Who is the most underrated
NPC 'bad-guy' ?
Greenwood: "Manshoon is the most underrated
NPC villain in the published Realms, because the TSR Code of Ethics prevented me from showing the Zhentarim as really competent, early on, and I was never able to dwell on the extent and sophistication of Manshoon?s Machiavellian plotting and subtle spread of influence. For a man not directly supported by a deity (as, for instance, Elminster is), Manshoon achieved more than anyone else in the current Realms, in matters of acquiring information and in being able to influence others.
He was well on his way to having a Realms-wide network of informants and agents that could persuade a farmwife in Halruaa to purchase this sort of cloth instead of that sort, so subtly that she might not even be aware her decision was being influenced. Why does that matter? Well, if you do that to several thousand farmwives, you change entire markets, profiting thereby and ruining rivals. (This is something modern-day multinational business concerns understand all too well.) Larloch could establish the same degree of influence, but isn?t interested in doing so?and is far less ?in touch and in tune? with daily life in the Realms than Manshoon is, and so could never match Manshoon?s subtlety. So the ?real? Manshoon is the Master Manipulator, not Fzoul?s puppet. (In fact, this could just be his ploy: set Fzoul up to be the figurehead, er, target, whilst sly and urbane Manshoon schemes unhampered in the background . . . heh-heh.) "
End Quote
I'd like to point out anyone who brings up Imoen and that sort really needs to get there head examined for the sheer fact it is what PC does, so if I the PC bhaalspawn KIllS Imoen in spellhold and laughs then obviously she isn't powerful anymore... And Sarevok doesn't always get resurrected or any
npc that follows the PC (I'd like to point out this is the disorder of people who think Baldur's Gate is
FR and what they did affects the
PnP cosmology) Golems are NOT a race, they are constructs
and Larloch would kick the crap out of elminster if you look at Larloch's entry in Lords of Darkness, level 32 worth of wizarding levels and have spell immunities which are UNKNOWN, yes he has more levels than elminster and he is also a lich, who has also more age and experience as a wizard. Larloch being that strong as well as not being a chosen also speaks volumes of his power, also controlling a massive army of undead composed of lich arch-mages of nethril vampires(paragon's and ancients) and wraiths would put the harpers to shame, but since Larloch knows what the Chosen of Mystra's are up to, so they leave him alone (he's too powerful) and he leaves them be for he wants magic to stay around, (Larloch also has 2 netherese artifacts) If you look and compare statistics for Larloch's entry and Elminster's (Larloch's entry is in Lords of Darkness) you will see Larloch is the Strongest (in magical power) being that is not a god in the realms.
Edited by LordKableNikon, 09 October 2004 - 05:43 PM.
