Neutral Good. I just appreciate style.
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Avatar from my DeviantArt account. Don't expect much in the way of graphic art, I'm a writer. Also I have weird tastes.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Keld Denar
If the players figure out and try to stop this from occuring, the wizard instantly crafts a HUGE mound of quarterstaves and clubs to obscure himself before teleporting out.
The big question right now is:
Will Tarquin let Nale escape or is he going to give chase?
Because if he lets him run i would really wonder what Tarquin's plan with Nale is.
So, what we know about Penelope other than her background with Draketooth is that she purged all Evil components out of the castle's hair product, she apparently was content with Tarquin enough that she'd tell him about her personal stuffs like having a "friend" finding out about Draketooth for her, and she gave Tarquin a useful magic item for his birthday.
Sounds like a decent person! Also, I believe she really did love Tarquin (Not many women wouldn't, if he put his mind to it) and he had nothing to do with her death.
Penelope was Tarquin's 9th wife, it was his 8th wife that purged the Evil components out of the castle's hair products. If anything it could be argued that she was anything but a decent person. Every other one of Tarquin's wives mentioned thus far have had some issues with him or his alignment. Penelope is the first one revealed so far to show no indication of having a dislike for Tarquin (though to be fair, for all we know about Tarquin's 8th wife she could have simply purged the evil components due to what they did to her hair, and not because she had any moral compunctions about using them).
I do agree with you that Tarquin probably had nothing to do with her death. Though we have little information regarding their marriage, evidence so far suggests that they were happily married, or at least content with one another to the extent that neither tried to divorce and/or kill the other.
Remember when Elan and Tarquin first met? Tarquin asked Elan if he'd defeated any villains. Elan asked him if Nale counts, to which Tarquin responded "Eh.. Not really."
over the strips that tarquin has been present he has gradually become my favorite character. I do hope he doesnt vanish into the background too far after this arc.
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He may be like Haley's Dad: 2nd edition. That means up to 10 rings!
Excuse me? I'm pretty sure the rule limit to two magic rings had always been in place in 2nd edition already, and probably even in 1st.
If you had ever known a GM allowing 10 magic rings, then you had a serious tool on your hands.
Me, as an old-school Dungeon Master, I can tell you that if any player had tried such a stunt in my game, his character would probably have lost about 8 out of 10 fingers rather quick.
__________________ "I took Craft Disturbing Mental Image as my feat last level."
Sigh. While various logical reasons for Tarquin letting Nale go (in this) update have been pointed out (and none of them seem wrong or even unlikely), I'm sure part of Tarquin letting Nale run off like that is because of the former's love for the dramatic.
I really would rather Tarquin finally just went all George R. R. Martin on Nale. Nale is just such an annoying character. No matter the threat he poses (to Elan, to Tarquin, to the Order, to the world!) or the cunning and cruelty he's shown, he just doesn't compare with any of the other villains. Sure, he adds and pushes the story along, but he's just such an irritating character.
Compare him to his father: Tarquin is truly, horrifyingly Lawful Evil, an amazingly competent, intelligent, charming and dangerous adventurer, and yet also the World's Most Awesome Dad all rolled into one. He's such a deep, compelling and admirable character. We loved him when we finally got to meet him in the flesh, shared Elan's terror at realizing his true character and power, then loved him again in the previous update.
Nale is nowhere near any of that despite his high levels and intimate involvement in the plot as a side antagonist (where Xykon is the main). He pops up to complicate things (which, I admit, fleshes the story out more) but nothing more. It's so hard to appreciate him despite the antagonism he provides.
If only Tarquin would finally end him by taking away his one remaining hit point. But no, Tarquin will most likely not.
... unless he's out of all 4th-level-or-higher spell slots for the day, which is perhaps the answer to the question "why wasn't Dimension Door Nale's first action in the last panel?"
Another reason is that it draws a circle (range of spell) that Nale is definitely inside of. Malack is going to be ready if Nale shows himself again.
He's a suave Amish cyborg who knows the secret of the alien invasion. She's a manipulative mute safe cracker with the power to see death. They fight crime!
