OOTS #862 - The Discussion Thread

[Deepbluediver]

Ten bucks says Malack defects to the order's side.

Five more says it's part of Tarquin's plan!

I'll take that bet; Malack may hate Nale and be friendly with Durkon, but he's been a steadfast and loyal ally of Tarquin's for DECADES, and by all accounts, Tarquin's long-term plans are working perfectly.

Plus, Tarquin has been working hard all this time to avoid letting the order know who he is. If Malack shows up, what's the first thing the Order's gonna ask him? (assuming they talk instead of fight) "Where's Tarquin?"

But odds are he has at least one healing item on his person he could use.

He's got a ring of regeneration; we've seen it in action once already. I don't know the exact rules for those sorts of things, but he can probably just slip it on Nale's finger for a few rounds and be done.

Edit: Swordsaged

What I'm addressing here is not fizzling, but overly convenient efficiency.
*snip*
By using a specific non-verbal drow code (I mean, really?) he not only conveyed his order perfectly within a second, but effectively cut up Roy and everyone else from understanding it before they banded together for the teleport.
Given how even with all the above they still barely escaped, it's no stretch to say that T's "lucky" ability effectively saved the team.

As far as I know, the Drow are the only race in D&D that are specifically called out as having an alternate non-verbal method of communicating. The drow has been around since chapter 1, so it doesn't seem that contrived that drow-related quirks are showing up in the comic. Now, if Z had been Tarquin's caster, brought along just for this mission, then I would admit you might be on to something.

Does this guy really have no weakness? Is there anything he cannot do? I am pretty certain there are flaws as well, but by now it's getting harder and harder for me to perceive him as fully believable character.

I would say he's probably almost as powerful as Xykon, just in a more creative and less mechanical way, and he's more cautious. Frankly, this is how characters SHOULD be playing, if death in D&D wasn't such a revolving door. Imagine if you had exactly one character, and if he died you didn't get rezzed and you couldn't reroll. In fact, imagine if when that one character died you could never play with that D&D group again. No adventurer would leave the safety of a city without 100 pounds of magical-amulets to account for every concievable situation.

Some things to think about:

-- As we near the fourth gate, V has been separated from the Order. We can strongly suspect from Qarr's behavior that the ArchFiends are about to temporarily repossess her.

-- Malack has been separated from his authority source and is now a wildcard.

A powerful arcane caster and divine caster have both been seperated from their repsective groups, in a facility that (probably) holds the Gate. Coincedence?
Almost certainly, but is anyone else REALLY hoping to see a V & Malack vs. Xykon and Redcloak spell-duel?