Greetings!
Welcome to Creative Characters. This is where I indulge myself a bit and create an unusual character, based on a concept, idea, theme, feat or whatever else catches my fancy. These characters are NOT supposed to be optimized, but they ARE supposed to be INTERESTING.For the sake of reference, and consistency, all characters here are created with the Elite stat array (15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8) and all hit points are rolled as averages (and rounded down). They are also written so that they can be used as either NPCs or PCs as the reader chooses, and are written with all special abilities typed out, so as to ensure a minimum amount of book-flipping throughout your game.
This is a recurring series, and you should be seeing installments of it each week. Should you wish to see a particular build or idea featured here, then please don’t hesitate to comment below!
This time around, I tackle a type of character that I’ve only rarely seen, one that focuses on Teamwork feats and on providing backup to the frontline tank.
Dokruk the Seeker CR 4
XP 1,200
Male hobgoblin fighter 5 (phalanx soldier)
LG Medium humanoid (goblinoid)
Init +3; Senses darkvision 60 ft., Perception +1
DEFENSE
AC 24, touch 13, flat-footed 19 (+8 armor, +1 deflection, +2 Dex, +3 shield)
hp 52 (10 (from class) +4d10+15 (Constitution) +5 (favored class bonus))
Fort +7, Ref +3, Will +4
OFFENSE
Speed 30 ft.
Melee bardiche +10 (1d10+6, 19-20/x2)
Ranged light hammer +7 (1d4+3/x2)
TACTICS
During Combat Doruk places himself between his friends and danger, either serving as the frontline opponent, or in his preferred position, right behind the frontline fighter, from where he attacks using Timely Coordination (provided his ally also has this feat) and Phalanx Formation to ensure that they can cover anyone else in the group, while both still being effective in melee combat. He has also makes use of the Combat Medic feat and his proficiency in the Heal skill when necessary. Ultimately, he serves as a secondary blockade, that can still attack past the frontline fighter, given the reach of his bardiche.
STATISTICS
Str 16, Dex 14, Con 16, Int 8, Wis 13, Cha 10
Base Atk +5 CMB +7 ; CMD 19
Feats Combat Medic, Heavy Armor Proficiency, Iron Will, Light Armor Proficiency, Martial Weapon Proficiency, Medium Armor Proficiency, Phalanx Formation, Shield Proficiency, Simple Weapon Proficiency, Timely Coordination, Weapon Focus (bardiche), Weapon Specialization (bardiche)
Skills Heal +6
Languages Common, Goblin
Combat Gear +1 bardiche, light hammers (3), +2 chainmail, +1 heavy steel shield, ring of protection +1, shortsword; Other Gear backpack, bedroll, explorer’s outfits (2x), everburning torch, silk rope (100 ft.), small tent, trail rations (7 days), 559 gp (these remaining coins can be spent at the GM or player’s discretion before the start of the game session).
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Stand Firm (Ex)
Doruk gains a +1 bonus to CMD against bull rush, drag, overrun, and trip attempts. This bonus also applies on saves against trample attacks.
Phalanx Fighting (Ex)
When Doruk wields a shield, he can use any polearm or spear of his size as a one-handed weapon.
Ready Pike (Ex)
Doruk can, once per day, ready a weapon with the brace property as an immediate action, gaining a +1 bonus on attack and damage rolls. He cannot use this ability when flat-footed.
History
Doruk is an unusual hobgoblin. He was orphaned after a hobgoblin raid on a small human town that went wrong. The hobgoblins were slaughtered to the last man, and when the humans came to the camp of the hobgoblins, the only found one small baby still left alive, lying in the crib of the hobgoblin chieftain Doruk.
Deciding that they could not, in good conscience, leave the baby there, the humans took the hobgoblin with them, intending to hand him over to an orphanage. As luck would have it though, one of the men who was carrying him home, had a wife give birth, and have enough milk for 2, so Doruk ended up raised alongside a human sister.
Doruk grew up strong, but not smart, and his human sister was always there to defend him and help him, advising him on appropriate behavior and by the time they both came of age, they decided that they should head out adventuring together.
Their first adventure, however, did not go to plan, and villagers from the next town over mistook Doruk for a monster, and he and his sister fled from the area. During the flight, they split up, and since then Doruk has not seen his sister.
Doruk however, is ever the optimist, and in his mind, he has set himself the task of finding his sister, whatever the cost and hardship, and believing that in his heart that she is still alive, he now roams the land trying to find her, and patiently explaining to everyone that he meets that “Yes, he is a hobgoblin” and “no, he doesn’t want to eat them, their livestock or their babies. But would they by any chance have seen his sister?”
