OotS #819 is up! "Parental Insight"

[Plane Sailing]

The major NPCs like Tarquin (and O-Chul) are some of the most wonderful characters I've seen produced anywhere. Without doubt.

 

[Bullgrit]

Redcloak is smart, but nowhere near that clever or innovative, and doesn't have Xykon's raw power.

I strongly disagree. Redcloak is very clever and innovative -- titanium elementals, the "Xykon shell game," etc. He is easily Tarquin's equal as a brilliant villain. And they are both willingly playing second-fiddle to a powerful figurehead leader to maintain/further their personal goals.

And they both even understand they are in a game story. The big difference between Redcloak and Tarquin, is that Tarquin plays along with the genre conventions, Redcloak tries to break out of the genre conventions. Tarquin plays the theater, Redcloak plays the game, (even reading the game books in-game).

I have to give Rich Burlew big props for excellent writing. I wish I could be that clever both as a writer and as a DM.

Bullgrit

 

[Achan hiArusa]

Who cares about the analysis I want to be...er...run someone like Tarquin.