Living Oxymoron
2013-04-01, 07:49 AM
I know he is being mentioned very much lately, but I could not resist to tell my guesses on Tarquin and his adventuring party (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0758.html). I'll try to be as straight as possible and to keep all the details in the same time, so I expect your feedback as much as your own guesses.
Tarquin says in comic 819 that a "classic team" is constituted by a fighter, a wizard, a cleric, a rogue, and a jack-of all trades bard as the fifth man (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0819.html). The sixth component of the group seems not to belong to his definition of classic team, but even then he labels it as the "foil". I'm counting more on the classic team definition to guess what his partners would be, because probably his knowlegde about adventuring parties is based on his own party.
Fighter: It's pretty obvious that Tarquin fulfills this role, even though there is major suspicion (I know that isn't just me) about him having one or more levels of Bard. I mean, I know it could be a personality trait, but he uses his knowledge of narrative structures more efficiently than Elan as we can see here (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0821.html) and here (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0882.html). And, come on, a whip (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0863.html)?! Who in the earth would spend a feat to gain proficiency with a whip, instead of so many more useful exotic weapons? The Bard is the only core class, maybe the only class at all, to begin with proficiency with this weapon.
As for he being a Fighter or not, I believe he is a Swordsage, but I've said enough about that in this forum. But I be disappointed if he shows up as a Fighter though.
Wizard: Another obvious guess is that this role belongs to the girl with the Ioun Stones. I heard somewhere else that could be a desert-themed character (here desert means Athas that means psionics), so I really think she may be a Psion. Besides, psionic classes are open content, so there's a great probability that one of them appear in the comic, in my opinion.
Cleric: I wouldn't have nothing to comment on this role because it's already clear that Malack was the Cleric and healer of his group. But I have thought a lot about his real power and if it's balanced in relation to the rest of group so I concluded that... NO. Malack is NOT balanced in terms of ECL in comparison with Tarquin, Miron and the others.
And why not? The only real references we have to consider him a 12th are his spells cast until now and the fact that he created his own staff. Most of the people, including me until some time ago, believe he is not stronger than that, and the major factor that contributes to this belief is that he failed his spell check against Durkon (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0873.html), but examining better this scene, I can say for sure that it is manipulated, prepared to make us think that Malack is as strong (or weak) as Durkon.
First the mechanic argument: a spell check is a 1d20 roll plus level modifier against 11 plus the adversary level. Considering Durkon is level 14 according to the Class and Level Geeks, the DC of this check would be 25. Being a totally random thing, the 1d20 roll means that Malack could be a 23rd level Cleric and still fails (heck, he could even be a 24th level Cleric if the spell check rule was similar to that of attack rolls and saving throws!). The problem is that when something like that happens in the comic, we generally suppose the most probable thing and throw aside the random factor.
Now the narrative argument: when Malack fails his dispel magic attempt, Durkon mocks him and this is the very cause that most of us don't think that Malack is that badass. But look at Malack's answer. If he says that "it's difficult for a vampire cleric to find appropriate challenges", then I conclude that he is not balanced with Tarquin and the rest of his team, because on the contrary he should always find appropriate challenges (and even more challenging ones, once his level would be lower than the rest of his fellows) and he wouldn't be stuck in the same level for a long time or either gain small quantities of XP. Besides his answer doesn't confirm Durkon's mockery, in fact it seems to deny that and to put other argument over that. And I don't believe that age means more power, but look at Malack's age: 200 years make him older than Xykon! How much power he could have collected in this period? He surely will surprise us a lot and I am eager to see that. :smallbiggrin:
Rogue: The catwoman, that I believe to be a Lycanthrope - Weretiger (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/lycanthrope.htm#weretiger) is clearly the Rogue. The image of her stealing the magic carpet in midflight (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0817.html) since then made me think that Tarquin's teammates should be real skilled and strong.
The fifth man: Tarquin refers to the fifth man as being a jack-of-all-trades (bard, in that case). But if we think a little more, which class fulfills this role as good as (or even better than) the Bard? Yeah, the Factotum. And from which supplement does this class come from? Dungeonscape! Yes, the very book that the Giant co-wrote (where he presented us the Acidborn Shark (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0541.html), his creation). Although the creation of the class is credited to Jason Bulmahn (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ps/20070305a), another thing of this book (Dungeon Crasher Fighter (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0796.html)) was depicted in this comic too, so it would be great to see this class in action in OotS strips.
Ah, who would be the Factotum? Miron Shewdanker, no less. Most of the people here believe he is an arcane spellcaster, but I think the last panel here (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0757.html) is just an application of the Use Magic Device skill to use a wand.
The sixth man: As I said before, the "foil" isn't something that belongs to Tarquin's definition of a classic team. But, aside from Belkar being the foil of the group, what is he? A sexy shoeless... oh, wait! He is the second-in-arms. And that's what the last man, the big guy with sword and shield, looks like. The melee fighter that supports the lead fighter, as Belkar is to Roy. I used to imagine him as a Barbarian, because of his fierce outlook, but thinking well, a tabard is too formal for a Barbarian. I think that would be worn by someone with some level knighthood or something alike. I go with many people that believe he is a Blackguard, maybe originally a Paladin, again judging by his outlook (fallen paladin with a black armor? I know this movie... (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0407.html)).