I do agree with you that Tarquin probably had nothing to do with her death. Though we have little information regarding their marriage, evidence so far suggests that they were happily married, or at least content with one another to the extent that neither tried to divorce and/or kill the other.
...At least until she told him that she was going to try and find her first husband. One of the few things Tarquin seems to have in common with Nale (besides the evil, of course), is his willingness to take disproportionate revenge over quasi-imagined slights.
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Revan avatar by kaptainkrutch.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cirrylius
That's how wizards beta test their new animals. If it survives Australia, it's a go. Which in hindsight explains a LOT about Australia.
...At least until she told him that she was going to try and find her first husband. One of the few things Tarquin seems to have in common with Nale (besides the evil, of course), is his willingness to take disproportionate revenge over quasi-imagined slights.
For all we know a contingent of guards has already tracked down Enor and Ganji and filled them with poisoned crossbow bolts. Remember, he appeared to take it well enough the first time one of them tried to pull something on him.
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Revan avatar by kaptainkrutch.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cirrylius
That's how wizards beta test their new animals. If it survives Australia, it's a go. Which in hindsight explains a LOT about Australia.
A Ring of True Seeing. This has to be a very expensive item, and the only person who can make one is surely in the dungeons of the Empire of Blood. After all, Tarquin would not want the secret of that item to fall into the hands of every two-bit adventurer (or even Nale).
Tarquin's smugness is the product of the fact that he is so sure of himself. And rightfully so.
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-Nale escapes and is like, "Mwahahaha, the fool!"
-Tarquin goes all "Everything is going according to plan."
-Cut to Tarquin being on a TV and: Aw, it's so sad how he thinks he's such a chess master. Oh look, a finger pyramid of evil contemplation! How cute. I'd pity him if I weren't made of pure evil.
Maybe it's just because I'm getting sick of all this Tarquin love.
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Spoiler
Quote:
Originally Posted by martianmister
Mongolian hordes. Lots of lots of mongolian hordes. With a mongolian warrior chief. They will conquer Gobbotopia and rename it as Mongolitopia. Because that makes so much sense.
Maybe it's just because I'm getting sick of all this Tarquin love.
The Tarquin love I don't mind, but all the "ZOMG genre saviness!!!1!one!" is really getting to me. There's at least half a dozen mentions of that in this thread alone, despite that the strip has NOTHING to do with genre conventions and is purely knowing his son and tactical thinking. I'm starting to think if "genre savvy" is code on these boards for "every possible reason anything happens" or something.
The Tarquin love I don't mind, but all the "ZOMG genre saviness!!!1!one!" is really getting to me. There's at least half a dozen mentions of that in this thread alone, despite that the strip has NOTHING to do with genre conventions and is purely knowing his son and tactical thinking. I'm starting to think if "genre savvy" is code on these boards for "every possible reason anything happens" or something.
Don't complain too much, or the posters might go with "Deus ex Machina" all over again.
The Tarquin love I don't mind, but all the "ZOMG genre saviness!!!1!one!" is really getting to me. There's at least half a dozen mentions of that in this thread alone, despite that the strip has NOTHING to do with genre conventions and is purely knowing his son and tactical thinking. I'm starting to think if "genre savvy" is code on these boards for "every possible reason anything happens" or something.
Try reading the first three panels again - there's plenty of genre savvy right there.
Zevox
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"When I was ten, I read fairy tales in secret and would have been ashamed if I had been found doing so. Now that I am fifty, I read them openly. When I became a man, I put away childish things, including the fear of childishness and the desire to be very grown up." -C.S. Lewis
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Re: OOTS #819 - The Discussion Thread
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Re: OOTS #819 - The Discussion Thread
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Your admiration makes me wonder just a little bit less why so many turn to evil.
Um, actually, I consistently test Neutral Good. I just appreciate style.
"I took Craft Disturbing Mental Image as my feat last level."
Milk Chocolate Justiciar of the Haley fanclub 
Aw, it's so sad how he thinks he's such a chess master.
Oh look, a finger pyramid of evil contemplation! How cute.
I'd pity him if I weren't made of pure evil.
