Grinkle

A reluctant hobgoblin soldier, who was not so reluctant to betray his superiors.

Description:

One trooper with no nickname is Grinkle, a poor excuse of a wimpy hobgoblin who was made a warrior only due to his father’s influence with the chief. Julla uses Grinkle as an aide to fetch his food and drink and to clean up after him. Grinkle has a necklace with one finger on it (from a halfling), and most of the troop believe that he got it as a gift from his father. Grinkle speaks Common and carries his family’s third-best long sword.

Grinkle’s father disowned him and, through connections with the chief, placed him in Lieutenant Julla’s troop to “make a real hobgoblin out of him.” Grinkle believes that brains can accomplish more than brawn and hangs back in any fight, joining the side that happens to be winning. Since the troop arrived at the keep, Grinkle has been waiting on Julla hand and foot and has been the butt of jokes from the other troopers. He, therefore, has no loyalty to any of his fellow hobgoblins.

Grinkle’s talents lie in sneaking, talking, and (surprisingly) cooking, but not fighting. Despite his skills, no amount of effort short of magic can disguise him to look like anything but a hobgoblin.

After Kryptgarten Keep was taken over by the Squire Grimnir, Grinkle became the keep’s steward, cook, and nominal head of the local cult dedicated to Grimnir. When the Squire was issued a writ of outlawry by Phlan, Grinkle stayed on as steward for a few weeks, then was forced to flee when the Hillsfarran settlers at Kryptgarten decided to tear down the church and run-off the non-human inhabitants.

His Story:

Bio:

Race: Hobgoblin
Homeland: Lostafinga Tribe
Class: Cleric
Kit: Kryptgarten Pantheist
Alignment: Neutral Evil
Religion: Pantheist (Grimnir, Mask, Chauntea)
Level: 9th
Experience: 121,342
Next Level: 125,000
Max Level: 10th


Ability Scores:

Stamina 10
Muscle 6 -1 attacks
Aim 10
Balance 15 +1 AC
Health 13 85% system shock
Fitness 12 85% resurrection survival
Reason 10
Knowledge 13
Intuition 16 +10% experience
Willpower 13
Leadership 10
Appearance 14 +2 NPC reactions

Reactions:

  • Initiative: +0
  • Surprise: +0
  • NPC Reaction: +2 (always Threatening)
  • Base Movement: 9

Combat Statistics:
Hit Points: 34
Armor Class: 13 (Dex, Robes)
Base Attack Bonus: +5
Saves:

  • Paralyzation/Poison/Death: 7
  • Rod/Staff/Wand: 11
  • Petrification/Polymorph: 10
  • Breath Weapon: 13
  • Spells: 12
  • Fear: 8
  • Horror: 12
  • Madness: 15
Weapons # Att Att Bonus Dmg Dmg (L) Speed Range Special
Longsword 1 +4 1d8 1d12 5 melee primary hand, magical, negates magic rings
Handaxe 1 +4 1d6 1d6 4 melee off-hand

Non-Weapon Proficiencies:

  • Available Groups: Detection, Larceny, Martial, Pastoral, Social, Spiritual
Modern Language (Chuklian) 13
Modern Language (Northern) 13
Modern Language (Tharian) 13
Modern Language (Chromatic Dragon) 13
Modern Language (Carnivorous Ape) 13
Secret Language (Thieves’ Cant) 13
Religion 16
Camouflage 16
Dragonology 12
Offensive Tactics 9
Agriculture 10
Diagnostics 15
Humanoid Grooming 16
Intrigue 8
Persuasion 10
Administration 11
Teaching 9
Gaming 10
Escape 15
Ceremony 13
Two-Weapon Style

Weapon Proficiencies:

  • Ambidexterity
  • Blades Broad Group
  • Shortbow
  • Handaxe

Special Powers:

