I really think Tarquin is an Antipaladin/Blackguard formost...

[Emmit Svenson]

...and so I made a thread about it.

He's strong, charismatic, and wise. He's got great saves, defensive buffs that an antipaladin/blackguard could cast, and heals mysteriously in battle, which he attributes to a (abnormally powerful) ring of regeneration, but could just as easily be him laying hands on himself. He really, really enjoys being an Evil schemer, and has a definite fascist (i.e. Lawful) bent.

I'm unsure about the mechanics of antipaladin/blackguard in 3.5, but I definitely remember Sabine mentioning to Miko that an ex-paladin could become one through "friendly contact with an evil outsider (wink, wink)"...and there's definitely some naughty history between Sabine and Tarquin. I'd speculate he was once a paladin, and she helped set him on his current path.

He might have some level dips here and there (a little dashing swordsmant to pick up "pun combat", perhaps), but I'm guessing he's mostly antipaladin/blackguard.

[ancev]

...and so I made a thread about it..

In the ootsverse, a PsyOp was started. Its final goal, is to enable fighter as possible employee in the most important public agencies.

Long years have passed since a fighter has been empowered with a political power, but now, the Figher Repopulation Program, is fighting against class/race/alignment discrimination.

Tarquin and Roy, are the core part of this PsyOp strategy. Whenever you read OOTS from the protagonist side or from the antagonist side, you will admin to yourself: "well, fighter can be cool, smart and funny, also without a multiclass prestige powered bonuses".

:smalltongue:

[Kish]

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/prestigeClasses/blackguard.htm

It's a 3.x class. Not "antipaladin/blackguard," but blackguard. Fighter/blackguard or fighter/rogue/blackguard is indeed a compelling possibility for Tarquin's class. (Ex-paladin blackguard, given his apparent inability to comprehend the entire concept of morality and complete lack of any indication he was ever anything but the monster he is now, not so much.)

[JavaScribe]

*Sigh*, we've already had this thread. (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=237415)


He's strong, charismatic, and wise.

Stats do not equal class. Just look at Belkar and Crystal's horrible builds.


heals mysteriously in battle, which he attributes to a (abnormally powerful) ring of regeneration, but could just as easily be him laying hands on himself.

If he were using Lay On Hands, wouldn't the other characters notice? Heck, he hasn't casted any spells at all and he doesn't radiate an Aura of Despair.


He really, really enjoys being an Evil schemer, and has a definite fascist (i.e. Lawful) bent.

Be that as it may, he doesn't consider himself evil (even if he does describe his empire as being an evil one), but rather above it. A Blackguard would typically be specifically dedicated to the "cause" of evil.


I'd speculate he was once a paladin, and she helped set him on his current path.

This is even less likely than Tarquin simply being a Blackguard. In order for him to be a paladin, he would have had to have been good aligned at one point. If he had once been good aligned, he wouldn't have been confused by Elan not enjoying the suffering of people who crossed him. Everything goes to indicate that Tarquin has no sense of empathy. Just look at how he gets sick of Malack complaining about his dead children. Such a lack of understanding would be impossible for a formerly good aligned character, regardless of how much he has discarded his former ideals. Unless of course he was subjected to magical brainwashing.

[jere7my]

I'm pretty sure Rich already said Tarquin is a 1st edition monk/cavalier cross-classed with a Basic set elf and a Mandar guard from Bard's Tale I, but I can't find the post right now.

[rgrekejin]

I think we've had this thread before. (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=237415)

I'll summarize it here:

There is no solid reason that Tarquin couldn't have been a Paladin at some point.

However, there is no also no evidence to suggest he ever was one.

edit: Ninja'd.

[Morty]

Tarquin has never expressed devotion to any higher power and openly mocks the whole concept of objective moralty that blackguards, much like paladins, depend on. To be a blackguard, one needs to be dedicated to the idea of evil just like a paladin is devoted to the idea of good. Tarquin is only dedicated to himself.
And of course, he has never used any magical ability at all, instead heavily relying on magic items.

