Character 1 - Goblin Alchemist

You were born into a small tribe of goblins that lived in the woods on the outskirts of the town of Laketon. While food was never a problem - it's amazing what delicacies the humans toss into their garbage pits, other aspects of life were harsh. The skills you picked up and perfected that allowed you to put together useful items from all sorts of scrap materials helped ease life for your immediate family. You enjoyed this sort of work - it was fun to put together things to make new and useful items.

You weren't happy with the way your tribe seemed content to live apart from the rest of the world, subsisting on trash discarded by others (no matter how tasty some of it was). Goblins were better than this! It hurt to sneak into town and overhear the Folk speaking about "ignorant, disgusting gobbies". You weren't ignorant! You had even learned to read and write, thanks to Elder Grax in your camp. Grax said you were one of his best pupils! Grax taught you even more interesting things too - things a lot more fun than tinkering! He taught you how to put things together to make explosions! and fire! and gooey stuff! and... fire! He called this "alchemy".

You decided the only way for goblins to be accepted would be for those like you to get out into the society of the Folk. You would prove your worth, and people would appreciate goblins more. This is what you did! Strolling into Laketon one day, you vowed that you would not return to your tribe's camp until you were recognized as an Important Goblin by the Folk of other races.

At first you were laughed at, but you expected that. Then you were tolerated as you helped the townsfolk repair their broken tools, did odd jobs for some shopkeepers, and even helped fix a few injuries and illnesses suffered by the Folk. You really felt you were on your way to being Appreciated! But it all came crashing down when the townsfolk drove you out. You wondered if it had something to do with accidentally setting fire to that block of shops when you were improving the baker's ovens.

Undaunted by this setback, you went south to Dryad's Falls. But the story there was the same. First they ignored you, then reluctantly acknowledged you, then started to warm to you, and then they threw you out. Perhaps it was it that accident that caused all the fences and half of the barn in the town's livery stable to collapse.

Still determined, you went farther south to Feybridge Crossing. After the bridge collapse incident, though, it was time to move on again. That was a week ago, but you've been thinking as you walked the road toward Karnstown. Maybe you're trying too hard. Instead of trying to get a whole village to acceptance you, why not start with a smaller group? A small band of adventurers would be perfect! That's it! You will become a famous Adventurer! You heard of an Inn along this very road where Adventurers meet... surely a group of them would want your services. Adventurers liked blowing things up, and you were good at that!

And so... as you walked into the Bugbear's Head Inn and settled into a corner, you began to daydream about a future of being Important.

Race
Goblin
Heritage
Forager
Background
Tinker
Class
Alchemist (Bomber)

Trained Skills
Acrobatics, Arcana, Crafting, Diplomacy, Occcultism, Society, Stealth, Survival, Thievery

Armor
Studded Leather
Melee Weapons
Fist, Dagger
Ranged Weapons
Dagger, Sling, Alchemical Bombs

Formula Book
Acid Flask (lesser), Alchemist's Fire (lesser), Antidote (lesser), Elixir of Life (lesser), Frost Vial (lesser), Tindertwig
Children

Physical Description

Goblins are stumpy humanoids with large bodies, scrawny limbs, and massively oversized heads with large ears and beady red eyes. Their skin ranges from green to gray to blue, and they often bear scars, boils, and rashes. Goblins average 3 feet tall. Most are bald, with little or no body hair. Their jagged teeth fall out and regrow constantly, and their fast metabolism means they eat constantly and nap frequently. Mutations are also more common among goblins than other peoples, and goblins usually view particularly salient mutations as a sign of power or fortune. Goblins reach adolescence by the age of 3 and adulthood 4 or 5 years later. Goblins can live 50 years or more, but without anyone to protect them from each other or themselves, but few live past 20 years of age.

Other Characteristics

As a Goblin...

You constantly strive to prove that you have a place among other civilized peoples -- you have an inborn need to be seen as useful if not important. Sometimes you need to even prove this to yourself. You will be willing to fight tooth and nail -- literally, if need be -- to protect yourself and your friends from danger. You will always seek to cheer people up that you perceive as troubled, though sometimes your antics, pranks, and practical jokes may not be viewed in this light. Others will be wary of you, especially whenever you are around fire or breakable things. Many will assume you're illiterate (comical for a "learned" profession such as wizard or alchemist). You will find yourself constantly being asked how goblinkind has survived this long given your gastronomic choices, reckless behavior, and love of fire.

As a Forager Goblin...

You can subsist on food that most of the Folk would consider spoiled beyond use, and sometimes even things that most folks would not even consider to be food in the first place. If there's a garbage midden around, you've got a gourmet restaurant waiting for you. And your family line has been living like this long enough for your digestive system to have adapted to it.

As a Former Tinker...

Creating all sorts of minor inventions scratches your itch for problem-solving. Your engineering skills take a particularly creative bent, and no one know what you’ll come up with next. It might be a genius device with tremendous potential... or it might explode. But you're pretty good with your hands, and crafting necessary things will probably come more easily to you.

As an Alchemist...

During combat, you will likely lob bombs at your foes, harry your enemies, and support the rest of your party with potent elixirs. During social encounters, you provide knowledge and experience about alchemical items and related secrets, such as poisons and diseases. While exploring, you keep an eye out for trouble with your bombs at the ready, while giving advice on all things alchemical and mysterious. In between adventures, you experiment in an alchemical lab, brewing elixirs, making bombs, and furthering your alchemical knowledge.

You might enjoy tinkering with strange formulas and alchemical reagents, often with a single-minded dedication and recklessness that gives others pause. You'll get a kick out of wreaking havoc with the alchemical concoctions you’ve made, and enjoy watching things burn, dissolve, freeze, and jolt. You will endlessly experiment to discover new, more potent alchemical tools. Otheres probably think you’re some kind of sorcerer or an eccentric wizard and don’t understand that you don’t cast spells; spellcasters who clumsily dabble in alchemy only heighten this misconception. They won't quite grasp your zeal for alchemy, creativity, and invention. They will also assume that if you haven’t caused a catastrophe with your experimentations, you inevitably will.


Cover image: The Inn from the Bridge over Daphinia's Stream by RPGDinosaurBob (with Flowscape)

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