  • Hobgoblin infravision enables them to discern gradients of heat within 60 feet in darkness. In addition, an hobgoblin’s keen senses allow him to purchase Detection Proficiencies for the normal cost, regardless of his class.
  • Highly disciplined, well-organized, and ruthless, Lostafinga Hobgoblins never surrender in battle. Lostafinga hobgoblins gain a +2 bonus on all morale checks, including saving throws against magical fear effects.
  • From the combination of strict military training and the constant reminder provided by their collection of fingers, Lostafinga hobgoblins tend to learn quickly from their battles. A Lostafinga hobgoblin gains 10% more experience from any combat, so long as he collects a finger from each slain foe.
  • Kryptgarten Pantheists have access to the religion-specific spells of both Mask and Chauntea.
  • Kryptgarten Pantheists can cast the Cantrip wizard spell a number of times per day equal to their cleric level (9/day). This can be used to produce one of the following effects: Clean, Dust, Exterminate, Freshen, Polish, or Shine (See Wizards Spell Compendium: Appendix 1).
  • The Kryptgarten Pantheist can give a special bless to a farm’s crops, once a day. This blessing will make the land produce at 150% its normal yield. A collective field of crops can only be so blessed once a year.
  • Backstab: When attacking someone by surprise and from behind, a Kryptgarten Pantheist can improve his chance to successfully hit (+4 modifier for rear attack and negate the target’s shield and Balance bonuses) and deals quadruple (4x) the normal amount of damage. The multiplier applies only to the base damage of the weapon before modifiers for Muscle or magical bonuses are added. The weapon’s standard damage is multiplied. Then Muscle and magical weapon bonuses are added.
  • Clerics, regardless of religion, can always count on assistance from temples of their faith. Assuming a local temple of the appropriate faith is available, a cleric can request and expect the following aid (and perhaps more):
    • Safe haven, food, and board within the temple. In exchange, the cleric is expected to help the other clergy present. This hospitality is automatically extended to as many companions as the priest has levels. (A generous and gracious temple may extend it to anyone.)
    • A loan. Moneys borrowed may equal up to twice the cleric’s level times a hundred (in gold pieces). The loan must be repaid within 30 days.
    • Muscle. An cleirc may request the services of a number of 1st-level fighters equaling twice the priest’s level. All fighters will be equipped with chain mail and the traditional weapon of their faith (i.e. warhammers for Tyr or battle axes for Tempus). The time of service cannot exceed the cleric’s level in days, and the purpose of the mission should somehow advance the cause of the priest’s faith.
    • A cleric assistant of the same faith. The helper’s experience level equals half that of the priest served, rounded down; up to a maximum of 4th level. The assistant may be kept for up to one week per level of the priest before having to leave.
  • Upon reaching 8th level, the cleric automatically attracts a fanatically loyal group of believers, provided the character has established a place of worship of significant size. After the initial followers assemble, no new followers trickle in to fill the ranks of those who have fallen in service.
    • Followers: 70 0th-level Soldiers

Penalties:

  • Most other humanoid and human societies attack hobgoblins on sight (initial NPC Reactions should always be rolled on the “Threatening” column at best).
  • Lostafinga hobgoblins have a deep and abiding respect for dragons, and a tradition of a long-standing truce with certain dragons. In any encounter with a true dragon, the Lostafinga hobgoblin will always hesitate—he cannot act in the surprise round and automatically loses initiative in the first round of combat, always acting last.
  • Whether from superstition, or actual power, a Lostafinga hobgoblin that looses his necklace of fingers suffers a -2 penalty on all saving throws. This penalty remains until such time as the goblin reclaims his necklace, or slays at least one foe. Once the hobgoblin has killed an enemy, he may choose to either start a new necklace, or forgo the practice entirely (though he loses the xp bonus above).
  • Kryptgarten Pantheists cannot turn or control undead.
  • Kryptgarten Pantheists use the Specialty Priest chart for experience advancement.

Priest Spells: as 9th-level Priest

1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th
6 6 3 2 1

Domains:

  • Major: All, Combat, Creation, Guardian, Plant, Protection, Sun
  • Minor: Charm, Divination, Earth, Law

Prepared Spells:

  • 1st: Detect Magic, Elemental Bonding, Leaf into Dagger, Remove Fear, Sanctify Ghi, Seeking Mote
  • 2nd: Ela’s Accounts, Favor of the Goddess, Find Traps, Hold Person, Ripen, Steep Soma Juice
  • 3rd: Continual Shadow, Listening Shadow, Phantom Plow
  • 4th: Plant Lance, Watching Shadow
  • 5th: Wall of Shadow

Advancement Notes

Armor Allowed: Non-metal armor. No shields.
Weapons Allowed: club, dagger, dart, hand crossbow, knife, lasso, pistol, quarterstaff, short bow, sling, or any one-handed sword


Equipment:

  • Moriah’s Ringblade
  • Hand-axe
  • Broom
  • Pummice Stone Holy Symbol
  • Dark-brown Leather Robes (very clean, counts as leather armor)
  • Featureless Black Iron Mask
  • Footpad’s Boots
  • Lostafinga Necklace (a collection of hundreds of fingers, mostly assimilated from other Lostafinga tribesmen that he betrayed)
  • Carnation Oil (potion)

Grinkle

Ruins of Adventure Brand_Darklight PaulWalker