[Emmit Svenson]

Whenever you read OOTS from the protagonist side or from the antagonist side, you will admin to yourself: "well, fighter can be cool, smart and funny, also without a multiclass prestige powered bonuses".


I agree it's possible that he's a single-class fighter, and that would be pretty cool. But I'd be willing to bet on blackguard concealing his blackguard abilities so that people mistake him for a fighter, which is also pretty cool.


It's a 3.x class. Not "antipaladin/blackguard," but blackguard. Fighter/blackguard or fighter/rogue/blackguard is indeed a compelling possibility for Tarquin's class. (Ex-paladin blackguard, given his apparent inability to comprehend the entire concept of morality and complete lack of any indication he was ever anything but the monster he is now, not so much.)

Oooh, thanks for the link. If I remember correctly, flavor text for the blackguard says they're often called antipaladins; can anyone confirm or deny that?

I'd argue that his allusions to a past with Sabine, referring to her as a "booby trap" etc., are a suggestion that he was once something more than a monster before she got her hooks into him. Not to mention all the Darth Vader/Luke allusions between him and Elan, which hint there is good hidden inside him.

Bringing forth said good and redeeming him would strip him of his blackguard powers, would it not? What a dramatic way for his son to finally defeat him!


*Sigh*, we've already had this thread. (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=237415)


My bad. I searched for "blackguard Tarquin" in thread titles.


Stats do not equal class. Just look at Belkar and Crystal's horrible builds.

I submit his blackguard-friendly abilities as evidence, not proof.


If he were using Lay On Hands, wouldn't the other characters notice? Heck, he hasn't casted any spells at all and he doesn't radiate an Aura of Despair.

Could they discern lay on hands from magic item regeneration? Perhaps...but their best spellcrafter didn't see that healing in action. He has not cast spells, true, and no aura of despair has been perceptable. But we haven't seen any visible indicators of the sapphire guard's auras of courage either, and I posit that Tarquin is hiding his primary class for tactical advantage.


Be that as it may, he doesn't consider himself evil (even if he does describe his empire as being an evil one), but rather above it. A Blackguard would typically be specifically dedicated to the "cause" of evil.

Or an excellent salesman of evil principles. Which Tarquin is.


This is even less likely than Tarquin simply being a Blackguard. In order for him to be a paladin, he would have had to have been good aligned at one point. If he had once been good aligned, he wouldn't have been confused by Elan not enjoying the suffering of people who crossed him. Everything goes to indicate that Tarquin has no sense of empathy. Just look at how he gets sick of Malack complaining about his dead children. Such a lack of understanding would be impossible for a formerly good aligned character, regardless of how much he has discarded his former ideals. Unless of course he was subjected to magical brainwashing.

Infernal brainwashing would make sense, yes, and explain why he might resent Sabine somewhat.

I'll be the first to admit I have no proof. But I'm bettin'.

[Emperordaniel]

Could they discern lay on hands from magic item regeneration? Perhaps...but their best spellcrafter didn't see that healing in action. He has not cast spells, true, and no aura of despair has been perceptable. But we haven't seen any visible indicators of the sapphire guard's auras of courage either, and I posit that Tarquin is hiding his primary class for tactical advantage.

When Miko (Panel 8) (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0369.html), Hinjo (Page 2, Panel 9) (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0409.html), and Thanh (Panel 3) (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0518.html) used their Lay on Hands abilities, there was always a magic-like aura going along with it, so I'm pretty sure Tarquin's not using LoH at least. :smallwink:

[Silferdrake]

Now, I may not be that familiar with the DnD-system. But is it really that impossible than Tarquin is a core class fighter?

I mean, look at the majority of the cast, most are either single core class characters or a combination of two core classes. An extremely small amount of characters belong to any prestige class, and most who do are subject of jokes (such as the Shadow Dancer or the Arcane Trickster). In fact, almost all obscure race and/or class combinations are played for laughs.

I'd say Tarquin is just a plain old fighter with a good build, good stats and a nice amount of cross class skills.

[oppyu]

I think Tarquin is either a villainous dashing swordsman, an epic-level bard who's fooling everyone into thinking he's a mid-to-high level fighter for genre convention, or a cute little bunny rabbit.