Just another thing about him: have you already realized how his sword (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0758.html) seems greater than Nale's longsword (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0805.html), but shorter than Roy's greatsword (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0880.html)? I see a bastard sword coming... :smallsmile:
Tarquin says in comic 819 that a "classic team" is constituted by a fighter, a wizard, a cleric, a rogue, and a jack-of all trades bard as the fifth man (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0819.html). The sixth component of the group seems not to belong to his definition of classic team, but even then he labels it as the "foil". I'm counting more on the classic team definition to guess what his partners would be, because probably his knowlegde about adventuring parties is based on his own party.
Fighter: It's pretty obvious that Tarquin fulfills this role, even though there is major suspicion (I know that isn't just me) about him having one or more levels of Bard. I mean, I know it could be a personality trait, but he uses his knowledge of narrative structures more efficiently than Elan as we can see here (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0821.html) and here (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0882.html). And, come on, a whip (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0863.html)?! Who in the earth would spend a feat to gain proficiency with a whip, instead of so many more useful exotic weapons? The Bard is the only core class, maybe the only class at all, to begin with proficiency with this weapon.
As for he being a Fighter or not, I believe he is a Swordsage, but I've said enough about that in this forum. But I be disappointed if he shows up as a Fighter though.
Wizard: Another obvious guess is that this role belongs to the girl with the Ioun Stones. I heard somewhere else that could be a desert-themed character (here desert means Athas that means psionics), so I really think she may be a Psion. Besides, psionic classes are open content, so there's a great probability that one of them appear in the comic, in my opinion.
Cleric: I wouldn't have nothing to comment on this role because it's already clear that Malack was the Cleric and healer of his group. But I have thought a lot about his real power and if it's balanced in relation to the rest of group so I concluded that... NO. Malack is NOT balanced in terms of ECL in comparison with Tarquin, Miron and the others.
And why not? The only real references we have to consider him a 12th are his spells cast until now and the fact that he created his own staff. Most of the people, including me until some time ago, believe he is not stronger than that, and the major factor that contributes to this belief is that he failed his spell check against Durkon (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0873.html), but examining better this scene, I can say for sure that it is manipulated, prepared to make us think that Malack is as strong (or weak) as Durkon.
First the mechanic argument: a spell check is a 1d20 roll plus level modifier against 11 plus the adversary level. Considering Durkon is level 14 according to the Class and Level Geeks, the DC of this check would be 25. Being a totally random thing, the 1d20 roll means that Malack could be a 23rd level Cleric and still fails (heck, he could even be a 24th level Cleric if the spell check rule was similar to that of attack rolls and saving throws!). The problem is that when something like that happens in the comic, we generally suppose the most probable thing and throw aside the random factor.
Now the narrative argument: when Malack fails his dispel magic attempt, Durkon mocks him and this is the very cause that most of us don't think that Malack is that badass. But look at Malack's answer. If he says that "it's difficult for a vampire cleric to find appropriate challenges", then I conclude that he is not balanced with Tarquin and the rest of his team, because on the contrary he should always find appropriate challenges (and even more challenging ones, once his level would be lower than the rest of his fellows) and he wouldn't be stuck in the same level for a long time or either gain small quantities of XP. Besides his answer doesn't confirm Durkon's mockery, in fact it seems to deny that and to put other argument over that. And I don't believe that age means more power, but look at Malack's age: 200 years make him older than Xykon! How much power he could have collected in this period? He surely will surprise us a lot and I am eager to see that. :smallbiggrin:
Rogue: The catwoman, that I believe to be a Lycanthrope - Weretiger (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/lycanthrope.htm#weretiger) is clearly the Rogue. The image of her stealing the magic carpet in midflight (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0817.html) since then made me think that Tarquin's teammates should be real skilled and strong.
The fifth man: Tarquin refers to the fifth man as being a jack-of-all-trades (bard, in that case). But if we think a little more, which class fulfills this role as good as (or even better than) the Bard? Yeah, the Factotum. And from which supplement does this class come from? Dungeonscape! Yes, the very book that the Giant co-wrote (where he presented us the Acidborn Shark (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0541.html), his creation). Although the creation of the class is credited to Jason Bulmahn (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ps/20070305a), another thing of this book (Dungeon Crasher Fighter (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0796.html)) was depicted in this comic too, so it would be great to see this class in action in OotS strips.
Ah, who would be the Factotum? Miron Shewdanker, no less. Most of the people here believe he is an arcane spellcaster, but I think the last panel here (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0757.html) is just an application of the Use Magic Device skill to use a wand.
The sixth man: As I said before, the "foil" isn't something that belongs to Tarquin's definition of a classic team. But, aside from Belkar being the foil of the group, what is he? A sexy shoeless... oh, wait! He is the second-in-arms. And that's what the last man, the big guy with sword and shield, looks like. The melee fighter that supports the lead fighter, as Belkar is to Roy. I used to imagine him as a Barbarian, because of his fierce outlook, but thinking well, a tabard is too formal for a Barbarian. I think that would be worn by someone with some level knighthood or something alike. I go with many people that believe he is a Blackguard, maybe originally a Paladin, again judging by his outlook (fallen paladin with a black armor? I know this movie... (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0407.html)).
Just another thing about him: have you already realized how his sword (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0758.html) seems greater than Nale's longsword (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0805.html), but shorter than Roy's greatsword (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0880.html)? I see a bastard sword coming... :smallsmile: